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I was going to hold off posting my bead warriors since Dale just posted, but he encouraged me to go ahead and post. Over the weekend I put together three stands of troops. I will discuss the building process, the painting, and then also my subjective feelings about these little fellows, both good and bad. In terms of historical miniature gaming, I am one of those people that has one period that I like significantly more than all others. For me that's ancients, and specifically ancient warfare from about 500 BC to around 100 BC. Because of this, I am a sucker for Alexander the Great and the Successors battles in particular. So, not surprisingly, this is the army I started with when doing my first batches of bead warriors. Over the weekend, I got three bases done, two phalangite bases and one skirmisher base. I try and use everything from a craft store or online craft shop, so even the bases are precut ones that I buy online for not much money. They are about 3 inches wide (just a little shy of that actually), 1.25 inches deep, and 1/4 inch thick. I wanted thick bases for these little fellows because a) I think it looks cool, and b) while in play I want people handling the bases, not the figures. They are essentially painted the same as my "28mm" wooden ancients figures I make using spools and such. So they are way more "meeplish" than Dale's figures in appearance. Here is a closeup of the phalangites. And here is what they are made with. The body is a 5/16" Flat Head plug, and the head is a Maple Button Plug 1/4" in size. You just glue the mushroom plug on top of the wider end of the flat head plug and that's it. The pikes are toothpicks with the sharp end cut off of one of them. The shields are called "brads." You get them in a craft store in the area that has the paper and scrapbooking stuff. They are designed to hold pieces of paper together as they have two sharp prongs that you can bend open and then shut again to hold the paper, but I snip those off. Honestly, this is just a 10-12mm version of the same figures I do at 28mm with spools and mushroom caps, it's just that the mushroom cap is smaller, instead of a spool for the body I used a flat head plug, and the brad I use for the shields is smaller. To illustrate this, here is a comparison photo of the 28mm phalangites I made years ago, and the new 10/12mm phalangites I made this past weekend. As far as painting goes, very, very easy. Dale is right, you can really get lost in painting details that don't matter. What I tried to do was identify what was the most distinctive thing on the actual soldier and just paint those things. So for the phalangites, it's obviously the helmet and the linen armor. The linen armor pattern is just made up, it is just a "suggestion" of the linen armor. You can't really see it in these pictures but I did paint hands on the back side of the pikes to give the appearance of them holding it, but that's it for details. Helmet, face and eyes, linen armor, and that's about it for painting details. For my skirmishers, I wanted to try and give some variety in appearance. Also, obviously, there are way fewer of these figures on the base, although the base itself is the same size. Here is what these guys are made from. 1. Inexpensive. Even me buying "custom" parts instead of just going with the standard beads from a craft store, they are still really cheap to make if you buy the pieces in bulk. 2. Fast to paint. Wow, I literally did the bases staggered, so that I was at a different point with the painting of each so that I could be painting one while another one was drying. For these three bases, with a total of 28 figures, I may have 3 actual hours of work in them, and honestly, a lot of that time was waiting for the glue and paint to dry. 3. Mass effect. Just like with all 6mm or 10mm figures, you can get so many of them in a small area on the board it looks really good, even with my cartoony meeple style, they look good when they are put together like in the first picture. 4. Light. Especially if you used a thinner wooden base, you would find that each base weighs less than one 28mm metal figure. Actually, I think even my thicker bases still weigh less. So for those of us like me that like to run convention games, or run games at a gaming club where you have to transport everything, my old back is very happy to be moving a box of these guys around compared to a box of 28mm metal figures. 1. Fiddly. There is no real way around this unless you do what Dale does which is paint them on the base. I don't do that, and by not doing it they are hard to hold onto when you paint them. The phalangites are not, you can hold onto the pike, but the skirmishers and the base of Hypaspists I am working on now, it is impossible not to get paint all over your hands. In the future I might try to use some sort of putty tack to stick them to a base that I can hold onto when painting them. That should help to solve this problem. It's always risky with wood, though, because it absorbs everything, so if the tacky stuff is damp at all, the wood will absorb it and possibly alter the paint. I hope not though. 2. <Yawn>. Okay, I admit it, I can be a bit of a painting snob. Painting these guys this weekend made me feel the same way that painting 6mm figures made me feel when I used to paint them. <Yawn> On the good side, it's hard to paint them poorly. On the bad side, it's very difficult to paint them very well. This is definitely a double-edged sword characteristic, because if you wanted to put together an army quickly that looks good on the table, but you didn't care if they looked great, just to try out a period that you do not normally game or something like that, they are perfect for that. But the point of them is to be minimalistic, and simple, and paint just the most important elements of the figure. That's great for speed, and for identification on the table top, but for those paint snobs like me out there, it can get really boring really quickly because it is very assembly-line like. So for me, personally, the level of enjoyment in painting them was far less than for the 28mm ancients I have done with the spools, and definitely less than for the 32mm fantasy figures for rpgs I've been doing of late. Will I keep doing some? I will. I want to do an elephant, and I want to do some cavalry. I will eventually do enough to put on a game. I like a huge battlefield with lots of troops on it and this will really fit that bill. Actually, I sort of like knowing that between even just Dale and I, we have 10/12mm army options, 25/28mm army options, and 40mm army options for figures made out of inexpensive and simple craft store parts. I, personally, think that diversity in scales for these types of figures is just darned cool. I went to the local Michael's and found a cheap ($3) hot glue gun and said "Why not?" because my experiments with super glue had pretty much failed. Super glue just does not provide a strong enough hold when dealing with curved, plastic pony beads. Pony beads are basically 6 mm x 9 mm plastic beads with a large hole. I use two of these for horses, acting as the body. To each of these I attach a 3 mm by 5 mm plastic, tubular bead. Here is what it looks like attached. I usually fill up the pony bead with hot glue first, then attach the "legs". When attaching the front and back sets together I connect them with a spot of hot glue and then let the glue harden. Although hot glue will typically set in 15 to 30 seconds, unless you are using cold water the glue generally takes a few minutes to harden. After it has hardened, I add more hot glue at the join point between the two pony beads, deliberately leaving a blob towards the bottom (above the horse's legs) as this gives the appearance of rider's legs. As you can also see in the image above, I use a wooden, tubular bead for the horse's head (the light colored bead). All I can say about it is that it comes in a package of wooden beads with varied shapes and sizes that I buy at Hobby Lobby and it is the perfect size. Those five beads complete the horse for a 12 mm figure. For the rider, I only need two more beads, one for the head and one for the body. Because these figures are sort of Chibi-style, with an oversized head compared to the body size, the rider's head is either an 8 mm round wooden bead or another 6 mm by 9 mm pony bead, depending upon which shape suits your subject better. (The pony bead provides more of a flat-topped barrel shape, while the wooden bead is a spherical shape.) The body is a small "seed" bead. It does not need to be as large as the body used for infantry as the rider's legs overlap the shape of the horse's body and is represented by hot glue. Here are six cavalry, armed with swords and shields, shown at various angles. Some cavalry with spears in upraised position. Some cavalry with spears in lowered position (charging). All of these cavalry use pony beads for the heads, so will be better for medieval knights with barrel helmets, although the shields are not really the right shape for heater shields. But that is okay. I am trying to train myself that it will be the paint job and not the shape that will matter as much. So far I have finished six sword-armed cavalry and 12 spear/lance-armed cavalry, plus 16 infantry in shield wall formation. So let's look at the infantry. For these guys I used two beads, an 8 mm wooden sphere bead and a 6 mm wooden cube bead, hot glued one on top of the other. (The cube is the body.) To that I glue a piece of foam sheet cut out with a hole punch, which represents a shield and part of a wooden round toothpick to represent the spear. I only put the shield on the front row figures and the single back row figure where the shield would show. As you can see in this image from above, adding shields to all of the figures in the back row is not necessary as they would never show, unless you created a sufficient gap between the two ranks. But if you did that, then you would be able to see the fronts of the second rank sufficiently that you would then have to paint it. That defeats the point of this minimalist style. Once I paint these all up with black gesso a lot of the little holes and gaps will be filled up, in addition to acting as shadow for any area I cannot or do not paint. Here is the first infantry unit that I have finished. I have painted it all in black gesso in order to create shadows for wherever I cannot paint another color. I will only paint those areas of the figures that are easily seen. Hard to see places will be kept black. This unit will likely be an Anglo-Saxon fyrd unit. No armor, a couple of helmets (mostly caps), and lots of colors. In terms of Dux Bellorum, it will be an Ordinary Shieldwall unit. As this unit is more orderly, it will be an Anglo-Saxon select fyrd unit. They will have body armor and metal helmets. In terms of Dux Bellorum they will be Noble Shieldwall units. Here is another Anglo-Saxon fyrd units (Ordinary Shieldwall), painted up. As you can see in the images above, lots of color in the clothing (the square bead) and in the hair color, caps, and helmets. The main point of emphasis to the eye, however, is the head from the back and the spear points, shields, and heads from the front. Lots of detail on the clothing or shield is wasted. I allowed myself some dots, stripes, and spirals for the shields, but I was not going to paint any animals or Celtic knots, that is for sure! Opposing the Anglo-Saxons I wanted to use the Sub-Roman Britons. At first I thought about using the SRB in the Southwest of England, but later realized that the Kingdom of Strathclyde lasted much longer and had more enemies it could fight (lasting until the 10th century or so). Plus, they can be an all-cavalry force, if you want them to be! I thought that would be fun – cavalry and light, skirmishing infantry against a shieldwall – so I decided to make a few cavalry units. This first one is sword-armed, just so it can be a little different from the rest. It will likely end up as the General's stand, or in Dux Bellorum, the Noble Companion Riders. Here is a unit of Strathclyde cavalry. I will paint them with a few helmets and no body armor, making them Ordinary Riders for Dux Bellorum. They are armed with javelins and spears. This Strathclyde unit has everyone wearing metal body armor and helmets, no count as Noble Riders. The weaponry are javelins and spears, so they will use their firepower to wear down the enemy before charging into them and breaking them. That is the plan at least. As you can see, I really did not put a lot of effort into the shields. (I also forgot to paint the spear points!) The good thing is, I can always go back and paint a little more if the mood strikes me. The ones that have shields on the outer edge of the stand (the red one, in this case) and are easily accessible (the white one and possibly the orange one) would be the likeliest candidates. Maybe a simple two color scheme with painted halves, stripes, or dots. Plus iron shield bosses in the center. So, all in all a pretty productive trip. I still have three more cavalry units to add weapons and shields to, but the horses and riders are all done. I stopped doing infantry because I was worried that they would not survive the trip. As all of the infantry in a unit were glued together in one big block, that made them less flexible. So I glued a couple of dozen heads to bodies and left it at that. It is all coming together nicely. If the Dux Bellorum rules do not work out, there is always DBA (with 3" bases!) and several other rules I would like to try (like Conquerors and Kings). Thought I would post a few more painting shots. These are the base coats with the eyes for three figures, one of which, the orc shaman, you've already seen. The one on the left is an evil wizard/necromancer and the one on the right is a warrior priest summoning some magic effect ... or signaling for a touchdown, whichever you prefer. The Wizard has the standard cloak I usually do but I wanted him to have a metal skull cap on his head, similar to the one worn by Merlin in the classic Excalibur movie from the 80's. These are all base colors and you can see that for all of them, I chose to do a black eye base. Here is the finished evil wizard. The eyes are done by just putting two white dots into the large black oval. The cloak is the dark brown color I like so much as a base tone, but in this case because his cloak is so dark I painted the base coat black, and used the dark brown (the "Soft Black" color) to fill in as the color of his cloak. This is a good example on a human figure the technique of leaving some of the darker undercoat color showing through when you use a lighter tone over top of it. It is done on every part of the miniature except for his face. Finally, here is the evil warrior priest finished. He is pretty straightforward except for his eyes. I wanted him to appear to be looking up, so I used the same technique for the eyes that I use on the zombies. The white part is not just two dots but a crescent shape so that it looks like his pupils are all the way up in the top of his eye, which they would be if he was looking up to the sky summoning the power of his god. The mace on his belt is just cut from a tile spacer. Finally, Michael's, at least the ones where I live, are carrying a new line of wooden craft parts that have different "wooden people." I've not seen these before. Also, they have this pack that has a male and female wooden person, a hut, and a tree. Unfortunately it is about $4 and I would never use the hut for anything I don't think, but I really like the tree. I took this picture at the store and it didn't turn out as good as I hoped, but you can see the people and the tree okay in it. These people are a nice size and if I was starting over or wanting to do a really large army, I might opt to use these. The hut looks like an ice cream cone, but the tree (which is next to it but is upside down) is actually very nice, this picture does not do it justice. You can see one of the "pawns" or "wooden people" in the upper left of the package. Unfortunately, I don't think you can but the trees in a pack by themselves (like a four pack or something). I only saw the trees included in this package, and it is cost prohibitive to pay that much just for one tree for me, anyway. But it is a very nice tree. So here is my otyugh figure side by side with the pre-painted D&D counterpart. As you can see, the scale is nearly identical in terms of actual area taken up by the figure, which is one of the things I try and go for. I'm also happy with the general appearance of the otyugh at this point. I cut tile spacers to make the "teeth" at the end of two of the tentacled arms. There is just one tile spacer per side, though, so essentially it is a thinned down long straight piece of tile spacer that I then cut a jagged edge on to look like teeth. Individual teeth would probably look better, but would be really fiddly and would be more likely to come off the figure with handling. I will paint on the other teeth in its maw because there just is not enough space to put teeth in there. I can't make the mouth any wider because as it is constructed now, the bottom of the lower jaw already is just mm from the table top. I also think I will paint on the spikes, but I did entertain using toothpicks or other wooden pointy things cut to size and glue them on. I still might do this, I haven't decided. I will need to decide this before I paint it. The issue is how likely I think they will be to break off with use. Obviously, I don't want that and if that is likely, it's not worth going for the 3D spikes, better to just paint them on. I also have a base done for him and painted already, but I will only glue the figure onto the base once it is painted. He is such a low ground clearance figure that painting the underneath of the figure would be next to impossible if I put it on a base first. I went with the tapered plugs for his arms, ending each in a split egg with its bottom filed down so that it is flat, making it look like it attaches to the tentacle. Although the tapered plugs do not give it a smooth look, I think they will actually add to the segmented tentacle arm look once its painted. But we'll see. Hope you like the otyugh! Tomorrow I'll post something else, haven't decided yet what, either a painting example again or something else. Knowing that Dale would be away from his blog for a few days at this time, I have been hard at work doing some painting so that I could have some stuff to post while he is away. So here is some of the stuff I've been working on. I'll save other things for later in the week. For tonight, I'm posting about a salamander (the evil elemental creature of fire, not the cute little lizard), an orc shaman, and finally a dungeon accessory piece, a statue of the elven god of luck. I'll start with some "naked"/unpainted pictures and then show and talk about the finished painted piece. I actually started the salamander and then realized I needed an unpainted picture of him, so he has a little paint on him by accident. I put him with a finished human thief miniature for size comparison purposes. His construction is interesting, especially because his body is made of an egg that I cannot find anymore (it is longer and skinnier in shape than the normal eggs you get from online wood craft parts suppliers). These eggs I found randomly in a Michael's store one time, and they quit stocking them (they went on clearance sale) and I bought every package they had. But it won't be enough, I like this eggs a lot, I'm going to have to find them eventually online somewhere. Anyway, he has a split egg head, long and skinny egg body, an axle cap for the bottom part of his body where it first makes contact with the ground (because it has a hole in it gluing it to the base upside down so the hole points up allowed me to really anchor the body of the salamander in place by gluing the tip of the egg body into the hole of the upside down axle cap). You'll see in another picture but there is one more axle caps that make up the lower part of his snake-like body ending in another split egg tail. I used tile spacers to make the arms (really big ones) and hands, and his ears. You'll see this in the next shot as well but I also used the large tile spacers, cut them in half so they are thinner, and cut them to make the shapes of his spiny back plates. The tip of the spear is also made from a large tile spacer I cut to the shape I liked, poked a little hole in it, and glued the stick to it by jamming it into the hole. You can really see his lower body here and back spines in this picture. Notice how I placed the axle cap and split egg in an overlapping position to give the sense of a coiled, snake-like body. At this point I was very happy with how he turned out, and was afraid to paint him for fear of messing him up. That painting delay is normal for me on these monsters because it takes me a long time to figure out how to make them, and then after I do that I am afraid I'll mess them up when I put paint on them. He literally sat on my painting table for about 3 weeks. Above is the naked version of the elven statue of the god of luck. The base is a 1 1/4" square piece with a 1" cube glued to the top of it. I knew from the beginning that I wanted to put the elven word for "luck" on the front side of this block, but I would paint it on. The body is a longer shaker peg (I can't remember the size, but it's probably about 2 1/4" long I would guess). I cut the bottom off of the shaker peg so that I could glue it flush to the cube. The cowl and head construction is the same as for the lich I talked about earlier (split egg with an axle cap glued hole-side down). The arms are in a praying position and made from tile spacers. The hands are separate tile spacers cut to shape and glued into position. That's all there is to this statue! The picture above is the base colors for all the figures. Dark gray for the statue and the bases of the figures, dark redish brown for the salamander, and a color called Light Avocado from Americana craft paints for the orc's flesh. I like it because it's green without being "too green." Each figure has been painted twice. One coat with the cheap craft paint always proves to not be enough for these fantasy figures (you can sometimes get away with one coat with the historicals). But after two coats, the color as you can see is consistent and vibrant. Here is the finished statue. I just took a lighter gray color and literally made it up as I went, just painting a basic cloak look to her with a simple face (can't really see anything but her hair pattern in this picture). The text is actually painted black first, and then the lighter gray on top of it. The black makes the letters pop out more than if I had used an even darker gray. The lighter gray color I usually only have to paint once, and that was the case here. Here are some more pics of the statue. As you can see, I only painted the text on the front. Why? Because I am free handing it, and because it is elven letters (which I have never painted) I knew there was NO way I could possible get all the sides to look the same. So I only painted the text on the front side. You get a better sense in this picture for the "draped" look of the cloaked body. When you are painting something on a flat surface like you have with these figures, what you leave behind as unpainted space (in this case the dark gray color) is as important as what you cover up with the new color. By leaving the darker color exposed, it creates the illusion of depth. You can see her face a little better here. I didn't want it to look too "human" because it's a statue of a god, so I went with lines with dots under them for eyes and just the suggestion of a mouth. It is tilted back in this picture so that you can see the face better. I have done a lot of orcs before, but never a shaman. I knew I wanted him to hold a staff with a skull on the end. In this case it's just a round bead that I glued to a small stick. The figure is the normal orc construction with an axle cap head glued onto a shaker peg so that it looks like he is hunched over with the worst posture in the world. The arms are tile spacers, the right bent at a 45 degree angle which is perfect for holding the staff, and the left is extended in a pointing/spell casting gesture. As far as the paint job, nothing too earth shattering here except that I wanted him to have a fur for clothing, so I painted the dark brown color where I wanted it to be, and then just blobbed on into some of the dark brown area lighter brown to create the "fur" look. I gave him some blue face paint for casting his spells and for appeasing his god. Notice that the way I have figures "hold" things is to glue the object to the bottom of the arm. The tile spacer arm is flat and creates a good area for the shaft of the staff (in this case) to glue onto pretty well. Then I paint the fingers actyakkt on the object held to make it look like the figure is grasping the object (hands wrapped around the object). Silly, I know, but I think it's effective. The salamander I am going to do in stages hopefully so you can see better what I did. I took the dark brown color and blocked out his eyes and mouth. Then I took bright red and painted the various serpent-looking parts of the body, and the humanoid parts of the arms and hands, again painting the fingers onto the object being held to create the illusion of the monster holding the spear. It is very important that you leave uncovered some of the darker color you painted onto the figure before the current color you are painting (bright red in this case). This is what creates the textures and the folds in the clothing of other figures. In this case, it created the segmentation of the creature's body and arms. If you don't do this, you'll just have at this stage a monocolor red figure. Not what you are going for, trust me. As you can see, I've already finished the staff of the spear and put the base coat of medium gray on the spear tip. You can really see the importance of not painting over everything with the new color (in this case the new color is the bright red). Leaving behind open darker spaces gives visual interest to the figure. This is vitally important on the larger figures like this one, less so on the human-sized guys. Over the red I painted some orange (you can still see some of it in this finished figure) and over the orange I painted some yellow. In both cases, I did not paint over top of the previously painted color completely, leaving some of the old color still visible. This is very, very important! Are you tired of me saying this yet? Final picture is of the salamander with some adventurers on a painted tile just to give you a sense of how bright and "on fire" he looks. I'm pretty pleased with how he turned out. Have you ever purchased a new rule book for a new period that you have no figures for and then said: "Boy this is shiny and new. I wish I had two armie for this period so I could try these rules out!" Okay, I may not have said it that way, but I have said something like it. I think we have all thought it at one time. Created paper armies where you print and cut out paper figures and mount them to bases. Generally the figures are all side-view, so you have to play from the side, rather than from behind your troops, otherwise it does not look very good. Created paper armies where you print groups of top-down figures and mount them to bases. These are essentially fancy boardgame counters. No reason not to use flat terrain too! Created elaborate drawings using computer programs like Battle Chronicler to register the moves of the electronic versions of the counters I used above. Bought and painted (or had painted) 6mm metal or plastic figures and mounted them to bases. I was feeling a bit nostalgic last week and I created a few of the "Bead Knight" of my childhood. (See the post Let's Get Medieval and scroll down to the middle to see the results.) I brought back a lot of memories, but it also prompted a conversation with blog co-author Matt about how to solve the "ooh! New Shiny" problem by making your own armies. Yes, making miniatures takes time, but by making the figures a certain way, would it be possible to make the whole process, from start to finish (armies on the table), quicker? The real beauty of these seems to me to be rapid construction and ease of construction, and the flat surfaces allow you to focus on what you want to paint for each figure and putting the signature detail there rather than worrying about all the little fiddly stuff on the smaller figures that no one sees on the gaming table even with highly detailed metal sculpts. You can see them when you hold them up 6 inches from your face, but on the table? All you really see is what you painted on your guy, which is the helmet, the covering for the horse, and the weapon/shield. The point of these wooden warriors in my view has always been less about making an equivalent wooden figure in detail compared to a metal sculpt, but instead to create a quicker to paint, lighter to carry figure that on the table in a gaming situation allows the person playing from 3+ feet away to say "those are knights" or "those are American WWII GIs" or "those are Macedonian skirmishers" or whatever. The second part of that thought is that because the detail is not cast on the figure, there is a lot of incentive not to paint that detail. If you have ever painted old Scruby figures, you know what I mean. Scruby miniatures conveyed the shape, but rarely had cast details. So you could ignore the elements that would not normally be visible, like buttons. If the buttons are cast on, however, they will likely be wildly out of scale (in order to be visible) and will be noticed as not being painted when the figure is closely inspected as the detail casts a shadow. Another issue with cast detail is that even when you want to paint that detail, say the shako cords or a metal device on a cartridge box, if you don't paint dead on "between the lines" you will notice it and try to correct. It is just human nature because when you are painting you are looking at the figure up close – probably closer than anyone else ever will – and these "flaws" leap out at you. Without the detail cast on it is very easy to paint the detail where you want, how thick or thin you want, and how straight or rough you want. The non-uniformity of the figures then actually looks more realistic. One set of rules that I wanted to try out, but had no armies for (despite having a number of DBA armies), is Dux Bellorum. They looked interesting, but later I heard that there was a flaw, but then others said that no, it was a great game. I wanted to find out myself. But how much time, effort, and money did I want to put into a period that I had no troops for, for a set of rules that may be flawed? Not much. So in comes the idea of making my own miniatures, using this minimalist approach. First, I set off for the local Hobby Lobby and purchased several packs of beads. You can see the product of maybe an hour's worth of labor as I was still figuring out how I wanted to build these new figures. (I will do a construction article next time, after I return from my business trip.) Basically I have a Saxon shield wall on the left and a group of Norman Knights on the right. Each Saxon figure consisted of two beads, one-half of a round toothpick, and a sequin for the shield. The horses are actually made up using six beads, and with two beads, one-half of a round toothpick, and the top of a flat toothpick for each rider. There are 16 infantry to a shieldwall base (12 for loose-order infantry and eight for skirmishing infantry), mounted on a 3" by 1 1/2" wooden base. There are six Knights to a base, but there will only be five for lighter cavalry and four for skirmishing cavalry. Of course, the key to minimalism is to paint minimally! I could not resist painting the eyes. I can paint eyes pretty fast and I think it does matter, especially with the horses. As Matt was saying, the principle items that you eye sees are the distinctive or "iconic" elements. For a Norman Knight that is the teardrop-shaped shield, the helmet, and the spear/lance. Everything else is essentially de-emphasized (surcoat is a simple blob of paint on the front and the back) or unpainted (using the black gesso primecoat to act as shadow). There are so many details that could have been added on or painted, such as horse furniture and tack, swords, rider legs, horse's hooves and ears, etc. but even with these close-ups did you initially notice that they were missing? Does it really matter now that you have been alerted to take note? To me the idea of minimalism is not minimizing the detail you do paint, but maximizing the number of details that you don't paint. These guys took very little time to construct and paint up. The only thing I would change is that I would construct them with Gorilla Glue-brand super glue, rather than with hot glue. These figures are just too small for wielding a glue gun and the strings get to be a constant pain to remove. Where hot glue comes into its strength is to fill gaps between parts. These can be painted with black gesso and then they become shadow. While I am away on my trip I will definitely be sitting in the hotel room with a few bags of beads and some super glue, making my Dux Bellorum army. Then I can start painting them when I return home.

2019-04-18T20:34:45Z

https://wooden-warriors.blogspot.com/2016/10/

Good logical and physical design is the cornerstone of high performance, and you must design your schema for the specific queries you will run. This often involves trade-offs. For example, a denormalized schema can speed up some types of queries but slow down others. Adding counter and summary tables is a great way to optimize queries, but they can be expensive to maintain. MySQL’s particular features and implementation details influence this quite a bit. This chapter and the following one, which focuses on indexing, cover the MySQL-specific bits of schema design. We assume that you know how to design databases, so this is not an introductory chapter, or even an advanced chapter, on database design. It’s a chapter on MySQL database design—it’s about what is different when designing databases with MySQL rather than other relational database management systems. If you need to study the basics of database design, we suggest Clare Churcher’s book Beginning Database Design (Apress). This chapter is preparation for the two that follow. In these three chapters, we will explore the interaction of logical design, physical design, and query execution. This requires a big-picture approach as well as attention to details. You need to understand the whole system to understand how each piece will affect others. You might find it useful to review this chapter after reading the chapters on indexing and query optimization. Many of the topics discussed can’t be considered in isolation. In general, try to use the smallest data type that can correctly store and represent your data. Smaller data types are usually faster, because they use less space on the disk, in memory, and in the CPU cache. They also generally require fewer CPU cycles to process. Fewer CPU cycles are typically required to process operations on simpler data types. For example, integers are cheaper to compare than characters, because character sets and collations (sorting rules) make character comparisons complicated. Here are two examples: you should store dates and times in MySQL’s built-in types instead of as strings, and you should use integers for IP addresses. We discuss these topics further later. A lot of tables include nullable columns even when the application does not need to store NULL (the absence of a value), merely because it’s the default. It’s usually best to specify columns as NOT NULL unless you intend to store NULL in them. It’s harder for MySQL to optimize queries that refer to nullable columns, because they make indexes, index statistics, and value comparisons more complicated. A nullable column uses more storage space and requires special processing inside MySQL. When a nullable column is indexed, it requires an extra byte per entry and can even cause a fixed-size index (such as an index on a single integer column) to be converted to a variable-sized one in MyISAM. The performance improvement from changing NULL columns to NOT NULL is usually small, so don’t make it a priority to find and change them on an existing schema unless you know they are causing problems. However, if you’re planning to index columns, avoid making them nullable if possible. There are exceptions, of course. For example, it’s worth mentioning that InnoDB stores NULL with a single bit, so it can be pretty space-efficient for sparsely populated data. This doesn’t apply to MyISAM, though. The first step in deciding what data type to use for a given column is to determine what general class of types is appropriate: numeric, string, temporal, and so on. This is usually pretty straightforward, but we mention some special cases where the choice is unintuitive. The next step is to choose the specific type. Many of MySQL’s data types can store the same kind of data but vary in the range of values they can store, the precision they permit, or the physical space (on disk and in memory) they require. Some data types also have special behaviors or properties. For example, a DATETIME and a TIMESTAMP column can store the same kind of data: date and time, to a precision of one second. However, TIMESTAMP uses only half as much storage space, is time zone–aware, and has special autoupdating capabilities. On the other hand, it has a much smaller range of allowable values, and sometimes its special capabilities can be a handicap. We discuss base data types here. MySQL supports many aliases for compatibility, such as INTEGER, BOOL, and NUMERIC. These are only aliases. They can be confusing, but they don’t affect performance. If you create a table with an aliased data type and then examine SHOW CREATE TABLE, you’ll see that MySQL reports the base type, not the alias you used. There are two kinds of numbers: whole numbers and real numbers (numbers with a fractional part). If you’re storing whole numbers, use one of the integer types: TINYINT, SMALLINT, MEDIUMINT, INT, or BIGINT. These require 8, 16, 24, 32, and 64 bits of storage space, respectively. They can store values from −2(N–1) to 2(N–1)–1, where N is the number of bits of storage space they use. Integer types can optionally have the UNSIGNED attribute, which disallows negative values and approximately doubles the upper limit of positive values you can store. For example, a TINYINT UNSIGNED can store values ranging from 0 to 255 instead of from −128 to 127. Signed and unsigned types use the same amount of storage space and have the same performance, so use whatever’s best for your data range. MySQL lets you specify a “width” for integer types, such as INT(11). This is meaningless for most applications: it does not restrict the legal range of values, but simply specifies the number of characters MySQL’s interactive tools (such as the command-line client) will reserve for display purposes. For storage and computational purposes, INT(1) is identical to INT(20). Third-party storage engines, such as Infobright, sometimes have their own storage formats and compression schemes, and don’t necessarily use those that are common to MySQL’s built-in storage engines. Real numbers are numbers that have a fractional part. However, they aren’t just for fractional numbers; you can also use DECIMAL to store integers that are so large they don’t fit in BIGINT. MySQL supports both exact and inexact types. The FLOAT and DOUBLE types support approximate calculations with standard floating-point math. If you need to know exactly how floating-point results are calculated, you will need to research your platform’s floating-point implementation. The server itself performs DECIMAL math in MySQL 5.0 and newer, because CPUs don’t support the computations directly. Floating-point math is significantly faster, because the CPU performs the computations natively. Both floating-point and DECIMAL types let you specify a precision. For a DECIMAL column, you can specify the maximum allowed digits before and after the decimal point. This influences the column’s space consumption. MySQL 5.0 and newer pack the digits into a binary string (nine digits per four bytes). For example, DECIMAL(18, 9) will store nine digits from each side of the decimal point, using nine bytes in total: four for the digits before the decimal point, one for the decimal point itself, and four for the digits after the decimal point. You can specify a floating-point column’s desired precision in a couple of ways, which can cause MySQL to silently choose a different data type or to round values when you store them. These precision specifiers are nonstandard, so we suggest that you specify the type you want but not the precision. Floating-point types typically use less space than DECIMAL to store the same range of values. A FLOAT column uses four bytes of storage. DOUBLE consumes eight bytes and has greater precision and a larger range of values than FLOAT. As with integers, you’re choosing only the storage type; MySQL uses DOUBLE for its internal calculations on floating-point types. Because of the additional space requirements and computational cost, you should use DECIMAL only when you need exact results for fractional numbers—for example, when storing financial data. But in some high-volume cases it actually makes sense to use a BIGINT instead, and store the data as some multiple of the smallest fraction of currency you need to handle. Suppose you are required to store financial data to the ten-thousandth of a cent. You can multiply all dollar amounts by a million and store the result in a BIGINT, avoiding both the imprecision of floating-point storage and the cost of the precise DECIMAL math. MySQL supports quite a few string data types, with many variations on each. These data types changed greatly in versions 4.1 and 5.0, which makes them even more complicated. Since MySQL 4.1, each string column can have its own character set and set of sorting rules for that character set, or collation (see Chapter 7 for more on these topics). This can impact performance greatly. The two major string types are VARCHAR and CHAR, which store character values. Unfortunately, it’s hard to explain exactly how these values are stored on disk and in memory, because the implementations are storage engine–dependent. We assume you are using InnoDB and/or MyISAM. If not, you should read the documentation for your storage engine. VARCHAR stores variable-length character strings and is the most common string data type. It can require less storage space than fixed-length types, because it uses only as much space as it needs (i.e., less space is used to store shorter values). The exception is a MyISAM table created with ROW_FORMAT=FIXED, which uses a fixed amount of space on disk for each row and can thus waste space. VARCHAR uses 1 or 2 extra bytes to record the value’s length: 1 byte if the column’s maximum length is 255 bytes or less, and 2 bytes if it’s more. Assuming the latin1 character set, a VARCHAR(10) will use up to 11 bytes of storage space. A VARCHAR(1000) can use up to 1002 bytes, because it needs 2 bytes to store length information. VARCHAR helps performance because it saves space. However, because the rows are variable-length, they can grow when you update them, which can cause extra work. If a row grows and no longer fits in its original location, the behavior is storage engine–dependent. For example, MyISAM may fragment the row, and InnoDB may need to split the page to fit the row into it. Other storage engines may never update data in-place at all. It’s usually worth using VARCHAR when the maximum column length is much larger than the average length; when updates to the field are rare, so fragmentation is not a problem; and when you’re using a complex character set such as UTF-8, where each character uses a variable number of bytes of storage. In version 5.0 and newer, MySQL preserves trailing spaces when you store and retrieve values. In versions 4.1 and older, MySQL strips trailing spaces. It’s trickier with InnoDB, which can store long VARCHAR values as BLOBs. We discuss this later. CHAR is fixed-length: MySQL always allocates enough space for the specified number of characters. When storing a CHAR value, MySQL removes any trailing spaces. (This was also true of VARCHAR in MySQL 4.1 and older versions—CHAR and VARCHAR were logically identical and differed only in storage format.) Values are padded with spaces as needed for comparisons. CHAR is useful if you want to store very short strings, or if all the values are nearly the same length. For example, CHAR is a good choice for MD5 values for user passwords, which are always the same length. CHAR is also better than VARCHAR for data that’s changed frequently, because a fixed-length row is not prone to fragmentation. For very short columns, CHAR is also more efficient than VARCHAR; a CHAR(1) designed to hold only Y and N values will use only one byte in a single-byte character set, but a VARCHAR(1) would use two bytes because of the length byte. How data is stored is up to the storage engines, and not all storage engines handle fixed-length and variable-length data the same way. The Memory storage engine uses fixed-size rows, so it has to allocate the maximum possible space for each value even when it’s a variable-length field. However, the padding and trimming behavior is consistent across storage engines, because the MySQL server itself handles that. The sibling types for CHAR and VARCHAR are BINARY and VARBINARY, which store binary strings. Binary strings are very similar to conventional strings, but they store bytes instead of characters. Padding is also different: MySQL pads BINARY values with \0 (the zero byte) instead of spaces and doesn’t strip the pad value on retrieval. These types are useful when you need to store binary data and want MySQL to compare the values as bytes instead of characters. The advantage of byte-wise comparisons is more than just a matter of case insensitivity. MySQL literally compares BINARY strings one byte at a time, according to the numeric value of each byte. As a result, binary comparisons can be much simpler than character comparisons, so they are faster. Storing the value 'hello' requires the same amount of space in a VARCHAR(5) and a VARCHAR(200) column. Is there any advantage to using the shorter column? As it turns out, there is a big advantage. The larger column can use much more memory, because MySQL often allocates fixed-size chunks of memory to hold values internally. This is especially bad for sorting or operations that use in-memory temporary tables. The same thing happens with filesorts that use on-disk temporary tables. The best strategy is to allocate only as much space as you really need. BLOB and TEXT are string data types designed to store large amounts of data as either binary or character strings, respectively. In fact, they are each families of data types: the character types are TINYTEXT, SMALLTEXT, TEXT, MEDIUMTEXT, and LONGTEXT, and the binary types are TINYBLOB, SMALLBLOB, BLOB, MEDIUMBLOB, and LONGBLOB. BLOB is a synonym for SMALLBLOB, and TEXT is a synonym for SMALLTEXT. Unlike with all other data types, MySQL handles each BLOB and TEXT value as an object with its own identity. Storage engines often store them specially; InnoDB may use a separate “external” storage area for them when they’re large. Each value requires from one to four bytes of storage space in the row and enough space in external storage to actually hold the value. The only difference between the BLOB and TEXT families is that BLOB types store binary data with no collation or character set, but TEXT types have a character set and collation. MySQL sorts BLOB and TEXT columns differently from other types: instead of sorting the full length of the string, it sorts only the first max_sort_length bytes of such columns. If you need to sort by only the first few characters, you can either decrease the max_sort_length server variable or use ORDER BY SUBSTRING(column, length). This can result in a serious performance overhead. Even if you configure MySQL to store temporary tables on a RAM disk, many expensive operating system calls will be required. The best solution is to avoid using the BLOB and TEXT types unless you really need them. If you can’t avoid them, you may be able to use the SUBSTRING(column, length) trick everywhere a BLOB column is mentioned (including in the ORDER BY clause) to convert the values to character strings, which will permit in-memory temporary tables. Just be sure that you’re using a short enough substring that the temporary table doesn’t grow larger than max_heap_table_size or tmp_table_size, or MySQL will convert the table to an on-disk MyISAM table. The worst-case length allocation also applies to sorting of values, so this trick can help with both kinds of problems: creating large temporary tables and sort files, and creating them on disk. Here’s an example. Suppose you have a table with 10 million rows, which uses a couple of gigabytes on disk. It has a VARCHAR(1000) column with the utf8 character set. This can use up to 3 bytes per character, for a worst-case size of 3,000 bytes. If you mention this column in your ORDER BY clause, a query against the whole table can require over 30 GB of temporary space just for the sort files! If the Extra column of EXPLAIN contains “Using temporary,” the query uses an implicit temporary table. This duality can be terribly confusing if you specify numbers for your ENUM constants, as in ENUM('1', '2', '3'). We suggest you don’t do this. If we’d defined the values in alphabetical order, we wouldn’t have needed to do that. The biggest downside of ENUM is that the list of strings is fixed, and adding or removing strings requires the use of ALTER TABLE. Thus, it might not be a good idea to use ENUM as a string data type when the list of allowed string values is likely to change arbitrarily in the future, unless it’s acceptable to add them at the end of the list, which can be done without a full rebuild of the table in MySQL 5.1. Because MySQL stores each value as an integer and has to do a lookup to convert it to its string representation, ENUM columns have some overhead. This is usually offset by their smaller size, but not always. In particular, it can be slower to join a CHAR or VARCHAR column to an ENUM column than to another CHAR or VARCHAR column. The table contains about 110,000 rows and is only about 10 MB, so it fits entirely in memory. The service column contains 5 distinct values with an average length of 4 characters, and the method column contains 71 values with an average length of 20 characters. We varied this query to join the VARCHAR and ENUM columns in different combinations. Table 4-1 shows the results. The join is faster after converting the columns to ENUM, but joining the ENUM columns to VARCHAR columns is slower. In this case, it looks like a good idea to convert these columns, as long as they don’t have to be joined to VARCHAR columns. It’s a common design practice to use “lookup tables” with integer primary keys to avoid using character-based values in joins. However, there’s another benefit to converting the columns: according to the Data_length column from SHOW TABLE STATUS, converting these two columns to ENUM made the table about 1/3 smaller. In some cases, this might be beneficial even if the ENUM columns have to be joined to VARCHAR columns. Also, the primary key itself is only about half the size after the conversion. Because this is an InnoDB table, if there are any other indexes on this table, reducing the primary key size will make them much smaller, too. We explain this in the next chapter. MySQL has many types for various kinds of date and time values, such as YEAR and DATE. The finest granularity of time MySQL can store is one second. (MariaDB has microsecond-granularity temporal types.) However, it can do temporal computations with microsecond granularity, and we’ll show you how to work around the storage limitations. This type can hold a large range of values, from the year 1001 to the year 9999, with a precision of one second. It stores the date and time packed into an integer in YYYYMMDDHHMMSS format, independent of time zone. This uses eight bytes of storage space. By default, MySQL displays DATETIME values in a sortable, unambiguous format, such as 2008-01-16 22:37:08. This is the ANSI standard way to represent dates and times. As its name implies, the TIMESTAMP type stores the number of seconds elapsed since midnight, January 1, 1970, Greenwich Mean Time (GMT)—the same as a Unix timestamp. TIMESTAMP uses only four bytes of storage, so it has a much smaller range than DATETIME: from the year 1970 to partway through the year 2038. MySQL provides the FROM_UNIXTIME() and UNIX_TIMESTAMP() functions to convert a Unix timestamp to a date, and vice versa. MySQL 4.1 and newer versions format TIMESTAMP values just like DATETIME values, but MySQL 4.0 and older versions display them without any punctuation between the parts. This is only a display formatting difference; the TIMESTAMP storage format is the same in all MySQL versions. The value a TIMESTAMP displays also depends on the time zone. The MySQL server, operating system, and client connections all have time zone settings. Thus, a TIMESTAMP that stores the value 0 actually displays it as 1969-12-31 19:00:00 in Eastern Standard Time (EST), which has a five-hour offset from GMT. It’s worth emphasizing this difference: if you store or access data from multiple time zones, the behavior of TIMESTAMP and DATETIME will be very different. The former preserves values relative to the time zone in use, while the latter preserves the textual representation of the date and time. TIMESTAMP also has special properties that DATETIME doesn’t have. By default, MySQL will set the first TIMESTAMP column to the current time when you insert a row without specifying a value for the column. MySQL also updates the first TIMESTAMP column’s value by default when you update the row, unless you assign a value explicitly in the UPDATE statement. You can configure the insertion and update behaviors for any TIMESTAMP column. Finally, TIMESTAMP columns are NOT NULL by default, which is different from every other data type. Special behavior aside, in general if you can use TIMESTAMP you should, because it is more space-efficient than DATETIME. Sometimes people store Unix timestamps as integer values, but this usually doesn’t gain you anything. The integer format is often less convenient to deal with, so we do not recommend doing this. What if you need to store a date and time value with subsecond resolution? MySQL currently does not have an appropriate data type for this, but you can use your own storage format: you can use the BIGINT data type and store the value as a timestamp in microseconds, or you can use a DOUBLE and store the fractional part of the second after the decimal point. Both approaches will work well. Or you can use MariaDB instead of MySQL. Before MySQL 5.0, BIT is just a synonym for TINYINT. But in MySQL 5.0 and newer, it’s a completely different data type with special characteristics. We discuss the new behavior here. You can use a BIT column to store one or many true/false values in a single column. BIT(1) defines a field that contains a single bit, BIT(2) stores 2 bits, and so on; the maximum length of a BIT column is 64 bits. BIT behavior varies between storage engines. MyISAM packs the columns together for storage purposes, so 17 individual BIT columns require only 17 bits to store (assuming none of the columns permits NULL). MyISAM rounds that to three bytes for storage. Other storage engines, such as Memory and InnoDB, store each column as the smallest integer type large enough to contain the bits, so you don’t save any storage space. This can be very confusing, so we recommend that you use BIT with caution. For most applications, we think it is a better idea to avoid this type. If you want to store a true/false value in a single bit of storage space, another option is to create a nullable CHAR(0) column. This column is capable of storing either the absence of a value (NULL) or a zero-length value (the empty string). If you need to store many true/false values, consider combining many columns into one with MySQL’s native SET data type, which MySQL represents internally as a packed set of bits. It uses storage efficiently, and MySQL has functions such as FIND_IN_SET() and FIELD() that make it easy to use in queries. The major drawback is the cost of changing the column’s definition: this requires an ALTER TABLE, which is very expensive on large tables (but see the workaround later in this chapter). In general, you also can’t use indexes for lookups on SET columns. An alternative to SET is to use an integer as a packed set of bits. For example, you can pack eight bits in a TINYINT and manipulate them with bitwise operators. You can make this easier by defining named constants for each bit in your application code. The major advantage of this approach over SET is that you can change the “enumeration” the field represents without an ALTER TABLE. The drawback is that your queries are harder to write and understand (what does it mean when bit 5 is set?). Some people are comfortable with bitwise manipulations and some aren’t, so whether you’ll want to try this technique is largely a matter of taste. We’ve used variables to define the values, but you can use constants in your code instead. When choosing a type for an identifier column, you need to consider not only the storage type, but also how MySQL performs computations and comparisons on that type. For example, MySQL stores ENUM and SET types internally as integers but converts them to strings when doing comparisons in a string context. Once you choose a type, make sure you use the same type in all related tables. The types should match exactly, including properties such as UNSIGNED. Mixing different data types can cause performance problems, and even if it doesn’t, implicit type conversions during comparisons can create hard-to-find errors. These may even crop up much later, after you’ve forgotten that you’re comparing different data types. Integers are usually the best choice for identifiers, because they’re fast and they work with AUTO_INCREMENT. The ENUM and SET types are generally a poor choice for identifiers, though they can be okay for static “definition tables” that contain status or “type” values. ENUM and SET columns are appropriate for holding information such as an order’s status, a product’s type, or a person’s gender. As an example, if you use an ENUM field to define a product’s type, you might want a lookup table primary keyed on an identical ENUM field. (You could add columns to the lookup table for descriptive text, to generate a glossary, or to provide meaningful labels in a pull-down menu on a website.) In this case, you’ll want to use the ENUM as an identifier, but for most purposes you should avoid doing so. Avoid string types for identifiers if possible, because they take up a lot of space and are generally slower than integer types. Be especially cautious when using string identifiers with MyISAM tables. MyISAM uses packed indexes for strings by default, which can make lookups much slower. In our tests, we’ve noted up to six times slower performance with packed indexes on MyISAM. They slow INSERT queries because the inserted value has to go in a random location in indexes. This causes page splits, random disk accesses, and clustered index fragmentation for clustered storage engines. More about this in the next chapter. They slow SELECT queries because logically adjacent rows will be widely dispersed on disk and in memory. Random values cause caches to perform poorly for all types of queries because they defeat locality of reference, which is how caching works. If the entire dataset is equally “hot,” there is no advantage to having any particular part of the data cached in memory, and if the working set does not fit in memory, the cache will have a lot of flushes and misses. If you do store UUID values, you should remove the dashes or, even better, convert the UUID values to 16-byte numbers with UNHEX() and store them in a BINARY(16) column. You can retrieve the values in hexadecimal format with the HEX() function. Values generated by UUID() have different characteristics from those generated by a cryptographic hash function such as SHA1(): the UUID values are unevenly distributed and are somewhat sequential. They’re still not as good as a monotonically increasing integer, though. We’ve covered the most important data type considerations (some with serious and others with more minor performance implications), but we haven’t yet told you about the evils of autogenerated schemas. Badly written schema migration programs and programs that autogenerate schemas can cause severe performance problems. Some programs use large VARCHAR fields for everything, or use different data types for columns that will be compared in joins. Be sure to double-check a schema if it was created for you automatically. Object-relational mapping (ORM) systems (and the “frameworks” that use them) are another frequent performance nightmare. Some of these systems let you store any type of data in any type of backend data store, which usually means they aren’t designed to use the strengths of any of the data stores. Sometimes they store each property of each object in a separate row, even using timestamp-based versioning, so there are multiple versions of each property! This design may appeal to developers, because it lets them work in an object-oriented fashion without needing to think about how the data is stored. However, applications that “hide complexity from developers” usually don’t scale well. We suggest you think carefully before trading performance for developer productivity, and always test on a realistically large dataset, so you don’t discover performance problems too late. Some kinds of data don’t correspond directly to the available built-in types. A timestamp with subsecond resolution is one example; we showed you some options for storing such data earlier in the chapter. Another example is an IPv4 address. People often use VARCHAR(15) columns to store IP addresses. However, they are really unsigned 32-bit integers, not strings. The dotted-quad notation is just a way of writing it out so that humans can read it more easily. You should store IP addresses as unsigned integers. MySQL provides the INET_ATON() and INET_NTOA() functions to convert between the two representations. Although there are universally bad and good design principles, there are also issues that arise from how MySQL is implemented, and that means you can make MySQL-specific mistakes, too. This section discusses problems that we’ve observed in schema designs with MySQL. It might help you avoid those mistakes and choose alternatives that work better with MySQL’s specific implementation. MySQL’s storage engine API works by copying rows between the server and the storage engine in a row buffer format; the server then decodes the buffer into columns. But it can be costly to turn the row buffer into the row data structure with the decoded columns. MyISAM’s fixed row format actually matches the server’s row format exactly, so no conversion is needed. However, MyISAM’s variable row format and InnoDB’s row format always require conversion. The cost of this conversion depends on the number of columns. We discovered that this can become expensive when we investigated an issue with high CPU consumption for a customer with extremely wide tables (hundreds of columns), even though only a few columns were actually used. If you’re planning for hundreds of columns, be aware that the server’s performance characteristics will be a bit different. The so-called entity-attribute-value (EAV) design pattern is a classic case of a universally bad design pattern that especially doesn’t work well in MySQL. MySQL has a limitation of 61 tables per join, and EAV databases require many self-joins. We’ve seen more than a few EAV databases eventually exceed this limit. Even at many fewer joins than 61, however, the cost of planning and optimizing the query can become problematic for MySQL. As a rough rule of thumb, it’s better to have a dozen or fewer tables per query if you need queries to execute very fast with high concurrency. That almost surely ought to be an ENUM instead of a SET, assuming that it can’t be both true and false at the same time. We wrote earlier about the benefits of avoiding NULL, and indeed we suggest considering alternatives when possible. Even when you do need to store a “no value” fact in a table, you might not need to use NULL. Perhaps you can use zero, a special value, or an empty string instead. However, you can take this to extremes. Don’t be too afraid of using NULL when you need to represent an unknown value. In some cases, it’s better to use NULL than a magical constant. Selecting one value from the domain of a constrained type, such as using −1 to represent an unknown integer, can complicate your code a lot, introduce bugs, and just generally make a total mess out of things. Handling NULL isn’t always easy, but it’s often better than the alternative. On a related topic, MySQL does index NULLs, unlike Oracle, which doesn’t include non-values in indexes. There are usually many ways to represent any given data, ranging from fully normalized to fully denormalized and anything in between. In a normalized database, each fact is represented once and only once. Conversely, in a denormalized database, information is duplicated, or stored in multiple places. These tables are now in second normal form, which is good enough for many purposes. However, second normal form is only one of many possible normal forms. We’re using the last name as the primary key here for purposes of illustration, because it’s the “natural identifier” of the data. In practice, however, we wouldn’t do that. It’s not guaranteed to be unique, and it’s usually a bad idea to use a long string for a primary key. Normalized updates are usually faster than denormalized updates. When the data is well normalized, there’s little or no duplicated data, so there’s less data to change. Normalized tables are usually smaller, so they fit better in memory and perform better. The lack of redundant data means there’s less need for DISTINCT or GROUP BY queries when retrieving lists of values. Consider the preceding example: it’s impossible to get a distinct list of departments from the denormalized schema without DISTINCT or GROUP BY, but if DEPARTMENT is a separate table, it’s a trivial query. The drawbacks of a normalized schema usually have to do with retrieval. Any nontrivial query on a well-normalized schema will probably require at least one join, and perhaps several. This is not only expensive, but it can make some indexing strategies impossible. For example, normalizing may place columns in different tables that would benefit from belonging to the same index. A denormalized schema works well because everything is in the same table, which avoids joins. If you don’t need to join tables, the worst case for most queries—even the ones that don’t use indexes—is a full table scan. This can be much faster than a join when the data doesn’t fit in memory, because it avoids random I/O. To execute this query efficiently, MySQL will need to scan the published index on the message table. For each row it finds, it will need to probe into the user table and check whether the user is a premium user. This is inefficient if only a small fraction of users have premium accounts. The other possible query plan is to start with the user table, select all premium users, get all messages for them, and do a filesort. This will probably be even worse. Given that both normalized and denormalized schemas have benefits and drawbacks, how can you choose the best design? The truth is, fully normalized and fully denormalized schemas are like laboratory rats: they usually have little to do with the real world. In the real world, you often need to mix the approaches, possibly using a partially normalized schema, cache tables, and other techniques. The most common way to denormalize data is to duplicate, or cache, selected columns from one table in another table. In MySQL 5.0 and newer, you can use triggers to update the cached values, which makes the implementation easier. In our website example, for instance, instead of denormalizing fully you can store account_type in both the user and message tables. This avoids the insert and delete problems that come with full denormalization, because you never lose information about the user, even when there are no messages. It won’t make the user_message table much larger, but it will let you select the data efficiently. However, it’s now more expensive to update a user’s account type, because you have to change it in both tables. To see whether that’s a problem, you must consider how frequently you’ll have to make such changes and how long they will take, compared to how often you’ll run the SELECT query. Another good reason to move some data from the parent table to the child table is for sorting. For example, it would be extremely expensive to sort messages by the author’s name on a normalized schema, but you can perform such a sort very efficiently if you cache the author_name in the message table and index it. It can also be useful to cache derived values. If you need to display how many messages each user has posted (as many forums do), either you can run an expensive subquery to count the data every time you display it, or you can have a num_messages column in the user table that you update whenever a user posts a new message. Sometimes the best way to improve performance is to keep redundant data in the same table as the data from which it was derived. However, sometimes you’ll need to build completely separate summary or cache tables, specially tuned for your retrieval needs. This approach works best if you can tolerate slightly stale data, but sometimes you really don’t have a choice (for instance, when you need to avoid complex and expensive real-time updates). Staying with the website example, suppose you need to count the number of messages posted during the previous 24 hours. It would be impossible to maintain an accurate real-time counter on a busy site. Instead, you could generate a summary table every hour. You can often do this with a single query, and it’s more efficient than maintaining counters in real time. The drawback is that the counts are not 100% accurate. Either approach—an inexact count or an exact count with small range queries to fill in the gaps—is more efficient than counting all the rows in the message table. This is the key reason for creating summary tables. These statistics are expensive to compute in real time, because they require scanning a lot of data, or queries that will only run efficiently with special indexes that you don’t want to add because of the impact they will have on updates. Computing the most active users or the most frequent “tags” are typical examples of such operations. Cache tables, in turn, are useful for optimizing search and retrieval queries. These queries often require a particular table and index structure that is different from the one you would use for general online transaction processing (OLTP) operations. For example, you might need many different index combinations to speed up various types of queries. These conflicting requirements sometimes demand that you create a cache table that contains only some of the columns from the main table. A useful technique is to use a different storage engine for the cache table. If the main table uses InnoDB, for example, by using MyISAM for the cache table you’ll gain a smaller index footprint and the ability to do full-text search queries. Sometimes you might even want to take the table completely out of MySQL and into a specialized system that can search more efficiently, such as the Lucene or Sphinx search engines. When using cache and summary tables, you have to decide whether to maintain their data in real time or with periodic rebuilds. Which is better will depend on your application, but a periodic rebuild not only can save resources but also can result in a more efficient table that’s not fragmented and has fully sorted indexes. If you rename the original my_summary table my_summary_old before assigning the name my_summary to the newly rebuilt table, as we’ve done here, you can keep the old version until you’re ready to overwrite it at the next rebuild. It’s handy to have it for a quick rollback if the new table has a problem. In contrast to typical methods of maintaining summary and cache tables, Flexviews can recalculate the contents of the materialized view incrementally by extracting delta changes to the source tables. This means it can update the view without needing to query the source data. For example, if you create a summary table that counts groups of rows, and you add a row to the source table, Flexviews simply increments the corresponding group by one. The same technique works for other aggregate functions, such as SUM() and AVG(). It takes advantage of the fact that row-based binary logging includes images of the rows before and after they are updated, so Flexviews can see not only the new value of each row, but the delta from the previous version, without even looking at the source table. Computing with deltas is much more efficient than reading the data from the source table. We don’t have space for a full exploration of how to use Flexviews, but we can give an overview. You start by writing a SELECT statement that expresses the data you want to derive from your existing database. This can include joins and aggregations (GROUP BY). There’s a helper tool in Flexviews that transforms your SQL query into Flexviews API calls. Then Flexviews does all the dirty work of watching changes to the database and transforming them into updates to the tables that store your materialized view over the original tables. Now your application can simply query the materialized view instead of the tables from which it was derived. Flexviews has good coverage of SQL, including tricky expressions that you might not expect a tool to handle outside the server. That makes it useful for building views over complex SQL expressions, so you can replace complex queries with simple, fast queries against the materialized view. An application that keeps counts in a table can run into concurrency problems when updating the counters. Such tables are very common in web applications. You can use them to cache the number of friends a user has, the number of downloads of a file, and so on. It’s often a good idea to build a separate table for the counters, to keep it small and fast. Using a separate table can help you avoid query cache invalidations and lets you use some of the more advanced techniques we show in this section. You’ll often need extra indexes, redundant fields, or even cache and summary tables to speed up read queries. These add work to write queries and maintenance jobs, but this is still a technique you’ll see a lot when you design for high performance: you amortize the cost of the slower writes by speeding up reads significantly. However, this isn’t the only price you pay for faster read queries. You also increase development complexity for both read and write operations. MySQL’s ALTER TABLE performance can become a problem with very large tables. MySQL performs most alterations by making an empty table with the desired new structure, inserting all the data from the old table into the new one, and deleting the old table. This can take a very long time, especially if you’re short on memory and the table is large and has lots of indexes. Many people have experience with ALTER TABLE operations that have taken hours or days to complete. MySQL 5.1 and newer include support for some types of “online” operations that won’t lock the table for the whole operation. Recent versions of InnoDB also support building indexes by sorting, which makes building indexes much faster and results in a compact index layout. In general, most ALTER TABLE operations will cause interruption of service in MySQL. We’ll show some techniques to work around this in a bit, but those are for special cases. For the general case, you need to use either operational tricks such as swapping servers around and performing the ALTER on servers that are not in production service, or a “shadow copy” approach. The technique for a shadow copy is to build a new table with the desired structure beside the existing one, and then perform a rename and drop to swap the two. Tools can help with this: for example, the “online schema change” tools from Facebook’s database operations team (https://launchpad.net/mysqlatfacebook), Shlomi Noach’s openark toolkit (http://code.openark.org/), and Percona Toolkit (http://www.percona.com/software/). If you are using Flexviews (discussed in Materialized Views), you can perform nonblocking schema changes with its CDC utility too. SHOW STATUS shows that this statement does 1,000 handler reads and 1,000 inserts. In other words, it copies the table to a new table, even though the column’s type, size, and nullability haven’t changed. In theory, MySQL could have skipped building a new table. The default value for the column is actually stored in the table’s .frm file, so you should be able to change it without touching the table itself. MySQL doesn’t yet use this optimization, however; any MODIFY COLUMN will cause a table rebuild. This statement modifies the .frm file and leaves the table alone. As a result, it is very fast. We’ve seen that modifying a table’s .frm file is fast and that MySQL sometimes rebuilds a table when it doesn’t have to. If you’re willing to take some risks, you can convince MySQL to do several other types of modifications without rebuilding the table. The technique we’re about to demonstrate is unsupported, undocumented, and may not work. Use it at your own risk. We advise you to back up your data first! Remove (but not add) a column’s AUTO_INCREMENT attribute. Add, remove, or change ENUM and SET constants. If you remove a constant and some rows contain that value, queries will return the value as the empty string. Create an empty table with exactly the same layout, except for the desired modification (such as added ENUM constants). Execute FLUSH TABLES WITH READ LOCK. This will close all tables in use and prevent any tables from being opened. Execute UNLOCK TABLES to release the read lock. Notice that we’re adding the new value at the end of the list of constants. If we placed it in the middle, after PG-13, we’d change the meaning of the existing data: existing R values would become PG-14, NC-17 would become R, and so on. This works because it lets MyISAM delay building the keys until all the data is loaded, at which point it can build the indexes by sorting. This is much faster and results in a defragmented, compact index tree. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work for unique indexes, because DISABLE KEYS applies only to nonunique indexes. MyISAM builds unique indexes in memory and checks the uniqueness as it loads each row. Loading becomes extremely slow as soon as the index’s size exceeds the available memory. In modern versions of InnoDB, you can use an analogous technique that relies on InnoDB’s fast online index creation capabilities. This calls for dropping all of the nonunique indexes, adding the new column, and then adding back the indexes you dropped. Percona Server supports doing this automatically. As with the ALTER TABLE hacks in the previous section, you can speed up this process if you’re willing to do a little more work and assume some risk. This can be useful for loading data from backups, for example, when you already know all the data is valid and there’s no need for uniqueness checks. Again, this is an undocumented, unsupported technique. Use it at your own risk, and back up your data first. Create a table of the desired structure, but without any indexes. Load the data into the table to build the .MYD file. Create another empty table with the desired structure, this time including the indexes. This will create the .frm and .MYI files you need. Flush the tables with a read lock. Rename the second table’s .frm and .MYI files, so MySQL uses them for the first table. Use REPAIR TABLE to build the table’s indexes. This will build all indexes by sorting, including the unique indexes. This procedure can be much faster for very large tables. Use small, simple, appropriate data types, and avoid NULL unless it’s actually the right way to model your data’s reality. Try to use the same data types to store similar or related values, especially if they’ll be used in a join condition. Watch out for variable-length strings, which might cause pessimistic full-length memory allocation for temporary tables and sorting. Try to use integers for identifiers if you can. Avoid the legacy MySQL-isms such as specifying precisions for floating-point numbers or display widths for integers. Be careful with ENUM and SET. They’re handy, but they can be abused, and they’re tricky sometimes. BIT is best avoided. Normalization is good, but denormalization (duplication of data, in most cases) is sometimes actually necessary and beneficial. We’ll see more examples of that in the next chapter. And precomputing, caching, or generating summary tables can also be a big win. Justin Swanhart’s Flexviews tool can help maintain summary tables. Finally, ALTER TABLE can be painful because in most cases, it locks and rebuilds the whole table. We showed a number of workarounds for specific cases; for the general case, you’ll have to use other techniques, such as performing the ALTER on a replica and then promoting it to master. There’s more about this later in the book. Remember that the length is specified in characters, not bytes. A multibyte character set can require more than one byte to store each character. The Memory engine in Percona Server supports variable-length rows. Be careful with the BINARY type if the value must remain unchanged after retrieval. MySQL will pad it to the required length with \0s. The rules for TIMESTAMP behavior are complex and have changed in various MySQL versions, so you should verify that you are getting the behavior you want. It’s usually a good idea to examine the output of SHOW CREATE TABLE after making changes to TIMESTAMP columns. This applies to the so-called “InnoDB plugin,” which is the only version of InnoDB that exists anymore in MySQL 5.5 and newer versions. See Chapter 1 for the details on InnoDB’s release history. ALTER TABLE lets you modify columns with ALTER COLUMN, MODIFY COLUMN, and CHANGE COLUMN. All three do different things. MyISAM will also build indexes by sorting when you use LOAD DATA INFILE and the table is empty.

2019-04-20T03:40:27Z

https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/high-performance-mysql/9781449332471/ch04.html

With old color movie film (all but Kodachrome) you can choose to have us process it the safest way possible i.e. into a B&W negative – or into color. About 15 to 20 percent of long-expired films processed into color will actually have decent color quality. Most of the others (processed into color) will turn out as recognizable, though will likely have little color fidelity remaining. Some though, will be blank when we could have salvaged an image if we’d processed into B&W. If salvaging an image from these films is the most important factor and you want to play it safe, then choose the B&W negative option. If color is important to you and you’re ok with taking some risks, choose the color option. Film stored in a cool place is much more likely to come out well in color than film stored in a hot or warm place. If you know your film was stored in a hot attic, garage or storage facility, then definitely opt for B&W. If the film was stored in a cool basement then you’re fairly safe to opt for color, though the color may still be poor. We give you enough resolution to do a snapshot sized print and if the film is in good shape, your print will look good too. These images are more highly compressed and have a much smaller pixel dimension than what you will receive if you order an image from the cart (optional step 2) for 99 cents. If you have important images, we do recommend you add them to the cart to get the higher quality version of the picture. Though not always a night and day difference, with less compression and more resolution the image will certainly look better if you’re viewing it full screen on your computer or doing any print larger than 4 x 6. Our idea is that this works as a sort of insurance policy for people that either don’t know what is on their film or the condition of the film. Clients with pictures that are important to them might pay more than clients with pictures that aren’t. These Kodakcolor negatives were processed in the 1970s by the Kodak Company. We believe because Kodak was using a proper stabilizer, the negatives have stood up quite well over time. They are a nice warm orange color in the highlights and a deep tawny brown color in the dark areas of the film. Negatives in this condition will scan much better and are less likely to need Photoshop editing than the pictures on the right. This is the exact same brand of film from the same client and of the same time period as the film pictured on the left. We believe that the less reputable photo finishers were simply skipping the stabilizer step at the end of the process, leaving the negatives to fade much more quickly over time. Negatives that have faded to this purple color will benefit greatly from color correction in Photoshop. Q?What is film acceleration and why and when do we do it. This is an example of an accelerated film. In this case it is a Kodacolor-X roll film from the late 1960s. What you see in the upper image is the film processed into a B&W negative – the safest way to process most outdated color film (one exception is Kodachrome which is only available to be processed into B&W). We determined that the B&W version of the negative was in pretty good condition. A “security” scan was made of all of the pictures on the roll. Then we ran the film through a further process known as film acceleration, to bring the negative into color, as you see in the lower image. Not only did we get color, but by doing this additional process, we ended up with a higher contrast version than if we had gone straight to color (without the initial b&w processing step). In the above case, the B&W version of the picture is clearer, more like a new B&W film. The color version has appealing aspects to it for some people. We let you decide whether trying to get color results is important to you. Is it worthwhile asking us to accelerate your film? In section 3 of our order form you have the following options for most of your color film. Process into B&W first, do a security scan and then when “reasonable” accelerate into color. Add $10.00 to the usual processing fee, if applicable. Process into B&W first, do a security scan and then reprocess into color regardless of the results in B&W. Add $10.00 to the usual processing fee, regardless of color outcome. If you are on a budget then option one is a good choice. If color is important to you then option two is a good choice and we will only “accelerate” into color if we think there’s a decent chance of getting fair color image. Option three is for those that aren’t concerned about the price and want to make sure they have seen all possible options, no holds barred. Kodachrome and B&W films can not be accelerated! Q?What the heck is an “Master Image Sequence” and why is it important? You will notice that all our transfers come with a high definition “Master Image Sequence”. The “Master Image Sequence” is a very high quality version of your film greatly exceeding the quality of what is possible on DVD and also above and beyond most digital video file types designed for viewing or editing. Essentially it is each and every frame of your movie preserved as a high resolution jpeg or tiff photograph — in the movie industry it is also called a “numbered image sequence”. When DVD is as dead and gone as Betamax, you will be able to make very high quality copies from your archive copy to whatever the current media is. It’s an insurance policy against obsolescence. Please Note: We will require a hard drive to put your master image sequence on because the files are very large. We will advise you on what size of drive you will need to provide. Please make sure you send us a large enough drive! Alternately, we can supply an appropriate new drive for you. You do have the option of not taking the master image sequence version of your film but in good conscience, we can’t advise it. Q?What do I need to know about your print scanning service? Often in a family archive there will be negatives and prints that were made from those negatives. When scanning we will scan all of the film first before we start scanning prints. If we recognize that we are scanning prints of images that have already been scanned from the film we will avoid doing these but these can very easily be overlooked in which case you would be charged for the scanning of both versions. A good approach would be to first send us your film to scan and once returned to you, you can sort out the prints that don’t and do need to be scanned. Scans made from the negative will be higher quality than those made from the prints. We don’t use bulk print scanners such as are used with most “shoebox” scanning services. We considered doing our print scanning by this method but upon further research we realized the quality wouldn’t be up to the quality of our film scans. To add to that, other better scanning companies were abandoning the service due to quality issues. We are using a top end flatbed scanner and each print must be loaded and previewed before scanning. These are not unattended scans where a large stack of prints are dropped into a feeder and left unattended. Q?What is done for dust and scratch removal with your scanning service. Color film images take advantage of Fuji’s Image Intelligence dust and scratch removal. Because hardware based dust and scratch removal such as Image Intelligence and Digital Ice only works with color images, B&W images and prints are receive electronic anti static dust removal and are blown with compressed air before scanning. If you opt for our scanning with Photoshop service, some additional dust and scratch removal is done by hand in Photoshop. Q?What resolution are scans made at with your scanning service? Unlike most other scanning services, we don’t offer a myriad of confusing scan resolutions at different prices. We simply give you a large enough scan from whatever format of film you give us to make a high quality large blow up print of your images. This providing the orignal integrity of your image lends itself to this. We provide large enough scans for virtually all practical purposes. For those that would like to know what resolution we scan at please see the chart below. Scan resolution for all film formats listed in our prices will allow for at very least a 20 inch blow up (3600 pixels) on the short dimension of the frame. A square frame can be enlarged to 20 x 20 print with no digital artifacting and a rectangular 3:2 aspect ratio picture (35mm) to a 20 by 30 print. This is enough resolution for virtually all practical purposes. Print scans are done at 600 dpi allowing for more than 2 times the enlargement size of the original print, although – scans from prints are not optimal for blow ups. When possible provide the negative the print was made from as a higher quality scan is possible from the negative. * Albania, Andorra, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Faroe Islands, Finland,France (including Corsica and Monaco), Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, channel Islands, Croatia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Montenegro, Norway, Ukraine, Austria, Poland, Portugal (including Azores and Madeira), Romania, Russia (includingAsian part), San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (including Balearic Islands, excluding Canary Islands), Czech Republic, Turkey (including Asianpart), Vatican City, United Kingdom, Belarus, Sweden, Switzerland. ** Belgium, Luxembourg, Denmark (excl. Faroe Islands and Greenland), Germany, France (incl. Corsica and Monaco), Italy (excl. San Marino and Vatican City), Austria, Spain (incl. Balearic Islands, excludingCanary Islands), United Kingdom (excl. Gibraltar and Channel Islands), Sweden. With packages larger than 2 Kg at shipping cost plus €5 handling. Q?Can I pay by check? We do not accept payment by check or post office money order for still film developing services because final prices are variable (depending on the number of images that turn out, how many images you may order, or if your film turns out at all). We accept payment by MasterCard,Visa or Paypal. We will accept payment by check or post office money order for other services up to a maximum of $100 USD, only if a final price can be predetermined. No refunds will be made for amounts less than $5. Q?What should I know about paying by credit card? All credit card transactions originate from our lab, which is located in Saskatchewan, Canada. Some financial institutions in the USA will charge an “international transaction” service fee, even though we bill in US funds and foreign exchange rates are not involved. These service fees are not something we charge or have any control over; they are completely at the discretion of your financial institution. If you are unsure of your Mastercard or Visa card issuer’s policy on transactions originating in Canada, or whether transactions outside of the USA are even allowed, please contact them before you send your film to us. Q?I Have Expired Film…Do I Need Your Service? Color film that is less than 5 years past its best before date and has been stored in excessive heat: you should be able to drop off any local photo finishers with a good reputation and get at least some OK prints. Color film 5 to 10 years beyond the “process before” date that has not been stored in excessive heat: if it is important to you, then send it to us. If you are simply curious what is on the film, normal processing will likely give you fully recognizable though possibly poor quality images. B&W film in cassettes (126/35mm) approximately 20 years beyond its “process before” date would best be sent to us or someone with an understanding of how to process a film to its highest possible contrast. B&W roll film (120/620) approximately 30 years beyond its “process before” date would best be sent to us or someone with an understanding of how to process a film to its highest possible contrast. Color film that has been in excessive heat over an extended period (i.e. a film left in a car parked outside for an entire summer season): if it is important to you, then send it to us. If you are simply curious what is on the film, normal processing will likely give you recognizable though poor quality images. Q?What Type of Film Does Film Rescue Process and what can I expect? At Film Rescue we process any and all old, expired, deleted and antiquated films. It’s what we do. If you approach us with a film that is a current process we will first determine from you whether you need us or not. Most films that are only expired by 5 or 6 years or so will come out ok processed by a reputable local provider. If your film is older than this we will want to have a conversation on exactly what you have, how important it is to you and how you think it was stored. With this information we can normally give some useful guidance on how you might want to proceed. We honestly don’t want to be selling our premium service to people that don’t need us. Our lab notes which give us guidance on the best way to process a given film has a database with an excess of 350 unique film types. The following is a list of the most common films that we develop on a regular basis. Following the film is a percentage of this type of film that comes out as recognizable and the quality trend for that film. Keep in mind, the quality trend is only a trend – some will be better and some worse. Very Poor — You can for the most part make out what is on the film but identifying people can be a challenge. Poor — You can easily identify people and places but the images are very harsh and grainy. Fair — Pictures are clear and easy to look at but not perfect. They may be lower contrast and have problems with blemishes and edge fogging. Good — The pictures aren’t perfect but they are completely acceptable. They may appear grainier than a normal new film. Very Good — Little difference between it and the quality of the pictures from a brand new film. Q?How are your processing techniques different than a normal lab? We keep very careful records on how a specific film is responding in a specific process. None of our processes are the same as what was originally intended for the film. All have been modified and tailored to our past experience with each film type, brand and format. The original process is not at all appropriate for salvaging images from long expired film. In order to salvage the best possible image from a film, many of these processes result in a Black & White image even though it may be a color film. In our opinion it is better to get a higher quality image in Black & White than a lower one in color or alternately to get something recognizable in Black & White than nothing in color. Cycle turnaround time may be as short as 8 weeks and as long 12 weeks during a particularly busy cycle. Unlike a conventional processing lab that may have one or two large-volume processes under their roof, we have 12 small-volume processes. This creates the need to complete one process before we move onto another, mixing chemical and preparing for each before we move to the next. It is not until all the film is developed that scanning and transferring begins. Once that step is complete, the digital work is done and then the uploading begins. Please do not wait until near the beginning of a cycle to send us your film. This not only slows down the lengthy administration process that at the beginning of each cycle (thus, ultimately slowing down our turn-around time) but you also risk missing the cycle cutoff altogether. Doing this well and properly at a reasonable price takes time. We encourage you to have a look at and consider others offering a similar service. Q?Do you offer rush processing? Rushes and unique set ups are not encouraged but are available. Unlike a conventional photo lab that deals with larger volumes of a single film format of only one process type, Film Rescue is processing smaller volumes of film, multiple formats and has 12 unique processes. This creates the need to process in batches — first completing the processing of all film in house before moving onto scanning and transferring. To break from this cycle is not always possible please contact us if you wish to arrange for rush processing. All other services – We do our best to accommodate when possible with no extra charges – please enquire. Q?I want to shop around – who else is doing this type of work? Q?Do you return spools, boxes or cassettes? We are happy to return film spools and cassettes that are identical in their function. For instance…if you send us a 127 spool we will send you a 127 spool back. We will try to get your original film spools and/or cassettes back to you but this is not guaranteed. We have found it exceedingly difficult to have a working system of keeping track of peoples film packaging while dealing with hundreds of rolls of film in the dark. A very effective system is in place for keeping track of who’s film belongs to who but within the system there is no practical way to also include the film packaging. Most often we will get you your precise packaging back but this is not guaranteed. The film spools, cassettes and boxes are of little or no monitory value. Q?What image size do you provide if I place an on-line order? Images delivered online are more compressed than their CD counterpart though ultimately you will see no difference. Well…we just made up the term so I guess we can also define it. This is a picture with a pixel dimension and a level of compression that allows for fast uploading to various social media sites such as Facebook, Flickr and Twitter. They are also small enough to easily e-mail to friends and family. How large they appear on your screen is dependent on where you have your screen resolution set but they will fill one fifth to one third of your average screen. The pixel dimension for a image with a 2:3 aspect ratio (same as most 35mm film frames) is 864 x 576 pixels, for a square picture (126 and many roll films) is 705 x 705 pixels. While you might be able to squeeze an “acceptable to some” snap shot sized print out of these, they are too small for what would normally be considered enough resolution for this purpose. Q?What is included with “hands on retouching”? After scanning, images are adjusted for brightness and contrast, degrained and sharpened. These are the images that you will see in your gallery and that are available for free downloading as a small net sized image or to purchase as a large sized image. Some images will benefit a good deal from a more extensive hands on retouch but not most. If your picture is much lighter or darker on the edges of the frame than in the center or if the picture has a lot of pitting or dust settled into the emulsion, order the image with hands on retouching may be worth while. You can contact us specifically regarding your order if you have questions. Q?What can I expect of images uploaded to me for downloading? When you are ordering images from your gallery, upon checkout you will be prompted to choose either physical return of your scans i.e on cd, and/or prints or to simply download the pictures. If you choose the download option, the image sizes are more compressed than what you’d get on a cd — but there will be no additional shipping charge to pay. The pixel dimensions of your picture will be identical and the additional compression will not discernibly degrade your picture. If you choose this option, nothing is physically returned (unless you’ve indicated on your original order form for your negatives to be returned). You will receive a link from Dropbox.com where we “park” the image files for you to download. There are no additional charges from Dropbox.com for this service. Images are 8 inches at 300 DPI on the short dimension or your frame. Example — a 35mm frame would be 8 x 12 inches at 300 DPI — a 110 frame would be 8 x 10 inches at 300 DPI. Often orders are copied to DVDs unless CDs are specifically requested. By default the images will be in the JPEG file format but PSD and TIFF are available. Q?Do you offer “process only” for still film? The short answer: no. In past we did offer “process only” at a discount of 10% for people who wanted to scan their own film. We have discontinued this because too often we were having films returned to us that the client was unable to scan due to the condition of the film, that we were able to scan because we are experienced in dealing with scanning very dense or faded negatives. This isn’t to say that your negative won’t be home scannable but we don’t know people capabilities and won’t be responsible for that. The savings that we were offering for “process only” we feel is easily offset by the security of having digital files of your pictures on-site here when shipping, and the fact that you get an early preview of your images in a gallery. Essentially, you can still have process only but if you are unable to scan your film when you get it back, we will have scans here already so there is no need to send anything back to us. Here are some reasons why the scanning is often best left to us…. Some negatives are “accelerate” which means they are first processed the safest way possible into a B&W negative and then a security scan taken of those B&W images. After, many color films get reprocessed into color which sometime renders a better or more desirable color image than the B&W version of the pictures. But as often as not, the color version will be extremely faded and shifted and in these case we have safely stored the originally processed into B&W versions of the pictures for the client. Some negatives after processing are as dense as welding glass and conventional scanners can not see through them. Some negatives have such an extremely faint image on them they can not be recognized with the preview scan on a conventional scanner making them very difficult to locate your marquee correctly during preview. Auto frame selection will not work on these negatives. Do not assume if you don’t see images upon a quick inspection, there is nothing there. Some films such as GAF cassettes and Triple Print blue label films are processed into an unstable reflective negative that begins fading after processing. Not only do they need to be scanned right away, they are scanned wet because the contrast on the film is much higher when wet and they can not be scanned on a normal scanner because light will not pass through them. Q?How do you define “recognizable images”? When we are deciding whether to scan or not scan a client’s film, we are doing a visual inspection of the processed negative. It is often difficult to tell what the final quality will be without scanning and enhancing the negative. Therefore, we’ll continue with scanning and enhancing any film that we see think we can see something on. We don’t want to be in the position of trying to make a subjective determination as to what may or may not be important to a client. One person’s trash is another’s treasure. An image that is out of focus, double-exposed or low quality can still be recognizable. Q?What is the “client preview” and on-line shopping cart? Once we scanned and Photoshopped ™ all of your pictures we create a gallery on our website for your images. We then send you a link via email to your gallery where you can see your pictures and download “social media” sized images. From there, you can pick and choose the images that you want to be copied to CD and/or uploaded to you as large image files. There is no obligation to place an order and your online gallery will remain active for one full year. It is a fairly standard on-line shopping cart though the payment feature has been disabled as we will already have collected you payment details. Q?What is the “digital fix-up” included in the base price of the still film processing service? After scanning, images are adjusted by human eye for brightness, color (when applicable), sharpness and contrast. This work is done using the world’s standard professional photo editor Photoshop CS. The difference between this approach and the approach used by a conventional photo finisher is night and day. Most commercial high volume scanners allow only for a very simple brightness and a color adjustments. Using Photoshop CS is integral to doing this work properly. Q?What size of still film scan do you provide? Our scans for previously undeveloped film, result in an image that is 8 inches by 300 DPI on the short dimension or your frame. Example — a 35mm frame would be 8 x 12 inches at 300 DPI — a 110 frame would be 8 x 10 inches at 300 DPI. Because we are so often dealing with very low contrast negatives the scans are done at a high bit rate, then adjusted for brightness and contrast before down converting to 8 bit JPEGs. This creates a smoother grain scale than would be possible had the images been adjusted for brightness and contrast at 8 bit. Our scans for most previously developed film is 12 inches at 300 DPI on the short dimension of your frame. Q?What are my options with EM-25 process Ektachrome 160 movie films? These films were manufactured pre-1984 and are a minimum of 25 years beyond the process before date on the original packaging. The availability of one of the chemical components required to process these films properly into color is dwindling (worldwide). In an effort to conserve our reserve of the chemical, we have had to raise the price per roll. If you are confident that your film has been stored consistently in cool temperatures and/or color is extremely important to you, specify that you would like color processing on our order form. If you know that your film was not stored properly or if you are unsure of the storage conditions, the black & white negative process we offer is the safer approach to salvaging something from your film. Transfer from a negative to positive (Black and White) will allow you to view it from video. You can tell if you have EM-25 process Ektachrome film by looking at where Ektachrome is written on the film cassette. EM-25 process film is written in white in a small blue box. With EM-26 process film Ektachrome is written in blue in a small white box or on top of yellow with a blue border around it. Q?How will my old movie film be processed and what can I expect? Please keep in mind that your film may be decades beyond its process before date and what we are doing here is a salvage job. We do our best to get good quality images from these very old films but the results are highly variable. The quality we get range from good to just barely discernable. Kodachrome — Can only be processed into a black and white negative which is then transferred to a black and white positive as an AVI, MOV or DVD. There is no color processing option for this film anywhere on earth. Ektachrome process EM-26 – By default, this is the only vintage movie film that we are processing into color. You can request on the order form that it be processed into a B&W negative instead of color if you wish to take the safest possible approach to salvaging something from the film. They almost always do turn out at least as recognizable in color but the B&W version of the image can often be better quality. Ektachrome process EM-25 — By default this is processed into a black and white negative which is then transferred to black and white positive as an AVI, MOV or DVD. Color process is possible, if requested, but there is a $14 surcharge (for 50’) and the film is less likely to turn out. More information on EM-25 film, including identification. In color the chance of a recognizable image is about 80%, while black and white is near 100%. All other movie film – By default these are processed into a black and white negative which is then transferred to black and white positive as an AVI, MOV or DVD. Color process is possible, if requested, but there is a $14 surcharge (for 50’) and the film is less likely to turn out. B&W film is of course processed into B&W but this has stood up much better over time than color film and if your film is less than 20 years old you may want to consider using another provider who can do it faster and at less expense. Q?What can you tell me about your transfer? Our 8mm and Super 8 transfers are top quality and comparable with the best transfers available. Our 16mm film transfers are of average quality and at a reasonable price. If a top quality 16mm transfer is required we are happy to give referrals. When clients supply small reels, they are not spliced onto larger reels (which is common with most transfer providers). Each reel becomes its own chapter title or digital file. The client is encouraged to number the reels in the order they wish their film to be transferred. Chapter titles or file names up to 18 characters can be supplied with each reel as well. With all options, film is cleaned before transfer. Cleaning will remove the worst of the dirt but usually some will still remain. Minor damage to film is repaired without additional charge. If damage is more severe the client will be contacted and quoted as to the cost of the repair before the transfer proceeds. Color correction is done digitally following projection/recording. Color correction is virtually frame accurate and applied when moderate to extreme color shifts occur. New corrections are not applied for minor shifts and very short scenes with any transfer option. Color correction is subjective and severely altered colors may only be able to be corrected so much. If color shift is very extreme, film can be converted to black and white. Below are two sample frame grabs from our transfer. Keep in mind these are coming from tiny pieces of film. Q?What’s better to transfer home movies to HD or SD? On a frame by frame scanner, the difference between SD vs. HD is obvious. On older transfer systems in some ways the SD transfer can be more desirable because in HD you simply seem to have a more obvious grain and the softer SD transfer can seem more pleasant to look at. With a true scanner there is a bit more obvious grain as well but there is also a more obvious clarity to the image than the SD version of the same footage. It may come down to taste on some level but we have confidence that in general HD is a better way to go. Should you not like the HD version of your film transfer it can be easily down converted to SD. It doesn’t work the other way around. Q?How should I have my film organized for transfer? If you are requesting a DVD or a Blu-ray disc from us, the order your film is in becomes more important than if you are requesting editable computer files from us. On a DVD or Blur-ray disc, the order your film plays in is pretty much locked down to the order they are transferred in. With editable computer files you can put them into any order you like. You can do this by simply renaming the files so that your computer or smart TV plays them in the order you want or put them into a software editor, edit to your hearts content and then burn your own DVDs or Blu-ray discs. We still encourage you to number your reels in the order that you wish them transferred so you have a somewhat organized transfer. Unlike many providers, all films are returned on their original reels and in their original boxes or cans, maintaining the integrity of your family archive. With MOVIE FILM, when we capture it on our scanners, a very large high quality computer video file is created. To create a DVD that will play in a home DVD player, we must compress them to a fraction of their size because the amount of data a DVD can store is very limited. With VIDEO TAPE, the bit rate we capture at is much higher than what we are able to do to a DVD with a two hour play time. While this isn’t quite a critical as it is with movie film, it’s still a real quality issue. To add to the issues of lower quality when converting movie films and video tapes to DVD, DVD was designed by the movie industry to be hard to copy. While not impossible, doing the DVD “rip” that is required to make the copy, further degrades the image. Even if you don’t understand the technology, it is definitely worthwhile keeping a high quality digital master for family members that do or that will. DVD is slowly becoming what VHS was in the 90s – robust computer files will remain relevant and are expandable into the future. Q?Do I need to supply a Hard drive for my movie transfer and if so what size? Regardless of the size of your order, if you select MOV, MP4, DNX or master image sequence, a flash drive or portable hard drive is required. We can supply a brand new drive for you (price varies) but you will likely find better pricing for the drive at a local source. Give us a call and our transfer technician can advise you. Toll free (North America) 1-800-329-8988. Please note: Any used drive provided to us must be reformatted and all previous data on the drive will be eliminated. Your order will be delayed if you decide to send a drive after we are ready to begin work. Film Rescue International reserves the right to use photographic and motion images for promotional purposes when work has been requested, completed and then not paid for after a period of one year.

2019-04-19T22:24:41Z

https://www.filmrescue.com/faq/

Entity Registrant Name Molecular Templates, Inc. In process research and development. Non cash capital lease additions to fixed assets. Non cash deemed dividends on preferred stock. Non cash fixed asset additions in accounts payable. Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt and warrants, net. Amount of interest costs capitalized disclosed as an adjusting item to interest costs incurred. Molecular Templates, Inc. (the “Company” or “Molecular”) is a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company formed in 2001, with a biologic therapeutic platform for the development of novel targeted therapeutics for cancer and other diseases, headquartered in Austin, Texas. The Company’s focus is on the research and development of therapeutic compounds for a variety of cancers. Molecular operates its business as a single segment, as defined by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“U.S. GAAP”). On August 1, 2017, the Company, formerly known as Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: THLD) (“Threshold”), completed its business combination with the entity then known as Molecular Templates, Inc., a private Delaware Corporation (“Private Molecular”), in accordance with the terms of an Agreement and Plan of Merger and Reorganization (the “Merger Agreement”), dated as of March 16, 2017, by and among Threshold, Trojan Merger Sub, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Threshold (“Merger Sub”), and Private Molecular. Pursuant to the Merger Agreement, Merger Sub merged with and into Private Molecular, with Private Molecular surviving as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Threshold (the “Merger”) and Private Molecular changed its name to “Molecular Templates OpCo, Inc.” Also on August 1, 2017, in connection with, and prior to the completion of the Merger, Threshold effected an 11-for-1 reverse stock split of its common stock (the “Reverse Stock Split”) and changed its name to “Molecular Templates, Inc.” Following the completion of the Merger, the business conducted by Private Molecular became primarily the business conducted by the Company as described in the paragraph above. These unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements reflect the historical results of Private Molecular prior to the completion of the Merger, and do not include the historical results of the Company prior to the completion of the Merger. All share and per share disclosures have been adjusted to reflect the exchange of shares in the Merger, and the 11-for-1 reverse stock split of the common stock effected on August 1, 2017. Under U.S. GAAP, the Merger is treated as a “reverse merger” under the purchase method of accounting. For accounting purposes, Private Molecular is considered to have acquired Threshold. See Note 3, “Merger with Private Molecular”, for further details on the Merger and the U.S. GAAP accounting treatment. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP pursuant to the requirements of the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X promulgated under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. The unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared on the same basis as the annual consolidated financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments necessary for the fair presentation of results for the periods presented, have been included. The results of operations of any interim period are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for the full year or any other interim period. The preparation of condensed consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the recorded amounts reported therein. A change in facts or circumstances surrounding the estimates could result in a change to estimates and impact future operating results. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures have been prepared with the presumption that users of the interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have read or have access to the audited consolidated financial statements for the preceding fiscal year. Accordingly, these unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto for the year ended December 31, 2017 included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 30, 2018. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries, and reflect the elimination of intercompany accounts and transactions. Except as detailed below, there have been no material changes to the Company’s significant accounting policies during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, as compared to the significant accounting policies disclosed in Note 1, Summary of significant accounting policies, to the consolidated financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017. Under ASC 606, the Company recognizes revenue when its customer obtains control of promised goods or services, in an amount that reflects the consideration which the Company expects to receive in exchange for those goods or services. To determine revenue recognition for arrangements that are within the scope of ASC 606, the Company performs the following five steps: (i) identification of the promised goods or services in the contract; (ii) determination of whether the promised goods or services are performance obligations including whether they are distinct in the context of the contract; (iii) measurement of the transaction price, including the constraint on variable consideration; (iv) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations based on estimated selling prices; and (v) recognition of revenue when (or as) the Company satisfies each performance obligation. A performance obligation is a promise in a contract to transfer a distinct good or service to the customer. The Company identifies the goods or services promised within each collaboration agreement and assesses whether each promised good or service is distinct for the purpose of identifying the performance obligations in the contract. This assessment involves subjective determinations and requires management to make judgments about the individual promised goods or services and whether such are separable from the other aspects of the contractual relationship. Promised goods and services are considered distinct provided that: (i) the customer can benefit from the good or service either on its own or together with other resources that are readily available to the customer and (ii) the entity’s promise to transfer the good or service to the customer is separately identifiable from other promises in the contract. In assessing whether a promised good or service is distinct, the Company considers factors such as the research, manufacturing and commercialization capabilities of the collaboration partner and the availability of the associated expertise in the general marketplace. If a promised good or service is not distinct, an entity is required to combine that promised good or service with other promised goods or services until it identifies a bundle of goods or services that is distinct. The allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in proportion to their standalone selling prices is determined at contract inception. If the consideration promised in a contract includes a variable amount, the Company estimates the amount of consideration to which it will be entitled in exchange for transferring the promised goods or services to a customer. The Company determines the amount of variable consideration by using the expected value method or the most likely amount method. The Company includes the unconstrained amount of estimated variable consideration in the transaction price. The amount included in the transaction price is the amount for which it is probable that a significant reversal of cumulative revenue recognized will not occur. At the end of each subsequent reporting period, the Company re-evaluates the estimated variable consideration included in the transaction price and any related constraint, and if necessary, adjusts its estimate of the overall transaction price. Any such adjustments are recorded on a cumulative catch-up basis in the period of adjustment. In determining the transaction price, the Company adjusts consideration for the effects of the time value of money if there is a significant benefit of financing. The Company assessed its collaboration agreements and concluded that no significant financing components were present. If an arrangement contains customer options that allow the customer to acquire additional goods or services, including an exclusive license to the Company’s intellectual property, the goods and services underlying the customer options are evaluated to determine whether they are deemed to represent a material right. In determining whether the customer option has a material right, the Company assesses whether there is an option to acquire additional goods or services at a discount. If the customer option is determined not to represent a material right, the option is not considered to be performance obligations at the outset of the arrangement. If the customer option is determined to represent a material right, the material right is recognized as a separate performance obligation at the outset of the arrangement. The Company allocates the transaction price to material rights based on the relative standalone selling price, which is determined based on the identified discount and the probability that the customer will exercise the option. Amounts allocated to a material right are not recognized as revenue until the option is exercised. The Company recognizes as revenue the amount of the transaction price that is allocated to the respective performance obligation as each performance obligation is satisfied over time, based on the use of an input method. Performance obligations may include research and development services to be performed by the Company on behalf of the collaboration partner. Revenue is recognized on research and development efforts as the services are performed and presented on a gross basis, since the Company is the principal. Under collaboration agreements, the timing of revenue recognition and contract billings may differ, and result in contract assets and contract liabilities. Contract assets represent revenues recognized in excess of amounts billed under collaboration agreements and are transferred to accounts receivable when billed or billing rights become unconditional. Contract liabilities represent billings in excess of revenues recognized under collaboration agreements. Refer to Note 4,” Research and Development Agreements”, for further details about the impact of the adoption of ASC 606. Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to concentrations of risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents, investments, long term debt and accounts receivable. The Company’s cash and cash equivalents are with two major financial institutions in the United States. The Company performs an ongoing credit evaluation of its strategic partners’ financial conditions and generally does not require collateral to secure accounts receivable from its strategic partners. The Company’s exposure to credit risk associated with non-payment will be affected principally by conditions or occurrences within Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Ltd. (“Takeda”). Approximately 28% and 35% of total revenues for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively, were derived from Takeda. There was $31.2 million in accounts receivable due from Takeda at September 30, 2018, which was received in October 2018. See also Note 4, “Research and Development Agreements”, regarding the collaboration agreements with Takeda. Drug candidates developed by the Company may require approvals or clearances from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) or international regulatory agencies prior to commercial sales. There can be no assurance that the Company’s drug candidates will receive any of the required approvals or clearances. If the Company were to be denied approval or clearance or any such approval or clearance were to be delayed, it would have a material adverse impact on the Company. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASC 606, which provides principles for recognizing revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Company adopted ASC 606 on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative adjustment to equity. The impact of the adoption of the standard to prior period amounts is discussed below in Note 4, “Research and Development Agreements”. In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” ASU 2016-02 requires management to record right-to-use asset and lease liability on the statement of financial position for operating leases. ASU 2016-02 is effective for annual and interim reporting periods beginning on or after December 15, 2018 and the modified retrospective approach is required. The Company is in the process of evaluating the impact the adoption of this standard would have on its consolidated financial statements and disclosures and expects the new standard to significantly increase the reported assets and liabilities on its consolidated balance sheets. In December 2017, the SEC issued Staff Accounting Bulletin (“SAB”) 118 to address the application of GAAP in situations in which a registrant does not have the necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed (including computations) in reasonable detail to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”), which was signed into law on December 22, 2017. In March 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-05, “Income Taxes (Topic 740): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 (SEC Update)”, which amended ASC 740 to incorporate the requirements of SAB 118. There were no changes in the provisional amounts recorded by the Company at December 31, 2017 related to the Tax Act. The Company continues to evaluate the impact of the Tax Act. In June 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2018-07, “Stock-based Compensation: Improvements to Nonemployee Share-based Payment Accounting”, which amends the existing accounting standards for share-based payments to nonemployees. This ASU aligns much of the guidance on measuring and classifying nonemployee awards with that of awards to employees. Under the new guidance, the measurement of nonemployee equity awards is fixed on the grant date. This ASU becomes effective in the first quarter of fiscal year 2019 and early adoption is permitted. Entities will apply the ASU by recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the annual period of adoption. We are currently evaluating the impact that ASU 2018-07 will have on our condensed consolidated financial statements. On August 1, 2017, the Company, formerly known as Threshold, completed the Merger with Private Molecular, in accordance with the terms of the Merger Agreement. Immediately upon completion of the Merger, the former stockholders of Private Molecular held a majority of the voting interest of the combined company. Also on August 1, 2017, in connection with, and prior to the completion of, the Merger, Threshold effected a Reverse Stock Split and changed its name from “Threshold Pharmaceuticals, Inc.” to “Molecular Templates, Inc.” Under the terms of the Merger, at the effective time of the Merger, the Company issued shares of its common stock to Private Molecular stockholders, at an exchange ratio of 7.7844 shares of common stock (the “Exchange Ratio”), after taking into account the Reverse Stock Split, in exchange for each share of Private Molecular common stock outstanding immediately prior to the Merger. Immediately following the closing of the Merger on August 1, 2017, the former Threshold stockholders owned approximately 34.4% of the aggregate number of shares of common stock of the Company and the former Private Molecular stockholders owned approximately 65.6% of the shares of common stock of the Company, subject to adjustments in accordance with the Merger Agreement. All Private Molecular stock options granted under the Private Molecular stock option plan (whether or not then exercisable) outstanding prior to the effective time of the Merger were exchanged for options to purchase the Company’s common stock. All outstanding and unexercised Private Molecular stock options assumed by the Company may be exercised solely for shares of the Company’s common stock. The number of shares of the Company’s common stock subject to each Private Molecular stock option assumed by the Company was determined by multiplying (a) the number of shares of Private Molecular common stock that were subject to such Private Molecular stock option, as in effect immediately prior to the effective time of the merger by (b) the Exchange Ratio and dividing by 11 (to account for the Reverse Stock Split); rounding the resulting number down to the nearest whole number of shares of the Company’s common stock. The per share exercise price for the Company’s common stock issuable upon exercise of each Private Molecular stock option assumed by the Company was determined by dividing (a) the per share exercise price of Private Molecular common stock subject to such Private Molecular stock option, as in effect immediately prior to the effective time of the Merger, by (b) the Exchange Ratio, and multiplying by 11 (to account for the Reverse Stock Split); rounding the resulting exercise price up to the nearest whole cent. The exchange of the Private Molecular stock options for the Company’s stock options was treated as a modification of the awards. Threshold equity awards issued and outstanding at the time of the Merger remained issued and outstanding. However, for accounting purposes, Threshold equity awards will be assumed to have been exchanged for equity awards of Private Molecular, the accounting acquirer. As of August 1, 2017, Threshold had outstanding stock options to purchase 963,681 shares of common stock, of which stock options to purchase 963,681 shares were vested and exercisable at a weighted average exercise price of $33.62 per share, after giving effect to the Reverse Stock Split. Pursuant to business combination accounting, the Company applied the acquisition method, which requires the assets acquired and liabilities assumed be recorded at fair value with limited exceptions. Represents the number of shares of common stock of the combined company that Threshold stockholders owned as of the closing of the Merger pursuant to the Merger Agreement. As of August 1, 2017, there were 6,508,356 shares of Threshold common stock outstanding, adjusted for the 11-for-1 reverse stock split. The fair value of Threshold common stock used in determining the purchase price was $5.94, which was derived from the $0.54 per share closing price of Threshold on August 1, 2017, the current price at the time of closing, adjusted for the 11-for-1 reverse stock split. Because the Company is considered to be the acquirer for accounting purposes, the pre-Merger vested stock options granted by Threshold under Threshold’s 2014 Equity Incentive Plan are deemed to have been exchanged for equity awards of the Company and as such the portion of the acquisition date fair value of these equity awards attributable to pre-Merger service to Threshold were accounted for as a component of the consideration transferred. Represents the bridge loan outstanding as of the closing date of the Merger. As the receivable on Threshold’s balance sheet was settled as part of the Merger, it is deemed to be a reduction in the purchase price. Under the acquisition method of accounting, the total purchase price was allocated to tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed of Threshold on the basis of their estimated fair values as of the transaction closing date on August 1, 2017. The Company believes that the historical values of the Company’s current assets and current liabilities approximate fair value based on the short-term nature of such items. The allocation of the purchase price is dependent on the valuation of the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed. The Company does not expect any further revisions to the allocation of the purchase price. The Company used the risk adjusted discounted cash flow method to value the in-process research and development intangible asset. Under the valuation method, the present value of future cash flows expected to be generated from the in-process research and development of the acquired product candidate, evofosfamide, was determined using a discount rate of 12%, and identified projected cash flows from evofosfamide were risk adjusted to take into consideration the probabilities of moving through the various clinical stages. Transaction costs associated with the Merger of approximately $2.0 million were included in general and administrative expense in 2017. On March 24, 2017, the Company received $2.0 million from Threshold in the form of a promissory note at an interest rate of 1.0% per annum. The Company received an additional $2.0 million on June 1, 2017. The note was settled as part of the Merger. The exchange of Private Molecular stock options for options to purchase Threshold common stock, as renamed Molecular, was accounted for as a modification of the awards because the legal exchange of the awards is considered a modification of Private Molecular stock options. The modification of the stock options did not result in any incremental compensation expense as the modification did not increase the fair value of the stock options. Additionally, pursuant to the terms of the Merger Agreement, participants in Threshold’s 2014 Equity Incentive Plan received accelerated vesting for all or a portion of their pre-Merger awards granted under such plan, as well as a modification of the exercise period. The Company recorded $1.2 million in stock-based compensation associated with the transaction. Effective January 1, 2018, the Company adopted ASC 606, which provides principles for recognizing revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The Company adopted ASC 606 on a modified retrospective basis through a cumulative adjustment to stockholders’ equity. This impact represents the amount of revenue that would have been recognized and accounted for as unbilled revenue, during the year ended December 31, 2017. The adoption of ASC 606 resulted in a reduction in revenues recognized in the three months ended September 30, 2018. This impact represents the amount of aggregate revenue that would have been recognized during the three months ended September 30, 2018 under Previous Guidance. The adoption of ASC 606 resulted in a reduction in revenues recognized in the nine months ended September 30, 2018. This impact represents the amount of aggregate revenue that would have been recognized during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 under Previous Guidance. The adoption of ASC 606 resulted in a decrease of net loss and an increase in unbilled revenue that is included in other current assets. December 31, 2017 balances prior to the impact related to the modified retrospective adoption of ASC 606. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded $836,000 in research and development revenue that was previously included in deferred revenue at December 31, 2017. The main reason for the increase in deferred revenue during the nine months ended September 30, 2018, is the Takeda Development and License Agreement entered into during September 2018, and the increased consideration under the Takeda Individual Project Agreement. The performance obligations are expected to be fulfilled, and revenue fully recognized, as services are rendered. The aggregate amount of the contract price of the Company’s collaborative agreements allocated to performance obligations not yet satisfied is $33.6 million. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded a cumulative catch-up adjustment to revenue of $180,000, respectively, related to a change in an estimate of the transaction price of the Takeda Individual Project Agreement. As of September 30, 2018, the Company had receivables from customers of $31.4 million, and as of December 31, 2017, the Company had no receivables from customers. Related Party Collaboration Agreement - Takeda Pharmaceuticals, Inc. In October 2016, Private Molecular entered into a collaboration and option agreement (the “Takeda Collaboration Agreement”) with Millennium Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Takeda (“Takeda”), to discover and develop CD38-targeting engineered toxin bodies (“ETBs”), which includes MT-4019 for evaluation by Takeda. Under the terms of the Takeda Collaboration Agreement, Molecular is responsible for providing to Takeda (i) new ETBs generated using Takeda’s proprietary fully human antibodies targeting CD38 and (ii) MT-4019 for in vitro and in vivo pharmacological and anti-tumor efficacy evaluations. Private Molecular granted Takeda (1) a background intellectual property (“IP”) license during the term of the Takeda Collaboration Agreement, and (2) an exclusive option during the term of the Takeda Collaboration Agreement and for a period of thirty days thereafter, to negotiate and obtain an exclusive worldwide license to develop and commercialize any ETB that may result from this collaboration, including MT-4019. The Company has received payments of $2.0 million in technology access fees and cost reimbursement associated with the Company’s performance obligations under the agreement. The Company determined that the promised goods and services under the Takeda Collaboration Agreement were the background IP license, as well as the research and development services. The Company determined that there was one performance obligation, since the background IP and manufacturing were not distinct from the research and development services. Revenues are recognized over the period that the research and development services occur. The Company also concluded that, since the option for the exclusive license is deemed to be at fair value that the option does not provide the customer with a material right, and should be accounted for if and when the option is exercised. All research and development services were performed as of September 30, 2018. During the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company recorded research and development revenue from Takeda of $0 and $648,000, respectively, under the Takeda Collaboration Agreement. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and September 30, 2017, the Company recorded research and development revenue from Takeda of $92,000 and $1.9 million, respectively, under the Takeda Collaboration Agreement. This revenue is deemed to be revenue from a related party (as discussed further in Note 5 “Related Party Transactions”). In connection with the Takeda Collaboration Agreement, the Company entered into an Individual Project Agreement (the “Takeda Individual Project Agreement”) with Takeda in June 2018, that was subsequently amended in July 2018. Under the Takeda Individual Project Agreement, the Company is responsible to perform certain research and development services relating to Chemistry, Manufacturing, and Controls (“CMC”) work for three potential lead ETBs targeting CD38. In consideration of these services, the Company will receive up to $2.2 million in compensation that includes an increase in transaction consideration of $1.1 million as a result of the amendment to the Takeda Individual Project Agreement in July 2018. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recognized research and development revenue from Takeda of $1.2 million and $1.9 million, respectively, under the Takeda Individual Project Agreement. No revenue was recognized during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017 since the agreement was not in place. As of September 30, 2018, $1.2 million was due from Takeda under the Development and License Agreement. On September 18, 2018, the Company entered into a Development and License Agreement with Takeda (“Takeda Development and License Agreement”) for the development and commercialization of products incorporating or comprised of one or more CD38 SLT-A fusion proteins (“Licensed Products”) for the treatment of patients with diseases such as multiple myeloma. Pursuant the Takeda Development and License Agreement Takeda made an upfront payment of $30.0 million to the Company in October 2018. The Takeda Development and License Agreement also provides for development costs to be shared equally between the Company and Takeda during the Early Stage Development Period. The Company has an option to opt into co-development after the Early Stage Development, that would make the Company eligible to potentially receive higher milestone payments and a higher royalty percentage. In addition to the upfront fee, if the Company exercises its co-development option and funds its share of development costs, it is eligible to receive pre-clinical and clinical development milestone payments of up to $307.5 million, upon the achievement of certain development milestones and regulatory approvals; and sales milestone payments of up to $325.0 million, upon the achievement of certain sales milestone events. If the Company does not exercise its co-development option, it is eligible to receive development milestone payments of up to $162.5 million upon the achievement of certain development milestones and regulatory approvals; and sales milestone payments of up to $175.0 million upon the achievement of certain sales milestone events. The Company will also be entitled to receive tiered royalties, subject to certain reductions, as percentages of annual aggregate net sales, if any, of Licensed Products. The royalty percentages would range from low double-digits to low twenties if the Company exercises its option to co-develop, and from high-single digits to low teens if the Company does not exercise its option to co-develop. The Company identified one performance obligation at the inception of the Takeda Development and License Agreement, the research and development services for the CD38 ETBs, including manufacturing. The Company determined that research, development and commercialization license and the participation in the committee meetings are not distinct from the research and development services and therefore those promised services were combined into one combined performance obligation. The total transaction price of $29.3 million, consisting of the (1) $30.0 million upfront payment, (2) a $10.0 million development milestone payment that is deemed probable of being achieved, (3) minus $10.7 million in expected co-share payment payable to Takeda during Early Stage Development. The expected co-share payment is considered variable consideration, and the Company applied a constraint using the expected value method. Significant judgement was involved in determining transaction consideration, including the determination of the variable consideration, including the constraint on consideration. The Company determined that the initial $10.0 million potential development milestone payment under the Development and License Agreement is probable of being achieved. Therefore, this payment was included in the transaction consideration. As of September 30, 2018, the other potential development milestones and sales milestones are not currently deemed probable of being achieved, as they are dependent on factors outside the Company’s control. Therefore, these future development milestones and sales-based milestone payments have been fully constrained and are not included in the transaction price as of September 30, 2018. The Company recognizes revenue using a cost-based input measure. In applying the cost-based input method of revenue recognition, the Company used actual costs incurred relative to budgeted costs expected to be incurred for the combined performance obligation. These costs consist primarily of internal employee efforts and third-party contract costs. Revenue is recognized based on actual costs incurred as a percentage of total budgeted costs as the Company completes its performance obligation over the estimated service period. The Company recognized revenue of $253,000 during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, respectively, related to the Takeda Development and License Agreement. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded no research and development revenue under the Development Agreement, since the agreement was not in place. As of September 30, 2018, deferred revenue related to the performance obligation was $28.8 million. As of September 30, 2018, $30.0 million was due from Takeda under the Development and License Agreement, that the Company received in October 2018. In June 2017, Private Molecular entered into a Multi-Target Collaboration and License Agreement with Takeda (“Takeda Multi-Target Agreement”) in which Molecular agreed to collaborate with Takeda to identify and generate ETBs, against two targets designated by Takeda. Takeda designated certain targets of interest as the focus of the research. Each party granted to the other nonexclusive rights in its intellectual property for purposes of the conduct of the research, and Private Molecular agreed to work exclusively with Takeda with respect to the designated targets. Under the Takeda Multi-Target Agreement, Takeda has an option during an option period to obtain an exclusive license under the Company’s intellectual property to develop, manufacture, commercialize and otherwise exploit ETBs against the designated targets. The option period for each target ends three months after the completion of the evaluation of such designated target. Under the Takeda Multi-Target Agreement, both parties have the right to terminate the agreement, with a specified notice period. The Company received an upfront fee of $1.0 million and an additional $2.0 million following the designation of each of the two targets in December 2017. As of September 30, 2018, the Company has received $5.0 million from Takeda pursuant to the Takeda Multi-Target Agreement. The Company may also receive an additional $25.0 million in aggregate through the exercise of the option to license ETBs. Additionally, the Company may also be entitled to receive clinical development milestone payments of up to approximately $397.0 million, for achievement of development milestones and regulatory approval of collaboration products under the Takeda Development Agreement. The Company may also be entitled to receive commercial milestone payments of up to $150.0 million, for achievement of pre-specified sales milestones related to net sales of all collaboration products under the Takeda Development Agreement. The Company is also entitled to tiered royalty payments of a mid-single to low-double digit percentage of net sales of any licensed ETBs, subject to certain reductions. Finally, the Company is entitled to receive up to $10.0 million in certain contingency fees. The Takeda Multi-Target Agreement will expire on the expiration of the option period (within three months after the completion of the evaluation of each designated target) for the designated targets if Takeda does not exercise its options, or, following exercise of the option, on the later of the expiration of patent rights claiming the licensed ETB or ten years from first commercial sale of a licensed ETB. The Takeda Multi-Target Agreement may be sooner terminated by Takeda for convenience or upon a material change of control, or by either party for an uncured material breach of the agreement. The Company evaluated the contract termination clause and concluded that it was a non-substantive termination provision. As such, an initial contract term was defined as the length of the termination notice period, with a deemed renewal option to continue the research and development services over the remainder of the contract term as a material right. The Company determined that the promised goods and services under the Takeda Multi-Target Agreement were the background IP license, the research and development services, and manufacturing during the initial contract period; and a renewal option to continue the research and development services. The Company determined that there were two performance obligations; research and development services, and the renewal options. Since the background IP and manufacturing were not distinct from the research and development services, they were deemed to be one performance obligation. Transaction consideration was allocated to each of the performance obligation using an estimate of the standalone selling price, and revenues are recognized over the period that the research and development services occur. The Company also concluded that, since the option for the exclusive license is deemed to be at fair value that the option does not provide the customer with a material right, and should be accounted for if and when the option is exercised. In connection with the execution of the Takeda Multi-Target Agreement, Takeda also entered into a stock purchase agreement with the Company (“Takeda Stock Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which Takeda purchased approximately $20.0 million of shares of the Company’s common stock following the Merger. See Note 10, “Stockholders’ Equity” for further details. Since the Takeda Stock Purchase Agreement was dependent on contingent events, the Company determined that the transaction was constrained, and not a performance obligation under the Takeda Multi-Target Agreement. The Company accounted for the stock purchase agreement in August 2017, once the constraints were removed, and recorded the $20.0 million in equity upon the settlement of the stock purchase transaction. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded $415,000 and $755,000, respectively, in research and development revenue under the Multi-Target Takeda Agreement. During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded no research and development revenue under the Multi-Target Takeda Agreement, since the agreement had not been entered into. In September 2016, Private Molecular entered into a collaboration agreement with an undisclosed pharmaceutical company (“Other Collaboration Agreement”) to generate ETBs, for evaluation for consideration of $500,000. Under the terms of the Other Collaboration Agreement, Private Molecular was responsible for providing to the customer (i) new ETBs generated using the customer’s materials and (ii) ETB study molecules for testing and evaluation. The customer also exercised an option under the Other Collaboration Agreement in November 2017, for the manufacture of additional quantities of ETB molecules, for additional consideration of $250,000, upon delivery and acceptance of the additional materials. The Company determined that at the inception of the agreement, the promised goods and services under the Other Collaboration Agreement were, the research and development services, and manufacturing. The Company determined that there was one performance obligation, since the manufacturing was not distinct from the research and development services. Revenues are recognized over the period that the research and development services occur using an input method to measure progress towards satisfaction of the performance obligation. The option for additional ETB molecules was determined to be at fair value and was accounted for once the option was exercised. All research and development services were performed as of September 30, 2018. During the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company recorded $117,000 and zero in research and development revenue under the Other Collaboration Agreement, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company recorded $196,000 and $500,000 in research and development revenue under the Other Collaboration Agreement, respectively. The Company receives funds from a state grant funding program, which is a conditional cost reimbursement grant, and revenue is recognized as allowable costs are paid. In November 2011, Private Molecular was awarded a $10.6 million product development grant from the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas (“CPRIT”) for its CD20-targeting ETB MT-3724. To date, Private Molecular has received $9.5 million in grant funds. On September 18, 2018, the Company entered into a Cancer Research Grant Contract (the “CPRIT Agreement”) with CPRIT, in connection with a grant of approximately $15.2 million awarded by CPRIT to the Company to fund research of a cancer therapy involving a CD38 targeting ETB. Pursuant to the CPRIT Agreement, the Company may also use such funds to develop a replacement CD38 targeting ETB, with or without a partner. During the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company recorded $4.7 million and zero in grant revenue under these awards, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, the Company recorded $5.4 million and $167,000 in grant revenue under these awards, respectively. Amounts collected in excess of revenue recognized are recorded as deferred revenue. In connection with and immediately following the transactions consummated pursuant to the Takeda Stock Purchase Agreement described in Note 4, “Research and Development Agreements”, Takeda became a related party. Refer to Note 4, “Research and Development Agreements” for more details about the Takeda Development and License Agreement, Takeda Collaboration Agreement, Takeda Individual Project Agreement, and the Takeda Multi-Target Agreement. Refer to Note 10, “Stockholders’ Equity”, for more detail about the Takeda Stock Purchase Agreement. Following the Private Placement described in Note 10, “Stockholders’ Equity” below, Longitude Venture Partner III, L.P. (“Longitude”) and CDK Associates, L.L.C. (“CDK”) became related parties, with Longitude and CDK beneficially owning 15.3% and 4.99% of the Company, respectively, following investments of $20.0 million and $7.0 million, respectively. The ownership of CDK is subject to a 4.99% ownership blocker, pursuant to which shares of the Company’s common stock may not be issued pursuant to the warrant held by CDK to the extent that the issuance of the common stock subject to such issuance would cause CDK to beneficially own more than 4.99% of the Company’s outstanding common stock. Scott Morenstein, a director of the Company is a Managing Director of Caxton Alternative Management LP, the investment manager of CDK. David Hirsch, a director of the Company, is a member of Longitude Capital Partners III, LLC, the general partner of Longitude. Furthermore, Kevin Lalande, a director of the Company is affiliated with Sante Health Ventures I, L.P. and Sante Heath Ventures Annex Fund, L.P., which are both stockholders of the Company and were investors in the Private Placement. Finally, Excel Venture Fund II, L.P., a stockholder of the Company beneficially owning greater than 5% of the Company, invested approximately $333,000 in the Private Placement. Following the Public Offering described in Note 10, “Stockholders’ Equity” below, BVF Partners L.P. (“BVF”) became a related party, owning 7.6% of the Company, following investments of $15.3 million. BVF is not affiliated with any director or executive officer of the Company. Longitude Venture Partners III, L.P. and CDK, current stockholders of the Company, purchased 365,000 and 545,454 shares of common stock, respectively, in the Public Offering at the public offering price. Scott Morenstein, a director of the Company is a Managing Director of Caxton Alternative Management LP, the investment manager of CDK. David Hirsch, a director of the Company, is a member of Longitude Capital Partners III, LLC, the general partner of Longitude. Level 2—Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. The Company utilizes the market approach to measure fair value for its financial assets and liabilities. The market approach uses prices and other relevant information generated by market transactions involving identical or comparable assets or liabilities. For Level 2 securities that have market prices from multiples sources, a “consensus price” or a weighted average price for each of these securities can be derived from a distribution-curve-based algorithm which includes market prices obtained from a variety of industrial standard data providers (e.g. Bloomberg), security master files from large financial institutions, and other third-party sources. Level 2 securities with short maturities and infrequent secondary market trades are typically priced using mathematical calculations adjusted for observable inputs when available. There were no realized gains or losses in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. The Company determined the fair value of the liability associated with its 2017 Warrants to purchase in aggregate 377,273 shares of outstanding common stock using a Black-Scholes Model. See detailed discussion in Note 10, “Stockholders’ Equity”. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 the fair value of the long-term debt, payable in installments through years ended 2022 and 2019, respectively, approximated its carrying value of $3.2 million and $3.5 million, respectively, because it is carried at a market observable interest rate, which are considered Level 2. In April 2014, the Company entered into a loan and security agreement (the “Loan Agreement”) with Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) that was subsequently amended, to provide for (1) growth capital advances to the Company of up to $6.0 million over three tranches based on corporate milestones; (2) term loans of up to $6.0 million in the aggregate (the “Growth Capital Loan”); (3) warrants to purchase 48,874 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.07 per share; and (4) a final fee of $375,000 due at the loan maturity date in addition to the principal and interest payments. The Company drew down $0.8 million and $2.3 million in May and June 2015, respectively, and issued warrants to purchase 14,254 and 17,310 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.07 per share. The Company drew down $3.0 million in April 2016 and issued warrants to purchase 17,310 shares of the Company’s common stock at an exercise price of $3.07 per share. The warrants issued in the Loan Agreement became exercisable upon issuance and were converted into common stock upon the closing of the Merger. As of December 31, 2017, the Company had received $6.0 million in the aggregate from the Growth Capital Loan. The Company was required to repay the outstanding principal in 30 equal installments beginning November 1, 2016 and was due in full on April 30, 2019. Interest accrued at a rate of 1.19% above prime, or 5.44% per annum, as of December 31, 2017. Interest only payments were made monthly and beginning November 1, 2016, the Company paid the first of 30 consecutive equal monthly payments of principal plus interest. The Company paid down the Growth Capital Loan on February 27, 2018, from the proceeds of the Perceptive Credit Facility, discussed below. Until the termination of the Growth Capital Loan on February 27, 2018, the Company paid $3.2 million in principal, $375,000 in a final fee, and $42,000 in interest during the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and $1.8 million in principal and $187,000 in interest in the nine months ended September 30, 2017. As of September 30, 2018 the Growth Capital Loan had been repaid, and the balance was zero. As of December 31, 2017, the Growth Capital Loan principal balance was 3.5 million. On February 27, 2018, the Company entered into a term loan facility with Perceptive Credit Holdings II, LP (“Perceptive”) in the amount of $10.0 million (the “Perceptive Credit Facility”). The Perceptive Credit Facility consists of a $5.0 million term loan, which was drawn on the effective date of the Perceptive Credit Facility, and an additional $5.0 million term loan to be drawn six months following the effective date of the Perceptive Credit Facility (as discussed above). The Company used a portion of the proceeds from the Perceptive Credit Facility to pay off the existing debt facility with SVB. Borrowings under the Perceptive Credit Facility are secured by all of the property and assets of the Company. The principal on the facility accrues interest at an annual rate equal to a three-month LIBOR plus the Applicable Margin. The Applicable Margin is 11.00%. Upon the occurrence, and during the continuance, of an event of default, the Applicable Margin, defined above, will be increased by 4.00% per annum. The interest rate at September 30, 2018 was 13.3%. Payments for the first 24 months are interest only and are paid quarterly. After the second anniversary of the closing date of the Perceptive Credit Facility, principal payments of $200,000 are due each calendar quarter, with a final payment of $3.4 million due on February 27, 2022. This term loan facility matures on February 27, 2022 and includes both financial and non-financial covenants, including a minimum cash balance requirement. The Company is required to pay an exit fee of $100,000 on a pro rata basis on the maturity date or the earlier date of repayment of the term loans in full. The exit fee is being accreted to interest expense over the term of the Perceptive Credit Facility using the effective interest method. For the three months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded $170,000 of interest expense and $65,000 of amortization of debt discount related to the Perceptive Credit Facility. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the Company recorded $398,000 of interest expense and $146,000 of amortization of debt discount related to the Perceptive Credit Facility. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company did not incur any interest expense related to the Perceptive Credit Facility, since the facility was not in place at that time. As of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 the Perceptive Credit Facility principal balance was $5.0 million and zero, respectively. As of September 30, 2018, the Company was in compliance with the non-financial covenants of the Perceptive Credit Facility. The Company is obligated under operating lease agreements covering the Company’s office facilities in Austin, Texas and Jersey City, New Jersey. Facilities expense under the operating leases was approximately $378,000 and $182,000 for the three months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively, and $1.0 million and $387,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, respectively. In the ordinary course of business, the Company may provide indemnifications of varying scope and terms to vendors, lessors, business partners and other parties with respect to certain matters, including, but not limited to, losses arising out of the Company’s breach of such agreements, services to be provided by or on behalf of the Company, or from intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties. In addition, the Company has entered into indemnification agreements with its directors and certain of its officers and employees that will require the Company, among other things, to indemnify them against certain liabilities that may arise by reason of their status or service as directors, officers or employees. The Company maintains director and officer insurance, which may cover certain liabilities arising from its obligation to indemnify its directors and certain of its officers and employees, and former officers and directors in certain circumstances. The Company maintains product liability insurance and comprehensive general liability insurance, which may cover certain liabilities arising from its indemnification obligations. It is not possible to determine the maximum potential amount of exposure under these indemnification obligations due to the limited history of prior indemnification claims and the unique facts and circumstances involved in each particular indemnification obligation. Such indemnification obligations may not be subject to maximum loss clauses. Management is not currently aware of any matters that could have a material adverse effect on the financial position, results of operations or cash flows of the Company. On August 1, 2017, the Company entered into the a securities purchase agreement with Longitude Venture Partners III, L.P. and certain other accredited investors (the “Longitude Securities Purchase Agreement”), pursuant to which the Company sold an aggregate of 5,793,063 units (the “Units”) accredited investors having an aggregate purchase price of $40.0 million, each such Unit consisting of (i) one (1) share (the “Shares”) of the Company’s common stock and (ii) a warrant (the “Private Placement Warrants”) to purchase 0.5 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Private Placement”). The Private Placement was pursuant to equity commitment letter agreements entered into by and between the Company and investors in March and June 2017. The purchase price per Unit was $6.9048. The Warrants are exercisable for a period of seven years from the date of their issuance at a per-share exercise price of $6.8423 (which exercise price shall be payable in cash or through a cashless exercise mechanic), subject to certain adjustments as specified in the Warrants. At September 30, 2018, there were warrants outstanding under the Longitude Securities Purchase Agreement to purchase 2,896,532 shares of common stock. At the time of issuance and as of September 30, 2018, the warrants met the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, “Derivatives and Hedging” (ASC 815), and the value of these warrants is included in additional paid-in capital on the balance sheet. The Private Placement Warrants are exercisable upon issuance and expire August 1, 2024. The Company will continue to evaluate equity classification on a quarterly basis. In December 2015, the Company entered into an agreement (the “Wedbush Agreement”) with Wedbush Securities Inc. (“Wedbush”), which was subsequently amended in December of 2017, related to Wedbush’s services associated with the equity financing under the Longitude Securities Purchase Agreement. As part of the Wedbush Agreement, the Company issued to Wedbush warrants to purchase 57,930 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “Wedbush Warrants”). The Wedbush Warrants are exercisable for a period of seven years from the date of their issuance at a per-share exercise price of $6.8423 (which exercise price shall be payable in cash or through a cashless exercise mechanic), subject to certain adjustments as specified in the Wedbush Warrants. At September 30, 2018, there were warrants outstanding under the Wedbush Agreement to purchase 57,930 shares of common stock. The warrants met the requirements for equity classification under ASC 815, and the value of these warrants is included in additional paid-in capital on the balance sheet. The Wedbush Warrants are exercisable upon issuance and expire December 1, 2024. The Company will continue to evaluate equity classification on a quarterly basis. In connection with the execution of the Takeda Multi-Target Agreement, Threshold and Private Molecular entered into the Takeda Stock Purchase Agreement. Pursuant to the Takeda Stock Purchase Agreement, following the consummation of the Merger and the Private Placement, Takeda purchased 2,922,993 shares of the Company’s common stock, at a price per share of $6.84, for an aggregate purchase price of $20.0 million. On September 25, 2018, the Company closed its underwritten public offering (the “Public Offering”) of 9,430,000 shares of its common stock, which included the exercise in full by the underwriters of their option to purchase 1,230,000 additional shares of common stock, at a price to the public of $5.50 per share. The net proceeds to the Company from the offering, after deducting the underwriting discounts and commissions and offering expenses payable by the Company, were approximately $48.1 million.

2019-04-24T00:59:08Z

http://ir.mtem.com/node/11196/xbrl-viewer

Viewing 1 current event matching “conference” by Date. The O'Reilly Open Source Software Conference (OSCON) delivers a unique opportunity to dive deep into the technologies behind emerging and innovative open source projects as well as to learn about all the trends shaping software development today—from AI and cloud technology to blockchain and distributed computing. Connect with the open source community in Portland this summer. Meet industry experts and exchange insights with peers at networking events, lunch discussions and more. Check out the program and save 20% on your pass with code CAL20. Viewing 114 past events matching “conference” by Date. Open Source Bridge will be a completely volunteer-run, community effort to connect developers working with open source. We're kicking things off with a town hall discussion and planning meeting on October 30th, 7:30pm at CubeSpace (located at 622 SE Grand Avenue in Portland). We'll talk about overall goals for the conference, then break into small working groups to start tackling the event planning needs. If you can, bring an audio or video recorder to help document the discussion. Please let us know if you can attend. If October 30 doesn't work for you, let us know as we are considering a second meeting during the day on the west-side. We'd very much like to have your participation in making this conference a fun, educational experience. Open Source Bridge will be a completely volunteer-run, community effort to connect developers working with open source. We're having a second town hall discussion and planning meeting on November 6th at OTBC's new location in The Round (next to the Beaverton Transit Center). We'll talk about overall goals for the conference, then break into small working groups to start tackling the event planning needs. If you can, bring an audio or video recorder to help document the discussion. osbridge-announce, low traffic announcement list for events like this one! osbridge-discuss, possibly high traffic list for discussing anything related to the conference! The Software Association of Oregon (SAO) Corvallis Chapter, Corvallis-Benton Chamber Coalition and Oregon State University are proud to announce the 6th Annual High Tech After Hours! High Tech After Hours is the biggest high-tech event in the Willamette Valley and will be held on November 13th from 1:00pm until 8:00pm at the CH2M HILL Alumni Center located on the OSU campus across from Reser Stadium. High Tech After Hours builds valuable relationships between local businesses, high-tech entrepreneurs, educators, investors, students and local officials. For the first time this year OSU’s College of Business and College of Engineering will be co-hosting this event, making this the powerhouse showcase of collaboration between industry, education, and commerce in the Willamette Valley. Keynote speaker, Peter Adkison, a leader in the gaming industry and current CEO of Hidden City Games. Peter is an entertaining speaker and as a pivotal player in the high-tech industry, presents a unique perspective on the economic opportunities of the Pacific Northwest. A panel-style, round-robin discussion of area examples of collaboration and innovation with leaders Ron Adams, Dean of the College of Engineering, Ilene Kleinsorge, Dean of the College of Business, Brian Weldon, Chapter President of SAO and Mysty Rusk, President of the Corvallis-Benton Chamber Coalition. "Ignite Corvallis!" the rapid-fire, fun and novel presentation opportunity for 20 area businesses to highlight what’s going on in their world and offer insight into new and interesting developments that could impact area businesses - including yours! Vendor Exhibition Hall - Last year, over fifty different area technology companies took the opportunity to show their stuff at HTAH and we expect this year to be even bigger. We are actively seeking High Tech and Traded Sector companies who are interested in participating in the event. Be on display with 50 High-Tech businesses and find out about the newest technologies being developed and showcase what your company is creating. Help us tell your story better! Feb 10, 2009 Agile Open Northwest Conference 2009 "Agile for Real" Agile Open Northwest, an alliance of agile practitioners in the US Pacific Northwest region, invite you to our 3rd annual conference Agile Open Northwest 2009 "Agile for Real". The Northwest has a wealth of practitioners with years of real-world experience with agile methods and self-organizing teams. Agile Open Northwest offers an opportunity to strengthen our community of practice and co-create the future for agile development in our region. Your hosts designed this event to allow practitioners like you to meet in self-organizing groups where we can share our latest ideas, challenges, hopes, experiences and experiments. CanSecWest is a yearly computer security conference in Vancouver which focuses on new and applied research. It is perhaps most famous for the "pwn2own" competition which pits various vendor's software against each other with cash prizes for the first to be exploited. Announcing Agile Open Northwest 2010! This Agile Open Space event will be held February 9th and 10th, 2010, in the Seattle Center Northwest Rooms. Please see http://www.agileopennorthwest.org for registration information and further details. We invite you to our fourth annual Agile Open Northwest conference. Alternating each year between Portland and Seattle, AONW conferences bring together practicing members of the Northwest Agile communities to explore the latest developments in agile software development. We held our third annual event last year in Portland and enjoyed another great success. Registration is $125.00 for both days, including light breakfast and lunch. This low-cost regional conference is a great opportunity to connect with the local agile community, experts and novices alike. Please join us this year as we host 125 experienced, collaborative, committed agile practitioners from the Northwest U.S. (and beyond) in tackling the issues around our recurring theme "Agile for Real." As in past years, attendance is limited to a predetermined number in order retain the many advantages a small conference has to offer. More information can be found at http://www.agileopennorthwest.org. Registration is open now. We look forward to seeing you there. Early registration ends for DFRWS 2010 digital forensics conference. Register before this date to save $75. The conference itself runs August 2-4. The annual DFRWS conference allows leading digital forensics researchers from government, industry, and academia to present their work and results to fellow researchers and practitioners. Many of the most cited digital forensics papers have been presented at DFRWS and the annual challenge has spawned research in important areas. Initial results and tool prototypes are also presented during the Works in Progress and demo sessions. The conference typically has about 100 people and is therefore small enough so that attendees meet each other and can interact with the speakers. A tradition of DFRWS as been its casual and interactive atmosphere where break out sessions exist to discuss topics related to the presentations. There are also opportunities to interact during the welcome reception and banquet. After the banquet, attendees can put their forensics skills to the test when they form teams to participate in the annual Forensics Rodeo, which is a challenge that requires participants to analyze data and answer questions. Who should attend this camp? This camp is for nonprofit/ngo leaders, designers, developers, advocacy groups, fundraising professionals, communications specialists, and entrepreneurs. ...and anyone else who wants to contribute, brainstorm and discover ideas for creating social change through the use of technology. Event Details When: Friday, June 25th, 9:30am - 3:00pm Where: DreamBOX @ the Jupiter Hotel, 800 East Burnside Street, Portland, OR Cost: Free!!! Stay Tuned for More Details... Details will be posted on PDX Net2 Camp wiki at http://pdxnet2camp.pbworks.com/. The general pattern for a large conference runs something like this: you fly to a city, go to the event, have a great time, meet lots of great people, and fly home. More often than not, you don't see those people again until the next big conference, and that's a problem. We wanted our event to be different, so it's intentionally local. Speakers and attendees are overwhelmingly local to the conference, so when you meet someone doing something cool, you can connect with them a week later for lunch without a problem. Sure, there are events that draw a wide range of developers (e.g., OSCON), but even then people tend to segregate; the Pythonists go to their sessions, the Rubyists to theirs, and the PHP devs to theirs. By having only one track, we give everyone the opportunity to see what's happening in other communities. If the first years of OSCON were about opening the minds of big business to the philosophy of open source, are the years ahead about opening the minds of the open source community to the possibilities of its future? As open source becomes fully integrated into the corporate environment, OSCON helps to define, maintain, and extend the identity of what it means to be open source. OSCON focuses on the substance of technology, not the shadow, filtering the information that most merits attention and preparing participants for curves and challenges in the coming year and beyond. OSCON is the place to be inspired and challenged, renew bonds to community, make new connections, and find ways to give back to the open source movement. OSCON has also become one of the most important places to make open source related announcements, and to unveil projects and products. Open source is a fundamental principle at the core of many established and emerging technologies, driving the future of the computer industry. OSCON explores the open source technologies that are here to stay, what will broaden the foundation, and what will lead the way to unexpected places and innovations. Each year, between 600 and 800 design practitioners, educators, students, business leaders and vendors working with designers from all over the world gather for IDSA's International Conference and Education Symposium. These events combine provocative speakers with practical information and solutions, as well as plenty of time for building personal and professional connections. Join hundreds of your online marketing peers for the Fifth Annual SearchFest Internet Marketing Conference in Portland on February 23, 2011. Industry experts and thought leaders from around the country will deliver in-depth presentations on topics including Advanced Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Marketing, Universal Search, Analytics, Paid Search Marketing and many more. The League of Professional System Administrators and the Seattle Area System Administrators Guild invite you to the Cascadia IT Conference - a regional workshop for Systems, Networks, Database, and Web Administrators and others who provide professional IT support/services. This is your opportunity to network with your regional peers, to learn from leaders in the field in our training sessions, and to present and hear about new ideas and developments. Friday, March 11th will feature 4 tracks of half- and full-day training sessions with an evening reception for all conference attendees. Saturday, March 12th will feature tutorials, two tracks of technical sessions, and an unconference track. Both days will be held at the Hotel Deca in Seattle’s University District. The hotel is an easy 30 minute bus ride from downtown Seattle. It has ample parking and easy-to-get-to restaurants and bars for post-conference networking. The Willamette Valley boasts a high number of businesses that highlight the rugged individuality, forward thinking, technology and entrepreneurship that are part of Oregon's proud heritage. Attendees will include members of organized angel groups, individual angels, prospective angels, and early-stage investment firms as well as entrepreneurial ventures and start ups interested in obtaining angel funding. This is the Nineteenth annual conference hosted by the Columbia Region of the American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), the Oregon-Southwest Washington Chapter of the Urban and Regional Information Systems Association (URISA) and Portland State University (PSU). Each year, ASPRS and URISA collaborate to hold this informational conference on current issues in the Geospatial Information Community. The Portland State University Geology Department will join us again this year to host the conference at the PSU campus. Last year’s conference at PSU was a great success. Join us again this year for what will be another successful opportunity to meet colleagues in the geospatial industries and organizations, to learn about emerging topics and recent advances in GIS applications and to discuss our problems and solutions together. This event features a one-fee, two day format, packed with information presented in concurrently running workshops and sessions on both days. There will be three tracks each day consisting of panel discussions debating hot topics, traditional sessions with 2-3 presentations per session and technical workshops providing in-depth discussion of issues and training in applications most relevant to the geospatial community. The conference opens at 8:30AM on Tuesday with an opening address by Jim Geringer, former Governor of Wyoming and will be followed by concurrent sessions and workshops . The Annual Vendor Social will be held Tuesday evening from 5:00PM to 7:00PM. The conference will continue on Wednesday beginning at 8:30AM with concurrent sessions and workshops followed by a closing session. Conference Highlights: The Exhibit Hall will open on Tuesday at 8:00AM and remain open until Wednesday at 2:00PM. The hall will feature as many as 20 vendors in GIS related technology and services. This is an opportunity to see and discuss the latest advances in the industry. The Vendor Social will be held on Tuesday evening from 5:00PM to 7:00PM in the Exhibit Hall. Join your peers in a more relaxed atmosphere with music, food and beverages. You will also find two free drink tickets in your registration packet. Regular: $225.00 Student or Unemployed: $45.00 One Day: $125 Half-Price registration discount for presenters (discount applicable to primary presenter only). Attend the Open Gov West conference in PDX, Fri/Sat May 13-14. Two days to bring a region together, exploring opportunities to open government, increase civic engagement, and coordinate projects across governments. Now is the time to move from old models and technology to finding innovative, cost efficient, and transparent methods for accomplishing government’s core missions. Open Gov West (OGW) exposes attendees to new ideas, technologies, practices, and partnerships. The conference’s goal is to help your organization build relationships and gain insights which help you build a more transparent, engaged government. See http://ogw.ticketleap.com/open-gov-west-2011 for registration info. CONFERENCE Open Gov West 2011 is a two-day nonprofit conference being held at the Jupiter Hotel in Portland May 13-14, 2011. OGW '11 is designed to bring the Northwest region together to explore opportunities to open government, increase civic engagement, and coordinate projects across governments. Now is the time to move from old models and technology to finding innovative, cost efficient, and transparent methods for accomplishing government’s core missions.The conference exposes attendees to new ideas, technologies, practices, and partnerships. The conference’s goal is to help your organization build relationships and gain insights which help you build a more transparent, engaged government. APPS CONTEST The conference also includes an app development contest on Day Two, May 14. Developers entering the Open Gov West Cross-Gov Apps Contest have the opportunity to transform government data into useful information accessible to the masses—and to win prizes like iPads, marketing assistance, and technology prize packs. Governments from across the Pacific Northwest will send representatives from their own data.gov sites to offer developers advice and support, making this a unique opportunity for developers to interact directly with government data providers while building the applications. For more information, please visit opengovwest.org. To register, please visit opengovwest.eventbrite.com. Back for 2011, USENIX is combining established conferences and new workshops into one week chock full of research, training, and information. The USENIX Federated Conferences Week offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into a variety of "hot" topics, while the joint lunches, breaks, and evening events provide unparalleled networking possibilities. USENIX is again making it easy to customize your program to meet your needs. Your daily registration gets you into all the events happening that day. Plus, registration packages offer expanded discounts: the more days you attend, the more you save! Join us in Portland, OR, June 15–16, 2011, for the 2nd USENIX Conference on Web Application Development. WebApps '11 is designed to bring together experts in all aspects of developing and deploying Web applications. Like the inaugural WebApps '10, WebApps '11 seeks to attract cutting-edge research that advances the state of the art, not only on novel Web applications but also on infrastructure, tools, and techniques that support the development, analysis/testing, operation, or deployment of those applications. Interested in participating? Check out the Call for Papers for more information. WebApps '11 will be part of USENIX Federated Conferences Week, which will take place June 12–17, 2010. Hosted by Tantek Çelik, Aaron Parecki and Amber Case. A big open source conference. PuppetConf is an Operations conference in PDX! Topics include Cloud and Devops tracks as well as 2 tracks dedicated to Puppet. Local participants can save 30% on registration by using the discount code "calagator" during registration. More info to be posted and website to be updated for 2011. The Pacific Northwest Drupal Summit is an annual event for Drupal professionals to gather, exchange ideas, learn from one another, and advance the Drupal CMS. The Pacific Northwest Drupal Summit was first held in Seattle WA in October 2009 and in Vancouver BC in October 2010. The first Summit was organized by volunteers from the Seattle Drupal User Group, and the second Summit was organized by volunteers from the Surrey and Vancouver Drupal User Groups. In January 2011 after gathering a rockstar crew of organizing volunteers from the PDX Drupal User Group, Portland OR formally announced that it will host the 2011 PNWDS. For questions, please contact PDX organizers sarah_p or skjalf. For sponsorship-related inquiries, please contact Brian Jamison. SPLASH stands for Systems, Programming, Languages and Applications: Software for Humanity. SPLASH is an annual conference that embraces all aspects of software construction and delivery, and that joins all factions of programming technologies. Since 2010 SPLASH is the umbrella for OOPSLA and Onward!. This year, SPLASH comes to Portland! The program includes talks by Turing Award winner Ivan Sutherland, Mozilla's Brendan Eich, fun events like the Hackathon, Guy Steele geeking out on square dancing calls, and much, much more! Portland area developers groups: contact [email protected] for instructions on how your members can register with the same discount as ACM members. WebVisions (http://www.webvisionsevent.com/portland/) explores the future of Web and mobile design, technology, user experience and business strategy. Speakers include Jeff White of ILM, Nathan Shedroff (author of Make it So), Crystal Beasley of Mozilla, Ross Mayfield of Slideshare, Anant Anthale of American Express, Thea Boodhoo of AKQA and others. Register by March 30th for the Early Bird rates. A large annual open source conference. First and foremost, we wanted to showcase Portland and folks that champion Portlandy ideals. I’m lucky that, for the most part, I get to sit back and watch all of the amazing stuff that happens in Portland. And I consistently revel in the awesomeness that people here are building. With PDX, we wanted to showcase that almost frenetic variety of creativity in our town. But we also wanted to bring in folks who subscribed to common ideals. That’s why, in addition to some amazing Portland people, you’ll find folks like Tumblr and Flipboard on the docket. Second, we wanted this to be a true creative festival atmosphere. One of things we wanted most was to make this a festival of creativity, with some of that being creative applications of technology and some of that being the creative spirit of the music industry. That’s why MFNW and PDX are inextricably linked. And it’s also why we’ve got speakers with a foot in music and a foot in tech, like Spotify, Shazam, CASH Music, and Tender Loving Empire. Third, we wanted to create something intimate, inspiring, and invigorating. Many of us remember the serendipitous experiences of conferences like SXSW and Big Omaha. We wanted to capture that same kind of experience, bring interesting speakers, and get interesting folks in town for the event. Our goal is to have you sitting next to someone you never imagined having the opportunity to meet. Or getting the chance to chat with an amazing panelist at one of the concerts. Or simply running into someone on the street at the food carts. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll get to spend a little more time chatting with awesome Portland people whom you never get to see. Last but not least, we wanted PDX to provide a good excuse for people to visit Portland. Especially for those folks who are actively considering Portland for the next phase of their business or career. You see, sometimes we forget how lucky we are to live where we do. And to work here. But rest assured, there are any number of people and companies outside looking in. And this is a great opportunity to showcase what we’ve got here. PNSQC is the best software quality conference in the west from the standpoint of take-home, usable learning, state-of-the-art and practice discussions, and high quality interactions and networking in the broad field of software quality. If your company needs a real shot in the arm – ideas that work in today’s complex computing environment – then you’ll want to attend PNSQC. Matt Heusser (Excelon) will explore A Brief History of the Quality Movement and what Software Should Do About It. Dale Emery will discuss Testing Quality In. The invited speakers will be Suzanne Miller (SEI), Ben Simo (Quality Frog), Linda Rising, and Peter Walen. There will also be 8 in-depth workshops, including a two-day Certified ScrumMaster Training with Solutions IQ. The complete two-day technical program is now available with talks across the software industry – from Mobile and Cloud to UX and Design, with Testing, Automation, Process Improvement and more. An Information Security conference by the community for the community. It's free to attend and we rely on sponsorship to pay for the venue and other costs. Come mingle with local people interested in cutting edge information security topics to share and learn. Calling all educators who want to improve their instructional practice with the effective integration of technology! We preach having students be active learners, so let's practice it here with a schedule that promotes active learning, reflection and collaboration. integratED offers a variety of experiences and opportunities: unconference, collaborate with vendor experts, reflect with peers, a two 2-hour sessions, two 3-hour workshops, and two keynotes. This is a BYOD conference and our sessions require facilitator device integration, so don’t miss out. The Oregon Chapter of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HiMSS) today announced the agenda and speaker line up for their latest event entitled “Spring Forward: Understanding Big Data, Interoperability, Analytics, and Patient Engagement,” which will take place on Monday, April 22nd from 10:00am—7:00pm at the Salem Conference Center. The conference theme this year will focus on the challenges associated with the continued delivery of quality health care in the face of increasing demands placed upon providers. Note: This program is also approved for up to 5.2 continuing education (CE) hours for use in fulfilling the continuing education requirements of the Certified Professional in Healthcare Information & Management Systems (CPHIMS) and the Certified Associate in Healthcare Information & Management Systems (CAHIMS). The Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference wants you to speak at our conference! We want hear from you about what you're working on. We're accepting abstracts now for speakers for October's conference, and want to work with you to speed up the application process. Come get your questions answered and have some food on us. DrupalCon Portland is the official conference of the Drupal community. DrupalCon is a biannual event presented to an ever expanding international audience since Drupal became an open source project in 2001. It's produced by the Drupal Association and a fabulous group of volunteers from across the globe. The Oregon Convention Center will accommodate the largest gathering of Drupal developers than ever before. The jQuery Conference in Portland 2013 will be jQuery's largest event to date. It's a great opportunity to meet and get to know over 1000 of the world's top jQuery talent. The Pacific Northwest Software Quality Conference is hosting a gathering for authors, poster presenters, reviewers, conference attendees, and organizers. You can get tips on writing drafts, get any questions answered, meet the software quality community, and converse with other presenters. Food and non-alcoholic drinks will be provided for the group. GROW is a conference about the future of innovation, growth and entrepreneurship. GROW is a curated environment that brings together technology pioneers, founders, executives, influencers and investors who are passionate about identifying problems worth solving, sharing ideas, building relationships and executing on lessons learned. “Geeks on Rails” is the best way to meet your new BFFs who are going to GROW. There’s wifi, drinks, food, and 150+ geeks including founders, investors, bloggers, developers, designers, and more. Many of the GROW speakers are also on-board! Conference tickets and Geeks on Rails tickets are available now! MUST have VALID PASSPORT! We're going to a foreign country. This is a one way ticket. You're responsible for getting yourself home. All tickets are strictly non-refundable and non-transferable due to Amtrak policy. You are responsible for your own transportation to your Vancouver lodging. TechFestNW (formerly known as PDXconf) is designed to celebrate interesting people who are passionate about technology. Who are building a better world. And who value craft over commodity. The event takes place in conjunction with MusicFestNW, one of the largest independent music festivals in the US. Last year, MFNW attracted acts from up-and-coming artists to bands like Passion Pit, Dinosaur Jr, Silversun Pickups, and Girl Talk. While the inaugural tech event featured speakers from Flipboard, Betaworks, Walmart Labs, GigaOM, Shazam, and Spotify---as well as local favorites like Draplin Design Co, LAIKA, Chirpify, Simple, and Nike. TFNW will take place September 6-8, 2013, with speakers the 6th and 7th and a hackathon on the 8th. Tech takes place during the day. And music takes place during the night. Creating a true festival atmosphere. It's not too late to register or volunteer for PNSQC, the Northwest's premier software quality conference. Attend the conference, watch the keynotes, talk to paper and poster presenters, come to the official party. Jan 10, 2014 MapCamp Portland Hackathon! Announcing MapCamp! A 2-day event for mapping enthusiasts in Portland, Oregon. What is it? A two-day series of presentations and a hackathon at ISITE Design that rewards teams and individuals that make the best use of Portland city data. We'll be providing food, drink, entertainment and some other surprises. Have a dataset, tool or app to demo? Let us know and we'll include you in Saturday morning's lightning talk lineup! Why is this going to be awesome? Build a bridge to becoming an author and speaker, study and develop ideas in quality engineering, meet other like-minded volunteers. Please join us for a brainstorming session. Your software is peer-produced. Why not your conference? Open Source Bridge is pioneered and planned by a team of open source developers and technologists. Join them! You get free admission to the conference, we get 8 hours of your time (it doesn't have to be all at once). This full day conference offers insights and strategies for Healthcare Systems, Payers, Government Health and Students to adapt to the rapidly changing landscape of Healthcare Information Technology. From distinguished keynote presentations from key industry leaders, to breakout sessions covering a range of topics ranging from Best Practices, Standards, Industry Trends and Solutions, and Networking Opportunities, this will be an educational conference like no other! Please join us and reserve your seat to be a part of this event today! The Devsigner 2015 Conference provides a time and place for designers and coders to gather, exchange ideas, learn from one another, broaden skill-sets, and interact with the local design community. Sessions will range from non-tech subjects (e.g. architecture) to highly technical implementation. We expect a full house of talented, top-notch professionals and are excited to be one of the first events held in the newly renovated Arlene and Harold Schnitzer Center for Art and Design in Old Town Portland. Join your friends in the Cascadia Python community for two days of learning and connection. Meet new people and learn about the interesting Pythonic work being done around here. Make the Pacific Northwest an even better place to be a Python programmer. Keynotes, fantastic speakers, and price of ticket includes a BoF dinner on Saturday. Tickets available through the PyDX website! And can be bought at the door. Check out the schedule too. PNSQC has a strong Pacific Northwest region attendance profile with a substantial proportion of national and international presenters and invited speakers. The conference attracts a diverse audience and is considered a “must attend” event for software product managers, quality professionals, Agilists, managers, contractors, consultants, customers, developer-testers, tester-developers, and maintenance engineers. PNSQC Mission: Enable knowledge exchange to produce higher quality software. Build the web of tomorrow, today. At View Source you’ll be inspired by what’s to come. Join us and learn to build a web that’s more powerful, accessible, and secure using modern techniques that work today and will thrive tomorrow. We learn best from each other, so View Source will provide plenty of time and space for interaction and conversation. In addition to awesome talks, there will be an ongoing hacking space, demos, and group discussions, as well as fun evening activities. Our next Ignite in PDX will be at View Source Conference November 2nd 2015. Come hear what speakers are passionate about – cool ideas, hacks, lessons, and “war stories.” Tickets are available for both the conference (which includes Ignite) or just Ignite event. Reception to follow afterwards. Time Management by Thomas Limoncelli author of "The Practice of Cloud System Administration", " Time Management for System Administrators", and "The Practice of System and Network Administration". Deep Packet Inspection with Wireshark by Mike Pennacchi who has been ranked as a top instructor at Interop many times since 1997. Myth Busting the Network Layer by Stuart Kendrick who is an expert in hands on classes where attendees do not want to leave for breaks. Automation Tools Bootcamp by Tyler Fitch who is a member of Chef's Customer Engineering Team. Check out http://casitconf.org/casitconf16/schedule/ for a full schedule of classes and talks by industry leaders and writers. The deadline for early bird discounts is Feb 28th so sign up today at http://casitconf.org/casitconf16/register-now/ for some of the best IT training and professional development in the Pacific Northwest. PyCon is the largest annual gathering for the community using and developing the open-source Python programming language. PyCon is organized by the Python community for the community. We try to keep registration far cheaper than most comparable technology conferences, to make PyCon accessible to the widest group possible. PyCon is a diverse conference dedicated to providing an enjoyable experience to everyone. Our code of conduct is intended to help everyone maintain the PyCon spirit. We thank all attendees and staff for observing it. The Devsigner 2016 Conference provides a time and place for designers and coders to gather, exchange ideas, learn from one another, broaden skill-sets, and interact with the local design community. Sessions will range from non-tech subjects (e.g. architecture) to highly technical implementation. This year will feature fewer sessions and more time to mingle, including a mixer Saturday evening. The Portland Creative Conference is an exploration and celebration of the creative process across various creative industries. Bring your team or just bring yourself–either way you won’t leave the same as you arrived. You’ll be inspired and motivated in new ways, viewing your world with a fresh perspective. We feature presentations from leading creatives who take you inside their creative process and talk about their projects, problems, influences and inspirations. Affect is a new 2-day event about the work and design behind social good. It's part regular conference, with speaker talks, and part volunteering sessions, in which you'll get to head to local nonprofits and help out for half a day. Choose between helping out with p:ear, the Welcome Home Coalition/#Yes4Homes campaign, or Hack Oregon! Our keynote is Adrian Allen, Co-Founder and Director of the Advanced Manufacturing Research Center in England, which provided the basis for Oregon's $7.5 million Oregon Manufacturing Innovation Center to open in Scappoose in 2017. The Summit includes breakfast, lunch, keynote, networking, resource packet and hands-on learning exercises. Admission is $50 by 10/3! Please note this is a manufacturers only event. Registration is required. For questions, contact Aimee Sukol at [email protected]. The tech industry in Seattle is booming with the salary of a Developer averaging $95K per year. If you’re considering pursuing a career as a Developer, now is the time! Discover how to acquire the skills needed to jump start your career. If you are interested in learning more about what it takes to become a developer, join us on Saturday, October 15th for ChickTech’s Developer Bootcamp Summit. During this event you will have the opportunity to speak one on one with a representative from some of the top developer bootcamps in Seattle to obtain information on the programs offered and admission process. You’ll also gain insight from current students, program graduates and well-established developers within the community. The event features a game library with over 1000 titles and enough space for anyone and everyone to play to their heart's content. Attendees may choose from organized events, open tabletop play, game lab design programming, LARP, tabletop RPG's, LAN games, miniatures, console games, panels and guest activities, and other fun stuff. Memberships are available in advance via the website or may be purchased at the door. There are no individual event registration fees; admission is all-inclusive. Looking to engage or recruit donors, volunteers, ambassadors, or community partners in person? Want tips on how to make things run more smoothly? Get potential advocates excited to come to your community event. Join us as Melissa Chavez (core organizer of many nonprofit events over the years, including tech conferences Open Source Bridge, PNSQC, PyDX, and Portland VegFest) shares tools, and how to plan community events. Code for Good is a new annual event based in Portland where Python programmers from all over the globe get together for a long weekend to build projects that help our communities. In 2017 the event will take place in Portland, OR, at Reed College. Participants stay in on-site dorms; hacking and socializing takes place in communal areas. Join us this year just for the fun of giving back! Attendees will split into teams and work on projects for organizations like Free Geek, Sisters of the Road Cafe, and Know Your City. Registration is $150 and scholarships are available. We provide housing, food, and evening activities. Code For Good is a registered non-profit and all sales go 100% to running the event. nginx.conf is an annual conference for technical professionals who are passionate about modern application development and delivery. This three-day conference will bring together users and customers alike for hands-on learning, direct access to NGINX experts, and thought-provoking presentations about best practices and techniques in application architecture and infrastructure, including microservices, DevOps, cloud, and containers. Affect Conf is a 2-day community conference examining the work, design, and culture of social change. To keep the emphasis on action, Affect also includes a Group Volunteering Half Day for attendees to directly help out local nonprofits. This year: join us for our second-ever event on Sept 15 and 16 to go behind the scenes of social impact projects like 5 Calls, Code for America's Clear My Record, and We Read Too and get primers on social issues like intersectional disability justice and small-scale wealth redistribution. Join us in Portland, OR, for our 4th year of inspirational sessions and educational workshops, cross-pollinating our diverse community of creatives, developers and front-end engineers. This is your opportunity to learn about effective strategies for creating engaging content on your website and across the web, designing and evaluating digital campaigns with social media and email marketing, and integrating your online efforts to maximize participation and donations. Engage Conference is a one-day digital marketing conference in Portland, Oregon, presenting multiple informative learning tracks and panel sessions. It will feature a full day of insight into the industry’s hottest topics, such as: artificial intelligence, email marketing automation and the rise of digital marketing in the craft beer and marijuana industry. Keynotes will be presented by Purna Virji from Microsoft and Ian Lurie from Clearlink. Affect ("effect") is a 2-day conference featuring stories from multiply marginalized activists, creators, and technologists working towards systemic change. To pair words with action, we also partner with local nonprofits to create projects that attendees can dive into. PREX is the leading conference for in-house legal professionals, convening thought leaders from both sides of the bench to explore big ideas and gain actionable insights that advance the art of ediscovery. Join us for a powerhouse of sessions curated especially for in-house ediscovery leaders, practitioners, and partners. Together, we’ll pursue the vital intersection of innovation and collaboration within the corporate legal operations ecosystem and how to navigate those changing dynamics to advance your organization and career. All new curriculum covers the vision, insights, and technology required to drive in-house ediscovery forward in order to meet the needs of today and tomorrow. From general assembly keynotes to executive roundtables to experiential technical sessions, 2018 PREX offers something for everyone. 5:30 PM TWO AFTER PARTIES We will run a shuttle bus between the locations. 7:30 PM It’s a Wrap! Speakers and schedule are subject to change without notice. Please join us at Elevate Capital’s first annual Elevate Inclusion conference, a gathering of entrepreneurs from diverse backgrounds including women, minority entrepreneurs from underserved communities, and veterans as well as venture capitalists and investors. The conference program will feature keynote presentations and panel discussions focused on inclusion, entrepreneurship, mentor capitalism, success stories and other topics. It will be a day of learning, sharing, inspiration, and new funding opportunities. Entrepreneurs will also be invited to present in front of potential investors. Providing startup funding to the next group of break-out entrepreneurs is only part of what Elevate Capital believes that venture capitalists and other investors should do. Working to ensure inclusion while providing mentorship and funding to entrepreneurs from underserved communities is a vital part of building thriving business communities. An OpenCon satellite conference, which aims to support regional efforts to make scholarship more open, inclusive, and accessible. Engage in energizing conversations on all things open–with a focus on supporting young and early career professionals in science, scholarship, research, and librarianship. We aim to foster community building, gain an understanding of current issues within the research ecosystem, and form solutions to these obstacles as a regional community. Join as at the upcoming 4th Annual Woman Led (un)Conference! This annual event brings together local business owners to create an open and ongoing dialogue, share their experiences and resources, and to expand their network of like minded people in their community. The Unconference follows an open format, where the topics discussed are driven by the participants and their interests and needs. We will begin the day with some time to meet other participants, followed by an introduction to the Unconference format and creation of the days agenda! Sara Batterby of The Batterby Group who has working in Venture Capital, has raised money as the co-founder of Hi-Fi farms, and now helps other women business owners get the funding they need. Jill Keulher of Freeland Spirits. Jill left a long career in Nonprofits to start the first woman owned and run distillery in the country. In only a couple years she has successfully raised 2 rounds of funding and has enjoyed critical acclaim. Julia Niiro of MilkRun. Julia launched MilkRun in 2017 after falling in love with small scale farming, but seeing first hand the difficulty of being a small scale producer. MilkRun was created to solve the marketing and logistics hurdles of small producers, using technology to replicate joint collection and delivery. Woman Led is a local nonprofit that brings together women entrepreneurs for peer-to-peer mentorship Mastermind Groups. We are working to expand the community of women leaders who are building profitable & sustainable businesses that will positively impact the economy. Together we are working to create a world where women have equitable access to opportunity, support & success.

2019-04-24T02:46:53Z

http://calagator.org/events/search?tag=conference

As South African engineers we are proud of our community, we have a reputation for hard work and innovation in many parts of the world, but we seem to be forgetting that our reputation is not based on what we were taught in the classroom, rather what we learnt from our betters once we leave. In recent years there has been a strong focus on increasing the number of graduates coming out of tertiary education (at my institution there has been a 5-fold increase in output in a decade). Most of us are aware that to meet this demand academia has wrestled with many challenges resulting in updated curricula. Assessments have been streamlined and the digital era has been embraced. Contemporary graduates have a range of classical skills that will be familiar to the old guard but have also accrued a range of new skills. Some institutions have even begun emphasizing the ever illusive 'soft skills'; that the public at large wants us to have. The question here is; now what? However good your formal education is, it is incomplete. Young engineers move out of the classroom and join other practicing engineers. Only here do they learn the values of our industry: honesty, integrity, responsibility, inclusivity, continuous development and professionalism. These attributes are passed down from generation to generation. The older generation either mentored the new graduates directly through EIT programs or indirectly through their interaction with new graduates. In this way we have built a culture of engineering. In a recent news article Consulting Engineers South Africa laments the immigration of senior engineers in the age bracket 35 to 55 and notes the ‘huge number’ of new graduates. As a community we are fast becoming bottom heavy and will reach the point where there are simply too few senior engineers to provide adequate mentorship, and our values may no longer be imparted on the younger segment of our community. With their sheer number, the newly graduated engineers will dominate how South African engineers are seen globally and their behaviour will reflect all our values. We can no longer rely on the passive interactions of the past (or our absentee regulator) to instil the culture of South African engineering on the new generation. If we want to maintain our standards of practice and reputation, we now need to plan how new additions to our community are socialized. Members of the voluntary associations are in the best position to engage with the youth to ensure that they gain the attributes that will keep our community strong. All it takes is a little time. This past year has shown me, in many ways, just how amazing people can be, but I have been particularly amazed by the enthusiasm, discipline and resulting activity happening at the youthful end of the SAIMechE membership pipeline. At the November 2018 Council meeting we heard about the activities of the various SAIMechE Student Chapters, and the Council was very impressed. In the three-month reporting period, the Student Chapters arranged and hosted sixteen events involving seven tertiary education institutions and eight companies. The activities included speed-mentoring, site visits, technical talks, conferences and recruitment drives. There was some social interaction as well, and one chapter arranged and hosted a sold-out dinner dance at an up-market venue, which included sponsorship from a major bank which they secured themselves. Shortly after the Council meeting I attended an industry advisory committee meeting at a tertiary institution, and rather than having to find my own way around the typically complex campus, I was pleasantly surprised to be greeted just inside the main gate by a group of SAIMechE Student Chapter committee members. I could hardly miss them in their matching branded golf shirts, each holding a clear sign for those attending the meeting. They guided me to a special parking space and then to the venue. I felt like the most important person on the campus! What a fantastic advertisement for SAIMechE from those who have only recently become members. They were so proud to be identified with SAIMechE and to play a role in hosting guests on their campus. They are also so keen to play a productive role in the profession, and are looking to their SAIMechE membership to help them achieve their goals. My overall impression of the Student Chapters is that, in the main, they have been getting on with the job by themselves. They have helped each other to form and manage the chapters. They have drafted their own guidelines and procedures to be more effective in arranging their activities. They have been careful with their expenditure and have managed their budgets effectively. The Student Chapter AGMs and meetings that I have been to have been professionally run and focused on the interests of the member. Meeting protocol is generally well understood and meeting minutes are concise and well prepared. I don’t think that anyone is teaching the Student Chapters about the finer points of professional conduct - they are figuring it out by themselves, and learning important life lessons in the process. In all cases of student activity there have been individuals who have responded to the call for service to others. A handful of students arrange all the activities and put in the hours necessary to get the job done. This is not unusual and we see this in all sorts of organisations relying on the voluntary service of members. The individuals that serve will naturally stand out from the crowd because of their commitment, dedication and effort. They may not realise it, but they are being recognised, and effort they put in now will produce some greater benefit in the future. I am very grateful to our Students Chapters for reminding me of one of the cornerstones of voluntary professional associations like SAIMechE. That professional and personal growth comes through service to others, and that offers many opportunities and platforms from which to serve. Serving means meeting other people, interacting with them and doing things collectively to serve the greater good. Serving means not feeling alone, but feeling part of a group. Thank you for reminding me of all the good reasons for being a member of SAIMechE. The most common question that I am asked about SAIMechE goes something like “What is the benefit of being a member of SAIMechE?”. Instead of a clinical corporate response, I decided to reflect on my own membership of SAIMechE, and consider how I have benefited directly from it. To be fair, I have excluded anything to do with my role as CEO, and have only considered my experiences as a member. Looking back on my professional career, I can now clearly see that it took a turn for the better from about the time I was first drafted onto the KZN Branch committee in the early 1990’s. At that time, I wasn’t thinking of my professional development, but probably didn’t have a good enough reason to dodge the invitation. I admit to often giving of my time grudgingly in those early years, and considered my service on the committee as part of an obligation to give something back to the profession, with no expectation of a benefit in return. Now I recognise the significance of that point in my career, and am able to identify the many benefits that followed. From the first committee meeting my mechanical engineering world started to expand. I immediately met a handful of professionals and started hearing more about the world of mechanical engineering. Up to that point, my only engineering contact was at work, which presented me with a very narrow and uninviting view of the profession. I had very few professional colleagues at work, and spent most of my time engaging with the engineering trades on the one side, and management on the other. By attending committee meetings and assisting with the organisation of activities, I started hearing of new industries, technologies and machines. I heard the names of people in industry and started to connect the dots in the profession. For the first time in my career I interacted with people who were focused on mechanical engineering, and it felt like home. In the early years I didn't fully realise the value of a network of professional colleagues that I was creating. Looking back, I would consider my professional network to be the most significant contributor to my development. This network has consistently presented me with knowledge, experience, advice and support, and I could not imagine a more appropriate space in which to encounter these. I have been the KZN Branch Treasurer for more years than I can remember, and this office has helped me to become a very competent bookkeeper and Pastel operator. Branch accounts are quite small and manageable, and give great opportunity for learning. I now properly understand accounting and financial statements and can hold my own against any commerce professional. Solid financial skills are quite lacking in the engineering profession, very much to our disadvantage, and it’s a pity more of us don’t realise how simple it actually is. In the role of Branch Chairperson I was able to practice and develop skills in chairing meetings, and developed an effective method of taking minutes which I still use to this day. I was given many opportunities for public speaking such as hosting technical presentations, dinners and even the national awards banquet at the Durban ICC, and this has been very much to my benefit. I could list a few more direct benefits that I’ve received, but the point I would like to make at this stage is that all the benefits came as a result of service. I never set out to get any benefit from my service to SAIMechE, but reckon that I’ve received at least ten times that which I put in - perhaps even more. I didn’t plan it that way, but just as exercise brings about health benefits, so service to the profession brings about professional benefit. I look forward to many more years of enjoyable and productive service to the Institution, and to the multiple benefits that will follow. The difference these days is that I think a lot more about it beforehand. That’s just the way it works. the result of a technology innovation either created or applied by an engineer. built, manufactured or generated by value-add processes both developed and managed by engineers. shipped and handled by thermodynamic miracles invented and improved by engineers. powered by energy generated by petrochemical, nuclear and natural wonders like wave and wind energy harnessed by engineers. used by people fed, clothed, housed and cared for via mechanised agricultural and industrial systems, including healthcare, characterised by continuously improving productivities and advances which reward us with generous free time, greater health and longer lives. We need more Science Technology Engineering and Mathematically (STEM) educated people in every field, as a technology-driven society and innovation-based economy, it is a given. For example, for every R1 of economic value directly generated by engineering intensive innovation and value add processes there is approximately R20 generated downstream in other fields such as law, banking, real estate, insurance. If we are to accommodate billions more people on the planet and address issues such as waste or material limits, we need more and more engineers and others to make it happen. We need all the engineers we can get. Even if we successfully meet all the current demand and then generate an army of unemployed engineers, an unemployed, bored engineer will literally make their own opportunities, and we will all benefit. An example is global warming which is often the impetus for people to take up engineering. So, let me pen down my views and analysis. Engineering marvels have enabled us to attain better food security by improving the yield per area for farming. Engineering marvels have helped us have a better quality of life in terms of both health and wellness overall by providing us with access to better equipment. Engineering feats are what have enabled us to communicate with each other from virtually anywhere. These are not the feats of a single individual nor a small group of individuals. To get to these points we had to build upon the knowledge of the known and research and collaborate among millions of the brightest minds. But as we progressed, the scale of problems also increased exponentially. To tackle these problems, we need more numbers of people collaborating and working together on these issues. So yes, to tackle these problems, we need more engineers, just to boost the odds of solving the problems. If we successfully meet all the current demand and then generate an army of unemployed engineers, an unemployed, bored engineer will literally make their own opportunities, and we will all benefit. As for the other professions such as law, accountancy, or even entertainment, I agree they are important, they just don’t push the frontiers of humanity to a better level. In my opinion, we as an organism, can afford entertainment only after we have secured the safety of our existence. I read a story that may help to illustrate this. Consider a two-person economy. One-man fishes with a rod and line and suppose he catches two fish per day. The other man chops down trees and makes firewood. They exchange, each day, one fish for one bundle of firewood. Now suppose the fisherman invents a net which allows him to catch ten fish per day. Then, because he has always had a good relationship with the lumberjack, he decides to pay two fish for the same bundle of firewood. After the invention, both men are richer: the fisherman has eight fish and a bundle of firewood, and the lumberjack now has two fish (and of course his firewood). The world needs more engineers because they invent the nets. Every engineer is compensated based on his or her ability to build something new or improve upon something that already exists. They optimise, research, and improve everything, constantly. The world doesn’t just need engineers, it desperately needs them. How does one build a decolonised bridge? I first heard this question as part of the somewhat facetious reaction that many engineers have to the call to decolonise science, knowledge, engineering. But let’s go back to one of the first communities of colonisers, the ancient Greeks, and reflect on Socrates’ statement, “The unexamined life is not worth living.” When thinking about what I could do to transform the engineering profession into one where we can build a decolonised bridge, I paused to reflect on my classroom. as a South African engineer? that a small percentage of matriculants gain entry into university, and engineering attracts top learners from this cohort. We have the privilege of having dedicated, determined and self-motivated young adults in our classrooms. So why do we lose so many of them? Educational research shows evidence, again and again, that feelings of engagement, belonging and identifying with the context and the community, are critical for successful learning. How does this relate to decolonisation? If one believes that science was invented in Europe, by white men, and that a Western knowledge-base drives all technological development, it is easy to imagine that anyone whose identity lies outside of this construct would face a significant challenge in engaging with the disciplines supported by science and technology. One of the first myths that I interrogated relates to the history and evolution of science. Let’s start with mathematics, as it is arguably the language of engineering. The most ancient mathematical texts date back to around 2000 BC, written in Mesopotamia (situated in the area currently known as the Middle East) and Egypt. As an example of the importance of history, one of the first mathematical theories that a student will learn (long before they enter the university halls) is the Pythagorean theorem. Pythagoras (c. 570 – 495 BC) was a Greek philosopher who is probably most famously known for a theorem that he did not discover. The Pythagorean triangle relationship was known to Babylonians and Indians centuries before Pythagoras was born! But Pythagoras was probably the first Greek to formally present the knowledge to the Greek communities, perhaps the first to formally set out the proof. The revelation of “new to you” is something that anyone who has applied themselves to any study knows well. So, one of the first lessons I learnt in my endeavour to unpack colonisation and decolonisation, is that a student’s perception of what is real or true may be very far from reality or the truth. It is, however, their current reality and I need to be aware of it. Perhaps the first step in decolonisation, is realising that much of what is assumed to be colonised knowledge is no such thing. Mathematics is not European, nor is science, nor is engineering. However, pretending that each student in my class is equal, that they enter our institutions with the same opportunities, privileges or challenges, is insanity. So how do I manage this environment of have and have-nots, of blissful ignorance and painful realities? Where is the space in the engineering curriculum to incorporate an ethic of care, of awareness and sensitivity? Mathematics is not European, nor is science, nor is engineering. Perhaps a decolonised bridge is designed by a local team of engineers who value and appreciate the diversity of perspectives that each team member brings. Perhaps one of the engineers is the daughter of one of the construction workers, the first person in her family to go to university. Perhaps the bridge is reinforced with natural fibres, from crops grown in fields by local farmers who use sustainable agricultural practices. Maybe it provides a means of connecting a rural community to an economic hub; maybe it carries power and clean water back to this community. Engineers are expert problem-solvers. Colonisation was a reality in our society. The effects are still evident and continue to pose problems for our society. These are all concrete facts. Let’s use the tools and knowledge available to us, and find a way to build a decolonised bridge. Online education is growing quickly. Gone are the days where universities were the sole custodians of knowledge. Today we have unprecedented access to information and we are free to learn in near arbitrary depth in almost every imaginable field. A quick scan through Wikipedia can confirm how inertia is calculated in a moving reference frame, and YouTube will teach you how to replace a light bulb on your car. Most of us think that the learning stops there but the Internet can provide us with so much more. As a group we are curious and enjoy learning, in our professional lives we are required to hone existing skills and develop new ones, but are plagued by extensive time commitments and a rapidly changing schedule that often prevents us from committing to the limited number of short courses presented locally. Online platforms offer a wider variety of courses with significantly more flexibility, in content timing and mode of participation. Modern online courses are truly massive and benefit from very strong community interaction. It is not uncommon to be enrolled in a course with 60 000 other students, most of whom are happy to communicate via the forums. There are many strong online institutions but three organisations stand out, Coursera.org, Udemy.com and Edx.org. Each of these organisations afford anyone the opportunity to participate in courses presented by experts from well established universities including familiar institutions such as Harvard, Stanford, MIT and TU Delft. Over the past few years I have participated in courses ranging from statistical modeling presented by John’s Hopkins to geographical information systems presented by the US Army Academy. The courses range from 4 to 12 weeks and require a commitment of between 4 and 12 hours a week. Video lectures and course materials are provided, with graded assessments and an active mentor community. The courses range from introductory courses to advanced postgraduate level. In some cases, the courses even bear credit at their host university. Although courses are available on a wide range of topics most fields are limited to a digital footprint, and you are not likely to get your hands dirty. Most will provide you with the theory and rely on the participants to create their own applications. With this in mind each of the three organisations listed make some capstone module available where the participant can engage in an extended application of the theory in a project setting with supervision. These are typically bundled into a mini-diploma style collection or specialisation. In some cases these can extend to full degree programmes. The University of Illinois for instance has shifted their 2 year Masters degree in Machine Learning to the Coursera platform and whether you are a resident student or online participant you will have access to the same resources. Though some of the courses can be pricey, most will be credit bearing and provide a course certificate for around $15 - $100. Almost all will allow you to audit content and participate in the online forum for free. In some cases, the courses even bear credit at their host university. Although this style of online education is not likely to replace a conventional engineering degree in South Africa any time soon, it is likely that we will be seeing similar courses make their way into the existing university curriculum as an efficient teaching tool that scales well to large groups. For those of you with your degree under your belt, there is an opportunity to up-skill yourself and your employees with some confidence without taking on the burden of creating your own programmes or relying on local 3rd party providers. With a small time investment these flexible courses will allow you to develop up to date technical skills in new fields or refine skills from years past. It might be a practical way to transition from one field to another or provide you an edge in your current organisation. Unfortunately for engineers, the vision for new projects often emanates not from engineers, but from politicians in municipalities, at provincial level, by government, state owned companies and entrepreneurs. Very often engineers are instructed to generate the solutions and they deliver - The many successful projects are proof enough. Unfortunately, funding is limited and engineering projects compete with other endeavours for funding. As funds are limited, it is in the best interests of the country and all who live in it, that the projects with the best returns are selected. While the powers that be may be well-equipped to make these choices, engineers are seldom present and therefore do not influence these decisions. By participating in all walks of life, engineers can contribute even more to the economy and wealth creation, by participating and influencing these decisions in the selection of deserving projects, funded by limited resources. If we, the engineering community, stand up and are counted, by participating in all walks of life and we aim to play an instrumental role in influencing decision making, funding will be channeled to more productive projects, which in return will stimulate the economy even more. We will influence decisions and our knowledge and skills will contribute significantly. In this way, as an institution, represented by our branches all over the country, we have knowledge of local conditions and should promote projects and ventures, which will most benefit our communities. Each SAIMechE branch can probably draw on more expertise than most companies, organisations, municipalities, provinces and government departments. Combined each branch probably has more expertise than the companies they work for! The achievements listed here, are testimony to our contribution to the development and wellbeing of our society and the projects listed here also serve as a reminder of the role we have to play in the future. Industrial: Yskor (Mittal) – South African parastatal steel company founded in 1928 by Hendrik van der Bijl to supply the demands of local consumers. Sasol – First and largest oil-from-coal refinery (provides 40% of the country’s fuel). Coastal: The Dolos – These structures are designed to break up wave action and protect harbour walls, created by Eric Merrifield in SA in 1963-1964. Rail: The Scheffel Bogie – a unique railway Bogie allowing higher speed, less wear and higher load capacity on our unique narrow gauge railway lines. The Coal Export Railway line serving Ermelo to Richards Bay. The Iron Ore Export Line, running between Sishen and Saldanha Bay (opened 1976). to the Great Fish River and Sunday River valleys. The Vaalharts Irrigation Scheme is one of the largest irrigation schemes in the world covering 369.50 square kilometres in the Northern Cape Province. M-Net: (Electronic Media Network) - Established by Naspers for broadcasting local and international programmes. Pratley Putty: Krugersdorp engineer George Pratley invented his famous sticky stuff in the 1960’s while looking for a glue that would hold components in an electrical box. Pratley’s glue is the only South African invention that went to the moon. In 1969 the putty was used to hold bits of the Apollo XI mission’s Eagle landing craft together. Pools: The Kreepy Krauly which revolutionised pool cleaning (invented by Ferdinand Chauvier in SA in 1974). Engineering is generally recognised as a profession, along with other professions such as medicine, dentistry, law, ministry, architecture, and education. A profession which is an occupation is generally characterised by: intellectual effort, creative thinking and the desire for service. Engineering seeks to “employ knowledge” to create what never was or improve what already exists. The distinguishing educational objective in engineering is design. Design is at the heart of engineering.Engineers design new things such as improved airplanes or appliances or materials or things that do not even exist as yet. To be creative, to imagine, to take risks, to “dare to be different” but not to endanger safety of course. Engineering creations must comply with the principles of science and that is the engineering challenge: to be creative but within the constraints inherent in a specific project. The majority of engineers work for industry or government and only a small, but important, percentage is in direct contact with the public as consulting engineers. It is important that engineering professionals, technicians and technologists should be well trained, should be well aware of the demands of their activities and always act responsibly with the public’s safety in mind. The environment within which engineering is practised is not perfectly designed though to allow for the engineer to follow a logical and structured approach and thus perform optimally. Rather the engineer is presented with challenges and anomalies, most often introduced by the employer or client, requiring the utmost professional conduct from the engineer, to arrive at a safe, economical solution. Notwithstanding this, we do succeed in designing solutions which benefit our economy in a very major way. According to many commentators, growth in the areas of science, engineering and technology are a major catalyst for job creation, social upliftment and economic development. Easy examples are the benefits to our economy of a good infrastructure including road, rail, harbours, airports, energy, communication, banking system, water, sanitation etc, all made possible by engineering. Unquestionably South Africa benefits from a good infrastructure, allowing efficient, cheap communication, freight and transport. While our engineering accomplishments in South Africa have contributed greatly to our economic development, social upliftment and job creation, the need for increased economic growth demands ever more engineering contributions, also requiring an increase in the number of technically skilled artisans, technicians and engineers. We have the engineering capability in South Africa to meet with most demands for engineering expertise and most probably the only constraint engineering faces in South Africa is a lack of development projects and funding. Due to our knowledge of local conditions, we are also well positioned to serve other African countries. Engineering has been vital in addressing basic human needs, improving the quality and standard of living as well as providing opportunities for sustainable development in South Africa and has the potential to do the same for Africa. We (engineers) have in the past and should continue in the future to focus on developing solutions to meet the needs of our local industry and population. When our young engineers enter industry, they spend a long time trying to reconcile what they have been taught at a tertiary level versus what particular selection of skills and knowledge sets are important for their immediate place of work. Now, according to Malcolm Gladwell (author of “Outliers”) what we term as “expertise”, requires around five years to develop. This period of “getting good” unfortunately also appears to equate to “getting stuck”. However, on the other hand the value of ‘professional development’ is attended to very seldom. And to make it worse, it appears that, whenever engineers are ‘developed’ they are given MBAs and are removed from the technical side of operations. I believe this ‘isolation’ - especially in the first years of employment – creates a silo culture. I’ve dealt with skillful, talented engineers, who have been blinkered by their industry and have lost sight of the whole, beautiful, vast field of knowledge, known as mechanical engineering. These engineers will eventually become bored with their small aspect of mechanical engineering and grow into the field of management sciences – since it appears there is still some excitement to be had in that field! This leaves a skill and mentorship vacuum, which in turn makes it even more difficult for the new crop of young engineers due to the lack of mentorship and role models. This is truly the space where the voluntary associations such as SAIMechE can, must and are making a difference. Consider two items of major importance. The first: SAIMechE’s student chapters where students are given a chance to interact with engineers and their fraternity, to glimpse a wider view of the actual industry and its possibilities. The second is SAIMechE’s Professional Development Programme (PDP). This programme, based on internationally agreed professional attributes, has been created, and is available free of charge from SAIMechE. It was created to help guide young engineers to develop into competent professionals and is in-line with the 11 Outcomes that ECSA requires from its candidates. By being part of a voluntary association such as SAIMechE – and taking part by interacting with your local branch – you are taking responsibility for your own professional development and furthering the interest of the profession. When you get down to it, gathering CPD points is not all that difficult when you have developed this habit. When was the last time you picked up a new piece of knowledge or a tool? There are so many things to explore... have you heard of TRIZ when you innovate or the Design Structure Matrix when planning a project? Article by: Gideon van den Berg, National Treasurer and Chairperson of the Eastern Cape branch. SAIMechE has lost one of its most committed and influential members, Honorary Fellow Chris Reay, who passed away at his home in Cape Town on Wednesday, 26 April 2017. Chris’ service to SAIMechE and the engineering profession stretched over four decades, from his service on Branch committees to more than thirty years’ service as a member of Council. He joined SAIMechE as a Student member in 1963, and his contribution to the institution was recognised through his election to Honorary Fellow in 1999. Chris participated at the highest level in SAIMechE, holding the office of President during the 1990-1991 Council session. His father was SAIMechE President during the 1948-1949 Council session, giving them the distinction of being one of only two successive generations to have held this office in SAIMechE. His influence was felt across most of the profession, from schools to universities to graduates and fellow professionals. Many colleagues have commented on his passion for pertinent professional issues, and for holding all around him to the highest standards of integrity and commitment. Chris is probably most well known in modern times for his regular column “An Engineer’s View” which was the leader to our magazine. He set the bar high in this regard, and we will continue to honour him by using this space to be honest, forthright, courageous and critical of ourselves and other stakeholders in the engineering profession. Thank you Chris, for giving us so much of your life, and for speaking out on our behalf. We are a better organisation and profession because of you. Until we meet again. Note: We invite members to share their memories and comments about Chris, either by emailing these to [email protected], or by commenting here on this post. New data from Analytico, a data and earnings consultancy, shows that engineering and information technology graduates can expect much higher salaries than other major fields. Analytico’s data is based on a sample of 93 658 university graduates who supplied salary information and other insights. According to Analytico, people with a matric certificate can expect to be paid almost double the salary of someone who has not completed high school. The research further showed that a tertiary qualification will significantly increase earning potential. Someone with a grade 12 can expect to earn R4,977 in their first job. Someone with a bachelor’s degree increases their starting salary to R8,270. All bachelor’s degrees are not equal, however, with a big salary difference apparent in different fields of study. The average starting salary for a person with an engineering or IT degree is R19 180, far higher than social sciences at R6 612 and life sciences at R7 412. It should be noted that the salary figures are not occupation-specific, and attempt to provide a picture of what graduates with a particular degree can expect to earn each month. This bears out the experience we are getting in the engineering and technical recruitment industry although the demand across the profession is significantly down from 2015 through reduction in corporate activity and retrenchments. Pockets of “green shoots” are emerging slowly from the ashes, and clients who are growing again are generally able to seek out their previous employees as projects emerge. Unfortunately, industry now faces a further threat with the downgrading of our credit rating which will impact on investment, interest rates and inflation. There seems to be little indication of the NDP happening in any concerted form, and we have a lot of resources available on the market to undertake the type of work associated with infrastructure development. The potential for engineering graduates remains huge internationally and confirms the desire for the degree after high school. This is a summary of an article from research done on the six most basic skills an Engineer needs to have today. You should probably consider this if you want to stand out and be the stand-out young Engineer you want to be. Taking Engineering seems to be a norm that many young people consider in order to keep up with society’s demands of rapid changes, innovations and advancements in technology. Many specialised Engineering courses are also introduced and the population of people taking career paths in Engineering fields gradually grows. Competition is getting tougher, especially for new grad Engineers. Several countries produce thousands of Engineers most of whom end up in non-Engineering fields or obliged to settle in entry levels they don’t deserve. Even if you’re an Engineering graduate, you may not be competent enough. But don’t lose hope just yet. Here is a checklist for you to stand out and become the stand-out Engineer you want to be. We are in the age where Engineering design is not confined to 2D blueprints or sketches alone. Designs of components, structures and architectural plans now heavily depend on 3D CAD designs especially for intricate objects in manufacturing. The ability to design with Auto CAD is really a must for Engineering and architectural people in these fields. Having proficient CAD skills certainly gives you an advantage over other candidates. If your institution does not offer learning to use CAD software, there are crash courses offered in other technical schools for a certain number of sessions. Also, there are CAD software programs and tutorials online so you can study it yourself too. At this point, hard sciences are now converging with the digital world to be more efficient and productive. There are now industries that depend on heavy database management and automated components in industrial plants (computer-integrated manufacturing). Learning how to use programming languages and algorithms is also a plus. Even if you’re a computer Engineering major, not all programming languages are taught in school. There are also crash courses for this such as learning SQL, Mathlab, COBOL, C#, .NET, Python, Java or Ruby. In addition, online tutorials and downloadable software programs are available if you plan to self-study. As an Engineer, our science and mathematical knowledge or technical skills are a given. But presenting and relaying it effectively is another aspect. Being a persuasive presenter gives us opportunities to be an exceptional Engineer. We must learn how to strike the right balance between technical and communication skills as they are the keys to a successful professional career. There are programmes and workshops that can help us enhance speech communication and presentation skills. In our profession, we always coordinate with others or work as a team in a department. Engineers who become project managers and learn how to manage a project and a team can have a successful career. Having project management skills enables you to lead project or programme teams and will eventually allow you to master the dynamics of a project. From there, you can handle more complex projects and be appointed in leadership positions. You can also draw other professionals together and open opportunities for business and personal growth. There are institutions offering Project Management as an elective and also a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification. As they say, licensure is the mark of a professional. It means you are at the top of your game and your profession. It is a standard recognised by the government, the clients and companies assuring skills and quality. It has now become a requirement in a number of Engineering firms and corporations. Having a professional licence assures the public that you can perform Engineering work. It is also seen as a commitment to your profession and gives more opportunities in your career. Today, a number of professional Engineering societies are considering making a graduate degree the mandatory credential for would-be Engineers. They require master’s degree in finance, business administration or industrial Engineering in order to advance in managerial positions. Millennial Engineers opt to take master’s degree units and certifications while working in order to raise their credentials and value of being a professional Engineer. Some high positions need a certain depth of knowledge and expertise in a particular Engineering field so that’s where these graduate courses come into their own. Engineers must not be limited to their majors but must continue to learn and diversify into different fields. There are an awful lot of Engineers, Technologists and Technicians on the market seeking employment commensurate with what they were used to a few years ago. Employers have a choice today even though there are some categories that are hard to find or hard to fill because Engineers who are currently employed are not keen to move given the uncertainty in the market. The numbers that have undergone retrenchment are horrendous typically in the EPCM and EPC domains. The opportunities for graduates remain consistent although employers are hesitant to undertake training programmes that graduates need in order to fulfill their professional registration requirements. It is an ideal time for this process to take place as long as suitable mentorship is available. With the hopeful advent of the NDP, we should expect a demand on the engineering profession, but indications of this are slow in materialising. Infrastructure is in serious need of upgrading and development particularly in matters of water management and transport, electrical distribution and support of health care facilities. What of manufacturing? Are we winning or losing this battle? All these areas of engineering activity need all the engineering disciplines and skills we can muster if the economy is to start growing. Another serious matter has made itself apparent in our profession and it concerns the flawed process of appointment of the new council at ECSA. The VAs (Voluntary Associations) have followed due process, but essentially, the old council agreed on a list of people to be appointed as the new council. This list was then forwarded to the Minister. When the Minister made the appointment, it was noticed that the list appointed was not the same as the list that was agreed upon by the old council. At this stage, we are not speculating on who changed the lists. We simply want to ensure that due process was followed as per the Engineers Professions Act (EPA). We believe, and after seeking legal advice, that there is sufficient evidence to the contrary and that the process was flawed, which concurs with the legal finding of the CBE. Previously we sent official letters to the Minister of DPW and the office bearers of ECSA. They have not responded. We have therefore instructed our attorneys to lodge papers in the high court of South Africa. This sees the full litigation process underway. ECSA is changing all the current systems to effectively disregard the services provide by the VAs in the form of committees. As to whom will now provide these remains to be seen, but it looks as though ECSA will be run by an administration, and hearsay is that they will work on changing the Engineering Professions Act. How all this will align with the various Accords of which SA is a member is anyone’s guess. It’s a clear case of government meddling in the profession without realising the importance of the role that peer group judgment plays. The most recent survey carried out by PPS on the views of a wide spectrum of engineers identified some serious concerns as well as some encouraging ones. Of these, the item that is reasonably positive is that 75% of the Engineers surveyed were confident about the future of their profession over the next five years, primarily due to expected financial viability and contributing to society. Of the 25% who were not inspired by the future, the most negative factor is the political climate. 64% would encourage their children to study engineering, but 94% are concerned about the standards of maths and science at the tertiary level. The pessimistic 25% regard the lack of good jobs and retrenchments as the cause, and many are concerned that good Engineers are considering leaving the country. 87% are worried by the brain drain on the profession, and 54% are considering emigrating, with politics being the main driver. Countries of choice are the USA and Australia. 65% of employers offer internships to graduates. On the question as to whether the government is delivering on its promises to create infrastructure, 96% voted a solid no on this. According to the National Development plan, more efficient and competitive infrastructure is needed to meet the objective of the plan. By 2030 key services such as commercial transport, energy, telcoms and water has to be strengthened to ensure long term sustainability. 91% believe this will not be met. When we consider the skills and experience that are needed to design, build, operate and maintain infrastructure, the low level of confidence exhibited by this survey should be considered in a serious light by government as well as private developers. As to what factor would have the most impact on the profession over the next three years, the economy got the biggest vote at 62%. 83% of engineers believed that they are investment savvy, but only 44% had an established plan in place and 51% had a combination of financial products, so only 5% have no structured financial plan in place. On work/life balance, 50% consider it as average while 33% said good and 13% said poor. Overall, what can we conclude from this survey? It is accrued from the top levels of the profession who give the government and policy a distinct negative vote. How else is the country going to tackle the challenge of economic growth with the belief that so much engineering talent is being misused?

2019-04-23T03:09:25Z

https://www.saimeche.org.za/blogpost/604970/An-Engineer-s-View

Norway has a long, proud history of more than 50 years involvement in development co operation. It is a progressive donor, prepared to promote new and innovative ways of thinking. Its development aims and interventions are outlined in the government’s policy platform, in the government’s addresses to the Storting, and in successive White Papers. Until a new White Paper is published in 2009, one of the most important documents remains White Paper Report No. 35 (2003-2004) to the Storting, Fighting Poverty Together: A Comprehensive Development Policy. This outlines Norway’s priorities which include: providing 1% of gross national income (GNI) as official development assistance (ODA), a firm commitment to a rights-based approach to development co-operation, and the pre-eminence of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It also underlines the importance of “donor reform – more assistance and more effective assistance”, and stresses the centrality of increased country ownership and donor harmonisation. More recent thinking on Norway’s strategy and policy for its development co operation is presented in the Soria Moria Declaration (2005), International Development Minister Erik Solheim’s Statement to the Storting 16 May 2006 and the extract from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ budget proposal for 2008: Proposition No. 1 (2007-2008) to the Storting: Norwegian Development Assistance in 2008 – Priority Areas, June 2007. These documents continue to stress the MDGs, the 1% ODA/GNI target, aid effectiveness, governance reform, results and quality assurance. However, the rights-based approach has less prominence – hence clarification of what the rights-based approach to development co operation means in practice and how it is implemented is needed. Also, a greater emphasis is given to fragile states, United Nations reform and aid to Africa. The 2004 White Paper also emphasises the importance of “the global partnership for development”. This concept situates development policy in the context of wider foreign policy and security issues, as well as signalling the importance of policy coherence for development. These ideas have been taken further in Proposition No. 1 which positions development co operation as one of a number of factors that play a role in lifting people out of poverty, along with peace and security, economic development, trade and environment. This recognition that development co operation will be more successfully integrated as part of a holistic approach is positive, but further clarification is needed of what this vision means in practice, and how it will be implemented. Furthermore, Norway will need to ensure that its core focus on poverty reduction and the MDGs is not diluted. Proposition No. 1 outlines the government’s main “five plus one” priorities. These are a broad mix of sectoral, thematic and cross-cutting issues: i) climate change, the environment and sustainable development; ii) peace building, human rights and humanitarian assistance; iii) women and gender equality; iv) oil and clean energy; v) good governance and the fight against corruption; and vi) supporting the health related MDGs. The government states that it will use increases in the development budget to focus on these six priorities, whilst maintaining support for its 11 other traditionally important priority areas. At present, with increasing oil revenues bolstering the development assistance budget, Norway is able both to maintain current development priorities and add new ones. But this creates tension between the desire to focus in line with aid effectiveness principles versus the pressure to expand. Embassies are under pressure to add new objectives to existing programmes which can lead to a lack of clarity in the objectives of country programmes. Moreover, it introduces concerns over the stability of Norway’s priorities over the long term. This could have implications for aid effectiveness – an area in which Norway is rightly seen as a leading player. Failure to make headway in concentrating activities geographically, sectorally and strategically could affect progress towards implementing harmonisation and division of labour principles. The reported level of Norwegian public support for ODA is on a par with other donors, with 90% of the population supporting it. Currently, two units are responsible for communicating and building public awareness: i) the Communications and Information Team in the Minister of International Development’s office, which targets local and international media; and ii) the Information Department in Norad, which targets the development community, students, journalists and key policy-makers. The two communication departments have developed separate two-year communication strategies guiding their efforts, but neither strategy mentions the existence of the other unit. Although there is informal co-operation between the two units, the formal and systematic co-ordination requirements are unclear. Norway is committed to policy coherence for development, with broad consensus among officials, parliament, researchers and civil society organisations that ODA is only one way of supporting progress in developing countries. A good example of coherent policy is in the area of environment where there has long been strong co-ordination between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) and the Ministry of Environment. Norway’s Action Plan for Environment in Development Co operation also aims to integrate environmental issues into development co operation. In the area of labour migration an informal network of officials produced a report in 2006 on coherence in migration and development. Another good example is women’s rights and gender equality, where four ministries (MFA, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Justice and Police and Ministry of Children and Equality) work together and are responsible for the Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325. The previous peer review suggested that Norway should consider setting up a “whole of government” mechanism to strengthen inter-ministerial co ordination, but this did not happen. Members of the Storting’s Foreign Affairs Committee believe that a more strategic approach is needed and that policy coherence for development should be more institutionalised than at present. There are a number of formal and informal policy co-ordination arrangements between ministries. However, there is room for improvement. The lack of monitoring of inter-ministerial policy coherence is also a recognised weakness of the Norwegian system. The MFA does not appear to monitor other ministries’ initiatives systematically for their coherence with development policy. While Norway has strong capacity for development research, it lacks institutional capacity for long-term analysis and research into policy coherence issues. It may also need a robust method to trace policy coherence impacts. In addition, there is a lack of reporting on policy coherence for development. To promote further thinking on policy coherence for development, in December 2006 the government established a Policy Coherence Commission made up of highly qualified people from a broad cross-section of the development assistance community. Its role was to consider ways to make Norwegian policy for development more coherent and effective and it produced a report in September 2008 which will feed into the forthcoming White Paper. In formulating its recommendations, the commission has therefore considered: how to strengthen the arrangements for resolving potential policy conflicts; how to increase the authority to demand information from other ministries; and how to promote positive examples of win-win situations. The DAC suggests that one option may be to enhance the responsibility for policy coherence in the Prime Minister’s office, which has a good overview of government policy. This could be complemented by a dedicated unit in the MFA as recommended by the Commission. The DAC commends Norway for its forward-looking vision in which development co operation is seen as one element of a broader set of issues affecting a country’s development, and expects to see this further elaborated in the forthcoming White Paper. This broader vision of development encompasses some notable contributions to global public goods, including peace building, conflict prevention and climate change. In practice, this requires improving the linkages between ODA and non-ODA activities for the good of development. In doing this, Norway will need to ensure that its core focus on poverty reduction is not diluted. Norway needs to ensure that the process of identifying objectives is strategic and well managed, both centrally and at partner country level. The process must lead to a manageable number of clear and focused priorities. Norway will need to resist the temptation to add new ad hoc initiatives to an ever-expanding list of priorities. Norway needs to articulate its over-arching approach to communication in order for the two communication units to convey consistent and complementary development messages to the public. Norway should develop an overall approach to policy coherence for development and institutional mechanisms for analysis, monitoring and policy feedback to deliver on its broad vision. Consideration could be given to the location, mandate and authority of an institutional focal point responsible for analysing potential areas of policy conflict; commissioning longer term studies; co ordinating research; and analysing, monitoring and championing policy coherence for development among the ministries. In 2007, Norway’s net ODA amounted to USD 3 727 million, representing 0.95% of its GNI. This is the highest percentage of all DAC donors, and Norway is one of only five countries to exceed the UN target of 0.7%. Norway is commended for having surpassed the 0.7% figure continuously for more than 30 years, and for having set itself a higher target of 1% ODA/GNI. The DAC also commends Norway for budgeting to reach its 1% ODA/GNI target in 2009 in a climate of global financial crisis. According to Norway, only 18% of total aid is programmed at the field level by the embassies. Other parts of the programme which sometimes count as bilateral aid, such as thematic, humanitarian, aid to non-governmental organisations and earmarked multi-bilateral aid, are planned and programmed by headquarters. Consequently, individual embassies may have limited knowledge of all the different channels through which Norwegian aid reaches the country in which they are located. This raises challenges for ensuring that the totality of Norway’s instruments, interventions and objectives in development not only work in synergy but also reinforce each other at country level. Making this clear to all development partners enhances predictability and accountability. With such a relatively small proportion of funds programmed at country level, Norway must clarify the kind of bilateral donor it wants to be. Norway is a strong supporter of the multilateral system. The World Bank is the single largest recipient of Norwegian multilateral ODA, and Norway’s contribution to the UN is proportionately higher than in most other donors’ portfolios. In recent years Global Funds have seen the greatest increase in Norwegian multilateral assistance. Another trend has been the increase in earmarked multilateral contributions. In the past, much of the earmarked multilateral aid was country specific, but now it is more likely to be sector or theme specific. In general, Norway’s strong core support to multilateral organisations leads to Norway having considerable leverage and impact on the multilateral system. The challenges for Norway, with its large commitment and investment in the multilateral system, are to develop a performance-based allocation system, and to continue to be a leader in helping the multilateral organisations to increase their efficiency for better development outcomes. In the past eight years, development assistance has doubled in real terms, allowing Norway to increase the number of new partner countries in its portfolio. Whereas previously Norway had 7 “main partners” and 17 “other partners”, it now has 28 partners – 15 in Africa, 11 in Asia, and 2 in Latin America. Many DAC countries have concentrated their development assistance in fewer partner countries, and Norway has also increased its aid to some key countries. At the same time, because of new initiatives such as the Oil for Development programme and, no doubt soon the new forestry initiative, Norway has also added a number of new recipient countries to its programme. This geographic dispersal of aid causes some concern, notably within parliament, that resources will be spread too thinly and impact diluted. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) – and in particular Norwegian NGOs – play a prominent and important role in Norwegian development assistance, with over 30% of bilateral development assistance channelled directly through them. There is no overall policy on NGOs, but Norad is currently revising guidelines. These will outline the aims and objectives of funding to NGOs, and will confront two other issues: i) increasing the focus on results; and ii) increasing the use of Southern NGOs. NGOs appreciate the open dialogue they have with government and generally welcome the flexibility of the system. However, as funding can come from both the MFA and Norad and from more than ten different budget lines often with different procedures, the system can be confusing and time-consuming for NGOs. Funding procedures and standards as well as reporting requirements for NGOs (development and humanitarian) need to be made clearer, streamlined and more coherent among mechanisms. Norway has taken a number of measures to address women’s rights and gender equality such as: producing several action plans, appointing a Gender Equality Ambassador, multiplying funds for UNIFEM fourfold, conducting a significant amount of work with multilateral partners, and being an active participant in the DAC’s Gendernet. But, like other donors, while trying to “mainstream” women’s rights and gender equality, Norway had lost focus and spending had declined. It therefore reintroduced some targeted funding and used some of the measures listed above to try to rectify this situation. However, resources are still limited, with only a small team in the MFA and three staff in Norad dedicated to increasing the gender equality focus of activities. Furthermore, technical knowledge is spread thinly across the organisations and gender equality is still often considered as a postscript after the formulation of projects and programmes, rather than being factored in at the beginning. This was the case in Tanzania, where Norway’s attention on women’s rights and gender equality appeared to be an afterthought: there was little pro-active or specific focus on the issue, and local implementing partners had limited understanding of good gender practices. Norway has ambitions to be a leader in the environment and development area, but needs to turn this ambition into action. It has an Action Plan for Environment in Development Co-operation, which makes clear that the environment is both a cross-cutting issue, stating that “environmental concerns must be taken into account in all development co-operation”, and a separate sector with development co operation targeted specifically at sustainable management of natural resources and environmental protection. It is difficult to assess the extent to which environment is considered systematically in the absence of clear guidance such as impact assessment tools; current requirements leave impact assessments to the recipients. In addition, there are a limited number of environment or natural resource specialist staff positions in either the MFA or Norad, and even fewer in the field. It is, therefore, difficult to envisage how such an ambitious action plan could be fully implemented. As a mid-sized donor engaged in development peace building, state building, and humanitarian work, Norway could develop a strategy for allocating the growing ODA budget via different channels, instruments, sectors and countries. Norway should consider a more integrated, strategic and explicit approach at the country level to ensure synergy and to optimise impact. In line with the aid effectiveness principles, notably division of labour, Norway should manage carefully the increasing geographical dispersal of its aid. Norway should take care not to spread its resources too thinly as this could lessen its potential impact. Norway should also seek greater clarity on whether it wishes to pursue a sectoral or a country approach. The introduction of revised guidelines for Norad’s approach to NGOs in the development field is welcome and the focus on results and the increasing use of local NGOs is encouraging. Norway should also ensure increased clarity, coherence and simplification of the funding and reporting systems and standards for NGOs by increasing co ordination and amalgamating some of the many budget lines. The NGOs should be supported further to build capacity required to meet the legitimate demand by the MFA/Norad that they demonstrate results. Recognising that Norway treats cross-cutting issues as thematic priorities in their own right, Norway also needs to ensure that they are fully mainstreamed. Norway has put significant effort into developing policies on women’s rights and gender equality, and the environment, but it needs to ensure that its policy ambitions become reality. It should make certain that its cross-cutting priorities are institutionalised, have sufficient resources and are considered systematically at the early stages of and throughout its programmes and projects. In 2004 Norway’s institutional set-up underwent significant reform. Development policy and foreign policy are now fully integrated within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs which has become the lynchpin of the whole system. The embassies’ role in managing bilateral aid to partner countries has been strengthened. Norad has become a technical directorate responsible to the MFA. Norfund, responsible for private sector development, has become independent of Norad. Those involved feel that this reorganisation has generally been positive. The MFA, Norad and the embassies have become a well-integrated system able to respond to today’s development challenges whilst ensuring management flexibility. In the MFA, country teams can respond flexibly to requests from embassies whose authority has increased following decentralisation. Norad is an entry point for contracting Norwegian development expertise and provides quality assurance for this flexible system. Furthermore, reorganisation has enabled the MFA to respond to various political initiatives while alleviating the risks of political micro-management. However, some challenges remain from the reorganisation. The roles of policy-making, implementation and knowledge provision have not yet been fully clarified within the system. For example, although decentralisation means the embassies deal with country level relations, headquarters has become more involved in some micro-level aspects of aid management. Furthermore, Norad is still defining its new core knowledge management and support role while retaining significant grant management activities. The reorganisation put more emphasis on knowledge management in the development system. The government is keen that a culture of results-based management should be embedded across the system and key documents (e.g. the Development Co-operation Manual) set out the rationale and procedures for tracking results. This is to be commended, but Norway needs to address the lack of a universal system for management by results in its aid administration. Such a system would allow policy goals, thematic priority areas, partners and funding channels to be prioritised. Since the 2004 peer review, the MFA has established the Policy Analysis Unit, with five staff, which has improved policy analysis in the ministry. Norad carries out necessary programme-related analytical work for the MFA in its role of providing advice and support. However, Norway could further develop structures that increase long-term analytical and research capacity. The government has been increasing staff capacity in the MFA, embassies and Norad but could do more. Embassies still lack sufficient capacity, so significant management responsibility remains at headquarters. While the strong upward curve of the budget and the slower rise in staffing numbers may have resulted in increasing administrative efficiency on paper, it is challenging to maintain quality programmes under the pressure to spend and launch new initiatives. Furthermore the increase in funding to multilateral and global issues has not been reflected in departmental staffing numbers. In addition, there are a broad range of human resource challenges including attracting and retaining expertise including grant management competency, ensuring that a diplomatic career in development is valued, and providing appropriate training to maintain cutting-edge knowledge on key issues/sectors. Norway could consider how to clarify and better distinguish between the MFA and Norad’s different roles, notably in grant management. Norway needs to develop an approach to optimise synergies between instruments and sectoral and country strategies, notably by establishing clear over-arching objectives for its interventions at country level. Norad also needs to better articulate its role of creating a knowledge-based system to inform the decision-making process. Norway needs to address the staff recruitment and retention challenges arising from the reorganisation and shifting priorities. There are also particular staffing and management challenges to be addressed at the country level in order for Norway to remain an agile and flexible donor. Norway needs to develop a results-based management approach at the institutional, programme and project levels. Norway is one of the donors at the forefront of the global aid effectiveness debate and aid effectiveness is well-embedded in the Norwegian aid system. Although Norway does not have a single all-encompassing aid effectiveness action plan, position papers are distributed to embassies, and the MFA expects the aid effectiveness agenda to be mainstreamed and well-established in all its activities. Throughout the system, including at field level, staff appear to have a detailed understanding of the principles underpinning the aid effectiveness agenda and the challenges these pose. Furthermore, Norway plays a pro-active role among other donors, such as with like-minded donors in the Nordic Plus group. In Tanzania, Norway has put the principles actively into practice. It supports the Joint Assistance Strategy, and Norway’s activities are factored into, and flow from, this strategy. Discussions with the Tanzanian government also confirmed that Norway’s activities dovetail with the government’s own priorities. However, questions were raised regarding the planning process and instruments. The embassy only has a rolling three-year plan for internal use. This, however, does not guide Norway’s interventions through all its available channels and instruments, and is not shared, or co-owned, with the Tanzanian government. Norway stresses that although it prioritises the aid effectiveness agenda, only 18% of its development assistance is programmed by the embassies at country level. It is acutely aware that the vast majority of its funding is distributed through other means; i.e. multilateral organisations, the global funds and Norwegian NGOs. Thus greater aid effectiveness will occur by improving how aid is disbursed via these other channels. Norway is making efforts to address this issue. In addition to involvement in the Multilateral Organisations Performance Assessment Network (MOPAN), Norway lobbies for multilateral partners to have a greater focus on ownership, to use national systems and ensure fewer parallel implementation units, and to engage in joint exercises such as the Joint Assistance Strategies and Public Expenditure and Financial Accountability. In the replenishment negotiations and in the Boards of the multilateral financial institutions, Norway has advocated that the Banks should contribute more to enhance national ownership. The importance of capacity development is emphasised in Norway’s memorandum and in the Development Co operation Manual. Capacity development is not, however, included in the list of current priority areas for Norwegian development co operation, and, as for most other donors, there are no overarching policies or guidelines to indicate how to design and implement capacity development or how to integrate capacity development into development programmes overall. The Norwegian approach to capacity development appears to focus largely on mainstreaming such activities into sectoral and thematic development policies and programmes. However, although the Development Co operation Manual states that capacity development should be at the core of any development activity and provides some suggestions on how to assess institutional capacity as part of the process of preparing development programmes, there is little specific guidance on how to integrate and address capacity development in specific sectors or how to monitor and measure the results of such interventions. Capacity development seems to be dealt with primarily through an emphasis on using national systems and priorities as a basis for delivering Norwegian development assistance. Evidence from Tanzania suggests that Norway performs well in this respect, as it is a strong supporter of joined-up approaches to delivering development aid and is a champion of aid effectiveness. The focus on linking development priorities with areas of Norwegian comparative advantage means that the country can be better targeted in its capacity development efforts, and can draw on a well-established pool of experts to fill technical assistance needs. Norway could usefully share its good practice from country-level capacity development experiences, and could, like other donors, also play a more active role in the DAC capacity development work. Norway also earmarks resources to finance specific capacity development activities at the country-level, thus maintaining its ability to provide sector development activities with targeted technical assistance and training. Each embassy with a development co operation budget has a consultancy fund for hiring local expertise and building capacity among trained professionals in-country, rather than bringing in consultants from Norway. Governance and anti-corruption is one of five priority areas for the current government, and Norway’s approach is marked by a high level of innovation and a strong focus on behavioural change. Norway is among the world leaders in its efforts to make government officials accountable for corrupt behaviour, and has made strenuous efforts to establish global initiatives to this end. Examples include: i) its push for the establishment of the Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative, which works actively to assist poor countries in repatriating public assets stolen by corrupt leaders; and ii) its continued support to the Corruption Hunter Network, which provides a meeting place for prosecutors, judges and heads of anti-corruption entities. Through activities such as these, Norway has been able to create and sustain global structures to establish incentives and capacities through which poor countries can tackle corrupt behaviour systematically and transparently. In Tanzania, Norway is a key player in anti-corruption efforts. It is also playing an important role in reacting appropriately to a general budget support corruption scandal by maintaining its support to a multi-donor pooled funding initiative. Norway has also been a key player in ensuring the enforcement of the UN Convention against Corruption, and participates actively in the work of the OECD Working Group on Bribery, e.g. in its monitoring mechanism for the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions. Furthermore, Norway currently hosts the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative’s (EITI) international secretariat in Oslo and is the only developed country that has signed up to the implementation of the EITI Transparency Principles. Norway is commended for making considerable progress on aid effectiveness and for largely embedding the aid effectiveness agenda into its development system. Norway is encouraged to continue this work, and to develop specific aid effectiveness policy guidance. Norway should ensure that it has an effective set of instruments with clear objectives and intended results to guide its country interventions through all its available channels, respecting recipient government ownership. It also needs to ensure that its sectoral/thematic approach and its country approach fit well together. Norway needs to broaden its efforts to apply the aid effectiveness principles to funding channels beyond government-to-government. Given Norway’s approach to capacity development, further safeguards might be needed to ensure that capacity development mainstreaming is institutionalised. Such safeguards could include frequent sharing of lessons across the MFA and Norad on successful mainstreaming interventions. Norway could consider taking a leading role in facilitating common donor approaches to tackling corruption in-country. It could also look at ways to ensure that global initiatives (e.g. the UN Convention on Corruption, the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative), are properly linked to, and anchored in, country-specific activities and responses. Humanitarian action is a central pillar of Norwegian foreign policy – an intrinsic expression of Norwegian values and international solidarity – as well as a core priority area for the development co operation system. Norway has endorsed the Principles and Good Practices of Humanitarian Donorship and has adopted a principled yet pragmatic approach to humanitarian action in line with its GHD commitments. These commitments are underpinned by disbursements that are well above the DAC average for humanitarian aid. Consequently, Norway has acquired considerable credibility and influence within the international humanitarian system. This reputation has been further strengthened through Norway’s strong and consistent support for the United Nations humanitarian system, its leadership in key fora (e.g. the UN Peacebuilding Commission, the Somalia Contact Group and the recent Sudan donor conference) and initiatives such as the recent Oslo Policy Forum, Changing the Way We Develop: Dealing with disasters and climate change. The national policy framework is evolving, with a new humanitarian action strategy launched in September 2008. This reaffirms the centrality of humanitarian action in development co operation policy and expands the humanitarian agenda to new areas (e.g. addressing the humanitarian impacts of climate change). It builds on the recent Storting report, Norwegian Policy on Prevention of Humanitarian Crises, as the cornerstone in integrating conflict and disaster risk reduction perspectives across the development co-operation system. Nevertheless, like other donors, Norway is likely to encounter institutional obstacles and will have to adapt internal systems and processes if these objectives are to be translated into effective aid in partner countries. In general, Norway is regarded by key partners as a good humanitarian donor. In 2007, nearly 23% (NOK 547 million) of Norwegian humanitarian assistance was provided completely un-earmarked and a further 26% (NOK 625 million) was earmarked to the country level only. A significant proportion went to under-funded UN and Red Cross Movement appeals, representing a serious commitment to providing flexible and needs-based assistance. Norway has, however, elected not to enter into multi-year agreements with implementing partners. This decision supposedly increases the government’s own flexibility in allocating assistance across financial years, but in effect reduces the year-on-year predictability of funding streams for implementing agencies. The MFA is aware of the consequences of this limitation and has entered into discussions with Norwegian NGOs about processes to improve the reliability of Norwegian Government support. There are three distinct strands to learning and accountability practices within the Norwegian humanitarian system – internal thematic evaluations, external evaluations of individual activities, and external support to international accountability initiatives. The points of convergence between these evaluation processes are unclear, leaving the impression that corporate learning in the humanitarian sector is weak and rather unsystematic. Norway could develop a programme-wide results framework for its forthcoming humanitarian strategy that might bind these individual elements into a corporate learning and accountability framework for humanitarian action. The new humanitarian action strategy is welcome. Norway should develop an implementation plan – including measurable targets and indicators – for the strategy to translate commitments into practice, as well as ensure transparency. Norway should also review and, where necessary adjust, internal systems and processes to ensure the removal of institutional obstacles to the integration of humanitarian objectives within the development co-operation system. In particular, special attention should be paid to ensuring appropriate linkages between humanitarian and development assistance. Norway should review the scope for multi-year funding agreements in order to improve predictability – as well as reduce administrative costs – for key partner agencies (including NGOs). This is not withstanding the high level of flexibility given to humanitarian agencies to allocate resources according to need. Norway should increase efforts to systematise learning and accountability within the humanitarian domain and exploit opportunities to augment in-house evaluation capacity (e.g. through participation in shared and/or joint evaluation exercises). Norway should also seek to better embed quality benchmarks in humanitarian evaluations.

2019-04-25T22:35:48Z

http://www.oecd.org/dac/peer-reviews/norway2008dacpeerreviewofnorway-mainfindingsandrecommendations.htm

Author anyAbbeel, Pieter Abbott, Joshua Abdelaziz, Ahmed HussenAbe, Toshihiko Abecassis, Gonçalo R.Abel, K. A.Aberer, Karl Ablayev, Farid Abramson, Joy Abrash, Victor Absher, Devin Academies, National Research CAcero, Alex Acharya, H. B.Acquisti, Alessandro Adami, Andre Adamo, Jean-Marc Adams, Andrew K.Adams, Oliver Adcock, Aaron B.Adkins, Daniel Adler, Micah Adler, Ilan Adrian, David Afroz, Sadia Agana, Luz Agarwal, D. Agarwal, Rachit Agarwala, Aseem Aggarwal, Pooja Aguilo, Mateu Aharonson, Vered Ahmad, Subutai Ahn, H. S.Ahn, Hyun-Soo Aho, Alfred V.Aivaloglou, Efthimia Ajjanagadde, Venkat Ajmera, Jitendra Ajwani, D. Akbacak, Murat Akella, Aditya Akers, N. K.Akhawe, Devdatta Akita, Kimi Akkus, Istemi EkinAl-Fares, M. Al-Qudah, Zakaria Alaettinoglu, C. Alaou, Ahmed ElAlbanese, Andres Alber, Jochen Albers, Susanne Alberts, David Albrecht, Mario Albrecht, Jeannie Aleliunas, Romas Alfano, Marco Ali, Saad Alimonti, Paola Alizadeh, Mohammad Alizadeh, Farid Alkaff, Hilfi Allan, James Allman, A. Allman, Mark Almeida, L. Almeida, Mario Almeroth, Bjoern Almes, G. Alon, Noga Alpaydin, Ethem Alpernas, Kalev Alt, Helmut Altekar, G. Althaus, Ernst Althoff, Tim Althoff, Klaus-Dieter Altmann, Jörn Alvaro, Peter Alwan, Abeer Alzoubi, Hussein A.Amanatidis, C. Amann, Johanna Ameloot, Tom J.Amengual, Alberto Amidon, Keith Amir, Noam Amir, Eyal Amirshahi, Seyed AliAnand, A. Ananthanarayanan, Ganesh Andeani, G. Andersen, David G.Andershnan, T. Anderson, Philip D.Anderson, Thomas Anderson, David P.Andor, J. Andreas, Jacob Andresen, Melanie Andrew, Lachlan Andrews, Walter Andriluka, Mykhaylo Andrzejak, A. Ang, Jeremy Angelaccio, Michele Anger, Frank D.Angluin, Dana Anguera, Xavier Anguita, Davide Anlauf, Joachim K.Anlauff, Matthias AnonymousAnoosheh, Asha Ansari, Junaid Antoniotti, Marco Aoki, H. Ar, Sigal Aragon-Correa, J. A.Arai, Takayuki Archer, A. Arcia, A. Ares, García Argyraki, Katerina Arianfar, Somaya Arisoy, E. Arkin, Ya'ara Armbrust, Michael Armendariz, Santos Armitage, Grenville Arnold, O. Arnold, M. Arora, Sanjeev Arrigo, Michael Asanović, Krste Ashraf, Khalid Ashraf, Shehzad AliAsif, Danial Assimes, Themistocles L.Atallah, Michelle Atchinson, Kenneth Athineos, Marios Atkins, B. T. S.Atkinson, R. Atlas, Les Atre, Rohit Attardi, Giuseppe Aucinas, Andrius Ausiello, Giorgio Austerweil, Joseph Avendano, Carlos Avila, Pedro C.Avinery, R. Avižienis, Rimas Avrachenkov, K. Avron, Haim Avvenuti, Marco Awada, Ahmad Ayan, Fazil Ayesta, U. Azadi, Samaneh Aziz-Zadeh, Lisa Ba, Sileye Babu, Nithin Bach, Francis Bachrach, Jonathan Bachwani, Reka Bachwani, Rekha Bagci, Faruk Baglietto, Pierpaolo Bailer, W. Bailey, Michael Bailey, David R.Baily, D. Bajaj, Sandeep Bajcsy, R. Baker, Janet M.Baker, Collin FBalachandran, Prakash Balakrishnan, Hari Ball, Eugene Balland, Peter Ballani, Hitesh Ballard, Lucas Ballard, Dana HarryBallinger, D. G.Banchs, Albert Banerjea, Anindo Banerjee, Sujata Bansal, Mohit Bansal, Deepak Baokar, Arjun Baqer, Khaed Bar-On, Ilan Barak, Amnon Baraldi, Andrea Baran, Yael Barford, Paul Barker, Jon Barkowsky, Thomas Baron, A. Baron, Don Barrett, Leon Barron, Jonathan T.Bartal, Yair Bartels, Chris Bartlett, Peter L.Bartolini, Davide B.Baset, Salman Basu, Sujoy Basu, Soumya Baswana, Surender Batch, Kristen Bates, Rebecca Batliner, Anton Battacharyya, S. Batten, Christopher Battenberg, Eric Battiti, R. Baudis, M. Bauer, Hans-Ulrich Baum, E. B.Baumbach, Jan Baumer, Eric P. S.Baumert, J. Baumgartner, Tobias Bayya, Aruna Beame, Paul Beamer, Scott Beaufays, F. Beck, James Becker, Bernd Becker, Nikolaus Beckman, K. B.Beckman, Mary Beekman, Jethro Beer, Joachim Beerenwinkel, Niko Behrendt, Thomas Beigel, Richard Beijbom, Oscar Beilner, Heinz Bell, Owen Bell, Alan Bellovin, Steven M.Ben Simon, Eti Ben-David, Yahel Ben-David, Shai Ben-Dor, Amir Ben-Hur, Asa Ben-Jacob, N. Benitez, C. Bennett, Mike Bensel, Philipp Bensimon, David Berenbrink, Petra Berg, Alexander Berg-Kirkpatrick, Taylor Bergbauer, Julia Bergemann, Dirk Bergen, Benjamin K.Berger, A. Berlekamp, Elwyn Berlin, Brent Berman, Piotr Bermudez-Edo, M. Bernardis, Elena Bernasconi, Anna Bernd, Julia Bernhard, Matthew Bernhardt, Martin Bernini, C. Bertasius, Gedas Berthold, Michael R.Bertoni, Alberto Bettati, Riccardo Bettinson, Matt Bettinson, Mat Bevan, S. Beverly, Robert Bevis, L. Beyer, A. Bezman, Ari Beznosov, Konstantin Bhagat, Sonali Bhandarkar, S. Bhargava, Hemant Bharghavan, Vaduvur Bhatt, Mehul Bhattacharya, Arka A.Bhattacharyya, Subhabrata Bialek, W. Bian, F. Biasca, D. Bidault, Francis Biel, Joan-Isaac Biermann, Alan Bigi, Brigitte Bilmes, Jeff A.Binder, W. Binford, T. O.Bini, Dario Bird, Steven Bird, Sarah Bishara, A. Biswas, Somenath Bittman, Max Black, D. Black, Alan W.Black, Michael Blackwell, Benjamin Blake, C. Blankenberg, S. Blanton, Ethan Blanton, Josh Blasig, Reinhard Blaze, Matt Blelloch, Guy E.Blitzer, J. Blömer, Johannes Blonda, Palma Blum, Manuel E.Blum, Lenore Blumenthal, Marjory S.Boakye, Kofi Boas, Hans C.Bobrow, Daniel Böcking, Stefan Bocklet, Tobias Bockmayr, A. Bodesheim, Paul Bodik, Ras Boecker, S. Boehm, Hans-J. Boehme, Rainer Boerwinkle, E. Boese, Hendrik Böhm, Christoph Böhme, Thomas Böhme, R. Bohnet, Bernd Boite, J. Bolles, B. Bolles, Robert C.Bolosky, William J.Boneh, D. Bonzon, Pierre E.Borges, Nash Borghese, Nunzio AlbertoBorghoff, Uwe M.Bormann, C. 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Chu, Michael Chu, Jerry Chu, Vivian Chu, David Chuang, John Chun, Byung-Gon Chun, Brent Chun, Byun-Gon Chuzhoy, Julia claffy, kc Clark, Russ Clark, David D.Clausen, Michael Clay, Reed D.Clements, Mark Cleve, Richard Clifford, Alexandra Cocchi, Ron Codenotti, Bruno Cohen, Edith Cohen, Jordan Cohen, Michael Cohn, Trevor Coit, J. Coja-Oghlan, A. Cole, Ron Collins, Michael Colmenares, Juan A.Colombetti, Marco Compton, Kevin Conde, Lucia Condie, T. Condon, Anne Conklin, Bruce R.Consolvo, Sunny Consortium, The CARDIoGRAMCook, Peter J.Cook, Richard S.Cook, Henry Cook, G. Cooke, Martin P.Cooper, C. Corley, Jonathan Corrigan, B. Cotton, C. Councill, Isaac G.Covell, Michele Cox, Richard Cox, D. R.Coyne, Bob Crabbe, E. Craig, David W.Cranor, Lorrie FaithCraven, Ryan Crawford, L. E.Cremers, Daniel Crestani, Fabio Creutz, M. 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Saffell, Matthew Sag, Ivan A.Sagayama, Shigeki Sagiv, Mooly Sah, Anurag Sahay, Abhijit Sailer, Reiner Saito, Hiroaki Sajid, Shaarif Saks, Michael Salama, Reda Salamatian, Kave Salamin, H. Salfner, Felix Salomonis, Nathan Saltmarsh, C. Salza, Silvio Salzmann, Mathieu Sami, Rahul Samuel, J. Sanchez, Michelle HewlettSanchez, L. Sánchez, Miguel Sanchez, Juan A.Sander, Thomas Sanders, Keith Sankararaman, Sriram Sano, M. Santaholma, Marianne Santibanez-Koref, Ivan Santos, Jose RenatoSantos, Eunice E.Saon, G. Saraclar, Murat Sargent, Matthew Sarikaya, R. Sarma, Joydeep SenSarolahti, Pasi Satalino, Giuseppe Sato, Hiroaki Sato, Yukionri Satopaa, V. Satzger, Benjamin Sauerwald, Thomas Saunders, Michael A.Saurabh, Saket Saurabh, Ganeriwal Savage, Stefan Savary, Agata Sawhney, Harpreet S.Saxton, Ian Schacher, Jan C.Schädler, Marc RenéSchaefer, Carl Schales, Douglas Schapira, Michael Scharstein, Daniel Schauser, Klaus ErikScheffczyk, Jan Scheffer, Nicolas Scheitle, Quirin Scheler, Gabriele Schenato, L. Scheuvens, Lucas Schiele, Bernt Schill, Alexander Schilling, Malte Schindelhauer, Christian Schirra, Jörg R. J.Schirra, Stefan Schlater, R. Schlink, Sandra Schlinker, Brandon Schmeder, Andrew W.Schmid, Ute Schmid, Thomas Schmidt, Günter Schmidt, Heinz W.Schmidt, Peter Schmidt, F. Schmidt, T. Schmiedeke, Sebastian Schmitt, A. Schmitz, L. Schneider, N. Schneider, Fabian Schneider, Moti Schneider, Nathan Schnitzspan, Paul Schnorr, Claus P.Schoeffmann, K. Scholl, M. Scholz, Ronny Schomp, Kyle Schöndienst, V. Schooler, Eve Schoppmann, F. Schrepfer, M. Schröder-Preikschat, Wolfgang Schryen, Guido Schubert, Frank Schuett, D. Schuff, Norbert Schuller, Björn Schultz, Carl Schultz, T. Schulz, Philipp Schumacher, André Schumacher, Jerry Schwarm, S. Schwartz, Galina Schwartz, Russell Schwarz, Christian Schwarzbauer, H. Schwenk, H. Schweppe, Heinz Schwikowski, Benno Scott, Colin Scott, Keith Scott, Jacob Scott-Railton, John Seehra, A. Segal, Eran Segal, Aaron Segal, Jonathan Segev, Gil Seidel, Martina-Maria Seidel, R. Seifert, Tobias Seissler, J. Sekar, Vyas Semke, Jeffrey Sen, S. Sen, Shayak Sen, Koushik Seneviratne, Suranga Senft, Adam Seppi, Dino Séquin, Carlo H.Serdyukov, P. Seredynski, Franciszek Seshan, Srinivasan Sha, F. Shafran, Z. Shah, Mubarak Shahbaz, Muhammad Shalf, John Shamim, Imran Shamir, Ron Shamma, David A.Shankar, Vaishaal Shankar, Umesh Shannon, Colleen Shapere, Alfred D.Shapira, Michael Shapiro, Vadim Sharan, Roded Shariat, Goli Sharif, Milad Sharma, Nitin Sharma, Kartavya Sharma, Aashish Sharma, Puneet Sharma, Sangita Sharma, Pramod Sharp, C. 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2019-04-18T17:07:06Z

http://www.icsi.berkeley.edu/icsi/biblio?f%5Bauthor%5D=3260

Today is one of my favorite moments in the Catholic church. My family does a Christian Seder. We have a Benjamin Family Haggadah. I make the lamb and the Seder plate. My husband buys the wine for us adults and the grape juice for the kids. He makes sure that we all wear our sandals to dinner. I'm an actor at heart. I get to tell the stories of Moses, Elijah, and Jesus' Last Supper. Passover is about sharing your faith with your family. One of the treasures in my heart is that a tradition that I started alone while I was a single girl in College, is now shared with my husband and my children. I remember the toast that my husband said "Next year in Jerusalem!" the pre-Easter of 2002. He said that toast with such joy and hope a few weeks before he finished graduate school. Today we were coming home from buying the lamb for Passover. My 10 year old son Alex said in the, "Now guys, we have to put the lamb's blood on the door so that I get to save my life!" We'd played April Fool's Day Tricks on each other all day. I shrugged my shoulders and said "Oh, Alex, we don't need to bother with that part anymore." "This year, John is here. We now have an extra boy in case you go." There was a second of pause. Then I said "April Fool's Day! Alex, you are irreplaceable to us!" My son let me tickle his hair. Then five of us let out this beautiful laugh in the car. "This year, John is here!" For the first time in 10 years Alex won't be the only son at the Passover table. The gift of Baby John is amazing. We finally had a son who lived. It's the yearly tradition of Passover that lets us all take those mental snapshots and rejoice in the changes of our family. Last night we read about the Last Supper from Matthew. "And he reclined at table." I took a second out to explain that in Ancient Roman times people sat on couches when they ate dinner. My almost First Communion Recipient said "Mom, the picture is wrong!" She meant the Leonardo da Vinici painting of the Last Supper. I told her that she was right! That painting was made by an artist almost 1500 years after the Last Supper and his best guess about the table wasn't very accurate. We also talked about how silly it was to have all 13 guests sit on only one side of the table. Maria and I decided to look it up today and draw our own version of the Last Supper. In my 7 year old's eyes, this image for the Last Supper is wrong. This image for the Last Supper is right. I love the comparison of the two. The second table seems really intimate. It feels like getting to hang out with Jesus at a Slumber Party. It's also so shocking that Judas lied to Jesus right inside his personal space. "Surely, not I Rabbi?" My family had a lot of fun joking around about other possible ways Jesus could have answered Judas. "You've hung out with me for 3 years. You've seen me heal the blind and get dead people talk! What else do I need to do to convince you that I am the Son of God!" Today we will celebrate the Last Supper with a Christian Seder at home. I hope to go pray at Adoration tonight. We have lonely Good Friday, and quiet Easter Saturday, and then the joy of Easter Vigil. Why I'm Grateful My Baby Has Colic! I have a baby with colic. Actually, my little man has "infant acid reflux." I call it colic when I talk to other people because "my little baby has heartburn" really does not do justice to the amount of stress this condition puts on me as a Mom. My baby is on anti-reflux medication. I'm so grateful that I was a strong advocate for him. After only a month of medication, his weight jumped up from the almost dangerous 15% on the average infant growth chart to 85%. His medication is working. My son has flipped from turning so red and mad that he was burning off most of his caloric intact each day to now merely being a crabby baby who refuses to nap and violently vomits over all of his clothing. This is my sixth time having a child with a variant of this condition. My son is one of our worse cases of infant acid reflux, but I've certainly been here before as a Mom. (We think it's genetic.) Because I've been here before I know that no medicine, no sleep position, no special infant sling, etc is going to help me reduce my son's pain level to zero. I work with my doctor to help monitor my son's reflux. However, I'm done searching for a magic cure. My son will always spend a part of the day crying loud, awful cries. As his Mom, it will always hurt my heart to hear him in pain. This is our life together until he reaches 8 or 9 months and that little immature swallowing apparatus finally starts working better. The thing about colic is that it exposes every single weakness that I have as a human being. ("I thought I was a nice person until I had a kid with colic" could be a Tee Shirt Slogan for me.) For the other two kids who had this condition in an extreme way, the colic period has scared me to death. "What can I do to stop it? When is it going to be over?" As a more experience Mom, I know that this stage will pass. So instead of getting obsessed with "Make this stop now!" or "Why doesn't my baby always have to be the hard one?" I'm developing a resigned patience. If I want delightful, funny, sensitive, and artistic kids with my tall husband--then I get babies with sensitive digestive tracts. I can't have the joy of one without the pain of the other. The thing about having a baby with colic is that situation strips me naked. There is no hiding from myself. Every flaw in my marriage, in my housekeeping, in my homeschooling, in my parenting, in my prayer life--every sinful habit that I have gets magnified when I'm walking around without sleep and either twitching because I hear my baby crying in his crib upstairs or terrified that my slightest movement will wake him up in my arms. For 12 years and 5 babies, I kept focusing on healing the baby. "If the baby stops crying, then I'll feel less stress and become a nicer person." Now, I think "the only solution I've got is to become more holy myself." I'm a little freaked out finishing Lent this exposed. I know what sinful stuff I need to work on. My husband knows what sinful stuff I need to work on. My older kids know what sinful stuff I need to work on. My Catholic prayer friends know what sinful stuff I need to work on. What I'm grateful for is the virtue of humility. When I'm this low, I have no choice but to work on the really broken parts of myself. Right now, I'm healing the parts of myself that were broken before age 6. It's awesome because whenever I patch up something this deep, I can see the results really fast in so many areas of my life all at once. Getting this low is embarrassing, but it's effective. I joked with one of my friends this week. "Isn't Motherhood wonderful? There is a Miraval Resort in Tuscon, Arizona, where people pay thousands of dollars to get the same life lessons that we learn practically overnight, for free!" I mean that comparison to Miraval Resort in a very concrete way. To survive four more months of colic, I have to learn how to cook better. I have to improve my diet. I have to exercise more. I have to ask my husband for a neck massage at the end of the day after holding our son for 12 hours. I have to rebuild my self-esteem, re-evaluate my Faith, and learn how to better manage stress in the moment. All my efforts at self-improvement were optional before. Now my self-improvement feels CRITICAL. That is why I'm grateful for my son's colic. That is why I'm grateful for a hard Lent. It's so easy to drift into complacency as an adult. "Oh, I'm a good enough person for God!" As much as I hate Rock Climbing the Spiritual Mountain for God, it's good for me. Jesus, thank you for dying for my sins. Help me to better slug off my sloth and work harder for the Kingdom of God! "The Catholic take is notice Peter!" and "Remember the Book is Always Better!" Can't wait to watch this on TV with my family on Easter Sunday! It's the last few days of Lent! What a spiritual workout! I'm full of gusto this Monday after a thrilling Palm Sunday Mass. I hope to work hard with all my until Easter Vigil. "He shall purify the sons of Levi!" sings the choir with Handel's Messiah Chorus. Purification comes from prayer, fasting and almsgiving. That is my special work during Lent. Yesterday was my daughter's 12th Birthday. It was also the Feast of the Annunciation. I had a kind of "double vision" throughout the day. I went through the normal events of the day. At certain moments, I could see things with "God vision". It felt stunning and overwhelming. My daughter was conceived at a time when I was preparing for my first trial as an attorney. Trials are the high point of training to be a litigator. Trials are also exceedingly rare. Almost all cases settle well before trial. I had waited 2 years after law school to get a chance to be "first chair" at a trial. Most of my friends outside of public interest law had to wait 5 years to handle their first trial. What I remember most about preparing for trial is looking at the clock in my office. At soon as the clock hit 7 PM, I would make myself leave my desk. It felt like a physical struggle. There were piles and piles of evidence on my desk that I felt all needed to be neatly organized and labeled for my trial notebook. No matter what felt like it was still "undone", I obeyed the clock. "I need to have dinner with Jon tonight!" I told myself. "We're trying to have a baby!" For two weeks, I worked really hard at prepping for my first trial. But I always came home for dinner. I ate my husband's excellent stir fry and then we had fun making out as newlyweds. I looked at my daughter in the kitchen the other day and the memory of watching the clock in my old attorney's office came back to me. I heard a quiet thought in my heart say "Good thing you put first things first!" I felt stunned. It would have been so easy for me to have missed the conception of this child. I was in the middle of my first trial. I had worked through 3 years of law school and 2 years of firm life for that moment. Nothing in my family of origin had prepared me to put my vocation as a wife ahead of my career dreams. I couldn't even explain in words why I was drawn to having my first child at age 27. The whole thing was a mystery. The only thing I can point to is that six weeks beforehand I became a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Good thing you put first things first! I could have missed out on my daughter. What is a spunky, funny, beautiful, unique human soul compared to a few days of showing off my lawyer skills inside a courthouse? There is no comparison. I don't know what other things I'm missing out on in my current daily life by trading the less than perfect "God's will" things for the more important "God's will things". I'm sure its a lot. Good thing you put first things first. God, I want to do more of that! Please help me better follow you this Easter Season! "The Angel Gabriel was sent to the virgin Mary, who was engaged to be married to Joseph." Gotta love those Gospel writers! What brevity! But what happened exactly? What was Mary doing right before the Angel appeared to her? What did he look like? How did she feel? How could the most important event in human history happen inside an ordinary, rather shabby, house and to a girl most likely under age 15? The Annunciation of Our Lord! A quiet moment with endless depth. Mary, the Mother of God, pray for us! St. Gabriel, pray for us! Question for Lent: Have I Been A Good Friend to Myself? My third child had her First Confession this Lent. Our two parish priest did such a beautiful job leading a community penance service that appeals to both second graders and their parents. For his homily, the priest lead us in a meditation on this painting by the artist Rembrandt. For the Examination of Conscience, the Priest had us look deeply into 3 basic questions. Am I being a good friend to God? Am I being a good friend to others? Am I being a good friend to myself? I was shocked at how badly I failed at being a good friend to myself. Lack of exercise. Perfectionism (a failure to be patient with myself). Lack of time to develop my talents and nourish friendships outside my family. After that experience, I started paying more attention to self-care and my own nourishment. This morning I did a good job on quiet prayer. I ate a real breakfast. I gave myself extra time to do my hair, put on lipstick and change my earrings. After the good example of the nuns of St. Emma's, I focused on doing one small, achievable domestic task at a time. When my 3 year old and 4 year old started fighting at the breakfast table, I easily had mental space to help coach them through their disagreement. The three of us didn't just solve a one time problem. We affirmed a system of how to approach a breakdown in the social contract. I turned back to doing the dishes in utter shock. It's so easy to be a good parent after I take time for myself. I go to CODA meetings every week. I hear a legacy of painful family memories passed down for generations. I wonder now if the pain of codependency is as simple as a generational legacy of a lack of self-care. It is good to care for God. It is good to care for others. I also have a responsibility to take care of myself--especially in the cause of chronic illness (infant reflux) and chronic "there is always a needy toddler in my life". I love Lent! I love coming home to Christ again and again. I love always finding an easier way to do his work with greater joy. St. Joseph, the worker, prayer for us! (For my daughter's First Confession, my parish priest just held up a copy of this painting and helped us experience it deeply for a few minutes. I can't imagine a more beautiful way to encourage more people to experience the joy of reconciliation with God. I love priests that are so connected to Beauty. It was such a St. Bernardino of Sienna moment. (We love him dearly because he is the patron saint of graphic designers, my husband's profession). One of the things I learned while hanging out with the Benedictine Sisters is to appreciate how hard they work. Every single task they do is with God---Singing in Church, Setting the Table, Greeting a Guest. Since I've been home, I've up my work output significantly. Even when I'm tired, even when I'm crappy. I get out of the cozy bedroom that I've been hanging out for five months with my newborn and I do the yucky grunt work that has been mostly gathering dust since I went on bed rest in September. To my shock, I've found that once I get over the painful start of "Oh my goodness, its been another night of no sleep", I do feel better after I get some small tasks accomplished. Work is restful. More restful, than sitting still and watching TV, drinking coffee, reading the internet, or complaining about how little sleep I get with a newborn in my house. It doesn't make any sense to me that small amounts of proper, focused work for God can make me feel better than totally relaxing after a hard night with my baby. I've starting calling this God paradox "refueling in midair." Work is prayer. Prayer is rest. The Benedictine Sisters taught me to "work at prayer, and pray during work." In Tennis, it's always better to play tennis with someone significantly better than you. I think that principle applies also to the spiritual life. Whenever I hang out with someone significantly higher than me on the spiritual plane, I am so excited. I feel like I come back to my regular life with six new power serves. Thank you Benedictine's for being a place of focus and encouragement in the world! Easter Sunday is coming! There is a fantastic way to continue our Lenten Journey of Faith using mainstream TV. NBC will air "AD: The Bible Continues" at 9 PM on Sunday, April 5, 2015. This 12 part TV series is enthusiastically supported by the US Catholic Bishops. There is a book by Mike Aquilina called "AD Ministers and Martyrs" which outlines the lives and sacrifices of 1st Century Christians. There is also an official Catholic Viewer's Guide to this series. Put this 12 part TV series on your families' calendar! Be prepared to host your family's spiritual development on Sunday night. Get some snacks. Have some books on the table for both children and adults. Get out your Bible. Be inspired! We are a part of God's Easter Message of Hope! There can't be any better way to move forward in 2015, than to spend an hour being reminded of our ancient church's thrilling early history. How Do I Love St. Joseph, Let Me Count The Ways! There is a St. Joseph statue still buried in the frozen ground outside my home for the house sale that didn't happen last December. The statute came from my Mother-in-law, who house sold in an impossible small town market a few months after she unexpectedly became a widow. My Mother-in-law is not a big Catholic. To talk to her about her belief in God and the Saints is a rare delight. Even my Mom trusts St. Joseph to help sell a house. We got her package in the mail and buried her "lucky" St. Joseph statute underneath our For Sale Sign in the front yard. After 10 months of hard work, our dream about changing states fell apart a few days before Christmas. In January, I took the For Sale sign out of our yard. I marked the place where the St. Joseph statute sat with a big rock. My husband and I talked about the fact that so many people we knew sold their house quickly after we asked St. Joseph to look after them. Yet for us, our home sale not only didn't happen as expected, but got delayed 2 to 3 years. This thing that happened to me increased my trust in St. Joseph. Prayers to St. Joseph are not "magic." I don't just pray to St. Joseph for cash, for help with bill, or for a new house. St. Joseph reminds me that "All things work for the good for those that love God." Sometimes St. Joseph helps me gain what I want to with prayer. Often, a St. Joseph prayer changes me. I learn how to be more patient, more humble and a greater lover of poverty. The Scott Hahn book, Joy to the World, changed my theology of St. Joseph last year. I no longer call St. Joseph a "foster father." He did not contribute biologically to Christ. Yet he was in every other sense of the world Christ's true "father." St. Joseph raised Christ, he protected him, he provided him and he loved him. I love the church statues by the alter that have Mary, Our Lady alone and prayerful, and St. Joseph holding a toddler Jesus. St. Joseph often holds Jesus up to his cheek in love and shows him a lily. I am reminded of the Old Testament reading "Oh, how I have loved you. I was like one who held up infants to my cheeks." Jesus Christ, our brother, gave the whole church his mother. He also gave us his Father on Earth, St. Joseph. We can turn to St. Joseph in times of financial uncertainty for help. We can also ask St. Joseph to pray for us when the daily grind gets boring and for a happy death. Oh St. Patrick, How I love you! I had the grace to travel to Ireland a few weeks after my entrance into the Catholic Faith thirteen years ago. It was crazy cool to be thinking about St. Patrick and all the great Irish saints as a new infant in Christ. I'll be eating my corn beef with joy tonight and telling my kids about what I learned about Ireland. St. Patrick, bishop of courage and love, pray for us! I went on a Silent Carmel Retreat last weekend at a Benedictine Monastery. It was glorious! It was so hard for me to leave the baby. (I've got a colicky 4 month old who nurses almost every 20 minutes on rough days). I almost backed out a few times before going on the retreat, but I'm so happy that I went. I had this major breakthrough with the gift of Silence. St. Elizabeth of the Trinity talks about this "humming" that she hears in the middle of Silence in a monastery. The Silence is actually "full" of activity, joy and love. I read that description at a Carmelite retreat four years ago and thought "What she is talking about?" The three times I did a Silent retreat before the Silence felt like "work." I had to work to remember not to talk. Always before the Silence felt a little lonely and barren. I thought that Silence was like a "Fast" from talking. This time the Silence felt amazing. The Silence felt so full of beauty and possibility. I knew what work I was supposed to do in the monastery, and I did it. I felt really close to God. There were questions deep in my subconscious that I didn't even know were bothering me. So many little rough patches in my life got fixed during the retreat. It's hard to describe how close I felt to my fellow Carmelites in my community. Loving them in silence made every interaction so free and easy. For example, there was an elderly man named Bill who read a spiritual book in an empty dining room at 6:30 AM on Saturday morning. I'd been alone in my cell (an individual bedroom) for the past 12 hours. Bill is a quiet guy who I don't know well from a year of shared Carmel meetings. Yet when I saw him reading in the dining room after all that beautiful, exciting time of solitude I thought "There's Bill!" When I went to the dining room, I signed up to set the tables for breakfast. There were 66 people there at the retreat. So as I was doing the soothing, repeated task of laying out 66 place settings, I felt this connection to my Carmelite brother Bill. I thought "There's Bill! He's talking to God! I'm setting the table for God!" All of this connection and wordless support flowed through me without me saying anything. While I was setting the table in the monastery I thought "I wish I could do this in my own house!" When I asked if we could go 30 minutes a week without talking to each other, but loving each other in Silence, my husband's eyes got bright! My poor husband! I'm such a natural chatterbox. I make the mistake of thinking that if I'm constantly talking to him, I'm establishing greater emotional intimacy. Meanwhile, I think he's got the idea that what makes us close is much deeper than our shared conversation. I'm excited that experiencing more Silence at home, can radically help my prayer life. Jesus, he doesn't need my words. Or he likes my words, but Jesus thirsts for something deeper. Jesus wants my heart! I think I'll gradually be more calm and patient with my prayer life (which is intangible) if I spend more time practicing silence with the tangible love of my life, my husband. I'm so grateful for the Sisters at St. Emma's. I only spoke once out loud at the first introduction and heard the Mother Superior speak twice. Yet I feel like I have seven more Aunts in my corner! I can't wait to write to them all about the little individual details of myself and my family. A good nun has space in her heart to love you! It feels so good to be adored, encouraged and strengthened. Pope Francis has made this the year of Consecrated Life. He's asked us to send letters to all the Religious Sisters and Brothers that we know in 2015. My children and I have resolved to touch base with all of our friends in Religious Life and also to make an effort to make new friends this year. I'm so grateful to so many Sisters who have given me encouragement on this spiritual path! St. Benedict and St. Scholastica, pray for us! This Easter give the gift of music to your children and First Communion recipients! The award winning British Boy Choir has a new CD/DVD, a PBS special and a US Tour for their new album, "Angels Sing-Libera in America." Libera is an amazing choir who has sung everywhere. Libera sang at the Papal Mass at Yankee Stadium, the Kennedy Center Honors, and (my husband's favorite sign of a good band) on the Tonight Show. The choir has a five city Easter Tour, including a concert in Washington DC on April 2, 2015 at the Warner Theater. The other concert cities are Boston, San Antonio, Chicago and Atlanta. Buy tickets here! If you can't get to a Libera Easter Concert, (or the thought of combining your young children with classical music makes you cringe) you can still enjoy some beautiful hymns inside your own home. Libera has a newly released DVD and CD called Angels Sing- Libera in America. The Libera DVD was filmed live at 2014 concert inside of the National Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Washington DC. The lush combination of 40 clear children's voices with a live orchestra against the backdrop of one of the most beautiful churches in North America can't be missed. I was so pleased to see the wide range of hymns included in this concert. So often my beautiful church music CDs are limited only to Christmas music. This DVD includes; "How Can I Keep From Singing?", "Ave Maria", and "How Great Thou Art." I played the DVD for my 2 year old and 4 year old whose musical tastes are pretty much limited only to tunes from the Frozen soundtrack. My 2 year old said spontaneously "I love this music!" My 4 year old was initially shocked that their were no girls in the choir. (Yes, that's what a boy choir means!) However, she listened to the rest of the concert attentively and quietly. My two girls got through 3 songs peacefully with me, which is pretty much equal to a standing ovation from the preschool set. I often fill up children's Easter baskets with so much junk. This Libera DVD is truly "candy for my ears!" There is something beautiful and instantly uplifting about hearing a hymn. I'm keeping this DVD in the DVD player for the rest of Lent. This choir DVD is such a feast for my eyes and my ears, it is an easy way to get a more prayerful attitude in my life. "She who sings prays twice!" I hope other families are able to experience the beautiful music inside the jewel of a setting that is our Washington DC landmark, the National Basilica. The Libera DVD is going for $14.99 on Amazon. The CD is also $14.99 and MP3 is $9.49. There is also a chance to buy the songs individually for 99 cents each. Many thanks to Allied Faith & Family who helped me review this DVD. If any readers go to a Libera choir concert, please send me an email. I'd love to publish a review about how this great choir sounds in person! Today's Daily Office talks about the Samaritan woman drawing water and her astonishing conversation with the son of God, Jesus. St. Augustine wants us to put ourselves into the story. The Samaritan woman isn't just some random historical figure, she is also a modern day "us." Earlier this week, I made a critique of a new book by Catholic author Bill Donohue. It's not easy to disagree with another Catholic in public, especially someone who is famous and well known. Today's reading gives me courage. In the Mass reading on Sunday, we hear "Jesus did not need to be instructed on human nature. He knew it well." Jesus was not shocked by the Samaritan woman's poor behavior before this meeting at the well. Despite knowing her ugly past and sinful present, Jesus invites her to join him in a conversation. Conversation with God = a conversion. I'm really guilty of taking too relaxed an attitude with my prayer life. I'm convinced that I can't pray over a colicky baby or that other urgent household need should be handled first. The two year old will wake up early and after I attend to her needs, I never get back on track with my prayer routine. Or my husband is home for a rare peaceful weekend morning, and I feel self conscious leaving his company to go pray. St. Augustine reminds me today that my prayer life isn't optional. It's as critical as getting water from the well for my family. Before indoor plumbing, getting water from a well was a daily task. Carrying water was hard work. It was messy. It didn't feel good. Yet it was critical for survival. My prayer life is a conversation with God and one that will have a hidden result, a conversion of my heart. Last week was a tough week for me. We had another blizzard in Washington DC. My baby has colic. By Saturday morning, I felt super irritable and resentful. So I went to confession. My priest was there with so much love and compassion for me, much like Jesus at the well. He reminded me that if I want to change my sin of anger, I need to change the conversation inside my own head. "Anger comes from unmet expectations," he said. "If you want to stop being resentful, flip your thoughts to gratitude." My kid's favorite Lego Movie quote is "Believe! I know that sounds like a cat poster, but it is true!" That movie line seems to fit so perfectly here. It seems so impossible that a quick conversation about sin inside a confessional could turn me around, but its true. It happened. The sacraments are powerful places of grace. St. Augustine's quote reminds me that my conversations with Jesus will bear supernatural fruit. Conversation = conversion. I'm encouraged to keep going deeper in prayer this Lent. May we all travel well on our individual faith journeys and meet in a calmer and more peaceful place this Lent. Book Review: Bill Donohue's "The Catholic Advantage: Why Health, Happiness, and Heaven Await the Faithful" Bill Donohue's new book, "The Catholic Advantage: Why Health, Happiness, and Heaven Await the Faithful," proves an uneven read. The book's sweeping scope includes political theories, sociological reports, and medical studies to show how religious practices help Catholics live a better, longer, and healthier life. Some parts of Donohue's book are brilliant! Chapter Four, "Coping With Anxiety" is the most concise explanation of redemptive suffering that I've read in six years of studying to become a Third Order Carmelite. Reading this chapter reminded me of spending three weeks with a sick newborn inside Children's National Hospital. My husband and I were physically isolated and yet hundreds of messages of encouragement were posted to this blog. I held our sick daughter while my husband read out loud every new comment as it posted. I experienced the bonds of community, which Donohue mentions in his book, as extending far beyond the ritual "sharing of the peace" during Mass. Donohue has a gift for finding clever quotes that stick a pin into matters of deep theology. For example, he quotes a former Hollywood actress, named Dolores Hart, who once kissed Elvis onscreen and yet quit her career as an actress at its peak in order to became a contemplative nun. "You can't find happiness putting another fancy dress on. Happiness comes when you find someone that you really love, that you can really give your life to." (page 129). Donohue is at his best when he describes the rich interior life of priests and nuns. Yet Donohue's description of the secular worldview disintegrates into an ugly "us" versus "them" mentality. Donohue criticizes Hollywood actors for their poor life decisions with an incredible force. Drug addiction and suicide seem to be at the top of Donohue's "Thank God, I'm not a tax collector!" list. In a weird twist, I found Donohue's chapter on the war crimes committed by Hitler, Pol Pot and Stalin to be written with a less judgmental tone than his paragraphs about the accidental drug overdose deaths of Heath Ledger and Philip Seymour Hoffman. Donohue's central argument misses the messy parts of a more open and gentle worldview. The saint and the sinner coexist to different degrees inside all of us. Religion is more than a set of useful practices or mantras picked up like a self-help book. Faith is a gift! My takeaway from this book is that there is a lot of objective proof that my faith journey is good for me. Thank you Bill! Yet the invitation I have for this author extends to all of us Catholics this Lent. We don't need to sell our Catholic faith, we need to live it! For more book reviews check out the Catholic Advantage Blog Tour from March 3 to March 9th here. On March 5, author Bill Donohue will be a guest on Raymond Arroyo on EWTN at 8 PM EST. "[Jesus] also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and regarded others with contempt: "Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax-collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, was praying thus, "God, I thank you that I am not like the other people: thieves, rogues, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector. I fast twice a week; I give a tenth of all my income" But the tax-collector, standing far off would not even look up to heaven, but was beating his breast and saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" I tell you, this man went down to his home justified rather than the other; for all who exalt themselves will be humbled, but all who humble themselves will be exalted." A Novel Response to "You've Got Your Hands Full!" Today is the feast of Saint Casimir, a Polish prince from the Middle Ages. I was surprised to find that the most famous painting of him in Krakow depicts him with two right hands. Art historians can't decide if its an accident (caused by fading paint) or an intentional decision by the painter. Whoever the cause, the result is pretty cool! The first time I started my novice training in Carmel, my instructor said "No one is ever going to print you a Thank You Note in the Church Bulletin for completing your quiet prayer time, but you still need to do it!" I assumed that idea also applied to canceling church volunteer projects in order to attend to the needs of my individual family. Yet here is the actual email correspondence with my priest last week. Setting: There is a desperate need for volunteers to take the Eucharist to our local hospital. This once a year training meetings has sat on my calendar for 3 months. Fifteen minutes before I am supposed to leave, I finally accept that my four month old son is not going to cooperate that day. I wrote my parish priest the following email. Sorry, I had to cancel my plans to attend your Hospital Ministry today. I have a colicky newborn son who won't settle today. I believe I'll need to postpone my involvement in this service for at least six months because my son is pretty unpredictable and has high needs. In the meantime, I'll have lots of opportunity to pray and offer up sacrifices for this ministry. Thank you for all your work in bringing Hope to the sick. Glory be to Jesus Christ! You have chosen well. Your vocation should come before your apostolate. Prayer is important! As Tennyson wrote: "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of." May God bless you and your family!" Knock me over with a feather! When does someone THANK me for putting my high needs baby ahead of filling a spot in a thin volunteer schedule? But it's right. There is a orderly process for service work (or charity, as we call it in Catholic lingo). If you have some hidden act of service in your life that is keeping you from signing up for volunteer projects that you want to do and getting your name printed in the Thank You Box of the church bulletin, please consider this post as your personal thank you note! Thank you for keeping things in their correct order! Don't get discouraged. When you have a prayerful heart, you are connected to the whole world. Remember that "more things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of."

2019-04-22T00:43:33Z

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A comment from Kirsten Whitehouse on the sunny Friday was somewhat ominous and, as it turned out, entirely correct, “tomorrow mainly running…in snow,” although it was not until I left the house that I became aware of the weather we would be training in. It made no difference to me because I had already decided to wear a hat and gloves, and I ran the 2.5 kilometres through the falling snow down to the museum car park at Verulamium Park, arriving just before Tony drove up. We agreed it was very cold as we waited for anyone else to turn up. Rebecca Cohen would not be joining us as she was feeling ill – she had made a very wise decision ! The clock was ticking towards 0720… Kirsten arrived at 0721, protesting her innocence, but Tony had been watching the time since he got here. Robert Boarder was late for the second week in a row, this time by two minutes, and Steven Lamb arrived a minute later. Tony had already checked that there was a suitable puddle available for lay downs, and as we picked up 3 wrec bags and a log (a different log to last week, which you can read about here) between us and set off, I presumed we were just heading to the puddle, so I started my Garmin and slotted in behind the others, just walking to the puddle. However, they carried on straight past the puddle, so I was already struggling to keep up ! We ran down the main path which runs from the museum car park beside the football pitches, going past the playground and the Adizone before cutting across the grass to the woods beside the Roman wall. There 5 of us, 3 wrec bags and 1 log, so Steven was not heading into the bushes to quickly relieve himself before we set off, he was actually looking for something to carry, and came out with a big slice of wood which looked more like a crocodile than anything else because of its bark, and especially when Steven had it lying on his shoulder. Tony set out the plan – we would be running the lap we all knew very well by now, up through the woods and down the boundary on the outside of the woods, which is around 1 kilometre. We would run 1 lap, then 1 lap with a carry; run 2 laps, then 2 laps with a carry; run 3 laps, then 3 laps with a carry. The ground was muddy and wet in the woods, making running very difficult for me. I definitely need to invest in a new pair of trail running shoes. I am more used to running this loop the other way round, and it certainly poses different difficulties in this direction, running up through the tracks in the woods. Which is not to say that running down the outside of the woods is any easier than running up, and especially not this morning in the cold wind. My gloves were doing nothing to keep out the wind, and while my hat was keeping my head warm, my face was cold and my eyes were watering. I kept going as well as I could, and, of course, it all got much harder when I had to carry something. The light wrec bag had gone by the time I got back to the start, and thankfully the crocodile had also disappeared. I picked up the remaining sandbag and set off, pretty much at walking pace. The footing was even more uncertain now that I was holding an external weight which was affecting my balance. I did keep going, though, and Rob and Tony only passed me as I was coming to the final stretch of my second lap, which I definitely took as a win. The next time Rob passed me he told me the session had changed so that we would only be carrying for one lap in between the unloaded runs. As it turned out, that made absolutely no difference to me because by the time I came around for my second carry, my hands were so frozen that I could not pick up the wrec bag, let alone contemplate carrying it for a kilometre. Of course, it was not only the cold which was having this detrimental affect on my hands and fingers, but also the physical position of carrying the bag, with my arms bent and my hands up at my shoulder level, which was draining the blood from them. Steven passed me as I finished my third lap, and Kirsten caught up with me as I started out on what would be my final lap. Overall, I was happy with that performance right now. As I came down to the finish of that final lap I saw Tony, Rob and Kirsten walking towards the football pitches to make their way to the car park. I began to cut over to them before Tony told me to get to the end of the lap first, so I curved back to the end and then ran over to join them. I took one of the wrec bags to carry back and we all looked out for Steven and the crocodile. At one point we thought we saw him coming down the slope on the outside of the woods, but nobody appeared further down, so Tony went off to find him. The three of us continued, walking back through the somewhat amazed stares of the crowd awaiting the start of the St Albans parkrun. The weather had made it a very tough session, and I had covered 8.35 kilometres, which I would consider to be tough in itself at the moment. Tony and Rob had covered 10.89 kilometres, and Steven and Kirsten had covered somewhere in between. More to the point, Steven got Kirsten with a snowball. Coach Tony Leary got straight to the point this week, “Fancying a hill based session on Sunday, maybe a bit of bridge action too – can only mean 1 place!! Aldenham- meet at the church at 7:20 for a 7:30 start” and that suited me just fine. My running has been coming along well over the last few weeks and adding in some hills will only help that. The bridge would also present an excellent challenge to measure progress in other areas over those last few weeks. I was collected by Rebecca Cohen at 0645, we picked up Kirsten Whitehouse (on time) on our way over, and everything was going very well until we encountered our first obstacle – the police had closed off the road because of something serious just out of view. Tony had parked up just off the main road and we followed him on an alternative route. At one point he went past a junction we needed to take, so we ended up in front of him, which was good because it meant we could not be any later than him, and I was certainly prepared to use that as a defence and mitigation against any river burpees. Parking restrictions have come into force since I was last here, so instead of being able to park between 0730 and 0900 on a Sunday morning at the top of the track we run down, we now have to park outside of the village church. You can guess the potential complications with that one. We do ensure we park as close to each other as possible to take up as little space as we can. Daniel Spears was already parked up, Steven Lamb arrived shortly after us, and very soon we were all ready to go. It was a cold, dry morning, with the wind certainly adding to the coldness, and I wisely wore a pair of gloves, as did everyone else. We would be carrying lengths of rope with us to use at the bridge, but after Tony had handed them all out, sadly there were none left for me to carry. We ran away from the church and down the road, getting onto a track as soon as it appeared, for the moment following our usual route down to the main area we train in here. We stopped at a gate for calf stretches and a totally natural, completely not even slightly posed photograph, and I took over the rope carrying duty from Kirsten. We headed off to the left, which was a different direction for me, and if I had thought the tracks we had run down were wet, it was nothing compared to the waterlogged ground we were soon running over. The group had naturally split into Tony, Dan and Steven; Rebecca and Kirsten; and me, and now, as Rebecca and Kirsten turned right into the woods, I heard Tony shouting that they had gone the other way, and I cut into a gap to see them on the other side of a bridge. We proceeded to cross it in a number of different ways, none of which were simply walking across it, and one of which, from Kirsten, is probably banned in a number of countries worldwide. Tony had had enough by now and we set off running again, across wet, muddy fields, before crossing the river, on a wooden bridge this time, which was more than a bit dodgy on the far side. It looked like it could have been one of the obstacles from Tough Guy. Who needs a bridge ? Not that we actually needed it, because now Tony took us from one bank to the other, going through the knee-deep river, zigzagging there and back again, before we pushed on, and those at the front found another water obstacle to loop through as those at the back caught up, until finally we arrived at our usual bridge. My legs had definitely felt tired and stiff getting here, but I was happy that my feet and toes did not feel too cold despite the river crossings – the Inov8 socks are working very well for me. Kirsten was not able to do much running today, so she stayed behind to attach the ropes to the bridge, while the rest of us made a run to the hills. Tony explained something completely different to anything we had done on this section before, and maybe it was my fatigue but it simply did not compute with me at all. Everyone else seemed clued up, so off we went with Dan leading the way, as he carried straight on past the point where we should have turned to go down into a ditch… It was steep going down and so much steeper trying to come up and out of it. I got near the top after a big effort and slipped back to almost half way, wondering if I would ever actually get out. Forget hill repeats, it felt like I was going to be lucky to even see the hill at this rate. I moved further over to the left and found more branches and debris to help me, finally making it out and being able to get back to the main track to continue my stumble up the hill. The climb out of the ditch had been very energy sapping and I was pushing to get any sort of upward movement as the hill loomed ahead of me, and now my hands were cold through my gloves. I definitely need better gloves for winter OCR stuff. Coming down the hill presented its own set of problems as my foot grip was hardly worth mentioning and any sort of pace saw me rushing headlong towards a tree trunk or some bracken. I have worn my current running shoes into the ground (literally) and my kit wishlist just keeps growing. I got to the bottom, did 10 push-ups, climbed over the gate and did another set of 10, before heading off on the loop again. This time as I neared the bottom of the ditch and was looking for a way up, Tony shouted at me to go further to the left, to pre-rig the obstacle, and, of course, he was right. The next couple of times getting out of the ditch were still a hard effort for me, but much easier than the first time. Everyone else was bombing up and down the hill, and Kirsten joined us as we were some way into it. The next time I passed Tony he told me to call this my last lap and begin the run round to the bridge. I followed the track, and as I approached the bridge everyone else appeared from other routes. Everyone was getting ready for the bridge crossings when suddenly Kirsten spotted blood. I had not realised I had grazed my knee until she pointed it out. It was very much only a flesh wound (if that !), but that was not going to stop me hamming it up, wiping a streak of blood down my cheek as photographs were taken. Getting back to serious matters, I had not got near the water yet and my fingers were already freezing. I could see that Kirsten had attached the 4 ropes along the bridge, to allow a J-lock traverse on the ropes from one end of the bridge to the other. That sort of move is still beyond me for the moment, so instead I climbed along the outer edge of the bridge, which was hard enough, given the state of my fingers. To keep us warm (as if) Tony added in a run from the far side of the bridge to the top of hill and back, and once everyone had had enough fun trying not to dip in the water while hanging from the ropes, we began the run back to the cars for bacon rolls and pancakes from Rebecca, before clearing the cars out of the way of the morning church congregation, and heading home to get ready for an afternoon bouldering session at The Arch in Burnt Oak, Edgware. I had covered 8.5 kilometres, Dan had covered 9.6 kilometres, and everyone else had covered somewhere in between. It had been a tough session, and had given me a very good idea of where I am with my fitness and OCR ability right now. You can read about the first session at Greenwood Park here. You can read about the Greenwood Park circuit here. You can read about the Greenwood Park pyramid here. Reading those blogs will fill in the gaps from this one, which built on those previous three sessions. Coach Tony Leary had spoken, and we were going back to Greenwood Park for my fourth time, which I did not have an issue with at all because I had really enjoyed what we had been doing there these last few weeks. Once again I was very fortunate to get a lift from Rebecca Cohen, who picked me up at 0700, on a very mild, dry morning. Which was nice, because it had clearly rained overnight. I brought my gloves with me, just in case, and in the end did not wear them. Ray was back ! After a few weeks’ absence, it was good to see Ray Fletcher already parked up in the car park as we arrived, and Steven Lamb was also already here. Tony arrived just after us, and then Robert Boarder. We carried the jerry cans, the beer keg and the heavy sandbag over to the other side of the big red climbing frame, ready for the carries in the circuit, and as we left the playground to get started on our warm up run, I saw a new sign which seems to indicate that not everyone is happy to see us here. Anyway, we set off on a long boundary run, following the path of the North Orbital Road before turning left at the corner of the park. The ground was firm, not too wet or muddy or slippery, although some care was needed with footing in places. At the top of the hill we turned left again, with Tony, Robert, Ray and Steven adding in an extra loop, while Rebecca and I headed straight on, following the track which would take us to the woods. By this point we had naturally split into distinct groups – Tony and Robert, Ray and Steven, Rebecca, and then me. Tony and Robert went past me after the extra loop and headed off to the woods, with Rebecca following them. Ray and Steven went past me as we got closer to the woods, with some great encouragement for me from Steven as they did so, but they could not have seen where the others had gone because they began to head towards a track leading off to the right. I called to them to carry straight on into the woods, and as they did that they appeared determined to turn right on entering, so I called to them that we turn left and follow that path, and potential disaster was averted. Anyone who wishes to claim that this is organised has obviously never run with us. We followed the track round to a part near the other side of the wood where we could run down into dips and then struggle up the other side. I was very thankful for the roots of a fallen tree, which gave me something to pull myself up by. Then we followed the track again before coming out on to the football pitches, running across them back to the playground. We had covered 3 kilometres already. The plan now was to do one circuit of the obstacles, then run 4, 3, 2 and 1 laps, doing the rope traverse on the goalposts on the final lap of each run before going through the circuit. We would go up the front of the big red rope climbing frame on this lap, and the challenge on further laps was to climb up the underside of the rope until the first level. Then we were off, doing our 4 laps, 3 laps, 2 laps and 1 lap, with the obstacle circuit after each run. I had been pleased to keep running through the warm up lap, and now my target was to run as many and as much of these laps as possible. I can feel my running coming back together and sessions like these will only help. I got to the ropes as I came to the end of my fourth lap, and tried just holding a position with the J-lock on each. I really need to work on it because it kept slipping. I cannot help but think that is because I cannot hold my leading leg in a bent position while hanging from the rope. My current Road2Worlds training will help with that. There are areas of progress over the last few weeks – I can now climb through a picnic table without touching the ground, so I am looking forward to that obstacle at Nuclear Oblivion; I am also able to traverse across the swings. In between those obstacles, on this circuit lap I stuck with climbing on the top of the climbing frame, rather than underneath it, and carried the sandbag up and over the slope and back. I was definitely slower on the 3 laps. It is interesting just how much doing the obstacles takes it out of you before you set off running again. I tried hanging by my hands from two ropes this time, which was as successful as I suspect you are thinking it might have been. I carried the jerry cans up and over the slope this time, and really struggled with fatigue on the goalpost traverse. I got good encouragement from everybody as they passed me on the 2 laps and that really helped me to keep going. When I got to the ropes this time I tried holding on to the first while trying to fix the J-lock on the second. I just keep sliding down so my feet touch the floor. Definitely something to work on. I carried the beer keg this time, and it always feels heavier than the other objects. Everyone else had finished, so I decided to run the final lap while everything was tidied up and taken back to the cars. It had been another tough session. I had covered 8.72 kilometres and Robert had covered 9.68 kilometres, with everyone else somewhere in between. Still, we had bacon rolls from Rebecca to look forward to ! I was not in a fit state to run the Fred Hughes 10 this year – at the moment I cannot run 10 kilometres without having to walk some of it, so 10 miles was definitely not in my schedule – so I decided instead to put myself forward as a Marshal after I saw a post from Amy Heap, one of the Race Directors, in the St Albans Striders group on Facebook. It was a very easy application process, sending in an email to offer my services, receiving a confirmation email almost immediately, and then receiving a further email from Peter Blackaller with all the details I would need for the day. It was a very comprehensive email, containing a welcome letter, marshal allocations, a map of all the marshal points, marshal position instructions, general marshal instructions, and a runner flow diagram for where the route crossed itself, which was not relevant to my marshal position, so I would not need to worry about that ! I was allocated to Marshal point 13 with Tony Lillico, at the corner of Stanley Avenue and Chiswell Green Lane, with specific instructions to direct runners to continue along Chiswell Green Lane, because the race used to turn left into Stanley Avenue. The weather forecast was not looking great, and as I knew I would be standing around as a Marshal, I dressed appropriately in my mountain hiking gear, and packed my rucksack with a fleece, waterproof jacket, two pairs of gloves, Mudstacle ruff, Judgement Day woolly bobble hat, a packet of Jelly Babies and a freshly made flask of peppermint tea. It was lightly snowing when I left my house to walk to the Race HQ at St Columba’s College, but my choice of clothing meant I was prepared for it. Even so, and despite it being less than half an hour’s walk, without having put on either of my pairs of gloves, my hands were cold by the time I arrived at St Columba’s College, the Race HQ, just in time for the scheduled 0845 check in time for Marshals. I joined the fast-moving queue in the main hall to register, confirmed my Marshal point, was given a numbered fluorescent St Albans Striders Marshal vest, received a reminder of the specific instructions for the Marshal point, as well as being told to watch out for cars coming down Stanley Avenue to Chiswell Green Lane, took a photo on my phone of the numbers for the medics, while being reminded that 999 would always be the first call for a real emergency, and then I was ready to set off. It had been a very smooth process. I dropped off some flapjack at the kitchen for the after-race refreshments, put on my hat, ruff and my inner gloves and then ventured outside again to begin the walk to Chiswell Green Lane, which was just a straight walk down the main road out of St Albans. The snow was still only lightly falling, and I was well wrapped up now. I turned right down Chiswell Green Lane when I reached the Three Hammers pub, and Stanley Avenue was the next road on the right. I had got into position at Marshal point 13 in very good time at 0930. The race would be starting at 1000 and I reckoned it would be at least 15 minutes after that before any of the runners made their way to this stage. Tony arrived not long after, confirmed he was in the correct location, and then moved his car to a better parking place. He very sensibly stayed in his car until much nearer the start time, while I sheltered under a tree, to the extent that you can shelter under a deciduous tree in winter. The snow was definitely falling harder now and settling in places. Our position came just after a corner, so I hoped everyone would keep their footing. I had brought my camera with me, so I stood just in front of the tree to get a good view of the runners as they came round the corner. My position would also serve to deter them from turning left up Stanley Avenue. Tony took on responsibility for managing any traffic. At around 1017 the cyclist in front of the lead runner appeared, with a little group just behind them, and with everyone moving along at a great pace. I think we must have been about 3 miles into the course and everyone seemed very comfortable in what they were doing as they went past, even with the snow now falling harder than ever. It was wonderful to watch the field running past, all the different colours of the various local running clubs who had supported this event so well, together with the assortment of brightly coloured kit being worn by the non-affiliated runners, and everyone giving their best. They certainly brightened up the gloomy morning ! It was also great to witness the variety of runners taking part because this was by no means only for the elite – there were young and old, male and female, elite and fun runner, and also a couple of guided runners who were going very strong. The runner I know of from the St Albans Striders group, Tim Seaton, guided by Julianne Nightingale, even knocked 3 minutes off his performance from last year, posting a personal best of 1 hour 27 minutes 18 seconds, which is a remarkable achievement at any time, and especially given the weather conditions. All of the runners looked happy to be out there, even in the snow, and so many of them thanked the Marshals as they ran past, with some even waving. Nobody fell or even stumbled as they approached our position. All of the traffic was very courteous, and the last runners came through at 1041. It had been a quick shift ! I had just about managed to take photographs throughout, although my fingers did get very cold after a while and sometimes it was hard to actually push down on the button ! We had a Caution Runners sign planted at our Marshal point, so Tony packed that into his car to take back with him, and I set off on my walk back to Race HQ, passing up the offer of a lift from Tony, and from another couple of Marshals who passed me when I got to the main road. I met Jack Brooks on the way and we enjoyed a quick chat, when he told me they had had lots of traffic going through their Marshal point, which must have kept them busy. The walk back was without incident, I returned my Marshal vest, and then popped into the kitchen area being run by Andy Normile for a cup of tea and a delicious fairy cake with a cherry on the top. That pretty much made my morning. There was no charge for refreshments, and instead a collection was being taken for the Cancer Treatment & Research Trust in memory of John Hope. They raised £1095, which is amazing, and very well deserved for laying on such a feast of refreshments. From my point of view it had been a perfectly run event, with excellent communication and organisation throughout, and it had been a pleasure to be able to be of some assistance. I would definitely volunteer to be a Marshal again if I was not intending to take part. You can see more of my photographs from the event here. The weather was not too bad when I left my house to get a lift with Rebecca Cohen, but in the short time it took us to reach the car park at Greenwood Park it had really started to rain, and as soon as I got out of the car I regretted my decision to not bring my gloves because it was so cold. At least there was no wind. Steven Lamb was already there, and very soon we were joined by Robert Boarder, Daniel Spears and Tony. Tony got the kit out of his car, and while he took the ropes over to one of the goalposts, we carried the kit for the carries over to the bottom of the slope on the other side of the big red climbing frame – 2 sandbags, 2 jerry cans, and 1 very heavy beer keg. I took the very heavy beer keg, but Tony would not let me record that effort for Strava and 200 Kudos, so I only started my watch when we set off for the first run of 3 laps. I was pleased that I was able to run all of the 3 laps this week, and then we stopped to stretch before going over the obstacle circuit for the first time – climbing under the first picnic table without touching the ground, then going over the climbing frame, picking up one of the carries on the other side (I took a sandbag this first time around), going over the slope and down the other side to the fence before coming back (although Robert and I only went to the top this first time, to keep the group together), walking over the seesaw before heading over to the swings to move over them from one end to the other, making sure to climb over the metal barriers at each side, before adding in a climb over a park bench which we had not done last week. Next came the Bridge of Doom, a quick jump over a park bench, then over to more picnic tables, to go under the first one and over the second, before climbing on to the sliding part of the zipline so that we could reach up to touch the line itself. A small, low set of goalposts were perfect for a traverse before running over to another set to go over the top of them. We would now run 4 laps then do an obstacle circuit, 3 laps and a circuit, 2 laps and a circuit, and finally 1 lap and a circuit, and on the final lap of each run we would stop off at the goalposts about three quarters of the way round to do a traverse using the 4 hanging ropes Tony had attached to them. My hands were already frozen, so I had a feeling this was not going to be the best fun ever. I did quite well running the 4 laps, but when I got to the ropes all I could manage was holding on to the first rope for dear life before moving on. My hands were frozen and they hurt. After going over the big red climbing frame, I took the jerry cans for a farmer’s carry over the slope and back, slipping and losing my footing on the way back down, but my bum cushioned my fall and I was straight back up. My right arm hurt after using it to hook on while I struggled to climb under the second picnic table, and together with my frozen hands, that made the low goalposts traverse impossible. My running was suffering from my fatigue by the time I set out on my 3 laps, but I got good encouragement from Daniel every time he passed me. When I got to the ropes this time around I spent some time working on the J-lock. It still seems less stable than it should be, which most likely means I am not doing it properly. I took one of the sandbags over the slope and back this time around. I knew I was getting slower going over the obstacles so pushed on, making my best attempt at each of them, determined to complete as many circuit laps as possible before everything was brought to a close. I almost lost my footing on the Bridge of Doom, and holding on to the ropes saved me. My 2 laps running were a struggle, and as I came through the gate to begin another circuits lap I saw Tony had finished. I carried on, really feeling it in my right arm as I went under the picnic table, but still able to make good time going over the big red climbing frame, before pushing it over the slope and back with a sandbag. It seemed to me to be the easiest piece of kit to manage, and I wanted to be as efficient as possible this time around. As I was finishing the circuit I saw Tony, Robert, Daniel and Steven heading off to retrieve the ropes, so decided to run the final running lap, even if I would not be able to complete the final circuit lap. I caught up with them just as they were rounding the corner after taking down the ropes, and I made the comment, “It’s all right, I’m used to the course being dismantled before I have finished,” as I headed into the playground area to get the jerry cans, while Tony took the ropes back to his car and the others collected up the other bits of kit. It had been a brilliant session, with us covering anywhere between almost 7 kilometres and 9 kilometres, and doing more than a few obstacles each lap, in cold and wet conditions. I am not entirely joking when I say we should get a medal and technical tshirt for the Greenwood Rush Sprint Winter Challenge, and it was all done and dusted by 0900. Things were going to be a little different for the next couple of weeks, “Hi guys – the next 2 Sundays are R2W for me so wont be able to run a Sunday morning session – was thinking of maybe doing a Saturday one instead if anyone interested let me know – similar format – no details yet – to follow.” was the message from Coach Tony Leary, which was followed up with, “Ok team after being inspired by James’ (is that correct use of apostrophy??) latest blog we will be heading to Greenwood park on SATURDAY morning this weekend, 7:20 meet for a 7:30 start – we will be done and finished by 9 as I have to get back and ready for class etc. I would really love it if lots of you could join me cos otherwise it just wouldn’t be the same!! ( Ive been working on being more nice and inclusive 🙂 )” You can read that inspirational blog here. I was lucky enough to get a lift over with Rebecca Cohen, and that was especially fortunate as I repeated my trick of waking up only 5 minutes before I was due to be collected ! We made very good time driving across St Albans and were the first there, soon to be joined by Robert Boarder, Tony, and then Steven Lamb. Tony got a beer keg, two jerry cans and two sandbags out of his car and, after we had carried them to the bottom of the slope on the other side of the big red rope climbing frame that dominates the playground, we were ready to go, on a dry morning that was not really cold at all. I had carried across the beer keg and it was the heavy one. We ran three laps around the outside of the playground, which was about half a kilometre per lap, before coming back into the playground to follow a course which would take in practically everything the playground had to offer. Previous footage of the Bridge of Doom !!! We ran through it together for the first time, climbing under the first picnic table without touching the ground, then going over the climbing frame, picking up one of the carries on the other side (I took a sandbag this first time around), going over the slope and down the other side to the fence before coming back, walking over the seesaw before heading over to the swings to move over them from one end to the other. Next came the Bridge of Doom, which was a lot longer than I remembered it, and split into two distinct sections, a quick jump over a park bench, seemingly just because it was there, then over to more picnic tables, to go under the first one and over the second, before climbing on to the sliding part of the zipline so that we could reach up to touch the line itself. For the record, after Robert had succeeded with his third attempt, I did it first time. A small, low set of goalposts were perfect for a traverse before running over to another set to go over the top of them. I may have misjudged my leap as I came crashing down to the ground on my back, with my head very close to one of the uprights. I was fine. We continued on, running three laps before doing one lap of the circuit, and I got better with the picnic tables each time. I carried the jerry cans the next time I came around, and then the beer keg on a third circuits lap, to complete the set. And I got a lot better with the final jump, managing to land on my feet. It was a fun, hard workout, and my running needs a lot of work, although I got a lot of encouragement as Robert, Tony and Steven lapped me. I was just under 5 kilometres by 0.08 of a kilometre when Tony brought the circuit to a close, so I ran round one of the picnic tables to make up the distance. That was dizzy work, and I changed it up to a figure of eight around the two picnic tables. I need not have bothered as we headed off to the far side of the playground and a collection of shapes that made up a very challenging climbing wall. Bouldering has become our thing, so, of course, we had a go, before carrying all the kit back to Tony’s car. In the end I had covered 5.3 kilometres, and it had been an excellent morning which I really need to repeat myself more often. I am going to tread very, very carefully in the shoes of the eloquent James Allen to write a brief review of St Albans OCR Training Group latest Sunday morning training session – so bear with me! Early in the week, Tony posted a great little video on FB of a low rig he’d set up on the bridge at Aldenham, where we often train, with the opener, ‘I need to get my arse in gear for Canada’. Don’t we all?! He received many responses and it looked like there’d be a good turn-out. Tony added a late disclaimer about the chances of getting feet wet – only feet Tony?? – we’ll see. Sunday arrived and it was synonymous with going back to school; summer holidays at an end, new term starting and back to serious training sessions. This doesn’t mean we had all taken time off over the summer, you only need to look at posts in FB or Strava to see that everyone was running, racing and staying active. However, there is something very special about the Sunday morning training sessions that leaves you feeling on top of the world (as James often relays in his blogs, so make sure you read them). This Sunday was no exception. By 7a.m. outside the church in the beautiful village of Aldenham, 7 of us were sorting gear to take for rigs on the bridge. The two missing were Kirsten (I’m on my way dude) and Dany (I’m not getting wet) – last to arrive but not late! It was great to see everyone, especially Neil (been a while), Matt (hadn’t been to Aldenham before) and Rob (still nursing an injury from the Euros), not forgetting the lovely Ray (also nursing injury) who brought a fantastic piece of kit to set up a rope traverse over the river. Actually, I think all of us are nursing some kind of ache or pain at the moment – a bi-product of loving to race over obstacles! It was a stunning start to the day – blue sky emerging from the mist, clear, crisp air, not a whisper of a breeze and no-one else around. Perfect. We set off down the lane to hit the trail towards the bridge. Myself and Kirsten led as we had nothing to carry (not sure how we managed that!) and Dany, the two Tony’s, Neil, Matt, Rob and Ray followed on, carrying a mix of slings, ropes, chains, rings, nun chucks plus a long metal bar. Exciting! The jog along to the bridge doubled as a good little warm up. Once at the bridge, Tony gave us instructions as to where attachments should go to make an easy rig and a hard rig on either side. Tony L did harder rig as Tony C organised easier one. Ray and Neil jogged along the river to set up the rope traverse. As he hung attachments, Tony L tested to check grade of difficulty; the first version was obviously too difficult as he ended up in the river pretty quickly! Not his intention so early on but it gave us all a laugh ! Start from the bridge, run/jog around the outside of the field, cross a ditch and join the track. After hill set, run back along main track, through the field and up to the bridge. Do easy rig first followed by the hard rig, feet were not to touch the ground or water at any point. Next, the rope traverse. Once across on the rope, then wade back to the other side through the river. We set off altogether. Tony is excellent at making sure everyone knows where to go and what to do. Only once has he lost someone! By now the sun was out and warming, the ground was soft through the field and we had a nice steady pace going. One of the best features of Sunday group training is that anyone can join in. There is absolutely no pressure to compete nor to keep up with the leaders, although we all aim to. We work our hardest within our own capabilities and one of the best qualities Tony L possesses is his ability to adapt exercise to people’s needs. Inevitably I ended up near the back (this is where I missed you most James Allen!!) and arrived at the gate to find the others doing press ups whilst they waited. Tony explained the route again, adding a log carry to the first rep. There’s never any hanging about – off we went. Any brief chat soon stopped as we worked hard on the incline. The only voice was the booming one of Tony C as he hollered ‘HOLE’ randomly as we ran! Arriving at the log pile, I chose a light but long log to carry across my shoulders; some of the guys carried tree stumps which were extremely heavy. This made the next stage much harder on the calves but reminded me it was nothing compared to the steep inclines we would face in Canada. The run back down was speedier, Dany reminding us to recover on the descent. Although I stomped up the track, I ran back down each time, taking care with my footings and missing the holes! We all remembered to launch over the gate and drop for press ups. Our heart rates were high by now. Once this section was complete, Tony led the way back along the track, heading for the rig section. He was straight on the rig with Rob and Ray waiting to follow. I headed to do the rope traverse with Neil so we weren’t queuing. What a great job the boys had done with the rope – they had found an excellent spot with the rope up high in the trees. I whizzed across, dropped down and strode straight into the river, enjoying the water cooling me down. There were many interesting was of getting along the easy rig which turned out to be not so easy! Hauling myself up over the top of the bridge, I was pleased I hadn’t fallen in. This was short lived, as I struggled to reach from the ring to the thin rope on the harder rig section. In I went. As did everyone in the end I think! Dany was determined not to get wet and she worked brilliantly on the hard rig, but inevitably got wet feet! Unfortunately this was not the time to play and practise. The nagging voice of Tony L cut into our reams of advice for each other, telling us to get a move on. He was quite right. Focus. The second lap of the route saw Tony way out in front (his injuries definitely improving). We followed, now knowing exactly where we were going and what we were doing. Unsurprisingly, the second lot of hills was tougher. Tony thought it would be fun to add some quick sprints up the first steep hill section to end with – a mean trait he has of adding more, just when you think you’ve finished! Back at the bridge, we all completed the rope traverse and as much of the rigs as we could manage before we were then allowed to play! By this time we were all soaked at least up to our waists and because the water temperature was cooling in the warm air, we were happy to hang out in the river. It was turning out to be a beautiful morning, and a great opportunity for a photo shoot!! We did some transition practise on the rigs, as well as the usual challenge of climbing out of the water onto the bridge, over the top and back underneath the bridge without touching the water. There are some bars under the bridge that you can hook feet onto to help, but it is still quite difficult; lots of upper body and core strength needed. Finally, it was time to head back to the cars. Selfie done, rigs dismantled, we steadily jogged back through the field and track to the village. Kirsten and I headed off first, chatting as we jogged (any opportunity). We could hear everyone behind chatting too. The camaraderie of these sessions is one of the many reasons they are so popular and successful (much like the OCR community in general). End of session selfie !!! No session would be complete without coffee and bacon rolls (unless I really can’t haul my arse out of bed early enough). As everyone tucks in before they faint, I am reminded it is always worth getting up extra early or staying up late to make these because everyone is so grateful and I am always starving at the end! However, in view of eating healthily for Canada, it will be yoghurt, fruit and porridge options from now on! Our glorious leader was away, but in the words of Starship, nothing’s gonna stop us now. Tony Leary had given us some inspiration during the week, anyway, treating Rebecca Cohen to a low-rig experience over a river on her birthday; and as some of us are taking on the Virtual Three Peaks Challenge organised by James Burton and The Wolfpack’s 2017 Strive Challenge to raise money for Big Change, a UK youth charity, we need to get in some elevation at all available opportunities, because St Albans is pretty flat. We have 100 days to run or hike the elevation of the UK Three Peaks Challenge – 3,407m (11,178ft). If we succeed we “get some shiny bling in the post to honour your achievement and of course super-human calves” – so hill repeats was always going to be on the agenda, as was clear from the initial communication from Rebecca, “Hi James- r u doing virtual 3 peak challenge? I am and thinking if 4 of us training in morning, we could do hill reps in Verulam then come to mine for rig work ( I have injured shoulder so won’t go mad on rig!) Will message Kirsten too and see what she thinks.” A plan was definitely forming, and was very quickly confirmed by Kirsten Whitehouse, “Plan for tomorrow: meet in Verulam museum car park for 7:30am start. Session will focus on hills – feel free to bring any carries or whatever you want to focus on. We will leave the park at 8:20 and head to Rebecca’s for some rig work. Finish by 9:15 as always.” I managed to fall asleep again after my alarm in the morning, so it took a brisk walk down to get me to the car park for 0730, immediately seeing Kirsten and Rebecca, and also Daniel Spears and Coach Tony Campbell, and not long after I arrived, Matt Stewart also drove up and parked. Rebecca had brought along some equipment, as had Coach Tony Campbell, and we got that sorted to take it over to where we would be training. Coach Tony Campbell made the point of how quiet it was this morning, in Coach Tony Leary’s absence. We took the kit we were going to be using to the open ground near to the gap which leads into the field next to the road, and began a warm up under the guidance of Coach Tony Campbell. It must have been a rigorous warm up because Matt managed to split his shorts, which we got the full benefit of later on. And then, almost before we realised it, Rebecca was off running up the hill, dragging a tyre behind her, so we all got on with our own training, which was varied, due to the differing levels of injury within the group. Daniel and Coach Tony took to the battle ropes, Matt and Kirsten did sandbag carries, and I decided to stick with doing basic hill repeats, completing 5 in the time available. It was a good opportunity for me to try them out to determine if they were suitable for the next part of my 10K training plan. There was good encouragement along the way as we passed each other. Coach Tony was taking Kirsten through a serious of drills for her shoulder, so I joined in with that because I am always looking for ways to better my shoulder mobility. It had been a good little session, and I had covered 4.6 kilometres with 111 metres of elevation in 47 minutes and 33 seconds. We took all the kit back to the cars and then drove over to Rebecca’s house. I had wondered if we would be running to get there, but this was a far better idea. The rig looked excellent. By which I mean it looked way beyond my capabilities. Rebecca showed us how to do it. By which I mean she absolutely smashed it !!! She climbed up on to the rope traverse, got across that to a trapeze bar, moved on to some bars, rings, a hanging tyre, and another traverse. Coach Tony had a go, and demonstrated some different techniques, although I honestly believe you have to be part gorilla to be able to use them. Daniel had a few attempts, improving each time, benefiting from the advice the group were providing, with Rebecca and Kirsten able to pitch in as well as Coach Tony, and really showed us how to use the trapeze bar. Matt was working on his monkey bar technique. I did some hanging around on the rings and the bars to work on my grip strength, tried the rope traverse until it began to hurt and burn because I only had short socks on, and also got back on a rope, working through the excellent advice I had received at the Wild Forest Gym from Tristan Steed (and, no, I am not going to shut up about that any time soon !!!), again until I started to burn the bottom of my legs on the rope. I must get some longer socks. And more upper body strength. And less weight. Rebecca had disappeared and soon came back with tea, coffee and bacon sandwiches – the real reason why I come to these training sessions. It had been another excellent morning training with an awesome group of friends.

2019-04-25T06:06:09Z

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2019-04-26T02:51:15Z

http://www.divini.net/db/?m=201506

本发明提供一种锂离子二次电池，包括：a)正极板，它由正极活性物质部和承载上述正极活性物质部的正极集电体构成，上述正极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的正极活性物质；b)负极板，它由负极活性物质部和承载上述负极活性物质部的负极集电体构成，上述负极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的负极活性物质；c)隔板，它夹在上述正极板和负极板之间；d)电解液；e)电池容器，用于收装上述正极板、负极板、隔板及电解液，通过将上述正极板和负极板以二者之间夹着隔板的方式卷绕而构成极板组，上述正极集电体由绝缘片和形成于绝缘片的两面上的导电层构成，在所述绝缘片的沿长度方向的两端部上设有未被导电层覆盖的、所述绝缘片的露出部。 The present invention provides a lithium ion secondary battery, comprising: a) a positive electrode plate, which consists of a positive electrode active material portion and carrying the above-described positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge storable or releasing the positive electrode active material a lithium ion; b) a negative electrode plate, which is composed of a negative electrode active material portion and a negative electrode current collector carry the negative electrode active material portion of the negative electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge occluding or releasing lithium ions the negative electrode active material; c) a separator sandwiched between the positive and negative electrode plates; D) an electrolyte; E) a battery container for housed above the positive electrode plate, negative electrode plate, a separator and an electrolyte, by the positive electrode plate and the negative electrode plate wound sandwich the separator therebetween to form the electrode plate group, the positive electrode current collector made of an insulating sheet and a conductive layer formed on both surfaces of an insulating sheet constituting, in the provided not electroconductive layer is covered on both end portions along the longitudinal direction of the insulating sheet, the exposed portion of the insulating sheet. 本申请是申请号为03138296.7、申请日为2003年5月30日并且发明名称为“锂离子二次电池”的发明专利申请的分案申请。 This application is a continuation Application No. 03138296.7, filed divisional applications 2003 on May 30 and entitled "lithium ion secondary battery" in the invention patent application. 本发明涉及锂离子二次电池。 The present invention relates to a lithium ion secondary battery. 近年来，AV设备或个人计算机等电子设备向轻便化、无塞绳化迅速进展，对驱动这些设备用的电源即二次电池的小型轻量化和高能量密度化的呼声很高。 In recent years, AV equipment or personal computers and other electronic equipment to the light of the rapid progress cordless technology, high driving these devices with the power supply that is smaller and lighter secondary batteries and high energy density voice. 这种二次电池中，以锂作为活性物质的锂离子二次电池尤其具有高电压、高能量密度。 This secondary battery, lithium as a lithium ion secondary battery active material in particular has a high voltage, high energy density. 作为现有的锂离子二次电池，卷绕型二次电池是主流。 As a conventional lithium ion secondary battery, a wound-type secondary battery is a mainstream. 卷绕型电池具有隔着隔板将正极板和负极板卷成的极板组，其中，正极板由正极活性物质部和承载该正极活性物质部的正极集电体构成，负极板由负极活性物质部和承载该负极活性物质部的负极集电体构成。 Wound-type battery having a separator interposed therebetween positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate rolled electrode group, wherein the positive electrode plate includes a positive active material portion and a positive electrode current collector carrying the positive electrode active material portion, the negative electrode plate from the negative electrode active material portion and the carrier of the negative electrode current collector an active material portion configured. 正极活性物质部中含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的正极活性物质，负极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的负极活性物质。 The positive electrode active material portion contained by a charge-discharge occluding or releasing the positive electrode active material a lithium ion, a negative electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge capable of absorbing or releasing a negative electrode active material a lithium ion. 极板组和电解液一起被收装在电池容器内。 Plate group and an electrolyte are housed together in a battery container. 在卷绕型电池的场合，卷绕极板时，极板和隔板在折弯部和弯曲部易变形。 In the wound-type battery case, the winding plates, the plates and separators easily deformable in the bending portion and bending portion. 这种变形有可能引起内部短路。 Such deformation may cause internal short circuit. 而且，在卷绕极板时，由于隔板的位置挪动，也有可能引起内部短路。 Further, when winding the electrode plate, since the position of the separator move, but also may cause internal short circuit. 本发明者鉴于上述情况，着眼于防止在卷绕型锂离子二次电池上产生内部短路的主要原因。 The present inventors in view of the above circumstances, focusing on the main cause internal short-circuit in the wound-type lithium ion secondary battery to be prevented. 内部短路的类型有以下所述的4种。 An internal short circuit type can have the four kinds. (1)正极活性物质部与负极活性物质部短路(2)正极活性物质部与负极集电体短路(3)正极集电体与负极活性物质部短路(4)正极集电体与负极集电体短路本发明者将过充电状态的电池分解成各个部件，使各部件之间直接接触，观察有无火花和着火。 (1) The positive electrode active material portion and the negative electrode active material portion short-circuit (2) of the positive electrode active material portion and the negative electrode current collector shorted (3) positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode active material portion of the short-circuit current (4) of the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode member shorting the present inventors overcharge state of the battery down into its components, so that direct contact between the parts, to observe whether the spark and fire. 结果，短路模式(1)和(2)既未产生火花也未着火，但短路模式(3)产生了火花。 As a result, the short-circuit mode (1) and (2) neither a spark nor a fire, but the short mode (3) to produce a spark. 短路模式(4)虽产生火花，但未着火。 Short mode (4) Although the spark, but ignition. 根据这些结果研究以下情况。 Research following these results. 短路模式(1)和(2)中，由于正极活性物质自身的电阻大，故即便使正极活性物质部和负极活性物质部短路，也没有大电流流通。 Short circuit mode (1) and (2), the positive electrode active material a large own resistance, so that even when the positive electrode active material portion and the negative electrode active material portion short-circuited, no large current flows. 短路模式(4)中，通过具有导电性的集电体之间短路，产生火花，但由于集电体自身不是可燃性物质，故没有着火。 Short mode (4) by a short circuit between the current collector having conductivity, sparks, but because the current collector itself is not flammable material, so there is no fire. 短路模式(3)中，由于正极集电体和负极活性物质均具有导电性，所以，它们一旦短路便产生火花，而且可燃性的负极活性物质着火。 Short mode (3), since the positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode active material has conductivity, so that, once they are shorted, sparks, and flammability negative electrode active material on fire. 根据上述研究，可以认为短路模式(3)是内部短路的主要原因。 According to the above studies, it is considered short mode (3) is the main cause internal short circuit. 短路模式(3)实际上是由于分切正极集电体时产生的导电性毛刺与负极活性物质部的表面接触而产生的。 Short mode (3) is actually due to the cut positive electrode current collector conductive burrs upon contact with the negative electrode active material portion of the surface is generated. 近年来，提出了具有极板组的层叠型锂离子二次电池的方案，这种电池的极板组不用以往的隔板，而是隔着电解质层将正极板和负极板层叠起来而形成。 In recent years, a program having a laminated type lithium ion secondary battery electrode plate group of such a battery electrode plate group without a conventional separator, but via the electrolyte layer, the positive and negative electrode plates are laminated is formed. 提出了在电解质层这样和正极板及负极板结合成一体的电池上，通过控制极板和隔板的尺寸来防止短路的方案(特开2000-30742号公报等)。 Proposed battery integrally in the electrolyte layer such and the positive electrode plate and a negative electrode harden, to prevent a short circuit of the embodiment by controlling the size of the plates and separator (Laid-Open No. 2000-30742 Publication, etc.). 但是，层叠整体型的极板组一般说来制造工序较复杂，也难以大容量化。 However, laminated monolithic electrode plate group in general the manufacturing process more complicated, it is difficult to a large capacity. 而且，这样的极板组上，从电池轻量化的观点出发，也提出了采用在聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯膜等树脂膜的表面上设金属蒸镀膜的集电体的方案(特开平9-213338号公报)。 Further, on this electrode plate group, from the battery weight reduction viewpoint, also made use of the program polyethylene on the surface of polyethylene terephthalate film, a resin film provided a metal vapor deposited film collector (Laid at Open No. 9-213338 Gazette). 本发明是鉴于上述见解而开发出来的，本发明的目的之一，是提供一种卷绕型锂离子二次电池，这种电池可防止正极集电体的毛刺和负极活性物质部短路，安全性很高。 The present invention is made in view of the above findings developed one, object of the invention is to provide a wound-type lithium ion secondary battery that prevents positive electrode collector burrs and the negative electrode active material portion short-circuit, safety very high. 为此，本发明提供一种锂离子二次电池，包括：a)正极板，它由正极活性物质部和承载上述正极活性物质部的正极集电体构成，上述正极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的正极活性物质；b)负极板，它由负极活性物质部和承载上述负极活性物质部的负极集电体构成，上述负极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的负极活性物质；c)隔板，它夹在上述正极板和负极板之间；d)电解液；e)电池容器，用于收装上述正极板、负极板、隔板及电解液，通过将上述正极板和负极板以二者之间夹着隔板的方式卷绕而构成极板组，正极集电体由绝缘片和形成于绝缘片的两面上的导电层构成，在所述绝缘片的沿长度方向的两端部上设有未被所述导电层覆盖的、所述绝缘片的露出部。 To this end, the present invention provides a lithium ion secondary battery, comprising: a) a positive electrode plate, which consists of a positive electrode active material portion and carrying the above-described positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge occluding or releasing the positive electrode active material a lithium ion; b) a negative electrode plate, which is composed of a negative electrode active material portion and carrying the negative electrode collector a negative electrode active material portion of the negative electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge occluding or releasing the negative electrode active material a lithium ion; c) a separator sandwiched between the positive and negative electrode plates; D) an electrolyte; E) a battery container for housed above the positive electrode plate, negative electrode plate, a separator and an electrolytic liquid, by the positive and negative electrode plates wound so as to sandwich the separator therebetween to form the electrode plate group, the positive electrode current collector made of an insulating sheet and a conductive layer formed on both surfaces of an insulating sheet configuration, provided with a conductive layer not covered by the both end portions along the longitudinal direction of the insulating sheet, the insulating sheet is exposed portion. 通过将上述正极板和负极板以两者之间隔着上述隔板的方式卷绕而构成极板组。 By the positive and negative electrode plates wound in sandwiching the separator between the two ways to form an electrode group. 在这里，本发明的锂离子二次电池，上述极板组可以具有下述[A]～[E]中的任一特征。 Here, the lithium ion secondary battery of the present invention, the electrode group may have any of the following [A] ~ [E] is a characteristic. [A]沿着上述正极集电体长度方向的两端部位于沿着上述负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧。 [A] along both ends of the positive electrode collector longitudinal direction it is located outside both end portions along the negative portion length active substance direction. [B]沿着上述正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部位于沿着上述正极集电体长度方向的两端部外侧。 [B] along the positive electrode active part length substances direction both end portions positioned outside along the positive electrode collector in the longitudinal direction both end portions. [C]沿着上述负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部位于沿着上述正极集电体长度方向的两端部外侧，沿着上述正极集电体长度方向的两端部位于沿着上述正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧，而且，上述正极集电体上未被上述正极活性物质部覆盖的露出部被绝缘材料覆盖。 [C] along the ends of the negative portion length active substance direction positioned along the outside of the cathode collector longitudinal direction, both end portions located along the cathode along both ends of the positive electrode collector in the longitudinal direction the outer end portions of the Minister of active substance direction, and the positive electrode active material covering the exposed portion is covered with an insulating material, not on the positive electrode current collector. [D]上述正极集电体由绝缘片和分别形成于其两面上的导电层构成，沿着上述绝缘片长度方向的两端部上设有上述绝缘片的露出部。 [D] the above-described positive electrode collector is formed of an insulating sheet respectively thereon a conductive layer on both sides of the structure, with the insulating sheet along both ends of the insulating sheet longitudinal direction of the exposed portion. [E]沿着上述正极板长度方向的两端部分别被绝缘材料覆盖。 [E] not covered along both end portions of the positive electrode plate longitudinal direction of the insulating material. 隔板使用例如由聚烯烃制成的纺布、无纺布、多微孔膜等。 A separator for example, nonwoven fabric made of polyolefins, nonwoven, microporous film. 图1是示意地表示本发明实施形式1的极板组的与正极板、负极板及隔板的长度方向垂直的断面一例的图，图2是示意地表示与现有的极板组的与正极板、负极板及隔板的长度方向垂直的断面一例的图，图3是示意地表示本发明实施形式2的极板组的与正极板、负极板及隔板的长度方向垂直的断面一例的图，图4是示意地表示本发明实施形式3的极板组的与正极板、负极板及隔板的长度方向垂直的断面一例的图，图5是示意地表示本发明实施形式4的极板组的与正极板、负极板及隔板的长度方向垂直的断面一例的图，图6是示意地表示本发明实施形式5的极板组的与正极板、负极板及隔板的长度方向垂直的断面一例的图， FIG 1 is a schematic showing a sectional example of a perpendicular to the positive electrode plate, the longitudinal direction of the negative electrode plate and a separator in the embodiment of the present invention, the electrode plate group 1, FIG. 2 is a schematic showing a conventional electrode plate group and FIG cross section an example of a longitudinal direction of the positive electrode plate, negative electrode plate and a separator vertical, FIG. 3 is a schematic cross section of the longitudinal direction of the positive electrode plate, negative electrode plate and the separator perpendicular to embodiments of the present invention, the electrode plate group 2 example FIG 4 is a schematic showing a sectional example of a longitudinal direction of the positive electrode plate embodiment of the present invention forms the electrode plate group 3, a negative electrode plate and a separator vertical, FIG. 5 is a schematic embodiment of the present invention form 4 FIG cross section an example of a perpendicular to the positive electrode plate, the longitudinal direction of the negative electrode plate and a separator of the electrode assembly of FIG. 6 is a schematic showing the length of the positive electrode plate embodiment of the present invention, the electrode plate group 5, the negative electrode plate and a separator cross section showing an example of a direction perpendicular to FIG. 图7是本发明实施例1的锂离子二次电池的纵断面图，图8是说明本发明实施例1的正极板的制造工序用的正极集电体的俯视图，图9是说明本发明实施例1的正极板的制造工序用的正极集电体的另一俯视图，图10是本发明实施例1的正极板之正视图，图11是说明本发明实施例2的正极板的制造工序用的正极集电体的俯视图，图12是说明本发明实施例1的正极板的制造工序用的正极集电体的另一俯视图，图13是本发明实施例2的正极板之正视图，图14是说明本发明实施例3的正极板的制造工序用的正极集电体的俯视图，图15是本发明实施例3的正极板之正视图，图16是说明本发明实施例4的正极板的制造工序用的正极集电体的俯视图，图17是说明本发明实施例4的正极板的制造工序用的正极集电体的另一俯视图，图18是本发明实施例4的正极板之正视图。 FIG. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of a lithium ion secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG 8 is a plan view illustrating the positive electrode collector manufacturing process of the positive electrode plate of Example 1 with the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating embodiment of the present invention another top view of the positive electrode collector manufacturing process of the positive electrode plate of Example 1 is used, FIG. 10 is a embodiment of the present invention is a front view of the positive electrode plate of Example 1, and FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a manufacturing process of the positive electrode plate of Example 2 of the present invention with a plan view of the positive electrode current collector, FIG. 12 illustrates another top view of the positive electrode collector manufacturing process of the positive electrode plate of Example 1 with the embodiment of the present invention, FIG 13 is a front view of the positive electrode plate of Example 2 of the invention, and FIG. 14 is a plan view of a positive electrode collector manufacturing process of the positive electrode plate of Example 3 with the embodiment of the present invention, FIG 15 is a front view of the positive electrode plate of Example 3 of the embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 16 illustrates an embodiment of the present invention, the positive electrode plate 4 a plan view of producing a positive electrode current collector step with, FIG. 17 is another plan view of a positive electrode collector manufacturing process of the positive electrode plate of Example 4 of the present invention is used, FIG. 18 is a positive electrode plate in Example 4 of the embodiment of the present invention Front view. 实施形式1本实施形式是包括以下几部分的锂离子二次电池：(a)正极板，它由正极活性物质部和承载上述正极活性物质部的正极集电体构成，上述正极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的正极活性物质；(b)负极板，它由负极活性物质部和承载上述负极活性物质部的负极集电体构成，上述负极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的负极活性物质；(c)隔板，它夹在上述正极板和负极板之间；(d)电解液；(e)电池容器，用于收装上述正极板、负极板、隔板及电解液，通过将上述正极板和负极板，以二者之间夹着隔板的方式卷绕而构成极板组，上述极板组中沿着正极集电体长度方向的两端部位于沿着上述负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧。 Embodiment 1 the present embodiment is a lithium ion following the secondary battery cell: (a) a positive electrode plate, which consists of a positive electrode active material portion and carrying the above-described positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode active material portion comprising charge and discharge occluding or releasing the positive electrode active material a lithium ion; (b) a negative electrode plate, which is composed of a negative electrode active material portion and carrying the negative electrode active material of the negative electrode current collector, the negative electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge capable of absorbing or releasing a negative electrode active material a lithium ion; (c) a separator sandwiched between the positive and negative electrode plates; (d) an electrolyte; (e) a battery container, a receptacle of the positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator and an electrolyte, by applying the positive and negative electrode plates, so as to sandwich the separator therebetween is wound to form an electrode group, the above electrode plate group along a positive electrode collector longitudinal direction both end portions positioned along the outside of the negative electrode active part length substances direction both end portions. 由于沿着正极集电体长度方向的两端部位于沿着负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧，故即使在分切时正极集电体的端部产生毛刺，也可防止该毛刺和负极活性物质部的短路。 Since positioned along the outside of both ends of the negative portion length active substance direction, so that an end portion of the current collector of the positive burrs even when cut along the positive electrode collector both end portions thereof in the longitudinal direction can be prevented that the burr and negative terminal active material portion. 沿着正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部可分别设置即使充放电也不吸留或放出锂离子的非活性物质部。 Along a part length material of the positive electrode active both end portions respectively provided even if charge and discharge are not occluding or releasing inactive material portion lithium ions. 非活性物质部可使正极集电体的端部稳定。 Inactive material portion allows an end portion of a stable current collector of the positive electrode. 在沿着正极集电体长度方向的两端部上，非活性物质部的厚度和正极活性物质部的厚度一样，没有台阶，卷绕时不容易引起卷的错动，这一点是较理想的。 On both end portions along the longitudinal current direction of the positive electrode, the thickness of the non-active portion and the thickness of the positive electrode active material portion, there is no step, is not prone to dislocation roll movable winding, it is an ideal . 在非活性物质部用绝缘材料的场合，还可抑制正极集电体的毛刺与负极活性物质部的短路之外的一般短路。 In the inactive material portion with the case of the insulating material, also inhibit the positive electrode collector burr and the negative electrode is generally a short-circuit other than short-circuit the active material portion. 极板组中，沿着负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部最好位于沿着正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧。 The electrode plate group along both ends of the negative portion length active substance direction is preferably positioned along the outside of Ministers material of the positive electrode active both end portions. 通过这样的配置，充电时正极活性物质放出的锂离子可确实被相向的负极活性物质接收，这样，便可防止负极活性物质的负荷偏倚、金属锂析出等不良情况。 When the charging of the positive electrode active material releasing lithium ions can indeed be facing the negative electrode active material received by such an arrangement, so, can prevent the negative electrode active material load bias, metal lithium precipitation of defects. 图1示意地表示本实施形式极板组的垂直于正极板110、负极板120和隔板130长度方向的断面的一例。 FIG 1 schematically shows a vertical present form of embodiment of the electrode plate group in the positive electrode plate 110, one case section of the negative electrode plate 120 and the separator 130 in the longitudinal direction. 图1中，为了容易理解正极板110和负极板120以及隔板130的配置关系，在层叠方向上隔开间隔表示各要素。 In FIG. 1, for ease of understanding 120 and the positional relationship between the positive electrode plate 110 and the negative electrode plate of the separator 130, spaced apart in the stacking direction interval represents the elements. 正极板110由正极集电体111和正极活性物质部112构成，负极板120由负极集电体121和负极活性物质部122构成。 The positive electrode plate 110 is composed of positive electrode active material of the positive electrode collector 111 112, a negative electrode plate 120 is constituted by 121 and the negative electrode active material is 122 negative electrode current collector. 正极板110和负极板120隔着隔板130相对。 The positive electrode plate 110 and the negative electrode plate 120 via the separator 130 opposite. 从正极集电体的端部111a到正极活性物质部的端部112a之间，以及从正极集电体的端部111b到正极活性物质部的端部112b之间，虽然可以是未涂正极活性物质的部分，但最好设非活性物质部113。 From among 112a, and from between the end portion 112b end portion 111b to the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode current collector, although may be uncoated end portion of the end portion 111a to the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode active portion of the material, but is preferably provided a non-active portion 113. 沿正极集电体111长度方向的两端部111a、111b位于沿负极活性物质部122长度方向的两端部122a、122b外侧。 Both end portions along the current collector 111 in the longitudinal direction the positive electrode 111a, 111b is located 122a, 122b outward along the ends of the negative electrode active 122 longitudinal direction of the material portion. 通过这样配置，即使正极集电体的端部111a或111b上产生毛刺，该毛刺扎破隔板130，也不和负极活性物质部122发生短路。 With this configuration, even if a burr on the end portion 111a or 111b of the positive electrode current collector, the burr punctured diaphragm 130, is not, and negative terminal active material portion 122 occurs. 采用图1所示的结构时，从正极集电体的端部111a到负极活性物质部的端部122a之间的间隔、以及从正极集电体的端部111b到负极活性物质部的端部122b之间的间隔最好分别为50～300μm。 When using the structure shown in Figure 1, from the end of the positive electrode current collector 111a of the negative electrode interval between the end portion 122a of active substance portion, and the end portion 111b of the positive electrode current collector to the end of the anode active material portion spacing between 122b preferably are 50 ~ 300μm. 这些间隔最好比从正极集电体断面上的估计的毛刺长度减去正极活性物质部一面的厚度和隔板的厚度之和的长度大。 The interval is preferably one side a large length and the thickness of the thickness of the separator subtracting the positive electrode active material portion than the burr length from the estimated on the positive electrode current collector cross section. 正极集电体断面上的估计的毛刺长度一般为50～100μm。 Burr length estimation on a current collector section of the positive electrode is generally 50 ~ 100μm is. 图2和图1一样，示意地表示现有极板组的与正极板210、负极板220及隔板230的长度方向垂直的断面。 2 and FIG. 1 as schematically illustrating the positive electrode plate prior electrode plate group 210, the negative electrode section in a longitudinal direction of the plate 220 and the separator 230 is vertical. 正极板210由正极集电体211和正极活性物质部212构成，负极板220由负极集电体221和负极活性物质部222构成。 The positive electrode plate 210 is composed of positive electrode active material of the positive electrode collector 211 212, a negative electrode plate 220 is composed of a negative electrode current collector 221 and the negative electrode active material portion 222. 沿正极集电体长度方向的两端部211a、211b位于沿着负极活性物质部222长度方向的两端部222a、222b内侧。 Longitudinal current direction of the positive electrode of the both end portions 211a, 211b positioned along the inside of both ends of the negative electrode 222 longitudinal direction of the active material portion 222a, 222b. 这样配置，若正极集电体的端部211a或211b产生毛刺，该毛刺扎破隔板230，则与负极活性物质部222发生短路。 So configured, when the end portion 211a or 211b of the positive electrode collector burrs, the burr puncture the separator 230, the short-circuited with the negative electrode active material portion 222 occurs. 实施形式2本实施形式是包括以下几部分的锂离子二次电池：(a)正极板，它由正极活性物质部和承载上述正极活性物质部的正极集电体构成，上述正极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的正极活性物质；(b)负极板，它由负极活性物质部和承载上述负极活性物质部的负极集电体构成，上述负极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的负极活性物质；(c)隔板，它夹在上述正极板和负极板之间；(d)电解液；(e)电池容器，用于收装上述正极板、负极板、隔板及电解液，通过将上述正极板和负极板以二者之间夹着隔板的方式卷绕而构成极板组，上述极板组中沿着正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部位于沿着正极集电体长度方向的两端部外侧。 Embodiment 2 the present embodiment is a lithium ion following the secondary battery cell: (a) a positive electrode plate, which consists of a positive electrode active material portion and carrying the above-described positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode active material portion comprising charge and discharge occluding or releasing the positive electrode active material a lithium ion; (b) a negative electrode plate, which is composed of a negative electrode active material portion and carrying the negative electrode active material of the negative electrode current collector, the negative electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge capable of absorbing or releasing a negative electrode active material a lithium ion; (c) a separator sandwiched between the positive and negative electrode plates; (d) an electrolyte; (e) a battery container, a receptacle of the positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator and an electrolyte, by applying the positive and negative electrode plates wound so as to sandwich the separator therebetween to form the electrode plate group, the above electrode plate group along a part length material of the positive electrode active both end portions located outside along the longitudinal current direction of the positive electrode of the both end portions. 由于沿正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部位于沿正极集电体长度方向的两端部外侧，故在分切正极活性物质部端部附近时，正极集电体和正极活性物质部不会同时被分切，不易产生毛刺。 Since both end portions along a part length material of the positive electrode active located outside both end portions in the positive electrode current collector in the longitudinal direction, so that when cutting close to the positive electrode active material of the end portion of the positive electrode current collector and a positive electrode active material portion does not while it is cut, easy to produce burrs. 另外，图2所示的现有结构中，由于正极集电体211和正极活性物质部212同时被分切，故正极集电体的端部211a或211b易产生毛刺。 In addition, Figure 2 shows the existing structure, since the positive electrode current collector 211 and a positive electrode active material 212 while being cut, so the positive current collector ends 211a or 211b prone to glitches. 本实施形式中，沿着负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部最好位于沿正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧。 The present embodiment form, along both ends of the negative portion length active substance direction is preferably positioned along the outside of both end portions of the positive electrode active part length substances direction. 最好在沿正极集电体长度方向的两端部上分别配置沿正极集电体的平面方向延伸的绝缘材料部。 Preferably on both end portions along the collector longitudinal direction of the positive electrode body are arranged insulating material portion extending in a plane direction of the positive current collector. 利用这种绝缘材料部，可使正极活性物质部的端部稳定。 With such an insulating material portion, can end stability of the positive electrode active material portion. 绝缘材料部最好与沿着正极集电体长度方向的端部的端面连接，正极集电体和绝缘材料部接合成一体，在正极集电体和绝缘材料部接合为一体的场合，可将它们作为一个芯材进行使用。 The insulating material part is preferably connected to the end surface of the end portion along the longitudinal current direction of the positive electrode, positive electrode current collector and an insulating material portion integrally joined integrally bonded occasions and the insulating material of the positive electrode current collector, may be they are used as a core material. 沿正极集电体的平面方向延伸的绝缘材料部加工性好，具有绝缘性，成本低，是较理想的。 Insulating material portion processability extending in a plane direction of current collector of the positive electrode good, having an insulating property, low cost, is preferable. 作为这种绝缘材料部，可用聚丙烯、聚乙烯、聚偏二氟乙烯、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯等。 As such an insulating material part, usable polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene terephthalate and the like. 可将它们单独使用，也可将2种以上组合使用。 They may be used alone or two or more thereof. 正极集电体最好完全被正极活性物质部覆盖。 Positive electrode current collector is preferably completely covered with the positive electrode active material portion. 在正极集电体的平面方向上延伸的绝缘材料部不是必须的构成要素。 Insulating material portion extending in a plane direction of the positive electrode current collector is not an essential component. 可在正极集电体的端部到正极活性物质部的端部之间填充正极活性物质。 It may be between the ends of the positive electrode active material portion filling the positive electrode active material at the end of the cathode current collector. 这种场合，正极集电体完全被正极活性物质部覆盖。 In this case, the positive electrode current collector is completely covered with the positive electrode active material portion. 在不设沿正极集电体的平面方向延伸的绝缘材料部的场合，最好分别用绝缘材料覆盖沿正极集电体长度方向的两端部。 In the case where the insulating material part is provided does not extend in the plane direction of the positive electrode current collector, it is preferable cover the both end portions along the collector longitudinal direction of the positive electrode body with an insulating material. 覆盖正极集电体两端部的绝缘材料也可用聚丙烯、聚乙烯、聚偏二氟乙烯、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯等。 Cover the collector both end portions of the positive electrode an insulating material can also be polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene terephthalate and the like. 另外，也可通过喷镀氧化铝等陶瓷，用陶瓷等覆盖正极集电体的端部。 Further, by thermal spraying ceramic such as alumina, ceramic, etc. to cover the end portion of the positive electrode current collector. 图3示意地表示本实施形式极板组的与正极板310、负极板320及隔板330的长度方向垂直的断面的一例。 FIG 3 schematically shows an example of the present embodiment form electrode plate group with the positive electrode plate 310, the negative electrode plate longitudinal direction 320 and a separator 330 perpendicular cross section. 图3中，为了容易理解正极板310、负极板320和隔板330的配置关系，在层叠方向上隔开间隔表示各要素。 3, for easy understanding of the positive electrode plate 310, the negative electrode plate arrangement relationship 320 and the separator 330, in the laminating direction at intervals represent the elements. 正极板310由正极集电体311和正极活性物质部312构成，负极板320由负极集电体321和负极活性物质部322构成。 The positive electrode plate 310 is composed of positive electrode active material of the positive electrode current collector 311 312, a negative electrode plate 320 from the negative electrode current collector 321 and the negative electrode active material portion 322 configured. 正极板310和负极板320隔着隔板330相对。 The positive electrode plate 310 and the negative electrode plate 320 via a separator 330 opposite. 绝缘材料部313从正极集电体的端部311a延伸到正极活性物质部的端部312a，以及从正极集电体的端部311b延伸到正极活性物质部的端部312b。 Insulating material portion 313 extends from the end portion 311a of the positive electrode current collector to the end portion of the positive electrode active material portion 312a, and an end portion 312b extends from the end portion 311b of the positive electrode current collector to the positive electrode active material portion. 沿正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部312a、312b位于沿正极集电体长度方向的两端311a、311b外侧。 Along a part length material of the positive electrode active both end portions 312a, 312b located at both ends in the positive electrode current collector longitudinal direction 311a, 311b outward. 这样配置，在分切正极活性物质部312和绝缘材料部313的层叠部时，由于正极集电体311不被分切，故不产生导电性的毛刺。 So configured, when cutting the positive electrode active material of the laminated portion and the insulating material 312 313, since 311 is not cut positive electrode current collector, it does not produce a conductive burrs. 在采用图3那样的结构的情况下，对从正极集电体的端部311a到正极活性物质部312a之间的间隔、以及从正极集电体的端部311b到正极活性物质部的端部312b之间的间隔没有特别限定，但，最好分别为2mm以下。 In the case of a configuration as in FIG. 3, of the distance between 312a, and the end portions of the positive electrode current collector 311a of the positive electrode active material portion from the positive electrode current collector end portion 311b to the positive electrode active material portion spacing between 312b is not particularly limited, but preferably are 2mm or less. 实施形式3本实施形式是包括以下几部分的锂离子二次电池：(a)正极板，它由正极活性物质部和承载上述正极活性物质部的正极集电体构成，上述正极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的正极活性物质；(b)负极板，它由负极活性物质部和承载上述负极活性物质部的负极集电体构成，上述负极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的负极活性物质；(c)隔板，它夹在上述正极板和负极板之间；(d)电解液；(e)电池容器，用于收装上述正极板、负极板、隔板及电解液，通过将上述正极板和负极板以两者之间隔着上述隔板的方式卷绕而构成极板组。 Embodiment 3 the present embodiment is a lithium ion following the secondary battery cell: (a) a positive electrode plate, which consists of a positive electrode active material portion and carrying the above-described positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode active material portion comprising charge and discharge occluding or releasing the positive electrode active material a lithium ion; (b) a negative electrode plate, which is composed of a negative electrode active material portion and carrying the negative electrode active material of the negative electrode current collector, the negative electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge capable of absorbing or releasing a negative electrode active material a lithium ion; (c) a separator sandwiched between the positive and negative electrode plates; (d) an electrolyte; (e) a battery container, a receptacle of the positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator and an electrolyte, by the positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate therebetween way the separator wound therebetween to form an electrode group. 在上述极板组中，沿上述负极活性物质部长度方向的两端位于沿上述正极集电体长度方向的两端部外侧，沿上述正极集电体长度方向的两端部位于沿上述正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧，另外，上述正极集电体上未被正极活性物质部覆盖的露出部被绝缘材料覆盖。 In the electrode plate group along both ends of the negative portion length active substance direction positioned outside along the cathode current collector longitudinal direction, both end portions along the cathode collector longitudinal direction, both end portions positioned along said positive electrode active the outer end portions of Ministers substances direction, in addition, not on the positive electrode collector of the positive electrode active material covering the exposed portion is covered with an insulating material. 根据这样的配置，由于沿负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部位于沿正极集电体长度方向的两端部外侧，沿正极集电体长度方向的两端部位于沿正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧，故正极集电体的端部与负极活性物质部的表面相对。 According to such a configuration, since the direction the negative electrode both end portions of the Minister of active substance direction is located outside the longitudinal current direction of the positive electrode both end portions along the longitudinal current direction of the positive electrode both end portions positioned along a degree of positive electrode active material Ministers direction outside both end portions, so that an end portion of the positive electrode current collector with a surface active material of the negative electrode opposite. 但是，由于正极集电体上未被正极活性物质部覆盖的露出部被绝缘材料覆盖，故即使正极集电体产生毛刺，该毛刺也不会和负极活性物质部的表面发生短路。 However, since the positive electrode active material covering the exposed portion is covered with an insulating material is not on the positive electrode current collector, so even if the positive electrode current collector burr, the burr is not negative electrode active material portion of the surface of the short circuit. 覆盖正极集电体的露出部的绝缘材料可用聚丙烯、聚乙烯、聚偏二氟乙烯、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯等。 Covering the positive electrode current collector insulating material the exposed portion can be used polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene terephthalate and the like. 可将它们单独使用，也可将2种以上组合使用。 They may be used alone or two or more thereof. 另外，也可通过喷镀氧化铝等陶瓷，用陶瓷等覆盖正极集电体的露出部。 Further, by thermal spraying ceramic such as alumina, ceramic, etc. to cover the positive electrode collector exposed portion. 也可将绝缘带粘贴在正极集电体的露出部上。 It may also be an insulating tape attached to the exposed positive electrode collector portion. 绝缘带最好使用由聚丙烯等制成的基体材料和承载在其一面上的丙烯树脂系粘结材料制成的带。 Insulating tape is preferable to use polypropylene, etc. made of base material and carrying on one surface of the acrylic resin-based adhesive material with. 用绝缘材料覆盖正极集电体的露出部的工序可在分切正极板之前或之后进行。 A step exposed portion covers the positive electrode collector with an insulating material may be performed before slitting the positive electrode plate or after. 图4示意地表示本实施形式极板组的与正极板410、负极板420和隔板430长度方向垂直的断面的一例。 FIG 4 schematically shows the present form of embodiment of the electrode plate group with the positive electrode plate 410, one case of vertical 420 and the separator 430 longitudinal direction of the cross section of the negative electrode plate. 图4中，为了容易理解正极板410、负极板420和隔板430的配置关系，在层叠方向上留有间隔地表示各要素。 Figure 4, for easy understanding of the positive electrode plate 410, the negative electrode plate 420 and the partition 430 configuration relationship, in the stacking direction on the left intervals represent the elements. 正极板410由正极集电体411和正极活性物质部412构成，负极板420由负极集电体421和负极活性物质部422构成。 The positive electrode plate 410 is composed of positive electrode active material of the positive electrode collector 411 412, a negative electrode plate 420 is constituted by the active material portion negative electrode collector 421 422. 正极板410和负极板420隔着隔板430相对。 The positive electrode plate 410 and the negative electrode plate 420 via a separator 430 opposite. 从正极集电体的端部411a到正极活性物质部的端部412a之间、以及从正极集电体的端部411b到正极活性物质部的端部412b之间被绝缘材料413覆盖。 From between the end portions of the current collector of the positive electrode 411a to the positive electrode active material portion 412a, and a 413 covers from between the end portion 411b to the end portion 412b of the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode current collector insulating material. 沿负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部422a、422b位于沿正极集电体长度方向的两端411a、411b外侧。 Along the ends of the negative electrode active part length substances direction 422a, 422b located 411a, 411b outer ends along the set longitudinal direction is the positive electrode. 沿正极集电体长度方向的两端部411a、411b位于沿正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部412a、412b外侧。 Both end portions 411a along the positive electrode current collector in the longitudinal direction, 411b positioned at each end along part length material of the positive electrode active 412a, 412b outward. 另外，正极集电体上未被正极活性物质覆盖的露出部被绝缘材料413覆盖。 Further, not on the positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode active material covered with the exposed portion is 413 covered with an insulating material. 这样构成的正极板上，即使正极集电体产生毛刺，该毛刺也不会和负极活性物质部的表面发生短路。 Such configuration of the positive electrode plate, even if the positive electrode current collector burr, the burr is not negative electrode active material portion of the surface of the short circuit. 在采用图4的结构的场合，对从负极活性物质部的端部422a到正极集电体的端部411a之间的间隔、以及从负极活性物质部的端部422b到正极集电体的端部411b之间的间隔没有特别限定，但最好分别为2mm以下。 Out of the negative electrode is between 422a to the end portion 411a of the positive electrode current collector end portion of the active material portion of the interval, and from the end of the anode active material portion 422b to the positive electrode collector terminal uses the case structure of Figure 4, the spacing between the portion 411b is not particularly limited, but preferably are 2mm or less. 而且，对从正极集电体的端部411a到正极活性物质部的端部412a之间的间隔、以及从正极集电体的端部411b到正极活性物质部412b之间的间隔没有特别限定，但最好分别为2mm以下。 Further, the interval between the 412a, and the interval between 412b is not particularly limited from the end portions of the current collector of the positive electrode 411a to the positive electrode active material portion from the end portion of the current collector of the positive electrode 411b to the positive electrode active material portion, but the best are 2mm or less. 实施形式4本实施形式是包括以下几部分的二次锂离子电池：(a)正极板，它由正极活性物质部和承载上述正极活性物质部的正极集电体构成，上述正极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的正极活性物质；(b)负极板，它由负极活性物质部和承载上述负极活性物质部的负极集电体构成，上述负极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的负极活性物质；(c)隔板，它夹在上述正极板和负极板之间；(d)电解液；(e)电池容器，用于收装上述正极板、负极板、隔板及电解液。 Embodiment 4 the present embodiment is a secondary lithium ion battery of the following parts: (a) a positive electrode plate, which consists of a positive electrode active material portion and carrying the above-described positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode active material portion comprising charge and discharge occluding or releasing the positive electrode active material a lithium ion; (b) a negative electrode plate, which is composed of a negative electrode active material portion and carrying the negative electrode active material of the negative electrode current collector, the negative electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge capable of absorbing or releasing lithium ions in the negative electrode active material; (c) separator sandwiched in the positive and negative plates between; (d) an electrolyte; (e) a battery container for housed the cathode plate a negative electrode plate, a separator and an electrolyte. 通过将上述正极板和负极板以两者之间隔着上述隔板的方式卷绕而构成极板组。 By the positive and negative electrode plates wound in sandwiching the separator between the two ways to form an electrode group. 上述正极集电体由绝缘片及分别形成于其两面上的导电层构成，上述绝缘片的沿长度方向上的两端部设有上述绝缘片的露出部。 The positive electrode collector is formed of an insulating sheet and respectively thereon a conductive layer on both sides of the structure, both end portions in the longitudinal direction of the insulating sheet is provided with the insulating sheet is exposed portion. 本实施形式中，正极集电体的大部分由绝缘片构成，故重量轻。 The present embodiment, the positive electrode collector is composed mostly of the insulating sheet, it is light weight. 而且，这样的集电体通过分切而形成的断面具有绝缘性，故不会产生导电性毛刺。 Further, such a current collector having insulating cross-section through cutting is formed, so that no conductive burrs. 绝缘片的构成材料可采用聚丙烯、聚乙烯、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯等。 Constituting material of the insulating sheet can be polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylene terephthalate and the like. 这些材料具有柔软性，这一点也很好。 These materials have the flexibility, it is also very good. 作为导电层，最好是铝、铝合金等的蒸镀膜。 As the conductive layer, preferably aluminum, an aluminum alloy or the like deposited film. 蒸镀膜的形成工序采用电子束蒸镀等现在周知的蒸镀法即可。 The deposited film forming process using electron beam evaporation, etc. now known vapor deposition method can be. 绝缘片厚度最好为10～30μm，导电层厚度最好为1～20μm。 The insulating sheet preferably has a thickness of 10 ~ 30μm, the conductive layer preferably has a thickness of 1 ~ 20μm. 本实施形式的沿负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部最好也位于沿正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧。 Both end portions of this form of embodiment along the negative portion length active substance direction is also preferably located outside both end portions along the active part length substances direction of the positive electrode. 图5示意地表示本实施形式极板组的与正极板510、负极板520和隔板530长度方向垂直的断面的一例。 5 schematically shows an example of the present form of embodiment of the electrode plate group with the positive electrode plate 510, the negative electrode plate 520 vertically and separator 530 longitudinal direction of the cross section. 图5中，为了容易理解正极板510、负极板520和隔板530的配置关系，在层叠方向上留有间隔地表示各要素。 5, for easy understanding of the arrangement relationship of the positive electrode plate 510, a negative electrode plate 520 and the separator 530, left in the stacking direction showing the elements apart. 正极板510由正极集电体511和正极活性物质部512构成，负极板520由负极集电体521和负极活性物质部522构成。 The positive electrode plate 510 is composed of positive electrode active material of the positive electrode collector 511 512, the negative electrode plate 520 from the negative electrode 521 and the negative electrode active material portion 522 constituting the collector. 正极板510和负极板520隔着隔板530相对。 The positive electrode plate 510 and the negative electrode plate 520 via a separator 530 opposite. 正极集电体511由绝缘片511x及分别形成于绝缘片两面上的导电层511y构成，沿绝缘片511x长度方向的两端部设置有绝缘片的露出部511x'。 Positive electrode current collector 511 made of an insulating sheet 511x and the conductive layer 511y are formed on the insulating sheet both sides, along the insulating sheet 511x longitudinal direction both end portions is provided with an insulating sheet is exposed portion 511x '. 采用图5的这种结构的场合，对绝缘片露出部511x'的宽度没有特别限定，但最好为2mm以下。 Using the case of such a structure in FIG. 5, the insulating sheet is exposed portion 511x 'width is not particularly limited, but preferably is 2mm or less. 沿正极集电体511长度方向的两端部511a、511b具有绝缘片的切断面，故不会产生具有导电性的毛刺。 The cutting surface of both end portions 511a 511 along the longitudinal direction of the positive electrode collector, 511 b having an insulating sheet, so that no burrs having conductivity. 因此，尽管沿正极集电体511长度方向的两端部511a、511b与负极活性物质部522的表面相对，也可防止正极集电体和负极活性物质部发生短路。 Accordingly, both end portions 511a although in 511 the longitudinal direction of the positive electrode collector, 511 b surface of the negative electrode active material portion 522 opposite can be prevented positive electrode current collector and the negative electrode active material portion is short-circuited. 实施形式5本实施形式是包括以下几部分的二次锂离子电池：(a)正极板，它由正极活性物质部和承载上述正极活性物质部的正极集电体构成，上述正极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的正极活性物质；(b)负极板，它由负极活性物质部和承载上述负极活性物质部的负极集电体构成，上述负极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的负极活性物质；(c)隔板，它夹在上述正极板和负极板之间；(d)电解液；(e)电池容器，用于收装上述正极板、负极板、隔板及电解液。 Embodiment Mode 5 the present embodiment is a secondary lithium ion battery of the following parts: (a) a positive electrode plate, which consists of a positive electrode active material portion and carrying the above-described positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode active material portion comprising charge and discharge occluding or releasing the positive electrode active material a lithium ion; (b) a negative electrode plate, which is composed of a negative electrode active material portion and carrying the negative electrode active material of the negative electrode current collector, the negative electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge capable of absorbing or releasing a negative electrode active material a lithium ion; (c) a separator sandwiched between the positive and negative electrode plates; (d) an electrolyte; (e) a battery container, a receptacle of the positive electrode plate, a negative electrode plate, a separator and an electrolyte. 通过将上述正极板和负极板以两者之间隔着上述隔板的方式卷绕而构成极板组，沿上述正极板长度方向的两端部分别被绝缘材料覆盖。 By the above-described positive electrode plate and a negative electrode plate therebetween way the separator wound therebetween to form an electrode group, along the positive electrode plate in the longitudinal direction both end portions is covered with an insulating material. 由于沿正极板长度方向的两端部分别被绝缘材料覆盖，故在分切正极活性物质部的端部附近时，即使正极集电体产生毛刺，也可通过绝缘材料防止毛刺和负极活性物质部之间短路。 Since both end portions along the positive electrode plate longitudinal direction are respectively covered by an insulating material, so that when the slitting vicinity of the end portion of the positive electrode active material portion, even if the positive electrode current collector burrs, can prevent a burr and a negative electrode active material portion by an insulating material short circuit between. 例如，图2所示的现有结构的正极板的沿长度方向的两端部分别用绝缘材料覆盖，由此可实现本实施形式。 For example, both end portions along the longitudinal direction of the positive electrode plate shown in Figure 2 conventional structure are respectively covered with an insulating material, whereby to achieve the present embodiment. 覆盖沿正极板长度方向的两端部的绝缘材料可采用聚丙烯、聚乙烯、聚偏二氟乙烯、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯等。 Covering along the positive electrode plate in the longitudinal direction of insulating material both end portions can be polypropylene, polyethylene, polyvinylidene fluoride, polyethylene terephthalate and the like. 可将它们单独使用，也可将2种以上组合使用。 They may be used alone or two or more thereof. 用绝缘材料覆盖沿正极板长度方向的两端部的工序可在分切正极板之前或之后进行，但在分切正极板之后，可用绝缘材料覆盖分切所形成的整个断面。 Both end sections of the cover along the positive electrode plate in the longitudinal direction with an insulating material may be performed before slitting the positive electrode plate or after, but after cutting the positive electrode plate, can be used an insulating material covers the entire cross-section cut formed. 本实施形式中，沿负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部最好也位于沿正极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧。 Both end portions of the present embodiment, along the negative portion length active substance direction is also preferably located outside both end portions along the active part length substances direction of the positive electrode. 图6示意性地表示本实施形式极板组的与正极板610、负极板620和隔板630长度方向垂直的断面的一例。 FIG 6 schematically shows an exemplary cross section of the positive electrode plate 610, a negative electrode plate 620 and the separator 630 longitudinal direction orthogonal to the present form of embodiment of the electrode plate group. 图6中，为了容易理解正极板610、负极板620和隔板630的配置关系，在层叠方向上隔有间隔地表示各要素。 In FIG. 6, for easy understanding of the positive electrode plate 610, the arrangement relationship negative electrode plate 620 and the separator 630, in the laminating direction compartment representing intervals the elements. 正极板610由正极集电体611和正极活性物质部612构成，负极板620由负极集电体621和负极活性物质部622构成。 The positive electrode plate 610 includes a positive electrode current collector 611 and the positive electrode active material portion 612, the negative electrode plate 620 is made of an active material of the negative electrode current collector 621 and the negative electrode 622. 正极板610和负极板620隔着隔板630相对。 The positive electrode plate 610 and the negative electrode plate 620 via a separator 630 opposite. 沿正极板610长度方向的两端部被绝缘材料613覆盖，故，即使在正极集电体具有毛刺的场合，也可防止毛刺和负极活性物质部短路。 Both end portions along the positive electrode plate 610 in the longitudinal direction is covered with an insulating material 613, so that, even when the positive electrode collector having burrs case, also, prevents the burr and the active material portion short-circuiting the negative electrode. 在实施形式1～5中，对正极板4个边中的沿长度方向的两端部的配置和结构作了说明，但沿短边方向的两端部中的至少一方也可采用同样的配置和结构。 In the embodiments 1 to 5, the configuration and structure along the longitudinal direction of the four sides of the positive electrode plate of the both end portions has been described, but both end portions in the short side direction, at least one may also be the same configuration and structure. 这种场合，防止短路的效果更大。 In this case, bigger prevent short-circuiting effect. 另外，实施形式1～5中说明的正极板的配置和结构可分别单独采用，也可将数个组合起来采用。 Further, the configuration and structure of the positive electrode plate embodiments 1 to 5 described respectively alone, can also be a number of combined use. 下面，根据实施例，进一步对本发明作具体说明。 Here, according to an embodiment, further for detailed description of the present invention. 但是，下述实施例不是限定本发明的。 However, the following examples are not limiting the present invention. 实施例1参照图7～图10对实施形式1的实施例之一作说明。 Example 1 Referring to FIGS embodiment. 7 to FIG. 10, one embodiment for explanation of the embodiment 1. (i)正极板的制作正极板708是通过在正极集电体708a的两面上承载正极活性物质部708b而制成的。 (I) the positive electrode plate produced positive electrode plate 708 by supporting a positive electrode active material portions on both sides of the positive electrode collector 708a to 708b made of. 正极活性物质部708b是将正极材料糊剂涂在集电体708a的两面上，经干燥、轧制而形成的。 The positive electrode active material portion 708b is a material paste of the positive electrode coated on both surfaces of the current collector 708a, dried, rolled and formed. 正极材料糊剂是将正极活性物质LiCoO2、导电剂乙炔黑和粘结剂聚偏二氟乙烯按重量比92∶3∶5的比例混合调制而成。 Material paste of the positive electrode is the positive electrode active material LiCoO2, the conductive agent, acetylene black and the binder polyvinylidene fluoride weight ratio 92:3:5 the ratio of modulation. 粘结剂聚偏二氟乙烯溶解于N-甲基-2吡咯烷酮(下称NMP)中，作为NMP溶液用。 A binder of polyvinylidene fluoride was dissolved in N- methyl-2-pyrrolidone (hereinafter referred to as NMP), and NMP as a solution. 另外，聚偏二氟乙烯的NMP溶液在制作正极板时也可作为非活性物质糊剂使用。 Further, polyvinylidene fluoride in NMP in the production of the positive electrode plate may also be used as inert material paste used. 正极材料糊剂和非活性物质糊剂在厚20μm的铝箔构成的正极集电体708a的两面上间断地涂成条纹状。 The positive electrode material paste and a non-active material paste on both sides of the positive electrode collector thickness of 20μm of aluminum foil 708a intermittently coated in a stripe shape. 图8所示为涂有正极材料糊剂801和非活性物质糊剂802的正极集电体708a的俯视图。 Figure is coated with a plan view material paste 801 of the positive electrode and the positive electrode current collector inert material paste 802 708a 8. 在未涂正极材料糊剂和非活性物质糊剂的部分，露出正极集电体708a，其露出部的间隔为40mm。 A portion uncoated material paste and a non-active material paste of the positive electrode is exposed positive electrode current collector 708a, its distance from the exposed portion is 40mm. 正极材料糊剂801和非活性物质糊剂802的长度均为419mm。 The length of the material paste 801 of the positive electrode and the non-active material paste 802 are 419mm. 正极材料糊剂801的宽度是50mm，非活性物质糊剂802的宽度是中央为8mm，两端为6mm。 Width of the material paste 801. The positive electrode is 50mm, the width of the non-active material paste 802 is central to 8mm, both ends 6mm. 沿正极集电体708a长度方向的两端部的未涂敷部的宽度为10mm。 The width of the uncoated portions of the both end portions 708a longitudinal direction of the positive electrode current collector is 10mm. 接着，如图9所示，在糊剂的间断部分也涂有非活性物质糊剂802'。 Subsequently, as shown in Figure 9, it is also coated with an inert material paste 802 in the intermittent portion paste '. 非活性物质糊剂802、802'的涂膜厚度和正极材料糊剂801的涂膜厚度一样，干燥后两面的涂膜厚度合计为280μm。 Inactive material paste 802, 802 'of the film thickness and the film thickness of the positive electrode material paste 801 as dried film thickness on both sides of the total of 280μm. 包括正极集电体厚度在内的总厚度为300μm。 Comprising a positive electrode current collector thickness including the total thickness of 300μm. 然后，用直径300mm的辊子轧制到总厚度为180μm为止，从而得到具有条纹状的正极活性物质部和非活性物质部的正极板窄带。 Then, with 300mm diameter rolls rolled to a total thickness of up to 180 m, to thereby obtain a positive electrode hoop positive electrode active material portion and a non-active portion having a stripe. 在非活性物质部分切正极板窄带，制成正极板。 Cutting a positive electrode hoop in the non-active portion, a positive electrode plate. 所得到的正极板的材料密度为3.1g/cc。 The material density of the positive electrode plate obtained was 3.1g / cc. 正极板的俯视图示于图10。 Top view of the positive electrode plate in FIG. 10. 图10中，正极板长度方向的长度为428mm，宽度为54mm。 10, the length of the positive electrode plate in the longitudinal direction of 428mm, a width of 54mm. 正极活性物质部1002和正极材料糊剂的涂膜相同，长419mm，宽50mm。 The positive electrode active material portion 1002 and the coating material paste of the positive electrode the same, length 419mm, width 50mm. 正极活性物质部1002周围配置有宽2mm的非活性物质部1003。 The positive electrode active material portion around 1002 disposed 2mm wide inactive material portion 1003. 按5mm宽剥离非活性物质部1003的一部分而形成的正极集电体708a的露出部上焊接有长75mm、宽3mm的正极簧片716。 Positive electrode current collector pressing portion 5mm wide release inactive material portion 1003 is formed by 708a on the exposed portion welded length 75mm, width 3mm positive spring 716. 正极簧片716的焊接部，用绝缘带包覆。 The positive electrode reed welded portion 716, with an insulating strip coating. (ii)负极板的制作。 Production (ii) a negative electrode plate. 负极板709是用现有周知的方法，将负极活性物质部709b承载在负极集电体709a的两面上而制成。 The negative electrode plate 709 is a method conventionally known, the negative electrode active material portion 709b carrier is made on both sides of the negative electrode current collector 709a is. 负极活性物质部709b是将负极材料糊剂涂敷在负极集电体709a的两面上，经干燥、轧制而形成。 Negative electrode active material portion 709b is a negative electrode material paste was coated on a negative electrode both surfaces of current collector 709a, dried, rolled and formed. 负极材料糊剂是将人造石墨和粘结剂苯乙烯-丁二烯橡胶(SBR)按重量比97∶3的比例混合调制而成。 The negative electrode material paste is artificial graphite and a binder of styrene - butadiene rubber (SBR) weight ratio 97:3 the ratio of modulation. 将粘结剂苯乙烯-丁二烯橡胶分散在水中，作为水溶性分散液使用。 The binder is a styrene - butadiene rubber dispersed in water and used as aqueous dispersion. 将负极材料糊剂涂敷在由厚度为14μm的铜箔制成的负极集电体709a的两面上。 The both surfaces of a negative electrode collector a negative electrode material paste was coated in a thickness of 14μm of a copper foil 709a of. 然后，用直径为300mm的辊子轧制到包括负极材料糊剂的涂膜和负极集电体在内的总厚度为196μm为止，从而得到具有负极活性物质部的负极板窄带。 Then, the diameter of the rolling of the roller 300mm of the total thickness including the coating film and the negative electrode collector a negative electrode material paste including as far 196μm, thereby obtaining a negative electrode active material of the negative electrode hoop. 将得到的负极板窄带分切成比正极活性物质部大、且比包括非活性物质部在内的整个正极板小的尺寸，得到负极板。 The obtained negative electrode hoop cut into larger than that of the positive electrode active material portion and smaller than the overall size of the positive electrode small plate comprising an inert material portion including, a negative electrode plate. 所得到的负极板的负极材料密度为1.4g/cc。 Negative electrode material density of the negative electrode plate obtained was 1.4g / cc. 负极板长度方向的长度为513mm、宽度为52mm。 The length of the negative electrode plate in the longitudinal direction of 513mm, a width of 52mm. 按5mm宽剥离负极活性物质部的一部分而形成的负极集电体709a的露出部上焊接有长75mm、宽3mm的负极簧片717。 By 5mm wide release the negative electrode portion of the active material portion is formed of negative electrode current collector 709a on the exposed portion welded length 75mm, width 3mm negative spring 717. 负极簧片717的焊接部用绝缘带包覆。 Welding portion of the negative spring 717 tape coated with insulation. (iii)电解液的调制电解液用下述这种溶液，即，将溶质氟磷酸锂(LiPF6)溶解在混合溶媒中形成浓度为1mol/dm3的溶液，该混合溶媒是将乙烯碳酸酯(EC)和二乙基碳酸酯(DEC)按体积比1∶1的比例混合而成的。 (Iii) an electrolyte modulation electrolyte solution following this solution, i.e., a solute lithium hexafluorophosphate (of LiPF6) was dissolved at a concentration of 1mol / dm3 was formed in the mixed solvent, the mixed solvent is ethylene carbonate (EC ) and diethyl carbonate (DEC) by volume ratio of 1 are mixed. (iv)圆筒形电池的组装工序组装了图7所示的直径18mm、高65mm的圆筒形锂离子二次电池。 (Iv) a cylindrical battery assembling process for assembling a diameter of 18mm, high 65mm cylindrical lithium ion secondary battery shown in FIG. 7. 电池的设计容量为1400mAh。 The design capacity of the battery is 1400mAh. 隔着由聚乙烯投影的多微孔膜构成的隔板，按图1所示的配置方式，使正极板708和负极板709相对，并卷成涡卷状，从而构成极板组711。 Via separator a microporous membrane made of polyethylene projection constituted by the arrangement shown in Figure 1, the positive electrode plate 708 and the negative electrode plate 709 relatively, and rolled into a spiral, thereby constituting the electrode plate group 711. 极板组711的上下配置有上部绝缘板718和下部绝缘板719。 Electrode group 711 is vertically disposed on an upper insulating plate 718 and a lower insulating plate 719. 和电解液(未图示)一同收装在电池容器712内。 And an electrolyte (not shown) together housed in a battery container 712. 将兼作负极端子的圆筒状电池罐713和兼作正极端子的封口板714组合在电池容器712上使用。 The serving as a negative terminal of a cylindrical battery can 713 and serves as a positive terminal of the sealing plate 714 in combination on the battery container 712. 极板组711和电池罐713的内周之间也隔有隔板710。 Electrode group 711 and between the inner periphery of the battery can 713 is also separated with a separator 710. 正极板708的正极簧片716通过上部绝缘板718的中央孔与封口板714的里面连接。 The positive electrode plate of the positive electrode reed 708 716 inside the upper insulating plate 718 of the central bore and the sealing plate 714 is connected through. 负极板709的负极簧片717绕过下部绝缘板719的外周安装在下部绝缘板719和电池罐713的底部之间。 The negative electrode plate 709 is a negative spring 717 bypasses the outer periphery of a lower insulating plate 719 is mounted between the bottom of the lower insulating plate 719 and 713 of the battery can. 负极簧片717和电池罐713的底部在下部绝缘板719中央的孔部内侧焊接起来。 The bottom of the negative spring 717 and the battery can 713 in the bore portion inside the lower insulating plate 719 center welded. 电池罐713和开口端部和封口板714的周边部之间夹有绝缘衬垫715，用封口板714封住电池罐713的开口，将电池容器712密闭起来。 Interposed between the peripheral portion of the battery can 713 and an open end portion and the sealing plate 714 of insulating spacer 715, the opening with the sealing plate 714 to seal the battery can 713, the battery container 712 sealed together. 实施例1的电池的极板组中，由于沿正极集电体长度方向的两端部位于沿负极活性物质部长度方向的两端部外侧，故可认为即使发生正极集电体端部所产生的毛刺扎破隔板的事态，该毛刺也不会和负极活性物质部发生短路。 Electrode group of the battery of Example 1, since both end portions along the collector longitudinal direction of the positive electrode member is positioned in the negative electrode outside both end portions of the Minister of active substance direction, it can be considered positive electrode current collector end portion even in the event generated burrs punctured separator situation, the burr is not negative electrode active material portion short circuit. 而且，因正极板的端部附近设置有由绝缘材料制成的非活性物质部，故正极集电体稳定，且不易引起一般的短路。 Moreover, since the end portion of the positive electrode plate is disposed near the non-active material portion made of an insulating material, so the positive electrode current collector stable and less likely to cause a general short circuit. 另外，非活性物质部的厚度和正极活性物质部的厚度一样，没有台阶，故卷绕时不易引起卷的错动等。 The thickness of the non-active portion and the thickness of the positive electrode active material portion, there is no step, it is difficult to cause the volume of dislocation during winding and so on. 实施例2参照图11～图13对实施形式2的实施例之一作说明。 Specified one of Example 2 with reference to FIGS embodiments 11 to 13 of the embodiments in the form of the second embodiment. (i)正极板的制作如图11所示，将作为正极集电体的厚20μm的铝箔1101和作为绝缘材料部的2条厚20μm的聚丙烯膜1102配置成3列，构成正极芯材。 Production (i) the positive electrode plate 11, the two thick as the thickness of the positive electrode current collector foil 1101 and a 20μm dielectric material portion 20μm polypropylene film 1102 is configured to 3, constituting the positive electrode core member. 铝箔1101的宽度为48mm，配置在沿其长度方向的两端部的聚丙烯膜1102的宽度均为5mm。 The width of the foil 1101 is 48mm, disposed are 5mm in width along their length polypropylene film 1102 both end portions. 由3个构成部件组成的正极芯材设置在正极材料糊剂的涂敷机上。 The positive electrode core member consists of three components consisting disposed on the material paste of the positive electrode coater. 如图12所示，以覆盖在由聚丙烯膜1102制成的绝缘材料部1102上的方式，把和实施例1中调制的糊剂一样的正极材料糊剂1201按52mm宽度涂敷在正极芯材的两面上。 12, to cover the polypropylene film 1102 made of insulating material 1102 on the way to Example 1, prepared in a paste like cathode material paste 1201 by 52mm width is applied to the positive electrode both sides of the material on. 图12中，虚线表示铝箔和聚丙烯膜的界面。 12, a broken line indicates the interface of aluminum foil and polypropylene film. 也可将铝箔和聚丙烯膜配置成5列、7列……，高效地制作更多的正极板。 Also aluminum foil and a polypropylene film may be configured to 5, 7 ......, efficiently produce more positive electrode plate. 和实施例1一样，包括干燥后的两面的涂膜和正极集电体在内的总厚度设为300μm，将总厚度轧制到180μm，获得具有正极活性物质部的正极板窄带。 Same as Example 1, including both sides of the dried coating film and the positive electrode current collector, including the total thickness is set to 300 m, the total thickness of the rolled to 180 m, to obtain a positive electrode hoop having a positive electrode active material portion. 在成为绝缘材料部的聚丙烯膜1102和正极活性物质部的层叠部分切正极板窄带，从而制成正极板。 In an insulating material portion of the polypropylene film 1102 and the cathode active material part of the layered part cutting the positive electrode hoop, and thus produce a positive electrode plate. 正极板的俯视图示于图13。 Top view of the positive electrode plate in FIG. 13. 图13中，正极板长度方向的长度为428mm，宽度为50mm。 In FIG. 13, the length of the positive electrode plate in the longitudinal direction of 428mm, a width of 50mm. 在按5mm宽度剥离正极活性物质部1302的一部分而形成的正极集电体1101的露出部上设置和实施例1一样的正极簧片1316。 A positive electrode collector part by 5mm width of peeling of the positive electrode active material portion 1302 is formed 1101 over the exposed portion and embodiment as the positive-electrode reed embodiment 1316. 沿正极板长度方向的两端部上分别残留宽1mm的聚丙烯膜和正极活性物质部的层叠部。 Respectively, remaining width of 1mm on both end portions along the positive electrode plate longitudinal direction of the laminated portion polypropylene film and the positive electrode active material portion. (ii)负极板的制作负极板是将和实施例1一样制作的负极板窄带分切成比正极板大的尺寸而制成的。 (Ii) the negative electrode plate of negative electrode plate is Same as Example 1 fabricated negative electrode hoop cut into larger than the positive electrode plate size made. 负极板的结构和尺寸和实施例1一样。 Structure and size of the negative electrode plate, and in Example 1. (iii)圆筒形电池的组装工序和实施例1一样，组装了直径18mm、高65mm、设计容量1400mAh的圆筒形锂离子二次电池。 An assembly process in Example (iii) a cylindrical battery as an assembled diameter 18mm, high 65mm, the design capacity of the cylindrical lithium ion secondary battery is 1400mAh of. 即，隔着由聚乙烯制的多微孔膜构成的隔板，按图3所示的配置方式，使上述制作的正极板和负极板相对，并卷成涡卷状，从而构成极板组。 I.e., via a separator made of a microporous membrane made of polyethylene, by the arrangement shown in Figure 3, so that the prepared positive electrode and negative electrode plates opposing, and rolled into a spiral, thereby constituting the electrode plate group . 然后，组装出除了采用该极板组以外、其他和实施例1一样的实施例2的电池。 Then, assembled except that the electrode group except that the battery of Example 2 1 like other and embodiments. 实施例2的电池极板组中，由于在成为绝缘材料部的聚丙烯膜和正极活性物质部的层叠部分切正极板窄带，故可认为沿正极板长度方向的端部不产生导电性毛刺。 Battery plate group of Example 2, since become laminated portion polypropylene film of insulating material portion and the positive electrode active material portion of the cut positive electrode hoop, it can be considered an end portion in the positive electrode plate in the longitudinal direction does not produce a conductive burrs. 实施例3参照图14、图15对实施形式3的实施例之一作说明。 14, one of the embodiment 3 of FIG. 15 embodiment as described in Example 3 with reference to FIG. (i)正极板的制作如图14所示，把和实施例1中调制的糊剂一样的正极材料糊剂1402呈条纹状地涂敷在和实施例1用的相同的正极集电体1401的两面上。 Production (i) the positive electrode plate 14, the and pastes Examples modulating an embodiment as a positive electrode material paste 1402 in stripes coated and same cathode current collector in Example 1 using 1401 on both sides. 图14中，正极材料糊剂的宽度，2列均为50mm，集电体露出部的宽度为：中央8mm，两端4mm。 14, the width of the positive electrode material paste, 2 are 50mm, collector-exposed portion is: a central 8mm, both ends of 4mm. 和实施例1一样，包括干燥后的涂膜和正极集电体在内的总厚度设为300μm，将总厚度轧制到180μm，获得具有正极活性物质部1501的正极板窄带。 Same as Example 1, comprising a coating film and the positive electrode current collector after drying, including the total thickness is set to 300 m, the total thickness of the rolled to 180 m, to obtain a positive electrode hoop having a positive electrode active material portion 1501. 在集电体露出部分切正极板窄带，如图15所示，用1mm宽的绝缘带1509包覆残留的集电体露出部，制成正极板。 In the collector exposed portion of the cut positive electrode hoop, as shown in Figure 15, with the 1mm wide insulating strip 1509 of the current collector coated with the remaining exposed portion, a positive electrode plate. 图15中，正极板长度方向的长度为428mm，宽度为52mm。 15, the length of the positive electrode plate in the longitudinal direction of 428mm, a width of 52mm. 按5mm宽剥离正极活性物质部1501的一部分而形成的正极集电体1401的露出部上设置了和实施例1一样的正极簧片1516。 Positive electrode current collector by a portion of the positive electrode active material portion 1501 is wider release 5mm formed by 1401 is provided Same as Example 1, a positive spring 1516 on the exposed portion. (ii)负极板的制作负极板是将和实施例1一样制作的负极板窄带分切成比正极板大的尺寸而制成的。 (Ii) the negative electrode plate of negative electrode plate is Same as Example 1 fabricated negative electrode hoop cut into larger than the positive electrode plate size made. 负极板的尺寸和实施例1一样。 Size of the negative electrode plate, and in Example 1. 即，隔着由聚乙烯制的多微孔膜构成的隔板，按图4所示的配置方式，使上述制作的正极板和负极板相对，并卷成涡卷状，从而构成极板组。 I.e., via a separator microporous film made of a polyethylene constituted by the arrangement shown in Figure 4, so that the prepared positive electrode and negative electrode plates opposing, and rolled into a spiral, thereby constituting the electrode plate group . 然后，组装出除了用该极板组以外、其他和实施例1一样的实施例3的电池。 Then, except for using the assembled electrode group, and the other battery as in Example 1 Example 3. 实施例3的电池的极板组由于用绝缘带包覆正极集电体的端部，所以即使正极集电体端部产生毛刺，该毛刺也不会和负极活性物质部发生短路。 Example 3 battery electrode plate group due to belt embodiment end portion of the positive electrode current collector coated with an insulating electrode, positive electrode current collector even if the end portion burr, and the burr is not short-circuited portion of the negative electrode active material. 实施例4参照图16～图18对实施形式4的实施例之一作说明。 18 specified one of the embodiments of Embodiment 4 of Example 4 with reference to FIGS embodiment 16 to FIG. (i)正极板的制作如图16所示，在厚20μm的窄带状的聚丙烯片1601两面的相同位置上，前后左右残留10mm以上的聚丙烯片的露出部，形成厚5μm的铝蒸镀膜1602。 , In the narrow strip of the same position as the polypropylene sheets 1601 on both sides of a thickness of 20μm on, around, remaining more than 10mm polypropylene sheet produced as shown in (i) the positive electrode plate 16 of the exposed portion, forming a thick 5μm aluminum deposited film 1602. 铝蒸镀膜1602长426mm、宽48mm。 Aluminum vapor deposition film 1602 length 426mm, width 48mm. 下面，如图17所示，把和实施例1一样调制的正极材料糊剂1701一面一面地涂敷在聚丙烯片1601两面的相同位置上。 Next, as shown in Figure 17, the Example 1 as prepared positive electrode material paste 1701 side face coated at the same position on both surfaces of the polypropylene sheet 1601. 这时，铝蒸镀膜1602一方的宽5mm的端部上残留有未涂敷正极材料糊剂的铝蒸镀膜的露出部1702。 In this case, the residual aluminum uncoated material paste of the positive electrode of the deposited film exposed portion 1702 on an end portion of an aluminum deposition film 1602 one 5mm wide. 铝蒸镀膜的露出部1702设在聚丙烯片两面的相同位置上。 Aluminum vapor deposition film of the exposed portion 1702 provided at the same position as the polypropylene sheet sides on. 和实施例1一样，包括干燥后的两面的涂膜和正极集电体在内的总厚度设为300μm，将总厚度轧制到180μm，获得具有正极活性物质部1501的正极板窄带。 Same as Example 1, including both sides of the dried coating film and the positive electrode current collector, including the total thickness is set to 300 m, the total thickness of the rolled to 180 m, to obtain a positive electrode hoop having a positive electrode active material portion 1501. 在没有铝蒸镀膜的部位分切正极板窄带，制成图18所示的正极板。 In the portion having no aluminum vapor deposition film slitting positive electrode hoop, a positive electrode plate shown in FIG. 18. 正极板的长度为428mm，宽度为50mm。 The length of the positive electrode plate is 428mm, a width of 50mm. 在设于正极集电体两面上的宽5mm的铝蒸镀膜的露出部1702上，用导电性粘结剂分别固定有长75mm、宽3mm的正极簧片1816，它们的自由端相互焊接起来。 Aluminum provided 5mm wide on a current collector on both surfaces of the positive electrode exposed vapor deposited film on the portion 1702, a conductive adhesive are fixed length 75mm, width 3mm positive spring 1816, their free ends welded to each other. 正极簧片1816的粘结固定部用绝缘带包覆。 The positive electrode reed adhesive fixing portion 1816 tape coated with insulation. 沿正极板长度方向的宽1mm的端部没有铝蒸镀膜，正极活性物质部直接承载在聚丙烯片上。 1mm wide end portion along the positive electrode plate in the longitudinal direction no aluminum vapor deposition film, a positive electrode active material portion directly supported on a polypropylene sheet. (ii)负极板的制作负极板是将和实施例1一样制作的负极板钢带分切成比正极板大的尺寸而制成的。 (Ii) the negative electrode plate of negative electrode plate is Same as Example 1 produced negative electrode plate strip cut into larger than the positive electrode plate size made. 负极板的结构和尺寸和实施例1一样。 Structure and size of the negative electrode plate, and in Example 1. 即，隔着由聚乙烯制的多微孔膜构成的隔板，按图5所示的配置方式，使上述制作的正极板和负极板相对，并卷成涡卷状，从而构成极板组。 I.e., via a separator made of a microporous membrane made of polyethylene, by the arrangement shown in Figure 5, so that the prepared positive electrode and negative electrode plates opposing, and rolled into a spiral, thereby constituting the electrode plate group . 然后，组装出除了用该极板组以外、其他和实施例1一样的实施例4的电池。 Then, assemble except the plate group, other Example 1, the same as in Example 4 batteries. 实施例4的电池中，由于正极集电体的分切部分是绝缘材料，故不产生导电性的毛刺，不会引起因毛刺而产生的短路。 Example 4 of the battery, the positive electrode current collector slitting part is an insulating material, it does not produce conductive burr, it will not be caused by glitches arising from a short circuit. 实施例5对实施形式5的实施例之一作说明。 One embodiment for illustrative Example 5 Embodiment Mode 5 embodiment. (i)正极板的制作在和实施例1用的同样的正极集电体的两面的整个面上涂敷和实施例1中调制的糊剂相同的正极材料糊剂。 Production (i) positive electrode plate in Example entire surface to be coated on both surfaces of the same positive electrode current collector 1 with the same paste positive electrode material paste prepared in Example 1 embodiment. 和实施例1一样，包括干燥后的两面的涂敷和正极集电体在内的总厚度设为300μm，将总厚度轧制到180μm，获得具有正极活性物质部1501的正极板窄带。 Same as Example 1, comprising coating both sides of the dried and the positive electrode current collector, including the total thickness is set to 300 m, the total thickness of the rolled to 180 m, to obtain a positive electrode hoop having a positive electrode active material portion 1501. 将正极板窄带分切为宽50mm、长428mm的尺寸，将沿其长度方向的宽2mm的两端部浸渍在聚乙烯粉末(熔点约100℃)的分散液中，干燥后，使附着在两端部上的聚乙烯粉末熔融而形成聚乙烯覆膜。 The positive electrode hoop cut in width 50mm, 428mm size length, both end portions immersed 2mm wide along its longitudinal direction in the dispersion liquid polyethylene powder (melting point of about 100 deg.] C), the dried, adhered in two powder melts the polyethylene on the end portion is formed of polyethylene film. 按5mm宽剥离正极活性物质部的一部分而形成的正极集电体的露出部上设置了和实施例1一样的正极簧片。 Provided Same as Example 1, the positive electrode reed on the exposed portion of the positive electrode collector by a portion of the positive electrode active material portion of the width of the peeling 5mm formed. 即，隔着由聚乙烯制的多微孔膜构成的隔板，按图6所示的配置方式，使上述制作的正极板和负极板相对，并卷成涡卷状，从而构成极板组。 I.e., via a separator made of a microporous membrane made of polyethylene, by the arrangement shown in Figure 6, so that the prepared positive electrode and negative electrode plates opposing, and rolled into a spiral, thereby constituting the electrode plate group . 然后，组装出除了用该极板组以外、其他和实施例1一样的实施例5的电池。 Then, assembled except for using the electrode group, other Example 1 as a battery of Example 5. 实施例5的电池中，分切正极板时即使产生毛刺，通过设在正极板的端部上的聚乙烯覆膜，也可防止毛刺和负极物质部发生短路。 In the battery of Example 5, even if burrs when cutting the positive electrode plate, through provided on the end portion of the positive electrode plate of a polyethylene film, but also, prevents the burr and the negative electrode material portion is short-circuited. 比较例1制作和实施例5一样的正极板窄带，将其分切成宽50mm、长428mm的尺寸。 Produced in Example 1 and the same size as in Example 5 of the positive electrode plate narrowband embodiment, which is cut into width of 50mm, length of 428mm comparison. 将这样得到的正极板，在沿其长度方向的两端部不形成聚乙烯覆膜的情况下，直接用它组装和实施例5一样的直径为18mm、高65mm、设计容量1400mAh的圆筒形锂离子二次电池。 The thus obtained positive electrode plate, in the case along the longitudinal direction both end portions are not formed of polyethylene film, directly assemble it and Example 5, the same diameter of 18mm, high 65mm, the design capacity of the cylindrical 1400mAh of A lithium ion secondary battery. [评价]按以下顺序评价实施例1～5和比较例1的电池。 Batteries of Examples 1 to 5 and Comparative Example 1. [Evaluation] Evaluation in the following order embodiment. (i)各电池分别准备100个，用500mA将它们充电至电池电压为4.4V的过充电状态。 (I) each battery were prepared 100 with 500mA charging them until the battery voltage is overcharged state of 4.4V. (ii)用平板对过充电状态的电池进行按压，将其压坏至其电压开始下降为止。 (Ii) a flat plate battery overcharged state is pressed to crush it to the voltage begins to drop so far. (iii)调查因压坏后温度上升，产生气体而使安全阀动作的电池个数。 (Iii) survey the number of battery temperature rise after crushing, gas is generated so that the safety valve operation. 结果如下：实施例1：安全阀动作的电池个数为，100个中0个。 The results are as follows: Example 1: The number of battery safety valve is, 100 in the 0. 实施例2：安全阀动作的电池个数为，100个中0个。 Example 2: the number of battery safety valve is, 100 in the 0. 实施例3：安全阀动作的电池个数为，100个中0个。 Example 3: The number of battery safety valve is, 100 in the 0. 实施例4：安全阀动作的电池个数为，100个中0个。 Example 4: The number of battery safety valve is, 100 in the 0. 实施例5：安全阀动作的电池个数为，100个中0个。 Example 5: the number of battery safety valve is, 100 in the 0. 比较例1：安全阀动作的电池个数为，100个中26个。 Comparative Example 1: The number of battery safety valve is, 100 of 26. 如上所述，根据本发明的锂离子二次电池，可防止在切分正极集电体时产生毛刺，即使产生毛刺，也可防止毛刺和负极活性物质部短路。 As described above, according to the lithium ion secondary battery according prevent burrs during slicing positive electrode current collector, even if burrs, but also, prevents the burr and the negative electrode active material portion short-circuited. 1.锂离子二次电池，包括：a)正极板，它由正极活性物质部和承载上述正极活性物质部的正极集电体构成，上述正极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的正极活性物质；b)负极板，它由负极活性物质部和承载上述负极活性物质部的负极集电体构成，上述负极活性物质部含有通过充放电可吸留或放出锂离子的负极活性物质；c)隔板，它夹在上述正极板和负极板之间；d)电解液；e)电池容器，用于收装上述正极板、负极板、隔板及电解液，通过将上述正极板和负极板以二者之间夹着隔板的方式卷绕而构成极板组，上述正极集电体由绝缘片和形成于绝缘片的两面上的导电层构成，在所述绝缘片的沿长度方向的两端部上设有未被所述导电层覆盖的、所述绝缘片的露出部。 1. The lithium ion secondary battery, comprising: a) a positive electrode plate, which consists of a positive electrode active material portion and carrying the above-described positive electrode current collector of the positive electrode active material portion of the positive electrode active material portion comprises charge and discharge occluding or releasing lithium the positive electrode active material ions; b) a negative electrode plate, which is composed of a negative electrode active material portion and a negative electrode current collector carry the negative electrode active material portion of the anode active active material portion comprises charge and discharge occluding or releasing lithium ions material; c) a separator sandwiched between the positive and negative electrode plates; D) an electrolyte; E) a battery container for housed above the positive electrode plate, negative electrode plate, a separator and an electrolyte, by the positive electrode and negative electrode plates so as to sandwich the separator therebetween is wound to form the electrode plate group, the positive electrode current collector made of an insulating sheet and a conductive layer formed on both surfaces of the insulating sheet constituted in the insulating sheet provided with a conductive layer not covered by the both end portions along the longitudinal direction of the insulating sheet is exposed portion. FR2996360B1 (en) 2012-10-01 2014-10-17 Commissariat Energie Atomique current collector with integrated sealing means, such a bipolar battery comprising a collector, METHOD FOR PRODUCING such a battery. FR3004292B1 (en) 2013-04-09 2016-06-24 Commissariat Energie Atomique Electrochemical lithium accumulator with a housing heat dissipation IMPROVED pack battery and associated fabrication methods. FR3006116B1 (en) 2013-05-21 2015-06-26 Commissariat Energie Atomique li-on battery bipolar tightness improved breathability and realization METHOD THEREOF. FR3019686B1 (en) 2014-04-08 2016-05-06 Commissariat Energie Atomique Electrochemical lithium accumulator with terminal connected to the electrode plate, associated fabrication methods. FR3022693A1 (en) 2014-06-24 2015-12-25 Commissariat Energie Atomique Electrochemical accumulator with a housing assembly by IMPROVED welding.

2019-04-23T06:42:51Z

https://patents.google.com/patent/CN1324757C/en

The Doctor of Science (Tech) degree is 40 ECTS credits of theoretical studies and dissertation thesis which means four years of full-time studies. The Licentiate of Science (Tech) degree is 40 ECTS credits of theoretical studies and licentiate thesis which means two years of full-time studies.The extent of the licentiate and doctoral degrees consist of theoretical studies and research work. The emphasis is on research work. The degrees of doctor of science and licentiate constitute of three entities or modules which are the thesis, scientific principles and practices -studies and research field studies. Total of coursework is 40 credits. Doctoral candidates are required to complete a dissertation, which is a individual research composed during the four years of study. The doctoral dissertation is written on a topic related to the research field approved for the doctoral candidate. A doctoral dissertation shall contribute to new scientific knowledge. Dissertation includes a public defence after pre-examination process. Accepted forms of dissertation are article dissertation and monograph. Aalto University has more detailed instructions concerning the dissertation and its requirements. A dissertation is a public document and cannot be concealed. Quality requirements and forms of dissertation are described in Supervision, research and dissertation part. The Licentiate thesis is written on a topic related to the research field approved for the doctoral candidate. In a Licentiate thesis, doctoral candidate shall demonstrate good conversance with the field of research and the capability of independently and critically applying scientific research methods. An approved Licentiate thesis may also be a monograph or a number of scientific publications or manuscripts vetted for publication deemed sufficient by the university, which deal with the same set of problems and a paper summarising the findings, or some other work, which meets corresponding scientific criteria. The publications may include co-authored publications if the author's independent contribution to them can be demonstrated. A Licentiate thesis is a public document and cannot be concealed. The extent of module is 5 - 20 ECTS. The individual content of the module is confirmed to each doctoral candidate. Only compulsory course for fulltime doctoral candidates is the course Introduction to doctoral studies (ELEC-L0902). It is organised twice a year. The aim of the scientific principles and practices studies is to provide students with knowledge of the basic concepts of science, the key characteristics of scientific research and scientific knowledge and to familiarize them with the most important research methods of their research field and develop the transferable skills. In addition, students learn to apply the principles of good scientific practice to their research, apply the basic structure of a scientific publication in their research reports, know the key publication series of their fields and are able to draft an appropriate and suitable structure for their doctoral dissertation. The study module may include studies in research methodology, research ethics and the history or philosophy of science and principles of scientific writing. Some or all of the module may also consist of pedagogical studies. Language studies in general cannot be included to the degree, except for the specified language and communication studies. The extent of module is 20-35 ECTS. Research field studies should support the writing of the thesis and prepare the doctoral candidates for research and other demanding work that requires expertise. In the Doctoral Programme in Electrical Engineering there are 24 research field to conduct studies in. Research field descriptions, list of professors and links to the research groups descriptions can be found below. Research field studies need to be mainly post-graduate courses (advanced level) or other studies elegible for doctoral degree. Two master level courses can be included to the research field studies without any additional reasoning. No credits are given for doing research. Attending suitable courses in Aalto University or another university. Completing and reporting practical assignments related to the research field. Oral or written examinations based on textbooks. Studies in scientific summer and winter schools and courses organised by graduate schools. Studies in the field of research need to be confirmed in the individual study plan for each doctoral candidate. Read more about the process here. Scientific principles and practices module can include variety of studies but it may not consist totally of presentations in scientific conferences of one’s own field. For full-time doctoral candidates the only compulsory course is ELEC-L0902 Introduction to doctoral studies. Introduction to doctoral studies is compulsory to full-time doctoral candidates who have been admitted after August 1, 2015. For more detailed course information, please see the MyCourses and WebOodi. 1-3 credits for acting as the assistant for exercises or teaching. when doctoral candidate is nominated officially as bachelor thesis advisor. The credits are assigned by the supervising professor case by case depending on the workload and requirements. The participation in pedagogic training (YOOP courses or Aalto University pedagogic education) grants a maximum of 15 cr. The credits are recorded for the general codes reserved for the doctoral studies of the research field, see details. Please note that the study module may not consist totally of presentations in scientific conferences of one’s own field. Study attainment includes: a rehearsal presentation in Finland,presenting a poster or giving an oral presentation at a conference and active participation in the conference: is worth 1-2 cr /conference. These credits are registered by using the general codes reserved for the doctoral studies of the research field. In the programme level there are no specific course requirements for this module. Courses should be post-graduate courses are marked letter L/P in the course name, with letter L in the course code or as "doctoral" in the course description. Two master level courses can be included to the research field studies without any additional reasoning. Bachelor level courses cannot be included to the doctoral degree but these are considered are prerequisite courses. Doctoral studies in acoustics and audio signal processing focus on spatial sound technologies, digital music signal processing, and acoustic virtual reality, among others. Current trends are digitisation, such as the replacement of sound production tools with software, and novel communication and entertainment systems, which employ telepresence technologies. Research in this field requires good signal processing and programming skills in practice. Furthermore, it is necessary to have an understanding of subjective testing, especially listening tests. Doctoral research will give you a chance to go deep into your favourite acoustic or audio topics and create new findings. Doctoral candidates will get a chance to use the outstanding measurement facilities of the Aalto Acoustics Lab, such as our three anechoic chambers and a modern artificial head. Currently, research topics in this field are multidisciplinary and often related to virtual reality, physical modelling of audio devices, acoustics and modelling of concert halls, psychoacoustics of spatial sound, and acoustic measurements. Professors Ville Pulkki and Vesa Välimäki are well known internationally and widely networked. Their doctoral candidates will become part of the global community of audio researchers and will have opportunities to participate in international conferences. The Aalto Acoustics Lab collaborates actively with audio companies and with acoustics research groups of top universities. Doctoral candidates can include in their theoretical studies several regular courses in this research field and can participate in the acoustics and audio technology seminar, which has a different theme each year. In addition, doctoral studies in this field may include courses on signal processing, speech and language processing, machine learning, and mathematics, for example. Anyone with a doctoral degree in acoustics and audio signal processing will readily find a job in a high-tech company, consulting firm, or university in Finland or abroad. Some of our doctors become entrepreneurs. Doctoral studies in Automation, Systems and Control Engineering include research in intelligent software and hardware solutions for industrial automation, marine industry automation, intelligent robotic systems, robotic vision, micro- and nanorobotic manipulation, and autonomous vehicles. Current trends in the field include distributed internet-inspired automation architectures, the industrial internet of things, use of artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, human-robot and robot-robot interaction, microrobotic instruments, as well as cooperative control and manipulation. The research in this field requires extensive knowledge of mechatronics, signals and systems, optimisation, and programming and software skills. Additionally, the research often requires deep understanding of particular application fields, and multidisciplinary approaches are often required. The doctoral research provides opportunities for students to delve into their favourite theoretical topics or develop novel scientific and engineering methods with high-impact real-world applications. Doctoral students will access the outstanding equipment and facilities of the research groups in the field of automation, systems and control engineering. These include state-of-the-art automation systems, robotic systems from macro scale to micro scale, and various autonomous vehicles, engines and drones. The research topics in this field are highly multidisciplinary, related not only to subfields of engineering, (e.g. wireless and distributed automation, networked control systems, cooperative robotics, autonomous vehicles, micro- and nanoscale automation), but also to wide application fields, from electrical and diesel engines and manufacturing of products in the marine industry, to health-and-wellbeing, pharmaceuticals, materials technology and biotechnology. The professors in Automation, Systems and Control Engineering are well known internationally and widely networked. Their doctoral students will become part of the global community through participating in international conferences and active collaboration and exchange with top international and Finnish universities and companies. The doctoral students can include in their studies regular courses of this field (control theory, robotics, machine learning, and mathematics), relevant seminars organised by research groups, and if necessary, courses that are important to their research from other departments, schools or universities. After successful completion of the research training, a doctor of Automation, Systems and Control Engineering will readily find a job in a wide variety of high-tech engineering companies and consulting firms, or pursue an academic career at a university, or become a successful entrepreneur. Doctoral studies in space science and technology focus on space technology, Earth observation, space physics, and radio astronomy. Our research topics include the designing and building of satellite systems and space instruments, Earth observation by airborne and spaceborne microwave instruments, analysis of data from Earth observation and space physics, space weather and solar system dynamics, radio astronomical techniques, and the study of active galactic nuclei and galactic objects. Space-related services such as weather forecasts, environmental monitoring, and navigation and telecommunication services are rapidly growing, with nanosatellite technologies providing access to space at low cost and short time. Finnish investments in space have risen anew, with several cubesat programs in orbit and under development, and commercial nano- and microsatellites coming to market with a wide variety of services. This highlights the need to understand the electromagnetic and plasma environment of space in order to design and operate space assets in a way that protects their operative capabilities. The analysis of long time series of satellite data to understand environmental and climate changes, or monitoring the data of active galactic nuclei are among Aalto’s current focus areas. Doctoral students typically include advanced astronomy, plasma and space physics, and space technology courses in their theoretical studies. Mathematics, programming, and statistics courses support the skills required of a researcher in these fields. The students get unique hands-on experience in designing, building, testing and operating nanosatellites, in designing and building ground-based and space-based space research instrumentation, or e.g. in making radio astronomical observations with the Metsähovi Radio Observatory's large telescope. Students can also be involved in observations made with instruments aboard European Space Agency (ESA) missions or Aalto's space instruments aboard its own small satellites, or participate in developing and using state-of-the-art space-weather computer simulations. Students typically include these data and results in their theses. Students are integrated into the research teams, many of them highly international, and are able to establish their own networks through research work, and participate in conferences and summer schools. Doctors in space science and technology will be qualified for research work in one of the focus areas, for work in large space organisations, or for work in the industry or public sector. Doctoral studies in bioelectronics and instrumentation focus on the development of methods for measuring, modelling, analysing, and intervening in the human body. The research topics are, e.g., magnetic resonance imaging, biosignal analysis, neuroscientific applications, and applications of electromagnetic fields in medicine and their safety issues. The research in bioelectronics and instrumentation requires a strong background in physics and mathematics as well as good programming skills. The multidisciplinary nature makes the research field suitable for students with various backgrounds, for example, in electrical engineering, computer science, mathematics, and biomedical engineering. Doctoral studies and research work within bioelectronics and instrumentation are multidisciplinary and related to the development of computational methods, medical imaging, theoretical analysis, modelling of biophysical phenomena, modelling of the interaction between electromagnetic fields and biological media, and application of numerical electromagnetics in health technologies. The doctoral student will gain deep understanding of the measurement, analysis and modelling of electrophysiological signals and phenomena, which are invaluable skills in modern health technologies. Graduated doctors are typically employed as experts in medical technology companies, and many of our doctors become entrepreneurs. PhD studies in electronics integration and reliability focus on different aspects of microsystem technology, materials physics and chemistry, biosensing and the physics of various failure mechanisms encountered in microelectronics. Various types of modelling methods are also of key importance. Current trends in the field include different carbon nanostructures and their utilisation, new thin film materials in micro/nanoelectronics, computational material science, advanced failure analysis methods, and biocompatible sensors. The various methods of machine learning are also increasingly being utilised. In practice, research in the field requires strong physics and/or chemistry skills and sufficient mathematical abilities. In addition, general knowledge of designing electronics and laboratory work experience are beneficial. Doctoral research can be directed in several directions in this wide application area. Examples include biosensing, carbon nanomaterials or microelectromechanical (MEMS) systems to name just a few possible paths. Doctoral students can use the world-class facilities and equipment offered by Aalto University and VTT's joint Microelectronics Research Center Micronova and the analytical services provided by the Nanomicroscope Center. In addition, the computing resources offered by IT Centre for Science (CSC) are widely used. Nowadays, topics of doctoral dissertations in the field are often very multidisciplinary and relate, for example, to the measurement of neurotransmitters from brain tissue, to the development and characterisation of new piezoelectric films or to the design of new types of carbon hybrid materials. Professors in the field of Electronics Integration and Reliability, Tomi Laurila and Mervi Paulasto-Kröckel, are internationally renowned and widely networked researchers, with whom doctoral students can become part of the global research community and have access to top international conferences. We frequently carry out research in close collaboration with industry and various research groups from the top universities around the world. Doctoral students can include in their theoretical studies a wide range of courses in materials science, computational science, chemistry, physics, electronics, machine learning and mathematics. PhDs in Electronics Integration and Reliability are well employed nationally and internationally in high technology companies, consultancy offices, research institutes and universities. There is also a strong culture of entrepreneurship in the field and many of our students have set up their own businesses. Information theory, often defined as the study of communication, quantification, and storage of information, forms a fundamental basis for information and communication technology (ICT) and contains a wide variety of subfields subject to active research at Aalto University School of Electrical Engineering. In addition to communication, signals and storage, the field also intersects with computer science, economics, mathematics, physics and statistics. The fundamental, mathematical nature of information theory makes the research field suitable for students with a background in automation, computer science, electrical engineering, information technology, mathematics and physics. It is not uncommon that students migrate to this field from other universities, schools and disciplines. The professors in charge cover different parts of this large area. The work of professors Themistoklis Charalambous, Jyri Hämäläinen, and Olav Tirkkonen covers communication theory with applications, and the work of professor Patric Östergård covers coding theory, discrete mathematics and algorithms. The professors in charge have many ongoing projects in which new students participate fully.. In addition to a few basic courses, the choice of courses to be included in the doctoral studies will to a large extent be guided by the research of the student with the agreement of the supervising professor. With the large number of supporting fields and courses lectured on in the many schools and departments of Aalto University, there are many possibilities and a lot of flexibility to support the research and studies that the student finds appealing. An understanding of the basis of ICT and the capability to conduct fundamental research are invaluable skills in the modern and future world and provide an opportunity for a successful career. Doctors are typically employed in academia or as experts in information security, software or telecom companies. The doctoral studies in advanced materials and photonics are focused on applications. Novel materials such as graphene as well as many other thin 2-dimensional materials have important applications in both electronics and photonics. These materials can also be realised by modifying the properties of existing materials, especially on the nanoscale. New directions in photonics include ultrafast lasers, new light sources, fast transfer of data and even quantum communication. The doctoral students make extensive use of the state-of-the-art clean rooms of Micronova, and related measurement and characterisation infrastructure. The students learn to perform theoretical simulations and modelling, and to develop micro- and nanotechnology-based novel sensor and laser applications. The professors in this research field have extensive collaboration with the leading universities, research organisations and companies. Their offices are located in the Micronova building: Ilkka Tittonen, Harri Lipsanen, Hele Savin, Markku Sopanen, and Zhipei Sun. Erkki Ikonen is located in Maarintie 8. Rapid advances in hardware, algorithms, software, and networks have opened remarkable new possibilities for human use of information technology. Doctoral studies in user interfaces prepare leaders, experts, and academics who use advanced theories and technical methodology to design and develop information technology for the benefit of people. Research on human-computer interaction (HCI) is cross-disciplinary and seeks a principled understanding of how to improve the human use of interactive computing. The field of HCI is one of the largest fields in computer science and applied across a multitude of other fields, ranging from robotics to speech technology. Doctoral candidates can include in their theoretical and methodological studies our regular courses, seminars, reading groups, and summer schools in the above fields. The emphasis between theoretical or applied studies varies depending on the student's background and thesis topic. The doctoral education draws on methods used in computer science, engineering design, machine learning, cognitive sciences and electrical engineering. The focus is on principled modelling and algorithmic solution of interaction problems. A PhD candidate will have a background that combines rigorous methods in computational and engineering disciplines with leading trends in user interface technology and interaction design. Research requires both top-down (system level) and bottom-up (analysis and experimentation) and attention to detail. Technical skills involved include programming, statistical and mathematical modelling, experimental research, and electrical engineering. Doctoral candidates will work closely in a research group and collaborate with leading universities and industrial partners. Doctoral studies in micro- and nanoelectronic circuit design deepen the student’s knowledge and skills relating to integrated circuit design. In micro- and nanoelectronics, students can focus on analogue, digital, radio frequency, millimetre-wave or mixed-mode signal design. Current trends in this field are the replacement of accurate analogue circuits with digitally assisted mixed-mode circuits and the utilisation of high frequency (>100GHz) circuits in wireless and imaging applications. The design of integrated circuits requires a versatile knowledge of design software, and a practical knowledge of integrated circuit measurements, in addition to theoretical skills. Doctoral research will give the student a chance to specialise in a favourite topic, like sensor circuits, integrated transceivers, energy harvesting or A/D and D/A converters, and thereby generate new results. Doctoral students will get a chance to use Aalto’s outstanding measurement facilities, such as the integrated-circuit measurement laboratory and the industry-compatible nanoscale circuit design environment. In integrated circuit design, we collaborate closely with national and international companies. Hence, the topics of the doctoral studies are typically linked to applications currently being developed by industry for their future products, including digital transceivers, radio-frequency circuits for multi-antenna systems and low-power sensor circuits. Professors Kari Halonen and Jussi Ryynänen are globally networked and their students introduce their research results in top journals and conferences. Doctoral students can include in their theoretical studies several regular courses in this research field. In addition, the doctoral studies may include courses on signal processing, microwave engineering or e.g. the nanotechnology of data science. Our students with a doctoral degree in micro- and nanoelectronic design will typically find a job in a high-tech company, research institute, or university in Finland or abroad. The doctoral studies of micro- and nanosciences focus on the development of structures and small-scale devices with numerous applications in the field of physics, chemistry and biology. The internationally renowned cleanroom facilities of Micronova provide a research environment for their state-of-the-art fabrication and characterisation. The researchers learn to apply atomic layer deposition (ALD) for a wide range of purposes, electron bean lithography (EBL) for building ultrasmall structures, and MOVPE for fabricating bright LEDs and various quantum structures. New directions include the use of graphene and other 2-dimensional materials for various sensor developments and for ultrafast photonics. The professors in this research field have extensive collaboration with leading international universities, research organisations and companies. Their offices are located in the Micronova building. Ilkka Tittonen, Harri Lipsanen, Hele Savin, Markku Sopanen and Zhipei Sun. Doctoral studies in measurement science and technology focus on optical metrology. Key research topics include development of state-of-the-art light detectors, challenges related to new energy-efficient lighting products, degradation of materials due to optical radiation and the measurement of very small light intensities. The research work is often cross-disciplinary; in addition to optical measurements, it may also include design of electronics and measurement devices, material research and computer simulations. One aspect of the research is international collaboration with top universities, research institutions and companies. Optical metrology has applications in most industrial sectors. Most of the electrical appliances utilise visible or infrared light in displays, communications and sensors. On the other hand, the development of more energy-efficient lighting is an essential topic. Due to the importance and wide-range of the research field, the job opportunities are diverse. Doctoral students may choose their postgraduate courses quite freely. Study topics may include semiconductor and laser physics, photonics or applied electronics. Professors Erkki Ikonen and Ilkka Tittonen are widely networked and well known internationally. Thus, their doctoral students will become part of the global community of optical metrology and have the opportunity to take part in international conferences and research projects. We are surrounded by wireless devices and the amount of wirelessly transmitted data is growing exponentially. Radio engineering is at the core of this development and our post-graduate students will be the future trailblazers in this field. Our focus areas cover a wide range of radio engineering subjects – antenna and propagation, artificial materials, systems and components, circuits, and terahertz and measurement techniques. Depending on the focus area, the post-graduate studies may necessitate a solid background in mathematics, physics, circuit analysis and electromagnetic field theory. Research related to post-graduate studies in radio engineering may be either academic or applied in nature, depending on the focus area. Research into artificial materials, for instance, may aim at finding new electromagnetics functionalities of materials in general, whereas antenna research may focus on antenna solutions for future mobile devices. Applied research is typically done in close collaboration with companies. Research in radio engineering relies on theories, numerical simulations and experiments. Numerical simulation and design tools have particularly improved during the past decades and they are now widely used in various design tasks. Our research activity is also fully supported by extensive radio frequency measurement facilities which are capable of working working up to terahertz. Our graduates are employed well in companies and academia. Signal Processing Technology is a multidisciplinary research field with strong connections to applied mathematics, machine learning, information theory, data analysis and electrical engineering. Topics of our research groups cover a broad spectrum of research areas, including wireless communications, advanced radar technologies, statistical signal processing, cognitive systems, large-scale data analysis, statistical learning, optimisation theory, smart grids, localisation systems and technologies, multisensor systems, and the Internet of Things. Professors in the field are internationally recognised researchers with a large network of research partners at top universities in the US, Europe and Asia. Research visits of our doctoral students to our collaborators abroad are very common and highly encouraged. We often collaborate in projects with industry and have contacts to many leading ICT and data-analysis companies in Finland. Our doctoral students can include in their theoretical studies and seminars lectured on by our professors or given at international summer schools. Since many other research fields are related to signal processing, other courses given by Aalto departments – for example, in applied mathematics, machine learning or radio science –can be included in doctoral studies as well. Due to the broad applicability of signal processing methods and its importance as a driving force of digitalisation, our doctoral graduates have good prospects for employment in a variety of R&D, management or academic jobs, both in Finland and abroad. Some of our graduates have also founded successful start-up companies. Postgraduate studies within electromagnetics lead to a deep understanding of theoretical electrical engineering and radio science, and the ability to apply this theoretical understanding to engineering and design projects. The basis of electrophysics is formulated in Maxwell equations, which describe the behaviour of electromagnetic fields from the nanoscale all the way to the phenomena of deep space. Mastering electromagnetics provides tools for successful professional engineering and research duties in application areas like wireless communications, remote sensing, electromagnetic compatibility, complex and optical materials, radio astronomy, and bioelectrical phenomena. The recent rapid development of computer power and numerical algorithms has also made possible more effective and universal simulation methods. Numerical simulations have indeed become an integral part of the design and development of new systems and devices, in addition to the traditional experimental work. However, a productive and reliable use of simulation software requires, in addition to deep knowledge in the substance of the application area, expertise on the fundamentals of numerical algorithms. Studies and the research work within electromagnetics and circuit theory focus much on analytical and numerical modelling and simulation of electromagnetic phenomena, development of computational methods, interaction between fields and matter, and the role of electromagnetics in practical applications. Graduated doctors and licentiates in electromagnetics and circuit theory find employment in academia and research institutes. Recently, more and more of the graduates find their career in the private sector. The doctoral studies in electromechanics focus on the design and modelling of energy conversion devices, where the medium of conversion is a magnetic field, such as in electric motors and generators. The scientific emphasis is on the numerical modelling of the electromagnetic field in the presence of nonlinear materials with hysteresis, the properties of which are coupled with other physical quantities such as mechanical stresses or thermal fields. The trend in electromechanics research is towards multi-physics models based on the behaviour of the underlying materials. The ultimate goal is the accurate modelling of the electromechanical energy conversion process, accounting for all the side effects, such as energy losses, mechanical vibrations, and acoustic noise with the view to developing reliable and energy efficient devices. Besides engineering skills related to electrical machines, research in electromechanics requires a strong background in physics and mathematics as well as good programming skills. A major proportion of the doctoral candidates will have to conduct extensive experimental work at the laboratory level. The doctoral studies and research give tools for a deepening understanding of how electromagnetic fields are used the energy conversion, how to model them and how to create new devices and methods to deal with them. The doctoral students will get a chance to use the outstanding measurement facilities of the Aalto Power Hub, such as the well-equipped electrical machine hall and the state-of-the-art magnetic material characterisation devices. Currently, the research topics in electromechanics are multidisciplinary and often related to energy efficiency, physical modelling of electrical machines, numerical modelling of electromagnetic fields, and characterisation and modelling of magnetic materials under mechanical stresses. Professors Antero Arkkio and Anouar Belahcen are well known internationally and widely networked. Their doctoral students will become part of the global electromechanics and electrical machines community. They will participate in well-established international conferences and have opportunities to spend periods as visiting researchers with research groups of top universities in the field. The doctoral students can include in their theoretical studies several regular courses of electromechanics, mathematics, and physics and participate in related yearly-organised seminars where top researchers are invited. Graduates from the doctoral programme in the field of electromechanics easily find jobs in technology companies, Finnish and foreign universities as well as national and international research centres. Some of our doctors become entrepreneurs, too. Energy is the biggest challenge of mankind. It is the basic prerequisite of any industrial activity, a necessity for the functioning of human communities and the necessary requirement for food production. As the population grows, the demand for energy is drastically increased. At the same time, our planet is coming up against the limits of sustainability. Climate change has accelerated and raw materials are being depleted. To meet the above challenges, there is today a radical transition around the world towards sustainable energy that combines smartness, flexibility and environmental performance with customer acceptance and engagement. New energy systems will be a complex combination of central and local resources, including energy production and storage, and new, efficient and flexible loads. This calls for new thinking about primary energy sources, energy production, energy markets, energy transmission, energy use and customers as producer-consumers (prosumers). Electrical power systems are at the focus of the above development. In research, the field of power systems combines the engineering of energy systems and electrical systems in order to produce new sustainable system-level solutions for renewable energy utilisation and system integration. Topical research questions are responses to the demand for the management of balanced energy systems, the integration of distributed, renewable power generation in power and energy systems, smart grids, and self-healing networks. In the area of high voltage engineering, the focus is on developing new solutions for distribution and transmission networks and for their individual components. Doctoral candidates are expected to have a strong background in electrical systems. The research is done in close collaboration with the energy and power industry as well as with manufacturing companies and vendors of energy and power system components and services. Close collaboration includes other energy research groups at Aalto University as well as internationally. Power electronics enables the conversion of electrical energy from one form into another (from DC to multi-phase AC, for example) with very good efficiency. If a power-electronic converter is used to control an electric motor or generator, the system is referred to as an electric drive. Power electronics and electric drives are needed in consumer electronics, electric vehicles, industry applications and, to an increasing extent, in power systems (distributed generation, energy storages, etc.). Our research is focused on developing main-circuit topologies, applying next-generation power semiconductor devices, and on developing advanced control methods for power converters and electric drives. In addition to theoretical considerations, research typically involves experimental work and the development of prototypes. Research is conducted in cooperation with leading companies and some of the best university groups in the field. Doctoral students can present their research results at various international flag-ship conferences. In addition to the courses on power electronics and electric drives, doctoral students may include in their theoretical studies courses on systems engineering, signal processing, electromechanics, power systems or electronics, for example. Our graduated doctors have been very well employed at established companies in the field as well as at start-up companies, consultancy firms and universities. The topics of doctoral dissertation are related to ultra-reliable low-latency communications, future generations of radio communication systems, and applications of communications theory and data transfer methods in other fields, such as automation. The professors of telecommunications technology are internationally known experts and widely networked researchers. With the help of their professors, the doctoral student can become a member of the global research community, publishing in top-tier journals and giving talks at international conferences. Aalto's communications engineering research is often conducted in close collaboration with leading industrial stakeholders and academic partners of international calibre. Doctoral students can attend courses in their theoretical studies in communications engineering and networking technology and participate in seminars on telecommunications technology. Also well suited to theoretical studies are courses on signal processing, information technology, machine learning and other mathematics courses. Doctors in communications engineering can find employment at home and abroad in high technology companies, consultancy offices and universities. Some of our graduated doctoral students also become successful entrepreneurs. Doctoral studies in telecommunication technology focus, inter alia, on wireless radio communication networks, multi-antenna technologies, spectrum management, and channel coding methods. Current trends in the field include software-defined radio and cloud-based radio access networks, the internet of things, millimetre-wave radios, machine-learning-based cognitive networks and quantum communication. Communications engineering research requires extensive knowledge of telecommunication systems, where the role of individual technology as a part of the whole is clearly understood. A strong mathematical background and knowledge of signal processing is essential for the development of physical-layer data-transfer methods. Programming competence in all the layers of data transfer is important. Doctoral research gives the opportunity to develop new methods to improve future telecommunication systems. Doctoral students have access to the well-equipped laboratories at Aalto University, enabling them also to do experimental research. The discipline of signal processing is in many ways similar to applied mathematics. Wireless communications presents one of the most important and successful applications of signal processing techniques. In the protocol stack of wireless communication systems, signal processing methods typically fall into two groups, the physical layer and the layer of medium access control. The application areas we are exploring include the Internet of Things, multisensor systems, sensor networks, future radar systems, high-volume and high-dimensional data analysis on wireless networks, future wireless communication systems and networks, massive multi-antenna configurations and techniques, in-band full-duplex transceivers, network control, agile spectrum use, spectrum sharing, cognitive radio, wireless localisation and security applications, as well as automatic signal recognition and classification. Our toolbox includes methods and techniques from statistical inference, estimation and detection theory, linear algebra, data science, optimisation theory, information theory, communication theory, machine learning and harmonic analysis, as well as stochastic and differential geometry. Our research focus is predominantly on the theory and methods of signal processing. The derived theoretical results and the methods and algorithms that are developed are typically verified with Matlab. In addition, we are building hardware-in-the-loop proof-of-concept systems using programmable platforms such as software-defined radios. We have an extensive network of collaborators from world-leading research universities in the United States and the rest of the Americas, Europe and Asia. We provide world-class researcher training to our diverse group of doctoral students. Our graduates are employed in academia in Finland and abroad, and hold key positions in various equipment and chip vendor companies in the areas of wireless communication and the ICT industry. Doctoral studies require very good analytical and problem-solving skills as well as programming skills. Doctoral studies in network economics focus on the techno-economics of wireless and internet networks and services, from user, customer and provider viewpoints. Current trends include 5G small cell networks, quality of experience, virtualisation, block chains and application of machine learning. Research in this field requires system-level and top-down thinking with the ability to zoom into relevant levels of detail as necessary. Technical skills such as programming, communication protocols and statistics as well as understanding microeconomics are necessary for successful system-level research. Doctoral research will allow you to combine technology and economic theories with practical industrial problems emerging in our research projects. Doctoral candidates will be closely connected to Aalto’s leading communication technology expertise, top industrial companies and our partner teams in leading foreign universities. Doctoral candidates can include in their theoretical studies our regular courses, variable content seminars and foreign summer schools in this research field. The emphasis between technical and economics courses varies depending on student’s background and thesis topic. Our doctors have become managers, analysts, consultants and entrepreneurs in fields such as service providers, equipment providers and software houses. In the past few decades, networks, both wireless and fixed, have evolved at an astonishing pace. Concealed from everyday users, the fixed network provides connectivity to the wireless network's base stations—the backhaul network. Innovations and challenges include the softwarisation of networks (SDN, network slicing, network function virtualisation), content-centric and delay-tolerant networking, backhaul for femtocells, efficient transport of small packets, simultaneous transmission from multiple base stations and self-deploying backhaul for future networks. In wireless networks, mobile data traffic is quickly catching up with wired traffic, as people are replacing their wired connections with mobile broadband and as 5G promises to offer unprecedented performance and novel services. The challenges and innovationsinvolve: the energy efficiency of hardware, software and protocols; massive Internet of Things (IoT) networks; service provisioning at the edge of mobile networks; improvements for mobile security, such as attribute-based encryption, as well as multipath transport to use multiple access networks simultaneously. Research in this field requires good networking and programming skills. Furthermore, it is necessary to have an understanding of the challenges in networking involving security, emerging applications and recent developments in wireless and fixed networking. Doctoral research will give you a chance to go deep into your favourite networking topics and create new findings. Doctoral students will get a chance to use outstanding networking facilities, such as a sliced 5G test network, access to crowd-sourced network measurement data, our own data centre, etc. Research topics in this field are multidisciplinary and often related to security, network softwarisation, -constrained IoT and wearable nodes. Professors in the area of networking technology have wide international networks of contacts, and the work is tied to other international research groups, research visits and conferences. Doctoral students can include regular courses from this field in their theoretical studies and can participate in seminars with different annual themes. In addition, doctoral studies in this field may include courses on networking security, machine learning and mathematics. Graduates in networking technology with both theoretical and practical skills are highly appreciated by the industry, in Finland and internationally. Some of our doctors have started their own companies based on their research results. Doctoral studies in Illumination Engineering and Electrical Building Services focus on aspects related to the impact of light and lighting on the living environment and the wellbeing of society at a global level. As an inherently cross-disciplinary field, the candidate needs to develop a basic understanding of a variety of topics related to light as a phenomenon and as a versatile tool. Therefore, the doctoral studies focus on topics such as light and vision, light and human wellbeing, lighting control, lighting design, energy efficiency, photometry, lighting technologies, lighting measurements, as well as electrical installations and automation systems in buildings. Due to the cross-disciplinary nature of the field, the candidate has the opportunity to combine doctoral-level courses in automation and electrical engineering with courses from other field of studies at Aalto University, such as building technology, business, arts, design and architecture. The lighting and building sectors needs experts and academics who have a wide understanding of illumination engineering. Digitalisation, connected lighting and human-centric lighting are growing trends in the lighting field. The combination of new lighting technologies with artificial intelligence, control and communication systems enable developing lighting systems that can respond to users’ needs such as route-finding, getting information, aesthetics, and creating atmosphere. Candidates are encouraged to focus on factual knowledge and theoretical understanding, but they are also encouraged to perform practical experiments to challenge existing concepts and to suggest new theories on light and lighting in different contexts. Light is indispensable for the existence of life on earth as well as being an important factor for socio-economic development and a crucial cue not only for humans, but also in ecosystems. For instance, as light pollution and food security are globally growing concerns, doctoral candidates may, depending on their interests, also focus their research on the influence of light on food plants, living organisms and the environment. The building sector and lighting are major global consumers of electricity, accounting for 50% and 19% of the total electricity consumption, respectively. As such, it is logical that the doctoral studies include energy efficiency and other sustainability aspects at different levels and contexts. The lighting industry in Finland is continually growing in many application areas generating a need for qualified experts in the field. The lighting research group has good cooperation with the local industry, to whom it also provides measurement and R&D services. The research group is very active in international collaboration with top universities, research institutions and companies. Doctoral candidates will have the possibility to work in international projects and collaboration with industry. Speech and language technology (SLT) refers to information technology that processes and utilises spoken and written language. SLT has many applications in the area of AI and ICT, particularly those related to man–machine interfaces and communications technology. Examples of applications for SLT are speech recognition, speech synthesis, speech coding and enhancement, automatic language translation and information retrieval. Postgraduate studies in SLT call for good skills in signal processing and machine learning. In addition, courses taken in mathematics as well as in acoustics and audio signal processing are recommended. SLT is an interdisciplinary study area where the student can take relevant courses also from outside Aalto University in subjects such as psychology, linguistics, phonetics or logopedics. Doctoral graduates in SLT will readily find work in Finnish and international ICT companies, research institutes, start-ups and universities. Examples of areas where recent Aalto PhDs have continued working after graduation include: statistical parametric speech synthesis, robust feature extraction, automatic speech recognition in difficult environments, and morph-based speech recognition.

2019-04-23T08:58:09Z

https://into.aalto.fi/display/endoctoralelec/Degree+structure+and+coursework

A critique of radicalism is building within the heart of the Muslim world. ....Intellectually and theologically, a lot of the most ambitious work is being done by a group of scholars based in Ankara, Turkey, who expect to publish new editions of the Hadith before the end of the year. They have collected all 170,000 known narrations of the Prophet's sayings." Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said Saturday the government plans to increase the natural gas prices on June 1. Industrial natural gas prices will increase by 8.3 percent, while the percentage of the increase in residential prices will be 7.4." Turkey's Islamist Vakit daily revealed a document of phone records that showed their correspondents listened the conversation between the main opposition party CHP's second man and a governor from Onder Sav's cell phone which he left open by mistake. CHP denied the report." The Turkish FM urged the EU to honor its word over Turkey's bid for full membership ahead of the meeting of the EU-Turkey Association Council to convene on Tuesday to assess recent developments in Turkey's accession and reform process." The United States has imposed financial sanctions on the PKK Kurdistan Workers' Party. The move means the separatist group will no longer have access to the US financial system or be able to do business with US companies or individuals. The sanctions have been introduced under special anti-drugs legislation." Turkey may face a “crisis” in meeting power needs because investments have failed to keep pace with increased demand, said Selahattin Hakman, head of Haci Omer Sabanci Holding AS’s energy unit." urkey's first 'canal city' is slated for construction in İzmir's Alaçatı District. Port Alaçatı will be constructed on artificial islands whose water canals will open toward the valley. Around 1,000 houses will be built around these canals and will have the design of seaside homes. " As Istanbul’s municipality and governorship celebrate the 555th anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul, academics believe the significance attached to the celebrations has been increasing over the last decades due to a rise in Islamist sentiments in Turkey." In my travels I've pounded down a fistful of live termites in Costa Rica, pierced my septum at a Maori tribal ritual in New Zealand and attempted to ride a cow in Wales. I don't recommend the latter. But none of these, I discovered, is one of the 1,000 Things I'm Supposed to Do Before I Die. Had I been wasting my time? On a recent trip to Istanbul, I was longing for an adrenaline rush, so I followed a Turkish friend to the Asian side of town to a promised "very exciting location - one of the '1,000 Things to Do Before You Die.' "" NICOSIA (Xinhua) --The top UN envoy in divided Cyprus said Thursday that he is encouraged by the momentum of the revived peace process but called for patience for substantive reunification talks to begin." ISTANBUL, Turkey (UPI) -- Lifting an anchovy fishing ban in Georgian waters caused fisherman to flock to the area, glutting the market, the Turkish government said. Fishermen ended up throwing fish away after an excessive harvest that filled 20 fish houses to capacity and depressed prices, the Turkish Daily News reported." While most Americans think of the Middle East as swimming in oil, not all nations there are blessed with abundant hydrocarbon resources. Among those lacking substantial petroleum reserves are Turkey and Israel, leaving both nations to scramble to meet their energy requirements by diversifying their import sources." The French parliament's lower house has approved a measure that would require France to hold a referendum on countries joining the European Union. The French National Assembly approved the measure, which appeared to be aimed at Turkey's candidacy for EU membership, by a 48 to 21 vote, the EU Observer reported Friday." If you are flying to Istanbul for first time and you are looking for any sign proving what you have learnt previously about Turkey – that Turkey is a country that is about to emerge as an economic powerhouse in Europe – you can look too close. All you need is looking your surroundings at the moment you land at the airport. Chances are that you have landed at the Sabiha Gokcen International Airport (SAW). SAW is the best proof that can show Turkey’s economic progress. " Visiting Turkey is like going to an exhibit and seeing snapshots of centuries of history all in one place. But in this case, you get to dive to the sunken cities, touch the ruins of Troy, shop in the bazaars and stand in the Grand Theater where St. Paul preached. Even if you’re not a history buff, remnants of the Ottoman, Roman and Byzantine empires are sure to impress." ANKARA, Turkey, May 30 (UPI) -- Officials from the ruling Justice and Development Party in Turkey said Friday they are considering a diplomatic visit to Iraqi Kurdistan. The announcement follows a visit by Kurdish delegates to Ankara last week to discuss boosting economic and political ties between Turkey and the semiautonomous region." WASHINGTON, May 30 (Reuters) - U.S. President George W. Bush on Friday imposed sanctions on the Kurdistan Workers Party, or PKK, aimed at denying the rebel group access to the U.S. financial system." AYDIN - Turkey`s first railway, constructed between the Aegean provinces of Aydin and Izmir in 1856 by Britain, is being renovated with a 20 million USD of investment." The barber was reported to the police for cursing during an argument. Turkey's president has appealed to the Saudi monarch. JIDDA, Saudi Arabia -- It's a profanity uttered countless times a day around the globe, but a barber in Saudi Arabia faces beheading for the crime of using God's name in vain. Sabri Bogday, a Turk who cuts hair in this Saudi port city, is awaiting appeal on his sentence." Germany's Turkish community warned of continued racism in the country, while marking the 15th anniversary of an anti-foreigner arson attack in the western city of Solingen which killed five Turkish women and girls, the press reported Thursday." ANKARA (AFP) — Turkey's former 1500m European champion Sureyya Ayhan has had a life ban for using banned substances reduced to four years on Friday, Anatolia news agency reported." Turkish parliament passed a law Thursday to launch a 24-hour TV channel on State-run TRT with Kurdish-language programming along with some other dialects and languages, including Arabic and Farsi." MOSCOW, May 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's agricultural watchdog Rosselkhoznadzor will suspend imports of Turkish agricultural produce from June 7 after high levels of chemical fertilizers were found in the products." Turkey's foreign minister, Ali Babacan, signed a contract in Berlin on Friday, May 30, to establish a German-language university in the Turkish city of Istanbul." A leading Turkish gay rights group will fight a court ruling that ordered it be closed for 'violating morality'." ISTANBUL, May 30 (Reuters) - Turkey can meet its share of investments in the EU-backed Nabucco pipeline to bring Caspian gas to Europe despite a sharp rise in expected costs, Turkish Energy Minister Hilmi Guler said on Friday." Turkey may have changed but the sea recalls its history, writes Paul Ash. This is the sound of a Turkish dawn: the cry of the muezzin calling the faithful to prayer, dogs barking and the thud of a mechanical digger breaking rock in a new housing development. The Sultan A, a 28m gulet of distinctly Turkish provenance, swings sweetly on anchor. " Ankara residents have been consuming contaminated water from Kızılırmak River for the past three weeks, but are unaware of it, the capital's mayor told a press conference Wednesday" Important note: This article was not written to label sociologist Şerif Mardin with a certain viewpoint as either Islamist or Kemalist. Mardin is an impartial scientist! The sole purpose of this article is to make contributions to his views.I would like to leave a note in history as well:The thesis introduced by Mardin has been discussed for a long time.Professor Mustafa Dilber of Boğaziçi University draws attention to the fact that Mardin's criticism over Kemalism's failure to fill the gap in “good, right and beautiful” philosophy, which is to be the backbone of this article, has been discussed in academic circles for fifty-something years. And Dilber as well made references to the same subject in his dissertation thesis in 1967." The first time I visited Germany, I noticed that every third shop appeared to be owned and run by Turkish Germans. 'Yes,' my Canadian hosts told me, 'Turks are everywhere in Germany - and nobody talks to them, unless they need something cleaned.'" Lobbying is quite a useful tool, if performed effectively of course. Those who want to influence international political or economic decision making, especially when certain new policy is still at its preparation stage, know very well how to successfully implement lobbying as part of their strategy. Apparently, that's the reason why there are currently around 15,000 lobbyists in Brussels, mainly consultants, lawyers, associations, corporations and NGOs who are seeking to influence the EU's legislative process. Out of these, some 2,600 special interest groups have established a permanent office in this European capital." ISTANBUL // After the death of almost 90 workers in less than three years at shipyards in Istanbul, a public outcry has forced the government to close down one of the companies temporarily, but critics say the Dickensian working conditions at the shipyards are just one example of how far Turkey lags behind EU standards in enforcing safety rules and workers’ rights." ......The hardest case of all is Turkey. Its membership bid is currently in a form of suspended animation. Entry negotiations have been partly frozen to punish Turkey for its refusal to open its ports and airports to traffc from Cyprus. The French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, remains publicly opposed to Turkish membership but has agreed to put high-level EU debate on the subject on hold until 2010, when a report on the future of the EU by a "group of the wise" (which was Mr Sarkozy’s idea) is due to be delivered. Turkey has serious problems of its own, starting with a court case that threatens to outlaw the ruling Justice and Development (AK) party for threatening the country’s secular order." A senior U.S. official said here Thursday that the United States would always support Turkey in its fight against the outlawed Kurdish Workers' Party (PKK), the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported. " At least six main highway routes were also being targeted for privatization, Unakitan said." Turkey and Russia signed an agreement on Wednesday, to boost relations in energy, agriculture and trade, and increase investments." Turkish officials organized a meeting to promote Turkey's winter tourism facilities in the Dutch capital, Amsterdam on Thursday. Representatives of numerous hotels located in Turkey's winter tourism centers, as well as representatives of the Dutch tourism sector attended the meeting organized by officials from the Tourism Section of the Turkish Consulate General in the Hague." ISTANBUL - A high-level official from the Dutch Foreign Invetsment Agency said on Wednesday that the Netherlands attached great importance to the cooperation with Turkish businessmen." Dhaka, May 29, 2008 (Asia Pulse Data Source via COMTEX) -- -- President Professor Dr Iajuddin Ahmed has stressed the need for boosting trade and economic relations between Bangladesh and Turkey, saying there is huge scope for increasing trade flows between the two countries for mutual benefit of the both." kilograms, roughly one dress size, a study conducted by the Turkish Association of Hypertension and Kidney Disease has shown." ANKARA - Turkish maestro Gurer Aykal was decorated with Finland`s state medal on Thursday." Berlin’s charming Bergama (Pergamon) Museum hosts a design exhibition for the first time in its history. The museum, which displays the Zeus Alter that has been transported from Anatolia, is now a platform for Turkish designs" Public support for the European Union in Turkey has been eroding due to the 'double standards' over the country's membership bid, the Turkish prime minister re-issued a warning on Thursday." Turkish and Greek chiefs of general staff debated confidence-building measures (CBM) in their meeting in the Turkish capital of Ankara, Turkey's General Staff said on Thursday in a statement posted on its website." Turkey is likely to face power cuts again this summer as a combination of drought, poor planning and economic populism result in electricity production failing to keep pace with demand." Efforts regarding the construction of the Nabucco gas pipeline are underway, the energy minister saıd Tuesday, rejecting questions that have been raised about the future of the project." .....“We need the Balkan states and Turkey to join the European Union – for both political and economic reasons. This is the only way we can secure stability and prosperity in Europe over the long term. This is particularly true of Turkey, which is not just tremendously important to Europe on economic grounds (but) especially important for reasons of security policy as it forms the bridge between Europe and Asia and the Arab states. It is an anchor of stability in a restless region." The EU stressed judicial reforms in Turkey at a meeting Tuesday in Brussels. The case against the ruling AKP and possible chapter openings also were on the agenda." As Turkey's foreign minister Ali Babacan returned home yesterday (28 May) from a two-day trip to Brussels, he could rest reassured of the EU's commitment to the accession talks. But Turkey should not expect an easy ride, with the EU pressing for more and faster reforms." Once dismissed as imperialist fantasies about the Muslim world, British orientalist paintings are once again becoming popular. Their exotic visions tell us much about the social and cultural history of Victorian Britain" Within the next couple of weeks a decision will be made by Turkey's Constitutional Court about the status of the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) and its leaders. The AKP has been accused by a chief prosecutor of violating the Turkish Republic's founding principle: secularism - introduced by the founder of the republic, Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, to transform Turkey into a modern European state. The irony is that the AKP has proven more modern and European in outlook and policies than its critics, and may be thrown out of power despite this. While Ataturk was the sole wielder of power during the early republic, he did set up institutions of democracy. These have been tested, even overruled, in the decades since Ataturk's death, and continue to be tested today. This most recent accusations directed against the AKP come as a response to reforms the AKP has implemented. The secular establishment, however, has argued that the AKP is pushing through reforms and promoting liberties selectively, in order to advance an Islamist agenda. The most emblematic of these reforms was a constitutional amendment abolishing the ban on headscarves in universities, which caused an uproar and led to the current challenge." There are numerous experts in Turkey who are disputing Rehn’s analysis. They contend that the political struggle -- which is now centering on a Supreme Court case on a possible ban of the governing Justice and Development Party (AKP) -- is more nuanced than what appears to be the perception from Brussels. [For background see the Eurasia Insight archive]." European scepticism about Turkey's EU accession is fuelling a popular backlash among many Turks who are growing increasingly distrustful of the EU." The top UN envoy in divided Cyprus said Thursday that he is encouraged by the momentum of the revived peace process but called for patience for substantive reunification talks to begin. I will write about my month-long visit to Turkey later this week, probably tomorrow. I will publish photos, of course, and summarize what we did, what we saw, what happened in the country, etc. For now, however, I’ll tell you all that I also visited Ankara, Turkey’s capital. I was invited by two Turkish friends, Fatma and Lale, to join them there (where they live). They told me that if I would come they would take me to some fascinating places, and they did what they promised; one of the things I visited was Anitkabir; the place where the founder of the Republic of Turkey, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk is buried." NEW YORK - Turkish State Minister Mustafa Said Yazicioglu said Friday the most important problem of Turks living out of Turkey had to do with inability to vote in Turkish elections." A strange debate about cows has occured in the European Parliament yesterday. Several Turkish MPs and their European Parliament counterparts were discussing the problems about Customs Union between Ankara and Brussels." Turkey's Directorate of Religious Affairs, the Diyanet, has sparked a controversy in a declaration on how women should behave in public life. The Diyanet, which controls the Muslim faith in Turkey, has, as Dorian Jones reports from Istanbul, been sharply criticized by women's groups and supporters of the secular state." Fazil Say’s international reputation continues to grow, and he has successfully made the step from child prodigy to highly successful international star. As the French newspaper Le Figaro put it: “He is more than just a brilliant pianist - he is set to become one of the greatest artists of the 21st century.“" Turkey, which imports 90 percent of its energy needs, is positioning itself to become a major regional energy transit hub. Azeri and Iraqi oil already flow through pipelines crossing Turkey, but Ankara is seeking a bigger share of transporting rising Caspian energy exports." The chairperson of a United States parliamentary delegation said on Thursday the U.S. would always support Turkey in its fight against the terrorist organization PKK." France, due to take over of the rotating EU presidency on June 1, should revise its stance regarding the planned joint military exercise with the Greek Cypriot administration, Turkish Cypriot FM Turgay Avci told the Anatolian Agency on Wednesday." The BLOOMBERG TELEVISION(R) network examines the riches and risks in the Turkish economy with an exclusive half hour-long special report, 'Turkey in Transition,' airing Friday, May 30th and repeating throughout the weekend. 'Last year's drought caused global food prices and energy to rise. So, inflation has been a global phenomenon across the board,' Turkey's Economy Minister Mehmet Simsek tells Bloomberg during the special program. 'Inflation in Turkey is at a forty year low, while in many other countries it is at a two decade high.'" BRATISLAVA - Turkey`s Foreign Minister and Chief Negotiator for EU talks Ali Babacan held a press conference with his Slovakian counterpart Jan Kubis following a tete-a-tete meeting and meeting between Turkish and Slovakian delegations on Wednesday." BRUSSELS - Turkish and EU officials discussed the importance of intercultural dialogue, as well as the current status of Turkey`s relations with EU at a joint parliamentary commission meeting held in the Belgian capital, Brussels on Wednesday." ISTANBUL - A Luxembourg-based property investment company considers Turkey a suitable country for investments with respect to its macroeconomic figures and remarkable initiatives in its EU accession process, a company executive said on Friday." ISTANBUL, May 27 (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan said a prosecutor's court bid to close the ruling AK Party was on a knife edge and the uncertainty was putting the brakes on foreign investment, newspapers reported on Tuesday." ISTANBUL - A Louvre collection exhibition drew more than 50,000 visitors to an Istanbul museum, the museum authorities said on Tuesday." CEYHAN - Turkish Energy & Natural Resources Minister Hilmi Guler said on Saturday that Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan Crude Oil Pipeline earned Turkey 2 billion USD." ANKARA - Following are the highlights from today's Turkish daily SABAH. The Anadolu Agency is not responsible of opinions expressed or the context of the editorials and does not vouch for their accuracy." Turkey's main opposition party CHP and the nationalist MHP raised their concerns over a tapping incident that local newspapers termed 'Turkish Watergate'. The opposition parties concerns were voiced after an Islamist newspaper published Tuesday, word-for-word, a conversation between CHP's number two person and a governor. The opposition leaders harshly criticized the government for 'hurting democratic values'. The CHP leader slammed the government and said the security forces tapped party offices, as the government vowed to investigate the claims. AKP Deputy Dengir Mir Mehmet Firat accused the CHP of casting aspersions over the ruling AKP, calling attention to the timing of the tapping claim as dark cloud over the AKP’s achievements, at a news conference in Ankara late on Wednesday. The prosecutor's office launched an investigation regarding the claims." A list of controversial “dos and don’ts” regading sexual relations for Turkish women has been published by the Directorate of Religious Affairs. According to the much debated list(it is not law in Turkey) people should avoid having illegal etra-marital affairs and engaging in such behaviors as flirting and dating that might lead to adultery. Turkey is a nation in which some women are blatantly western in their normal behavior while others adhere more closely to traditional ways of behavior.The web site of the Directorate said “women have to be more careful since they have sexual stimulants.” It cited women who wear perfume outside fthe home as displaying immoral behavior because “Our Prophet Mohammed did not approve of women who wear perfume and fragrances outside their homes and he descried this action as immoral.”" Turkey and Russia signed on Wednesday an agreement in the Russian capital of Moscow to enhance relations in energy, agriculture and trade, and increase investments." ISTANBUL, May 28 (Reuters) - Turkey's lira firmed 2 percent on the day on Wednesday to its firmest since mid-May, as high interest rates lured investors." On May 27, 2008 the History Channel aired “Noah’s Great Flood” in its Mega-Disasters series. The show hypothesizes that the Black Sea, between Russia, Ukraine, Romania on one side and Turkey on the other, was once a fresh water lake, apparently about 300 feet below sea level, and that the earliest urban civilizations began to develop along the lake, particularly on the southern (Turkish) side. (Note, the endorheic Caspian Sea to the east is actually 92 feet below sea level). Then, one day about 8000 years ago, the Mediterranean Sea overflowed through the Strait of Bosporus, filling up the lake and creating today’s Black Sea, which is saline but which has unusual composition and different depths." Berlin - Ali Babacan, the Turkish foreign minister, is to sign a contract in Berlin this Friday to establish a German-language university in the Turkish city of Istanbul, the Foreign Ministry in Berlin said Wednesday. Two German ministers, Frank-Walter Steinmeier (foreign) and Annette Schavan (education), will sign for Germany." Turkey surpasses European countries with its investments in outlet centers, in which YATIRIM manufacturers sell their products directly to the public through their own stores." In a country known for embracing both democracy and its Muslim heritage, an attempt to dissolve the ruling Islamic party sets up a looming crisis. ISTANBUL, TURKEY -- At the ancient, towering gates of Istanbul University, students say, there was once an easy mingling of young women who choose to cover their heads as an expression of their Muslim beliefs, and those who do not." SAN CLEMENTE – Five decomposed bodies found over the holiday weekend in an upscale Orange County home were members of a Turkish-American family that spanned three generations, authorities said Tuesday." In July 2003, Turkey announced its candidacy for one of the non-permanent seats allocated to the Western European and Others Group (WEOG) at the United Nations Security Council for the term 2009-2010. The voting will take place on October 16 2008 during the 63rd session of the United Nations General Assembly. The first and last time Turkey served at the Security Council was almost 50 years ago when Turkey shared a two-year term with Poland in 1960. At the dawn of the 21st century, Turkey seeks greater responsibility within the global community and will compete with Iceland and Austria for one of the two seats allocated to the WEOG at the Security Council." Turkey's prime minister has launched a $14.5bn development plan aiming to ease the poverty that feeds violent Kurdish separatism in the country's south-east." Why do young girls kill their mothers in Turkey? "Why do young girls kill their mothers in Turkey? What is the most precious thing for a mother? Undoubtedly, her children. And isn’t the mother the most precious and valuable asset for her children? Isn’t the relationship between a mother and her young girl special? So, why is Turkey currently experiencing a rash of recent killings of mothers by their daughters? Why do we hear of murders almost every week? Why is this happening?" UNITED NATIONS - / MaximsNews Network / 27 May 2008 -- On 8 May FRIDE organised a conference entitled “Turkey’s role in Europe. Looking beyond the membership question – social cohesion, shared values and parallel security interests”, as part of its “FRIDE in Casa de Galicia” series of seminars." I was first inspired to travel to Turkey by a poster framed and hung in our Turkish-themed family room. It showed an isolated hilltop palace, which was once home to a powerful and wealthy Kurdish chieftain. Although today long abandoned, and in various stages of collapse due to neglect and disassembly by the nearest villagers, the walled, hilltop complex, with its soaring towers and minarets, clearly suggested the grandeur that was reported to have once existed there. So wonderful were the accommodations therein said to have been, that visiting dignitaries from Persia, and other eastern places, were full of its praise by the time they later reached Constantinople (today's Istanbul). It was even breathlessly reported that the palace had solid gold plumbing. The Sultan was so irritated by listening to his guests rave about Ishak Pasha's palace that he made the popular Kurdish chief persona non grata (unwelcome) in Constantinople. For years, I dreamed of taking my cameras there" Ugur Kenan Ipek, Midwest consul general of Turkey, during a visit to St. Louis last week, stressed Turkey's 'strong, lasting and positive relations' with the State of Israel, the United States and with Jews in his own country, America and in all of the cities in his large jurisdiction." The official communiqué last week announcing the resumption of peace talks between Israel and Syria stressed that it was in accordance with the principles established at the 1991 Madrid conference." "Is Turkey's Government Starting a Muslim Reformation? [ARAB COUNTRIES] Accounts from Turkey suggest that the government is attempting a bold re-interpretation of Islam. Its unusually named ministry of religion, the 'Presidency of Religious Affairs and the Religious Charitable Foundation,' has undertaken a three-year 'Hadith Project' systematically to review 162,000 hadith reports and winnow them down to some 10,000, with the goal of separating original Islam from the accretions of fourteen centuries." BRUSSELS: The European Union and Turkey blamed each other Tuesday for the slow pace of negotiations about Turkey's entry into the EU. The Turkish foreign minister, Ali Babacan, in an oblique reference to France, said questions about whether his country should join at all dampened enthusiasm in Turkey for far-reaching changes in politics and other matters related to membership." Adding to its much coveted resume as “Europe’s bridge to the Middle East”, Turkey has now been officially recognized as the facilitator of talks between Israel and Syria. Whether or not the Israeli media agrees with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s motivations for publicizing the existence of talks, Turkey can at least shine in the warm spotlight of international recognition for a few weeks." German red tape and a lack of will on the part of officialdom is putting some Muslim women in a very dangerous position. Instead of protecting them from the threat of honor killings, some of the bureaucracy actually increases the risk." TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - May 27, 2008) - The Mosaic Institute (www.mosaicinstitute.ca) invited to Toronto, Kaan Soyak, the Co-Chair of The Turkish Armenian Business Development Council (TABDC) (www.tabdc.org) to address a group of Canadians of Turkish and Armenian origin at a dinner reception on May 22. The Mosaic Institute, a Canadian NGO, seeks to address conflict regions of the world by facilitating dialogue between their respective diaspora communities in Canada. The TABDC is the international leader in promoting improved Turkish-Armenian relations." Celebrated Turkish filmmaker Nuri Bilge Ceylan was awarded Best Director in Cannes on Sunday. Perhaps now Turks will finally go see his movies. Despite being heralded globally for his movie magic, Ceylan's films — slow-paced, poetic tales of individuals struggling against the bleak backdrop of modern Turkey — routinely flop back home. Distant, a previous Cannes competitor, was seen by just 20,000 people in Turkey — only one-fourth as many as saw it in France. His current Cannes winner, Three Monkeys, has yet to sell to Turkish TV, which has deemed it too arty." Turkey remains a major transit route for heroin trafficking with a substantial proportion of the revenue being used to finance radical organizations, such as the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), according to a recent report by the Department for Anti-Smuggling and Organized Crime (KOM) in the Turkish Interior Ministry." BRUSSELS (Thomson Financial) - European Union (EU) commissioner for enlargement Olli Rehn told the EU-Turkey Joint Parliamentary Committee that he wants to see 'progression, not regression' in Turkey's reform efforts to meet EU accession principles." ´The opening of some chapters are blocked,´ Babacan told a news conference, referring to the 35 reform areas. Turkey told the European Union on Tuesday the slow pace of its accession talks was causing public enthusiasm for membership of the bloc to wane, but the EU insisted it was up to Ankara to push harder on reforms. Foreign Minister Ali Babacan cited one unnamed EU state in particular as holding up part of the talks started in 2005, an indirect reference to France and President Nicolas Sarkozy's oft-stated opposition to Turkey's membership aspirations." ISTANBUL, May 27 (Reuters) - Turkish shares rose on Tuesday, led higher by a rebound in recently battered banking stocks, but the rally was expected to be short lived due to ongoing political uncertainty." DIYARBAKIR, Turkey, May 27 (Reuters) - Turkey's prime minister launched a multi-billion dollar development plan for the poor, mainly Kurdish, southeast on Tuesday which he said would help reduce the poverty which feeds violent separatism." We see the government signaling a step back in the reform process and a return to populist political implementations that we have not seen for years, Turkish Industrialists’ and Businessmen's Association (TUSIAD) said on Tuesday." Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is today set to announce the government's action plan to complete the long-suspended Southeastern Anatolia Project, known by its Turkish acronym GAP." ANKARA, Turkey: Kurdish politicians have skipped a major speech by Turkey's prime minister to protest the government's refusal to recognize the country's Kurdish minority." BRUSSELS, Belgium: Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat said Tuesday he still hopes to begin face-to-face negotiations on reunifying Cyprus with his Greek Cypriot counterpart next month and aims to get a deal by the end of the year." The EU expressed concern at the slowing pace of reforms intended to bring Turkey into line with the accession requirements of the bloc." SEOUL, May 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Turkey on Tuesday signed an agreement on mutual logistics support, enabling smooth exchanges of military munitions during times of peace or war, the Defense Ministry said." MOSCOW, May 27 (Reuters) - Russia's gas export monopoly Gazprom (GAZP.MM: Quote, Profile, Research) said on Tuesday it had increased gas supplies to Turkey after it asked for more gas following a stoppage of flows from Iran." ANKARA, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Turkey's drug trafficking report for 2007 revealed that at least 31 tons of opium and 13 tons of heroin were seized in Turkey last year, local newspaper Today's Zaman reported on Tuesday." Support from the private sector is crucial to Istanbul's preparations to become European Capital of Culture in 2010, said the chairman of Istanbul 2010's Executive Board over the weekend." "What is happening in Turkey? Turkish politics is on the brink of a new era as whatever the outcome of the Constitutional Court’s ruling on the Justice and Development Party (AKP), a new political landscape will emerge after the changes enforced, argues Senem Aydin Düzgit in a 22 May commentary for the Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS)." The Cyprus Turkish Civil Servants Union – Memur-Sen has held another warning strike at the 'Central Bank' after the two sides failed to reach agreement. The Union President Sener Ozburak said that problems – being faced over additional payments, working conditions and organization’s law, are still continuing." The flow of Iranian natural gas to Turkey was halted early on Monday after an explosion hit a gas pipeline in eastern Turkey, Turkish energy officials said. A senior military source in southeast Turkey, who declined to be named, told Reuters the blast was the work of the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK)." It’s too late for Hrant Dink, the brave Armenian-Turkish newspaperman who was murdered in 2007, not long after being convicted of violating Turkey’s medieval Article 301 which made it a crime to “insult Turkishness,” which is pretty hard to do when so much of your history is built on bayoneting babies and your national sport is invasion." Istanbul welcomed a new modern museum; the Museum of the History of Islam, Science, and Technology is opened in the Gülhane Park on May 24, 2008. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan inaugurated the world’s first museum of Islamic science and technology museum. The world’s first museum of Islamic science and technology, a project backed by the Turkish Ministry of Culture and Tourism in cooperation with the Greater İstanbul Municipality, will open in İstanbul’s Gülhane Park in May." The Ministry of Culture and Tourism announced the tourism statistics for April. The statistics show that the number of tourists visiting Turkey in 2008 is expected to increase significantly. The number of tourists visiting Turkey in the first four months of 2008 increased by 12.37 percent over the same period last year, reaching 4.63 million." The Chicago Turkish Festival returns to the Daley Center this week. Hosted by the Consulate General of the Republic of Turkey and the Turkish American community in the Chicagoland area, the festival will focus on the arts, culture and cuisine of Turkey. One of the summer's first ethnic festivals, it runs Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is free. " When Rebetiko and Balkan music is spoken of in Turkey, the name of the virtuoso accordionist Muammer Ketencoğlu is inevitably mentioned. Every week on the radio the folk music scholar takes his listeners 'to the other side of the Danube' – with great success." Turkey resisting U.S. demands to X-ray containers bound for U.S. "Turkey resisting U.S. demands to X-ray containers bound for U.S. ANKARA — Turkey and the United States are clashing over border security procedures. Officials said Turkey has rejected a U.S. demand for equipment to screen containers destined for the United States. They said Washington has required X-ray and other equipment to certify the Turkish port of Izmir as safe for the re-export of goods to the United States." More:World Tribune — Turkey resisting U.S. demands to X-ray containers bound for U.S. A private Turkish company known for its successful research and development (R&D) projects has produced a unique type of tomato that grows only in water, which experts claim has no equivalent anywhere in the world. The Dizayn Group, a prominent actor in the Turkish heating and plumbing sectors, produced the special type of tomatoes that do not need soil to grow at its R&D center in the Mediterranean city of Antalya. The total amount produced in one year is 1,600 kilograms from a single tomato seed. The product will soon be available on the market under the name Miracle." With a row between the Islamist-rooted AKP government and the secular judiciary compounding Turkey's political crisis, the European Parliament (EP) has stepped in and urged both sides to refrain from controversial moves." The flow of Iranian natural gas to Turkey was halted early on Monday after an explosion hit a gas pipeline in eastern Turkey, Turkish energy officials said. A senior military source in southeast Turkey, who declined to be named, told Reuters the blast was the work of the outlawed separatist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). Work to repair the pipeline, hit just after midnight, was underway and it should be operational in a few days time, said a source at state gas company Botas. "The first results of the investigation show damage to a 30 metre (98 ft) piece of the pipeline which will need to be replaced," the Botas source told Reuters. An energy ministry official, who declined to be named, said the blast, which he believed may have been sabotage, occurred around 13 kilometres (8 miles) inside Turkish territory. ANKARA, May 26 (Xinhua) -- A Turkish technology firm stated on Monday that its boron products might narrow the ozone hole, the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported. 'The products manufactured using boron minerals decreased the amount of exhaust gas released by motor vehicles by 15 percent, thus making the hole on the ozone layer getting smaller,' General Manager of NNT Nano Teknoloji A.S. Mehmet Can Arvas was quoted as saying." ISTANBUL, May 26 (Reuters) - Turkish currency and stocks weakened on Monday along with global markets, while shares in banks fell more sharply than the rest of the market on concerns about plans to tighten rules on credit cards." Greece's top commander Dimitros Grapsas praised Monday Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern Turkey, and former Greek leader Eleftherios Venizelos, saying their countries are lucky to have such great leaders, at a meeting with his Turk counterpart." Leading Turkish businessmen and industrialists are urging the government to privatize the energy production sector as soon as possible, a report revealed last week." Turkish President Abdullah Gul steps in to resolve the conflict between the government and the high judiciary, and urged all parties to be careful to avoid such debates that harm stability and Turkey's reputation. Gul met the chairman of the Supreme Court Monday." A German deputy of Turkish origins dining with fellow parliamentarians at a hotel in Istanbul's historic Sultanahmet Square was told she could not be served alcohol, unlike the rest of the group, because she was Turkish. " Turkey takes a controversial turn in the process of full membership to the European Union. Yet, how this, which we are trying for almost a half century, will be concluded is unknown. Although EU officials say this is normal, if we ask this to an ordinary citizen we realize that people are getting indifferent toward relations with the EU as officials shrug their shoulder to the questions. According to European diplomats, Turkey has to do a lot for full EU membership.I will focus on a critical point in this article, rather than bilateral relations. And it is that there is too much EU interference in our internal matters; or in other words, they're getting “more involved in Turkey's internal affairs.” " A Turkish play will travel to Broadway for the first time. ‘Kanlı Nigar’ (The Wedding night / Bloody Nigar), considered an unforgettable work of art in Turkey, will be staged by the Turkish–American Art Society of New York" The Kültepe-Kaniş-Karum excavations that are being carried out under the leadership of Professor Fikri Kulakoğlu of Ankara University's Archaeology Department, are celebrating their 60th anniversary. The goal of the excavations is to reveal huge statues and monuments which are believed to exist along the city walls" Uruguay came from behind twice to defeat Turkey 3-2 in an exciting international friendly match played in Bochum, Germany." Another Eurovision Song Contest is over and the same grumblings have started to be heard again: 'Neighbors vote for each other!' 'It doesn't matter if you have a good song or not!' etc...." It’s too late for Hrant Dink, the brave Armenian-Turkish newspaperman who was murdered in 2007, not long after being convicted of violating Turkey’s medieval Article 301 which made it a crime to “insult Turkishness,” which is pretty hard to do when so much of your history is built on bayoneting babies and your national sport is invasion. The European Union has weakly requested that Turkey scrap Article 301 as one requirement to become a member of the European Union, where it is okay to insult all nationalities, allowed in real democracies. With Dink’s murder safely behind them, and knowing the economic benefits of being in the EU are looming, Turkey has amended its law so that it’s no longer a crime to insult Turkishness. You just can’t insult the Turkish nation, which means you can only insult foreigners there apparently." Turkey's Nuri Bilge Ceylan won Cannes' Best Director prize on Sunday for his searing family drama "Three Monkeys". According to a recent article in the Jerusalem Post (“Is Turkey's Government Starting a Muslim Reformation?” Daniel Pipes, May 22, 2008), a government ministry in Turkey, the so-called “Presidency of Religious Affairs and the Religious Charitable Foundation,” has undertaken a three year project to study and condense thousands of pages of material associated with Islam. The problem, they claim, is that fourteen hundred years of “Hadiths,” reports about the sayings and deeds of Muhammad, have distorted the meaning of Islam as revealed in Islam’s central text, the Koran. The goal of the project is to weed-out all that is inconsistent with the Koran." Turkey's president approves "employment package" Turkish President Abdullah Gul approved the Labor Law which is publicly called 'employment package' on Sunday. The Package was criticized by economists because of the amnesty to premium debts of employers to Social Security Institution it brings." More:Turkey's president approves "employment package" Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday the Supreme Court did not have authority to issue the statement that criticized last week 'certain political circles' for attempting to influence and control the judiciary." Turkey's ruling AKP member Zafer Uskul, a professor of law, said on Saturday he did not believe the AKP will be shut down, adding the ruling party had no alternative plans in the closure case, the Anatolian Agency reported." Nicosia. An opinion poll conducted in Northern Cyprus says that 50.4% of the Turkish Cypriots would like to see that part of the island continue existing as “an independent state,” the Cypriot Famagusta Gazette writes, citing the Volkan, a Turkish Cypriot newspaper. Asked how they would like for the Cypriot issue to be resolved, 4.6% of the respondents say they are in favor of a federal state, 20.1% describe the unimplemented Annan plan as the best option, and only 6.6% are in favor of a bi-zonal, bi-communal federation. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus has been recognized by Turkey only." ECOTA, Turkey's first preferential trade agreement after Customs Union, that will gradually drop the 80 percent of the products' customs taxes to 15 percent would take effect on January 1 in 2009, Turkish State Minister Kursad Tuzmen said on Sunday, Anatolian Agency reported." Baku-Tblisi-Ceyhan (BTC) Crude Oil Pipeline earned Turkey $2 billion and it is now Samsun-Ceyhan and Nabucco projects' turn, Turkey's Energy Minister, Hilmi Guler said on Saturday." Carrying red and white Turkish flags and wearing red and white, thousands of Turkish-American people gathered in New York to attend the 27th Turkish Day Parade and Festival on Saturday." ON AN icy February morning a clutch of Turks and Armenians huddled in a hotel in Kars, with Turkish intelligence officials looking on. On May 14th their secret, a giant round of cheese, was unveiled in Gyumri, over the sealed border in Armenia. Under the label of “Caucasian cheese”, the yellow slab symbolises reconciliation between Turkey and Armenia, and across the Caucasus." Baku. Vugar Mesimoghlu-APA. Azerbaijan’s song, Day After Day by Elnur Huseynov & Samir Javadzade in the country’s first appearance in the Eurovision Song Contest, picked up 132 points from the 43 countries taking part in this year’s contest in Belgrade." Turkey can't avoid stepping on its neighbors' toes forever, an American foreign policy expert said Friday, noting that Turkey should put it's cards on the table and realize it cannot be everything to everyone." Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Friday he will wait until late Monday to decide whether to attend a Turkey-European Union meeting, in response to a French initiative to remove the word �accession� from a key EU document." "Turkey rowing to a sinking ship? The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announces Turkey’s request for full membership will be decided on in October. Turkey expects such membership to bring in extra financing in private sector investment, but the bank is deeply divided on what course to take in the future" More important than the comments issued about the advanced Turkish mediation between Syria and Israel are those that were not issued. Particularly the comments that one could have expected from governments and organizations intent on showing 'clarity' in their stance, when it concerns open conflict with Israel and the imminent end of the Hebrew state, as that state celebrates its 60th anniversary… and the state of the Arabs remains what it is!" (IsraelNN.com) Turkey, a vacation destination for many Israelis and the home newly launched talks with Syria, is experiencing an upsurge in Islamist programs targeting Israel for destruction." ANKARA (AFP) — Turkish President Abdullah Gul will pay a five-day official visit to Japan in early June, the first ever by a Turkish head of state, his office said Saturday. Gul, accompanied by several ministers and a large delegation of businessmen, will meet Emperor Akihito, Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, Senate President Satsuki Eda and lower house Speaker Yohei Kono during the June 3-8 visit." ANKARA, Turkey — Turkey's state-run news agency says suspected Kurdish rebels have detonated a bomb that derailed five cars of a train in southeast Turkey. ISTANBUL, May 24 (Reuters) - Economy Minister Mehmet Simsek denied a report on Saturday that the goverment was thinking of raising electricity prices by 19 percent for households before July this year." An opinion poll carried out in occupied northern Cyprus has suggested that 50.4% of Turkish Cypriots would like to see the northern sector continue to exist as a so-called “independent state”." The most important thing about the Israeli-Syrian peace negotiations is not that they are happening but where they are happening. A few months ago, President Shimon Peres addressed the Turkish parliament in Hebrew." Businesswomen in İzmir are getting together to establish an association to promote their work in local and international platforms, to strengthen their job portfolios and to prepare projects that encourage women who do not work to claim their place in the job market." A new Turkish philanthropist enters Turkey's foundation scene with the Turkish Philanthropy Foundation spearheaded by Haldun Taşman. Having spent more than 40 years in the US, Taşman hopes to inspire more giving on both sides of the Atlantic" A report by Human Rights Watch says gay and transgender people in Turkey are subject to 'endemic abuses', and calls on the government to act to protect them. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford met some of the victims." The head of the city’s Turkish association is bracing for more violence after a bloody fight between rival groups at a west-end cafe. “I’m very sad today,” said Turkish Canadian Association president Kenan Tan, who worries the Thursday’s violence will give a “bad name to the Turkish people.”" An EU Training Program, started in 2005 with the support of Philip Morris/Sabancı, among the leading industrial establishments of İzmir since 1992, has been one of most important components of the European Union process in informing people in the Aegean region." Areva T&D Division, one of three global players in the transmission and distribution of energy, decided to invest $105 million in Turkey." A simple wooden chair in a kebab shop is the latest must-see sight in Bursa, Turkey, ever since the Queen used it on a recent state visit to the country." To the Editor: When I read “Istanbul’s Beat Is International” (May 11), I said to myself, no wonder. We can justify the new Turkish sound, as you refer to it, by the type of rock club/brewery/basement music joint I visited in December 2007. I was invited for a night out by two young Istanbul locals and we wound up at Balans, the kind of place where the entrance is a back door in an alley." ANKARA, May 23 (Xinhua) -- Turkish Foreign Minister Ali Babacan said Friday that his country has not yet decided to join the 'Unity for the Mediterranean,' the semi-official Anatolia news agency reported." Today I saw that the AKP government in Turkey is still trying to impose its will on higher education, by appointing the rectors of new public universities in Turkey." The debts of farmers are going to be postponed in the cities of Turkey's southeastern provinces affected by drought, Turkish Agriculture Minister Mehdi Eker said on Thursday." ISTANBUL, May 23 (Reuters) - Turkish lender Garanti Bank GARAN.IS said on Friday the Capital Markets Board (SPK) and banking regulator BDDK had approved its application for a 100 percent capital hike." An inspiring conference on Turkey-Armenia relations was held in Yerevan this past Tuesday. At the end of the event, which was organized by the Yerevan-based Analytical Center on Globalization and Regional Cooperation, and supported by the Eurasia Partnership Foundation and USAID, a number of students among the audience took the microphone kindly asking that their “elders” guide them in making a difference in the relationship. Thirty young students were motivated to give me their email addresses with hopes that I could link them with Turkish counterparts upon my return to Istanbul." Potential membership of the European Union (EU) could improve many aspects of Turkish living, which may interest those considering purchasing property in the country. A report by Amberlamb looks at the hopeful predictions made about Turkey as an investment destination, made as it prepares for the busy tourist season with and following news that a positive economy is improving prospects. Due to the lack of free market in the energy sector, Turkey will face supply-related problems in the summer months, warns Turkish Industrialists' And Businessmen's Association. It is crucial to speed up investments to prevent deficit" Turkey's Intercollegiate Board (UAK) supported on Friday the Supreme Court as the board's chairman said the judiciary was criticized unfairly by both the government and from abroad." Reuters Fri May 23, 2008 (...) The fading of hope for religious reform fits into a larger picture of the ruling party's fading interest in the democratic reforms needed if Turkey is ever to become an EU member. "They only wanted a place in the power system. Once they got it, they stopped," said Ankara University sociologist Dogu Ergil. Rusen Cakir, author of several books on Islam and politics in Turkey, said political power rather than religion was always key to the AK Party's confrontation with the secularist elite." Turkey has been making positive assessments of the project of the Mediterranean Union, although it is still not clear that Turkey will join the project, Turkey's FM Ali Babacan told on Friday in a joint news conference with his Croatian counterpart." An advertisement by the Kurdish Institute of Paris and deputies of Turkey's pro-Kurdish party, or DTP, that appeared in Le Monde calling for an international mediator to help in solving the Kurdish problem sparked angry reaction in Turkey yesterday. "

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http://turkishdigest.blogspot.com/2008/05/

customer service delivery and organisational performance. With the rapid developments in the sphere of information technology, internet has become a powerful tool in business. As a result e-service quality has become critical for companies to attract and retain the customers in this virtual environment. The main aim of this article is to provide insight into the dimensions of e-service with an empirical study on online railway ticket reservation website service. Primary data was collected from the online users of Indian Railways in India with the help of a 21 item instrument which is devised on the basis of thorough review of literature. To extract the various dimensions of e-service quality factor analysis is performed via SPSS 16. The results bring out four core e-service quality dimensions namely: Efficiency, Responsiveness, Privacy and security and Reliability. Surprisingly, privacy and security dimension scores the highest score of 3.85. It indicates that the users do not recognize considerable risk in online environment of e-service stemming from the possibility of misuse of their financial information and personal information. It is followed by efficiency, responsiveness and reliability with mean scores of 3.72, 3.43 and 3.19 respectively. Managers should focus on providing superior technical function of the website without any operating problems and 24 hours access to e-service. The reason behind is that if the users cannot use e-service when they need, they will immediately switch to some other e-service. Directions for further research on eservice quality are offered. Managerial implications stemming from the empirical findings about e-service quality are also discussed. Keywords: E-SERVQUAl, E-service Quality, Online Tourism, Website Evaluation. Parasuraman et al. (2002) state that electronic service (eservice) might be the key to long term advantages in the digital times. internet has become a powerful tool in business. emails are not answered. Issue 1 (January. the second section provides a brief review of literature on e-service quality and various techniques measuring website e-service quality. 2005).the transactions—to e service-all cues and encounters that occur before. The fifth section sheds light on the various managerial implications of the present study. and e-service quality is becoming even more critical for companies to retain and attract customers in the digital age . when consumers could not complete transactions. down servers etc. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 Introduction With the rapid developments in the sphere of information technology. Service quality is determined by the difference between expected service and perceived service from companies (Zeithaml 1998). Internet has radically revolutionized railway industry in the last five years. companies must shift the focus of e-business from e-commerce . Even though railways have realized the importance of online service. and the future research directions. 1988). but they have not made efforts to understand the customer‟s perception of online services and how customers assess their online service quality. This article focuses on measuring e-service quality dimensions in the online market with an empirical study on online railway ticket reservation website service. Earlier low price and web presence were the main drivers of success. If this channel is to be feasible.IJMMR Volume 2. If Web channels are to be accepted by consumers. the study concludes with a discussion of the limitation of the study.The situation become more vulnerable. Review of Literature Service Quality Traditional service quality refers to the quality of all non Internet based customer interactions and experiences with companies (Parasuraman et al. The fourth section reports the results and findings of the empirical data analysis. To deliver superior e-service quality. Currently many studies have been conducted on traditional service quality but the area of eservice quality appears to be understudied. conduct empirical studies in different service industries to develop and refine the service quality instrument (SERQUAL) to assess companies‟ service quality (Parasuraman et Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. desired information could not be accessed. The third section provides the research methodology applied in this research work. and after the transactions (Parasuraman et al. inaccurate information. Oliveria et al.com -23- . Finally. but now railways operating in the internet market need something else to attract customers for their online services. low speed of the websites. they must be perceived by customers as efficient and effective. railways first need to understand how consumers perceive and evaluate online services. Internet has become a critical channel for railway ticket reservation and selling various tourism related products and services. during.skirec. The paper is organized as follows: Following the introduction. which is based on the original ten dimensions of service quality put forward by Parasuraman et al. Reliability: The ability to perform the promised service dependably and accurately. but e-service quality evaluation in railway industry is still understudied. Responsiveness: The willingness to help customer and provide prompt services. Issue 1 (January.service quality reveals that many studies have been undertaken to uncover underlying dimensions of e-service quality evaluation in different sectors. But to measure e-service quality evaluation SERVQUAL is not appropriate. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 al. The widely used SERVQUAL instrument is composed of five dimensions (Parasuraman et al.. The reason lies due to the difference of e-service from traditional service in three aspects: no sales staff.com -24- . They aim at providing a generic instrument for measuring service quality across a broad range of service categories. In this light it is clear that the SERVQUAL is not suitable for measuring eservice quality. travel companies. 1991. the researchers have widely used the five dimensions of SEVQUAL instrument to measure service quality in various industries like banks. 1988). Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. A thorough review of existing research studies done empirically to examine customers‟ perception of e. and it is meaningful to another instrument for measuring e-service quality. E-Service Quality And Its Dimensions Zeithaml and al. (Parasuraman et al. and delivery of products and services. equipment.IJMMR Volume 2. the absence of traditional tangible element. 1985). purchasing.skirec. retail sector etc. 1988. and customers self service. (2005) defined electronic service quality as "the extent to which a web site facilitates efficient and effective shopping. Empathy: Care and individualized attention provided to customers. 2005). personnel and communication materials. Although service quality literature is found to be rich in different service sectors. The five dimensions of SERVQUAL are: Tangibles: The appearance of physical facilities. Since its inception. Assurance: The knowledge and courtesy of employees and their ability to convey trust and confidence. Core scale refers to the quality of the website itself. ease of use. rather than with website performance. It follows the rule of original SERVQUAL and includes some dimensions of SERVQUAL. WEBQUAL. communication. Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. Responsiveness and Fulfillment were identified. aesthetic design.IJMMR Volume 2.. represented by four and three dimensions respectively. There is a need to evaluate railway website which is a tourism website. reliability. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 Table: 1 Critical Dimensions For Measuring E-Service Quality S. Dimensions website design. But most of the scales have been used in the e-retailing context. Dabholkar (1996) 2. accessibility.com -25- . E-SERVQUAL is a widely used technique to measure e-service quality as perceived by customers. year 1. and eTailQ. The E-SERVQUAL scale contains a core and recovery scale. Identified seven Mahapatra and dimensions to measure Sreekumar internet banking service (2009) quality. So in the following section only three main scales developed for measuring e-service quality is reviewed. 2002) and Parasuraman et al. understanding and availability 4. and interactive responsiveness 3. credibility. Accessibility. delivery. Privacy/Security.skirec. while the recovery scale is more concerned with the actual performance of the company. Userfriendliness. which seems to be the most inclusive ones amongst those reported in the literature to date. (2005) developed E-S-QUAL Model to measure e-service quality. Issue 1 (January. Reliability. Efficiency. enjoyment and control ease of use.No Author. Yoo and Donthu (2001) Description Focuses on website design Develop a 4dimension scale called SITEQUAL to measure online service quality of website Cox and Dale Set up 6 dimensions of (2001) online retailing service quality with the comparison of the traditional dimensions of service quality Khan. processing speed. E-Servqual Zeithaml (2000. Main E-Service Quality Evaluation Techniques Majority of scales have been developed by different researchers for measuring the website eservice quality. website appearance. namely e-SERVQUAL. find their de-sired product and related information. ease of use.). Reliability is a technical function of the website such as the extent to which it is available and functioning prop-erly. Etailq ETAILQ is the scale for measuring and predicting e-tail quality. handling returns mechanisms. and check it out with minimal effort. and complimentary relationship. It suggests four website quality dimensions to predict customer judgments of quality and satisfaction with the website. The instrument consists of four constructs. Usefulness includes informational fit-to-task. return of shipping and handling costs. Con-tact points refers to customers' need to speak to a "live" customer service agent online or on the phone. Finally. the entertainment construct consists of the visual appeal (presentation graphics and text). Responsiveness defines the company's ability to provide appropriate problem-solving mechanisms (online complaint handing. each of which is evaluated by a website visitor according to his/her perceptions of web-site quality. fulfillment. Its main focus is on website interface and most empirically grounded e-service quality scales. Fulfillment/reliability depicts the accurate display and description of a product and delivery of the right product within the time frame promised. which are mainly concerned with the situations which arise when a problem needs to be solved and "personal service" is required. and incorporates accuracy of service promises. such as having products in stock and timely delivery. fulfillment/reliability. Fulfilment refers to a company's actual performance in contrast with what is promised through the website. Compensation involves money-back guarantees. Three recovery dimensions of e-SERVQUAL are responsiveness. Ease of use includes ease of understanding and intuitive operations dimensions. Webqual WEBQUAL is developed by Lociacono. innovativeness ("aha"/surprise element associated with creativity and uniqueness). complimentary relationship construct includes consistent image (the website's ability to accurately reflect the company's image promoted through other communication channels). and customer service. Issue 1 (January. Efficiency defines customers' ability to effectively access the website. privacy refers to the company's will and ability to maintain the integrity of customer data. Furthermore. and better than alternative channels (the website's ability to act on the same level or better than alternative marketing channels) dimensions. Watson and Goodhue in 2000. trust and response time dimensions. Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. It is based on two behavioral theories namely Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA). WEBQUAL is used to judge a website ability to satisfy customer needs. privacy/security. namely usefulness. reliability and privacy. entertainment. and defines the company's ability to offer such support in real-time via online or other means of communication. etc. namely website design. It is developed by Wolfinbarger and Gilly in 2002.skirec. interactivity.com -26- . Finally. online guarantees. which include a range of website dimensions. The prime motive of WEBQUAL is to predict the revisit/reuse behavior of web users based on their perceptions of overall website quality. on-line completeness (the web-site's overall ability to suit customers in their operations). 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 Four dimensions of core e-SERVQUAL scale are efficiency. compensation and contact points.IJMMR Volume 2. and flow-emotional appeal (the website's ability to deliver enjoyable and engrossing experiences for users) dimensions. helpful. While section C was used to determine respondent‟s perception on e-service quality using 21 items developed on the basis of ESERVQUAL (Parasuraman et al. Issue 1 (January. including navigation. Customer service signifies to a responsive. Section A collects the respondents‟ demographic details such as gender. Evaluate all the dimension of e-service quality as perceived by the users of e-services of railways. Respondents were asked to evaluate these items on 5-point Likert scale. The questionnaire was divided into three sections. The profile of the respondents is shown in table 2 Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www.skirec. order processing. Among 158 questionnaires. 2005). the empirical sample of this study was the users of IRCTC website to make the online reservations of the railway ticket in India. Results And Discussion Profile of The Respondents The final sample size for e-service evaluation is 150. willing service that responds to customer enquiries quickly. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 Website design comprises of all elements of the consumer's experience at the website (except for customer service). Objectives The main aim of this article is to provide insight into the dimensions of e-service with an empirical study on online railway ticket reservation website service. The sample is considered to represent the IRCTC‟s website users in India to reserve a train ticket through internet. Research Methodology A well structured questionnaire was designed after analyzing the various constructs to measure customer‟s satisfactions with e-service quality of Indian railways. 8 incomplete questionnaires were removed from the further analysis. Section B was used to collect data on the usage pattern of the online services of Indian Railways in terms of length of period and frequency. and 158 0f the 800 individuals replied at a response rate of 19. occupation and income. age.com -27- . Finally. ranging from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree. The remaining 150 responses formed the basis of the present study. Totally 800 questionnaires were mailed to potential respondents. education. appropriate personalization and product selection. The questionnaire was distributed to the customers by e-mail to a convenience sample during the month of July and August 2010. So.75 percent. Indian Railway Catering and tourism Corporation (IRCTC) is providing the service of online reservation of railway ticket on behalf of Indian Railways.IJMMR Volume 2.. security/privacy refers to the security of credit card payments on the website and privacy of shared information. information search. About 35.7%) are male and only (3. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 Table 2: Profile of The Respondents Frequency 18-28 years 41 Age 29-39 years 53 40-50 years 35 Above 50 years 21 Total 150 Male 145 Gender Female 5 Total 150 Under Graduate 13 Education Graduate 53 Post-Graduate 45 Professional Degree 39 Total 150 Government Employee 24 Occupation Private Employee 67 Student/Research scholar 20 Own Business/Entrepreneur 20 Professional/ self employed 19 Total 150 Up to Rs.3 100.3 23. 00.to 7.0 100.skirec.0 7.0 100.0 96.53 Income Rs.0000/20 Total 150 Less than 6 Months 11 Length of 6 to 12 Months 13 e-service usage 12 to 24 Months 35 More than 24 Months 91 Total 150 21 Frequency of use Occasionally Moderately 54 of e-service Frequently 75 Total 150 Variable Percent 27. Seventy two percent of the respondents belongs to low income group up to Rs250000 (36. 2. by this age.000/22 Above Rs.3%).000/. Further.3% of the respondents are graduation degree holders and 44.3 60. 50.000/. 2.7% are private employee.7 35.0 44.0 8. 00.7 3.to Rs.3 8.3%) are female.3%) in 18-28 years.0 26.7 13.0 The respondents were at least 18 years old since. Majority of the respondents (96.0 14.7 13.0 100.IJMMR Volume 2.3 35. 5.7%) and Rs250000 to Rs500000 (35.3 30.0 50.7 23.000/. The age profile of the respondents represents most age groups with the majority (35. one is allowed to reserve a railway ticket through internet in India. 5.3 12. Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. 7.7 35.com -28- .7% of the respondents have been using eservice for more than 24 months and 50% uses this service frequently.3 14. as to the e-service usage pattern 60.3 13.3%) being in the 29-39 years and (27. Issue 1 (January. 50.3 100.0 16.0 36.7 100.000/55 Annual Rs.7 100.50.3 14.50.0 36. 927 shows that data was fit for factor analysis (Table 3).e.797 Rotation Sums of Squared Loadings Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis.025 1.833E3 210 .IJMMR Volume 2. Table 3: KMO And Bartlett's Test Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy.0 will be retained and other factors will be excluded. In the present study four factors has been extracted explaining 66. In this approach. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 Data Analysis Reliability was tested by using Cronbach‟s alpha coefficient.581 36.209 3.000) and Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin Measure of Sampling Adequacy (KMO) value is 0.581 17.281 14. In order to express the structure of the original questionnaire with fewer variables and maintain most information provided by the original data factor analysis is performed on 21 items by using SPSS 16.097 66.169 55.097 5. factors have been extracted by using Principal Component Analysis extraction method with orthogonal varimax rotation. items represent a high degree of inter-correlation.000 Further.169 1.572 66.797 4.112 3.378 1. .945 which is well above the recommended level of 0. degree of freedom is 210 and significance is 0.339 6. Measure of sampling adequacy. indicating that the variables are interrelated. such as Bartlett‟s Test of Sphericity (approx. In this study the cronbach‟s alpha score is 0.620 3.0.com -29- .225 of Cumulative % Total 49.087 % of Variance Cumulative % 19. The first step is to assess the appropriateness of factor analysis.70. factors with Eigen values greater than 1.325 49. Bartlett's Test of Approx.547 61. Issue 1 (January. Table 4: Total Variance Explained Initial Eigen values % Component Total Variance 1 2 3 4 10.833E3.816 52. Chi-Square Sphericity df Sig.265 6. The higher score denotes the high reliability of the generated scale i.700 19.236 15.skirec. chi square is 1.927 1. Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www.797% of total variance (Table 4). Factors have been extracted on the basis of Eigen Values. 000 Information on the IRCTC‟s website about the tourism products and 1. is up-to-date and correct. The IRCTC‟s site never shares my personal information with other sites.774 .e.4 should be dropped from the further analysis as they are not fit for the factor solution.com -30- .678 .40.000 The IRCTC‟s site operates without problem. .713 . 1.786 .638 . 1. 1. 1.000 per personal requirement.665 .000 It offers all required products and service I want 1.000 website page. As it is clear from table 5.000 queries and problems.000 The IRCTC‟s site provides confirmation of executing online transactions.000 The IRCTC authority gives me promote and relevant response of my 1. the IRCTC‟s site navigation is consistent and standardized.000 The IRCTC‟s site protects information about my credit card.skirec. 1.696 .000 input).625 .700 .538 . 1.000 option in the web site The IRCTC site provides comprehensive FAQ section to help/ guide me 1. 24*7*365 accessibility).000 When the IRCTC‟s site promise to perform something it does so.000 The IRCTC‟s site provides language option so as to personalize the site as 1. 1.000 for my common questions.716 .000 It loads its page fast 1.IJMMR Volume 2.000 The IRCTC‟s site is always available (i. 1.651 .791 .427 Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. Table 5: Communalities Initial Extraction The IRCTC site makes it easy to find what I need (with minimum data 1.583 . Issue 1 (January. Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 To test the reliability of the variables communalities of the variables has been computed. Variables having value less than 0.719 . 1.000 Overall. 1. The IRCTC‟s site provides a phone number to reach the IRCTC.671 . I don‟t have to scroll from side to side to adequately see the IRCTC‟s 1. Desired products and services can be easily found using key word search 1.000 services etc. The website does not contain too many pop-ups and banner advertisement 1.618 . all the items fit well in factor solutions.000 The IRCTC‟s site has online customer service representatives.000 that make it difficult for me to look on the webpage.765 .485 . as all factors have value more than 0. Simple for me to learn the handling of site.000 Information at this site is well organized 1.788 . 24*7*365 accessibility).163 . Desired products and services can be easily found using key word . is up-to-date and correct.453 .166 .750 .45 are significant contributors and if factor loading is greater than .120 .728 . .614 .557 .390 .148 . but low loading on other factors. Issue 1 (January.258 .329 Information on the IRCTC‟s website about the tourism products .436 .681 Overall. The objective is to find variable which have high loading on one factor.162 .126 . Table 6: Rotated Component Matrixa Component 1 2 3 The IRCTC site makes it easy to find what I need (with minimum .026 The IRCTC‟s site provides language option so as to personalize the .388 .146 .525 . . . This is done by identifying the items that have high loading on individual factors.531 . The IRCTC‟s site provides a phone number to reach the IRCTC.064 The IRCTC‟s site operates without problem.383 .144 .147 . An important output. Values close to 1 represent high loadings and those close to 0 represent low loadings. .313 .590 . The IRCTC‟s site never shares my personal information with other . Simple for me to learn the handling of site.com -31- .260 . 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 After the extraction of factors the next task is to interpret and name them.125 .522 Information at this site is well organized . The IRCTC authority gives me promote and relevant response of . All variables have factor loading greater than .593 .231 .840 .358 When the IRCTC‟s site promise to perform something it does so. . Rotated factor matrix has been depicted in table 6 and explained below.074 .745 .031 sites. the IRCTC‟s site navigation is consistent and .200 .196 .236 .319 .303 It offers all required products and service I want .196 .653 standardized.333 .648 .144 .387 .830 It loads its page fast . The IRCTC‟s site protects information about my credit card.251 . .skirec.147 .351 .459 search option in the web site 4 . rotated component matrix is used to identify the variables in terms of the factors. .252 .465 The IRCTC‟s site has online customer service representatives.202 .601 .7 these are supposed to be highly significant.241 .236 .220 .217 site as per personal requirement.375 .144 . The IRCTC‟s site is always available (i.815 .294 . The factor loadings represent the correlations between factors and variables.498 transactions.136 and services etc.414 .e.812 data input).010 Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www.IJMMR Volume 2.253 my queries and problems.134 The IRCTC‟s site provides confirmation of executing online . I don‟t have to scroll from side to side to adequately see the . Parasuraman et al.025% variance of the total variance with Eigen value of 1.097 guide me for my common questions.com -32- . It can be easily observed that the items are revealing the responsiveness of the website.387 . well organized.590 . It could be defined as effective handling of problems with the help of website. al.632 . Yoo and Donthu .305 advertisement that make it difficult for me to look on the webpage. Khurana 2009. So the researcher named this factor as responsiveness. 2009. et al. Khan et. The security and privacy Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. Rotation converged in 7 iterations Factor 1: Efficiency This is most significant factor as it explains 49. al. Extraction Method: Principal Component Analysis. Parsuraman et. Efficiency refers to the ease and speed of accessing and using the site (Parasuraman et al.335 . Issue 1 (January. This factor has exhibited heavy loadings for five items out of 21 items.481 . After reviewing carefully. 2005).265. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 The IRCTC site provides comprehensive FAQ section to help/ . confirmation of completed transactions. simple.032 . navigation and speed. In case of e-service quick service to users through website can make users feel more comfortable during purchasing without any interruption. The researcher named this factor as privacy and security as it shows the company‟s will and ability to maintain the privacy of the user and protects their personal information.406 .IJMMR Volume 2. It includes ease of use. Khurana 2009 and Hongxiu et. phone number.339. It has also been identified as one of the major core dimension of E-SERVQUAL. easy search and FAQs for help in problems. Efficiency could also be defined as user‟s ability to access the website. This factor consists of six items pertaining to correct and up-to-date information. So the most appropriate label for this factor is efficiency. Rotation Method: Varimax with Kaiser Normalization. The website does not contain too many pop-ups and banner .169% variance of the total variance with Eigen value 10. Factor 2: Responsiveness It has been found as second largest factor with 6.378% variance explained and Eigen value 1. 2009. Factor 3: Privacy And Security This factor explains 6.120 IRCTC‟s website page.2001.. availability of customer representative. al. also asserted that prompt response to the problems of the customers largely determines customer evaluation of e-service.skirec..438 . Five items are loaded to this factor pertains to security of credit card and personal information.319 . language option. it was evident that all of these items related to efficiency of the website. Several research studies in recent past years (Khan.(2005) have also highlighted it as an important recovery dimension for ESERVQUAL. privacy from pop ups and no need to scroll from side to side.325. 2005) have recognized it as a major contributor in measuring e-service quality. 01 3. This is also an important dimension of E-servqual and eTailQ e-service evaluation technique.79 F2 Responsivenes s 10 Information on the . This Reliability depicts the technical aspect of the website such as its 24 hours availability and functioning without any problem. 1988. It shows name of factor.IJMMR Volume 2.68 3. According to some empirical studies (Parasuraman et al. F1 Factor Interpretation Efficiency 1 The IRCTC site makes it easy to find what I need (with minimum data input). It loads its page fast Information at this site is well organized Overall.43 3. If the value is greater than 0. Factor 4: Reliability This is the last factor accounts for 5.531 IRCTC‟s website about the tourism products and services etc. Since all the items of this factor emphasize on technical part. It consists of five scale items related with the availability of the website. Following table depicts the summary of factor analysis.886 2 3 4 5 . desired products. Simple for me to learn the handling of site.72 3.653 4.43 . is up-to-date and correct.812 Ite m No.225% explained variance and have Eigen value 1.873 Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. Variables Factor Loadin g Mea n 3. factor loadings.com -33- .65 so the constructs are reliable.830 . Table 5: Summary Of The Results Facto r No.99 Cronbach’ s Alpha . Issue 1 (January. and response to queries. (2000). involves the degree to which the customer believes the site is safe from intrusion and personal information is protected. Khan et al.522 . Dabholkar 1996. the researcher decided to name this factor as reliability. 3. operates without problem.097. the IRCTC‟s site navigation is consistent and standardized .65 it is reliable. Cronbach‟s alpha is checking the construct reliability. mean and cronbach‟s alpha. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 dimension used by Zeithmal et al. 2009 and Khurana 2009) reliability is the most important dimension of eservice quality.skirec. The values of all the factors are greater than 0. 1985.15 3.681 . Issue 1 (January. Desired products and services can be easily found using key word search option in the web site The IRCTC site provides comprehensive FAQ section to help/ guide me for my common questions.27 .601 3. .481 adequately see the IRCTC‟s website page.728 3.62 3.28 .19 3. 3.745 shares my personal information with other sites.85 3.840 The IRCTC‟s site protects information .632 3.IJMMR Volume 2.69 .614 about my credit card.49 F3 Privacy And Security 11 12 13 20 21 The IRCTC‟s site never .593 3.590 transactions. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 15 16 17 18 19 The IRCTC‟s site provides a phone number to reach the IRCTC The IRCTC‟s site has online customer service representatives The IRCTC‟s site provides language option so as to personalize the site as per personal requirement.750 3.92 4. . The IRCTC‟s site provides confirmation of executing online .830 3. I don‟t have to scroll from side to side to . The website does not contain too many popups and banner advertisement that make it difficult for me to look on the webpage.skirec.com -34- .71 Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www.79 .40 . 414 3. 24*7*365 accessibility).e.648 .525 3. It offers all required products and service I want The IRCTC authority gives me promote and relevant response of my queries and problems.IJMMR Volume 2. Issue 1 (January.590 . When the IRCTC‟s site promise to perform something it does so. .86 3.44 Level Of Customers’ Perceived Feeling of Satisfaction With Regard To EService Quality Dimensions The figure 5.37 .19 2. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 F4 Reliability 6 7 8 9 The IRCTC‟s site is always available (i.com -35- .10 below.41 3. The IRCTC‟s site operates without problem.skirec. displays mean scores of customers‟ perceived satisfaction regarding derived dimensions: Figure 1: Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www.89 2.815 .846 14 . It is followed by efficiency. It is good indicator that users found it very simple to learn the handling of website and satisfied with confirmation of executing online transactions.89 respectively. the responsiveness facet of website is also a critical contributor to users‟ perceptions of e-service quality. After examining this dimension it is suggested that the customer care representatives should resolve the customer‟s complaints timely and that the customer‟s queries are taken seriously. It indicates that the users do not recognize considerable risk in online environment of eservice stemming from the possibility of misuse of their financial information and personal information.72. Recommendations On the basis of current research findings several important recommendations for practitioners of e-service quality can be made. Privacy and security and Reliability.19 respectively.‟ Efficiency‟ may be helpful in providing enhanced quality of service. 3.IJMMR Volume 2. Efficiency. measured on a five point Likert scale. Second. 2005. anchored at 1: “Strongly disagree” to 5: “Strongly Agree”. The steps should also be taken to update the information on the website. it is suggested to increase loading speed of the pages and installation of more effective servers. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 It can be observed from the figure 1 that privacy and security dimension scores the highest score of 3. responsiveness and reliability with mean scores of 3. using principal component analysis with varimax rotation via SPSS 16. if site operates without any problem and 24*7*365 access is offered than it helps in improving the image of the e-service quality.86 and 2. railway should rectify operating problems of the website and it should run all the time 24*7*365 as the users tend to have low mean score of 2. All the mean scores of the dimensions are rated by the users between „Neutral‟ and „Agree‟ so the railways should pay attention for further improvement of these dimensions. Conclusion To measure the e-service quality a 21 item instrument is devised after a thorough review of literature and exploratory investigations. First. Most of the statements adapted from E-servqual which is developed by Parasuraman et al..85. the findings highlight that managers should devise appropriate strategies to increase the speed of the website and its 24 hours availability. responsiveness and reliability. In e-service. The results bring out four factors namely. The perception of e-service quality was assessed on 21 items. To extract the factors affecting e-service quality factor analysis is performed.com -36- . Thus. The network become very busy during the peak hours.43 and 3. Issue 1 (January. the study indicated that among the various e-service quality dimensions „Efficiency‟ is most critical and important facet of e-service quality. Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. so managers should provide discount on earlier booking or special offers during dip hours online reservations. Surprisingly the mean scores of the factors revealed that privacy and security is strongest dimension followed by efficiency. Responsiveness. Looking at this individual dimension. Specially. Cronbach‟s Alpha confirms the reliability of all these extracted factors.skirec. superior performance on the most critical dimension. Furthermore. as they dilute the privacy of users. experience have not been considered. „Reliability‟ has emerged at the fourth place in terms of its importance. pop-ups. They also thank Ms.G. ease of use. „Privacy and Security‟ factor also appeared to play an important role in influencing the overall service quality as perceived by the users. In this dimension managers should focus on providing superior technical function of the website without any operating problems. so the further studies may explore the importance of e-service quality dimension for corporate customers. It would enhance the understanding for managers. B. So the practitioners should provide a single spot for advertisement. 11(2). Too many banners.com -37- . Managing Service Quality. The study can be further extended to investigate the cause and effect relationship between customer satisfaction and retention. website design. there is need to explore these results for other developing and developed economies. Present study excludes the voice of the corporate customers. banners etc. This may provide a better understanding of e-service quality dimensions across different economies. without which this research could not have been conducted. practitioners should avoid too many advertisements. It is also advisable that all the contents should be visible on a single screen as it irritates users to scroll the page again and again to see the things adequately. Rajni Hasija GGM (ITs) of IRCTC for her immense help and providing a text link of questionnaire with ticket confirmation mail to seek the feedback of the consumers.IJMMR Volume 2. But. 121131. 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 Additionally. (2001). Last but not the least e-service should be 24 hours available as if users cannot use the e-service when they need. empathy. they will immediately switch to some other eservice. the results indicate that privacy and security does not have significant influence on users‟ perception of e-service quality. Issue 1 (January. Third.skirec. J. Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. Acknowledgements The authors gratefully acknowledge cooperation of Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). Surprisingly. animation effects on the home page also distract the mind of the users. there must be an opening to interact with other users through internet and learn about earlier users experiences. and Dale. References Cox. Finally. Service quality and ecommerce: An exploratory analysis. The study has considered only four dimensions and other dimensions like attitude to e-service. Limitations And Suggestions For Future Research The data was collected from the users in India. they feel interrupted in between. trust of customers. Thus. Issue 1 (January. No. pp. Kaynama. Zeithaml. (2002).A.4. and Gilly. A. (2002). International Journal of Indian Culture and Business Management. “Theoretical Framework for Quality Evaluation of Tourism-Related Websites Services” Vol. (2001). V. and Keesling. Roth. A. Condratov. 1.IJMMR Volume 2. Quarterly Journal of Electronic Commerce. A. VIII. Sunayna (2009). 2011) ISSN 2229-6883 Dabholkar. No. P. No. Service quality delivery through web sites: A critical review of extant knowledge. 30(4). 69(2002). Yoo. pp. Zeithaml. pp. Valentin. 2(1). 13(1).C. Working paper. M. P. 30-46. 721739. and Gilland W. (2005). Mohammed Sadique. 2951. B. Technology Forecasting & Social Change.. (1996). Wolfinbarger. “Impact Of The Internet On Internal Service Quality Factors: The Travel Industry Case”. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. 362375. Black Christine I. 135-145.. and Malhotra.F. “Service Quality Evaluation in Internet Banking: An Empirical Study in India”. 52-58. and Malhotra. Shohreh. 2..skirec. “Managing Service Quality: An Empirical Study on Internet Banking”. Sri Krishna International Research & Educational Consortium http://www. Parasuraman. A. Vol. Developing a scale to measure perceived quality of an Internet shopping site (SITEQUAL). pp. pp. Achieving competitive capabilities in eservices. 1. and Donthu. Iulian (2007). Hapenciuc Cristian. N. (2002). No. Mahapatra.V. Cambridge MA. 3146.. A. 213233. measuring and predicting quality of the etailing experience.. Siba Sankar and Sreekumar (2009). 151.1. No ¾. A. Garland.. Parasuraman. The Journal of Applied Business Research. Oliveria. “E-SQUAL: A Multiple-Item Scale for Assessing Electronic Service Quality”. COMQ: Dimensionalizing. The ICFAI Journal of Marketing Management. Vol.A.3. Consumer evaluations of new technology based self-service options: An investigation of alternative modes of service quality. Journal of Service Research. 96-112. Marketing Science Institute.. Vol. International Journal of Research in Marketing. V. Vol. 19. 7. Khan. M.com -38- . Khurana.

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The number of shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock outstanding as of July 29, 2011 was 107,784,042. Save the World Air, Inc. (“STWA”, the Company) designs, licenses and develops products to reduce operational costs for oil pipelines, and improve fuel economy and reduce emissions from diesel-powered internal combustion engines. The Company is a green technology company that leverages a suite of patented, patent-pending and licensed intellectual properties related to the treatment of fuels. Technologies patented by or licensed to us utilize either magnetic or uniform electrical fields to alter physical characteristics of fuels and are designed to create cleaner combustion. Cleaner combustion has been shown to improve performance, enhance fuel economy and/or reduce harmful emissions in laboratory testing. The AOT™ and ELEKTRA™ are technologies which use electric fields to alter some physical properties of petrochemical fluids to reduce viscosity of the fluids. The Company differentiates AOT™ and ELEKTRA™ products based on their differing attributes and marketing focus. AOT™ products are primarily designed to reduce operation costs for oil pipelines, and ELEKTRA™ products are primarily designed to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions from diesel-powered internal combustion engines. Our AOT™ products are intended to reduce the viscosity of crude oil, thereby making it less restrictive to pipeline transport. Our AOT™ products will be marketed primarily to pipeline operators as well as to pilot and government mandated delivery programs. Our ELEKTRA™ products are intended to increase fuel efficiency and reduce emissions. ELEKTRA™ will be marketed primarily to specialty consumer accessories market for many types of diesel-fueled vehicles, including but not limited to trucks, trains, maritime, military and aviation. The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Save the World Air, Inc. have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and pursuant to the requirements for reporting on Form 10-Q and Regulation S-K for scaled disclosures for smaller reporting companies. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in United States of America for complete financial statements. However, such information reflects all adjustments (consisting solely of normal recurring adjustments), which are, in the opinion of management, necessary for the fair presentation of the consolidated financial position and the consolidated results of operations. Results shown for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results to be obtained for a full fiscal year. Since its inception, the Company has been primarily engaged in organizational and pre-operating activities. The Company has generated insignificant revenues and has incurred accumulated losses of $63,692,181 from February 18, 1998 (Inception) through June 30, 2011. As reflected in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements, the Company had a net loss of $5,259,261 and a negative cash flow from operations of $3,005,779 for the six months ended June 30, 2011, and had a working capital deficiency (excluding derivative liabilities) of $1,458,387 and a stockholders' deficiency of $3,456,765 at June 30, 2011. As a result, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, in their report on the Company’s 2010 consolidated financial statements, raised substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if the Company is unable to continue as a going concern. On March 28, 2011, the Company completed its final adjusted payment to Temple University for all outstanding obligations on the License Agreements and the R&D Agreement. The ability of the Company to continue as a going concern is dependent upon the Company’s ability to raise additional funds and implement its business plan. The Company’s operations from inception, February 18, 1998 to June 30, 2011 have been funded through issuances of its common stock and convertible notes. During this period, the Company raised an aggregate of $25,414,482 of which $14,598,408 was from the sale of convertible notes. As of June 30, 2011, the outstanding balance of convertible notes was $827,764, of which $791,950 represented the 2011 Winter and Spring Offerings which closed February 28, 2011 and May 31, 2011 respectively (see “Note 4. Convertible Debentures”). The Company expects substantially all of the outstanding notes will be converted into shares of common stock of the Company. On June 30, 2011, the Company had cash on hand in the amount of $448,362. In addition to the funds on hand, the Company will require additional funds to continue to operate our business. This includes expenses we will incur in connection with license agreements; product development and commercialization of the AOT and ELEKTRA technologies; costs to manufacture and ship our products; costs to design and implement an effective system of internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures; costs of maintaining our status as a public company by filing periodic reports with the SEC and costs required to protect our intellectual property. In addition, the Company has contractual commitments for salaries to one of the executive officers pursuant to an employment agreement, severance payments to a former officer and consulting fees, during 2011 and beyond. In light of the Company’s financial commitments over the next several months and its liquidity constraints, we have implemented cost reduction measures in all areas of operations. The Company intends to review these measures on an ongoing basis and make additional decisions as may be required. Basic loss per share is computed by dividing net loss available to common stockholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted loss per share reflects the potential dilution, using the treasury stock method that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock or resulted in the issuance of common stock that then shared in the loss of the Company. In computing diluted loss per share, the treasury stock method assumes that outstanding options and warrants are exercised and the proceeds are used to purchase common stock at the average market price during the period. Options and warrants may have a dilutive effect under the treasury stock method only when the average market price of the common stock during the period exceeds the exercise price of the options and warrants. For the six month period ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, the dilutive impact of outstanding stock options of 22,177,892 and 4,976,376 respectively, and outstanding warrants of 37,701,079 and 19,932,339 have been excluded because their impact on the loss per share is anti-dilutive. The following table presents certain investments and liabilities of the Company’s financial assets measured and recorded at fair value on the Company’s condensed consolidated balance sheets on a recurring basis and their level within the fair value hierarchy as of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010. As at June 30, 2011, and December 31, 2010, the Company had loan payable to an officer of the Company in the amount of $63,464 and $86,947, respectively. These loans are unsecured, are due on demand and bear interest at 6% per annum. On July 6, 2011, the Company made a partial payment of $40,000, bringing down the balance of these loans to $23,464. As of June 30, 2011 and December 31, 2010, the Company had accounts payable to related parties in the amount of $76,183 and $241,176, respectively. These amounts are unpaid Directors Fees and expenses incurred by officers and directors. The aggregate value of the Winter 2008 Offering Warrants issued in connection with the December 5, 2008 closing were valued at $168,925 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of 3.42%; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 153.56%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. The Company also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature of $308,075. The value of the Winter 2008 Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature, and the initial discount and transaction fees of $47,700 were considered as debt discount and were amortized over the life of the Note. As June 30, 2011, investors have converted $519,200 of the Convertible Notes into 3,054,117 shares of the Company’s common stock. As of June 30, 2011, one note for $5,500 was in default and outstanding ($6,997 in total including $1,497 in penalties and interest). The Company received $165,000 in net proceeds in the Spring 2009 Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the Spring 2009 Offering Warrants issued in connection with the April 30, 2009 closing were valued at $39,994 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of 0.94%; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 156.39%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. The Company also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature of $96,827. The value of the Spring 2009 Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature, and the initial discount and transaction fees of $16,500 were considered as debt discount and were amortized over the life of the Note. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $176,000 of the Convertible Notes plus penalty and interest of $7,538 into 679,768 shares of the Company’s common stock. As of June 30, 2011, one note in the amount of $5,500 was in default and outstanding ($6,755 in total which includes $1,255 of penalty and interest). The Company determined that the fair value of the warrant liability at issuance on November 20, 2009 to be $75,000 based upon a probability weighted average Black-Sholes-Merton calculation. The Company recorded the full value of the derivative as a liability at issuance with an offset to valuation discount. The fair value of the warrant liability as of June 30, 2011 was $24,735 (see Note 8). As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $75,000 of the Convertible Notes plus $4,664 of accrued interest into 318,656 shares of the Company’s common stock. There was no outstanding balance as of June 30, 2011. The Company determined that the fair value of the warrant liability at issuances to be $3,027,815 based upon a probibility weighted average Black-Scholes-Merton calculation (See Note 8), of which, $654,978 was recorded on December 31, 2009 and $2,372,837 was recorded on January 15, 2010. The Company recorded the full value of the derivative of $2,372,837 as a liability at issuance with an offset to valuation discount. As the fair value of the liability of $2,372,837 exceeded the note value of $1,243,625, the excess of the liability over the note amount of $1,129,212 was considered to be cost of the private placement and was charged to expense upon issuance. The fair value of the warrant liability as of June 30, 2011 was $1,613,819 (see Note 8). As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $1,578,125 of the Convertible Notes plus interest of $11,502 into 6,358,507 shares of the Company’s common stock. The outstanding balance at June 30, 2011 was $11,062 which includes $1,062 in accrued interest. The Company received $849,861 in net proceeds in the Fall 2010 #2 Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the Fall 2010 #2 Offering Warrants issued were valued at $436,986 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of .27; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 121%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. The Company also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature of $417,875. As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate value of the Fall 2010 #2 Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature and the implied discount and transaction fees of $85,486 are considered as debt discount and will be amortized over the life of the notes. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $929,347 of the Convertible Notes into 3,717,386 shares of the Company’s common stock. The outstanding balance at June 30, 2011 was $11,000. The Company received $2,353,111 in net proceeds in the 2011 Winter Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the 2011 Offering Warrants issued were valued at $1,368,888 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of .25; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 130%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. The Company also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature valued at $984,223. As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate value of the 2011 Winter Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature and the implied discount and transaction fees of $235,311 are considered as debt discount and will be amortized over the life of the notes. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $2,296,372 of the Convertible Notes into 9,185,486 shares of the Company’s common stock. The outstanding balance at June 30, 2011 was $292,050. From March 14, 2010 through May 31, 2011, the Company conducted a private offering (the “Spring 2011 Offering”) of up to $1,000,000 aggregate face amount of its convertible notes (the “Spring 2011 Notes”). A total of $1,469,550 aggregate face amount of the Spring 2011 Notes were sold for an aggregate purchase price of $1,335,955. While there was no stated interest rate on the Spring 2011 Notes, the implied effective interest rate on the Spring 2011 Notes is 10% per annum. The Spring 2011 Notes mature on the first anniversary of their date of issuance. The Spring 2011 Notes are convertible, at the option of the note holder, into 5,878,200 shares of common stock of the Company (the “Conversion Shares”) at an initial conversion price of $0.25 per share (the “Conversion Price”). Each of the investors in the Spring 2011 Offering received, for no additional consideration, a warrant (the “Spring 2011 Warrants”), entitling the holder to purchase a number of shares of the Company’s common stock equal to 100% of the number of shares of common stock into which the Spring 2011 Notes are convertible (the “Warrant Shares”). Each Spring 2011 Warrant is exercisable on a cash basis only at an initial price of $0.30 per share, and is exercisable immediately upon issuance and for a period of two (2) years from the date of issuance. Up to 5,878,200 Warrant Shares are initially issuable to date on exercise of the Spring 2011 Warrants. The Company received $1,335,955 in net proceeds in the 2011 Spring Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the 2011 Spring Offering Warrants issued were valued at $726,787 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of .45; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 119%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. The Company also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature valued at $609,168. As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate value of the 2011 Spring Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature and the implied discount and transaction fees of $133,595 are considered as debt discount and will be amortized over the life of the notes. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $969,650 of the Convertible Notes into 3,878,600 shares of the Company’s common stock. The outstanding balance at June 30, 2011 was $499,900. During the six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company issued 14,785,666 shares of common stock in exchange for conversion of $3,696,417 of Convertible Notes. During the six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company issued 81,020 shares of common stock upon cashless exercise of 224,000 warrants. During the six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company issued 77,778 shares of common stock upon exercise of options at $0.27 per share and valued at $21,000. During the six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company granted, but did not issue 200,000 shares of common stock for consulting services. These shares were valued at $120,000 based on the trading price at the date of the agreement and were subsequently issued on July 25, 2011. The Company currently issues stock options to employees, directors and consultants under the 2004 Stock Option Plan (the Plan). The Company could issue options under the Plan to acquire up to 5,000,000 shares of common stock. In February 2006, the board approved an amendment to the Plan (approved by the Shareholders in May 2006), increasing the authorized shares by 2,000,000 shares to 7,000,000 shares. At June 30, 2011, 2,672,108 were available to be granted under the Plan. Prior to 2004, the Company granted 3,250,000 options outside the Plan to officers of the Company of which 250,000 are still outstanding. On January 29, 2011, the Company issued 17,600,000 options to Cecil Bond Kyte, its chairman and chief executive officer. The options have an exercise price of $.25 per share, vest over a five year period, and expire ten years from date of grant. Twenty percent of the options shall vest on each of the first five anniversary dates. In the event of a change of control of the Company, all unvested options shall vest on the date of the change of control. During the six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company amortized $565,248 of compensation cost based on the vesting of the options. Future unamortized compensation expense on the outstanding options at June 30, 2011 is $6,277,041. The weighted average fair value for options granted in 2010 was $0.53. The weighted average fair value for options granted during the six months ended June 30, 2011 was $0.38. The Company has research and development facilities in Morgan Hill, California. The Company has tested products incorporating our ZEFS, MK IV, ELEKTRA and AOT technologies for multiple makes and models diesel engines, motorbikes, boats, generators, lawnmowers, other small engines and pipelines. The Company has purchased test vehicles, test engines and testing equipment. The Company incurred $81,213 and $29,802 and $552,568 and $204,095 for the three and six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, on its research and development activities. In mid-July, 2010, the Company entered into a Letter of Intent with the U.S. Department of Energy-Naval Petroleum Reserve/Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (RMOTC) in Wyoming. On December 22, 2010, a formal Agreement was entered into with RMOTC for testing of our Applied Oil Technology (AOT). Third-party vendors and suppliers were used by the Company to provide the facility construction materials and the prototype’s design and fabrication. To conduct the testing, the Company was responsible for designing and building the testing facility, located on the Naval Petroleum Reserve #3. Design and engineering began on January 6, 2011 and construction was completed on June 30, 2011. Costs incurred for the testing during the six months ended June 30, 2011 was $542,540. As of June 30, 2011, the Company re-measured the derivative liabilities and determined the fair value to be $2,101,091. For the six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company recorded a gain on the change in fair value of derivatives of $1,563,584. The Company concluded its litigation in previous matters involving the Company’s prior Chairman and Chief Executive, Jeffrey Muller and all related matters and are of the current opinion that the Company no longer faces litigation liability in connection with those cases. The Company is continuing to ensure it’s obligations are fully in compliance with a previous injunction order entered by a Federal District Court over six years ago to timely file all of the Company’s financial and related reports. The Company will shortly be petitioning the Federal District Court to dissolve the compliance injunction on the basis that for more than a six-year period, under the Company’s new administrative and executive leadership, it has been in full compliance with the Company’s SEC financial and reporting obligations. The Company can provide no assurance that such action to dissolve the injunction would be successful. As previously reported, on April 7, 2010, Bruce McKinnon, the former CEO of the Company, and the Company entered into an Agreement Re: Collection on Judgment (“Judgment”) (the “Settlement Agreement”), wherein McKinnon, among other things, agreed to cease further collection efforts on the Judgment, and the Company, among other things, agreed to satisfy the Judgment for, and McKinnon agreed to accept as full and final satisfaction of the Judgment, subject to certain payment waivers described below, a total amount of $360,000, plus interest of ten percent (10%) per annum from March 15, 2010, on the unpaid balance until paid, payable as follows: $30,000 on April 7, 2010; $85,000 on or before April 15, 2010; and, $15,000 per month commencing on June 1, 2010, until paid. As of June 30, 2011, all payments have been made on time and the balance due is $74,541. The Settlement Agreement also provides that if the Company makes all payments thereunder on a timely basis, McKinnon will waive final payments due him in the amount of $35,000. On July 15, 2011, the Company made the full and final payment to Bruce McKinnon. From July 1, 2011 through July 29, 2011, the Company issued 1,186,384 additional shares of common stock in exchange for the conversion of $296,596 Convertible Notes. The outstanding balance of Convertible Notes at July 29, 2011 is $531,168. Since June 24, 2011, the Company has been conducting a private offering (the “Summer 2011 Offering”) of up to $500,000 aggregate face amount of its convertible notes (the “Summer 2011 Notes”). The Summer 2011 Offering closed on July 31, 2011. As of July 31, 2011, a total of $487,783 aggregate face amount of the Summer 2011 Notes have been sold for an aggregate purchase price of $443,438. While there is no stated interest rate on the Summer 2011 Notes, the implied effective interest rate on the Summer 2011 Notes is 10% per annum. The Summer 2011 Notes mature on the first anniversary of their date of issuance. The Summer 2011 Notes are convertible, at the option of the note holder, into 1,951,132 shares of common stock of the Company (the “Conversion Shares”) at an initial conversion price of $0.25 per share (the “Conversion Price”). Each of the investors in the Summer 2011 Offering will receive, for no additional consideration, a warrant (the “Summer 2011 Warrants”), entitling the holder to purchase a number of shares of the Company’s common stock equal to 100% of the number of shares of common stock into which the Summer 2011 Notes are convertible (the “Warrant Shares”). Each Summer 2011 Warrant is exercisable on a cash basis only at an initial price of $0.30 per share, and is exercisable immediately upon issuance and for a period of two (2) years from the date of issuance. Up to 1,951,132 Warrant Shares are initially issuable to date on exercise of the Summer 2011 Warrants. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including those set forth under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010. All forward-looking statements included in this document are based on information available to us on the date hereof. We assume no obligation to update any forward-looking statements. We obtained three licenses (the “Licenses”) from Temple University for their patent-pending uniform electric field technology, which provide the intellectual property foundations upon which the AOT and ELEKTRA products are based. The AOT technology consists of passing crude oil through an array of dynamically-controlled electrical fields to reduce the viscosity of the oil, making it easier to pump through oil pipelines. The ELEKTRA technology consists of passing fuel through a dynamically-controlled electrical field to assist in the atomization of fuel via fuel injectors. ELEKTRA introduces a uniform electrical field into the fuel flow to reduce the viscosity of diesel fuel, enabling smaller droplets to be released into the combustion chamber of a diesel engine. At December 31, 2010, the Company owed to Temple University a total of $721,785 for the License Agreement, Maintenance Fees, R&D Agreement and penalties and we were in default in those payments. On March 28, 2011, we completed our final adjusted payment to Temple University for all outstanding obligations on the License Agreements and the R&D Agreement. We did not generate any revenue for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2011 and 2010. Operating expenses were $1,428,251 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2011, compared to $1,058,433 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2010, an increase of $369,818. This increase is attributable to increases in non-cash expenses of $49,141 and cash expenses of $320,677. Specifically, the increase in non-cash expense is attributable to an increase in valuation of options given to employees as compensation of $264,752, offset by decreases in stocks and warrants given to consultants of $215,527 and depreciation of $84. Specifically, the increase in cash expense is attributable to increases in consulting and professional fees of $188,777, office and other expenses of $75,009, corporate expenses of $53,288, salaries and benefits of $6,361, offset by a decrease in travel and related expenses of $2,758. Operating expenses were $2,511,235 for the six-month period ended June 30, 2011, compared to $2,621,969 for the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, a decrease of $110,734. This decrease is attributable to a decrease in non-cash expenses of $296,897 offset by an increase in cash expenses of $186,163. Specifically, the decrease in non-cash expense is attributable to decreases in stocks and warrants given to consultants of $685,527, stocks given to employees of $91,700 and depreciation of $635, offset by an increase in valuation of options given to employees as compensation of $480,965. Specifically, the increase in cash expense is attributable to increases in consulting and professional fees of $93,540, corporate expenses of $53,935, office and other expenses of $32,938 and salaries and benefits of $11,271, offset by a decrease in travel and related expenses of $5,521. Research and development expenses were $81,213 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2011, compared to $29,802 for the three-month period ended June 30, 2010, an increase of $51,411. This increase is attributable to an increase in product testing, research and supplies of $77,671, offset by a decrease in contract fees of $26,260. Research and development expenses were $552,568 for the six-month period ended June 30, 2011, compared to $204,095 for the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, an increase of $348,473. This increase is attributable to an increase in product testing, research and supplies of $548,736, offset by a decrease in contract fees of $200,263. Other income and expense were $2,886,206 expense for the three-month period ended June 30, 2011, compared to $975,410 income for the three-month period ended June 30, 2010, an increase in expense of $3,861,616. This increase is attributable to increases in interest and financing expense of $1,839,138, change in fair value of derivative liabilities of $2,163,905 and other non-operating expense of $26,913, offset by a decrease in costs to induce conversion of notes of $168,340. Other income and expense were $2,194,658 expense for the six-month period ended June 30, 2011, compared to $2,795,248 expense for the six-month period ended June 30, 2010, a decrease in expense of $600,590. This decrease is attributable to decreases in cost of private placement of $1,129,212, change in fair value of derivative liabilities of $292,455, costs to induce conversion of notes of $168,340, offset by increases in interest and financing expense of $1,022,671 and an increase in other income of $33,254. We had a net loss of $4,396,470, or $0.04 per share, for the three-month period ended June 30, 2011, compared to a net loss of $112,825, or $0.00 per share, for the three-month period ended June 30, 2010. We had a net loss of $5,259,261, or $0.06 per share, for the six-month period ended June 30, 2011, compared to a net loss of $5,622,112, or $0.07 per share, for the six-month period ended June 30, 2010. We expect to incur additional net loss in the fiscal year ending December 31, 2011 primarily attributable to continued operating and marketing-related expenditures without the benefit of any significant revenue for the remainder of the year. Since its inception, we have been primarily engaged in organizational and pre-operating activities. We have generated insignificant revenues and have incurred accumulated losses of $63,692,181 from February 18, 1998 (Inception) through June 30, 2011. As reflected in the accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements, we had a net loss of $5,259,261 and a negative cash flow from operations of $3,005,779 for the six months ended June 30, 2011, and had a working capital deficiency (excluding derivative liabilities) of $1,458,387 and a stockholders' deficiency of $3,456,765 at June 30, 2011. As a result, our independent registered public accounting firm, in their report on our 2010 consolidated financial statements, raised substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern. The financial statements do not include any adjustments that might be necessary if we are unable to continue as a going concern. On March 28, 2011, we completed our final adjusted payment to Temple University for all outstanding obligations on the License Agreements and the R&D Agreement. Our ability to continue as a going concern is dependent upon our ability to raise additional funds and implement our business plan. Our operations from inception, February 18, 1998 to June 30, 2011 have been funded through issuances of our common stock and convertible notes. During this period, we raised an aggregate of $25,414,482 of which $14,598,408 was from the sale of convertible notes. As of June 30, 2011, the outstanding balance of convertible notes was $827,764, of which $499,900 represented the 2011 Spring Offering which closed May 31, 2011. (see “Note 4. Convertible debentures”). We expect substantially all of the outstanding notes will be converted into shares of common stock of the Company (see “Item 5 Other Information”). On June 30, 2011, we had cash on hand in the amount of $448,362. In addition to the funds on hand, we will require additional funds to continue to operate our business. This includes expenses we will incur in connection with license agreements; product development and commercialization of the AOT and ELEKTRA technologies; costs to manufacture and ship our products; costs to design and implement an effective system of internal controls and disclosure controls and procedures; costs of maintaining our status as a public company by filing periodic reports with the SEC and costs required to protect our intellectual property. In addition ,we have contractual commitments for salaries to one of our executive officers pursuant to an employment agreement, severance payments to a former officer and consulting fees, during 2011 and beyond. In light of our financial commitments over the next several months and its liquidity constraints, we have implemented cost reduction measures in all areas of operations. We intend to review these measures on an ongoing basis and make additional decisions as may be required. Since June 24, 2011, we have been conducting a private offering (the “Summer 2011 Offering”) of up to $500,000 aggregate face amount of its convertible notes (the “Summer 2011 Notes”). The Summer 2011 Offering closed on July 31, 2011. As of July 31, 2011, a total of $487,783 aggregate face amount of the Summer 2011 Notes have been sold for an aggregate purchase price of $443,438. While there is no stated interest rate on the Summer 2011 Notes, the implied effective interest rate on the Summer 2011 Notes is 10% per annum. The Summer 2011 Notes mature on the first anniversary of their date of issuance. The Summer 2011 Notes are convertible, at the option of the note holder, into 1,951,132 shares of our common stock (the “Conversion Shares”) at an initial conversion price of $0.25 per share (the “Conversion Price”). We determined that the fair value of the warrant liability at issuances to be $3,027,815 based upon a probability weighted average Black-Scholes-Merton calculation (See Note 8), of which, $654,978 was recorded on December 31, 2009 and $2,372,837 was recorded on January 15, 2010. We recorded the full value of the derivative of $2,372,837 as a liability at issuance with an offset to valuation discount. As the fair value of the liability of $2,372,837 exceeded the note value of $1,243,625, the excess of the liability over the note amount of $1,129,212 was considered to be cost of the private placement and was recorded upon issuance. The fair value of the warrant liability as of June 30, 2011 was $1,613,819 (see Note 8). As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $1,578,125 of the Convertible Notes plus interest of $11,502 into 6,358,507 shares of our common stock. The outstanding balance at June 30, 2011 is $11,062 which includes $1,062 in accrued interest. We received $805,330 in net proceeds in the Winter 2010 Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the Winter 2010 Offering Warrants issued were valued at $476,268 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of 1.02; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 135%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. We also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature of $329,062. As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate value of the Winter 2010 Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature and the implied discount and transaction fees of $80,533 are considered as debt discount and were fully amortized in conjunction with the conversion of the notes. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $885,863 of the Convertible Notes into 2,214,657 shares of our common stock. There was no outstanding balance at June 30, 2011. We received $130,000 in net proceeds in the Spring 2010 Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the Spring 2010 Offering Warrants issued were valued at $62,730 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of .41; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 110%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. We also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature of $67,270. As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate value of the Spring 2010 Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature and the implied discount and transaction fees of $13,000 are considered as debt discount and were fully amortized in conjunction with the conversion of the notes. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $143,000 of the Convertible Notes into 357,500 shares of our common stock. There was no outstanding balance at June 30, 2011. We received $356,500 in net proceeds in the Summer 2010 Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the Summer 2010 Offering Warrants issued were valued at $209,512 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of .55; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 132%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. We also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature of $146,988. As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate value of the Summer 2010 Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature and the implied discount and transaction fees of $35,650 are considered as debt discount and were fully amortized in conjunction with the conversion of the notes. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $392,150 of the Convertible Notes into 1,568,600 shares of our common stock. There was no outstanding balance at June 30, 2011. We received $158,620 in net proceeds in the Fall 2010 Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the Fall 2010 Offering Warrants issued were valued at $88,113 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of .42; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 135%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. We also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature of $70,507. As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate value of the Summer 2010 Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature and the implied discount and transaction fees of $15,862 are considered as debt discount and were fully amortized in conjunction with the conversion of the notes. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $174,482 of the Convertible Notes into 697,928 shares of ou common stock. There was no outstanding balance at June 30, 2011. From October 4, 2010 to November 30, 2010, we conducted and concluded a private offering (the “Fall 2010 Offering #2”) consisting of up to $3,000,000 aggregate face amount of its convertible notes (the “ Fall 2010 Notes). A total of $940,347 Fall 2010 #2 Notes were sold to ten accredited investors for an aggregate purchase price of $849,861. While the stated interest rate on the Fall 2010 #2 Notes is 0%, the actual interest rate on the Fall 2010 #2 Notes is 10% per annum. The Fall 2010 #2 Notes mature on the first anniversary of the closing of this offering and will be convertible, at the option of the noteholder into 3,761,386 shares of our common stock at a conversion price of $0.25 per share (the “Conversion Price”). We received $849,861 in net proceeds in the Fall 2010 #2 Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the Fall 2010 #2 Offering Warrants issued were valued at $436,986 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of .27; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 121%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. We also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature of $417,875. As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate value of the Fall 2010 #2 Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature and the implied discount and transaction fees of $85,486 are considered as debt discount and will be amortized over the life of the notes. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $929,347 of the Convertible Notes into 3,717,386 shares of our common stock. The outstanding balance at June 30, 2011 was $11,000. From December 13, 2010 through February 28, 2011, we conducted a private offering (the “Winter 2011 Offering”) of up to $3,000,000 aggregate face amount of its convertible notes (the “Winter 2011 Notes”). A total of $2,588,422 aggregate face amount of the Winter 2011 Notes were sold for an aggregate purchase price of $2,353,111. While the stated interest rate on the Winter 2011 Notes is 0%, the actual interest rate on the Spring 2011 Notes is 10% per annum. The Winter 2011 Notes mature on the first anniversary of their date of issuance. The Winter 2011 Notes are convertible, at the option of the note holder, into 10,353,688 shares of our common stock (the “Conversion Shares”) at an initial conversion price of $0.25 per share (the “Conversion Price”). Each of the investors in the Winter 2011 Offering received, for no additional consideration, a warrant (the “Winter 2011 Warrants”), entitling the holder to purchase a number of shares of our common stock equal to 100% of the number of shares of common stock into which the Spring 2011 Notes are convertible (the “Warrant Shares”). Each Winter 2011 Warrant is exercisable on a cash basis only at an initial price of $0.30 per share, and is exercisable immediately upon issuance and for a period of two (2) years from the date of issuance. Up to 10,353,688 Warrant Shares are initially issuable to date on exercise of the Winter 2011 Warrants. We received $2,353,111 in net proceeds in the 2011 Winter Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the 2011 Winter Offering Warrants issued were valued at $1,368,888 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of .25; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 130%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. We also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature of $984,223. As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate value of the 2011 Winter Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature and the implied discount and transaction fees of $235,311 are considered as debt discount and will be amortized over the life of the notes. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $2,296,372 of the Convertible Notes into 9,185,486 shares of our common stock. The outstanding balance at June 30, 2011 was $292,050. From March 14, 2011 through May 31, 2011, we conducted a private offering (the “Spring 2011 Offering”) of up to $1,000,000 aggregate face amount of its convertible notes (the “Spring 2011 Notes”). A total of $1,469,550 aggregate face amount of the Spring 2011 Notes were sold for an aggregate purchase price of $1,335,955. While the stated interest rate on the Spring 2011 Notes is 0%, the actual interest rate on the Spring 2011 Notes is 10% per annum. The Spring 2011 Notes mature on the first anniversary of their date of issuance. The Spring 2011 Notes are convertible, at the option of the note holder, into 5,878,200 shares of our common stock (the “Conversion Shares”) at an initial conversion price of $0.25 per share (the “Conversion Price”). Each of the investors in the Spring 2011 Offering received, for no additional consideration, a warrant (the “Spring 2011 Warrants”), entitling the holder to purchase a number of shares of our common stock equal to 100% of the number of shares of common stock into which the Spring 2011 Notes are convertible (the “Warrant Shares”). Each Spring 2011 Warrant is exercisable on a cash basis only at an initial price of $0.30 per share, and is exercisable immediately upon issuance and for a period of two (2) years from the date of issuance. Up to 5,878,200 Warrant Shares are initially issuable to date on exercise of the Spring 2011 Warrants. We received $1,335,955 in net proceeds in the 2011 Spring Offering which was used for general corporate purposes and working capital. The aggregate value of the 2011 Offering Warrants issued were valued at $726,787 using the Black-Scholes-Merton option valuation model with the following assumptions; risk-free interest rate of .45; dividend yield of 0%; volatility factors of the expected market price of common stock of 119%; and an expected life of two years (statutory term) and vest immediately upon issuance. We also determined that the notes contained a beneficial conversion feature of $609,168. As of June 30, 2011, the aggregate value of the 2011 Spring Offering Warrants, the beneficial conversion feature and the implied discount and transaction fees of $133,595 are considered as debt discount and will be amortized over the life of the notes. As of June 30, 2011, investors have converted $969,650 of the Convertible Notes into 3,878,600 shares of our common stock. The outstanding balance at June 30, 2011 was $499,900. Our management evaluated, with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer, the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Based on this evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Interim Chief Financial Officer have concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) were ineffective as of June 30, 2011 due to the material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting described below. In light of the material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting described below, we performed additional analysis and other post-closing procedures to ensure that our financial statements were prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Despite material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting, we believe that the financial statements included in our Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 2011 fairly present, in all material respects, our financial condition, results of operations, changes in shareholder’s equity and cash flows for the periods presented. Our Chief Executive Officer, Interim Chief Financial Officer and Controller conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2011 based on the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). A material weakness is a deficiency or a combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. As a result of the material weaknesses described above, management concluded that, as of June 30, 2011, we did not maintain effective internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework, issued by COSO. As previously reported, on April 7, 2010, Bruce McKinnon, the former CEO of the Company, and the Company entered into an Agreement Re: Collection on Judgment (“Judgment”) (the “Settlement Agreement”), wherein McKinnon, among other things, agreed to cease further collection efforts on the Judgment, and the Company, among other things, agreed to satisfy the Judgment for, and McKinnon agreed to accept as full and final satisfaction of the Judgment, subject to certain payment waivers described below, a total amount of $360,000, plus interest of ten percent (10%) per annum from March 15, 2010, on the unpaid balance until paid, payable as follows: $30,000 on April 7, 2010; $85,000 on or before April 15, 2010; and, $15,000 per month commencing on June 1, 2010, until paid. As of June 30, 2011, all payments have been made on time and the balance due is $74,541. The Settlement Agreement also provides that if the Company makes all payments thereunder, on a timely basis, McKinnon will waive final payments due him in the amount of $35,000. On July 15, 2011, the Company made the full and final payment to Bruce McKinnon. 2010 Spring Offering. From February 15, 2010 through June 30, 2010, we conducted a private offering (the “2010 Spring Offering”) and issued Convertible Notes in the aggregate face amount of $885,863. These Notes were sold for an aggregate purchase price of $805,330 net proceeds. The Notes are convertible into 2,214,657 shares of our common stock and in addition, investors received warrants entitling the holders to purchase up to 2,214,657 shares of our common stock. (See “Details of Recent Financing Transactions”). 2011 Spring Offering. From March 14, 2011 through May 31, 2011, we conducted a private offering (the “2011 Spring Offering”) and issued Convertible Notes in the aggregate face amount of $1,469,550. These Notes were sold for an aggregate purchase price of $1,335,955 net proceeds. The Notes are convertible into 5,878,200 shares of our common stock and in addition, investors received warrants entitling the holders to purchase up to 5,878,200 shares of our common stock. (See “Details of Recent Financing Transactions”). During the six months ended June 30, 2011, we issued 14,785,666 shares of common stock in exchange for conversion of $3,696,417 of Convertible Notes. During the six months ended June 30, 2011we issued 81,020 shares of common stock upon cashless exercise of warrants. During the six months ended June 30, 2011, we issued 77,778 shares of common stock upon exercise of options at $0.27 per share and valued at $21,000. During the six months ended June 30, 2011, we granted, but did not issue 200,000 shares of common stock for consulting services. These shares were valued at $120,000 based on the trading price at the date of the agreement and were subsequently issued on July 25, 2011. On January 29, 2011, the Company issued 17,600,000 options to Cecil Bond Kyte, its chairman and chief executive officer. The options have an exercise price of $.25 per share, vest over a five year period, and expire ten years from date of grant. Twenty percent of the options shall vest on each of the first five anniversary dates. In the event of a change of control of the Company, all unvested options shall vest on the date of the change of control. During the six months ended June 30, 2011, the Company amortized $557,190 of compensation cost based on the vesting of the options. Future unamortized compensation expense on the outstanding options at June 30, 2011 is $6,129,106. As of June 30, 2011, the market price of the Company’s stock was $0.40 per share and the aggregate intrinsic value of the options outstanding and exercisable was $308,467. From July 1, 2011 through July 29, 2011, we issued 1,186,384 additional shares of our common stock in exchange for the conversion of $296,596 Convertible Notes. The outstanding balance of Convertible Notes at July 29, 2011 is $531,168. Each of the investors in the Summer 2011 Offering will receive, for no additional consideration, a warrant (the “Summer 2011 Warrants”), entitling the holder to purchase a number of shares of our common stock equal to 100% of the number of shares of common stock into which the Summer 2011 Notes are convertible (the “Warrant Shares”). Each Summer 2011 Warrant is exercisable on a cash basis only at an initial price of $0.30 per share, and is exercisable immediately upon issuance and for a period of two (2) years from the date of issuance. Up to 1,951,132 Warrant Shares are initially issuable to date on exercise of the Summer 2011 Warrants.

2019-04-20T20:55:27Z

https://ir.qsenergy.com/all-sec-filings/content/0001019687-11-002556/stwa_10q-063011.htm

These terms and conditions contain the agreement between you ("the Customer") and VeeTel Pty Ltd A.B.N. 39 118 924 146 for the telecommunications services provided. You warrant that you are over 18 years of age and legally entitled to enter into an agreement with VeeTel. Our agreement with you includes these terms and conditions. We will provide you with our current pricing at your request or it can be found on our web site www.veetel.com.au. VeeTel reserves the right to change the terms and conditions without notice. VeeTel Pty Ltd will send you a tax invoice on a per calendar month basis setting out the fees due for the service we have provide you. All call charges will be rounded up to the next cent. Timed calls are charged in six second increment with a minimum of one minute charge. International calls are metered from the time dialling has concluded as such unanswered International calls may incur a charge. A flag fall of 38.5 cents applies to all timed calls. Local and 13/1300 calls are not itemised, they are listed as the number of units made during the calender month. Itemisation of Local and 13/1300 incurs and administration fee of $5.00 per month. All prices are inclusive of GST and are subject to change without notice. The initial month of billing will be pro-rated from the date you connect till the end of the calender month plus one month in advance for all Line Rental, Internet and service charges. Any payments made through Australia Post will incur an additional charge of $3.30 per transaction. Monthly invoices sent out by form of paper bills incur a charge of $1.98. (Online Billing Option is Available at no extra charge) We will charge you an administration fee for additonal bill reprints $5.50 per billed invoice. You agree to pay all invoices by the Due Date; if a payment is not received by the due date a late fee of $5.50 will apply. You will be liable for all reasonable collection costs (including our total legal fees) we incur to collect the amount outstanding, or to recover Hardware or any other equipment; and the Carrier may be entitled to claim payment from you of any amount under our commitment unpaid by the Due Date on the same terms and conditions we can claim payment from you. To obtain new connection discounts, bills must be paid in full by the due date otherwise full charges apply. If there is a dispute, you must pay the undisputed amount of each invoice by the Due Date. Where in our opinion you have a reasonable claim or dispute with an invoice, we will suspend our collection or recovery processes on the disputed amount until a resolution on your claim or dispute has been settled. We aim to resolve invoice disputes within 21 working days. You will not have to pay any amount which you have genuinely disputed in accordance with this clause unless, and until, the disputed amount is resolved in our favor. You must otherwise pay all Charges specified on your bill by the due date. If any of the bills are not paid in full within 60 days from the due date and still remain outstanding, Veetel may refer you to our collections agency Dun & Bradstreet who will take legal action to fully recover the debt. We may use or disclose any personal information recorded to help us proceed in the debt recovery inclusive of your name, address, date of birth, identification, employment and credit history. This may affect your future credit rating and where these recovery actions have been initiated and confirmed unsuccessful, we may elect to default and register your details with Dun & Bradstreet or any other credit reporting agencies. The service is provided to you on the basis that it is used only for approved purposes. In particular you must not use the service in any manner involving illegal, malicious, deceptive or misleading activity. not use the service for commercial purposes or in any way distribute or resell the service without our written permission. give us all information and cooperation that we may need in relation to the service; and advise us of changes in your personal information such as account details, debit or credit card details and expiry dates and billing and service addresses. To obtain your Calls and Data usage please contact VeeTel Customer Service on 1300 833 835 during business hours or email [email protected]. We reserve the right to cancel your services and charge you a late payment fee of $22.00 (Inc Gst) & $59 (Inc Gst) reconnection fee, if accounts are not paid by the due date. Financial hardship means circumstances where you are unable to pay your invoices because of illness, unemployment or other reasonable causes with the expectation that VeeTel will assist you with a payment plan or Service arrangement where you can manage your invoices. Click here to view our policy. If you are having a problem paying your bill, or you wish to discuss your options, call our friendly Credit Control Representatives on 1300 833 835 or email [email protected] We can work with you to arrange a payment plan, bar or restrict your service until you have cleared your payments or change your plan to make the service with VeeTel more affordable. For further information regarding Financial Support Services visit the ACMA's Website. An initial credit limit of $250 applies to all accounts and VeeTel Pty Ltd reserves the right to disconnect the services without notice once this limit has been exceeded. If you require a higher credit limit please call us on 1300 833 835. Please note: International call charges may be delayed due to delivery of calls from our wholesale carriers. Your service can be terminated by either yourself or by VeeTel Pty Ltd at any time and without notice. You can terminate your service by contacting our customer service team by telephone or in writing. We may suspend the service immediately and without notice at any time if there is a failure of the equipment used to deliver the Service or the equipment used to deliver the Service requires maintenance or modification or you do not comply with the terms and conditions of the agreement. If we suspend your service, you will still remain liable for all Fees during the suspension. We can temporarily suspend you from the Service if: (a) We identify excessive use or unusual call patterns; (b) you have not done what you are obliged to do; (c) an authority, such as the ACMA, requests us to do so; or (d) there are technical problems with our network or the network of the Carrier; (d) your Service has an unusually high volume or spend when compared to previous activity for that Service; (e) You exceeded the current credit limit on your account in any given month. If you have any concerns about the Services we are providing to you, you should contact us immediately on 1300 833 835. We will endeavor to resolve any problem or complaint you have as quickly as possible. If you are not satisfied with the initial outcome of your complaint, the matter will be reviewed in accordance with our complaints handling policy. Click here to view our policy. Once an account has been cancelled or closed, VeeTel Pty Ltd requests that you pay the whole of the unpaid balance of your account. If your account has a credit balance, VeeTel Pty Ltd will refund that to you by cheque. VeeTels Terms and Conditions / Acceptable Use Policy may be changed at any time without a formal notice being sent or circulated. In the event that VeeTel were to change their Terms and Conditions / Acceptable Use Policy that maybe consider as impacting your use of their Service /Product, then VeeTel will advise you of the change with a minimum of 30 days advance notice. Naturally if you do not agreed with changes to VeeTel’s Terms and Conditions / Acceptable Use Policy you have the right to terminate your service (product) without penalties, conditional on you advising VeeTel within a minimum of 30 days of receipt of our notice. VeeTel Pty Ltd is committed to participate with copyright laws in Australia. VeeTel users must not copy any CDs, MP3s, Books, Articles, Software and Games from the Internet. This is considered illegal and in breach of the Copyright Act 1968. Therefore prosecution by the authorities is possible. VeeTel Pty Ltd condemns piracy and takes serious steps to prevent infringements. VeeTel reserves the right to suspend or cancel any repeat offenders. As soon as VeeTel receives notification from any third parties regarding a breach of copyright by a user, a warning notice is sent to the end user. If the breach is repeated yet again VeeTel will have the end users service suspended or cancelled off the network. Reason for fair use is to ensure all VeeTel customers enjoy quality service and are not disadvantaged by others that misuse VeeTel’s promotions or plans. Veetel Acceptable Use Policy applies to all VeeTel Services. Customers must not use Value plans, specials or promotions in an unreasonable or excessive manner in which it impedes or stops VeeTel from providing service to other customers. We may call you asking you to reduce the amount of calls made to give other customers a fair go in using VeeTel services. We may also limit your call access or charge you standard rates for calls if you continue to excessively use the VeeTel specials, Value plans or any international call promotions. You must use your Internet in accordance with any limits stated in plan that you subscribe to for the use of that Service. We may limit, suspend or terminate your Internet Service if you unreasonably exceed such limits. Speed will be limited to 256kbps once Total monthly data download limit is exceeded. Speed will revert back to ADSL2 fast speed at the start of a new calendar month. The 4-digit override code provided can be used to access the VeeTel network. This may be used for Local, National, International and Calls to Mobile. You can remain with your provider for the line rental and use VeeTel for the Override. The override connection may fail due to network duplication or your line service is not compatible with the network. Your Pre-selection or Long Distance direct service can be connected or transferred from another provider to VeeTel with your authorization. The Transfer of your Long distance calls may take up to 5 to 10 working days to complete. The Transfer or connection of your Long Distance direct service may fail due to network duplication or your line service is not compatible with the network. Long Distance calls include National, International and calls to mobiles. Your Line Rental provider will bill you for local calls & any other additional services. VeeTel will only bill you directly (without an override) for National, International, and calls to mobile. When you authorize VeeTel to transfer your line Rental you are also authorizing to transfer your Pre selection/Long distance calls. The transfer of your Line Rental may take up to 5 to 10 working days to complete. The transfer or connection of your Line Rental and Long Distance direct service may fail due to network duplication or your line service is not compatible with the network. By authorizing the transfer of your line Rental to VeeTel you are consenting that you are the account holder of the telephone and you are authorizing VeeTel to transfer your telephone service to VeeTel, the information you provided is true and correct. You understand that prices are subject to change without notice. You understand access fees are charged from the date of connection and one month in advance. Any additional discounts, benefits and services from your existing provider will not automatically be transferred or may no longer be available. You are liable for charges and commitment billed after the date of transfer from your previous provider. You are Subject to VeeTel’s credit assessing policies. You understand that it is your responsibility to check the terms and conditions of your existing fixed telephone services relevant to this transfer to VeeTel with your existing service provider. No costs involved to transfer your line Rental to VeeTel from another provider. If you do not have an existing telephone line, VeeTel can connect a new line for you, there are connection fees involved to provide you a new line at your premises. $59.00 Connection Fee: This is when a working telephone socket exists from a previous connection and a technician is not required to visit your property or premises. If you request VeeTel to connect a new line and if the line gets cancelled or transferred within three month period, VeeTel reserves the right to charge a cancellation fee of $49.50 including GST. VeeTel will bill you for all calls directly this includes local National, International, and calls to mobile. VeeTel will also charge you for additional features used by you for example 1900, 123 Sensis, *10# and extra service charges you may have had with your previous line rental provider for Example Calling number Display, Call Control, Silent line or Message Bank..etc. VeeTel does not own the network as such cannot guarrantee continuous Telephone service at all times due to factors out of our control. VeeTel will endeavor report any fault to its supplier as quickly as possible in order to repair the service with regulatory timeframes. These guidlines may not be met due Mass Service Distruptions. If at anytime you are experiencing a fault on your telephone line you must contact VeeTel during business hours to advise of the problem. Our Carrier's network terminates at The Main Distribution Frame (MDF) if you live in a building or at the Network Boundary Point (NBP) or first wall socket if you live in a free standing house. An Incorrect call out fee of $130.00 plus $38.50 every 15 minute of labour for a technician to diagnose a fault only if the fault is found to be on the Customers Private Equipment (CPE) that is beyond the MDF or NBP and not on the our carrier's network. As per the carriers advise faults are usually rectified within 2 to 5 working days in Metro areas or 3 to 10 in regional areas unless a Mass Service Distruption is announced by the carrier. Sometimes things happen beyond our carrier's control that means they can’t connect or fix faults to standard telephone services in their usual timeframes, or even keep appointments. These situations can include natural disasters, extreme weather conditions and instances where their facilities have been damaged through no fault of their own. During these times a Mass Service Disruption exemption may be put in place. This exempts our carrier and VeeTel from complying with the Customer Service Guarantee (CSG) performance standards for the duration of the Mass Service Disruption. which exempts VeeTel from the CSG. The exemption process is explained in sections 22-27 of the Telecommunications (Customer Service Guarantee) Standard 2011, which can be found on the ACMA website. When a Mass Service Disruption exemption is in place, our Carrier will issue a detailed public notice via a daily newspaper. VeeTel Provides Mobile Sim only plans. You can transfer your existing mobile number to VeeTel from your current provider. VeeTel can provide you with a new mobile number. All new VeeTel Sim cards come with active Voice mail diversions. To set up Voicemail from your mobile, Dial 121 then, follow the prompts through the recorded tutorial. You will be asked to set up your PIN, Name and Greeting. To deactivate your voice mail dial ##002# from your handset. VeeTel will also charge you for usage of additional services such as 1900, 123 Sensis, International roaming, International calls and 3G internet connections as well as access to the Vodafone Live website from your mobile phone. These rates are consistently changing therefore VeeTel is unable determine the exact rates of these services. You may incur high usage charges on your VeeTel account when using 1900, 123 Sensis, International calls/Roaming and internet services from your VeeTel Sim Card. Current GPRS, 3G or Mobile Internet connection charges 1.7 cents per kbs, or $17.00 per mb downloaded. For example if a song from YouTube is about 3 mbs. Therefore if downloaded to the mobile phone the charge will be about $51.00 for that song. It is the responsibility of the customer to manage additional services and charges from their mobile phone as it may incur high, International, roaming, 123 Sensis, 1900 and data usage charges. VeeTel Sim cards come with Inactive GPRS 3G or Mobile Internet. In order for VeeTel to activate GPRS 3G or Mobile Internet client must Pay a $250.00 bond. (This will be held by VeeTel for a min of 3 months. After which the client can request VeeTel to send a refund cheque or allocate the amount on their phone account. No interest will be paid by VeeTel on the bond held. Then clients must sign a direct debit form (Credit Card) for the clients VeeTel account to be direct debited monthly on the due date. VeeTel Sim cards come with International IDD and Roaming restrictions. Prices are consistently changing and are charged at higher rates. Roaming and International call charges may be delayed due to delivery of calls from overseas carriers. Call VeeTel to obtain the most current Roaming and IDD rates. A bond of $250.00 may be required to activate International IDD or roaming. This bond may be held by VeeTel for a minimum of 3 months. 3G data charges, GPRS connections, WAP connections, International Calls, International roaming calls, 1900 calls, 123 Sensis calls or Directory calls, Call minder Operator calls and Premium SMS. It is the customer’s responsibility to manage these services as they may incur higher monthly bills. All plans (Metro and Regional) are available only on direct debit through a nominated Credit Card. Click here for Line Rental Terms and conditions for Bundle plans. ADSL2 is only available in selected coverage areas. The new connection or transfer fees are charged on your first VeeTel bill. You understand access fees are charged from the date VeeTel activates your ADSL2 connection on your line and one month in advance. Should you wish to withdraw your ADSL2 plan after you have agreed to proceed with the order VeeTel reserves the right to charge a $99.00 withdrawal fee even though the connection is not complete. You are responsible for your internet use and wireless security. Therefore VeeTel takes no responsibility for any data downloaded and/or the content stored on your computer. Please see VeeTel's postion on copyright laws. All VeeTel Internet services are subject to Acceptable Use Policy. All ADSL2 Plans cannot be used in conjunction with any other VeeTel offer. Unused downloads cannot be rolled over to a new Calendar month. Speed shaped to 256kbps when monthly download limit is exceeded. Speed will revert back to ADSL2 fast speed at the start of a new calendar month. All ADSL2 plans (Metro and Regional) are available only on direct debit through a nominated Credit Card. VeeTel Pty Ltd will send you a monthly invoice and will debit your credit card on the due date of your VeeTel invoice. A fee of $15.00 applies if the direct debit transaction gets rejected. If you choose to change your Direct Debit details, please contact VeeTel Customer Service on 1300 833 835. if you request to downgrade during your commitment period a $99.00 downgrade fee applies. The plan will take effect from the following calender month with a new 24 months commitment period. If you request to upgrade your plan a fee of $99.00 will apply. If the upgrade is to the unlimited plan a new 24 months commitment period applies. All upgrades will take affect from the following calender month. ADSL2 transfers and connections may take up to 10 to 14 working days to complete. Subject to availability at your local exchange. VeeTel will not be liable for delays in transfer or connections. The transfer or connection of your ADSL2 may fail due to your local exchange being too far away from your premises therefore hindering the service we provide, no available ADSL2 ports at your local exchange or your line infrastructure is not compatible with the ADSL2 network. A relocation fee of $99.00 is applicable when customers change their address and/or phone number in addition to Telephone line relocation charges. The Relocation fee applies with no additional per month cost unless relocation is to another Telstra Exchange Zone (Zones 2 and 3 Regional) $198.00 relocation fee plus an additional premium per month will apply. Distance from the local telephone exchange. If the cable from the Local Telephone exchange is running through Sub Exchanges, RIMs or Top Hats causes drastic drops in speed. The quality of the phone line. The number of equipment connected to the network and phone line. Quality of hardware and software of your modem and PC. Any major works or maintenance by our wholesale supplier, in which it may restrict your service to a lower speed. There may also be congestion at the local telephone exchange or network on our wholesale supplier’s equipment this means our wholesale supplier may not be able to provide the consistent speeds at all times of the day. Downloads from overseas sites. Some International sites will have their own traffic management per site visitor to a specific download rate. This means slower download speed on the site may be experienced. The reasons these sites have their own restrictions in place to ensure all visitors to their websites have the same accessibility and download rate. 8.6.2 VeeTel does not take responsibility for any Internal or external electrical/magnetic interferences which may occur that hinders the speed and or the connection to the internet. You must use your Internet in accordance with any limits stated in plan that you subscribe to for the use of that Service. We may limit, suspend or terminate your Internet Service if you unreasonably exceed such limits. Speed will be limited to 256kpbs once monthly Total monthly data download limit is exceeded. Speed will revert back to ADSL2 Plus fast speed at the start of a new calendar month. VeeTel currently does not have an online download usage link. In the meantime if you require to check your download usage please call our friendly Customer Service representatives on 1300 833 835 between Monday to Friday 8:30am-8:00pm and Weekends 10am-5:00pm AEST. They will be able to provide you with acurrate download usage. You can also email your request to [email protected]. VeeTel will also endeavour to send notifications to any contact mobile or email provided when 50%, 85% and 100% of data limit has been reached. NBN Phone and Internet is VeeTel’s residential telephony service where there is a requirement for one or two lines and an Internet Service. NBN Phone and Internet is delivered via NBN Co fibre access infrastructure. In special circumstances more than 2 lines can be provided by provisioning multiple NBN Co accesses at the customer premises. Given the NBN is now rolling out, and in most cases This service is a residential and small business offering that is comparable to the “Plain Old Telephony Service” (POTS) offered on legacy copper infrastructure. Legacy copper infrastructure will be phased out, this product is a replacement for the POTS product and uses NBN infrastructure. Given this service is replacing the traditional copper based POTS, it has been designed to offer features offered with POTS including Local calls, national calls, International Calls, calls to Mobiles. There are a range of services that work over the NBN Phone service, however due to the diversity and complexity of end devices (that are connected over the service) we recommend our customers test these services to ensure they work. This includes Fax to national and international numbers, EFTPOS, Back to Base alarms, Foxtel program purchases (via landline),and analogue modems. Note, these services may work on the service however VeeTel does not provide any assurance around their performance. There are other services which will not work over this service including VoIP based fax, Priority Assistance Scheme, calls to 19/1900, 0500 numbers and Universal International Freephone Numbers (UIFN). This service can be purchased as a standalone telephony service or bundled with other NBN Internet services. The Phone service is delivered via the UNI-V port and the Internet is delivered via the UNI-D Port on the NBN supplied Network Terminating Device (NTD). As with POTS customers may choose to port (transfer) their phone number from Telstra, Optus, Primus or Powertel to VeeTel. We may not be able to port your number in all circumstances, including where you fail to provide correct account details, or as a result of contractual obligations with your existing provider. If you are porting your number to VEETEL, inbound calling to your number will not commence until porting is complete which will take a further 1 to 5 business days. Here is an OVERVIEW on NBN Installation Process. NBN Phone, delivered via NBN UNI-V, the service boundary point for the voice service is up to the analogue port on the ATA. NBN Co will install the NTD at the premises. If the end customer dwelling has had NBN Co services before they may already have this network device installed. This will be confirmed with you when we service qualifying your site. Any re-configuration of the end customer’s devices is the responsibility of the customer, not undertaken by VeeTel or its Agents. Internal wiring issues are customer’s responsibility. VeeTel can arrange for a field services technician to perform non-standard installation for an additional charge. Alternatively, customers may choose to get a private technician to do the required work. Battery Back-Up (optional refer to backup battery Clause. Medical Services: The service is not suitable for users who require a phone line to support medical devices. Messagebank - Some Telephone handsets come with built in answering services. These will work on NBN phone. In general, unwelcome calls are unsolicited communications that, by virtue of the content, frequency or timing, are offensive or tend to menace and harass the recipient. A life threatening call is more serious and involves the use of a telecommunications service connected with an event actually or potentially perilous to human life. VeeTel has implemented appropriate processes to assist customers resolve issues of unwelcome calls and to provide assistance in life threatening situations in an efficient and expedient manner. If you require a new number, VeeTel can allocate this for you. The geographic number allocated to you will be based on the service delivery address that you nominate in the application process or which you subsequently advise us. The number allocated to you will be at VeeTel’s discretion. If you move the service delivery address VeeTel may be required to give you a different service number, relevant to your new service delivery address. For NBN Phone delivered via UNI-V, battery back-up will be supplied as an option. The battery back-up will only provide power to the UNI-V ports in case of an on-premise power outage. Depending on usage, the battery back-up can supply power to the UNI-V ports for a couple of hours after a power failure before reaching the 50% power availability level. At this point it will switch off to preserve the remaining power for emergency use only. The back-up battery is designed only to maintain power to the voice and the data ports on the NBN Connection Box. It will not operate to supply back-up power to your handsets or to your broadband equipment. If chosen as an option, the battery has a warranty period of two years from the date of installation. Replacement of a back-up battery that has ceased to supply electrical charge will be the responsibility of the customer Note: Equipment supplied by NBN Co, including the NBN Connection Box, fibre connectors and other connectivity equipment is and always remains the property of NBN. NBN Phone is delivered to customers using our suppliers Standard Access in particular through the NBN Co fibre access infrastructure. NBN Phone is available in selected locations with dependency on NBN rollout and our suppliers availability. An existing order can be withdrawn Fees may apply if the withdrawal involves late cancellation of an LNP port. The Installation Lead Time Targets outlined below are subject to the ready availability and capacity of installed network infrastructure of our supplier. Installation target only applies if new VeeTel numbers are to be allocated to the service. Installation target does not apply if porting your number is required. An additional 5 working days may apply. VeeTel will use its best endeavours to adhere to the Installation Lead Times Targets. The Installation Lead Time Targets commence from the date of the Order Acceptance Notification. VeeTel may modify these leadtimes due to changes provided to us from the NBNco in respect to leadtimes. Third Party Access refers to any Services that are not provisioned using our suppliers owned infrastructure. You acknowledge that in some cases VeeTel will not be able to deliver the ordered Service by the advised Installation Lead Time Targets, due to limitations imposed on VeeTel by Third Party Service Providers. You must be available for appointments set by VeeTel and its contractors. In a shared building, you are responsible for ensuring that VeeTel and its contractors have access to the main distribution frame (MDF) and riser cables where required. The Availability Targets are outlined below. VeeTel will use its best endeavours to adhere to the Availability Targets. Failure to achieve the Availability Targets does not entitle you to a rebate. The Service Restoration Targets are outlined below. VEETEL will use its best endeavours to adhere to the Service Restoration Targets. Service Restoration Targets are the maximum elapsed time, during Standard Service Hours, between the Customer reporting a fault to VeeTel or VeeTel responding to an alarm, and confirmation to the Customer that the Service has been restored. Some Non-Interrupted faults may require monitoring over a time period to effectively diagnose and resolve the problem and this will be advised to the customer as the fault is investigated. All plans are available only on direct debit through a nominated Credit Card. NBN is only available in selected coverage areas. The Installation fees are charged on your first VeeTel bill. You understand access fees are charged from the date VeeTel activates your NBN connection and one month in advance. Should you wish to withdraw your NBN Bundle plan after you have agreed to proceed with the order VeeTel reserves the right to charge a $99.00 withdrawal fee even though the connection is not complete. You are responsible for your internet use and wireless security. Therefore VeeTel takes no responsibility for any data downloaded and/or the content stored on your computer. Please see VeeTel's postion on copyright laws. All VeeTel Internet services are subject to Acceptable Use Policy. All NBN plans cannot be used in conjunction with any other VeeTel offer. Unused downloads cannot be rolled over to a new Calendar month. Speed shaped to 256kbps when monthly download limit is exceeded. Speed will revert back to allocated NBN fast speed at the start of a new calendar month. All NBN plans are available only on direct debit through a nominated Credit Card. VeeTel Pty Ltd will send you a monthly invoice and will debit your credit card on the due date of your VeeTel invoice. A fee of $15.00 applies if the direct debit transaction gets rejected. If you choose to change your Direct Debit details, please contact VeeTel Customer Service on 1300 833 835. if you request to downgrade your plan or speed during your commitment period a $99.00 downgrade fee applies. The plan will take effect from the following calender month with a new 24 months commitment period. If you request to upgrade your plan or speed a fee of $99.00 will apply. All upgrades will take affect from the following calender month with a new 24 months commitment. A relocation fee of $165.00 is applicable when customers change their address and/or phone number to an NBN enabled area. If the relocation is to a copper area. $165.00 relocation fee applies plus Copper connection charges of $59.00 $125.00 or $299.00 depending on previous connection at the new premises. See Line Rental Connection charges. Customer must provide VeeTel a 30 notice to cancel an NBN Phone Service. The number of equipment connected to your Wifi network, quality of hardware /software of your PC. Any major works or maintenance by our wholesale supplier or NBN in which it may restrict your service. Downloads from overseas sites. (Some International sites will have their own traffic management per site visitor to a specific download rate. This means slower download speed on the site may be experienced) and power outages as the NBN service is connected to a Power supply. VeeTel does not take responsibility for any Internal or external electrical/magnetic interferences which may occur that hinders the speed and or the connection to the internet. You must use your Internet in accordance with any limits stated in plan that you subscribe to for the use of that Service. We may limit, suspend or terminate your Internet Service if you unreasonably exceed such limits. Speed will be limited to 256kpbs once monthly Total monthly data download limit is exceeded. Speed will revert back to NBN fast speed at the start of a new calendar month. VeeTel currently does not have an online download usage link. In the meantime if you require to check your download usage please call our friendly Customer Service representatives on 1300 833 835 between Monday to Friday 8:30am-8:00pm and Weekends 10am-5:00pm AEST. They will be able to provide you with acurrate download usage. You can also email your request to [email protected]. When an existing customer refers a friend to VeeTel they receive $5.00 off the total bill with every friend they refer to us. $5.00 will be credited as soon as the referred friend makes $5.00 worth of calls. With the price match guarantee promotion VeeTel will match any post paid service providers standard rates. If another Telecommunications company is cheaper we will match or beat their standard call rates as long as it is not a Calling Card or Internet Service. With Vee days you are eligible to ongoing special days. All International calls are reduced off the standard rates on a day in the month nominated by VeeTel. We announce the special day on your monthly bill. 33 cents flagfall per call applies. With the one day special you can nominate a date in the month to receive discounted International rates to selected destinations. The date selected must be a date not a day. The 1st and 25th of the month cannot be chosen. Offer does not include international mobiles. Your special date will be visible on your monthly VeeTel bill. 33 cents flagfall per call applies. Weekend rates apply between the hours of Friday Midnight to Sunday Midnight and do not include International Mobiles. Standard rates will apply at all other times. 33 cents flagfall per call applies. All specials and promotions are not in conjunction with any other offer or special. Any promotion can be withdrawn at any time without notice. VeeTel Home Entertainment is a an IPTV subscription service that provides its customers with access to a wide range of movies, television programs and other audio-visual content streamed over the internet using the VeeTel Home Entertainment set-top box and related equipment provided by VeeTel Home Entertainment (“Hardware”) connected to your television or other compatible device (“Service”). Please contact us on 1300 354 788 if you are not sure your device is compatible with the Service and the Hardware. 11.2.1. These terms and conditions (“Terms”) contain the agreement between you and VeeTel Home Entertainment Services Pty Ltd (ACN 605 056 568) (“VeeTel Home Entertainment”) for the VeeTel Home Entertainment IPTV services provided (“Service”). By creating an account to access the Services (“Account”) you agree to be bound by these Terms and agree that these Terms supersede any prior agreement you have with VeeTel Home Entertainment. 11.2.3. You warrant that you are over 18 years of age and legally entitled to enter into an agreement with VeeTel Home Entertainment, have a valid email address and have a valid credit/debit card with an Australian residential billing address. 11.2.4. VeeTel Home Entertainment reserves the right to change the Terms on giving you 30 days’ notice. Your continual use of the Service after the Terms have been amended will be evidence of your agreement to the changes. If any such change has a materially detrimental effect on you, you may cancel your subscription in accordance with clause 8.2 below. 11.2.5. References to “you” or “your” means both you and any other individuals you let use the Service and Hardware. References to “we”, “us” or “our” means VeeTel Home Entertainment Services Pty Ltd and/or one or more of its corporate affiliates. (b) in all other cases, month-to-month until terminated in accordance with clause 8. 11.3.2. To use the Service you must be at least 18 years old, have internet access and a compatible device, and you must provide us with a current, valid, accepted method of payment (“Payment Option” specified in clause 4.4) and pay the monthly Service Fee in accordance with clause 4. 11.3.3. You agree to provide us with proof of your identity if we reasonably ask you to do so from time to time. 11.3.4. You are responsible for installation of the Hardware. By creating your Account and providing us with details of your Payment Option, you authorise us to charge to your Payment Option a Service Fee in accordance with this clause 4. (a) Details of the pricing for the Service including any surcharges, late payment fees, fees in relation to the Hardware (including fees incurred in relation to the replacement of, or damage to, the Hardware) or any other additional fees (“Service Fee”) can be viewed on the Critical Information Summary provided to you when your Account was setup. You agree to pay all applicable Service Fees. (b) All prices are inclusive of GST. (c) We may increase the Service Fee at any time by giving you at least one calendar months’ notice except where such increase is required by law or any regulatory authority (in which case we will try to give you reasonable notice). (a) You will be charged the Service Fee monthly in arrears. We will continue to automatically charge the Service Fee to your Payment Option on the same day in every month (“Due Date”) unless and until you cancel your subscription. If the Due Date does not fall in a particular month we will charge you on the next day that is not a Saturday, Sunday, public holidat or bank holidate (“business day”). (b) You agree to pay all invoices by the Due Date. If any of the bills are not paid in full within 30 days from the Due Date we may refer you to our collections agency to take necessary legal action to recover the debt. This may also affect your credit rating. You will be liable for all reasonable collection costs (including our legal fees) we incur to collect the amount outstanding, or to recover Hardware or any other equipment unless we otherwise agree. (a) You must pay your Service Fee by direct debit from your credit/debit card (or such other Payment Option as we agree from time to time) in accordance with clause 4.3. For certain Payment Options, the issuer of your Payment Option may charge you a fee. Check with your Payment Option service provider for more details. (b) You can change your Payment Option by calling us on 1300 354 788. If a payment is not successfully settled due to expiration of the Payment Option, insufficient funds, or otherwise and you do not change your Payment Option or cancel your Account, we may suspend your access to the Service until we have obtained a valid Payment Option. If there is a dispute and in our opinion you have a reasonable claim or dispute with an invoice, we will suspend our collection or recovery processes on any disputed amount until a resolution on your claim or dispute has been settled in accordance with clause 10. We aim to resolve invoice disputes within 21 business days. You will not have to pay any disputed amount which you have genuinely disputed in accordance with this clause unless, and until, the disputed amount is resolved in our favour. We will refund any amount that you successfully dispute. (c) notify us of the loss of, any damage to, or faultiness in, the Hardware. A wall-plug type power supply: in 100-240VAC 50/60Hz 0.7A, Out : +12V ---- 1500mA min (This power supply should not be replaced except in exceptional case with the agreement and components provided by VeeTel/Flip TV. Allow a minimum area around each side of the Set-top-box for cooling and install it on a firm and flat surface. To unplug the power supply, do not pull the power cord, but manipulate the plug itself. The plug must be properly introduced in your wall plug. Improper installation can cause electrical shock and accidential fire. The device must be not exposed to dripping or splashing and moreover no objects filled with liquids, such as vases, should be placed close to it. Remote control installed battery shall not be exposed to excessive heat such as sunshine, fire or the like. It must be replaced with same battery type. Do not throw batteries to househol refuse. Watch to arrange them in places planned for that purpose. Always use the set-top-box in a temperature range between 0-45°C. 11. 5.2. The Service and its content is for your personal and non-commercial use only. VeeTel Home Entertainment grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, license to access the Service and its content on a streaming-only basis. Otherwise, no right, title or interest shall be transferred to you. You agree not to use the Service for public performances or commercial use. 11.5.3. You must only use the Service and view its content in accordance with our reasonable instructions and all applicable laws, rules, regulations and other applicable restrictions. 11.5.4. Subject to clause 5.6, you agree not to archive, copy, download, reproduce, distribute, modify, display, perform, publish, license, create derivative works from, offer for sale, or use (except as explicitly authorised in these Terms ) any content and information accessed through the Service. You must not remove any of VeeTel Home Entertainment’s or our content partners and licensors’ proprietary notices from the content on the Service or the Hardware. 11.5.5. You must not attempt to circumvent, remove or alter the digital rights management and anti-piracy measures utilised by VeeTel Home Entertainment or its content partners and licensors. 11.5.6. For the avoidance of doubt, nothing in these Terms affects your ability to record any free-to-air TV channels whether accessed through the Service or not or any of the VeeTel Home Entertainment channels using the personal digital recording (“PDR”) functionality of the Hardware (if applicable). The PDR function (if applicable) is a temporary recording function only. Any programme you have recorded may be erased from the Hardware from time to time and we will not be liable to you whatsoever for any such erasure. 11.5.7. VeeTel Home Entertainment makes no representations or warranties regarding the content available on the Service and you acknowledge that the content may change from time to time and without notice. No refund will be given in relation to content unavailability unless this has a materially detrimental effect on you in which case you may terminate your Account in the manner set out in clause 8.2. 11.5.8. 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2019-04-23T05:53:39Z

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Alison Johnson (White Horse Press, a Harris resident with a brilliant mind on planning issues) has kindly forwarded me the attached document comprising Lord Hardie's ruling on the superqurry delay. He's basically expecting the Scottish Excutive to decide within 3 weeks, and is ruling that recourse to SNH for turning the area into a conservation zone is not acceptable, partly because Mike Scott and Kevin Dunion are on the Board. He seems to be saying that as the affair is a Civil law matter, it automatically comes under the European Human Rights provisions. 1) The Judge clearly had in mind the recent Pinochet case, though Lafarge Redland did not draw upon it. The Judge seems to be saying that, in order to be seen to be fair, a government advisory body such as SNH must be completely disinterested. Accordingly the presence of environmental campaigners like Scott and Duninion on the Board damages its partiality. Well, that's all very well, and it has a certain logic if you believe that values-based decisions can be made with reference only to abstract scientific logic, but if you think that the environment is only safe in the hands of those who care and know something about it, it creates a dangerous position. It means that upcoming environmentalists may be less likely to take a campaigning position lest this will compromise their future ability to work within the system. It will select in favour of those who are all talk and no action. Also, I remember in the late eighties and early nineties when the Government flirted with going green, a lot of pressure was placed on some of us to work within the system. I refused to do so to a compromising degree as was expected at Edinburgh University, and the CHE was closed down in consequence. However, it seems now that those who found niches within the system where, it is clear from their actions, they did not compromise themslves, are being penalised from a different angle. There is a further implication to all this, and tell me if you think I read it right. Would it not follow that in the case of damaging developments like the Cairngorm furnicular that was being driven by the HIE and other enterprise bodies, that if those bodies contain (as they do) active businessmen who support business expansion, then their advice to Government must, in law, be considered similarly tainted? Secondly, am I right in my understanding of Lord Hardie's ruling that he accepts that Lafarge Redland ("the respondents") have had their human rights violated on the grounds that this is a civil law case, and that civil law is a competent field of play for corporations? Am I, then, right in concluding that Lord Hardie has failed to consider whether it is "rational", in his words, to consider a corporation to merit "human" rights? there is no mention of it here. decision about the police to the likes of SNH). and the statutory or other framework in which it operates." judgement then I don't see how it can be seen as being partial. have them because they can own property (a weak and weird argument, huh?). The point about civil law here is that it is the opposite of criminal law. The petitioners are a company incorporated under the Companies Act having its Registered Office at Bradgate House, Groby, Leicester. They were formerly known as Redland Aggregates Limited. In this petition they seek to bring under Judicial Review (i) the failure by the Scottish Ministers (hereinafter referred to as "the respondents") to determine the petitioners' application for planning permission for the development of a "superquarry" at Lingerbay, Isle of Harris, (hereinafter referred to as "the application") lodged with the planning authority on 25 March 1991 and called in by the Secretary of State for Scotland on 6 January 1994 for determination by him and (ii) the decision by the respondents to refer to Scottish Natural Heritage (hereinafter referred to as "SNH") the question of whether any part of the application site should be proposed as a candidate Special Area of Conservation (hereinafter referred to as a "cSAC"). Answers to the petition have been lodged and at the first hearing of the petition, which lasted four days, I heard submissions on behalf of the petitioners and the respondents. I also heard counsel for both parties By Order on 5 October 2000 when I was advised that the petitioners are tenants of inter alia the application site and that in terms of their lease the petitioners have various rights to anorthosite and other minerals on the site. On 25 March 1991 the petitioners submitted to the Western Isles Islands Council (hereinafter referred to as "WIIC") the application for the extraction, processing and transport by sea of anorthosite. On 24 June 1993 WIIC informed the Secretary of State for Scotland that they were minded to grant planning permission to the petitioners. SNH, a statutory body established under the Natural Heritage (Scotland) Act 1991 to advise upon environmental issues in Scotland, recommended to the Secretary of State for Scotland that the application be called in for his determination. On 6 January 1994 the Secretary of State for Scotland informed WIIC that he had decided that the application should be referred to him for determination in terms of section 32 of the Town & Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1972 (hereinafter referred to as "the 1972 Act"). A public local inquiry (hereinafter referred to as "the inquiry") into the application was held between 11 October 1994 and 6 June 1995 before G.M. Pain (hereinafter referred to as "the Reporter"). The rules governing the inquiry and subsequent procedures were the Town & Country Planning (Inquiries Procedure) (Scotland) Rules 1980 (hereinafter referred to as "the Rules"). The principal objector represented at the inquiry was SNH which led evidence and made submissions opposed to the grant of planning permission. The grant of planning permission was also opposed by members of a group known as "the Link Quarry Group", which comprised a number of environmental and other bodies. An environmental pressure group, Friends of the Earth (Scotland), appeared and led evidence against the grant of planning permission as part of the Link Quarry Group. Two of the witnesses led on behalf of the Link Quarry Group in opposition to the application were Mr Michael Scott, who was then Scottish Officer of Plantlife and Mr Kevin Dunion, who was Director of Friends of the Earth (Scotland). Both Mr Scott and Mr Dunion are now members of the Main Board of SNH, Mr Scott being the Deputy Chairman. The term of office of Mr Scott will continue until at least 31 March 2002 and the term of office of Mr Dunion will continue until at least 31 March 2003. Following the conclusion of the inquiry the Reporter prepared a report in accordance with the Rules. Part 1 of the Report was circulated in draft in about March 1998. Following amendments to Part 1 the Reporter delivered the final version of Part 1 and Part 2 of the Report to the Secretary of State for Scotland on 29 April 1999. On 1 July 1999 the respondents assumed responsibility to determine the application in accordance with the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998. They have not done so. On 12 July 2000 one of the respondents, the Transport and Environment Minister (hereinafter referred to as "the Minister"), in an answer to a question in the Scottish Parliament, intimated that she had decided, prior to determining the application, to refer to SNH the question whether any part of the application site should be proposed as a cSAC in terms of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora (hereinafter referred to as "the Directive") . The full text of the Minister's reply is contained in 11/2 of process. By letter dated 12 July 2000 (6/4 of process) the head of the Scottish Executive's Environment Group wrote to the Chief Executive of SNH seeking its scientific advice, in co-operation with the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (hereinafter referred to as "JNCC") "about whether or not, applying the relevant selection criteria, any part of the application area should be identified as a proposed cSAC." JNCC was established under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 inter alia to establish common standards throughout Great Britain for the monitoring and analysis of information on nature conservation and to commission and support relevant research. On 12 July 2000 Mr Kevin Dunion issued a press release (6/14 of process) on behalf of Friends of the Earth welcoming the approach to SNH but recommending the consideration of other factual matters in the event of the inquiry being re-opened. The Directive was made on 21 May 1992 and required Member States to bring appropriate measures into force within two years of its notification. In pursuance of this obligation the Government enacted the Conservation (Natural Habitats Etc.) Regulations 1994 (S.I. 1994 No.2716) (hereinafter referred to as "the Regulations) which came into force on 30 October 1994. In so far as Scotland is concerned, since 1 July 1999 the obligations incumbent upon the United Kingdom under the Directive and the powers to implement the Directive and the Regulations, have fallen to the respondents. Copies of the Directive and the Regulations are produced as 6/5 and 6/6 of process respectively. In terms of Regulation 7(4) of the Regulations the Secretary of State was to transmit to the European Commission on or before 5 June 1995 a list of cSACs, selected by him on the basis of the criteria set out in Annex III to the Directive and relevant scientific information. On 6 March 1995 the Scottish Office Environment Department published circular 6/1995 entitled "Nature Conservation: Implementation in Scotland of EC Directives on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Flora and Fauna and the Conservation of Wild Birds: The Habitats and Wild Birds Directives" (hereinafter referred to as "the 1995 Circular") setting out the initial approach to the implementation of the Regulations. Between 1995 and 1999 the UK Government submitted to the European Commission several lists of cSACs of which approximately 131 were Scottish sites. In selecting cSACs, the Government relied upon the advice of SNH and JNCC, the Government's statutory advisors upon such issues. Following discussions between Member States and the European Commission, the JNCC set out within its report No.270 "Selection of Areas of Conservation in the UK" (hereinafter referred to as "the Selection Report") the criteria used in the selection process within the United Kingdom in order to ensure compliance with the Directive and the Regulations. The Selection Report noted that the process as a whole required consideration of the relative value of the sites in relation to the whole national resource of each habitat type and species. It also noted that site assessment had been based upon the criteria and principles set out in the Directive and did not simply select existing protected areas. As a consequence the selection process identified a number of cSACs which had not previously been notified as a site of special scientific interest (hereinafter referred to as "SSSI") under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. In September and November 1999 the European Commission held moderation seminars when the Commission found that certain Member States, including the United Kingdom, had proposed insufficient sites for cSACs. On 11 January 2000 the Commission announced that it intended to make an application to the European Court of Justice against certain Member States, including the United Kingdom, in respect of their failure to fulfil their obligations under the Habitats Directive. In response to this finding and announcement the respondents asked SNH, in co-operation with JNCC, to re-examine the selection process and to make further proposals for cSACs. As a result of this exercise the Minister announced on 14 June 2000 a list of the additional sites which SNH had proposed to her as potential cSACs. No part of the application site at Lingerbay has been proposed to the Minister as a potential cSAC by SNH and JNCC at any stage of the selection process. The Minister herself did not invite SNH to consider the application site for inclusion as a potential cSAC until July 2000, although the Minister had had in her possession the Report of the Reporter since at least 1 July 1999. In June 2000 the respondents also issued guidance updating Circular 6/95 (11/4 of process). A further moderation seminar will be held early in 2001 and the list of proposed sites must be notified by Member States to the Commission by January 2001. The procedure adopted by the respondents to enable a Scottish site to be included in a list of cSACs involves evaluation of sites by SNH and the submission to the Minister of a list of suitable sites for possible inclusion as cSACs. The Minister determines which sites should be subjected to further consideration and these sites are forwarded to JNCC for evaluation within the context of the United Kingdom. JNCC undertakes a consultation exercise lasting 12 weeks and thereafter submits a final United Kingdom list for consideration by the appropriate Ministers. Thereafter the appropriate Ministers determine which sites are to be proposed as cSACs. It will not be possible to include the application site in the list for consideration by the Commission at the next moderation seminar. The petitioners seek a declarator that by failing to determine the application, the respondents are in breach of their statutory duty under sections 37(1) and 46 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (hereinafter referred to as "the 1997 Act"). They complain about the inordinate delay which has occurred between the submission of the application to WIIC on 25 March 1991 and the present date, a period in excess of nine and a half years. They accept that the responsibility for such delay on the part of the respondents, or their predecessors in office as successive Secretaries of State for Scotland, only commenced on 24 June 1993 when WIIC advised the Secretary of State for Scotland of its intention to grant the petitioners planning permission. Even on that basis the petitioners allege that the delay of a period in excess of seven years amounts to a breach by the respondents of their statutory duty. Counsel for the respondents accepted the timetable of events specified in 10/4 of process, subject to the correction that the public local inquiry commenced in October 1994. It was also accepted that the delay between the end of the inquiry in June 1995 and the circulation of the first draft of Part 1 of the Report to parties almost three years later in March 1998 amounted to a considerable period of time. The reason advanced for this particular period of delay was that this was an exceptional inquiry raising a great many complex issues compounded by the illness and hospitalisation of the Reporter, although counsel very properly did not maintain that this latter issue justified a significant proportion of the three year period. As far as the final stage of the delay between 29 April 1999 when the Report was submitted to the Secretary of State for Scotland and the present date, counsel for the respondents stated that it was regrettable that the delay had occurred. In considering the question of delay in the context of the statutory duty of the respondents, I observe that there is no statutory timescale within which the respondents must determine an application for planning permission which is the subject of an appeal to them or which is the subject of the call in procedures under section 46 of the 1997 Act. The absence of such a timescale is understandable because each application will differ in its nature and complexity and for that reason it would not be prudent or appropriate to have a timescale which applied uniformly, whatever the nature of the application. Had any alternative approach been adopted in the legislation, the outcome would probably have been detrimental for all concerned in the planning process, not least developers. Any uniform timescale would either cater for complex cases or not. If the former approach were adopted, decisions in less complex appeals may be delayed unduly if reporters and Ministers took advantage of the time available; the latter approach would probably have the consequence that complex cases would frequently be the subject of petitions for Judicial Review because of a failure to determine them within the statutory timescale. However the absence of a statutory timescale is not determinative of the respondents' obligations in cases such as this. The structure of the planning legislation is such that applicants for planning permission are entitled to expect a decision on their application from the local planning authority within a specified time. In terms of section 47(2) of the 1997 Act and Article 14 of the Town & Country Planning (General and Development Procedure) (Scotland) Order 1992, as amended (hereinafter referred to as "the GDPO"), an applicant for planning permission may appeal to the respondents if the local planning authority has not given notice of its decision to the applicant within two months of the lodging of the application or such extended period as may be agreed in writing between the applicant and the planning authority. In terms of Article 2 of the Town & Country Planning (Notification of Applications) (Scotland) Direction 1997 (hereinafter referred to as "Circular 4/1997"), a local planning authority, which notifies the respondents of its intention to grant planning permission for development for which applications must be notified to the respondents, is precluded from granting such permission for a period of 28 days. In the present case the period was extended by agreement to six months. Thus applicants may reasonably expect decisions at first instance within a short timescale unless they agree to extend the period in question. The justification for this is readily understood when one considers that developers require to have prompt decisions of their proposals to enable them to make alternative proposals for other sites if their application is unsuccessful, or to make necessary arrangements to enable them to proceed with the development as soon as possible if they are successful. The time within which applicants may reasonably expect their appeals to be determined must be considered in this context. Another factor which will inform the expectations of developers in relation to the timescale of appeals or applications which are called in for determination by the respondents is the practice of the respondents and their predecessors in the determination of appeals by other developers. I was advised by senior counsel for the petitioners that the public inquiry in the Gartcosh Power Station case lasted sixty six days, as compared with seventy eight days in the present case, and the determination was issued eighteen months after the close of the inquiry. That case also involved the preparation and issue by a reporter of Part 1 of a report. The timescale in that case could be used as an indication of what might reasonably be expected in the present case. By contrast the respondents did not refer to any other case where the delay between the close of the inquiry and the determination approximated three years, being the time taken by the Reporter to issue the first draft of Part 1, far less a period close to four years being the time taken to submit her report to the respondents and certainly not a period in excess of five years, being the time which has now elapsed since the close of the inquiry. In all the circumstances I am of the opinion that the petitioners had a legitimate expectation that the respondents would determine the application within a reasonable time. What amounts to a reasonable time in any case depends upon the particular circumstances of the case, including its complexity, the length of the public inquiry at which evidence was led, and a variety of other factors including, in this case, illness of the Reporter and the change of administration following upon Devolution. Nevertheless, even allowing for these special factors, the delay in this case was of scandalous proportions and the respondents have failed to determine the application within a reasonable time. The delay on the part of the Reporter after the close of the inquiry on 6 June 1995, even allowing for her illness, was in itself unreasonable as was the delay following 29 April 1999. However, the cumulative effect of both periods of delay resulted in the failure of the respondents to meet the reasonable expectations of the petitioners that their application would be determined within a reasonable time by the respondents. In all the circumstances I have concluded that by their said failure the respondents have acted unfairly from a procedural point of view. For that reason I shall grant the declarator sought that the respondents are in breach of their statutory duty by their said failure. The petitioners also seek a declarator that the decision of the Minister to refer to SNH the question of whether any part of the application area should be proposed as a cSAC was ultra vires. There are a number of different issues raised in this context and I propose to deal with them in turn. It was accepted by counsel for both parties that as far as partiality is concerned the test within our jurisprudence is the same as in European jurisprudence. In the course of his submissions on this aspect of the case, junior counsel for the petitioners referred to the Minister's alleged membership of Friends of the Earth. This was not foreshadowed in the petition and therefore the respondents had no opportunity to answer this allegation. In view of the potential significance of junior counsel's statement I enquired whether he intended to develop an argument based upon R v Bow Street Metropolitan Stipendiary Magistrates and Others ex parte Pinochet Ungarte (No.2) 1999 1 All. E.R. 577 but was advised that the petitioners disavowed any such argument. Moreover, counsel stated that no reliance was placed upon the Minister's alleged membership of that organisation. In these circumstances I have disregarded this matter although I am at a loss to understand why any reference to this matter was made, particularly in the absence of any averment in what is a particularly detailed petition. The thrust of the submissions on behalf of the petitioners was that it was ultra vires of the Minister to refer the classification of the application site to SNH for advice in the context of a planning application where SNH had been the principal objectors. The objection to the involvement of SNH at this stage was compounded by the presence on the main board of SNH of Mr Michael Scott and Mr Kevin Dunion, both of whom gave evidence on behalf of objectors at the inquiry, and Mr Dunion's recent public statement in opposition to the application. The submissions on behalf of the respondents concentrated upon the terms of the Minister's statement (No. 11/2 of process) and more particularly upon the terms of the letter dated 12 July 2000 to SNH (No. 6/4 of process). It was submitted that the tone, tenor and neutral language of the letter resulted in a construction which negated any hint of prejudice. While I have some sympathy with the submission on behalf of the respondents as far as the tone, tenor and neutral language of the letter is concerned, I have concluded that the reference to SNH in the circumstances of this case conveys the appearance that they will not bring an impartial judgment to bear on the matter. They were instrumental in persuading the Secretary of State for Scotland to call in the application, thereafter they attended the inquiry as the principal objectors to the grant of planning permission and two of its present board members gave evidence on behalf of other objectors. Since the close of the inquiry, Mr Dunion has made public statements as recently as 12 July 2000, from which it is clear that he remains opposed to the grant of planning permission. As will be apparent from my observations when I consider the question of irrationality, it is essential to distinguish between the respondents' obligations in terms of the planning legislation and their obligations under the Directive. The objection to the reference to SNH must be seen as being confined to the planning process. Having regard to the history of the involvement of SNH in the application and subsequent planning procedures and of Mr Scott and Mr Dunion it must appear to the petitioners that in the context of the planning process SNH cannot bring an impartial judgment to bear upon the matter and justice would not be seen to be done. It is well settled in our law that the appearance of injustice is as offensive as the reality. In that regard I would refer to R v Kent Police Authority and Others ex parte Godden 1971 2 Q.B. 662. In my opinion this is sufficient to justify a declarator that the Minister has acted ultra vires. However, I should also deal with a supplementary submission relating to another aspect of alleged procedural impropriety. The other aspect of procedural impropriety relied upon by the petitioners relates to an interpretation of the Rules. The Rules govern the procedure prior to, during and after the inquiry. Rule 12(3) regulates the procedure where the Minister differs from the Reporter on a finding of fact or wishes to take account of any new evidence. It was submitted that the necessary procedure had not been followed in this case. The response on behalf of the respondents was that it is clear from the Parliamentary answer that the Minister required further information and had not reached the stage of disagreeing with the Reporter. Having considered these competing submissions I am of the opinion that although there is no specific provision in the Rules for the Minister to undertake investigations, it is not unreasonable for her to cause inquiry to be made to inform her decision as to whether she disagrees with findings in fact. Accordingly had the alleged contravention of the Rules been the only basis upon which procedural impropriety was alleged, I would not have concluded that the Minister was acting ultra vires. Counsel for the petitioners also submitted that the decision of the Minister was irrational and accordingly ultra vires. In considering this particular aspect of the case it is essential, in the context of the Minister having a number of different responsibilities, to determine the purpose of the reference to SNH. In this regard counsel for the respondents emphasised that the Environment Department of the Scottish Executive (hereinafter referred to as "the Environment Department") was separate from and operated independently of the Planning Department, even although the Minister was responsible for both functions. Officials within the Environment Department were responsible for advising the Minister on the implementation of the Directive. They had no interest in the planning process associated with the application. Although officials in the Environment Department had seen and checked the factual accuracy of the environmental section of Part 1 of the Report, they had no other involvement in the consideration by the Minister of the application. The first question to be considered thus becomes one of whether the reference to SNH by the Minister was solely connected with the fulfilment by the Minister of her obligations under the Directive. If the answer to that question is in the affirmative, I consider that it cannot be maintained that the reference was irrational. In determining this question a number of issues required to be considered. In the first place, what significance is to be attached to the departure in this case from the normal procedure for the identification of cSACs. I am of the opinion that there is nothing improper or irrational in the Minister's departure from the procedure normally followed in the identification of cSACs. Although the initiative is usually taken by SNH in evaluating sites and identifying possible cSACs for submission to the Minister for her consideration as an initial step in the process, it would be unreasonable to preclude a third party, including the Minister, from suggesting sites to SNH for evaluation which the third party considered to be significant. In the present case the Minister was aware that the Commission's view that the deficiency in the sites submitted by the United Kingdom and other Member States is related to the under-representation of certain botanical species. The Minister was also aware that some of these species are present on the application site and that the Reporter concluded that the bryophyte flora are of national and international importance. In these circumstances it would be totally unrealistic to expect the Minister to refrain from asking SNH to include this site for the purpose of its evaluation of potential cSACs. Indeed it might even be argued, with some merit, that if the Minister did not refer the matter to SNH she would be failing in her duty under the Directive. The second question to be considered is whether the Minister could have determined the planning application without preventing her from considering the classification of the site as a cSAC. Obviously if planning permission were refused by the Minister, she would not be precluded from considering whether the site or any part thereof should be proposed as a cSAC. The issue thus becomes whether the grant of planning permission would preclude the subsequent classification of the site as a cSAC. It was conceded by counsel for the respondents that from the point of view of the protection of the site there would be no prejudice in granting planning permission. In my opinion that concession was appropriate and could not properly have been withheld particularly when it is appreciated that following the grant of planning permission there would be a period of about four years before any development of the site can proceed. That period is required to enable the petitioners to obtain other licences and permissions associated with ancillary works outwith the application site. The Minister could also utilise that period to enable advice to be obtained concerning the need to classify the site as a cSAC. If the site were ultimately classified as a cSAC following the grant of planning permission, Regulation 50 of the Regulations provides for the review of planning permission as soon as reasonably practicable after the date on which the site becomes a European site. In order to secure the protection of a cSAC, planning permission may be revoked or modified in terms of sections 65 - 69 inclusive of the 1997 Act. Section 76 of the 1997 Act provides for the payment of compensation when planning permission is revoked or modified. Thus the scheme of the Regulations and the 1997 Act envisages the grant of planning permission for a site which later becomes a cSAC. In that situation the cSAC would be protected from development by the revocation or modification of planning permission. The provisions for compensation ensure that all the legitimate interests are balanced and appropriate protection is given to each of these interests. In these circumstances there is no need in the present case to defer the determination of the planning application pending advice from SNH as to whether the site should be proposed as a cSAC. If Parliament had considered that to be a proper approach, the Regulations could have been framed accordingly. I also consider that if the deferral of the decision on the application is to secure the avoidance of a potential liability to pay compensation, that is an improper consideration in the context of the Regulations and the statutory provisions to which I have referred. It is clear from a fair reading of the Minister's statement (No.11/2 of process) that the Minister intends to defer determination of the application pending receipt of advice from SNH about the inclusion of the site as a cSAC. I have reached the conclusion that there is no justifiable reason to defer consideration of the planning application pending the receipt of such advice. If the site merits such a designation and the protection following such a designation that can be achieved before any planning application is implemented. In all the circumstances I am of the opinion that the decision of the Minister is irrational and as such is ultra vires. The petitioners also seek a declarator that the respondents have acted in breach of Article 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (hereinafter referred to as "the Convention"). Counsel for the respondents invited me to conclude that Article 6 did not apply because there is no dispute or "contestation" as to the petitioners' civil rights and obligations and that until the respondents determine the application it could not be asserted that there will be a "contestation". It was accepted by counsel for the respondents that if Article 6 applied in this case, the European jurisprudence is the same as our own jurisprudence in relation to partiality. The petitioners have a heritable right in the form of a 99 year lease of the site and have indicated a willingness to enter into an agreement in terms of section 75 of the 1997 Act, formerly section 50 of the 1972 Act. They also have the right to anorthosite and other minerals on the site. These property rights of the petitioners are clearly a civil right within the meaning of Article 6(1) of the Convention. Reference is made to the opinion of the Commission in Bryan v United Kingdom (1995) 21 E.H.R.R. 342 at p.351 para.38. The only remaining question is whether the call in of the application by the respondents and the resulting proceedings can be described as being directly concerned with the way in which the petitioners may use the land in which they have an interest. Counsel for the respondents accepted that if the local planning authority had refused the petitioners planning permission, any appeal to the respondents in terms of the planning legislation would constitute a dispute about the petitioners' civil rights and obligations and the planning appeal would be governed by Article 6(1). Similarly in terms of Bryan v United Kingdom, if the petitioners proceeded to develop the superquarry without planning permission and appealed against any enforcement notice served upon them, such appeal proceedings would be proceedings which determined a civil right in terms of Article 6. In either of these circumstances the petitioners would be entitled to a fair and public hearing within a reasonable time by an independent and impartial tribunal established by law. It is difficult for me to comprehend why in that situation the present proceedings before the respondents should be treated in any different manner. The approach of the respondents' counsel was, in my opinion, unduly restrictive. If an appeal against a refusal of planning permission is protected by Article 6, it seems astonishing that the proceedings resulting from the call in of an application which WIIC was minded to grant should be afforded any less protection. It is even more astonishing when one recalls that the procedure adopted in respect of applications called in for determination by the respondents is identical to the procedure in appeals against refusal of planning permission and appeals against the serving of enforcement notices. I am of the opinion that there is a dispute about the exercise of the petitioners' civil rights, evidenced by the desire of the local planning authority to grant the petitioners the necessary planning permission and the call in by the respondents of the application for their determination after a public local inquiry. Moreover, the consideration of objections to the grant of planning permission and the hearing of evidence from witnesses in support of and against the application clearly points to the existence of a dispute. I have concluded that the submissions for the respondents should be rejected and that Article 6 is applicable in the present case. Having regard to my conclusions concerning the delay in this case, and to Santilli v Italy (1991) 14 E.H.R.R. 421, I am of the opinion that there has been a breach of Article 6(1). In addition, having regard to the views which I have already expressed about partiality, I have concluded that there is also a breach of Article 6(1) in that regard. Accordingly I shall pronounce the declarator sought that the respondents are in breach of Article 6 of the Convention. I was advised by senior counsel for the respondents that it would be sufficient for me to pronounce declarators to secure a decision from the Minister within a reasonable time. Upon being pressed concerning the meaning of "a reasonable time" in this context, senior counsel was unable to be more precise other than to assure me that the Minister and her officials were aware that the timescale contemplated by me was of the order of 21 days from the date of my interlocutor. In these circumstances I consider that it is unnecessary for me to pronounce any further order at this stage to secure a determination of the application by the respondents. I shall accordingly pronounce a declarator (1) that the respondents are in breach of their statutory duty by failing to determine the application within a reasonable time; (2) that the decision by the respondents to refer the classification of the site to SNH for advice in the context of the determination of the planning application was ultra vires and (3) that the respondents have acted in breach of Article 6 of the Convention in respect of the delay in determining the application and the reference to SNH in the context of the planning process.

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4 The the help of the flap taken from temporal fascia or any other other alternative is surgical treatment.6 Strokes can have minor consequences especially lacunar Decompressive Craniectomy: As an alternative and small cortical strokes or they can be lethal if they therapy. ischaemic stroke and surgical treatment of stroke along with recommendations haemorrhagic stroke. Karachi. large bone flap. Haemorrhagic stroke comprises of two main types. Aga Khan University Hospital.5 Current available medical treatment of intraparenchymal haemorrhage (ICH). In this review the recent advances in accommodate the swollen brain. CT Brain showing large right MCA territory infarct with significant midline shift and twenty four hours or leading to death. The aim of treatment in stroke patients is to prevent further neurologic deterioration and prevent recurrence. Ischaemic stroke or cerebral infarction from latest randomized trials will be discussed. surgical decompression techniques have been involve major arterial distribution such as whole middle proposed to relieve the high ICP. but they are often The poor outcome associated with ischaemic stroke devastating. In this review the recent advances in surgical treatment of stroke will be discussed along with recommendations from the latest randomized trials. Syed Ather Enam Department of Neurosurgery. To deal with the lethal complication of haemorrhage (SAH). However there is recent reconsideration of this form of treatment and ongoing trials are showing some promising results. hypothermia surrounding the brain.2 Spontaneous intracranial haemorrhages Surgical treatment of ischaemic stroke: account for about 20% of all strokes. barbiturate coma. hypertonic saline. However there is recent reconsideration of this the necrotic infarcted brain parenchyma. Ipsilateral to the side of infarction Despite all advances in medical treatment. Abstract Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. The rationale of form of treatment and ongoing trials are showing some this therapy is to create compensatory space to promising results. where there is ischaemic stroke includes thrombolysis and anti bleeding within the brain itself and subarachnoid coagulation. accounting for a disproportionately large is attributed to malignant oedema that causes early rise in proportion of morbidity and mortality among stroke intracranial pressure (ICP) and subsequent brain herniation patients. The other alternative is surgical treatment. This involves removal of cerebral artery (MCA) territory infarction (Figure 1). medical treatment offers rupture in the cerebrospinal fluid filled subarachnoid space mannitol. accounting for approximately 70-80% of all strokes. thereby normalizing 378 J Pak Med Assoc .7 No attempt is made to remove 1 evidence. Muhammad Zubair Tahir. which is characterized by vessel malignant oedema and raised ICP. However no medical therapy has The aim of treatment in stroke patients is to prevent proven effective in preventing brain herniation and further neurological deterioration and prevent recurrence. lasting for more than Figure 1.1 We can divide stroke mass effect. Introduction Stroke is the second leading cause of death worldwide. is the most common. which still lacks class available graft (duroplasty). and death. Despite all advances in medical treatment. which still lacks class 1 evidence. improving patient outcome. mortality in such (hemicraniectomy) followed by dural reconstruction with large infarcts is estimated to be between 50% and 78%. morbidity and mortality in stroke patients is still very high. into two broad categories namely.Review Article Role of neurosurgery in the management of stroke Gohar Javed.3 and hyperventilation.1 The World Health Organization defines stroke clinically as "rapidly developing clinical signs of focal disturbance of cerebral function. in the surgery group compared with 5. The benefits of carotid surgery appear to be patients originated from 2 centres only.11 However.23). the decompressive surgery. and 50%. respectively). because of slow recruitment and organizing a pooled Decompressive surgery was first reported as a analysis of individual data from this trial and the two other potential treatment for large hemispheric infarction in case ongoing European trials of decompressive craniectomy in reports as early as 1956. cases of cerebral infarction due to main-trunk occlusion had randomized.15 Based on the results of several reports suggesting that Prospective analyses as the North American patients more than 60 years may not benefit from Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET). the data safety symptomatic carotid atherosclerosis. DESTINY only included patients Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerosis Study (ACAS). the proportion of patients with a MRS score provide improved outcomes by avoiding the consequences less than 3 at the 6-month and 1-year follow-up. the treatment of large MCA ischaemic strokes. and 18 to 60 years of age.9 effective in improving the prognosis of patients with acute cerebral infarction within 3hours after the onset. was 25% of brainstem compression from transtentorial herniation. patient Carotid endarterectomy: Carotid artery surgery enrollment was interrupted as per protocol.8 But this form of treatment remains controversial in of death after craniectomy compared with medical therapy the absence of randomized controlled trials.intracranial pressure. There was a 52.0001). DECIMAL (Decompressive Craniectomy In emergency revascularization. Recurrent stenosis occurs at the rate of 5 .10. 47% of include serious medical risks of anaesthesia and recent large patients in the surgical arm versus 27% of patients in the parenchymal infarction.2%. Vol. After 6 and 12 months. 7. Among the 38 patients that early decompression reduces mortality and may randomized. stenting and Germany. First.10% per this makes DESTINY an oligocentre rather than a year after operation but is not always symptomatic. the European Carotid Surgery Trial (ECST) demonstrated DECIMAL is a Sequential-Design trial conducted in superior reduction in the incidence of stroke among France involving patients between 18 and 55 years of age symptomatic and a select group of asymptomatic patients with malignant MCA infarction to compare functional undergoing carotid endarterectomy (CEA).12 design that used mortality after 30 days as the first end point. multicentre. (47%) patients randomized to conservative therapy survived Possible contraindications to carotid endarterectomy after 30 days (P = 0. DESTINY showed that brain ischaemia secondary to haemodynamic insufficiency.10 When this end point was reached.7 The largest case series suggested malignant MCA infarction. In addition DESTINY does not provide Operative mortality is less than 2% and the risk of stroke is data on older patients with malignant MCA infarction. Fifteen of seventeen (88%) alone. No. DESTINY has several shortcomings. controlled. conservative treatment arm had a modified Rankin Scale Carotid artery surgery helps prevent subsequent score of 0 to 3 (P = 0. July 2008 379 . early decompressive craniectomy increased by more than half the number of Recently three multicentre randomized controlled patients with minimal to moderate disability and trials have been conducted with favourable outcomes in significantly reduced (by more than half) the mortality rate patients who underwent decompressive craniectomies for compared with that after medical therapy. carotid endartrectomy.6% and Patients who underwent early hemicraniectomy had a 22. The National Institute of Middle Cerebral Artery Infarcts) from France and Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) reported that HAMLET (Hemicraniectomy After Middle Cerebral Artery thrombolytic therapy by intravenous administration of a Infarction With Life Threatening Odema Trial) from recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) was Netherland.13 Carotid artery surgery has also been used when the patients randomized to hemicraniectomy versus 7 of 15 patient has acute carotid occlusion and minor stroke. These are DESTINY (Decompressive Surgery for the Treatment of The other surgical options for ischaemic stroke are Malignant Infarction of the Middle Cerebral Artery) from embolectomy. clinical trial based on a sequential a low revascularization rate and a poor prognosis.02).14 multicentre trial. reverting brain shifts and preventing monitoring committee recommended stopping the trial secondary neuronal insult. less than 4%. only (P<0. DESTINY is a prospective. durable. 58.6 established CEA as the therapeutic gold standard for After randomization of 38 patients. 81% of diseased artery. A statistically has been shown to significantly decrease the risk of a significant reduction in mortality was reached after 32 subsequent stroke compared to the best medical therapy patients had been included. hemicraniectomy reduces mortality in large hemispheric arterial embolism or propagating thrombosis from the stroke.8% absolute reduction surgery. As a matter of fact. in the no-surgery group respectively (P = 0.18 and P mortality rate of 16% compared to 34% for delayed = 0. In this trial. These studies outcomes with or without decompressive craniectomy. treating a case of ICH is whether or not surgery is required Sakai et al reported their surgical results in patients in a particular case? The answer to this question is better with acute cerebral main-trunk occlusion in the anterior defined in the case of infra-tentorial haematomas than in circulation. In issue.20 Similarly prognosis condition characterized by progressive. 14 less than 13. pathological site. Sub-arachnoid haemorrhage itself may not require The current indications of revascularization surgery any surgical treatment but some of its causes or include patients with impaired collaterals causing regional complications require surgery.middle collateral blood flow to the territory of occluded or severely cerebral artery (MMA-MCA) anastomoses. encephaloduroarteriosynangiosis (EDAS) carotid . failed to reveal any benefit of external transposition. revascularization was achieved. Vermian haematomas more often require evacuation all the patients. idiopathic occlusion for brain stem haematomas is poor except in those cases of of the bilateral supraclinoid internal carotid arteries (ICA). The indirect stenosed cerebral arteries. Surgical interventions have been Transluminal Angioplasty Study (CAVATAS) will attempt divided into direct and indirect bypass techniques. both usually done by end to side anastomosis of superficial consist of laying dural flap with intact blood supply directly temporal artery branch with middle cerebral artery distal to on to cerebral cortex. however. Other clinical situations in which an EC-IC coiling. Moyamoya therapy. within 24 hours after the onset.21 The results of surgery were found to be in 1957 and subsequent angiographic characterization and favorable in 13 out of 20 patients with CT guided 380 J Pak Med Assoc . Vascular malformations may require surgical bypass procedure may be considered includes. hydrocephalus or a Glasgow coma score of artery in 1 patient. However technical innovations in interventional naming by Suzuki and Takaku in 1969.internal carotid artery (EC-IC) bypass surgery. With a morbidity rate of >70% in untreated patients. a selected patients with acute cerebral main-trunk occlusion hemispheric haematoma can be observed and managed in the anterior circulation. Hydrocephalus or malignant oedema developing cerebral aneurysms not amenable to direct surgical clipping after sub-arachnoid hemorrhage may also require surgery. The Carotid Revascularization Endarterectomy versus Stent surgical intervention has become the standard therapy in Trial (CREST) and the Carotid and Vertebral Artery patients with MMD. Aneurysms causing sub cerebral blood flow compromise and failed maximal arachnoid haemorrhage require obliteration by clipping or medical therapy.17 stroke.middle cerebral artery (STA-MCA). prospective evaluation is pending. The to address the efficacy of percutaneous angioplasty and direct bypass techniques proposed include superficial stenting compared with CEA. However. conservatively. Revascularization surgery: Bypass surgery provides occipital artery-MCA. The occlusion occurred in Surgery is required in cerebellar haematomas if there the internal carotid artery in 10 patients. A large international cooperative techniques consist of multiple cranial bur holes. giant excision. temporal artery . Although retrospective analyses of angioplasty and disease is diagnosed and staged by using catheter stenting suggest that their clinical efficacy is comparable to angiography. and 3 had a carotid endarterectomy. and in the anterior cerebral fourth ventricle.18 Twenty six patients were surgically treated supra-tentorial clots. omental study. moderate to severe compression of cerebral artery in 15 patients. Since its first description by Takeuchi and Shimizu than 20 mm. and as compared to hemispheric hematomas of comparable size. Size of the haematoma is a more controversial had an embolectomy. pontine haemorrhage that are not comatose to begin with. several thousand radiology have renewed the debate about the optimal cases have been documented worldwide. Their study Surgery is required for a hemispheric hematoma which is 40 concluded that early surgical revascularization can be an x 30 mm or more and a vermian hematoma which is 35 x 25 effective and safe treatment modality in appropriately mm or more in their largest dimensions. neurological improvement was obtained.16 However two Surgical treatment of haemorrhagic stroke particular groups were not addressed: those for whom the Intra parenchymal brain haemorrhage is more best available medical therapy had failed and those with common than sub arachnoid haemorrhage as a cause of clearly documented haemodynamic compromise. and reconstruction (where the parent vessel must be The first question that a surgeon has to address while sacrificed) and other progressive vasculopathies. and middle meningeal artery. that of endarterectomy. even if it is more than 30 mm in its Revascularization in Moya Moya Disease: maximum diameter but is not causing any significant Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a rare cerebrovascular compression of the fourth ventricle. in the middle is tight posterior fossa.19. and anterior cerebral artery have normal pupils and the size of the haematoma is less (ACA). and encephaloduroarteriomyosynangiosis (EDAMS). proximal middle cerebral artery. Nine patients underwent anastomosis. in the setting of symptomatic arterial occlusions and inaccessible stenosis. Prognostic score was calculated as: (10 x admission Glasgow coma score) . Secondary outcome included mortality. Any favorable outcome seen with minimally invasive methods was offset by the craniotomy procedures. Surgery offered as a life saving procedure after patient developed signs of herniation. multicentre study addressing this issue is Craniotomy: In STICH trial. The only large. modified Rankin scale or Barthel index. A more organized patients were managed conservatively. 7. knowledge.Age (years) - (0. Significant benefit of surgery was not found in terms of mortality.23 In this trial 1033 patients from 83 centres in 27 favorable outcome for the hematomas within 1 cm of the countries mainly from Europe. So the best indication of treatment. a . One of the inclusion criteria for this trial is "if the responsible neurosurgeon is uncertain about the benefits of either treatment". Glasgow coma score.post op scan. Variables were age. randomized. b . This may be because of a paucity of large. randomized.23 Does that prove that there are no well defined indications for surgery in supra tentorial ICH? The answer to this question lies in the inclusion criteria of STICH trial. severity of neurological deficit and type of intended operation. multi-centre studies. Asia and Africa were brain surface (Figure 3). no one can wait in a middle aged otherwise fit patient who Figure 3. The other theoretical consideration randomized into two treatment groups.Preop scan. When should a surgeon be more certain about the decision to operate in a case of supra tentorial ICH? Although there is no support from the literature. Results of other randomized trials before STICH also failed to show any benefit of surgery in ICH. In one group. the Barthel index and the modified Rankin scale. This majority of craniotomies are probably the reason why the only advantage of early surgery 3b observed in this study is for the hematomas located within one centimeter of the surface (easier removal of superficial hematomas through craniotomies). is the consistency of the hematoma. while in the other group patients underwent surgery within 24 hours of 3a randomization in addition to conservative treatment. Another reason is The methods for hematoma evacuation can be probably a trend towards minimally invasive surgery with divided into two categories: craniotomy / craniectomy and resultant modification of the indications. Vol. haematoma volume.22 surgery in supra-tentorial hematomas is certainty of the The indications of surgery in supra-tentorial ICH are surgeon about the results of surgery according to his/her less obvious. craniotomy and International Surgical Trial for Intra Cerebral Haemorrhage evacuation of ICH has been found to be associated with (STICH). 58.64 x volume [ml]) Primary outcome was death or disability using the extended Glasgow outcome scale 6 month after the ictus. July 2008 381 .stereotactic aspiration of pontine tegmental hypertensive relatively superficial medium size (15-30 cc) clot located in haemorrhages when compared to the conservative a non eloquent part of the brain. This leads to another question. which were performed in the majority of the patients. minimally invasive procedures. experience and circumstances. So the uncertain results attest to the "uncertainty" of the surgeons. CT Brain showing large left basal ganglia bleed with mass effect and intraventricular shows rapid deterioration of level of consciousness due to a spillage of blood. This means that there should be a number of cases in which a surgeon is more certain about the results of surgery. thrombolytic or anticoagulant treatment. lobar versus basal ganglia / thalamic haematoma or both. No. 96 +/. In other group the patients were treated respect to waiting time of surgery.27 Studies have functional independence measure (FIM) score.001). hematoma evacuation rate and mortality. Barthel index and improvement in muscle power functional outcome. stereotactic aspiration and craniotomy stereotactically placed catheter was used to instill urokinase in non comatose patients. depending upon the with the use of neuroendoscope. All these are considered to be bad prognostic signs. as functional outcome. A smaller bony opening is availability and urgency of the situation endoscopic required to accommodate a cortical incision. Outcome combination of craniotomy and operating microscope may after fibrinolytic stereotactic evacuation of clot may be be another advantage over blind procedures which form a comparable to other methods of treatment. with but is resistant to suction without fibrinolysis if operated by urokinase or t-PA or mechanical e. However. Stereotaxy adds precision to the procedure by Neuro observation.26 In a study deep seated hematoma in clinically good patients should be evaluating stereotactic treatment of intra cerebral observed (Figure 2). Minimally Invasive Surgery: This can be described in two broad categories namely blind procedures and endoscopy. from India has reviewed 12 patients who were treated with decompressive hemicraniectomy with evacuation of hypertensive ICH. a advantageous for deep seated lesions. Visibility provided by the screw.30 The surgical technique becomes less invasive craniotomy group. to be better than the stereotaxy and craniotomy for the 50.g. when compared to external ventricular complications were re bleeding and infection. No months after surgery. length of operation time. conservatively. The tube can be 382 J Pak Med Assoc .56 +/. The only difference was better Neurological outcome was compared with respect to reduction of haematoma volume over 7 days. respect to haematoma volume reduction or outcome. 7 of 11 with intra ventricular extension of haematoma and 4 of 8 with haematoma volume greater than 60 cc made good functional recovery. while fibrinolysis makes a clot of firm consistency more hematoma should be easily evacuated through craniotomy amenable to suction.3%) Neuroendoscopic evacuation of intra ventricular and highest complication rate (16. Fibrinolysis may be chemical e.24 (236. Blind Procedures: Blind procedures are essentially burr hole aspirations. Three out of seven with pupillary abnormalities. This makes it less suitable for urgent situations. with Archimedes minimally invasive procedures. there was no difference in were significantly better in endoscopy group as compared to mortality. however. CT Brain showing small deep seated right basal ganglia bleed. highest mortality (13. There was no difference in mortality as well blood loss.25 Interestingly 11 out of 12 patients were discharged alive.13 +/-137. Managed non operatively and fibrinolysis.29 P<001). usually less than a centimeter in width. P < .31 Use of a metallic Decompressive Craniectomy: Not much is tube allows both endoscope as well as other instruments to available on this topic in the literature. Neuroendoscopy: Neuroendoscopy has been found Craniotomy had the longest operating time (229.g.001).24 The three randomized treatment to liquefy and drain the ICH in 6 hourly intervals over 48 groups (with 30 patients in each group) were compared with hours.18 minutes. The most major haemorrhage. with or without the help of stereotaxy Figure 2.57 minutes.45 ml. P<0. which is evacuation of the hematoma is preferable over craniotomy. ultrasonic aspirator or oscillating cutters. Therefore. In surgical group a endoscopic surgery.6%). Barthel also compared the results of frame based and frameless index score and muscle power (MP) of affected limbs 6 stereotaxy for the evacuation of supra tentorial ICH. Stereotactic aspiration had the longest difference has been found between the two techniques with waiting time before evacuation (172. haematoma by means of a plasminogen activator (SICHPA) One study from China has prospectively compared randomized 70 patients in two groups. Therefore decompressive hemicraniectomy with clot evacuation can be life saving with good functional outcome in patients with a large size ICH is extending into the ventricles and is associated with papillary abnormalities.93. It is particularly significant part of minimally invasive surgery. was found to be associated with better score. A retrospective study be used through the tube at the same time. The FIM drainage alone.28. with most significant blood loss evacuation of basal ganglia ICH in non comatose patients. Clinical alert: benefit of carotid endarterectomy for patients with high-grade stenosis of the internal carotid artery. Brain edema after stroke. Ross SA. Dissection can be done arrangement may be agreed upon. Arch Neurol. controlled trial of early decompressive craniectomy in malignant middle cerebral artery infarction (DECIMAL Trial). of haemorrhagic stroke such as spontaneous sub dural Early hemicraniectomy in patients with complete middle cerebral artery infarction. plays a definitive role in improving the quality of stroke Flexible endoscope has been introduced through aqueduct patient care. Horn M. Management of spontaneous cerebellar hematomas: a prospective treatment protocol. Touzé E. Delayed craniotomy 2007.. hydrocephalus after spontaneous ICH. 93:313-8. while burr hole 10. Sequential-design. This is especially 2. Stroke. Craniotomy is 9. Steiner T. von Kummer R. In addition. 19 :655-64. the ventricular system. Couvreur G. Physical proximity of the neurology and neurosurgery transparent viewing dissector coupled with endoscope. and controversies. Kirollos RW. Mortality by cause for eight regions of the world: may be required in those cases which develop acute Global Burden of Disease Study. Vahedi K. Hacke W. 29 :1888-93. Steiner HH. Gupta R. Ultra early craniotomy 6. Spetzler RF. Mikulik R. haematoma or extra dural haematoma. centres as well as other hospitals for the neurosurgery and 18. Surgery.Stroke. Ogiwara T. Association/American Stroke Association guidelines 5. Connolly ES. Molina CA. N Engl J Med. It behoves therefore in tertiary analysis in light of the International Cooperative Study. neurology to work together. 38 :3302-7. increased risk of recurrent bleeding. July 2008 383 . van Hille PT. 58. Youkey JR. Aschoff A. Stroke. Jüttler E. Hacke W. outcomes. Stroke. Goldstein LB. Unterberg A. Awad IA. Hemicraniectomy for massive the outcome. References CSF Diversion: External ventricular drain (EVD) 1. 3. Guillon B. Neurosurgery. Nitta J. 1997. Advantages. Schwab S. Simel DL. Sacco RL. Ropper AH. Failure of extracranial-intracranial arterial bypass to reduce the risk of yet to be defined with high quality studies. mortality rate and on the other hand is associated with multicenter. In many centres the haemorrhagic stroke patients 19. ischemic stroke. NINDS clinical trials in stroke: lessons learned and future vasculitis.manoeuvred in different directions. EVD may be life saving in this 293:2391-402. e. The EC/IC Bypass Study Group. Liquid part of stroke patients are managed by Neurologists. undertaken. Tanaka Y et. 1989. North American impending herniation. Woitzik J. 1986. Rouanet F. Appropriate referral can make Emergency revascularization for acute main-trunk occlusion in the anterior a remarkable difference for the unfortunate victims of circulation. 38 :2518-25. More solid part requires should be practiced in all the centres or an alternate dissection and piecemeal removal. 1997. directions. A inpatient beds. Schmiedek P. Lopez AD. their respective roles have 16. Elkind MS. intervention that was done by neurosurgery has been taken concerns. 2007.al. Schwarz S. invasive methods has some benefit. 313 :1191-200. Sakai K. situation. surgery may also play a diagnostic role (DESTINY): a randomized. thrombosis can have a remarkable benefit from surgical Hutton JE Jr. Stroke. Neurosurg Rev. Is this patient having a stroke? JAMA. Stroke. required for acute and more solid lesions. Stroke. Kim YS. Lancet. Whether this the haematoma can be aspirated. Stroke. 2007 . 1985. Orabi M.31 4. "Malignant" middle cerebral artery territory infarction: clinical course and Recommendations in recent American Heart prognostic signs. Awad IA. Jansen O. De Georgia M. McDonald PT. Arch Neurol. Jenetzky E. 41:26-9. 36 :869-71. 53:309-15. Vol.g. George (within 12 hours) does not improve functional outcome or B. 7. Little JR. Schwab S. true in those cases in which ICH extends into or compresses Neurology. Yelnik A. Vicaut E. Instead two separate are admitted by the neurosurgical service and ischaemic burr holes can be used for the same purpose. DECIMAL Investigators. DESTINY Study Group. 349:1269-76. Mayer S. intervention in certain cases. Witte evacuation is usually sufficient for more liquid and chronic S. Decompressive Surgery for the Treatment of Malignant Infarction of the Middle Cerebral Artery lesions. Clinical syndrome and suggest that operative removal within 12 hours by less intracranial pressure. Carpentier A. whenever a biopsy is required in cases of ICH due to 11. Schwab S. neurosurgical involvement but in certain cases where the 13. Marks PV. and stroke subtypes for ischemic stroke. 1984. 22 :816-7. 2006 37:e18-e26. Salander JM. Bousser MG. Guichard JPet. Spranger M. neurosurgery should be immediately Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET) investigators. 2005. 20 :417-22. Even diseases as devastating as cerebral venous 14. stroke. similarly does not offer any benefit and in fact may worsen 7. Extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery: a critical the management of stroke. Early recanalization rates and clinical outcomes in patients with tandem internal carotid artery/middle cerebral artery occlusion and Majority of the stroke patients do not need isolated middle cerebral artery occlusion. 35 :539-43. Rich NM. Stroke. Marler JR. Patch angioplasty in carotid endarterectomy. over by interventional radiology. Neurosurgery plays an important second-tier role in 17. Horiuchi T. clinics and combined academic activity water jet can also perform dissection of the haematoma.1996. Garami Z. Payen D. Kurtz A. herniation or Disorders and Stroke Stroke and Trauma Division. Shafran B. Tyagi AK. National Institute of Neurological patient is deteriorating fast with increased ICP. 49(5 Suppl 4):S39-44. 2004. Hennerici M. CLOTBUST Conclusion Collaborators. Olson DW. 15. Kobayashi S. 2008. depends on the strength with the help of a metallic instrument separate from the of the neurology and neurosurgical service and their support endoscope or it can also be performed with the help of a staff. 31 :69-76. Surgery may be required to treat less common causes 8. for the evacuation of pontine haemorrhage. Etiologic factors for recurrent carotid artery stenosis. No. 38 :2506-17. Clagett GP. controlled trial. 12. Major ongoing stroke trials. randomized. Mateo J. Results of an international randomized trial. 1991. Murray CJ. Alexandrov AV.32 middle cerebral artery territory infarction: a systematic review.33 Although a lot of 1983. Boutron C. Hacke W. 2005. 1998. Risk factors. Abstract the etiology of stroke in children. Cerebrovasc Dis. Frame-based Funct Neurosurg 1990. importance. Lodder J. Broderick J. Hanley D. Son BC. non aneurysm. 2006 56 :543-7. Nakamura J. Prusmack CJ.Overview Including an Asian Perspective Mubeen F. Zhang Z. In particular. Choudary GV. Suematsu T. clinical remarks on 50 cases. these are still at very early and is therefore rarely considered as the first diagnosis when stages. this article will beneficial hyper-acute therapies is of even greater review the available data from Asian countries. Franke CL. Mendelow AD. Acikgoz B. neuroprotective therapies have proved to be effective in Improved understanding and advances in neuroimaging adults with ischaemic stroke. Rafay Section of Neurology. Murthy JM. hemorrhage in adults. obstructive hydrocephalus developing following spontaneous intra cerebral stereotactic aspiration. Spontaneous intra cerebral hemorrhage: non arteriovenous malformation. Todd's paresis. subtle and non-specific that can be case series and population based studies. Guidelines for the management of spontaneous intra cerebral hypertensive intra cerebral hemorrhage. 33. Lee SW. Chen CC. High Blood 26. City interdisciplinary Working Group. In: Winn HR (ed). Thron A et. Murthy TV. data from developing countries largely delayed. Spontaneous cerebellar hemorrhage: 2003. J Pak Med Stereotactic treatment of intra cerebral hematoma by means of a plasminogen Assoc. Chang CS. Neurocrit Care 2005. Masiyama S. As a Paediatric Ischaemic Stroke Registry(CPISR). randomized controlled studies a child presents with the symptoms. Neurol Sci 2002. largest being the recently completed Canadian intracranial haemorrhage. Although uncommon in children compared to therapeutic interventions including thrombolytic and adults. which differ significantly from those in adults. The majority of attributed to other neurological disorders such as focal paediatric stroke data is reported from North America and seizure. 2007. Murray GD. Bhasha PS. Youmans Pressure Research Council. 251:1443-50. J Neurol Neurosurg Psyciatry 1985. Teasdale GM. 38:2001-23. Blaauw G. Canada. Rohde V.2 Several in children. Raco A. 2 :258-62. 2006. Teernstra OPM. Tokuda S. In paediatric stroke. Leffers P. The current symptom onset). Tso TM. J Neurol Hope DT. Surg Neurol hemorrhages. 24. Mayfrank L. Stroke is uncommon in children care and research are underway. Salvati M. Stereotact 29. Naryanan TJ. for the treatment of supra tentorial deep seated spontaneous intra cerebral 22. Minim Invasive Neurosurg. External ventricular drainage for acute spontaneous basal ganglia hemorrhage: comparing endoscopic surgery. Shitamichi M. Mayberg Decompressive craniectomy with clot evacuation in large hemispheric M et al. Gregson BA. :91-6. Sumer MM. Hong JT. 25. For the clinician. Role of surgery in cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. Akpinar G. Enam SA. A guideline from the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association stroke council. Sasaki T. Cervoni L. Liu Y. University of Manitoba. childhood stroke is less rare than previously thought. 54-55: 453-6. Li X. Niizuma H. Surg Neurol 2001. the development of during this period of life. to be effective and techniques have resulted in improved recognition and safe. Karimi A et al. Department of Pediatrics and Child Health. Singh RVP. Multiple causative and risk factors contribute to comprises of case reports and series. Fifth edition. Computed hemorrhage. Rohde I.1 The consequence is lifelong disability Stroke is an important cause of death and disability of a significant proportion in the affected children. Review Article Ischaemic Stroke in Children . since disability from stroke review will provide an overview of recent advances in our will impact the individual and society for many decades understanding of childhood stroke and its implications over their life span compared to adults. 28. 49 : 1378-86. activator.3-5 In children. 32. therapy for the treatment of spontaneous intra cerebral hemorrhage. however. Feldmann E. Krieger D. 34:968-74. 23 : 29-33. tomography guided stereotactic aspiration of pontine hemorrhages. Kase C. 2007. Multiple causes and risk factors therapeutic window (typically within 3-6 hours from contribute to the etiology of stroke in children. Pontine hemorrhage: a clinical analysis of frameless stereotactic hematoma puncture and subsequent fibrinolytic therapy 26 cases. Connoly S. 55 : 156-61. Early surgery versus initial conservative treatment 2004. Yang Y.al. Morcos JJ. Comparison of frame-based and 21. 50 : 86-90. 48 : 658-62. necessitating prompt and correct stroke Background diagnosis. A multi center randomized control trial (SICHPA). Thiex R. Suzuki J. Lancet January 2005. Delfini R. 24 randomized trial. 2004. Shao Y. Cho DY. Stroke. Fernandes HM. Saunders: 1753-55. the are lacking and the available literature is only limited to presentation is varied. and craniotomy in non comatose patients. the diagnosis of ischaemic stroke Although systematic approaches to paediatric stroke in children is a challenge. In children. 2007. Neurosurgery 2001. in patients with spontaneous supra tentorial intra cerebral hematomas in the 30. Evers SMAA. 65 : 547-55. Zeki Z. 384 J Pak Med Assoc . 365: 387-97. Except few result the diagnosis of ischaemic stroke is often missed or population studies. and frameless stereotactic hematoma puncture and subsequent fibrinolytic 23. Endoscopic surgery for 31. 27. demyelination and tumuors. Sung JH. these interventions must be instituted within a narrow diagnosis of this disorder. Application of Neuroendoscopy international surgical trial in intra cerebral hemorrhage (STICH): a in the treatment of intra ventricular hemorrhage. Xu S. Lee WY. Stroke April 20. complicated migraine and Europe. Kim IS. and the Quality of Care and Outcomes in research Neurological Surgery. Medical Management of Cerebral Edema.

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The S&P 500, the investment community’s most widely-watched index, fell in the last few minutes of today’s trading session to close the year at 1257.60. It closed 2010 at 1257.64. We finished a year marked by surging corporate profits, mega-doses of government stimulus, plummeting treasury bond yields, headline-grabbing bankruptcies of American Airlines and MF Global, ongoing armed conflicts, overthrows of Middle Eastern governments, violent protests in Europe, “Occupy” protests here at home, unresolved housing and unemployment problems, our AAA credit rating diminished, politicians who can’t craft a compromise, and European banks and countries on the edge of bankruptcy. All that action notwithstanding, the S&P 500 closed the year virtually unchanged. Beyond the S&P, the Dow Jones Industrials and Utilities tacked on gains, while the Dow Transports, Nasdaq Composite, New York Stock Exchange Composite, Mid-caps, Small-caps and the most inclusive Dow Jones Total U.S. Stock Market Index all showed losses. Overseas the carnage was more significant, with both emerging and developed markets falling. All but a very few countries experienced declines ranging from about 15% to 40%. Not a happy year for equity holders. Will recently improving employment, manufacturing and consumer confidence statistics continue into the new year as government stimulus and tax incentives wind down? Will housing prices halt their declines in 2012? Can we make a meaningful dent in the overhang of homes for sale? With Real Disposable Personal Income now declining, will the U.S. consumer continue to cut his/her savings rate in order to maintain spending? Can U.S. corporations continue to grow earnings in an environment of weak housing and massive unemployment? Will our major political parties reverse the trend of moving farther away from common ground? Will Occupy Wall Street simply mark the beginning of growing social unrest? Europe and the Euro were the dominant financial stories in 2011. With their multiple problems still unsolved, these are likely to remain the primary themes at least through much of 2012. That probability raises additional questions. Can the Eurozone escape a serious recession despite rapidly declining economic indicators? Can several European countries roll over massive amounts of debt coming due in 2012 at rates that will not worsen already serious debt conditions? Can the Eurozone hold together? Will more European countries introduce austerity programs sufficient to meet Eurozone standards without sinking their economies? Will the European Central Bank need to obtain a changed mandate to print its way out of the worsening debt crisis? The United States is faced with an equally problematic debt dilemma, although less imminent. We have so far been spared European-type pain, because the world remains willing–even eager–to fund our massive deficits. Whether or not we begin to experience Europe’s problems depends upon the sustainability of investor confidence. The reality is that we can never pay for all our past promises with a dollar possessing anything like its current value. Will our politicians cobble together a debt reduction plan to sufficiently placate rating agencies in order to keep the U.S debt rating from being lowered further? Will the Federal Reserve resort to some form of QE3? Will we begin to renege on some past promises, either domestic or international, to keep budgets from exploding? Will we ultimately resort to dramatically rapid money printing? Will foreign sources continue to buy U.S. debt at historically low interest rates despite our huge deficits? Will gold prices rise for the twelfth consecutive year if investors fear the inevitability of massive money printing? Many bullish investors argue that, despite growing debt problems in the developed world, the emerging economies will provide the engine of growth that will keep the world financially steady. That prospect raises some difficult-to-answer questions. Why did the world’s emerging country stock markets significantly underperform those of the developed world in 2011? Why did the stock market of China, the economic giant of the emerging countries, fall precipitously in 2011? Why is it down by almost two-thirds over the past four years? The most powerful influences on markets often flow from events that are totally unanticipated. What currently unforeseeable events, good or bad, will unfold in 2012? With so many open questions facing investors in the coming year, we will remain extremely flexible and ready to adapt to the unfolding story. As we close 2011, we wish you and your families a new year filled with good health, happiness, peace and prosperity. Last week’s blog post about Mission adding gold to client portfolios elicited a few questions and comments. Among others, there were questions about the relative attractiveness of bullion, exchange-traded funds or gold mining stocks. For the purpose of our purchase, which is to hedge against the probability of money printing, bullion is the best pure play. Gold is heavy, however, and presents the problem of storage and possibly also of transport. For our purposes, investing in physical gold for large numbers of individual clients would be impractical. While investing in the common stocks of mining companies would be an easy alternative, mining stocks do not always move in concert with the price of gold. Often, the direction of the overall stock market has a greater influence on gold stocks than does the direction of gold’s price. While mining stocks pay a dividend, unlike the metal itself, that dividend yield is typically below the already low average yield of most common stocks. Despite the fact that gold’s price has risen for a decade, the stocks have been far less consistent. Most major gold stocks are trading below their levels of four to six or more years ago. In fact, giant Newmont is trading barely above its price in early 1994. Periodically gold stocks do very well, but they are not as consistent a hedge against the perils of the printing press as is gold itself. The exchange-traded fund GLD presents the best combination of direct correlation to the price of gold and ease of ongoing ownership for large numbers of investors. It’s not perfect. In an extreme market disruption, access to the value of the asset could be temporarily compromised, as would be the case with any tradable security. It does not, however, suffer the inconveniences of storage and transportability, which burden physical gold. A separate question was why we bought now and not years ago. As longstanding readers of our commentaries and attendees at our seminars know, I have long been an advocate of individuals owning some gold. I have characterized such ownership in those communications as more an insurance policy than an investment. Its purpose has been to protect against unpredictable and dangerous economic, political or monetary events. What has changed our thinking about adding gold positions to client portfolios is the growing belief that we are now faced with predictable and dangerous events. Over the past six months there has been clear evidence in this country and Europe that governmental and monetary authorities are unwilling to take meaningful actions to deal with our respective debt crises. Europe’s unwillingness has precipitated the dramatic rise in sovereign bond yields in recent months. While we still maintain that the timing of the ultimate resolution of these crises is highly uncertain, it looks increasingly likely that the resolution will have to involve large quantities of newly printed money. Because such heavy printing could be ramped up at any time, we decided that it would be worth initiating gold exposure now in case such printing should begin very soon. As indicated in last week’s post, we plan to build our position if gold prices correct further in the weeks, months or quarters ahead. In the meantime, we wish our readers a merry Christmas and happy Hanukkah and a peaceful, relaxing holiday season. An aphorism passed down over centuries says that you should always have enough gold to bribe the border guards. In modern industrial societies, that concern has rarely been the motivation for gold ownership. In most time periods, only those labeled “gold bugs” pay any attention to the investment merits of the precious metal. Periodically, however, some political, economic or monetary condition gets gold’s price rising. If it climbs far enough, publicity pushes gold into the consciousness of those whose otherwise closest connection is their jewelry box. While I have never been counted in the “gold bug” camp, I have counseled for several decades that holding some gold is a prudent insurance policy against any number of potential political, economic or monetary disruptions. Prior to this week, however, we have not established long-term positions for clients in gold or gold stocks. This week we changed that practice. With a nod to Reinhart and Rogoff’s comprehensive history of 800 years of financial crises, This Time Is Different, governments and central banks have for centuries resorted to money creation to cover up prior eras of overspending and overleveraging. As our country faces its mother of all long-term debt crises, it appears virtually certain that our politicians and monetary gurus will eventually choose the easy way out– by way of the printing press. The unconscionable inaction by the Congressional supercommittee charged with carving out a mere $1.2 trillion from the next decade’s projected deficits announces clearly that there is no real commitment to getting our budget under control. Fiscal discipline won’t happen–if at all–until we demand term limits that would eliminate legislators’ need to bribe the electorate with near-term goodies in a seemingly perpetual bid for reelection. Similarly, our august central bankers have demonstrated their utter disregard for the elderly retired and generations unborn. Their expansionary bailout attempts benefit primarily the current working generation, whose budgetary imprudence has constructed the bulk of our precariously tottering debt edifice. Almost certainly the Fed will ultimately choose more money creation rather than accept the consequences of a decade and a half of dangerous central bank decisions. The logical result of excessive money creation is the depreciation of the currency, which has led many analysts to forecast the decline of the U.S. dollar. In fact, the U.S. dollar’s purchasing power has been systematically reduced throughout the nearly one-century life of the Federal Reserve. Relative to a basket of foreign currencies, the dollar is worth far less than it was a decade or a quarter of a century ago, although it is above its 2008 low and about 10% above its May low in this most recent cycle. The recent rise comes not from any dollar strengthening moves from our central bank, but from persistent weakening conditions in other major currencies. And in the short run, that could continue. Several asset categories demonstrate a negative correlation to the worth of the dollar. Gold, especially with the wide acceptance of the GLD exchange-traded fund, is an extremely liquid and easily accessible investment choice. Following the significant decline from GLD’s September price high, we began to build what could become a meaningful portfolio position in gold. Above price levels that would be largely determined by jewelry demand, there is no sound way to value gold, notwithstanding the many authoritative-sounding analysts who grace the airwaves. Most are short-term traders. Rather, gold’s price is largely a reflection of investor fears and emotions. The timing of factors that will stimulate investor fears and emotions is highly uncertain. Europe appears to be on the brink of a regional recession with the possibility of a banking collapse. Should Europe weaken markedly, it is likely that the rest of the world will follow in varying degrees. Such a condition would be disinflationary–even deflationary–which would logically be negative for the price of gold. On the other hand, such a condition would also logically prod central banks into action. As the aforementioned Reinhart and Rogoff have pointed out in great detail, inflation is typically the method of choice to rescue economies from debt crises. There is little reason to expect this episode to vary from the historical norm. Given the uncertainty of the coming sequence of events and their timing, we began to construct our position in GLD this week at two potential levels of support: the trendline in effect since January, then GLD’s 200-day moving average. Given the current poor technical condition of gold, it was not surprising that prices broke through both levels. Because most gold surprises for the past decade have been positive, we wanted to begin our holding with a small portion of a desired full position at these levels, in case central banks got itchy trigger fingers and began to print earlier than we have reason to expect. Should such printing occur soon, we will likely see nice profits but on a relatively small position. On the other hand, should gold experience a larger correction of its earlier substantial price advance, we plan to add to the position over the weeks, months or quarters ahead at price levels where gold has found support in the past. Should the price decline last for a while, we will experience some loss of value on the small early positions, but we will build the potential for much larger gains from larger positions purchased at lower prices. Whatever the near-term course of events, we anticipate that governments and central bankers will honor their genetic predisposition to avoid current pain without regard to longer-term economic dislocations. In fact, I suspect they are actively oiling their printing presses today. What Does A 490 Point Advance Foretell? After Wednesday, November 30th’s massive 490-point rally in the Dow Jones Industrial Average, USA Today ran a lead story highlighting the ten biggest point gains ever. The most recent advance was the seventh largest. All ten have occurred in the last ten years. While the USA Today story did not pretend to draw conclusions about future price movements, it clearly implied that such an advance was an indication of overdone fear in a context of many positive, underappreciated factors. A quick look at the dates of the other nine biggest gains clarifies that most took place in major bear markets. Eight of the prior nine took place after major market declines yet well above ultimate bear market bottoms. Only the 497-point surge on March 23, 2009 occurred near the beginning of a new bull market. In that instance, stock prices had bottomed just two weeks earlier, and the advance proved to be part of the initial surge in a market rally that carried for 26 months. From the history of this century-to-date, therefore, the recent rise looks unlikely to mark the kickoff of an extended rally. Leaning in a more bullish direction, however, is a study by Ned Davis Research, Inc., a highly reputable source of historical data. Their December 6 report revealed that since 1950, there have been 37 instances of a 4% or better one-day advance in the Dow Jones Industrial Average. In 33 of those instances, the market was higher 12 months later. Those advances included most of the big gains that took place during the two giant bear markets that opened the twenty-first century. The Ned Davis data showed that over the six-decade period of their study, such 4% one-day surges have typically initiated advances that grew roughly another 20% — more or less steadily over the subsequent 12 months. That behavior clearly differs from eight of the most recent nine advances in the last decade, which saw major declines to ultimate bear market bottoms before beginning lasting recoveries. Another important observation in the Ned Davis study was that preceding the 4% one-day surges, stock prices had on average been declining aggressively, by about 22% in the prior seven months and an even more aggressive 18% in the immediately prior three months. In other words, stocks typically surged out of a significantly oversold condition. What do these seemingly conflicting data suggest for the aftermath of our most recent stock market surge? It is important to note that the November 30th rally did not flow from a seriously oversold condition. In fact, it began at a price level roughly 10% above where the index had traded about two and four months earlier. This is markedly different from the typical advance profiled in the Ned Davis study and all nine of the biggest point-gaining days of this century. If I had to choose between the precedents offered by price patterns in this century and those from the last half of the prior century, I would lean toward the most recent experience. These observations took place in the era of egregiously overextended debt, which continues to provide the backdrop for today’s market. That, I suggest, is the single most critical variable weighing on economic progress and equity prices. If prices follow the recent precedent, they are likely to move significantly lower before beginning the next sustainable market advance. While we are now in the seasonally strong month of December, interpretation of news from Europe will probably be the single biggest determinant of stock prices’ immediate path. The drama continues to play out. Tuesday afternoon Standard & Poors downgraded 37 global banking giants–hardly a surprise. But when someone points out that the emperor is wearing no clothes, our markets reflexively decline, as they did in Tuesday night’s futures session. Just hours later the U.S. Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank and the central banks of England, Canada, Japan and Switzerland jointly agreed to cut the cost of borrowing U.S. dollars from 1% to just half that. Whether part of a coordinated move or not, the People’s Bank of China simultaneously announced a 50 basis point cut in that country’s Required Reserve Ratio for banks. The appearance of central bank solidarity quickly turned overnight futures from negative to strongly positive. That strength continued throughout Wednesday’s session with the Dow closing up a spectacular 490 points. The financial press speculated that what prodded the central banks into their stimulative move was the prospect of an imminent collapse of a major bank, most likely French. Interviewed on TV Thursday, former Fed Governor Larry Lindsey admitted the likelihood of a major bank failure this month, but suggested the most probable stimulus to the central bank action to be S&P’s bank downgrades. At least for one day the stock market celebrated this action as a big deal. One TV talking head characterized it as the banking authorities firing both barrels. On the other hand, it is not an immediate infusion of new money that can be put toward asset purchases. It is rather the expansion of a safety net should banks otherwise be unable to acquire U.S. dollars. One analyst aptly analogized it as putting foam on the runway to limit the damage of a crash. At the very least, the move is encouraging because it provides clear evidence that cooperation is possible among the world’s largest central banks. At the same time, however, it underlines how severe the current crisis has become. The central banks acted because funding between banks has been freezing up, as it did in 2008, necessitating the greatest bailout in history. The S&P downgrades simply increased the distrust that banks have of their peers’ abilities to repay loans. Whether or not this central bank action will provide meaningful assistance in calming the European storm is open to question. During the 2007-2009 banking crisis, similar swap line actions were taken four times, typically leading to dramatic stock market rallies. They ultimately failed, however, to promote the desired interbank confidence, which was only reestablished when the Fed provided broad guarantees. Such pledges would be politically improbable a second time around. Notwithstanding the stock market rallies precipitated by these liquidity-providing policy actions, all such gains were ultimately forfeited as the markets continued their plunge of more than 50% to their 2009 bottom. As we have stated repeatedly, the ultimate resolution of this crisis is unknowable. A systemic collapse is possible with terribly severe potential consequences to worldwide asset prices. More hopefully, politicians and central bankers will craft a series of plans that will sufficiently boost investor confidence to keep asset prices afloat while the underlying debt problems are resolved, or where that is impossible, restructured. The latter alternative could lead to intermittent powerful rallies. Because the former alternative remains very possible, investors should weigh carefully how much exposure to risk they wish to assume. As recent market volatility demonstrates clearly, good or bad announcements can lead to precipitous moves in both stock and bond markets. In a truly dramatic resolution to the crisis, either positively or negatively, market prices could gap in either direction allowing no opportunity to get trade executions over a very broad price span. The equity markets had little to be thankful for during the U.S.’s holiday-shortened week. The S&P 500 dropped by 4.7% through the normally bullish Thanksgiving week. Other commonly watched indexes fell even more. Not affected by our holiday, world markets likewise fell precipitously. Expectations that Europe would cobble together a plan to prevent imminent economic collapse led to a spectacular October rally in stock markets around the world. However, as persistent bickering among heads of state decreased confidence in that outcome, markets sagged throughout most of November. Markets still go hour by hour waiting for a positive rumor from Europe. A plausible plan to “kick the can down the road” will likely lead to a substantial rally, especially with markets as oversold as they are today. Nonetheless, the longer-term picture is getting darker by the day. Rating agencies downgraded sovereign bond ratings en masse last week. Moody’s cut Hungary to junk levels and Fitch did the same for Portugal. Belgium was downgraded. S&P warned that it may cut Japan’s rating. Fitch said that France’s triple-A was at risk. Investors also downgraded bonds on their own, independent of the rating agencies. The Italian ten-year bond reached 7.3%, and the two-year climbed over 8%. There is no realistic prospect that Italy will be able to grow its way out of this debt morass with debt service burdens at such levels. Even Germany, the financial engine of the Eurozone, saw its bond rates surge last week. In just over two weeks, German ten-year rates climbed from 1.72% to 2.25%. By way of comparison, the U.S. ten-year stayed at 1.96% over the same period. Fear is creeping in with respect to all of Europe. And Europe is a giant piece of the world’s economic and market composite. As I write this on Sunday evening, a report is circulating that the International Monetary Fund is preparing a $794 billion rescue package for Italy. The rumor has overnight futures markets in rally mode. With markets as oversold as they have become over the past few weeks, snap-back rallies could be powerful if it looks likely that some sort of rescue package will defer a near-term debt collapse. On the other hand, long-term investors must remain conscious of the rapidly spreading deterioration of underlying fundamentals. Massive debt problems don’t cure themselves. Left to their natural outcomes, they unwind in a deflationary spiral. Rarely through history, however, do governments and central banks allow natural outcomes. More often than not, money printing becomes the defense of choice, resulting in a debt burden reduction through inflation. In extreme situations, runaway inflation eliminates all debt but introduces economic chaos. The last example of such an outcome for a major industrial country was in Germany in the 1920s. In any inflationary environment, varying only by degrees, lenders (bondholders) are penalized and borrowers are rewarded. Today’s investors are by rights in a serious quandary. The financial system, at least in Europe, is in danger of collapse. Perhaps investors will believe in a rescue plan that will defer the pain for a few years, and equity prices may rise in celebration. Holders of sovereign bonds in perceived safe-haven countries (the U.S., Germany and Canada, for example) may profit if a disinflationary or deflationary recession unfolds. On the other hand, such bondholders may be beaten up badly if central banks resort to the printing press to alleviate the debt pressures. Eventual outcomes will be politically determined. Successful investors may succeed more by their ability to anticipate political outcomes than by a deep understanding of investment fundamentals. In such an environment we rely on our underlying philosophical guideposts, which have stood us in good stead in this extremely dangerous century-to-date. In a high-risk environment, reduce risk exposure. Buy risk-bearing assets only when you can acquire them at extremely attractive valuation levels. Never lose sight of the fact that there will always be another opportunity to make significant gains. You will not be able to take advantage of that opportunity, however, if you lose a substantial amount of your assets when markets decline. This has been mostly a business travel week, capped by a New York visit in time to witness the University of Arizona’s thrilling basketball win last night over St. John’s at Madison Square Garden. Tonight I’ll be able to see the tournament championship game against Mississippi State before heading back to Tucson. Go Cats! This week the stock market repeated the past few months’ pattern, characterized by tremendous daily price volatility. In fact, triple-digit daily moves in the Dow Jones Industrial Average have become the norm, not the exception. The week closed with the S&P 500 down by nearly 4%. Both stocks and bonds bounced back and forth with each new headline about European or U.S. debt crises. As we have noted previously in these posts, current markets are responding to rumors, hopes and speculation far more than to investment-worthy data. With stock trading volume low and volatility high, it is apparent than the indexes are in the hands of hedge funds and high-frequency traders rather than true investors. As has been the case for months, European bankers and heads of state are long on plan announcements and short on committed cash. It’s apparently far easier to pledge than to pay. As its first deadline nears, the congressional supercommittee is increasingly in the news. The committee’s bipartisan recommendation and the subsequent congressional vote are due next week. Most political analysts believe there to be substantial risk of failure to agree on even the minimal $1.2 trillion deficit reduction over ten years. It’s impossible to know how investors will react to various degrees of success or failure to agree on the mandated reductions. Nonetheless, based on recent market performance, it is highly likely that reactions will be violent in one direction or another–or both. Realistically, the debt problems in many European countries and the United States cannot be solved, only deferred. At present, deferral is all that investors are hoping for. It is impossible to forecast when the intractability of the debt condition will force itself upon investor consciousness. The only realistic alternatives in the long run are partial default or inflating away the problems by money creation. Which of the alternatives unfolds over time will subsequently induce bond market reactions that are polar opposites. The threat of default would penalize any suspect bonds but induce a flight to safety into perceived “safe haven” paper. The prospect of inflation could decimate bonds of all credit quality levels. Equities could experience virtually opposite reactions. The threat of any consequential level of default would likely lead to severe economic contraction and a resultant stock market decline. Moderate inflation for an extended period of time might be beneficial for equities. On the other hand, rampant inflation would introduce huge economic uncertainty. Some companies would benefit; others would suffer. Historically, periods of powerful inflation have generally produced weak stock markets. Ironically, returns on short-term cash have outperformed stocks in periods of severe inflation. Such uncertainty reinforces the advice we have given for well more than a decade: investors will be better served by maintaining a flexible asset allocation rather than the traditional fixed allocation with periodic rebalancing. The worst of all worlds for the fixed allocation approach would be a declining stock market induced by rampant inflation, which in turn produces negative bond returns – certainly a realistic possibility. In last week’s entry I pointed to the U.S. stock market’s daily Pavlovian responsiveness to stories and rumors coming from Europe. That action continues this week with the focus shifting from Greece to Italy. Greek Prime Minister Papandreou’s government has collapsed, and opposing parties are scrambling to find enough points of agreement to coalesce around a unity candidate. Virtually no one expects such a government to last. The desperate hope is that the politicians can simply assemble a sufficiently credible coalition in support of the promised austerity measures, so that the next tranche of bailout money will be released before Greece runs out of funds. Despite the immediacy of that concern, the 800-pound gorilla that has taken its place in the middle of the room is Italy. Italy’s economy and debt levels are many times larger than those of Greece. Last week I lamented that Italy’s ten-year bond yield had risen to 6.4%, a level that strongly called into question the government’s ability to service its debt and grow its way out of financial distress. Conditions have since worsened. On Wednesday, fear pushed that yield up to 7.25%. It is noteworthy that reaching the 7% threshold was a red flag warning that preceded the necessary bailouts of Greece, Portugal and Ireland. Italy’s political situation is in obvious disarray, and there appears to be no compelling voice strongly advocating the severe austerity measures needed to bring the country into compliance with Eurozone financial standards. Italy’s growing crisis dramatically compounds the rescue problems that have so far bedeviled Eurozone finance ministers and heads of state. Italy’s failure to roll over its maturing debt at a manageable rate of interest would send shock waves through the European economy. On the other hand, in a weak economic environment, there is virtually no chance that the combined Eurozone members will provide enough rescue money to get Italy over this hurdle. If the markets push Italy to the wall, there is no European entity (as currently funded) capable of coming to the rescue. The European Central bank could be further capitalized, but that is unlikely given the already-existing financial pressure on its members. Or the Eurozone could agree to permit the ECB to print enough money to paper over the problem. Such a solution, however, runs painfully against the grain for Germans, who retain in their DNA an abhorrence to inflation that decimated the value of their currency in the 1920s. If Germany doesn’t want it, it isn’t going to happen. If you oppose the parade of financial bailouts, as I do, I urge you to let your voice be heard in any way you can. Don’t allow our government officials to reward the profligate at the expense of the prudent. And if Italy is temporarily rescued, Spain is waiting in the wings. And how are we going to solve our own debt crisis here in the United States? Another very volatile week! Friday’s mere 61-point loss on the Dow Jones Industrial Average on very light volume brought a frenetic week to a relatively calm conclusion. Reacting to a possible unwinding of the Greek rescue plan, the Dow lost 573 points on Monday and Tuesday. Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke’s reassuring words that the Fed retained numerous options to shore up a flagging economy prompted a 386-point recovery on Wednesday and Thursday. The net of all action was a 2% loss for the week. This week demonstrated conclusively the market’s responsiveness to headlines and rumors. The Dow rose and fell 100 points or more several times during the week as rumors circulated about prospects for the Greek bailout. Clearly, traders–not investors–had control of the buy and sell levers. Trading closed for the week with the Greek parliament debating the fate of the Papandreou government and, in turn, with the European debt rescue effort hanging in the balance. It is remarkable that while the heads of state of Eurozone member nations have been meeting repeatedly for months, they have yet to agree on a concrete plan of action. Given the dire consequences that would flow from one or more sovereign defaults and from the resulting damage to the banks holding such bonds, it is hardly a surprise that individual investors are leaving the stock market in droves. It may take years for many of them to return. However, notwithstanding this week’s market decline, traders have been pushing prices up for several weeks with apparent confidence that governments and central bankers will prevent defaults from leading to a banking system failure. Whether or not that confidence will be rewarded is an open question. Longer-term stock market price patterns still look negative. Ned Davis Research’s study of 45 world markets shows 41 of the 45 with stock indexes trading below their respective 200-day moving averages, a line viewed by many analysts as the demarcation between bull and bear market conditions. Additionally, 40 of those 45 moving averages have turned down, serving as confirmation of a bear market in the eyes of many. Further disagreement with traders’ recent confidence comes from the bond markets. A vast amount of money has fled to risk-free U.S. treasury bills, which yield effectively nothing. Money has likewise poured into the bonds of safe-havens like the United States and Germany, each of which can borrow for 10 years for a mere 2%. In contrast, despite substantial supportive buying by the European Central Bank and the promise of further support from the block of Eurozone nations, Italian 10-year bond yields have soared to about 6.4%. Most analysts fear that yields over 6% will preclude distressed countries like Italy from servicing their debts and growing out of their current financial distress. The bond market is casting a powerful vote of no confidence in the efforts of politicians and bankers to cobble together a viable solution to the growing European debt crisis. If Eurozone problems cannot at least be deferred, the consequences for the world financial system could be severe. When ongoing financial success depends upon programs crafted by politicians and self-interested bankers, we are not looking at a normal investment landscape, but rather a casino in which the standard rules of investment only minimally apply. The third quarter was painful for stock market investors with the S&P 500 losing 13.9%, leaving that index down 8.7% over the first three quarters of 2011. In a very difficult environment we are pleased that where we have complete asset allocation responsibility, client portfolios are up slightly both for the quarter and the year-to-date. Investors read the news daily to learn whether Greece will soon join the ranks of countries currently in default on their debts. The bigger story surrounds speculation about whether much larger countries like Italy and Spain will also be unable to pay their bills. Greece is almost universally acknowledged to be incapable of financial survival without further bailout assistance. Spain’s debt rating was just downgraded. The problems are growing. In the United States, the situation has become severe enough to warrant a third-quarter downgrade of our formerly sacrosanct AAA debt rating. Further downgrades are possible if Congress does not quickly craft a credible debt reduction program. Fundamental conditions throughout the developed world are extremely weak. In the U.S. a few recent economic readings have improved slightly, but remain at depressed levels. Many economists, those from Goldman Sachs among them, have argued strongly that the U.S. will skirt a recession. Other economists contend that, while we may not be in recession today, the economy could easily slip into negative territory. The highly respected Economic Cycle Research Institute states boldly that its readings are at levels that have always forecast a recession. In ECRI’s view, a recession is inevitable. Many contend that Europe is already in recession. At the very least, Europe is expected to be in recession soon. For years, emerging market economies have provided the bulk of world economic growth. These economies are slowing perceptibly and are unlikely to be able to carry the worldwide economy absent much greater support from the developed world. A minority of analysts voice serious concerns about China, the leading engine of emerging economies. Some foresee an imminent collapse in the Chinese real estate market. Others point with alarm at dangers they perceive in the Chinese banking system. While growth figures remain substantial, something must be wrong in China. Its stock market is still more than 60% below its 2007 peak. A Chinese crisis would be disastrous for the world economy. The global economy remains weak despite a record amount of on-going multi-country stimulus. Resulting debt levels now stand in the way of a continuation of such stimulus. Banking systems and sovereign debt structures are so precarious, however, that further government rescue money is seen as necessary to prevent imminent collapse, notwithstanding the long-term damage such additional rescues may cause. Current politicians are determined not to allow economic collapse on their watch. Defer the calamity to the future, even if it makes debt problems worse. Let our children and grandchildren deal with them. Long-standing clients know that we began warning about an approaching long weak cycle at the end of the 1990s. We pointed to two primary reasons: 1) extremely extended stock valuations and 2) excessive debt (long before debt became a four-letter word). In the first decade of the new century, valuations have become less extreme, although in the aggregate they remain well above average. The debt issues, however, are far worse today than they were a dozen years ago, and there is no credible solution in sight. We pointed out that over the two prior centuries, long weak cycles averaged about a decade and a half in length and ended only after they had expunged the excesses of the prior long strong cycle. Unfortunately, we will not eliminate the problem of excessive debt for several more years at the very least. The persistent debt crisis doesn’t preclude intermittent rising equity markets. It does make it less likely, however, that we will have sustained rising equity markets until debt problems are solved. So far in this century we have experienced two historic market collapses and two powerful rallies. The net of all that action is that stock returns are negative for the century-to-date and prices today are where they were in the late-1990s. With banking systems and numerous countries on the edge of failure, great danger remains in the equity markets. In the long weak cycle to-date, we have protected portfolios extremely well through the declining phases. We have attempted to find low-risk opportunities in the rising periods. We have found some opportunities, missed others. Net of it all, our client portfolios are up 65% before fees, which vary based on portfolio size. For the remainder of the long weak cycle with its huge potential for losses, our operating philosophy will be that it is far better to miss an opportunity than it is to lose any appreciable amount of money. There will always be another opportunity if capital is intact. Through the twenty-first century so far, bonds have been the premier financial asset category. As a result, investors have recently flocked to bond ownership. At interest rates very close to all-time lows, however, bonds have become a high-risk asset class. They could do relatively well in the years ahead if the economy remains weak, especially if it falls again into recession with a deflationary bias. On the other hand, a stronger economy would almost certainly lead to higher interest rates and bond price losses. Should the monetary authorities attempt to solve the country’s overwhelming debt problems by printing large volumes of money, interest rates could skyrocket. One can make a plausible case for either rising or falling interest rates over the next few years. At today’s extremely low rates, however, the potential gains from steady or declining rates are far smaller than the potential losses from rising rates. It is instructive to remember that when interest rates last began a long rising cycle, bond returns trailed risk-free cash for four decades from the early-1940s to the early-1980s. At these interest rate levels, even top quality bonds can be a very high-risk investment. We are pleased to have been able to avoid the equity market’s losses in 2011. We will continue to look for low-risk profit opportunities as the ongoing long weak cycle continues.

2019-04-19T19:07:45Z

http://www.missiontrust.com/blog/2011/

After all the Ambiyaa (alaihimus salaam), comes the Sahaabah (radhiAllaahu anhum) in rank. to have love for the Sahaabah is a part of the Deen and Imaan, and to have hatred and animosity for them is a sign of kufr, nifaaq and fisq. Just as Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) is the most virtuous person amongst the entire creation, so too is his Ummat the most virtuous Ummat from amongst all the previous Ummats. You are the best of Ummats, that has been taken out for the guidance of mankind. This factor is proven from the Qur`aanic text. From amongst the Ummat, the Sahaabah are the most virtuous. It is for this reason that the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat hold this belief that after the Ambiyaa (alaihi salaam) the Sahaabah hold the highest rank and virtue. After the Ambiyaa (alaihimus salaam) the most beloved and accepted persons in the Sight of Allaah Ta`ala are the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam. They were, without doubt, true believers and Muslims. Nauthubillah, Nauthubillah, they were never Munafiqeen. The Qur`aan Shareef and the Ahaadith bear testimony to their sincerity and Imaan. Their end was on Imaan and until Qiyaamah, no other person will ever be able to attain their rank. Just as no Wali can ever reach the status of a Nabi, so too will no Wali ever reach the status of a Sahaabi. In the Qur`aan Shareef, Allaah ta`ala had declared His Pleasure at the Sahaabah. Allaah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him. They were given the glad tidings of Jannat in this very world. Although the Sahaabah were not sinless like the Nabis, we accept as a fact and Haqq that Allaah Ta`ala is pleased with them and that they will enter Jannat. There can be absolutely no reason to doubt this, because this information is mentioned in the Qur`aan Majeed and Ahaadith. Besides them, these two bounties are not mentioned for anyone else. Therefore, these two blessings cannot even be certain for the greatest Wali. It cannot be said with certainty that any person (besides the Ambiyaa and Sahaabah) will enter Jannat. Although on the surface it seems so. The condition and sincerity of the heart, only Allaah Ta`ala knows, and for the Sahaabah, Allaah Ta`ala mentions in the Qur`aan Shareef. Indeed Allaah is pleased with the believers when they took ba`it with you under the tree, thus He knows what is in their hearts. In this Aayat, Allaah Ta`ala makes clear His Pleasure for the Sahaabah, and He clarifies the state of their hearts. These are those persons who had sincere love for Allaah Ta`ala and His Rasul (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), and they harboured no hypocrisy or duplicity in their hearts. Since this Aayat explains the condition of their hearts, there can be absolutely no slur made on their being hypocrites and only acting to be Muslims. 30367. The Sahaabah were the first persons (of this Ummat) whom Allaah Ta`ala had blessed with the Noor of Imaan and they were the first to witness the excellent personality of Nabi-e-Kareem (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). All Muslims agree that to see Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in a dream is excellent and sublime fortune, so what can be said about those who in every stage of their lives, they saw Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) with love, affection and complete devotion. 30368. Allaah Ta`ala chose the Sahaabah for the service of His beloved Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wsallam). They were also the chosen ones who were instrumental in giving support and credence to Islaam in its initial stages. And We granted them Taqwa, and they were most rightful and deserving of it. And Allaah knows everything. It is clear that there is no person (in this Ummat) that is more pious and Allaah-fearing than the Sahaabah. 30369. The Qur`aan Majeed was revealed in the presence of the Sahaabah. They were witnesses to the various Surahs and Aayaats that were revealed. Therefore the Sahaabah are the most knowledgeable regarding the Qur`aan Majeed. 30370. The Sahaabah-e-Kiraam were the first to be addressed in the Qur`aan Majeed. 30371. The Sahaabah were the first to hear the Qur`aan Shareef and the Commandments of Allaah Ta`ala from the lips of Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). 30372. Th Sahaabah sacrificed their wealth and lives willingly and selflessly in the Path of Allaah Ta`ala. Owing to their profuse love for Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) they left behind their beloved family and close ones and made Hijrat and they accompanied Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in every step and stage for the upliftment of Islaam. They participated in the battles and cared not for their fathers, children and uncles. 30373. The Qur`aan Shareef, Ahaadith and Laws of the Shariah reached the Ummat via the agency of the Sahaabah. If the Sahaabah had not compiled the Qur`aan Shareef and not related the Ahaadith, then the Ummat would have been deprived of all these blessings. The Sahaabah were the intermediaries between the Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) and the rest of the Ummat. 30374. The Sahaabah-e-Kiraam (radhiAllaahu anhum) had raised the flag of Islaam in this world. They did not leave a stone unturned in trying to convey the Message to the Ummat. After the demise of Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), whoever became a Muslim, became indebted to the Sahaabah. They had reached such a stage that after anyone makes the Ziyaarat of the grave of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), then their Ziyaarat is also made. Just like how the Sahaabah are virtuous and honourable, so too, after them are the Taabi`een. 30375. In the Qur`aan Majeed, wherever there appears virtuous qialities for the believers, they refer firstly to the Sahaabah, and then to the rest of the Ummat, like the Ulama, Pious ones, Walis, etc. Amongst these qualities are: Mu`mineen, Muslimeen, Muttaqeen, Saadiqeen, Siddiqeen, Shuhadaa, Saaliheen, Qaaniteen, Saabireen, Shaakireen, Taai`been, Aabideen, Raaki`een, Saajideen, Aamireen anil Ma`roof, Naaheen anil Munkar, etc., etc. 30376. Just like how the virtues and description of Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) appears in the Tawraat and Injeel, so too do the qualities and descriptions of the Sahaabah appear in the Tawraat and Injeel. 30377. There are numerous Aayaat which testify to the everlasting pleasure that Allaah Ta`ala has for them. There is announcement of Allaah=s Pleasure for them, without any conditions. As for those who will come after them, there is a condition attached that if they follow the Sahaabah with sincerity, then they will also attain the Pleasure of Allaah Ta`ala. As Allaah Ta`ala says: The predecessors and those who came first from amongst the Muhaajireen and Ansaar and those who follow them with sincerity, Allaah is pleased with them and they are pleased with Him... In this Aayat, Allaah Ta`ala firstly declares His Pleasure for the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar and secondly they are promised the everlasting gardens of Jannat, then thirdly is the promise of the Pleasure of Allaah ta`ala for those who come after the Muhaajireen and Ansaar, provided that they are sincere and they follow in their footsteps. 30378. Indeed the Rasul and those with him who believe, strive (in the Path of Allaah) with their wealth and their selves. For them is goodness and they are the successful ones. Allaah has prepared for them gardens, beneath which rivers flow, they will remain therein forever. This is the Great Success. In this Aayat, Allaah Ta`ala has promised four things for the Nabi and those who follow him; firstly charity and Zakaat, secondly complete success, thirdly Jannat and fourthly a Great Success. 30379. And those who believe and make Hijrat and strive in the Path of Allaah, and those who granted shelter and assisted, they are the True Believers, for them is forgiveness and an honourable sustenance. In this Aayat, Allaah ta`ala has stated the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar as true and firm believers. He has promised them forgiveness and a honourable sustenance. They were not hypocrites. 30380. Muhammad, the Rasul of Allaah, and those with him are stern upon the kuffaar, but compassionate amongst themselves. You will see them making ruku and sajdah, seeking Bounty from Allaah and His Pleasure. The signs on their faces are the effects of (their) sajdahs. A description of them is in the Tawraah. But their description in the Injeel is like a (sown) seed which sends forth its shoot, then makes it strong, it then becomes thick, and it stands straight on its stem, delighting its sowers - that He may enrage the disbelievers with them. Allaah has promised those amongst them who believe and do righteous good deeds, forgiveness and a mighty reward (i.e. Jannat). In this Aayat is a high praise for the Sahaabah and it shows that just as there is mention made of Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in the Tawraah and the Injeel, so too is there mention made of the Sahaabah. Whoever harbours hatred and malice for the Sahaabah are kaafir. In conclusion, after Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in rank, comes the Sahaabah-e-Kiraam. And just as following Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) is tantamount to obeying Allaah Ta`ala, so too, following the Sahaabah is tantamount to obeying Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). Just like the example and Sunnat of Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) cannot be separated from Allaah Ta`ala, so too can the example and Sunnat of the Sahaabah not be separated from Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). This Deen has reached us via them. Those who do not accept the Sahaabah and belie them, should indicate as to how this Deen has reached them! There is a consensus of opinion amongst the Ahle Haqq that the best and most virtuous person is Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), thereafter all the Ambiyaa and thereafter is the first Khalifah of Islaam, Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddique (radhiallaahu anhu). After him comes, Hadhrat Umar Farouq (radhiAllaahu anhu), thereafter is Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) and then Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). There respective virtues are in keeping with their sequence of Khilaafat. My Ummat will never unite on deviation. In the initial stages of the mashwera, the Ansaars opined the following: There should be an Ameer from amongst us and one from amongst you (Muhaajireen). The Ansaar reasoned that the Khilaafat should be based upon tribal leadership, as was the custom of the Arabs. That the leader should be from their tribe. However, Hadhrat Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu) explained to the Ansaar with proof and evidence, and told them that during the final illness of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) he appointed Hadhrat Au Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) as the Imaam and leader of the Muslims, and that Salaat is one of the most important fundamentals of Islaam. Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) appointed Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) to take his place in the Salaat, hence the same person upon whom the Rasul of Allaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) chose and placed in front, we (Sahaabah) cannot place him at the back. We should also place this personality in front. Also, since Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) was from amongst the Muhaajireen, so your Khalifah should also be from amongst the Muhaajireen, and the best Muhaajir is the one who Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) gave preference to and made the Imaam of the Muslims. Thereafter, the Ansaar also willingly took ba`it at the hands of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu). The Ansaar did not have any fear for the Muhaajireen, since they were in the majority in Madinah Munawwarah. They were more wealthy and affluent in the society than the Muhaajireen. If the Ansaar refused to take ba`it at the hands of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu), then the Muhaajireen were helpless at trying to force them to take ba`it, since they did not have the necessary means and power at their disposal. This proves that Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) had such a great status and position amongst the Sahaabah that everyone willingly took ba`it at his hands and readily accepted him as their leader. If Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) did not have the necessary qualifications of knowledge, intellect, etc., etc. then he would not have enjoyed this standing in the eyes of the Sahaabah, and would not have been the natural choice for Khilaafat. The fact that the Ansaar readily accepted the Khilaafat of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) and they followed him unflinchingly bears testimony to this fact that they also regarded him as the most reliable and most suited for the duty of Khilaafat. Had this not been their opnion, they would not have accepted his Khilaafat. Some Ulama even opine that the Khilaafat of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) was indicated clearly by the words and actions of Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). At the time of Rasulullaah=s (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) final illness, he clearly appointed Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) as his deputy. The Shiahs aver contrary to this and say that Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) chose Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) as his deputy. The truth of the matter is that no clear and definite proof can be found where Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) had appointed a deputy after him. Neither did he appoint Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) nor Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). Nevertheless, regarding Nabi=s (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) preference of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) can be found indirectly. The Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat are unanimous on this that Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) as the first choice in Khilaafat and the implications of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) support this and are indicative of the same. The Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat forward these implicative actions of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) as a proof and support. Otherwise, the consensus of the Sahaabah which is the best and most authoritative proof is not in need of any further proofs. If there was any clear text and proof (from Allaah Ta`ala or Nabi - sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), there would have been absolutely no need for the slight difference between the Muhaajireen and Ansaar about There should be an Ameer from amongst us and one from amongst you (Muhaajireen). Also, if there was any definite proof regarding the Khilaafat of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu), then the Sahaabah would most certainly have forwarded it. If there existed such clear proof and the Sahaabah concealed it then Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) would most certainly have mentioned it and the Ansaar would then have definitely have followed him, also considering that he was a close family member of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) and the Ansaar had great respect for the Banu Haashim. Also, we see that during the skirmish with Hadhrat Mu`aawiyah (radhiAllaahu anhu), the Ansaar stood by Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). If the Shiahs aver that Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) concealed such information (of his Khilaafat) due to the concept of Taqiyah (Shiah doctrine of Holy hypocrisy), then we will reply by saying that it is against the grain and honour of Hadhrat Ali, the Lion of Allaah (radhiAllaahu anhu) to conceal anything. Also, to adopt Taqiyah at such a stage when the Ansaar were in the majority in Madinah Tayyibah and they were all lovers of the Banu Haashim, is plain cowardice. And a coward is not worthy for Khilaafat. According to the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) never adopted Taqiyah, he was known as the >Lion of Allaah=. Besides Allaah Ta`ala he feared none. Even if we assume for a moment that Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) had adopted Taqiyah, then he would most certainly have divulged this information at the time when he became Khalifah. He would not have, whilst he was based in Kufa, lauded so much of praise upon Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Umar (radhiAllaahu anhuma). The basis of virtue is on precedence and being first. As far as virtue and perfection is concerned, that person succeeds who sets the precedent. This is the rule of thumb, in both, worldly and Deeni matters; that is >first come first served=. Whoever comes second will be placed second. Whoever comes later will be placed in ranks accordingly. Whoever lags behind, will be placed behind correspondingly. Allaah Ta`ala says: And the first of those who preceded from amongst the Muhaajireen and Ansaar. This indicates this principle. Now based on this we look at Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu). In every respect, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) came first and preceded the others. He was the first to accept Islaam and bring Imaan. He was the first to render service and aid to Islaam. He was the first to sacrifice wealth and soul for the service of Allaah Ta`ala and His Rasul (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). It was as though in every sphere of Deen, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) was the first. Everyone else followed him and came after. He was the teacher to those who followed. Whatever those who followed attained, was attained through the blessings of the predecessor. 30381. Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) was the first person to accept Islaam and bring Imaan on Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). Hadhrat Khadija Kubra (radhiAllaahu anha) was the pure and chaste wife of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) and Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) was a young man who had grown up on Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam)=s lap. Hadhrat Zaid (radhiAllaahu anhu) was Nabi=s (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) freed slave and servant. Their acceptance of Imaan was not a matter of excellence, since they were subordinate to Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) or they grew up in front of him. It was beyond their power or natural dispositions to reject the invitation of Imaan. Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) was leader of his tribe and he was an affluent and notable person in the community. He was not subservient to anybody. He was completely free to accept or refute the invitation. He was not forced to accept the Message. After proclaiming Nubuwwat, Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) first went to Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu), from amongst the >outsiders=. Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) immediately accepted the Message with firm conviction and a sincere heart. He accepted the Message without any hesitation. He immediately entered the fold of Islaam. 30382. Immediately upon accepting Imaan, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) joined and assisted Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in da`wat and tabligh. For the first 13 years, he was partner to Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in every difficulty and hardship. He always accompanied Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in his effort of da`wat and tabligh. Hadhrat Uthmaan, Talha, Sa`ad, Zubair, Sa`eed, Khabbaab (radhiAllaahu anhum) . 30383. Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) sacrificed his entire wealth and fortune upon Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). This virtue of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) was not shared by anyone else. For the two years when the Muslims were exiled in the valley of Abu Taalib, it was the wealth of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) that came to their assistance. Those Muslims who were suffering at the hands of the kuffaar, it was the wealth and assistance of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) that came to their rescue. Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) said at the time of his final illness: There is not anyone from amongst the people who surpassed and excelled Abu Bakr Bin Abi Quhaafa in (sacrificing) their selves and wealth. He (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) also said: No wealth has benefited me more than the wealth of Abu Bakr. In short, there was none that surpassed Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) in sacrificing their bodies and wealth for Islaam. At that time, Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) was still young, who due to the constrained circumstances of his father, Abu Taalib, was living with Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) and he could not and did not offer any assistance at that time. He was also not physically equipped (in body) to withstand the difficulties and hardships imposed on Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) by the kuffaar. 30384. Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) remained close to Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in the battles and expeditions, just like how a head-minster remains with the king. During the battle of Badr, a separate >hut= was constructed for Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), and during this time, it was Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) that remained with him whilst the remainder of the army were on the battlefield. Nabi=s (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) head was placed in Sajdah and he was making du`aa and it was Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) who was consoling him. Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) accompanied Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in every battle. There is not a single battle or journey undertaken by Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) wherewith Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) was not there. During bloody battles like Uhud and Hunain, many great Sahaabah were shaken, but the feet of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) always remained firm and steadfast. 30385. The relationship of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) with Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) was such as would be the relationship of a king with his closest confidant and minister. If there arose any matter that needed mashwera or advice, he would consult with Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu). Whenever Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) stood up, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) stood up with him. Whenever Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) sat down, Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) sat down with him on his right side. Whenever Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) used to make du`aa, then Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) used to say >Ameen= to it. Whenever any person experienced any difficulty, they would approach Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) through the agency of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu). In Surah Tawbah, the Aayat ..the second of the two, when they were in the cave... Bears testimony to the fact that Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) came second to Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). During his final illness, Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) mentioned in his Khutbah, that all the doors and openings to the Masjid be closed, except the door of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu). He further said that if he were to take any friend and close companion then he would have chosen Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu), but he had already taken Allaah Ta`ala as that close compatriot. The love and compassion of Allaah Ta`ala had so much overtaken and overwhelmed his heart that there remained absolutely no place for anyone else. Allaah had not placed two hearts in the bosom of man. He ordered those present to instruct Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) to make Imaamat in place of him. It is reported in some narrations that Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) asked for pen and paper so he could write something down and said that he feared that there may be those with desires who will fall (prey) to their desires after his demise. That is desire for the Khilaafat. This request to write something was later rescinded. He said: Allaah and the believers reject all besides Abu Bakr. (i.e. besides the Khila afat of Abu Bakr, that of anyone else will not be acceptable, hence there was no need to write anything down). Even the kuffaar acknowledged the fact that Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) was the closest confidant of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). At the time of Nabi=s (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) Hijrat to Madinah, the kuffaar offered a joint reward for the capture of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) and Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu). The kuffaar did not make any such announcement regarding Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). After the departure of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) from Makkah, Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) remained in Makkah but the kuffar did not do anything. These were the indications and signs that the Sahaabah understood as being Nabi=s (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) tacit appointment of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) as his successor, and they all readily accepted him as their Khalifa. They followed him with heart and soul. Those Sahaabah that were not present at Saqeefah Bani Sa`ada, later took ba` it at the hands of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu). Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) was busy in the preparations of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) burial, hence he was not present at Saqeefah Bani Sa`ada, he took ba`it later on. The Shiahs aver that Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) concealed his Khilaafat due to Taqiyah. According to the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat, Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) never adopted Taqiyah, he was known as the >Lion of Allaah=. Besides Allaah Ta`ala he feared none. Even if we assume for a moment that Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) had adopted Taqiyah, then he would most certainly have divulged this information at the time when he became Khalifah. He would not have, whilst he was based in Kufa, lauded so much of praise upon Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Umar (radhiAllaahu anhuma). Also at the time of his expedition against Hadhrat Mu`aawiya (radhiAllaahu anhu) he would have disclosed this information. Imaam Zehni mentions that Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu), during his reign of Khilaafat professed his respect and admiration for Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Umar (radhiAllaahu anhuma), and he declared them as being the best of this Ummat. More than 80 persons reported this from Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). May Allaah Ta`ala disgrace the Raafidhis (Shiahs), who are so ignorant that they do not even listen to Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). Imaam Zehni mentions via an authentic chain of narrators that Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) said : It has reached me that some persons are giving me preference over Abu Bakr and Umar. Whoever you find giving me excellence and virtue over Abu Bakr and Umar, then know that he is a liar. His punishment will be that of a liar. Daar-e-Qutni reports from Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu): If I find anyone giving me preference over Abu Bakr and Umar, then I will give him as many lashes as a liar deserves (i.e. 80 lashes). It is reported in Bukhari Shareef that once Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) said: The best person after Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) is Abu Bakr, then Umar and then another person. His son, Muhammad Bin Hanifah said: Then you (O father). He (Hadhrat Ali - radhiAllaahu anhu) said: Indeed I am a man from amongst the Muslims. After Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu), comes Hadhrat Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu) in rank. It is for this reason that Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) appointed Hadhrat Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu) as Khalifah on his death-bed. Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) wrote a bequest regarding this, and he gave all the believers the order to follow and obey Hadhrat Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu). Due to the stern nature of Hadhrat Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu), the people told Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) that what answer will he give to Allaah Ta`ala because he appointed a sharp-natured person as the Khalifah. He replied that he will say to Allaah Ta`ala that he had appointed the best Allaah-fearing person as the Khalifah. This is also borne out by the Ahaadith, in that many Ahaadith mention the names of Hadhrat Umar and Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhuma) together with that of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). The name of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) always comes before that of Hadhrat Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu). In all the multitudes of Ahaadith, there is not a single one where the name of Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) is not before that of Hadhrat Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu). One of the specialities of the Shaikhain is that in many Ahaadith, Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) mentions their names togther with his. This makes abundantly apparent that the two of them enjoy special status by him (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). Besides these two, Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) did not mention his name together with any other Sahaabi. The second speciality of these two Sahaabah is that even after their deaths, they are together with Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in that their graves are all side by side. This is an honour which is not enjoyed by any other Sahaabi. The rank of "Khatinain" after that of "Shaikhain" The rank of Khatinain, i.e. Hadhrat Uthmaan and Ali (radhiAllaahu anhuma) comes after that of Shaikhain, i.e. Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Umar (radhiAllaahu anhuma). Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Umar (radhiAllaahu anhuma) are called > Shaikhain=, and Hadhrat Uthmaan and Ali (radhiAllaahu anhuma) are called >Khatinain=. The meaning of >Khatan= is son-in-law. Both these Sahaabah were the sons-in-law of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) was also known as >Zun Nurain= (the holder of two lights), because he married two daughters of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), one after the demise of the other. After the assassination attempt on Hadhrat Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu), he called six Sahaabah to one side and told them to choose a Khalifah from amongst themselves. All of them were deserving of the post of Khilaafat. these six were: Hadhrat Uthmaan, Ali, Talha, Zubair, Sa`ad Bin Abi Waqqaas, Abdur Rahmaan Bin Auf (radhiAllaahu anhum). After the demise of Hadhrat Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu) these six Sahaabah got together and Hadhrat Abdur Rahmaan Bin Auf, Talha, Zubair (radhiAllaahu anhum) said the following and stood up: Besides Uthmaan and Ali none other is worthy of the post of Khilaafat. Hadhrat Abdur Rahmaan Bin Auf (radhiAllaahu anhu) was assigned the task of choosing between these two. He told these two Sahaabah that they should go to their homes, and after having consulted with the others, they will be informed of the outcome. When these two Sahaabah went to their homes, Hadhrat Abdur Rahmaan Bin Auf (radhiAllaahu anhu) went to them individually and told them that if either of them were to be selected as Khalifah, the other must willingly accept the result and take ba`it at his hand. He act in full accordance to the Qur`aan Kareem and the Sunnat of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), that he spend all his energy and effort in the progress and success of the Ummat, both in worldly and Deeni terms, that he follow the pattern laid out by Shaikhain during their respective periods of reign. Refer to Bukhari page 1070. After Hadhrat Abdur Rahmaan Bin Auf consulted with the senior Sahaabah, the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar, he appoint ed Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) as the Khalifah. After everyone had completed their Fajr Salaat, Hadhrat Abdur Rahmaan Bin Auf (radhiAllaahu anhu) told Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) to ascend the Mimbar. Hadhrat Abdur Rahmaan then addressed the Sahaabah and told them that after he had consulted with the Muhaajireen and the Ansaar, they had all come to the conclusion that at that time none was more qualified to take the position of Khilaafat than Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu). First to take the ba`it was Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) and thereafter all the other Sahaabah followed suit. All the Sahaabah were unanimous on this that Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) was the most suited for Khilaafat, even over Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). There was no doubt in their regarding Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) as the most virtuous. Without any hesitation and arguments they all agreed on the excellence of Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu). Allaama Taftaazaani says that if there was any doubt in the virtuousness of Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) over Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu), then it would have been brought out by the Sahaabah. Hence the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat agree that Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) holds a higher rank than Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). It is reported in Bukhari Shareef that once Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), Hadhrat Abu Bakr, Umar and Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhum) were on Mount Uhud when it began to shake. Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) said: AO Uhud, stop! Today there is on top of you a Nabi, a Siddique and two Shuhadaa.@ The Nabi was Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), the Siddique was Hadhrat Abu Bakr (radhiAllaahu anhu) and the two Shuhadaa were Hadhrat Umar and Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhuma). In this Hadith, the names of Hadhrat Umar and Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhuma) are joint indicating that after Hadhrat Umar (radhiAllaahu anhu) in rank, comes Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu). After Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) comes Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). Hadhrat Mu`aawiyah (radhiAllaahu anhu) thought the murderers to be some trouble-makers and Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu) regarded them as rebels. If rebels surrender themselves, then whatever acts they had perpetrated during their time of rebellion is not accountable, and there is no Qisaas or liability upon them. The insight and foresight of Hadhrat Ali (RadhiAllaahu anhu) was indeed very deep and profound. Imaam Abul Hasan As`hari (Rahmatullahi alaih) states that the virtue of Hadhrat Abu Bakr and Umar (radhiAllaahu anhuma) is above that of the rest of the Ummah and this is certain (absolute/final/binding). However, as for the virtue of Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) over Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu), that is not absolute. The ruling of the four Aimmah-e-Mujtahiddeen, is that Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) is more higher in rank than Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). Some Ulama have opted to remain silent on this issue and not say anything definite, because of the various virtues that are enumerated regarding Hadhrat Ali (radhiAllaahu anhu). Qaadhi Iyaadh says that it is reported from Imaam Maalik (rahmatullahi alaih) regarding this issue that he has opted for silence. Nevertheless, thereafter he had taken a leaning towards opting for Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu). Imaam Qurtubi (rahmatullahi alaih) says that this is the correct view, Insha-Allaah. The object of this statement was not that he had doubt regarding this matter, but rather because during the Khilaafat of Khatinain there was uprisings and mischief, and many people=s hearts started getting turned away from these two illustrious Sahaabah. In order to combat this feeling of disillusionment amongst the masses he used the word AMuhabbat@ (love) for these two Sahaabah. Imaam Saheb never intended hesitation, in fact the Kitaabs of Hanafi Fiqh are replete with the order of ranking of the Sahaabah. In conclusion, the Fuqahaa have sated that the highest rank goes to Shaikhain and this is absolute, and then after them comes Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) in rank. It is for this reason that the Fuqahaa have not placed Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu) with Shaikhain, because his rank is a bit lower than theirs. Next in rank from amongst the Sahabah after the Khulafaa-e-Raashideen are those Sahaabah regarding whom Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) had given the glad tidings of Jannat. They are known as the >Ashara-e -Mubassharah. Regarding them Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in one gathering mentioned their names one by one. They are: The four Khulafaa-e-Raashideen, Hadhrat Sa`ad Bin Abi Waqqaas, Abdur Rahmaan Bin Auf, Abu Ubaidah Bin Jarrah, Sa`eed Bin Zaid, Talha and Zubair (radhiAllaahu anhum ajmaeen). These ten Sahaabah are the best and highest ranked amongst the entire Ummat. They are from amongst the leaders of the Quraish and they are close and family members of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam). They are from amongst the first in Islaam. Their family connections and personal qualities were reasons for the strengthening of Islaam. After they accepted Islaam they sacrificed their bodies, souls and wealth for the Deen. They accompanied Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) in every battle after their respective acceptances into Islaam. The benefit that Islaam had reaped by these ten personalities was not surpassed by any other person. Because Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) mentioned all these ten names at one time, and gave them the glad tidings of Jannat, they are known as >Ashara-e-Mubassharah=. Besides these ten, Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) had also given the glad tidings of Jannat to other Sahaabah, on an individual basis. Like Hadhrat Faatimah (radhiAllaahu anha), Hadhrat Hasan and Hussein, Hadhrat Khadija, Aisha, Hamza, Abbaas, Salmaan, Hubaib, Ammaar Bin Yaasir (radhiAllaahu anhum ajmaeen). Indeed Allaah Ta`ala is well pleased with the participants in Badr. Then He said: You (participants of Badr) may do as you please, because indeed Allaah has forgiven your sins. Therefore, Allaah Ta`ala assisted the Muslims in this battle by sending down 5 000 angels to assist them. These participants in Badr, since they were treading in the footsteps of the Nabis, they were told that whatever they desired to do they may do so. This statement is not said to anybody and everybody. It was said to those pious servants of Allaah Ta`ala, who were completely firm in their steadfastness (radhiAllaahu anhum). The Ashara-e-Mubassharah also participated in this battle, for the exception of Hadhrat Uthmaan (radhiAllaahu anhu). His wife, the daughter of Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) was very ill at that time, and he, although ready to join Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam), was ordered to remain behind in Madinah and look after his wife. Nevertheless, Nabi (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) included him amongst the Mujaahideen and he also received a share in the booty (spoils of war). Since the Sashara-e-Mubasshrah are higher in rank than the participants of Badr, their names were mentioned individually and given the glad tidings of Jannat and the rest of the Participants of Badr were told that they have been forgiven. After them in rank, comes the participants of the Battle of Uhud. It was in this battle that the blessed teeth of Rasulullaah (sallAllaahu alaihi wasallam) were martyred. The leader of Martyrs, Hadhrat Hamza (radhiAllaahu anhu) along with 70 other Sahaabah were martyred in this battle. The Ashara-e-Mubassharah also participated in this battle. Indeed Allaah is pleased with the believers, when they took ba`it with you beneath the tree. He knows that (sincerity) in their hearts. In this Aayat, Allaah Ta`ala speaks of the sincerity of the Sahaabah. It is this sincerity that is highly lauded. Hence, the putrid claim of the Shiahs that the Sahaabah (Nauthubillah!) only displayed an outer facade of Imaan, but they had hypocrisy in their hearts. This Aayat refutes all such rotten and rancid claims of the Shiahs. Indeed the most honourable amongst you in the Sight of Allaah is the one who has the most Taqwa. Those Muslims who have seen our Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and have died as Muslims, are known as Sahabah. Very great virtues have been mentioned with regard to them. We have to love and think good of all of them. If we hear of any dispute or conflict among them, we should regard it as a misunderstanding or a miscalculation. We should not speak any ill of them. The greatest among them are four Companions: Hadrat Abu Bakr Siddiq radiallahu anhu. He took the place of Rasulullah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and supervised the matters of the Deen. He is therefore called the first Khalifah. He is the best person in the entire ummat. After him comes Hadrat Umar radiallahu anhu. He is the second Khalifah. After him is the third Khalifah, Hadrat Uthman radiallahu anhu. After him is the fourth Khalifah, Hadrat Ali radiallahu anhu. The status of the Sahabah is so high that even the greatest of walis cannot reach a stage equal to the lowest Sahabi. All the children and wives of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam are worthy of respect. Among his children, Hadrat Fatima radiallahu anha has the highest status. Among his wives, Hadrat Khadija and Hadrat Aisha radiallahu anhuma have the highest status.

2019-04-24T02:15:34Z

https://tazkia.org/en/beliefs/beliefs-related-to-sahaba

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2019-04-20T06:43:34Z

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2007-08-20 First worldwide family litigation filed litigation Critical https://patents.darts-ip.com/?family=24711388&utm_source=google_patent&utm_medium=platform_link&utm_campaign=public_patent_search&patent=US5928279(A) "Global patent litigation dataset” by Darts-ip is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Stented tubular grafts of expanded, sintered polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). The stented PTFE grafts of the present invention include an integrally stented embodiment, an externally stented embodiment, and an internally stented embodiment. In each embodiment, the stent may be either self-expanding or pressure-expandable. Also, in each embodiment, the stent may be coated or covered with a plastic material capable of being affixed (e.g., heat fused) to PTFE. Manufacturing methods are also disclosed by the individual components of the stented grafts are preassembled on a mandrel and are subsequently heated to facilitate attachment of the PTFE layer(s) to one another and/or to the stent. Optionally, the stented graft may be post-flexed and post-expanded following it's removal from the mandrel to ensure that the stented graft will be freely radially expandable and/or radially contractible over it's full intended range of diameters. The present invention pertains generally to medical devices and their methods of manufacture, and more particularly to tubular, polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts having integral, radially expandable stents, for implantation in a cavities or passageways (e.g., ducts or blood vessels) of the body. The prior art has included a number of radially expandable stents which may be initially deployed in a radially collapsed state suitable for transluminal insertion via a delivery catheter, and subsequently transitioned to a radially expanded state whereby the stent will contact and engage the surrounding wall or the anatomical duct or body cavity within which the stent has been positioned. Such stents have been used to support and maintain the patency of blood vessel lumens (e.g., as an adjuvant to balloon angioplasty) and to structurally support and/or anchor other apparatus, such as a tubular endovascular grafts, at desired locations within a body cavity or passageway (e.g., to anchor a tubular endovascular graft within a blood vessel such that the graft forms an internal conduit through an aneurysm or site of traumatic injury to the blood vessel wall). Many stents of the prior art have been formed of individual member(s) such as wire, plastic, metal strips, or mesh which have been bent, woven, interlaced or otherwise fabricated into a generally cylindrical configuration. These stents of the prior art have generally been classified into two major categories--a) self-expanding stents, and b) "pressure expandable" stents. Self-expanding stents are typically formed of spring metal, shape memory alloy, or other material which is resiliently biased toward it's fully radially expanded configuration or otherwise capable of self-expanding to it's fully radially expanded configuration without the need for the exertion of outwardly directed radial force upon the stent by some extraneous expansion apparatus (e.g., a balloon or mechanical expander tool). These self-expanding stents may be initially radially compressed and loaded into a small diameter delivery catheter or alternatively mounted upon the outer surface of a delivery catheter equipped with some means for restraining or maintaining the stent in it's radially compressed state. Thereafter, the delivery catheter is inserted into the body and is advanced to a position where the stent is located at or near the site at which it is to be implanted. Thereafter, the stent is expelled out of (or released from) the delivery catheter and allowed to self-expand to it's full radial diameter. Such expansion of the stent causes the stent to frictionally engage the surrounding wall of the body cavity or passageway within which the stent has been positioned. The delivery catheter is then extracted, leaving the self-expanded stent at it's intended site of implantation. Some examples of self-expanding stents of the prior art include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,655,771 (Wallsten et al.); 4,954,126 (Wallsten): 5,061,275 (Wallsten et al.); 4,580,568 (Gianturco); 4,830,003 (Wolf et al.); 5,035,706 (Gianturco et al.) and 5,330,400 (Song). The pressure-expandable stents of the prior art are typically formed of metal wire, metal strips, or other malleable or plastically deformable material, fabricated into a generally cylindrical configuration. The pressure-expandable stent is initially disposed in a collapsed configuration having a diameter which is smaller than the desired final diameter of the stent, when implanted in the blood vessel. The collapsed stent is then loaded into or mounted upon a small diameter delivery catheter. The delivery catheter is then advanced to its desired location within the vasculature, and a balloon or other stent-expansion apparatus (which may be formed integrally of or incorporated into the delivery catheter) is utilized to exert outward radial force on the stent, thereby radially expanding and plastically deforming the stent to it's intended operative diameter whereby the stent frictionally engages the surrounding blood vessel wall. The material of the stent undergoes plastic deformation during the pressure-expansion process. Such plastic deformation of the stent material causes the stent to remain in its radially expanded operative configuration. The balloon or other expansion apparatus is then deflated/collapsed and is withdrawn from the body separately from, or as part of, the delivery catheter, leaving the pressure-expanded stent at it's intended site of implantation. Some examples of pressure-expandable stents of the prior art include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,135,536 (Hillstead); 5,161,547 (Tower); 5,292,331 (Boneau); 5,304,200 (Spaulding) and 4,733,665 (Palmaz). Fluoropolymers, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, have been heretofore used for the manufacture of various types of prosthetic vascular grafts. These vascular grafts are typically of tubular configuration so as to be useable to replace an excised segment of blood vessel. The tubular PTFE vascular grafts of the prior art have traditionally been implanted, by open surgical techniques, whereby a diseased or damaged segment of blood vessel is surgically excised and removed, and the tubular bioprosthetic graft is then anastomosed into the host blood vessel as a replacement for the previously removed segment thereof. Alternatively, such tubular prosthetic vascular grafts have also been used as bypass grafts wherein opposite ends of the graft are sutured to a host blood vessel so as to form a bypass conduit around a diseased, injured or occluded segment of the host vessel. In general, many tubular prosthetic vascular grafts of the prior art have been formed of extruded, porous PTFE tubes. In some of the tubular grafts of the prior art a PTFE tape is wrapped about and laminated to the outer surface of a tubular base graft to provide reinforcement and additional burst strength. Also, some of the prior tubular prosthetic vascular grafts have included external support member(s) such as a PTFE beading, bonded or laminated to the outer surface of the tubular graft to prevent the graft from becoming compressed or kinked during implantation. These externally supported tubular vascular grafts have proven to be particularly useful for replacing segments of blood vessel which pass through, or over, joints or other regions of the body which undergo frequent articulation or movement. One commercially available, externally-supported, tubular vascular graft is formed of a PTFE tube having a PTFE filament helically wrapped around, and bonded to, the outer surface of the PTFE tube. (IMPRA Flex™ Graft, IMPRA, Inc., Tempe, Ariz.). One other commercially available, externally-supported, tubular vascular graft comprises a regular walled, PTFE tube which has PTFE reinforcement tape helically wrapped around, and bonded to, the outer surface of the PTFE tube and individual rings of Fluorinated Ethylene Propylene (FEP) rings disposed around, and bonded to, the outer surface of the reinforcement tape. (FEP ringed ePTFE vascular graft, W. L. Gore & Associates, Inc., Flagstaff, Ariz.). The prior art has also included a number of "stented grafts". These stented grafts typically comprise a self-expanding or pressure-expandable stent which is affixed to or formed within a pliable tubular graft. Because of their radial compressibility/expandability, these stented grafts are particularly useable in applications wherein it is desired to insert the graft into an anatomical passageway (e.g., blood vessel) while the graft is in a radially compact state, and to subsequently expand and anchor the graft to the surrounding wall of the anatomical passageway. More recently, methods have been developed for introducing and implanting tubular prosthetic vascular grafts within the lumen of a blood vessel, by percutaneous or minimal incision means. Such endovascular implantation initially involves translumenal delivery of the graft, in a compacted state, by way of a catheter or other transluminally advancable delivery apparatus. Thereafter, the graft is radially expanded and anchored to the surrounding blood vessel wall, thereby holding the graft at its intended site of implantation within the host blood vessel. An affixation apparatus such as a stent, is typically utilized to anchor at least the opposite ends of the tubular graft to the surrounding blood vessel wall. One particular application for endovascular grafts of this type is in the treatment of vascular aneurysms without requiring open surgical access and resection of the aneurysmic blood vessel. Also, such stented grafts may also be useable to treat occlusive vascular disease--especially in cases where the stented graft is constructed in such a manner that the tubular graft material forms a complete barrier between the stent and the blood which is flowing through the blood vessel. In this manner the tubular graft material may serve as a smooth, biologically compatible, inner "covering" for the stent, thereby preventing a) turbulent blood-flow as the blood flows over the wire members or other structural material of which the stent is formed, b) immunologic reaction to the metal or other material of which the stent is formed, and c) a barrier to separate a diseased or damaged segment of blood vessel from the blood-flow passing therethrough. Such prevention of turbulent blood-flow and/or immunologic reaction to the stent material is believed to be desirable as both of these phenomena are believed to be associated with thrombus formation and/or restenosis of the blood vessel. Other uses for stented grafts may include restoring patency to, or re-canalizing, other anatomical passageways such as ducts of the biliary tract, digestive tract and/or genito-urinary tract. Many of the stented grafts known in the prior art have utilized woven or knitted material, such as polyester fiber, as the graft material. There exists a need for the development of a radially expandable, stented graft formed of a continuous, tubular ePTFE tube because the inherent properties of PTFE may offer various clinical advantages over the woven polyester and other graft materials which have been previously used in stented grafts of the prior art. The present invention is directed to stented, tubular, PTFE grafts and their methods of manufacture. In general, the present invention may exist in any of three (3) separate embodiments, depending upon whether the stent component of the graft is formed integrally (i.e., within) the tubular PTFE graft, externally (i.e., on the outer surface of) the tubular PTFE graft, or internally (i.e., on the inner lumenal surface) of the PTFE tubular graft. Each of these three separate embodiments of the invention may be self expanding (i.e., incorporating a self-expanding stent) or pressure-expandable (i.e., incorporating a pressure-expandable stent. In accordance with a first embodiment of the invention, there is provided an integrally stented PTFE graft which comprises a tubular PTFE base graft preferably of a density less than 1.6 g/cc, a radially expandable stent surrounding the outer surface of the tubular base graft, and an outer PTFE layer having a density of less than 1.6 g/cc. The tubular outer layer is fused to the tubular base graft through lateral openings or perforations formed in the stent. A polymer coating, such as a PTFE coating, may be disposed on the stent to further facilitate fusing or boding of the stent to the base tube and/or outer tubular layer. In accordance with a second embodiment of the invention, there is provided an externally stented, tubular PTFE graft which comprises a radially compressible/expandable stent having a ePTFE tube of less than 1.6 g/cc density coaxially disposed within the stent, with the outer surface of the tubular ePTFE graft being fused or attached to the stent. A polymer coating, such as PTFE or any other plastic which may be fused or adhered to PTFE, may be applied to or formed on the stent to facilitate the desired fusion or attachment of the tube graft to the stent, and/or to improve the biocompatibility of the stent. In accordance with a third embodiment of the invention, there is provided an internally stented, tubular PTFE graft comprising a tubular outer layer formed of ePTFE having a density of less than 1.6 g/cc, and a radially expandable stent. The stent is coaxially disposed within the lumen of the tubular outer layer, and fused or attached thereto. The stent may be covered with a polymer coating, such as PTFE or other biocompatable plastic capable of adhering or fusing to PTFE, to facilitate the desired fusion or attachment of the stent to the outer tubular layer, and/or to improve the biocompatability of the stent. Additionally or alternatively, PTFE particles may be disposed between the tubular outer layer and the tubular base graft to facilitate adhering or fusing of these two layers to one another, and/or to the stent. Such PTFE particles may be disposed between the inner base graft and outer tubular layer by applying or depositing PTFE liquid dispersion therebetween, or by depositing dry PTFE resin powder therebetween. Any of above-summarized three (3) separate embodiments of the invention may be manufactured by a method which comprises the steps of: a) initially positioning a generally cylindrical stent of either the self-expanding or pressure-expandable variety in contacting coaxial relation with the tubular ePTFE base graft and/or the tubular ePTFE outer layer, upon a cylindrical mandrel or other suitable support surface, and b) subsequently fusing the fuse (i.e., heating to a lamination temperature) assembled components (i.e., the stent in combination with the inner base graft and/or outer tubular layer) of the stented graft into a unitary stented graft structure. In integrally stented embodiments where both the tubular ePTFE base graft and the tubular ePTFE outer layer are present, such heating will additionally cause the tubular outer layer to fuse to the inner tubular base graft, through lateral openings or perforations which exist in the stent. The stent may be surface treated, abraded, or coated with a plastic capable of adhering or fusing to ePTFE to facilitate attachment of the stent to the adjacent outer layer and/or inner base graft upon subsequent heating, application of solvent or other suitable adhesion promoting technique. In instances where a plastic coating is formed on the stent, such coating may be in the nature of a tube or film which is applied to the stent prior to assembly and mounting of the stented graft components on the mandrel or other support surface. Also, in embodiments where both the outer tubular layer and tubular base graft are used, aqueous PTFE dispersion, powdered PTFE resin or other flowable plastic material, may be deposited between the outer tubular layer and inner tubular base graft at the time of assembly (prior to heating) to further facilitate fusion of the outer tubular layer and/or inner tubular base graft to the stent and/or to one another. By the above-described materials and methods of construction, the stented PTFE grafts of the present invention are capable of radially expanding and contracting without excessive puckering, wrinkling or invagination of the PTFE graft material. Furthermore, in embodiments wherein the stent is constructed of individual members which move or reposition relative to one another during respective expansion and contraction of the stented graft, the manufacturing methods and materials of the present invention render the PTFE sufficiently strong and sufficiently firmly laminated or fused so as to permit such relative movement of the individual members of the stent without tearing or rupturing of the tubular PTFE graft. Further objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an integrally stented PTFE tubular graft of the present invention, wherein a portion of the graft has been inserted into a tubular catheter. FIG. 1a is an enlarged perspective view of a segment of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is an enlarged, cut-away, elevational view of a preferred, integrally stented, tubular PTFE graft of the present invention. FIG. 3a is an enlarged perspective view of a portion of the stent incorporated in the graft of FIG. 2. FIG. 3b is an enlarged cross-sectional view through line 3b-3d of FIG. 3a. FIGS. 4a-4f are a step-by-step illustration of a preferred method for manufacturing an integrally stented PTFE graft of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a schematic illustration of an alternative electron beam deposition method which is usable for depositing PTFE coating on the stent portion of the integrally stented PTFE grafts of the present invention. FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an alternative heating apparatus which is useable in the manufacture of the integrally stented PTFE grafts of the present invention. The following detailed description is provided for the purpose of describing and illustrating presently preferred embodiments of the invention only, and is not intended to exhaustively describe all possible embodiments in which the invention may be practiced. With reference to FIGS. 1-3b, there is shown an integrally stented tubular PTFE graft 10 of the present invention. The preferred integrally stented graft 10 comprises a tubular PTFE base graft 12, a PTFE-coated stent 14 and an outer layer of PTFE 16. One of the many types of stents which may be used to form the stent 14 component of a stented graft 10 of the present invention, is shown in the drawings. This particular stent 14 is formed of individual elements or wires 18 which have been coated with a PTFE coating 20. Gaps or lateral openings 19 exist between adjacent ones or bundles of the wires 18. The configuration, construction, and function of this stent 14 is described in detail in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,655,771 Wallsten); 4,954,126 (Wallsten); and 5,061,275 (Wallsten et al.), the entireties of which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference. As shown in the figures of this patent application, this particular stent 14 is composed of rigid but resiliently flexible thread elements or wires 18. These thread elements or wires 18 are formed of metal, such as an alloy of cobalt, chromium, nickel or molybdenum, wherein the alloying residue is iron. One specific example of a commercially available alloy which may is usable to form the wires 18 of the stent 14 is Elgiloy (The Elgiloy Company, 1565 Fleetwood Drive, Elgin, Ill. 60120). The wires 18 of this stent 14 are arranged in helical configuration about a common longitudinal axis LA. A number of the wires 18 are positioned in substantially parallel relation to one another, but are axially displaced relative to each other. By such arrangement, some of the wires 18 are wound in a first helical direction, while others are wound in a second or opposite helical direction such that they cross on opposite sides of adjacent ones of the wires wound in the first helical direction so as to form a helically braided wire stent as shown in the Figures. This results in the formation of a braided wire stent 14 of generally tubular configuration which is self-expanding and biased to it's radially expanded diameter D2. However, this stent 14 may be radially compressed to a smaller diameter D1 and radial constraint, as may be applied by the surrounding wall of the tubular delivery catheter 22 shown in FIG. 1, may be applied to hold the stent 14 in such radially compressed state (diameter D1). Thereafter, when the radial constraint is removed from the stent 14, the stent 14 will resiliently spring back to its radially expanded diameter D2. The individual, helically wound wires 18 of this particular braided stent 14 move and articulate such that the angular dispositions of the wires 18, relative to one another, will change radial expansion and compression of the stent 14. Also, the longitudinal length of the stent 14 will increase as the stent 14 is radially compressed toward its radially compact configuration D1, and such length will shorten as the stent 14 expands toward its radially expanded configuration D2. Thus, the optional PTFE coating 20 is applied to the wires 18 of the stent 14, such coating (described in detail herebelow) is preferably flexible enough to withstand the flexing and movement of the individual wires 18 without cracking or degrading. The tubular base graft 12 is initially coaxially positioned within the hollow inner bore of the tubular stent 14 while the stent 14 is in its radially expanded configuration, after the stent 14 has been coated with the PTFE coating 20, if desired. Thereafter, the outer PTFE layer 16 is formed by any suitable means, such as by wrapping PTFE tape 17 upon the outer surface of the PTFE coated stent 14 to form the generally tubular outer PTFE layer 16. Thereafter, heat or other means are utilized to fuse the outer PTFE layer 16 to the inner base graft 12, through the gaps or openings 19 which exist in the stent 14. In embodiments wherein the optional PTFE coating 20 has been applied to the stent 14, such heating will also facilitate bonding of the PTFE coating 20 of the stent 14 to the adjacent base graft 12 and outer PTFE layer 16. In this manner, there is formed a self-expanding, tubular, integrally stented, PTFE graft 10 of substantially unitary constructions. The stent 14 forms an integral structural framework within the tubular graft 10, and the fused PTFE body of the graft is low enough in density and sufficiently pliable to allow the stent 14 incorporated into the graft 10 to continue to undergo substantially the same range of radial expansion and contraction that such stent 14 was capable of before disposition of the PTFE graft thereon. In this regard, the internally stented graft 10 is radially compressible to the stent's first diameter D1 and may be may be inserted into the lumen of a small diameter tubular catheter 22. The external constraint provided by the wall of the catheter 22 will maintain the stented graft 10 in it's radially compressed configuration of diameter D1 until such time as the graft 10 is expelled or ejected out of the catheter 22. After the graft 10 has been expelled or ejected out of the catheter 22, the graft will self-expand to a diameter which is substantially equal to the original expanded diameter D2 of the stent 14. The manufacture of the tubular base graft begins with the step of preparing a PTFE paste dispersion for subsequent extrusion. This PTFE paste dispersion may be prepared by known methodology whereby a fine, virgin PTFE powder (e.g., F-104 or F-103 Virgin PTFE Fine Powder, Dakin America, 20 Olympic Drive, Orangebury, N.Y. 10962) is blended with a liquid lubricant, such as odorless mineral spirits (e.g., Isopar®, Exxon Chemical Company, Houston, Tex. 77253-3272), to form a PTFE paste of the desired consistency. The PTFE-lubricant blend dispersion is subsequently passed through a tubular extrusion dye to form a tubular extrudate. The wet tubular extrudate is then subjected to a drying step whereby the liquid lubricant is removed. This drying step may be accomplished at room temperature or by placing the wet tubular extrudate in an oven maintained at an elevated temperature at or near the lubricant's dry point for a sufficient period of time to result in evaporation of substantially all of the liquid lubricant. Thereafter, the dried tubular extrudate is longitudinally expanded or longitudinally drawn at a temperature less than 327° C. and typically in the range of 250°-326° C. This longitudinal expansion of the extrudate may be accomplished through the use of known methodology, and may be implemented by the use of a device known as a batch expander. Typically, the tubular extrudate is longitudinally expanded by an expansion ratio of more than two to one (2:1) (i.e., at least two (2) times its original length). Preferably, the base graft 12 is formed of expanded, sintered PTFE having a density of less than 1.6 grams per cubic centimeter. After the longitudinal expansion step has been completed, the expanded PTFE tube is subjected to a sintering step whereby it is heated to a temperature above the sintering temperature of PTFE (i.e., 350°-370° C.) to effect amorphous-locking of the PTFE polymer. The methodology used to effect the sintering step, and the devices used to implement such methodology, are known in the art. Completion of the sintering step marks the completion of the preparation of the expanded, sintered PTFE base graft 12. The usual manufacture of an expanded, sintered PTFE tape 17 useable to form the outer PTFE layer 16 of the stented graft 10 begins with the preparation of a PTFE paste dispersion. This PTFE paste dispersion may be prepared in the same manner as described hereabove for preparation of the PTFE paste dispersion used to form the tubular base graft. The PTFE paste dispersion is subsequently passed through the film extrusion dye to form a wet film extrudate. The wet film extrudate is taken up or wound upon a rotating core so as to form a roll of the wet film extrudate. The wet film extrudate is subsequently unrolled and subjected to an initial cold (i.e., <100° C.) calendaring step by passing the film through at least one set of opposing stainless steel calendaring rollers having an adjustable gap thickness therebetween. The calendaring rollers are preferably maintained at a temperature between room temperature and 60° C. The width of the wet extrudate is held constant as it passes through these calendaring rollers. The thickness of the wet film extrudate is reduced to its desired final thickness (e.g., 0.004-0.005 inches) while the width of the film is maintained constant. It will be appreciated that, since the width of the film is maintained constants the passage of the film through the calendaring machine will result in a longitudinal lengthening of the film. The amount of longitudinal lengthening will be a function of the decrease in film thickness which occurs as the film passes between the calendaring rollers. Thereafter, the wet film is subjected to a drying step. This drying step may be accomplished by permitting or causing the liquid lubricant to evaporate from the matrix of the film. Such evaporation of the liquid lubricant may be facilitated by passing the film over a drum or roller which is maintained in an elevated temperature sufficient to cause the liquid lubricant to fully evaporate from the film matrix. Separately, or concurrently with the drying step the film is subjected to an expansion step. Such expansion step comprises expanding the PTFE film in at least one direction (e.g., longitudinally). Such expansion of the film serves to a) increase the porosity of the film, b) increase the strength of the film, and c) orient the PTFE fibrils in the direction of the axis of expansion. This expansion step is typically carried out with some heating of the film during such expansions but such heating does not exceed the crystalline melting point of the PTFE polymer. After the drying step and expansion step have been completed, the film is subjected to a sintering step wherein the film is heated to a temperature above the melting point of PTFE to accomplish sintering or amorphous locking of the PTFE polymer. This sintering step may be carried out by passing the film over a drum or roller which is maintained at a high surface temperature (e.g., 350°-420° C.) to cause the desired heating of the PTFE film above the melting point of the PTFE polymer for a sufficient period of time to effect the desired sintering of the film. After the film has been dried, the film is cut into strips, each strip typically having a width of 0.25-0.50 inches, thereby creating strips of expanded, sintered PTFE tape 14. Prior to assembly of the components of the integrally stented graft 10, the stent 14 may be coated with a polymer coating 20. The polymer coating formed on the stent 14 may be any suitable type of polymer which will adhere to PTFE. Examples of polymers which may be used for such polymer coating or covering include polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP), polytetrafluoroethylene-perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer (PFA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and other biocompatable plastics. One manner in which such coating of the stent 14 may be carried out is illustrated in FIG. 4a. As shown in FIG. 4a, the stent 14 may be immersed in a vessel 30 containing an aqueous dispersion of PTFE 32. One aqueous PTFE dispersion which may be useable for coating of the stent 14 is DuPont T-30 Aqueous PTFE Dispersion, available commercially from the E.I. DuPont de Numoris Co., (Wilmington, Del.). Another commercially available PTFE dispersion 32 which may be utilized for coating of the stent is Daikin-Polyflon TFE Dispersion, available from Daikin Industries, Ltd., Chemical Division (Umeda Center Bldg., 4-12 chome, Nakazaki-nishi, Kita-ku, Osaka, Japan). The time in which the stent 14 must remain immersed in the liquid PTFE dispersion 32 may vary, depending on the construction of the stent 14 and the chemical composition of the PTFE dispersion 32. However, in most cases, an immersion time of 10-15 seconds will be sufficient to obtain uniform deposition of the PTFE coating 20 on the wire members 18 of the stent 14. After the stent 14 has been removed from the liquid PTFE dispersion 32 it will be permitted to air dry such that a dry PTFE coating 20 remains deposited upon the outer surface of each wire 18 of the stent 14. Optionally, after the air drying has been completed, the PTFE coated stent 14 may be placed in an oven at 350° C. for approximately 10 minutes to sinter the PTFE coating and/or to enhance the bonding of the PTFE coating 20 to wire members 18 of the stent 14. Sintering of the PTFE coating renders the coating more resistant to abrasion or peeling during the subsequent handing of the stent and/or the ensuing manufacture and use of the stented graft 10. It will be appreciated that various alternative methods, other than immersion, may be used for depositing the PTFE coating 20 on the stent 14. One alternative method is electron beam deposition, as illustrated in FIG. 5. In accordance with this alternative PTFE deposition method, the stent 14 is positioned within a closed vacuum chamber 36 wherein a mass of PTFE 38 is located. An electron beam apparatus 40 is then utilized to project electron beam radiation onto the PTFE 38 within the chamber 36 so as to cause sublimation of the PTFE and resultant deposition of the layer 20 of PTFE on the outer surface of the stent 14. The apparatus and specific methodology useable to perform this electron beam deposition of the PTFE coating 20 are well known to those of skill in the relevant art. As with the above-described immersion process (FIG. 4a), the stent 14 whereupon the PTFE coating 20 has been deposited may be subjected to optional heating at 350° C. for a period of approximately ten minutes in order to sinter the PTFE coating and/or to enhance the bonding of the PTFE coating 20 to the wire members 18 of the stent 14. As an alternative to coating of the stent, or in addition thereto, such PTFE aqueous dispersion may be painted onto the outer surface of the base graft 12, or the inner surface of the outer tubular layer 16, or may be otherwise disposed between the base graft 12 and outer tubular layer 16 to facilitate fusion or bonding of the inner base graft 12 to the outer tubular layer 16. Or, such PTFE aqueous dispersion may be sprayed or otherwise applied to the outer surface of the outer tubular layer 16 provided that the PTFE present in the dispersion are small enough to migrate inwardly through pores in the outer tubular layer 16, thereby becoming deposited between the outer tubular layer 16 and the inner base graft 12. Another alternative or additional means by which adherence or fusion of the base graft 12, outer tubular layer 16 and/or stent 14 may be facilitated or enhanced includes the deposition of raw PTFE resin powder between the outer tubular layer 16 and inner base graft 12, and/or upon the stent 14. It will be appreciated that in many cases, it will be desirable to apply the polymer coating 20 to the stent 14 while the stent 14 is in it's fully radially expanded configuration of diameter D2. In this manner, after the coating 20 has been applied and formed on the fully radially expanded stent 14, the stent 14 may subsequently be contracted to it's radially compact configuration of diameter D1 without tearing or disrupting of the previously-applied coating 20. In embodiments which utilize a pressure-expandable stent 14, it may thus be necessary to volitionally or purposely expand the stent 14 to it's fully radially expanded diameter D2 prior to application of the coating 20. Alternatively, when the stent 14 is of the self-expanding variety it will, in most cases, automatically assume it's fully radially expanded configuration of diameter D2 and no such volitional or purposeful pre-expansion of the stent 14 will be required. The preferred means by which liquid PTFE dispersion and/or solid PTFE powder may be deposited between the outer tubular layer 16, and inner base graft 12 will be discussed in more detail herebelow with reference to the manufacturing methodology. FIGS. 4b-4f show, in step-wise fashion, the preferred method for assembling and constructing the integrally stented PTFE graft 10. As shown in FIG. 4b, the tubular base graft 12 is initially disposed on a rod or mandrel 50. Such rod or mandrel 50 may comprise a stainless steel rod having an outer diameter which is only slightly smaller than the inner diameter of the tubular base graft 12. In this manners the tubular base graft 12 may be slidably advanced onto the outer surface of the mandrel 50 without undue effort or damage to the base graft 12. Thereafter, the PTFE-coated stent 14 is axially advanced onto the outer surface of the tubular base graft 12, as shown in FIG. 4c. At this point in the process, PTFE liquid dispersion or powdered PTFE resin may be additionally (optionally) applied to the stent 14 and/or outer surface of the base graft 12 to promote further bonding and fusion of the base graft 12 to the stent 14 and/or subsequently applied outer layer 16. In this regard, the mandrel-borne tubular base graft 12 and stent 14 may be rolled in powdered PTFE resin to accomplish the desired deposition of PTFE powder thereon. Alternatively, the above-described PTFE liquid dispersion may be painted sprayed or otherwise applied to the surface of the stent 14 and/or outer surface of the tubular base graft 12 prior to subsequent application of the outer tubular layer 16. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4d, the tape 17 is initially helically wrapped in overlapping fashion, on the outer surface of the stent 14, in a first direction. In the preferred embodiment, tape of 1/2 inch width is used. The tape is helically wrapped about the stent at a pitch angle whereby 6 to 8 revolutions of the tape are applied per linear inch of the stent 14. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4e, a second tape wrap in the opposite direction is accomplished, preferably using the same width of tape at the same pitch angle, thereby applying another 6-8 revolutions of tape 17 per linear inch of stent 14. In this manner, both wrappings of the tape 17 (FIGS. 4d and 4e) combine to form a tubular, outer PTFE layer 16 which preferably has a thickness of less than 0.1 inches, and which may be formed of 1 to 10 consecutive (e.g., laminated) layers of the tape 17. For example, when using ePTFE tape of less than 1.6 g/cc density and 1/2 inch width, the first helical wrap (FIG. 4d) may deposit four consecutive layers of tape 17 and the second helical wrap (FIG. 4e) may deposit an additional 4 layers of tape 17, thereby resulting in an outer tubular layer 16 which is made up of a total of 8 layers of such tape 17. Optionally, to further promote bonding of the outer tubular layer 16 to the stent 14 and/or inner base graft 12, liquid PTFE dispersion may be sprayed, painted or otherwise applied to and dried upon the tape 17 prior to wrapping, or such liquid PTFE dispersion may be deposited by any suitable means (spraying, painting, etc.) between the outer tubular layer 16 formed by the helically wrapped tape 17 and the inner base graft 12. Or such liquid PTFE dispersion may be sprayed onto or otherwise applied to the outer surface of the helically wrapped tape 17 such the small particles of PTFE contained within the liquid dispersion will migrate inwardly through pores in the layers of tape 17, and will thereby become deposited between the outer tubular layer 16 and the inner base graft 12 prior to subsequent heating of the assembly, as described herebelow. Another alternative (and optional) method for depositing polymer (e.g., PTFE) particles between the base graft 12 and outer tubular layer 16 is by rolling the mandrel 50, having the base graft 12 and stent 14 disposed thereon, in dry, powdered polymer resin (e.g., the above-described PTFE resin) to cause such dry polymer resin to become deposited on the outer surface of the base graft 12 and/or stent 14 prior to application of the tape 17 as shown in FIGS. 4d and 4e. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 4f, ligatures 52 of stainless steel wire are tied about the opposite ends of the graft 10 so as to securely hold the base graft 12, PTFE-coated stent 14 and outer layer 16 on the mandrel 50. The mandrel, having the graft 10 disposed thereon is then heated to a temperature of 363°±2° C. for thirty minutes. Such heating will cause the outer PTFE layer 16 to heat fuse to the inner base graft 12 through the openings 19 which exist in the stent 14, and will further facilitate bonding or fusing of the PTFE coating 20 of the stent 14 to the adjacent base graft 12 and outer tape layer 16. In this manner, the desired integrally-stented PTFE tubular graft 10 is formed. The heating step illustrated schematically in FIG. 4f may be carried out by any suitable means. For example, the mandrel 50 having the graft 10 and ligatures 52 disposed thereon may be placed in an oven preheated to the desired temperature, for the desired period of time. Alternatively, the mandrel, having the graft 10 and ligatures 52 disposed thereon may be rolled on a hot plate or heated surface to accomplish the desired heat fusing or bonding of the outer layer 16, base graft 12 and PTFE coating 20 of the stent 14. Another alternative apparatus which may be utilized for the heating step shown schematically in FIG. 4f, is the U-shaped aluminum block heater shown in FIG. 6. This aluminum block heater is formed of a solid aluminum plate or block 54 formed into a generally U-shaped configuration, and having a plurality of bore holes 60 formed longitudinally therein and extending at least part way therethrough. Elongate, cylindrical, electric heaters 62, such as those commercially available from the Watlow Electric Company, 12001 Lackland Road, St. Louis, Mo. 63146, are inserted into the bore holes 60, and such heaters 62 are heated to a temperature which will cause the inner surface of the U-shaped aluminum heater block 54 to be maintained at approximately 300° C. or greater. It will be appreciated that other types of heating apparatus, such as electrical strip heaters mounted on the outer surface of the U-shaped block 54, may be useable as an alternative to the bore holes 60 and cylindrical heaters 62 described herein. After the U-shaped block 54 has been heated to the desired temperature, the mandrel 50, having the graft 10 and ligatures 52 disposed thereon, is inserted into the U-shaped inner region of the block 54, and is rotated, therein so as to accomplish the desired heat fusing of the tubular base graft 12, outer tape layer 16 and PTFE coating 20 of the stent 14. In many applications, it will be desirable to post-flex and re-expand the stented graft 10 to ensure that the stented graft 10 is capable of undergoing full radial compression and full radial expansion, over it's complete range of intended diameters. To accomplish this post-flexing and re-expansion of the stented graft 10, the stented graft 10 is removed from the mandrel 50 and is held in a heated environment, such as in the inner space of the U-shaped heater device shown in FIG. 6. Thereafter, the opposite ends of the stent 14 are pulled longitudinally away from each other to thereby radially contract the stented graft 10 to it's minimal radially compressed diameter D1. Thereafter, the stented graft 10 is allowed to self-expand. If this self-expansion of the stented graft 10 does not result in return of the stented graft 10 to its fully radially expanded diameter D2, the stented graft 10 may then be re-advanced onto the mandrel 50 to thereby force the stented graft 10 to reassume it's full radially expanded configuration of diameter D2. Thereafter, when the graft is again removed from the mandrel 50, the stented graft 10 will be rendered capable of being radially compressed to it's fully compressed diameter D1, and subsequently self-expanded to it's full radially expanded diameter D2. In a first alternative embodiment of the invention, the inner base graft 12 may be eliminated or excluded, thereby providing a modified version of the stented graft 10 comprising only the stent 14 and outer tubular layer 16. In this first alternative embodiment, the above-described manufacturing method is performed as described without the tubular base graft 12, thereby forming a modified version of the stented graft 10 wherein the outer tubular layer 16 of PTFE is fused only to the stent 14. In embodiments wherein the stent 14 is coated with a polymer coating such as PTFE, the presence of such coating on the stent 14 will provide lubricity and biocompatability, which may render such internally stented graft suitable for use in applications wherein the exposed stent 14 will come in direct contact with biological fluid or blood flowing through the graft, thereby avoiding the need for use of the internal base graft 12. Thus, this first alternative embodiment of the present invention includes all possible embodiments wherein only the outer tubular layer 16 is utilized in conjunction with the stent 14, to provide an internally stented graft 10 which is devoid of any internal tubular base graft 12. In a second alternative embodiment of the invention, the outer tubular layer 16 may be excluded or eliminated, thereby providing an externally stented PTFE tube graft which comprises only the stent 14 and the inner-base tube 12. In this second alternative embodiment, the above-described manufacturing method is performed as described without the outer tubular layer 16. This results in the formation of a modified version of the stented graft 10, comprising only the inner base graft 12 and the stent 14. In embodiments wherein the stent 14 is coated with a polymer coating, such as PTFE, the presence of such coating on the stent 14 will provide for enhanced biocompatability, which may render such externally stented graft suitable for implantation in blood vessels or other tubular anatomical passageways wherein the exposed exterior of the coated stent 14 comes in direct contact with vascular tissue or other tissue of the body, thereby avoiding the need for use of the outer tubular layer 16. Thus, this second alternative embodiment of the present invention includes all possible embodiments wherein only the inner base graft 12 is utilized in conjunction with the stent 14, to provide an externally stented graft 10 which is devoid of any outer tubular layer 16. It will be appreciated that the invention has been described hereabove with reference to certain presently preferred embodiments of the invention. Various additions, deletions, alterations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiments without departing from the intended spirit and scope of the invention. Accordingly, it is intended that all such reasonable additions, deletions modifications and alterations to the above described embodiments be included within the scope of the following claims. said tubular outer layer being attached to said tubular base graft, through said lateral openings in said stent, to thereby form an integrally stented, continuous PTFE tube which is alternately disposable in said radially compact configuration of said first diameter and said radially expanded configuration of said second diameter. 2. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said PTFE tape has a thickness of less than 0.015 inch and wherein said tape has been wound about said stent in overlapping fashion, such that said tubular outer layer comprises 1 to 10 layers of said tape. 3. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said tape is helically wrapped about said stent. 4. The stented graft of claim 3 wherein said tape has a width of 1/2 inch, and wherein said tape is helically wrapped such that 6-8 revolutions of tape are applied per longitudinal inch of the stented graft. 5. The stented graft of claim 4 wherein said helical wrapping of said tape is applied twice, first in one direction and then in the opposite direction. 6. The stented graft of claim 5 wherein said helical wrappings of said tape form an outer tubular layer which is made up of 8 consecutive layers of said tape. 7. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said stent is a self-expanding stent. 8. The stented graft of claim 7 wherein said self-expanding stent comprises a shape memory alloy which alternately exists in first and second crystalline states, and wherein the stent will assume it's radially expanded configuration when said shape memory alloy is in it's first crystalline state, and will assume it's radially compact configuration when said shape memory alloy is in it's second crystalline state. 9. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said stent is a pressure-expandable stent. 10. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said self-expanding stent is formed of a multiplicity of wire members which are braided into said generally cylindrical shape, and wherein said lateral openings in the stent are formed by gaps which exist between adjacent wire members. 12. The stented graft of claim 10 wherein some of the wire members of said stent are helically wound about a longitudinal axis in a first direction, and others of said wire members are helically wound about said longitudinal axis in a second direction such that they cross on opposite sides of the wire members which had been wound in the first helical direction, thereby forming a helically braided, cylindrical, wire stent. 13. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said stent is formed of a multiplicity of plastic members which are braided into said generally cylindrical shape, and wherein said lateral openings in the stent are formed by gaps which exist between adjacent plastic members. 15. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said tubular base graft comprises expanded, sintered PTFE of less than 0.10 inch thickness. 16. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said tubular base graft comprises expanded, sintered PTFE having a density of less than 1.6 g/cc. 17. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein tubular base graft comprises expanded, sintered PTFE having a thickness of less than 0.10 inches and a density of less than 1.6 g/cc. 18. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said tubular outer layer has a thickness of less than 0.1 inch. 19. The stented graft of claim 18 wherein said PTFE tape has a thickness of less than 0.015 inches, said tape being wrapped about said stent in overlapping fashion so as to form said tubular outer layer. 20. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said PTFE tape has a density of less than 1.6 g/cc. 21. The stented graft of claim 1 wherein said tubular outer layer has a thickness of less than 0.1 inch and the PTFE tape has a density of less than 1.6 g/cc. iv) a polymer coating formed on said stent. drying that liquid polymer dispersion which has remained on the stent, thereby forming said polymer coating thereon. 25. The stented graft of claim 22 wherein said polymer coating was formed on the stent by electron beam deposition. 26. The stented graft of claim 22 wherein said stent is formed of a plurality of elongate members, and wherein said polymer coating was formed on said elongate members by positioning a polymer tube around each elongate member. 27. The stented graft of claim 22 wherein said base graft and said tubular outer layer are adherent to the polymer coating which is formed on said stent. iv) polymer particles deposited between said inner base graft and said outer tubular layer and subsequently melted to promote attachment of said tubular base graft to said tubular outer layer. 29. The stented graft of claim 28 wherein said polymer particles are PTFE. 30. The stented graft of claim 28 wherein said polymer particles are melted by heat. 31. The stented graft of claim 29 wherein said polymer particles are melted by solvent. 32. The stented graft of claim 28 wherein said polymer particles are deposited by applying a liquid polymer particle dispersion to one of said base graft and said tubular outer layer, prior to assembly thereof. 33. The stented graft of claim 28 wherein said polymer particles are deposited between said tubular base graft and said tubular outer layer by applying a liquid dispersion of polymer particles to the exterior of said tubular outer layer, such that the polymer particles contained within the dispersion will migrate inwardly through the tubular outer layer. c) said tubular outer layer being attached to said tubular base graft, through said lateral openings in said stent, to thereby form an integrally stented, continuous PTFE tube which is alternately disposable in said radially compact configuration of said first diameter and said radially expanded configuration of said second diameter. 36. The stented graft of claim 35 wherein said polymer particles are PTFE. 37. The stented graft of claim 35 wherein said polymer particles are melted by heat. 38. The stented graft of claim 35 wherein said polymer particles are melted by solvent. 39. The stented graft of claim 35 wherein said polymer particles are deposited by applying a liquid polymer particle dispersion to one of said base graft and said tubular outer layer, prior to assembly thereof. 40. The stented graft of claim 35 wherein said polymer particles are deposited between said tubular base graft and said tubular outer layer by applying a liquid dispersion of polymer particles to the exterior of said tubular outer layer, such that the polymer particles contained within the dispersion will migrate inwardly through the tubular outer layer. 42. The stented graft of claim 41 wherein said PTFE particles are melted by heat. 43. The stented graft of claim 41 wherein said PTFE particles are melted by solvent. 44. The stented graft of claim 41 wherein said PTFE particles are deposited by applying a liquid polymer particle dispersion to one of said base graft and said tubular outer layer, prior to assembly thereof. 45. The stented graft of claim 41 wherein said PTFE particles are deposited between said tubular base graft and said tubular outer layer by applying a liquid dispersion of polymer particles to the exterior of said tubular outer layer, such that the polymer particles contained within the dispersion will migrate inwardly through the tubular outer layer. BR9710100A BR9710100A (en) 1996-07-03 1997-06-26 Graft stent with tubular and process for manufacturing a tubular graft. ES2141071T1 (en) * 1998-02-25 2000-03-16 Medtronic Ave Inc Graft assembly and insert and method of manufacture. FR2702954A1 (en) * 1993-03-03 1994-09-30 Andrew H Cragg And intraluminal prosthesis implant.

2019-04-22T14:50:02Z

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5928279A/en

(7) Maintenance operations associated with the construction activities described in this subsection. Action level means employee exposure, without regard to the use of respirators, to an airborne concentration of lead of 30 micrograms per cubic meter of air (30µg/m3) calculated as an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). Chief means the Chief of the Division of Occupational Safety and Health or designee. NIOSH means the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or designee. Supervisor means one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable lead hazards in the surroundings or working conditions and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them. Supervisors shall be trained, as required by this section, and, when required, be certified consistent with section (l)(3). (1) The employer shall assure that no employee is exposed to lead at concentrations greater than fifty micrograms per cubic meter of air (50µg/m3) averaged over an 8-hour period. Allowable employee exposure (in µg/m3)=400 divided by hours worked in the day. (3) When respirators are used to limit employee exposure as required under subsection (c) and all the requirements of subsections (e)(1) and (f) have been met, employee exposure may be considered to be at the level provided by the protection factor of the respirator for those periods the respirator is worn. Those periods may be averaged with exposure levels during periods when respirators are not worn to determine the employee's daily TWA exposure. (A) Each employer who has a workplace or operation covered by this standard shall initially determine if any employee may be exposed to lead at or above the action level. (B) For the purposes of subsection (d), employee exposure is that exposure which would occur if the employee were not using a respirator. (C) With the exception of monitoring under subsection (d)(3), where monitoring is required under this section, the employer shall collect personal samples representative of a full shift including at least one sample for each job classification in each work area either for each shift or for the shift with the highest exposure level. (D) Full shift personal samples shall be representative of the monitored employee's regular, daily exposure to lead. (B) In addition, with regard to tasks not listed in subsection (d)(2)(A), where the employer has any reasons to believe that an employee performing the task may be exposed to lead in excess of the PEL, until the employer performs an employee exposure assessment as required by subsection (d) and documents that the employee's lead exposure is not above the PEL the employer shall treat the employee as if the employee were exposed above the PEL and shall implement employee protective measures as prescribed in subsection (d)(2)(E). 2. Where lead containing coatings or paint are present: rivet busting; power tool cleaning without dust collection systems; cleanup activities where dry expendable abrasives are used; and abrasive blasting enclosure movement and removal. 1. Appropriate respiratory protection in accordance with subsection (f). 2. Appropriate personal protective clothing and equipment in accordance with subsection (g). 3. Change areas in accordance with subsection (i)(2). 4. Hand washing facilities in accordance with subsection (i)(5). 6. Training as required under subsection (l)(1)(A) regarding section 5194, Hazard Communication; training as required under subsection (l)(2)(C), regarding use of respirators; and training in accordance with section 1510, Safety Instruction for Employees. 3. Any employee complaints of symptoms which may be attributable to exposure to lead. (C) Where the employer has previously monitored for lead exposures, and the data were obtained within the past 12 months during work operations conducted under workplace conditions closely resembling the processes, type of material, control methods, work practices, and environmental conditions used and prevailing in the employer's current operations, the employer may rely on such earlier monitoring results to satisfy the requirements of subsections (d)(3)(A) and (d)(6) if the sampling and analytical methods meet the accuracy and confidence levels of subsection (d)(9). 1. The employer shall establish and maintain an accurate record documenting the nature and relevance of objective data as specified in subsection (n)(4), where used in assessing employee exposure in lieu of exposure monitoring. 2. Objective data, as described in subsection (d)(3)(D), is not permitted to be used for exposure assessment in connection with subsection (d)(2). (A) Where a determination conducted under subsections (d)(1), (2) and (3) shows the possibility of any employee exposure at or above the action level the employer shall conduct monitoring which is representative of the exposure for each employee in the workplace who is exposed to lead. (B) Where the employer has previously monitored for lead exposure, and the data were obtained within the past 12 months during work operations conducted under workplace conditions closely resembling the processes, type of material, control methods, work practices, and environmental conditions used and prevailing in the employer's current operations, the employer may rely on such earlier monitoring results to satisfy the requirements of subsection (d)(4)(A) if the sampling and analytical methods meet the accuracy and confidence levels of subsection (d)(9). (C) Objective data for an initial assessment that demonstrate surface coating or material that contain lead at concentrations equal to or exceeding 0.06% lead dry weight (600 ppm) demonstrate the presence of lead surface coatings or material that constitute a health hazard to employees engaged in lead-related construction work. The lead concentration of paint or materials is based on the lead content in the nonvolatile components of the surface coating or material such as paint. Objective data as described in this subsection are not permitted to be used in lieu of exposure assessment in connection with lead-related tasks listed in subsection (d)(2). (A) Where a determination, conducted under subsections (d)(1), (2), and (3) is made that no employee is exposed to airborne concentrations of lead at or above the action level the employer shall make a written record of such determination. The record shall include at least the information specified in subsection (d)(3)(A) and shall also include the date of determination, location within the worksite, and the name and social security number of each employee monitored. (B) Objective data that meet the requirements of subsection (n)(4) for an initial assessment that demonstrate surface coating or material that contain lead at concentrations less than 0.06% lead dry weight (600 ppm) are sufficient to establish a negative determination. The lead concentration of surface coatings or materials is based on the lead content in the nonvolatile components of the surface coating or material such as paint. Objective data as described in this subsection are not permitted to be used in lieu of exposure assessment in connection with lead-related tasks listed in subsection (d)(2). (A) If the initial determination reveals employee exposure to be below the action level further exposure determination need not be repeated except as otherwise provided in subsection (d)(7). (B) If the initial determination or subsequent determination reveals employee exposure to be at or above the action level but at or below the PEL the employer shall perform monitoring in accordance with this subsection at least every 6 months. The employer shall continue monitoring at the required frequency until at least two consecutive measurements, taken at least 7 days apart, are below the action level at which time the employer may discontinue monitoring for that employee except as otherwise provided in subsection (d)(7). (C) If the initial determination reveals that employee exposure is above the PEL the employer shall perform monitoring quarterly. The employer shall continue monitoring at the required frequency until at least two consecutive measurements, taken at least 7 days apart, are at or below the PEL but at or above the action level at which time the employer shall repeat monitoring for that employee at the frequency specified in subsection (d)(6)(B), except as otherwise provided in subsection (d)(7). The employer shall continue monitoring at the required frequency until at least two consecutive measurements, taken at least 7 days apart, are below the action level at which time the employer may discontinue monitoring for that employee except as otherwise provided in subsection (d)(7). (7) Additional exposure assessments. Whenever there has been a change of equipment, process, control, personnel or a new task has been initiated that may result in additional employees being exposed to lead at or above the action level or may result in employees already exposed at or above the action level being exposed above the PEL, the employer shall conduct additional monitoring in accordance with this subsection. (A) Within 5 working days after completion of the exposure assessment the employer shall notify each employee in writing of the results which represent that employee's exposure. (B) Whenever the results indicate that the representative employee exposure, without regard to respirators, is at or above the PEL the employer shall include in the written notice a statement that the employees exposure was at or above that level and a description of the corrective action taken or to be taken to reduce exposure to below that level. (9) “Accuracy of measurement”. The employer shall use a method of monitoring and analysis which has an accuracy (to a confidence level of 95%) of not less than plus or minus 25 percent for airborne concentrations of lead equal to or greater than 30 µg/m3. Methods for the determination of lead concentrations of surface coatings and material shall be determined by methods which have an accuracy (to a confidence level of 95 percent) of not less than plus or minus 25 percent at 0.06% lead dry weight (600 ppm). (A) General. The employer shall implement engineering and work practice controls, including administrative controls, to reduce and maintain employee exposure to lead to or below the permissible exposure limit to the extent that such controls are feasible. Wherever all feasible engineering and work practices controls that can be instituted are not sufficient to reduce employee exposure to or below the permissible exposure limit prescribed in subsection (c), the employer shall nonetheless use them to reduce employee exposure to the lowest feasible level and shall supplement them by the use of respiratory protection that complies with the requirements of subsection (f). (A) Prior to commencement of the job each employer shall establish and implement a written compliance program to achieve compliance with subsection (c). 8. A description of arrangements made among contractors on multi-contractor sites with respect to informing affected employees of potential exposure to lead and of regulated areas. (C) The compliance program shall provide for frequent and regular inspections of job sites, regulated areas, materials, and equipment to be made by a supervisor. (D) Written programs shall be submitted upon request to any affected employee or authorized employee representatives, to the Chief and NIOSH, and shall be available at the worksite for examination and copying by the Chief and NIOSH. (E) Written programs shall be revised and updated at least every 6 months to reflect the current status of the program. (3) Mechanical ventilation. When ventilation is used to control lead exposure, the employer shall evaluate the mechanical performance of the system in controlling exposure as necessary to maintain its effectiveness. (5) The employer shall ensure that, to the extent relevant, employees follow good work practices such as described in Appendix B of this section. (D) Periods when respirators are required to provide interim protection for employees while they perform the operations specified in subsection (d)(2). (A) An employer must implement a respiratory protection program in accordance with section 5144(b) (except (d)(1)(C)) through (m). (B) If an employee exhibits breathing difficulty during fit testing or respirator use, the employer must provide the employee with a medical examination in accordance with subsection (j)(3)(A)2. to determine if the employee can use a respirator while performing the required duties. (A) The employer shall select, and provide to employees, the appropriate respirator or combination of respirators specified in Section 5144(d)(3)(A)1. (C) The employer shall provide employees with a full facepiece respirator instead of a half mask respirator for protection against lead aerosols that may cause eye or skin irritation at the use concentrations. (C) Face shields, vented goggles, or other appropriate protective equipment which complies with section 1516. (A) The employer shall provide the protective clothing required in subsection (g)(1) in a clean and dry condition at least weekly, and daily to employees whose exposure levels without regard to a respirator are over 200µg/m3 of lead as an 8-hour TWA. (B) The employer shall provide for the cleaning, laundering, and disposal of protective clothing and equipment required by subsection (g)(1). (C) The employer shall repair or replace required protective clothing and equipment as needed to maintain their effectiveness. (D) The employer shall assure that all protective clothing is removed at the completion of a work shift only in change areas provided for that purpose as prescribed in subsection (i)(2). (E) The employer shall assure that contaminated protective clothing which is to be cleaned, laundered, or disposed of, is placed in a closed container in the change area which prevents dispersion of lead outside the container. (F) The employer shall inform in writing any person who cleans or launders protective clothing or equipment of the potentially harmful effects of exposure to lead. DANGER: CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT CONTAMINATED WITH LEAD, MAY DAMAGE FERTILITY OR THE UNBORN CHILD. CAUSES DAMAGE TO THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM. DO NOT EAT, DRINK OR SMOKE WHEN HANDLING. DO NOT REMOVE DUST BY BLOWING OR SHAKING. DISPOSE OF LEAD CONTAMINATED WASH WATER IN ACCORDANCE WITH APPLICABLE LOCAL, STATE, OR FEDERAL REGULATIONS. (H) The employer shall prohibit the removal of lead from protective clothing or equipment by blowing, shaking, or any other means which disperses lead into the air. (1) All surfaces shall be maintained as free as practicable of accumulations of lead. (2) Clean-up of floors and other surfaces where lead accumulates shall wherever possible, be cleaned by vacuuming or other methods that minimize the likelihood of lead becoming airborne. (4) Where vacuuming methods are selected, the vacuums shall be equipped with HEPA filters and used and emptied in a manner which minimizes the reentry of lead into the workplace. (5) Compressed air shall not be used to remove lead from any surface unless the compressed air is used in conjunction with a ventilation system designed to capture the airborne dust created by the compressed air. (i) Hygiene facilities, practices and regulated areas. (1) The employer shall assure that in areas where employees are exposed to lead above the PEL without regard to the use of respirators, food or beverage is not present or consumed, tobacco products are not present or used, and cosmetics are not applied. (A) The employer shall provide clean change areas for employees whose airborne exposure to lead is above the PEL, and as interim protection for employees performing tasks as specified in subsection (d)(2), without regard to the use of respirators. (B) The employers shall assure that change areas are equipped with separate storage facilities for protective work clothing and equipment and for street clothes which prevent cross-contamination. (C) The employer shall assure that employees do not leave the workplace wearing any protective clothing or equipment that is required to be worn during the work shift. (A) The employer shall provide shower facilities, where feasible, for use by employees whose airborne exposure to lead is above the PEL. (B) The employer shall assure, where shower facilities are available, that employees shower at the end of the work shift and shall provide an adequate supply of cleansing agents and towels for use by affected employees. (A) The employer shall provide lunchroom facilities or eating areas for employees whose airborne exposure to lead is above the PEL, without regard to the use of respirators. (B) The employer shall assure that lunchroom facilities or eating areas are as free as practicable from lead contamination and are readily accessible to employees. (C) The employer shall assure that employees whose airborne exposure to lead is above the PEL, without regard to the use of a respirator, wash their hands and face prior to eating, drinking, smoking or applying cosmetics. (D) The employer shall assure that employees do not enter lunchroom facilities or eating areas with protective work clothing or equipment unless surface lead dust has been removed by vacuuming, downdraft booth, or other cleaning method that limits dispersion of lead dust. (A) The employer shall provide adequate handwashing facilities for use by employees exposed to lead in accordance with section 1527. (B) Where showers are not provided the employer shall assure that employees wash their hands and face at the end of the work-shift. (A) Employers shall establish regulated areas, where feasible, for work areas where employees are exposed to lead at or above the PEL or performing the tasks described in subsection (d)(2). (B) Regulated areas shall be posted with signs as described in subsection (m)(2). (C) Employers shall restrict access to the regulated area to employees authorized by the supervisor, to representatives of affected employees, as described in subsection (o) and to persons authorized by the Chief or NIOSH. (D) Each employee authorized to enter the regulated area shall be provided with and be required to wear protective equipment required by subsections (f) and (g). (A) The employer shall make available initial medical surveillance to employees occupationally exposed on any day to lead at or above the action level. Initial medical surveillance consists of biological monitoring in the form of blood sampling and analysis for lead and zinc protoporphyrin levels. (C) The employer shall assure that all medical examinations and procedures are performed by or under the supervision of a licensed physician. (D) The employer shall make available the required medical surveillance including multiple physician review under subsection (j)(3)(C) without cost to employees and at a reasonable time and place. 3. For each employee who is removed from exposure to lead due to an elevated blood lead level at least monthly during the removal period. (B) Follow-up blood sampling tests. Whenever the results of a blood lead level test indicate that an employee's blood lead level is at or above the numerical criterion for medical removal under subsection (k)(1)(A), the employer shall provide a second (follow-up) blood sampling test within two weeks after the employer receives the results of the first blood sampling test. (C) Accuracy of blood lead level sampling and analysis. Blood lead level sampling and analysis provided pursuant to this section shall have an accuracy (to a confidence level of 95 percent) within plus or minus 15 percent or 6 µg/dl, whichever is greater, and shall be conducted by a laboratory approved by OSHA. 2. The employer shall notify each employee whose blood lead level is at or above 40 µg/dl that the standard requires temporary medical removal with Medical Removal Protection benefits when an employee's blood lead level is at or above the numerical criterion for medical removal under subsection (k)(1)(A). 3. As medically appropriate for each employee either removed from exposure to lead due to a risk of sustaining material impairment to health, or otherwise limited pursuant to a final medical determination. 6. Any laboratory or other test relevant to lead exposure which the examining physician deems necessary by sound medical practice. b. To conduct such examinations, consultations, and laboratory tests as the second physician deems necessary to facilitate this review. b. The employee initiating steps to make an appointment with a second physician. 3. If the findings, determinations or recommendations of the second physician differ from those of the initial physician, then the employer and the employee shall assure that efforts are made for the two physicians to resolve any disagreement. b. To conduct such examinations, consultations, laboratory tests and discussions with the prior physicians as the third physician deems necessary to resolve the disagreement of the prior physicians. 5. The employer shall act consistent with the findings, determinations and recommendations of the third physician, unless the employer and the employee reach an agreement which is otherwise consistent with the recommendations of at least one of the three physicians. f. All prior written medical opinions concerning the employee in the employer's possession or control. 2. The employer shall provide the foregoing information to a second or third physician conducting a medical examination or consultation under this section upon request either by the second or third physician, or by the employee. d. The results of the blood lead determinations. b. Advise the employee of any medical condition, occupational or nonoccupational, which dictates further medical examination or treatment. (F) Alternate physician determination mechanisms. The employer and an employee or authorized employee representative may agree upon the use of any alternate physician determination mechanism in lieu of the multiple physician review mechanism provided by subsection (j)(3)(C) so long as the alternate mechanism is as expeditious and protective as the requirements contained in this subsection. (A) The employer shall assure that any person whom he/she retains, employs, supervises or controls does not engage in prophylactic chelation of any employee at any time. (B) If therapeutic or diagnostic chelation is to be performed by any person in subsection (j)(4)(A), the employer shall assure that it be done under the supervision of a licensed physician in a clinical setting with thorough and appropriate medical monitoring and that the employee is notified in writing prior to its occurrence. 1. The employer shall remove an employee from work having an exposure to lead at or above the action level on each occasion that a final medical determination results in a medical finding, determination, or opinion that the employee has a detected medical condition which places the employee at increased risk of material impairment to health from exposure to lead. 2. For the purposes of this section, the phrase “final medical determination” means the written medical opinion on the employees' health status by the examining physician or, where relevant, the outcome of the multiple physician review mechanism or alternate medical determination mechanism used pursuant to the medical surveillance provisions of this section. 3. Where a final medical determination results in any recommended special protective measures for an employee, or limitations on an employee's exposure to lead, the employer shall implement and act consistent with the recommendation. b. For an employee removed due to a final medical determination, when a subsequent final medical determination results in a medical finding, determination, or opinion that the employee no longer has a detected medical condition which places the employee at increased risk of material impairment to health from exposure to lead. 2. For the purposes of this section, the requirement that an employer return an employee to his or her former job status is not intended to expand upon or restrict any rights an employee has or would have had, absent temporary medical removal, to a specific job classification or position under the terms of a collective bargaining agreement. (D) Removal of other employee special protective measure or limitations. The employer shall remove any limitations placed on an employee or end any special protective measures provided to an employee pursuant to a final medical determination when a subsequent final medical determination indicates that the limitations or special protective measures are no longer necessary. 1. Removal. The employer may remove the employee from exposure to lead, provide special protective measures to the employee, or place limitations upon the employee, consistent with the medical findings, determinations, or recommendations of any of the physicians who have reviewed the employee's health status. b. If the employee has been on removal status for the preceding eighteen months due to an elevated blood lead level, then the employer shall await a final medical determination. (A) Provision of medical removal protection benefits. The employer shall provide an employee up to eighteen (18) months of medical removal protection benefits on each occasion that an employee is removed from exposure to lead or otherwise limited pursuant to this section. (B) Definition of medical removal protection benefits. For the purposes of this section, the requirement that an employer provide medical removal protection benefits means that, as long as the job the employee was removed from continues, the employer shall maintain the total normal earnings, seniority and other employment rights and benefits of an employee, including the employee's right to his or her former job status as though the employee had not been medically removed from the employee's job or otherwise medically limited. (C) Follow-up medical surveillance during the period of employee removal or limitation. During the period of time that an employee is medically removed from his or her job or otherwise medically limited, the employer may condition the provision of medical removal protection benefits upon the employee's participation in follow-up medical surveillance made available pursuant to this section. (D) Workers' compensation claims. If a removed employee files a claim for workers' compensation payments for a lead-related disability, then the employer shall continue to provide medical removal protection benefits pending disposition of the claim. To the extent that an award is made to the employee for earnings lost during the period of removal, the employer's medical removal protection obligation shall be reduced by such amount. The employer shall receive no credit for workers' compensation payments received by the employee for treatment-related expenses. (E) Other credits. The employer's obligation to provide medical removal protection benefits to a removed employee shall be reduced to the extent that the employee receives compensation for earnings lost during the period of removal either from a publicly or employer-funded compensation program, or receives income from employment with another employer made possible by virtue of the employee's removal. (F) Voluntary removal or restriction of an employee. Where an employer, although not required by this section to do so, removes an employee from exposure to lead or otherwise places limitations on an employee due to the effects of lead exposure on the employee's medical condition, the employer shall provide medical removal protection benefits to the employee equal to that required by subsection (k)(2)(A) and (B). (B) For all employees who are subject to exposure to lead at or above the action level on any day or who are subject to exposure to lead compounds which may cause skin or eye irritation (e.g. lead arsenate, lead azide), the employer shall provide a training program in accordance with subsection (l)(2) and assure employee participation. (C) The employer shall provide the training program as initial training prior to the time of job assignment or prior to the start up date for this requirement, whichever comes last. (D) The employer shall also provide the training program at least annually for each employee who is subject to lead exposure at or above the action level on any day. (E) Where the certification of employee and supervisor training is required, as described in subsection (l)(3), the training shall be conducted by a training provider accredited by the California Department of Health Services, in accordance with Title 17, California Code of Regulations, Division 1, Chapter 8. (H) The employee's right of access to records under section 3204. (3) Certification of training for residential and public buildings. The employer shall ensure that all employees and supervisors who are engaged in lead related construction work as defined in Title 17, California Code of Regulations, Section 35040, and have been shown to be exposed to lead at or above the permissible exposure limit, meet the training requirements of this section, are trained by an accredited training provider and are certified by the California Department of Health Services. Lead related construction work is defined in Title 17 to be any construction, alteration, painting, demolition, salvage, renovation, repair, or maintenance of any residential or public building, including preparation and cleanup, that, by using or disturbing lead containing material or soil, may result in significant exposure of adults or children to lead. As used in the definition of lead related construction work, “public building” means a structure which is generally accessible to the public, including but not limited to, schools, daycare centers, museums, airports, hospitals, stores, convention centers, government facilities, office buildings and any other building which is not an industrial building or a residential building. Regulations for accreditation of training providers and for the certification of employees and supervisors are found in Title 17, California Code of Regulations, Division 1, Chapter 8. (4) Access to information, training and certification materials. (A) The employer shall make readily available to all affected employees a copy of this standard and its appendices. (B) The employer shall provide, upon request, all materials relating to the employee information training program and certification to affected employees, their designated representatives, the Chief and NIOSH. (A) The employer shall post the following warning signs in each regulated area or work area where an employee's exposure to lead is above the PEL. (B) The employer shall ensure that no statement appears on or near any sign required by this subsection (m) that contradicts or detracts from the meaning of the required sign. (C) The employer shall ensure that signs required by this subsection (m) are illuminated and cleaned as necessary so that the legend is readily visible. (D) The employer may use signs required by other statutes, regulations or ordinances in addition to, or in combination with, signs required by this subsection (m). (A) The employer shall establish and maintain an accurate record of all monitoring and other data used in conducting employee exposure assessments as required in subsection (d). 5. The environmental variables that could affect the measurement of employee exposure. (C) The employer shall maintain monitoring and other exposure assessment records in accordance with the provisions of section 3204. (A) The employer shall establish and maintain an accurate record for each employee subject to medical surveillance as required by subsection (j). 4. Any employee medical complaints related to exposure to lead. 3. A copy of the results of biological monitoring. (D) The employer shall maintain or assure that the physician maintains medical records in accordance with the provisions of section 3204. (A) The employer shall establish and maintain an accurate record for each employee removed from current exposure to lead pursuant to subsection (k). 4. A statement with respect to each removal indicating whether or not the reason for the removal was an elevated blood lead level. (C) The employer shall maintain each medical removal record for at least the duration of an employee's employment. (4) “Objective data for exemption from requirement for initial monitoring”. (A) For purposes of this section, objective data are information demonstrating that a particular product or material containing lead or a specific process, operation, or activity involving lead cannot release dust or fumes in concentrations at or above the action level under any expected conditions of use. Objective data can be obtained from any industry-wide study or from laboratory product test results from manufacturers of lead containing products, including surface coatings or other materials. The data the employer uses from an industry-wide survey must be obtained under workplace conditions closely resembling the processes, types of material, control methods, work practices and environmental conditions in the employer's current operations. (B) The employer shall maintain the record of the objective data relied upon for at least 30 years. (5) Availability. The employer shall make available upon request all records required to be maintained by subsection (n) to affected employees, former employees, and their designated representatives, and to the Chief and NIOSH for examination and copying. (A) Whenever the employer ceases to do business, the successor employer shall receive and retain all records required to be maintained by subsection (n). (B) Whenever the employer ceases to do business and there is no successor employer to receive and retain the records required to be maintained by this section for the prescribed period, these records shall be transmitted to NIOSH. (C) At the expiration of the retention period for the records required to be maintained by this section, the employer shall notify NIOSH at least 3 months prior to the disposal of such records and shall transmit those records to NIOSH if requested within the period. (D) The employer shall also comply with any additional requirements involving transfer of records set forth in section 3204(h). (1) Employee observation. The employer shall provide affected employees or their designated representatives an opportunity to observe any monitoring of employee exposure to lead conducted pursuant to subsection (d). (A) Whenever observation of the monitoring of employee exposure to lead requires entry into an area where the use of respirators, protective clothing or equipment is required, the employer shall provide the observer with and assure the use of such respirators, clothing and equipment, and shall require the observer to comply with all other applicable safety and health procedures. 3. Record the results obtained or receive copies of the results when returned by the laboratory. (p) Lead-Work Pre-Job Notification. The employer shall provide written notification to the nearest Division District Office in the manner prescribed by subsections (p)(1) through (p)(4) when work is planned that includes any of the tasks listed in subsection (d)(2). B. The only subsection (d)(2) task to be performed consists of torch cutting or welding, not to exceed a duration of 1 hour in any shift. EXCEPTION NO. 2: The employer is not required to notify the Division if the percentage of lead in the material disturbed is less than 0.5%, 5,000 parts per million (weight by weight), or 1.0 mg/cm2. (D) Telephone call, followed by written notification sent or mailed within 24 hours of placing the call. EXCEPTION: When an employer intends to initiate unforeseen lead-work on an urgent basis within 24 hours, the notification requirement may be met by giving telephone notice to the Division at any time prior to commencement of the work, followed by written notification sent or mailed within 24 hours of telephoning the Division. (K) The amount of lead in the disturbed materials (percent by weight, parts per million or milligrams per square centimeter) if known. (3) The employer shall notify the Division, and provide the current information, if changes are made to the starting date, the surface area to be disturbed, or the type of lead-related work performed or work practices to be utilized, before or upon adoption of that change. (4) An employer conducting ongoing, lead-related operations and maintenance work on stationary steel structures need only notify the Division once for each structure if the duration of the operations and maintenance work is less than one year. If the duration of the work is more than one year, the employer shall submit to the Division at least once per year a supplemental written notification updating all of the information required by subsection (p)(2) for each structure. (q) Appendices. The information contained in the appendices to this section is not intended by itself, to create any additional obligations not otherwise imposed by this standard nor detract from any existing obligation. Note: Authority cited: Sections 142.3 and 6717, Labor Code. Reference: Sections 142.3 and 6717, Labor Code. 4. Amendment of section and amendment of Appendices headings and text filed 10-19-94; operative 10-19-94. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Labor Code section 142(a)(3) (Register 94, No. 42). 5. Change without regulatory effect amending Appendix A heading filed 2-16-95 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 95, No. 7). 8. Amendment of former subsections (f)(1)-(f)(4)(C) including subsection renumbering and relettering resulting in newly designated subsections (f)(1)-(f)(3)(B)2., amendment of Appendix B, subsection IV, and amendment repealing appendix D and adding editorial reference filed 8-25-98; operative 11-23-98 (Register 98, No. 35). 11. Repealer of subsection (p) and new subsections (p)-(p)(4) filed 12-26-2001; operative 1-25-2002 (Register 2001, No. 52). 12. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (l)(3) filed 7-24-2003 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2003, No. 30). 13. Amendment of subsection (f)(2)(A) filed 7-31-2003; operative 8-30-2003 (Register 2003, No. 31). 14. Editorial correction of subsection (p)(1)(B) designator (Register 2006, No. 29). 15. Amendment of subsections (f)(3)(A)-(B) and (f)(3)(B)2. and new subsections (f)(3)(C)-(D) filed 3-6-2007; operative 3-6-2007. Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Labor Code section 142.3(a)(3) (Register 2007, No. 10). 16. Change without regulatory effect amending subsection (g)(2)(D) filed 8-8-2008 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2008, No. 32). 17. Amendment of subsections (j)(2)(B), (j)(2)(D)2. and (k)(1)(C)1.a. filed 1-18-2012; operative 1-18-2012 pursuant to Labor Code section 142.3(a)(4)(C). Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Labor Code section 142.3(a)(3) (Register 2012, No. 3). 18. Amendment of subsection (j)(2)(D)2. filed 9-4-2012; operative 10-4-2012 (Register 2012, No. 36). 19. Redesignation and amendment of former subsection (g)(2)(G) as new subsection (g)(2)(G)1., new subsection (g)(2)(G)2., repealer and new subsections (l) and (l)(1)(A), new subsections (l)(1)(A)1.-5., amendment of subsections within subsection (m) and amendment of Appendix B, item XI. filed 5-6-2013; operative 5-6-2013 pursuant to Labor Code section 142.3(a)(4)(C). Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Labor Code section 142.3(a)(4) (Register 2013, No. 19). 20. Redesignation and amendment of former subsection (g)(2)(G) as new subsection (g)(2)(G)1., new subsection (g)(2)(G)2., repealer and new subsections (l) and (l )(1)(A), new subsections (l)(1)(A)1.-5., amendment of subsections within subsection (m) and amendment of Appendix B, item XI. refiled 11-6-2013; operative 11-6-2013 pursuant to Labor Code section 142.3(a)(4)(C). Submitted to OAL for printing only pursuant to Labor Code section 142.3(a)(4) (Register 2013, No. 45). 21. Repealer of 11-6-2013 order by operation of law 5-6-2014 pursuant to Labor Code 142.3 (Register 2014, No. 19). 22. Redesignation and amendment of former subsection (g)(2)(G) as new subsection (g)(2)(G)1., new subsection (g)(2)(G)2., repealer and new subsections (l) and (l)(1)(A), new subsections (l)(1)(A)1.-5., amendment of subsections within subsection (m) and amendment of Appendix B, item XI. filed 5-5-2014; operative 5-6-2014 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(b)(3) (Register 2014, No. 19).

2019-04-20T17:19:26Z

https://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/1532_1.html

The problems in developing countries are often viewed as too big to find solutions. Because of this, many people are deterred from putting in seemingly futile efforts to alleviate a problem. But, they are more likely to join the fight when they learn the individual names and faces of those living under such conditions. These five memoirs about overcoming poverty highlight success stories and seek to mobilize people with a renewed sense of hope. Masaji Ishikawa recalls escaping from North Korea in “A River in Darkness.” With Japanese heritage from his mother and Korean from his father, he found himself caught between two worlds. When his father realized he could no longer tolerate the discrimination he faced in Japan, the family moved to North Korea. They arrived with the promise of paradise and found, simply put, quite the opposite. Ishikawa was only thirteen years old.In this memoir, he describes atrocious living conditions with graphic detail, unparalleled by any other nation in the world. The regime controls every aspect of its citizens’ lives, and Ishikawa tells readers that “the penalty for thinking was death.” More than any of the five memoirs about overcoming poverty, “A River in Darkness” highlights an ongoing crisis.Since North Korea remains untouched by the rest of the world, it’s difficult to extend support to those still living under the dictatorship. But Ishikawa’s story is one of many that prove North Koreans are waking up to the reality of their oppression. Gradually, more people are choosing to gain control over their destinies. When Jacqueline Novogratz donated a sweater to Goodwill, she never expected to encounter a young boy wearing it on the streets of Rwanda. It ended up being the namesake for her book entitled “The Blue Sweater.” She holds onto this memory as an important message of interconnectivity and the responsibility to help people in need.Her travels to various countries revealed economic injustice along with a lack of credit access for those with low incomes. This led her to help open the first bank in Rwanda available to women. Along with numerous other initiatives through The Acumen Fund, Novogratz learned that charity is fleeting compared to the sustainability of helping innovators launch businesses to benefit millions of people. Several reporters sought to overcome poverty by being a voice for untold stories in developing countries. Maya Ajmera, joined by co-authors Sarah Strunk and Olateju Omolodun, wrote “Extraordinary Girls” about what girlhood looks like across the world. Despite cultural differences, the authors work to prove that all girls can find common ground in the desire to make their dreams come true.Their book showcases girls such as Alexandra Nechita from Romania, an exceptional painter whose work was published in a collection by the age of eleven. Through this and many other success stories, the book’s purpose is to encourage girls to be active in their communities rather than feel as if their only option is to fulfill traditional gender roles. Katherine Boo sheds light on the ramshackle town of Annawadi in “Behind the Beautiful Forevers.”. This book illustrates how members of this community responded to India’s promise for renewed economic prosperity amid a global recession. A young man named Abdul discovered the value of reselling possessions thrown out by the wealthy. Others sought to change the course of politics by climbing the social ranks, like the Annawadi community member who became the first woman in that settlement to be a college graduate. These stories are about relying on pure grit to succeed in life when the economic system favors only the rich. The last of these five memoirs about overcoming poverty is “Teach a Woman to Fish” by Ritu Sharma. It’s a reinterpretation of the gendered language in this saying: “Give a man a fish and he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime.” She argues that if women are taught the same thing, everyone will be fed too.Sharma helped found a business run by women in Honduras, giving them a chance to break free from the household sphere and gain financial independence. Other countries she visited include Sri Lanka, Nicaragua and Burkina Faso. In the book, readers can also find tips for shopping in ways that support female entrepreneurs and email templates if they feel inspired to speak with their members of Congress about this important cause. All the authors in these five memoirs about overcoming poverty have discovered important lessons about global issues through real-life experiences. They write about them in the hopes that people will no longer be complacent in the face of a problem that, contrary to what some might believe, can be solved. Poverty has held a tight grip on Sierra Leone for as long as most people can remember. Sierra Leone remains one of the least developed low-income countries in the world. With a population of around six million people, the level of poverty is vast. The poverty status is well-known, although not many people know its extent or how it became this way. To clarify, here are the top 10 facts about poverty in Sierra Leone. Sierra Leone’s social, economic and political unrest began around the time they gained independence from the British in 1961. This led to many economic and political challenges. In 1991, the state of Sierra Leone was devastated by extreme brutality when a civil war broke out as a result of a rebel group’s attempt to overthrow the government in power. Over 50,000 civilians were killed and an estimated two million were displaced. Since the end of the civil war in 2002, poverty alleviation has been a priority for the region; however, the level of poverty still remains high at its impact on 50-60 percent of the population. Most of Sierra Leone is rural communities with a few urban exceptions like the capitol, Freetown. Poverty levels in the rural areas have been gradually declining but remain relatively stagnant in the more urban communities. Sierra Leone has made considerable progress in the economy as a result of poverty alleviation efforts. The growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased from 4.5 percent to 5.3 percent in 2010. It has been projected that the economy will grow 6 percent on average every year. The impoverished conditions are also not always the people’s fault. The region is prone to natural disasters, climate change and epidemics. Climate change alone can cause an annual loss between $600 million and one billion. It also leads to heightened pollution and the devastation of critical crops. Another one of the top ten facts about poverty in Sierra Leone is that it is heavily dependent on aid. An estimated 50 percent of public investment programs are being financed by foreign sources. The progress of poverty alleviation was halted by the Ebola outbreak of 2014. The outbreak ravaged the area and hit the economy with a decrease of almost 3 percent in average growth rate. USAID, since the civil war, has been aiding Sierra Leone specifically in gaining political stability and strengthening democratic governance. Maintaining stability will help ensure the proper development of the region as well as maintain peace and security. The educational completion levels are low in the region with more than half of the people over the age of fifteen having never attended school. In general, the access to public services such as education is very low. Sierra Leone, while being underdeveloped, is still a very young country. There is progress each year that will only continue from here. Many foreign aid agencies are invested in the progression of poverty alleviation in Sierra Leone and wish to assure peace and security. Do More Than Survive: What Comes After Poverty? Poverty is on the decline. Since 1990, total people affected by poverty fell more than ever before — as many as 137,000 people per day. This dramatic decrease is often due to increasing economic activity, but yet, as developing countries reap the benefits of increasing GDP, new challenges arise. The very industries that built a country up can create new issues. Management of these issues often decides a country’s future success. For this reason, developing countries need to think about what comes after poverty. With new industries available to its citizens, many countries turn towards education. An example of this push towards education is present in Thailand — as the country has developed, education among children increased to record levels. At the same time, Thailand has seen rapid improvement in its economy. Countries with less rapid improvement also benefit as a result of increased education. In Nicaragua, trade schools play a fundamental part in the country’s future. Internships with resorts and agricultural training help young people develop in-demand skills. Since both tourism and agriculture are booming industries, this training makes sense and education acts as an important tool to help countries wondering what comes after poverty. Perfecting healthcare is an issue that several countries struggle with, regardless of income. For low-income countries, though, shortcomings in healthcare systems can be disastrous. These shortcomings are especially prevalent in countries that lack surgical workers. A low density of surgical works often brings a lack of available care and a lower life expectancy as a result. In Cambodia, a low-middle classified income country, offering healthcare services is essential. Nonprofit-provided services like healthcare training and midwife education have helped care for thousands. These services, aimed to train healthcare professionals for the long-term, are vital. With a properly-trained healthcare workforce, both infant deaths and disease incidence decline. Infrastructure supports the increasing economic activity common of countries emerging from poverty. Everything from water access to adequate transportation helps a country increase its productivity. Countries without extensive infrastructure then, in fact, possess a barrier to overcoming poverty. Rural populations that depend on extensive road systems are common in developing countries. Lack of infrastructure for conducting agricultural business leaves farmers without an income and for agriculturally-dependent countries, this could be dangerous. In Indonesia, infrastructure is a key part of the country’s development. Development plans for the country outline specific actions for improvement; besides creating construction jobs, Indonesia’s infrastructure developments boost productivity. Yet, Indonesia also has faced obstacles in implementing infrastructure plans. One obstacle — in this case, the government — can have a large influence on what comes after poverty for a country. Being able to pass effective legislation is necessary for any country, and governmental issues affect many developing countries. In Indonesia, the issue is a problem of decentralization of control, while in other countries, government issues slow progress in a variety of ways. Political instability in South Africa caused recent economic growth to slow, and some negative side effects of this decrease have been the rise of both unemployment and poverty rates. A government will never be perfect; but without basic protection for citizens, economic productivity is difficult. Due to this dependency, keeping government stability is vital to a country’s future. Having a plan for what comes after poverty is vital to the success of developing countries and although it can be difficult, it is worth the effort. Whether through education, healthcare, infrastructure or government, continued improvement is possible. With planning, countries can do more than survive in the global economy: they can thrive in it. http://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg 0 0 Clint Borgen http://borgenproject.org/wp-content/uploads/The_Borgen_Project_Logo_small.jpg Clint Borgen2018-03-22 01:30:302018-03-22 13:18:29Do More Than Survive: What Comes After Poverty? Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs in developing countries have been viewed as ambitious. However, more efforts have been invested in the continuous realization of these development goals by international communities, nonprofit organizations, civil societies and, of course, domestic governments. According to reports, to achieve one of the SDG targets, the “sustainable management of water and sanitation for all” will cost $27 billion per year by 2030 and the infrastructure will cost up to $290 billion. Is this too ambiguous for the national governments in the developing world? Or a pitiable reason to hide from actualizing these goals nationally. Developing countries have been a major focus of the SDGs. With the idea that ‘no one will be left behind’, the U.N. and its partners have contributed immensely in solving a long list of issues faced by the developing world. Funds have been deposited and used for different projects. Expertise in creating sustainable solutions and commitments are being made to secure a better future. The SDG performance by countries is determined by the SDG Index and Dashboard on a scale of 0 to 100, where 0 represents the lowest level of performance and 100 is the highest level of performance. Countries like Sweden (84.5), Denmark (83.9), Norway (82.3) and Finland (81) rank high in achieving their SDGs. Countries such as the Central African Republic (26.1), Liberia (30.5) and Niger (31.4) are not doing as well as the aforementioned countries. Evidently, these countries are some of the poorest in the world. A poor economy can be one of the causes for weak results. One of the reasons slowing down the SDGs in developing countries is that development projects are usually abandoned by their governments. This normally happens in rival socio-political settings. In Africa, most projects funded and managed by previous administrations are eventually stopped or replaced by the ruling administrations due to different political views, political parties or general lack of interest. Some farmers in Nigeria have criticized the replacement of the Growth Enhancement Support (GES) scheme by the former president Goodluck Jonathan’s administration with the current president Muhammadu Buhari’s Agricultural Implements and Mechanisation Services (AIMS). “There is always a policy somersault. This government will bring this one and when another person comes, they will bring another one whether it is good or not.”, said Daniel Okafor, Vice President of Root and Tubers of the All Farmers Association of Nigeria (AFAN). The farmers are upset with their government as it continues to create new programs without improving the old ones. More often, the development policies and programs are often aligned with the vision of developmental goals but may lack seriousness due to the ulterior motives. In developing countries, parties struggle to own power and when they eventually do gain power, eliminating the projects of the previous administration becomes the primary goal. The lack of bipartisanship in the polity environment brews enough hatred; shutting down any programs related to the opposition party no matter how promising they are. Kofi Annan, former Secretary General of the U.N. noted that bipartisanship can promote peace, unity and growth. Political parties should stand for a common goal regardless of their political views and hustle for power. Ideas can be shared and implemented with the help of the other parties. Bipartisanship will ease congressional processes in changing, debating and making laws which can benefit the realization of SDGs. Corruption can also cause a lot of setback. Africa loses $50 billion every year due to corruption. The Sustainable Development Goal 16, Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions, covers commitments to fight corruption and encourage transparency. Corruption impedes national development, hinders economic growth, slows or shutdown developmental programs on education, labor, healthcare, water and sanitation and leads to more poverty. Recently, the U.K. suspended funding to Zambia after a report that $4.3 million intended for the poor population had gone missing. 17 million people in Zambia, or half of its population, live below $1.90 a day. It is important to find out how much of the monetary aid is really getting lost to corruption and the best method to curb it. Criminalization of corruption can serve as a major tool in curbing corruption. Ruling parties must not protect corrupt public servants, especially in Africa where previous corrupt officers collude with the ruling parties in order to be shielded from scrutiny and court cases. Governments must encourage transparency and promote access to national financial data and budget spending. Another factor that may impede the success of SDGs in developing countries is tribal or subnational conflicts which are still rampant in Africa and Asia. While Asia experiences economic growth in the midst of subnational conflicts, Africa’s economy has always been affected by violent conflicts due to terrorist groups, tribal wars and minorities unrest. Poverty will decrease when inequalities between different groups reduce as also when there are inclusive growth and participation of minorities in resource control. Combating unemployment will also lessen the high rate of conflicts in developing countries. Domestic policies in the areas of trade, human development, agriculture, economy and climate change can reduce poverty and hunger, improve health systems, create resilient methods toward climate shocks and breed peace in societies. It is for the central, state and local governments to take up these responsibilities to achieve the SDGs in developing countries. Civil Societies and private sectors should also see this as an opportunity to make the world a better place. It is possible for developing countries to achieve at least 80 percent of their SDGs: it all depends on good governance and passion for humanity. Healthcare programs often dismiss the importance of pediatric surgery in the developing world. Access to surgeons is treated as a superfluous medical resource rather than a necessity and therefore becomes extremely limited. The only pediatric surgeons in Kenya are located in Nairobi, making them difficult for most Kenyans to visit. In actuality, the demand for surgery among children in developing nations is strikingly high and the shortage of surgical care has extremely detrimental consequences. In sub-Saharan health clinics, up to 11 percent of all child patients are in need of surgery. Of these children requiring surgery, nearly 90 percent are admitted with issues easily corrected by surgery such as congenital anomalies and injuries. Unfortunately, many children cannot obtain the surgical care they need. Even in urban communities with more convenient access to healthcare, approximately 217 out of 100,000 people die due to injuries, which could be corrected via surgery. By the age of 15, there is an 85 percent chance that children in Sub-Saharan Africa will experience a condition requiring surgery; without surgical attention, children can develop lifelong disabilities. In impoverished countries that experience war and conflict, the chance of childhood injury is even higher. Children are often injured by stray bullets and explosives, and are even sometimes coerced into fighting. The Central African Republic experienced many child casualties during its most recent conflict (2012-2014), which put significant strain on its subpar healthcare system. Even prior to the conflict, the Central African Republic had the sixth highest mortality rate of children under the age of five. Bangui Pediatric Hospital was overwhelmed by the influx of child patients during the war, but the U.N. supplied surgical kits and other medical supplies to temporarily rectify the void of surgical care. Many other aid organizations are working to make pediatric surgical care more accessible in the developing world. The Global Pediatric Surgery Network has volunteer surgeons at work in various parts of the world, including Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, India, Pakistan, Cambodia and Vietnam. The Pacific Association of Pediatric Surgeons teaches surgical skills to general practitioners in impoverished countries in order to create more permanent solutions to the inadequacy of pediatric surgery in the developing world. The most common issues faced by volunteer pediatric surgeons in developing countries are financial constraints, inadequate healthcare facilities, insufficient infrastructure and geographically isolated populations. Fixing these problems is tantamount to improving surgical care for children in the developing world. Correcting surgical conditions in childhood increases a person’s quality of life, which strongly illustrates how surgery is such a necessary component of a complete healthcare system. The Internet and other advances in communication technology have helped make the spreading of globalization even quicker. For developing countries, access to technology can have many benefits — one such improvement being the boost of a nation’s economy. Other ways that technology is helping economies in developing countries is by reducing the costs of production, encouraging growth of new business and advancing communication. An issue that developing countries must bypass is prioritizing technology innovation, not just adapting to technology. Another issue is that the distribution of technology needs to be equal across a country; so far the poor have not been able to have the same amount of access to technology. It is important for organizations to monitor technology and to encourage innovations and job creation in order to solve these issues. One organization that works to do just that is Broadband for Good, a group that gives internet access to rural areas and encourages programs to utilize the technology in creating progress in communities. When technology is used correctly it can be extremely helpful in furthering the prosperity of economies. One such example of technology creating a positive impact to the economy is in regard to India — the Self-Employed Women’s Association uses SMS to send agricultural workers messages about commodity prices. This information helps farmers determine best places to sell their produce. Farmers who participated in this program have said that they have been able to sell their products over wider areas, which has increased their incomes. Another example, also in India, is the Hand in Hand Partnership (HIHP). The HIHP is an organization that provides women with mobile devices so that they can launch their own tech-driven businesses. The HIHP helps train and provide technical support for these women. By encouraging women to innovate ideas instead of just giving them technology, HIHP is helping to better the economy in a sustainable and long-term way. Other countries successful in creating businesses are Nigeria, Egypt and Indonesia. Thirty eight percent of these countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) was generated by micro-entrepreneurs. In a 2011 World Bank report, figures showed that small businesses like these create new jobs and generate new ideas — both of which are great for helping economies. Since the seventeen-point agreement was signed for the incorporation of Tibet into the People’s Republic of China in 1951, achievements have taken place in Tibet over the past 65 years. The illiteracy rate in Tibet was reduced from a staggering 95 percent in the 1950s to 42 percent in 2000. This is according to the latest statistical data from the Department of Education in the Tibet Autonomous Region. Education of ethnic Tibetans are subsidized by the central government in People’s Republic of China. In the Tibet Autonomous Region, compulsory education in primary and secondary schools are executed in which the average educational period for individuals is 8.6 years, while preferential policies encourages young Tibetans to seek higher and more advanced education in and out of the autonomous region. The distinguished achievements of education in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China comprises of several aspects. Kindergarten and preliminary schools are fast developing where the attendance of kids aged three to six had reached 52 percent until the end of 2013. Besides the great results from compulsory education in Tibet, education in high schools has been expanding and the scales of schools are continuously enlarging. The fast-development of high school education in Tibet are highly reliable on scientific planning, rational mapping, and have an active construction of education funds and reasonable allocations of teaching resources. The autonomous regional government in Tibet also takes high concerns on sharing equal opportunities to children with disabilities, where schools with special support are given priority to these kids. In addition, the policy of covering all expenses on study and accommodations for children of herdsmen in Tibet are gradually improving while related treatments are continuously being enhanced since 1985. First, the natural conditions in Tibet are harsh and this results into higher educational costs. Tibet is located in the roof of the world, with wide areas and sparse populations. It lacks oxygen in the plateau where climate varies drastically with vast temperature differences between day and night. The construction and operational costs of schools are relatively high, as the budgets for schools in rural and pastoral areas are three to five times higher than the schools in the Mainland. Second, the economic foundation and industrial development in Tibet are quite poor. Due to the smaller levels of revenue and resources, there is generally a gap in financial and social progress in Tibet. It is quite difficult for the majority of herdsmen in Tibet to increase their incomes. Hence, with respect to such kind of fiscal status, it would be difficult for Tibet itself to allocate sufficient funds to develop education. In some areas of Tibet, the education concepts have placed constraints on the consolidation of development on compulsory education. There is also insufficient capacity of senior high school education which is becoming more and more prominent, and this will come back to have an impact on the future popularization, consolidation, and improvement of compulsory education in Tibet. The third issue is related on the structural defects of training students in advanced education. It is rather hard to accumulate a large number of highly educated personnel in Tibet as for most areas, attracting and retaining talented professionals of all kinds are everlasting problems. This leads to an overall scarcity of high-end talents. Furthermore, the existing problems such as equality and quality of education, welfare towards poor families, and efficiency of education in Tibet also requires intensive attention. In early 2017, more than ten policy files were signed in Tibet on accelerating the reform and development of education in the Tibet autonomous region. These official documents clarified the tasks, policies and measures for the specific tasks on Tibet’s education progress in the 13th Five-Year Plan. Complementary education in addition to college enrolment will be prioritized for recorded poor families in Tibet. It is expected that penetration of bilingual education, as well as math and science curriculums with experimental classes will achieve 100 percent coverage in the compulsory teaching system. Technical schools in Tibet will also have to reach that goal. The five-year development plan aims to promote the healthy and rapid growth of education in Tibet. Coming through the bottleneck and weaknesses of development, education in Tibet is improving in the current decade. Students of the next generation in Tibet are embracing a brand-new future. Investing in women and girls is a promising way to develop a global economy. One way to do that is via women’s entrepreneurship in developing nations. A thriving and successful economy and an enlarged consumer base are just some of the benefits of increased female membership in business and leadership positions. Developing nations stand to face the most benefits from the inclusion of women in the business world. “Women’s economic participation and their ownership and control of productive assets speeds up development, helps overcome poverty, reduces inequalities and improves children’s nutrition, health, and school attendance”, reports the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Women are more likely to devote more of their earnings back into their families and communities than their male counterparts, feeding money back into their local communities. An example of this is with seaweed farming. Women dominate the seaweed farming industry in several developing nations. A study focusing on Africa, India, and South-East Asia found that women made up roughly 90 percent of seaweed farmers in Tanzania, representing leadership opportunities and a significant trade for women. Economic contributions from seaweed farming were observed improving the quality of life for families involved in the farming business, according to the report. The “seaweed women” made important advances in the sustainability of the farming practice but the women also demonstrate dedication and patience as described by their male coworkers during the farming process. Community members also benefit from the local seaweed industry, the report claims. A similar study finds that female farmer-entrepreneurs in Ghana have contributed to local poverty reduction. While the study did not directly report on the residual benefits, “It is reasonable to infer that improvements in entrepreneurial ventures lead to the creation of more jobs, which improves the local economy,” the report concedes. Thailand, The Philippines, Botswana, Costa Rica, South Africa, Peru, Malaysia, Colombia, Romania and China are among some of the lower-middle and low-income economies scoring high on Mastercard’s Index of Women Entrepreneurs. Furthermore, despite unfavorable entrepreneurial conditions, women in Bangladesh, Uganda, Mexico and Vietnam are resolute and establishing successful businesses. Though there are many success stories, increasing women’s access to financial services and easier accruement of credit would facilitate benefits intrinsic to women’s entrepreneurship in developing nations. Experts claim that women are an untapped resource essential to global economic growth and development. The OECD argues that the inclusion of women’s voices in politics are essential to mitigate gender disparities and commence national benefits for nations collectively. Featuring more women’s entrepreneurship in developing nations also contributes to emerging markets and increases global trading partners. Advocating for women in more business positions is in the best interest of everyone. In the words of the all-wise Spice Girls, girl power. Cuba has always been a land of intrigue. The communist island nation in the Caribbean is at the same time considered to be a tropical paradise and an inaccessible third-world nation with high poverty. Infrastructure in Cuba is infamous for its state of decay and disrepair. In 1810, Cuba’s capital, Havana, had the same number of residents as New York City and nearly three times the population of Boston. It is home to countless historical colonial buildings as well as Soviet-style architecture built after Fidel Castro took power. In general, many of the buildings, historic or contemporary, are not well-maintained. One of the constant threats to infrastructure in Cuba is natural disasters, especially hurricanes. Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm, devastated Cuba in September. The damage caused by the storm was compounded by the structural unsoundness of many of the buildings in Cuba. Of the 10 fatalities from the storm, seven were in Havana and were caused by unsafe buildings collapsing. Some people have continued living in parts of these buildings even after the storm. Irma left longer-lasting damage as well. Millions of people were left without power and thousands of hectares of sugarcane, a major Cuban crop, were destroyed. Tourism has always been a huge part of the Cuban economy, but increased tourism has put a strain on infrastructure in Cuba. The Obama administration eased travel restrictions on U.S. citizens visiting Cuba so that one can now visit the country individually, as opposed to doing so with a tour group. However, both the United States and Cuban governments, as well as the tourism industry, have expressed concerns about the ability of the infrastructure in Cuba to accommodate a large influx of tourists. There is no doubt that the infrastructure in Cuba needs a major overhaul, but there are some positive points. The easing of restrictions on Cuba during the previous administration indicates a future of increased foreign tourism and business, and the Cuban government has acknowledged this reality. Ultimately, lifting the U.S. embargo on Cuba would be a positive step, as it prevents the country from joining the IMF and scares away major U.S. banks from doing business in Cuba. It will require major foreign investments for Cuba’s economy to right itself, which in turn will lead to better infrastructure. The future of the country and infrastructure in Cuba are still in question, but there is no doubt that there is a desire for a bigger foreign presence in Cuba, and with it, major changes. Cuba, once a leader in infrastructure, has good reason to build itself up.

2019-04-25T02:53:34Z

https://borgenproject.org/tag/developing-countries/

A method for communicating data, such as audio/video (AV) data, over plural channels involves selecting data and encryption information, and encrypting the data with the encryption information to thereby produce encrypted data. The encryption information is broken into portions. The encrypted data is communicated by way of at least one of the plural channels, and at least some portions of the encryption information are communicated over at least one channel other than that one over which the encrypted data is communicated. In a more general case, the encrypted data is sent over one channel, and the encryption information is divided and sent over several other channels. 20060265593 Document verification apparatus and document verification method November, 2006 Momma et al. 20070174607 System for the storage and retrieval of confidential information July, 2007 Herberth et al. 20070079146 System and method for providing a virtual binding for a worm storage system on rewritable media April, 2007 Hsu et al. 20050081071 Pre-boot security controller April, 2005 Huang et al. 20090199018 One time settable tamper resistant software repository August, 2009 Lange et al. 20090125708 INTERNET APPLIANCE May, 2009 Woodring et al. 20050204019 Content distribution using CD/DVD burners, high speed interconnects, and a burn and return policy September, 2005 Flynn et al. 20100064763 WEB-BASED SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONFIGURING TEST EQUIPMENT March, 2010 Gaikwad et al. 1. A method for communicating a program signal, comprising the steps of: encrypting the program signal using encryption information to produce an encrypted program signal; dividing the encryption information into a plurality of encryption information portions; communicating the encrypted program signal via a first communications channel; and communicating the plurality of encryption information portions via a second communications channel that is independent of the first communications channel. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of communicating the plurality of encryption information portions comprises communicating the plurality of encryption information portions via a plurality of communications channels that are independent of the first communications channel. 3. The method according to claim 2, wherein each of the plurality of encryption information portions is transmitted over a respective unique one of the plurality of communications channels that is independent of the first communications channels. 4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the program signal is representative of a television program, and the encryption information corresponds to an entitlement control message. 5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the plurality of communications channels comprise satellite data paths. 6. The method according to claim 3, wherein the program signal is representative of a television program, and the encryption information corresponds to an entitlement control message. 7. A method of receiving and processing a program signal, comprising: simultaneously receiving data via a plurality of communications channels, including receiving an encrypted program signal via a first communications channel, and receiving a plurality of encryption information portions via a second communications channel that is independent of the first communications channel; assembling the plurality of encryption information portions to recover encryption information; and decrypting the encrypted program signal using the recovered encryption information to generate the program signal. 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the step of receiving the plurality of encryption information portions comprises receiving the plurality of encryption information portions via a plurality of communications channels that are independent of the first communications channel. 9. The method according to claim 8, wherein each one of plurality of encryption information portions is received via a respective unique communications channel of the plurality of communications channels. 10. The method according to claim 8, wherein the program signal corresponds to a television program signal and the encryption information comprises an entitlement control message. 11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the program signal corresponds to a television program signal and the encryption information comprises an entitlement control message. 12. A method of receiving a television program signal via a satellite path, comprising: receiving a user command selecting a program associated with a first channel; simultaneously tuning to a plurality of channels to receive data via the plurality of channels, including receiving an encrypted program signal associated with the selected program via the first channel, and receiving a plurality of encryption information portions via a second channel that is independent of the first channel; assembling the plurality of encryption information portions to recover encryption information; decrypting the encrypted program signal using the recovered encryption information to generate a program signal; processing the program signal to generate a display signal. 13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the step of receiving the plurality of encryption information portions comprises receiving the plurality of encryption information portions via a plurality of channels that are independent of the first channel. 14. The method according to claim 12, wherein each one of plurality of encryption information portions is received via a respective unique channel of the plurality of channels. 15. An apparatus, comprising: means for simultaneously receiving data from a plurality of communications channels; control means, coupled to the receiving means, for selecting channels received by the receiving means; processing means, coupled to the receiving means, for processing data received via the plurality of communications channels; user input means for receiving user commands including selection of a program associated with a first communications channel, wherein the control means causes the receiving means to receive program signals associated with the selected program via the first communications channel in response to a user command, and receive a plurality of encryption information portions via a second communications channel that is independent of the first communications channel, the processing means assembling the encryption information portions to generate encryption information and decrypting the program signal using the assembled encryption information. 16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the receiving means receives the plurality of encryption information portions via a plurality of communications channels that are independent of the first communications channel. 17. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein the receiving means receives each of the plurality of encryption information portions via a respective unique communications channels that is independent of the first communications channel. 18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein the program comprises a television program and the encryption information comprises an entitlement control message. 19. The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the communications channels correspond to satellite transmission channels. This application claims the benefit, under 35 U.S.C. § 365 of International Application PCT/US2004/007122, filed Mar. 9, 2004, which was published in accordance with PCT Article 21(2) on Oct. 20, 2005 in English. This invention relates to the transmission of plural streams of information over separate channels, and more particularly to the spreading of encoding information and transmission of portions thereof by way of separate channels. Electronic transmission of information to each of a plurality of users or subscribers of an information providing service is now common, as exemplified by satellite and cable system delivery of television and audio information. FIG. 1 is a simplified block diagram of a satellite system 10 for delivering information to multiple subscribers or users located over a large area. In FIG. 1, a ground station 12 with at least an uplink antenna 14 provides streams of information to a receiving or uplink antenna 22 of a spacecraft 20. The spacecraft 20 may be in a geosynchronous orbit, which remains at an apparently fixed location in the sky, as seen from a plurality of users 1, 2, . . . , N. Users 1, 2, . . . , N are located in a coverage area 26 of the beam, illustrated as 25, of a spacecraft transmitting or downlink antenna 24. A ground station, which may be ground station 12 or another ground station, also provides control functions for maintaining the spacecraft 20 in proper orbit and operating condition. The streams of uplink information transmitted by ground station 12 of FIG. 1 and its antenna 14 to uplink antenna 22 of spacecraft 20 may be somewhat processed in the spacecraft 20, but the spacecraft and its antennas can often be viewed as being simply a “bent pipe” which retransmits the uplinked information streams along a downlink path by way of downlink beam 25. The uplink and downlink operating frequencies often differ, for reasons related to the gain of user receiving antennas relative to those of a ground station, and possibly also because of the relative efficiencies of electronic components at the different uplink and downlink frequencies. Ideally, spacecraft 20 would include a “transponder” which would receive all the uplinked signals, amplify them, and retransmit the amplified signal along downlink beam 25 to the users. However, because of limitations on the undistorted power available from available transponders, many transponders are used, each operating at a somewhat different frequency within the available uplink/downlink frequency band. In one current application, the spacecraft includes thirty-two transponders or physical channels, each of which handles multiple separate programs. A program may include several primary streams of data, such as audio and video and security data. In the abovementioned current application, the signal streams are in digital form, and the primary program streams are time-division multiplexed (TDM) within the channel defined by the transponder. Those skilled in the art know that such time division multiplexing requires advanced controls for assigning the information packets of the various independent signal channels to the signal path without overlap of the packets. The downlink signals arriving at the user terminals 1, 2, . . . , N of FIG. 1 by way of antenna beam 25 are so encoded. In addition, the information content sent over the satellite communication system may be “scrambled” or encoded in some additional way, not related to the mode of delivery over the spacecraft, to thereby prevent use of the content by persons not entitled to the content by virtue of having paid for access. In this manner, an appropriately programmed smartcard or security module is needed in order to receive the downlinked information. For example, all subscribers to the satellite system may have access to certain channels, and for this purpose they require at least the slot encoding information. While access to the encoding information may make it possible for a user to correctly receive the transmitted information on a premium channel, that transmitted information may be subject to an additional layer of encoding for which the non-paying subscriber does not have the key. Thus, a multiple-tier system is provided. The operator of the satellite information video (and associated audio) delivery system controls the use of the delivered information stream by the use of Entitlement Control Messages (ECM) and Entitlement Management Messages (EMM). Entitlement Control Messages allow conditional access to the keys for decrypting the video stream of interest, and are delivered to the user as an integrated part of the video program, which is to say within the same physical channel as the program content. In the case of ordinary broadcast video, the physical channel is 6 MHz “wide.” In the case of a cable television system, the Entitlement Control Message may be delivered on a separate, dedicated “out-of-band” channel requiring a separate or secondary tuner. This may be done so that a user can receive security information while simultaneously viewing a traditional analog television signal in which there is no mechanism for the transmission of security information. Typically, ECMs contain the keys necessary to descramble the program in addition to a description of the tier of subscription required to access the program. The ECMs are delivered as an MPEG transport packet, possibly every 10 milliseconds, and change periodically, possibly every 30 seconds. The ECMs are identified by the program ID number (PID) of the packet. This information is typically available through the system program guide or program map information. As a user tunes a desired channel, the receiver queries the guide information to find the PID associated with the ECM to gain access to the audio/visual streams. The receiver then finds the ECM packets related to the desired programming and passes these packets to a smart card or security module for processing. The security module opens the packets and compares the access rights of the program with the subscription level of the receiver. If the subscription level of the receiver is sufficient to permit viewing of the program, the security module decodes the decryption key and makes it available for descrambling of the program content. For those programs which exceed the current subscription level of the receiver, those keys are not made available and the receiver will not be able to descramble the content. Entitlement Management Messages (EMM) are encrypted packets that allow for managing the rights of the receiving users to receive or not receive program content or data. EMMs are ordinarily sent to the user with a lower priority or lesser urgency than the Entitlement Control Messages (ECMs). The EMMs can be delivered in the same physical channel or in other physical channels, so long as the receiver knows a priori where and when to find them. In receivers with limited tuners, EMMs are typically transmitted simultaneously on all the physical channels to ensure that the receiver can always receive the EMM information regardless of the channel to which the receiver is currently tuned. EMMS are delivered as part of an MPEG transport stream and identified with a specific PID in a manner similar to that of the ECMs. An electronic address that can be associated with one or more receivers is typically found within the EMM packet. Typically, the receiver will look at all ECM packets delivered by the network and compare the receiver electronic address with the electronic address delivered in the EMM. If the addresses match, the EMM message is intended for the receiver, and the receiver will act in accordance with the information delivered by the EMM. FIG. 2a is a simplified block diagram of processing which is performed at the head end or a ground station of a system for transmitting audio/video material to subscribers by way of a satellite. In FIG. 2a, a set 250 including a plurality of signal processors 251, 252, 250N each receives one of a plurality of input signal streams. In one embodiment, eight channels of audio-video (AV) information are applied to each processor of set 250. Each processor processes its own set of input AV information, and produces MPEG-encoded, time-division multiplexed, channelized radio-frequency information at its output terminal, for application by way of a combining (comb) arrangement illustrated as 260 to antenna 14 of FIG. 1. FIG. 2b is a simplified block diagram of the processing 252 which is performed for one physical channel of FIG. 2a. It should be understood that a channel in the arrangement of FIG. 2b corresponds to a spacecraft transponder channel, because of the need to limit the number of signals traversing each spacecraft transponder channel. For definiteness, FIG. 2b represents physical channel 252 of FIG. 2a. In FIG. 2b, a plurality of audio/video sources or signal streams, which in one embodiment includes eight AV streams, are applied to the system. The eight audio/video streams of FIG. 2b are designated “transponder channel II,” thereby representing by a roman numeral that these signals are related to the “second” spacecraft transponder channel. The eight AV streams are applied over a plurality of signal paths 210a, 210b, . . . , 210N to a corresponding plurality of MPEG encoders 212a, 212b, . . . , 212N. MPEG encoding is advantageous for limiting or controlling the bandwidth of each video stream. Other compression techniques could also be used. It should be understood that some content channels may contain information other than video, which may require other encoding. The MPEG-encoded signals are transmitted from encoders 212a, 212b, . . . , 212N by way of paths 214a, 214b, . . . , 214N, respectively, to a transport multiplexer (MPX) 216. In addition to the MPEG-encoded content, the MPEG-encoded Transport multiplexer also receives user guide information over a path 217 from a block 218 and dummy EMM/ECM information over a path 219 from a block 220. The dummy EMM/ECM information is merely a “place holder” in the multiplexed data stream for the actual EMM/ECM information which will be transmitted. Transport multiplexer 216 combines the input information onto a single path 224. In one version of the prior art, the multiplexing is performed in a time-division-multiplex (TDM) manner, in which the information to be transmitted is broken into “packets,” which are then interleaved in time. The multiplexed information from multiplexer 216 is applied over a path 224 to an encryption apparatus illustrated as a block 230. Encryption block 230 encrypts the multiplexed data stream using a key provided over a path 233 by a key generator 232. Encryption apparatus 230 of FIG. 2b also substitutes the key and access information into the space occupied in the incoming data stream by the dummy EMM/ECM bits. This step is illustrated in FIG. 2c, in which the stream of dummy ECM information currently traversing the encryptor is illustrated as 290. In FIG. 2c, the ECM information is inserted into the blank or dummy ECM. The ECM information contains the keys associated with a single program and information regarding the purchase rights necessary for a receiver to gain access to the keys. This ECM packet may be further encrypted with a high level system key to limit access. In FIG. 2c, the entire content K1 is illustrated as being decomposed into smaller sub-units K1a, K1b, K1c, . . . , K1X, representing all the information and keys associated with program 1. The resulting stream of encrypted TDM-multiplexed information produced by encryption block 230 of FIG. 2b, with its EMM/ECM information, is sent over a path 239 to a conventional transmitter, illustrated as a Modulator and Power Amp block 240. Transmitter block 240 modulates the signal onto one or more carriers, and raises the power of the signal. The resulting modulated, high power signal is sent from transmitter block 240 of FIG. 2b to combiner 260 of FIG. 2a for combination with other streams of modulated, high power signals and for application of the combined signals to antenna 14 of FIG. 1 for transmission to the spacecraft 20. The carrier frequency (frequencies) onto which the signals are modulated by each processor of set 250 of FIG. 2a is often selected in conjunction with the capabilities of the spacecraft to aid in separation of the modulated carriers into the available transponder channels of the spacecraft. At the spacecraft 20 of FIG. 1, the uplinked groupings of channels are frequency-converted and amplified for retransmission to Earth. FIG. 3 is a simplified block diagram of the processing at the spacecraft. In FIG. 3, receiving or uplink antenna 22 receives the uplinked encoded TDM signals and couples the signals to a frequency separation filter 310, which routes the signals, according to their frequencies, by way of a plurality of signal paths designated 312a, 312b, . . . , 312N to a like plurality of transponders 301, 302, . . . , 300N. Each transponder illustrated in FIG. 3 includes a low-noise amplifier (LNA) for amplifying the received signals to compensate for path and other losses. It should be understood that the LNA could precede, rather than follow, the frequency separation filter 310. Each transponder 301, 302, . . . , 300N also includes a frequency converter, for converting the uplink frequency of each group of channels to a different frequency for transmission over a downlink to the users on Earth. The downlink frequencies are different among the groups of channels, for easy frequency separation. Each transponder of FIG. 3 also includes a power amplifier, for amplifying the frequency-converted signals in the transponder channel, to aid in overcoming losses in the downlink signal path to the user. The frequency-converted, amplified signals produced at the output of each channel 301, 302, . . . , 300N are applied to a combining arrangement, which may be a frequency-sensitive combiner, for forming a combined downlink signal for application to the downlink antenna 24 of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 illustrates an arrangement 426 which might be found at a user, such as at user 2 of set 26 of users of FIG. 1. In FIG. 4, the user 2 includes an antenna 414 directed toward the spacecraft 20 of FIG. 1, for receiving the downlink signal, possibly including 32 transponder channels, each carrying the time-division information from eight audio/video channels together with EMM/ECM information. A receiver illustrated as a block 410 in FIG. 4 selects for reception one of the 32 downlinked channels, and produces on a signal path illustrated as 412 the stream of corresponding data. A transport demultiplexer or demultiplexor (deMux) block 416 receives the time-division multiplexed data stream and the encryption codes. The ECM information is provided to a smartcard or security module illustrated as 417 that compares the codes with the authorizations of the local user, and if authorized, provides keys for the transport demultiplexer 416 to descramble, decompress, and process the program for viewing on a television receiver 418 according to the selected audio/visual channel. FIG. 7a illustrates the general tenor of the key distribution in the prior-art arrangement illustrated with reference to FIGS. 1, 2a, 2b, 2c, 3, and 4. As illustrated in FIG. 7a, each of the encryption blocks 216a, 216b, . 216N of the various processors 251, 252, . . . , 250N, respectively, of each of the physical channels, receives, over a path 233, keys produced by key generator 232. Each of the encryption blocks receives the keys for programs carried over the physical channel associated with the processor, and encodes the keys in the form of ECMs for the physical channel onto the signals traversing its own physical channel. Non-legitimate access to the content of a system such as that set forth above in conjunction with FIGS. 1, 2a, 2b, 3, and 4 can be gained by compromising either the ECM or the EMM streams distributed to a receiver. In the case of ECM, a hacker would likely enable the viewing of a particular program or program segment, while in the case of the EMM, the hacker would potentially generate access to all encrypted materials on the network for an indefinite period of time. The hacker needs only to access the single physical channel in which the ECM or EMM information is delivered, and store the information for analysis and information extraction. This can be accomplished in the arrangement of FIG. 4 by the use of a computer illustrated as a block 420 connected to receive the audio/video data stream and the EMM/ECM data on signal path 412. The analysis can be done off-line once the information is stored. Once the hacker has succeeded in breaking the ECM, he can access all programming which uses the same ECM, and if the EMM can be determined, he can access all materials. Improved or alternative information delivery systems are desired. A method according to an aspect of the invention is for communicating data over plural channels. The method comprises the steps of selecting data to be communicated, encryption information, and encrypting the data with the encryption information to thereby produce encrypted data. The selected data may be video information. The encryption information is broken into portions. The encrypted data is communicated by way of at least one channel of the plural channels. In one mode of the method, the encrypted data is communicated over but a single channel. At least some of the portions of the encryption key information are communicated over at least one of the plural channels other than a channel over which the encrypted data is communicated. According to another aspect of the invention, a method for providing program information to subscribers comprises the steps of selecting a plurality of information streams to be communicated to the subscribers, and encoding each of at least some of the information streams with individual entitlement control information to thereby generate entitlement encoded information streams. Each element of the individual entitlement control information is broken into plural portions. The encoded information streams are communicated to the subscribers, with each of the encoded information streams being communicated over one or more of a plurality of independent channels. The plural portions of the entitlement control information are communicated to the subscribers, with at least some of the portions of each entitlement control information being communicated over separate ones of the independent channels. When different subscribers have different program entitlements, the method comprises the further step of generating individual entitlement management commands identifying those information streams of a particular program to which a corresponding subscriber is entitled. Each of the individual entitlement management commands is broken into plural portions. The entitlement management commands are communicated to the subscribers over at least some of the independent channels, with at least some of the portions of each of the individual entitlement management commands being communicated over separate ones of the independent channels. At each subscriber location, the information is simultaneously decoded in at least plural ones of the independent channels to thereby form decoded information. From the decoded information, at least that one of the individual entitlement management commands applicable to the subscriber is reconstituted, to thereby form a reconstituted entitlement management command. According to a further mode of this aspect of the method of the invention, only those of the information streams, entitlement encoded information streams, and entitlement control information corresponding to the reconstituted entitlement management command are made available. A method according to another aspect of the invention is for providing program information to subscribers, where each subscriber has one of a plurality of different program entitlements. This method comprises the steps of selecting a plurality of information streams to be communicated to the subscribers, and encoding each of at least some of the information streams with individual entitlement control information to thereby generate entitlement encoded information streams. According to this aspect of the invention, the method breaks each element of the individual entitlement control information into plural portions. The information streams are communicated to the subscribers, with each of the information streams being communicated over one of a plurality of independent channels. The plural portions of the entitlement control information are communicated to the subscribers, with at least some of the portions of each individual entitlement control information being communicated over separate ones of the independent channels. Individual entitlement management commands are generated, identifying those information streams of a particular program to which a corresponding subscriber is entitled. Each of the individual entitlement management commands is broken into plural portions. The entitlement management commands are communicated to the subscribers over at least some of the independent channels, with at least some of the portions of each of the individual entitlement management commands being communicated over separate ones of the independent channels. At each subscriber location, the information in at least plural ones of the independent channels is simultaneously decoded to thereby form decoded information, and from the decoded information, at least that one of the individual entitlement management commands applicable to the subscriber is reconstituted, to thereby form a reconstituted entitlement management command. At each the subscriber location, only those of the information streams, entitlement encoded information streams, and entitlement control information corresponding to the reconstituted entitlement management command is made available for display. FIGS. 7aand 7b illustrate the general tenor of the key distribution for the prior art and according to an aspect of the invention, respectively. According to an aspect of the invention, the Entitlement Control Messages (ECM) and Entitlement Management Messages (EMM), or at least one of them, or their equivalent, are broken into different portions or parts, and each of the portions or parts is transmitted to the user or subscriber location by means of a separate channel of the system. In the context of a satellite-based video distribution system (where the term “video” includes its associated audio), the ECM andor the EMM keys are broken into plural portions or pieces, and each of the plural portions is transmitted from the spacecraft to the users on a separate one of the independent transponders of the spacecraft. In the abovementioned example, there are 32 discrete transponders over which content is transmitted, so the ECM andor EMM keys can be broken into as many as 32 parts, with one part being distributed on each of the transponder channels. In the case of a cable television system, there is only one physical channel, which is divided into a plurality of frequency bands, each containing one part of the ECM and EMM keys. At the authorized user or subscriber location, the downlinked channels are all recovered, as, for example, by providing one conventional receiver for each transponder channel, and the key portion information is made simultaneously available to the user. The division of the keys into multiple portions is reversed, and the keys become available for use by the user. In a particularly advantageous embodiment of the invention, the receiver, instead of being a group of conventional receivers, is instead a multi-channel signal receiver such as that described in PCT Patent application 03/08365, filed Mar. 19, 2003 for McNeely. The McNeely application describes a receiver which enables a plurality of frequency channels to be simultaneously tuned so that broadcast channel programs included within the frequency channels may be simultaneously accessed. Signal processing circuitry including a filter bank is coupled to the signal source, and is operative to simultaneously provide baseband signals corresponding to the plurality of broadcast channel programs. The simultaneous reception provided by the receiver of the abovementioned PCT application is accomplished, at least in part, by alias cancellation. The alias-cancelling reception provides a way to apply digital signal processing to radio-frequency (RF) signals, with relatively low clock rates. Those skilled in the art know that the term “radio frequency,” previously understood in a restricted manner, now has a meaning which embraces virtually all signal frequencies other than those in the range of visible light and ionizing radiation. FIG. 5 is a simplified block diagram of a system including a plurality of processing units located at the head end or ground station of the system of FIG. 1 according to an aspect of the invention. In FIG. 5, it is assumed that 32 transponder channels are available on the satellite (not illustrated in FIG. 50), each capable of handling 8 audio/visual (AV) channels, together with EMM/ECM and other ancillary information. Of course, more or fewer transponder channels may be available, and each transponder channel may be capable of handling more or fewer A/V channels, and the corresponding numbers of elements in FIG. 5 are adjusted accordingly. In the arrangement of FIG. 5, a set of eight AV channels AV1, AV2, . . . , AV8 (one spacecraft transponder's worth of signals) are applied to the inputs of a corresponding set 5121 , of eight MPEG encoders 2121, 2122, . . . , 2128, which perform MPEG encoding as in the arrangement of FIG. 2b. The MPEG-encoded AV information is coupled from encoders 2121, 2122, . . . , 2128 to first transport multiplexer (MPX) 2161, of a set 516 of transport multiplexers, which also receives guide and dummy EMM/ECM information as in the arrangement of FIG. 2b, for time-division multiplexing the data onto a single path 2241. The time-division multiplexed data is coupled to a first encryptor 5301, of a set 530 of encryptors, for encryption by means of a key applied over a path 5341. Similarly, a set of eight A/V channels AV9, AV10, . . . , AV16 are applied to the inputs of a corresponding set 512b of eight MPEG encoders 2129, 21210, . . . , 21216, which perform MPEG encoding in the same manner as encoders 2121, 2122, . . . , 2128. The MPEG-encoded AV information is coupled from encoders 2129, 21210, . . . , 21216 to second transport multiplexer (MPX) 2162 of set 516, which also receives guide and dummy EMM/ECM information, for time-division multiplexing the data onto a single path 2242. The time-division multiplexed data is coupled to a second encryptor 5302 of set 530 for encryption by means of a key applied over a path 5342. Other groups of eight AV signals are similarly handled. For completeness, the last group is described, namely group of AV signals AV248, AV249, . . . , AV256. In particular, a set of eight A/V channels AV248, AV249, . . . , AV256 is applied to the inputs of a corresponding set of eight MPEG encoders 212248, 212249, . . . , 212256 of set 512N, which perform MPEG encoding in the same manner as encoders 2121, 2122, . . . , 2128. The MPEG-encoded AV information is coupled from encoders 212248, 212249, . . . , 212256 to thirty-second transport multiplexer (MPX) 21632 of set 516, which also receives guide and dummy EMM/ECM information, for time-division multiplexing the data onto a single path 22432. The time-division multiplexed data is coupled to a thirty-second encryptor 53032 of set 530 for encryption by means of a key applied over a path 53432. The keys are generated by a key generator block illustrated as 532. Encryptors 5301, 5302, . . . , 53032 of set 530 of FIG. 5 differ somewhat from the corresponding encryptors of FIG. 2b. More particularly, each encryptor of set 530 of encryptors does not load the key information into the stream of data as described in conjunction with FIG. 2c. Taking encryptor 5301,as being representative, the key information is distributed in the manner illustrated in FIG. 6. In FIG. 6, the keys which are inserted into the dummy EMM/ECM slots by encryptor 5301, of FIG. 5 are arranged in a manner such that at least some of the slots contain keys or key portions from other transponder channels. More particularly, the key information distribution represented in FIG. 6 includes keys K1a, K2a, K3a, K4a, K5a, . . . , KNa. Key K1a provides partial decoding information for program 1, corresponding to AV1 of FIG. 5, which program is carried on the same transponder channel as K1a. However, keys K2a, K3a, K4a,K5a, . . . , KNa carry partial decryption information for programs carried on transponder channels other than the first transponder channel. That is, keys K2a, K3a, k4a, K5a, . . , KNa are related to program a on transponder channels 2, 3, 4, 5, . . . , N, respectively. The remaining portions of the program 1 key, namely K1b, K1c, k1d, K1e, . . . , K1n are carried on other transponder channels. Similarly, the remaining portions of the keys for programs 2 through N are distributed among various transponder channels. Thus, the corresponding set of keys on the second transponder channel, corresponding to AV9, AV10, . . . , AV16 of FIG. 5, could include, for example, K1b, K2b, K3b, K4b, K5b, . . . , KNb, which would be the keys for decoding the second (b) program on each of the transponder channels. Other encryptors of set 530 of encryptors of FIG. 5 carry other sets of keys. The last encryptor of FIG. 5, namely encryptor 53032, inserts encryption keys K1m, K2m, K3m, K4m, K5m, . KNm into its dummy EMM/ECM locations in the data stream. Thus, all the keys are transmitted, but many of them are transmitted over transponder channels other than those carrying the corresponding program. In essence, the smaller sub-units K1a, K1b, K1c, . . . , K1X of a key K1 together constitute the information contained in K1; each sub-unit might represent one byte, or a group of bytes, of the information in K1, and these sub-units are distributed for substantially simultaneous transmission over a plurality of channels. In the context of a traditional spacecraft delivery system, the distribution of the keys for the various programs among the spacecraft transponders might not be acceptable, because of the inability of the single-transponder-channel receiver 410 to receive the keys for all the associated program material. According to an aspect of the invention, a multiple-transponder-channel receiver is used at the subscriber location to receive at least the number of channels required to access both a program and the associated encryption key(s). In the simplest case, such as that described in conjunction with FIG. 6, a two-transponder-channel receiver would be required, one for the program on a given transponder, and a second for the corresponding key, which would, in general, be on a different transponder. Thus, when it is desired to receive program a from transponder channel 3, the program is accessed through transponder channel 3, but the corresponding key K3a is retrieved from transponder channel 1 (illustrated in FIG. 6). Thus, a multichannel receiver is required, in general, in order to access both a program and its associated key. FIG. 7b illustrates the general tenor of the key distribution according to an aspect of the invention. In FIG. 7b, the processors 251, 252, . . . , 250N include their individual encryption blocks 216a, 216b, . . . , 216N, respectively, as in FIG. 7a. A key generator and decomposer illustrated in FIG. 7b as a block 232′generates the keys, but distributes them differently than does generator 232 of FIG. 7a. More particularly, generator 232′produces key 1 in the form of ECMa, key 2 in the form of ECMb, . . . , and keyN in the form of ECMN . In this context, ECMa=key1a; key2a; . keyNa, ECMb=key1b; key2b; . . . , keyNb, . . . , and ECMN=key1a; key2a; . . . , keyNa. More complex assignments of the key information are possible. For example, it is possible to degenerate a key into two or more portions, and to transmit each of the two portions on a different transponder channel. A multichannel receiver will still be able to access all of the keys for all of the programs, so long as the additional processing power is available. In general, each key could be broken into many portions, and a multichannel receiver at the subscriber end can reconstitute the appropriate key, so long as the locations of the various portions are known. FIG. 8a is a simplified illustration of the information stream in a traditional system such as a cable television system in which each separate “transponder” channel is on (or “in”) a different frequency range of the cable. In FIG. 8a, three transponder channels are illustrated, namely transponder channels 1, 2, . . . , n. The letter “V” represents a video packet, the letter “A” represents an audio packet, the letter “E” represents EMM information, and the subscript refers to the particular program to which the packet relates. In transponder channel 1, the sequential flow of packets is V1, V1, A1, E1, V1, V1, A1, E1, V1, V1, A1, E1, . . . , all relating to program information 1. In essence, transponder channel 1 carries all the program 1 information, together with its EMM information. Similarly, transponder 2 carries sequential packets V2, V2, A2, E2, V2, V2, A2, E2, V2, V2, A2, E2 . . . and transponder n carries sequential packets Vn, Vn, An, En, Vn, Vn, An, En, Vn, Vn, An, En. Each transponder channel thus carries its own program material and the associated code. Since the ECM key information is often provided every few milliseconds, so that a subscriber making a new connection does not have to wait too long for appearance of a decrypted program, and since the ECM keys change every few seconds, as for example every 30 seconds, it is possible to break the ECM information in time rather than in data content. This is illustrated in FIG. 8b, in which transponder 1 carries program information 1, transponder 2 carries program information 2, . . . , and transponder n carries program information n. In the arrangement of FIG. 8b, by contrast with the arrangement of FIG. 8a, the ECM information is switched among the various transponder channels. More particularly, in FIG. 8b, transponder channel 1 carries sequential packets V1, V1, A1, E1, V1, V1, A1, E2, V1, V1, A1, En, . . . , transponder channel 2 carries sequential packets V2, V2, A2, E2, V2, V2, A2, En, V2, V2, A2, E1, . . . , and transponder channel n carries sequential packets Vn, Vn, An, En, Vn, Vn, An, E1, Vn, Vn, An, E2, . . . . Thus, in the arrangement of FIG. 8b, the complete ECM message required to decode or decrypt the program data is broken into time sequential portions, such as portions E1, E2, . . . , En, and these time-sequential portions of the complete ECM message are switched among the various individual channels. The multichannel receiver may be an array of conventional tuned receivers, or it may be the abovementioned alias-cancelling multichannel receiver. A method according to an aspect of the invention is for communicating data over plural channels (301, 302, . . . , 300N). The method comprises the steps of selecting data to be communicated (A/V information), encryption information (K1a, K2a, K3a, . . . , KNa) and encrypting the data with the encryption information to thereby produce encrypted data. The selected data may be video information. The encryption information is broken into portions (ECMa, ECMb, . . . , ECMN). The encrypted data is communicated by way of at least one channel (transponder channel I) of the plural channels (301, 302, . . . , 300N). In one mode of the method, the encrypted data is communicated over but a single channel (transponder channel I). At least some of the portions of the encryption key information are communicated over at least one of the plural channels (301, 302, . . . , 300N) other than a channel over which the encrypted data is communicated. According to another aspect of the invention, a method for providing program information to subscribers (426) comprises the steps of selecting a plurality of information streams (A/V information) to be communicated to the subscribers, and encoding each of at least some of the information streams with individual entitlement control information to thereby generate entitlement encoded information streams. Each element of the individual entitlement control information is broken into plural portions. The encoded information streams are communicated to the subscribers, with each of the encoded information streams being communicated over one of a plurality of independent channels (301, 302, . . . , 300N), or at least over fewer than all the physical channels. The plural portions of the entitlement control information are communicated to the subscribers, with at least some of the portions of each entitlement control information being communicated over separate ones of the independent channels (301, 302, . . . , 300N). When different subscribers have different program entitlements, the method comprises the further step of generating individual entitlement management commands identifying those information streams of a particular program to which a corresponding subscriber is entitled. Each of the individual entitlement management commands is broken into plural portions. The entitlement management commands are communicated to the subscribers over at least some of the independent channels (301, 302, . . . , 300N), with at least some of the portions of each of the individual entitlement management commands being communicated over separate ones of the independent channels (301, 302, . . . , 300N) . At each subscriber location, the information is simultaneously decoded in at least plural ones of the independent channels to thereby form decoded information. From the decoded information, at least that one of the individual entitlement management commands applicable to the subscriber is reconstituted, to thereby form a reconstituted entitlement management command. According to a further mode of this aspect of the method of the invention, only those of the information streams, entitlement encoded information streams, and entitlement control information corresponding to the reconstituted entitlement management command are made available. A method according to another aspect of the invention is for providing program information to subscribers, where each subscriber has one of a plurality of different program entitlements. This method comprises the steps of selecting a plurality of information streams to be communicated to the subscribers, and encoding each of at least some of the information streams with individual entitlement control information to thereby generate entitlement encoded information streams. According to this aspect of the invention, the method breaks each element of the individual entitlement control information into plural portions. The information streams are communicated to the subscribers, with each of the information streams being communicated over one of a plurality of independent channels (301, 302, . . . , 300N). The plural portions of the entitlement control information are communicated to the subscribers, with at least some of the portions of each individual entitlement control information being communicated over separate ones of the independent channels (301, 302, . . . , 300N). Individual entitlement management commands are generated, identifying those information streams of a particular program to which a corresponding subscriber is entitled. Each of the individual entitlement management commands is broken into plural portions. The entitlement management commands are communicated to the subscribers over at least some of the independent channels (301, 302, . . . , 300N), with at least some of the portions of each of the individual entitlement management commands being communicated over separate ones of the independent channels. At each subscriber location, the information in at least plural ones of the independent channels is simultaneously decoded to thereby form decoded information, and from the decoded information, at least that one of the individual entitlement management commands applicable to the subscriber is reconstituted, to thereby form a reconstituted entitlement management command. At each the subscriber location, only those of the information streams, entitlement encoded information streams, and entitlement control information corresponding to the reconstituted entitlement management command is made available for display.

2019-04-25T16:22:11Z

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2007/0192586.html

Neuro-imaging holds great potential for predicting choice behavior from brain responses. In this study we used both traditional mass-univariate and state-of-the-art multivariate pattern analysis to establish which brain regions respond to preferred packages and to what extent neural activation patterns can predict realistic low-involvement consumer choices. More specifically, this was assessed in the context of package-induced binary food choices. Mass-univariate analyses showed that several regions, among which the bilateral striatum, were more strongly activated in response to preferred food packages. Food choices could be predicted with an accuracy of up to 61.2% by activation patterns in brain regions previously found to be involved in healthy food choices (superior frontal gyrus) and visual processing (middle occipital gyrus). In conclusion, this study shows that mass-univariate analysis can detect small package-induced differences in product preference and that MVPA can successfully predict realistic low-involvement consumer choices from functional MRI data. Copyright: © 2012 Van der Laan et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. Funding: This work was supported by a governmental research grant of Agentschap NL (FND08009). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Despite the public fear of evil marketers tapping into the consumer’s brain to obtain hidden information, the usage of neuroimaging in consumer research is rising . Most commercial and scientific studies on consumer behavior still employ self-report measures, such as questionnaires, to evaluate products and packages , . However, the potential of neuroimaging techniques, especially fMRI, to gain more insight into consumer decision-making processes appears to be high. The pioneering study of Knutson et al. showed that a logistic regression model with neural activation of the insula and the nucleus accumbens could predict the decision to buy a wide range of consumer products with 61% accuracy. Recent fMRI studies employing the general linear model, i.e., traditional mass-univariate analysis, have shown comparable accuracies (e.g., an average of 56% accuracy, ) or yielded important insights in the neural underpinnings of consumer choices , . For instance, Chib et al showed that there is a common representation of the value of different consumer goods in the brain and Kang et al showed that the computation of both hypothetical and real decisions regarding consumer products involves the same brain areas. In addition, fMRI studies using mass-univariate analyses have focused on specific product characteristics, such as perceived healthiness , organically grown logo’s and packaging aesthetics . A promising development in the field of consumer neuroscience is the recent application of multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to fMRI data . The advantage of MVPA over the traditional mass-univariate analysis is that they employ associations between voxels (activation patterns) and that they allow for differential responses across individual voxels . It is well-acknowledged that this makes MVPA more sensitive than traditional mass-univariate fMRI analyses . Tusche et al were the first that applied MVPA to fMRI to predict consumer choice. They showed that the hypothetical decision to buy a car could be predicted with 70–82% accuracy by activation patterns in the insular and medial prefrontal cortices. It is impressive that the choice for a high involvement consumer product, like a car, can be predicted with such high accuracy. However, it is yet unknown how accurately lower involvement every-day decisions, such as those made during grocery shopping can be predicted by MVPA. Therefore, we here assess the accuracy of such techniques for predicting low-involvement consumer decisions. To our knowledge, we are the first to use multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) to investigate realistic low-involvement package-based consumer choices. A good test-case for this category of decisions is food choice. A first important characteristic of food choice (and low-involvement consumer decisions in general) is that they typically involve choices between relatively homogeneous sets of alternatives with much smaller variations in value. For instance, when someone stands in front of the cookie shelf, the decision to buy cookies, and not another type of snacks, has already been made. The next decision is which kind of cookies to choose from the relatively homogeneous set of alternatives. A second important characteristic of food choices is that foods are usually packaged. Thus, product characteristics have to be inferred from the package. The impression that a package is intended to create in the mind of the consumer is affected by package characteristics like size, shape, color, images and text. Several studies with unpackaged foods have shown differential neural responses to high and low hedonic foods . However, it is unknown whether this also holds for package-induced differences in preference. One of the current trends in food packaging design is to put emphasis on the healthiness of foods by highlighting nutritional information or health logos. This is believed to be an effective strategy to promote buying, because consumers themselves state that the healthiness of a food is an important motivation for their food choices . However, studies on the association between perceived healthiness and preference have yielded ambiguous results. Some studies suggest that labeling a food as ‘healthy’ decreases behavioral preference for the food , while others show no , or a positive effect , . Therefore, it is not clear whether emphasizing healthiness is helpful in promoting healthy food choices. Another packaging feature which has been shown to affect consumer choices is its aesthetic value , . However, the effects of aesthetic value have not been studied in the context of healthy food choice. In the present study, our first aim was to replicate the brain regions that respond to preferred food packages by using traditional mass-univariate analysis. Our second aim was to investigate to what extent brain activation can predict everyday food choices, with the use of MVPA. We employed a realistic food choice paradigm in which subjects had to choose between two alternatives of the same snack food with different packaging designs. More specifically, the choice was between two alternatives in which the packaging either emphasized the healthiness of the food or not. To gain more insight in the underlying factors of choice and the underlying neural processes, a more exploratory third aim was to assess the predictive value of perceived healthiness as well as other self-report measures involved in food choice (e.g., attractiveness, purchase intention), and to what extent the strongest self-reported predictors of choice correlate with neural activation. To localize brain regions that respond to preferred food packages and that correlate with the main self-reported predictors of food choice, we used both mass-univariate and state-of-the-art MVPA. Traditional analyses were employed to replicate previous findings. The major contribution of the present study is to apply multivariate pattern analysis to predict choices for food items that vary in their packaging. The study was approved by the Medical Ethical Committee of the University Medical Center Utrecht and subjects provided written informed consent. The study comprised twenty women as subjects (age range 19–29; mean age 22.4 years; BMI range 19.2–24.7; mean BMI 21.7 kg/m2). Inclusion criteria were being female, having an age between 18 and 30 years, being right-handed and having a healthy weight (BMI between 18.5 and 25 kg/m2). Only female subjects were included because research showed that the brains of males and females respond differently to food stimuli , and that they differ in their eating behavior . Exclusion criteria were smoking, having a food allergy, having an eating disorder, having a current alcohol consumption of >28 units per week, having a history of medical or surgical events that might significantly affect the study outcome, such as metabolic or endocrine disease, or any gastro-intestinal disorder. We excluded women that followed a diet in the past six months or that had weight fluctuations of more than five kg in the past six months, so as to exclude subjects which might show biases in their food choices for weight management reasons. In addition, women were excluded if they indicated a low (<5 on a nine-point scale) liking for cookies or dairy products in the screening questionnaire. Subjects were recruited with posters at the University Medical Center Utrecht and the adjacent university campus. At the time of recruitment, the aim of the study was not disclosed to the subjects because this could influence their responses. The cover story was that subjects were needed for a study on neural processing of novel foods. They would be required to view and evaluate pictures of novel food products and would receive one of these products as afternoon snack. At the end of the study participants were informed about the actual aim of the study. The study consisted of two sessions, at least one week apart. During the first session, subjects completed a computer task in which they evaluated the expected tastiness of the stimuli, i.e., the pictures of food packages. During this task, each stimulus was shown for four seconds, after which subjects had to indicate on a nine-point scale how tasty they thought the food product would be. This was done in order to ensure that none of the participants had an aversion towards the stimuli. During the second session, subjects were scanned using functional MRI while performing a food choice task. Subjects were instructed to refrain from eating and drinking (except water) for at least three hours (mean 205±27 min) prior to this session. Before and immediately after scanning, subjects rated hunger, thirst and satiety on a visual analog scale. After scanning, subjects were seated behind a computer to evaluate the stimuli on expected tastiness, perceived healthiness, fat level of the food, attractiveness of the packaging and purchase intention, on a nine-point scale ranging from 1 = very untasty/unhealthy/etc to 9 = very tasty/healthy/etc. Also, subjects indicated the price (€) that they would be willing to pay for the product. The visual stimuli consisted of 38 color images of food packages: 19 food products (nine dairy products and ten types of cookies) in two different designs. The packages were designed so that they varied in perceived healthiness. Health is an important self-reported motivation for food choice and health aspects are currently highlighted in advertising and packaging trends. Packaging designs were manipulated by varying the following packaging cues: typography, pictures, textual information and logo’s, resulting in ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’ designs , . For healthy packaging alternatives the following packaging cues were used: white, green, blue and low intensity colors, elegant, cursive and slim typography, pictures of ingredients (e.g., grains for cookies), pictures/silhouettes of active persons, textual information (e.g., ‘healthy’) and the Dutch Healthy choice logo. For unhealthy packaging alternatives, the following cues were used: yellow, red, brown and high intensity colors, playful/bold fonts, textual information (e.g., ‘With real butter’). Manipulations were based on research from the Department of Packaging Design and Management of the University Twente in which the association between these packaging cues and perceived (un)healthiness was established in Dutch consumers , . An internal report on the association between packaging cues and perceived (un)healthiness is available on request. Stimuli were selected on basis of healthiness ratings in a pretest (n = 15 females who did not participate in the study). The only aspects that were systematically kept identical within a pair of packages were their shape and the photo of the product depicted on the package. Since we were interested in the influence of packaging itself and to avoid effects of familiarity and previous experience with the products, novel packaging designs were used. Table 1 shows that design manipulations were effective in altering the perceived healthiness. Table 1. Mean (SEM) ratingsa of the packages designed to look healthy/unhealthy. During the functional MRI scan, subjects carried out a food choice task (Figure 1). In this task, subjects made a total of 38 choices between the two package designs, i.e., each of the 19 pairs was presented twice. During each trial the images of the two designs were presented subsequently (product periods, duration 4000 ms each), separated by an inter-stimulus interval of 2000 ms (fixation cross). After that, both alternatives were shown side by side (choice period, duration 4000 ms) and subjects were instructed to indicate with the left or right button of a button box which of the two products they would prefer to eat at that moment. Each trial ended with a fixation cross (random inter-trial interval with duration of 2000–12000 ms). The order of the product presentations and the location of the products during the choice period (left/right) were randomized. In order to make the choices more realistic, subjects were told that one of the trials would be randomly selected and that they would receive the product chosen in that trial as a snack at the end of the study session. In reality, all subjects received the same snack (a commercially available cookie). Figure 1. Food choice task trial structure. The first package is the healthy and the second the unhealthy version. Al self-report ratings (expected tastiness, perceived healthiness, fat level of the food, attractiveness of the packaging, purchase intention and price willing to pay) were normally distributed. Associations between the various self-reported measures were calculated by bivariate correlation analyses performed with SPSS 16.0. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine associations between the self-reported measures and choice. Since choice pairs (level 1) were nested within participants (level 2) a series of multi-level logistic regression analyses were performed to examine which self-report measures were associated with choosing a package. The dependent variable in these models was the choice for the second stimulus shown (either the package was chosen or not) and the explanatory measures were the difference in ratings between the two packages of the pair (i.e., attractiveness rating of the second image shown (product period 2) minus the attractiveness rating of the first image) for each of the self-reported measures. First, models were constructed with each of the self-report measures as single predictor. After that, models with multiple self-reported measures were constructed. Logistic regression analyses were performed with the statistical software package R (http://www.r-project.org/). MRI scanning was performed on a 3 Tesla scanner (Philips Achieva, Philips Healthcare, Best, The Netherlands), equipped with a SENSE head coil. A T1-weighted structural image was acquired at a resolution of 1×1×1 mm (TR = 8.4 ms, total scan duration = 284 s). Functional scans were acquired with a 3D-PRESTO SENSE sequence (TR/TE = 22.5/33 ms, flip angle = 10°, voxel size = 4×4×4 mm, acquisition time of one 3D volume = 607.5 ms) . The total number of volumes acquired differed between subjects because of the random inter-trial interval (range: 1370–1528 volumes). Data were preprocessed and analyzed using the SPM8 software package (Wellcome Department of Imaging Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom, (http://www.fil.ion.ucl.ac.uk/spm/software/spm8/)) run with MATLAB 7.5 (The Mathworks Inc, Natick, MA). Functional images were realigned to the first image of the time series. Functional and structural images were co-registered and normalized (retaining 4x4x4 mm voxels) to MNI space (Montreal Neurological Institute – International Consortium for Brain Mapping) by using linear and nonlinear transformations. Unsmoothed data were used for the multivariate pattern analysis. For the multivariate prediction analysis only data from the first half of the choice trials were used because each choice pair was repeated during the second half of the task. Responses might be biased by post-choice shifts in preferences and thus might not be valid for use in prediction analyses. For the other analyses, all data were used and functional images were smoothed with a Gaussian kernel of 8 mm full width at half maximum. Data from the first and second product presentation period of the trial were analyzed separately in all analyses because the processes occurring during these periods are not identical. In a sequential binary choice paradigm as used here, the expected value of the first product is evaluated in isolation (the absolute value) whereas the expected value of the second product is evaluated with the first product still in mind (the relative value) , . Statistical maps were generated for each subject by fitting a boxcar function to the time series, convolved with the canonical hemodynamic response. Data were high-pass filtered with a cutoff of 128 s. Three conditions were modeled for each trial: the first product presentation period, the second product presentation period and the choice period. For each subject, four separate general linear models were build to perform analyses of the neural activation during the two product presentation periods: (1) To establish the brain regions that respond differently to chosen and not-chosen packages we performed a mean subtraction analysis between chosen and not chosen packages, (2) To identify brain regions of which activation correlates with the self-reported perceived healthiness rating we performed a parametric modulation analysis with perceived healthiness as parametric modulator, (3) To identify brain regions of which activation correlates with the absolute attractiveness we performed a parametric modulation analysis with the self-reported attractiveness as parametric modulator, (4) To identify brain regions in which activation correlates with the relative attractiveness we performed a parametric modulation analysis on the second image period with the relative attractiveness of the second product (i.e., the attractiveness rating of the second package minus that of the first package). In all analyses, the responses during the choice screen (in which the subjects pressed the button for their choice) were modeled but not analyzed. In summary, the subject level analyses yielded seven images for each subject: 1) a contrast image of the chosen versus not chosen packages for the first product presentation period, 2) a contrast image of the chosen versus not chosen packages for the second product presentation period, 3) a contrast image of the parametric modulation of activation by perceived healthiness for the first product presentation period, 4) a contrast image of the parametric modulation of activation by perceived healthiness for the second product presentation period, 5) a contrast image of the parametric modulation of activation by absolute attractiveness for the first product presentation period, 6) a contrast image of the parametric modulation of activation by absolute attractiveness for the second product presentation period, and 7) a contrast image of the parametric modulation of activation by relative attractiveness for the second product presentation period. To determine which brain regions show differential activation for chosen and not-chosen products, the contrast images in question were entered into a one-sample t-test. To determine the brain regions whose activation is modulated by self-reported healthiness, the contrast images of modulation by healthiness were entered into a one-sample t-test. To determine the brain regions whose activation is modulated by self-reported attractiveness, the contrast images of modulation by absolute and relative attractiveness were entered into a one-sample t-tests. The resulting statistical parametric maps were thresholded at p<0.05 family-wise error corrected for multiple comparisons at the level of a priori regions of interest (i.e., small-volume corrected). Regions of interest were brain areas reported in two studies relevant to food choice: brain regions that respond differentially to highly hedonic versus neutral/bland unpackaged foods and brain regions activated during food choices based on healthiness or tastiness : left inferior frontal gyrus, the bilateral inferior parietal lobule, the bilateral middle temporal gyrus, bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral middle frontal gyrus, right inferior temporal gyrus, bilateral middle occipital gyrus, right culmen and the bilateral putamen, caudate and pallidum. ROI masks were generated using the AAL-atlas as implemented in WFU-pickatlas toolbox . MVPA was used to localize brain regions which contain predictive information. Analyses were performed using the PyMVPA software package , in combination with LibSVM’s implementation of the linear support vector machine (http://www.csie.ntu.edu.tw/~cjlin/libsvm/). We used the default configuration, in which the parameter C (trade off parameter between width of the margin and the number of support vectors) is automatically scaled according to the norm of the data for each searchlight. Trial-wise linearly detrended and z-scored functional scans that were acquired between 3–6 seconds after onset of the product presentation period were averaged to speed up analysis . This timeframe was chosen because the peak of the hemodynamic response is known to occur 4–5 seconds after stimulus onset . This resulted in one average image for the chosen product and one average image for the not-chosen product, for each of the 19 trials. For both product presentation periods, a whole brain searchlight analysis was performed, which is a method particularly suitable to localize brain regions that contain predictive information . A sphere with a radius of 10 mm was centered at each voxel. With voxel size 4×4×4 mm this results in spheres of 27 voxels, i.e., 27 features. For each sphere, a 19-fold leave-one-out cross-validation was performed with a linear support vector machine to estimate the prediction accuracy of each voxel. Thus, for each sphere the classifier was trained on 18 of the 19 trials. More specifically, a model of the associations between the voxel values and the categories (chosen or not-chosen) in the training trials was constructed. Subsequently, this prediction model was tested on the remaining trial. Accuracy was calculated as the percentage of correctly categorized chosen and not-chosen products in the remaining test trial. For each subject, the searchlight analysis yielded a three-dimensional map of prediction accuracies. Each value of this accuracy map represents the average cross-validated prediction accuracy of the searchlight surrounding that voxel. To identify brain regions that were predictive of choice across subjects, we performed a t-test as implemented in SPM8 to contrast the accuracy maps of all participants against chance level (50% accuracy) for both analyses. The resulting statistical maps were thresholded at p<0.05 family-wise error corrected for multiple comparisons at the level of ROIs (same as the mass-univariate analysis). Table 1 shows that packaging design manipulations were effective in altering perceived healthiness and fat level while keeping expected tastiness constant. The attractiveness of healthy packaging designs was significantly higher. This was expected because visual cues that give a package a healthy appearance are partially overlapping with those that are most preferred. For instance, the colors blue, green and white (bright colors) give a package a healthy appearance, but these are also the colors that are liked most, even across cultures , , , . Attractiveness correlated with several other self-report measures, such as purchase intention (r = 0.65, p<0.001), price willing to pay (r = 0.35, p<0.001), expected tastiness (first session: r = 0.24, p<0.001, second session: r = 0.46, p<0.001) and perceived healthiness (r = 0.15, p<0.001). The results did not differ between the two food categories (cookies and dairy foods); therefore, data from these categories were combined in all subsequent analyses. Table 2 shows the means of the self-report measures for the chosen and not-chosen packages. Chosen packages were rated as significantly more attractive, tastier and healthier. Purchase intention and the price subjects were willing to pay were also significantly higher for chosen packages. Choices were consistent over repeated presentations: only in 6.8% of the presented choices a different package was chosen the second time. There was no order effect on choice: in 50.7% of the trials the image presented in the second product presentation period was chosen, in 49.3% of the trials the image presented in the first product presentation period. Table 2. Mean (SEM) ratingsa for chosen/not-chosen packages. The logistic regression analyses with each self-report measure as single predictor showed that the perceived healthiness (parameter estimate ± SEM: 0.17±0.05), attractiveness (0.60±0.07), purchase intention (0.68±0.08), price willing to pay (1.87±0.32) and tastiness post-scan (0.73±0.10) were significantly (positively) associated with food choice (p<0.05). In a model with all self-report measures, only attractiveness, tastiness post-scan and purchase intention remained significant predictors (Table 3), i.e., these measures have an independent component that is associated with choice. This combined model shows that attractiveness has the largest independent component associated with choice. To control for design-category (i.e., healthy or unhealthy design), the analysis was repeated with design category as extra dummy variable. This did not change the results of the logistic regression (Table S1). Table 3. Multi-level logistic regression results: self-report measures associated with food choice. To disambiguate the effects of perceived healthiness and attractiveness on choice we compared the models with attractiveness and perceived healthiness as single predictors with a model with both variables. Whereas the model with both predictors explained significantly more variance than the model with healthiness as single predictor (−2logΛ = 134.5, df = 1, p<0.0001), the combined model did not explain more variance than the model with attractiveness as single predictor (−2logΛ = 0.4 df = 1, p = 0.40). This means that adding healthiness as a variable when attractiveness is already in the model, does not significantly improve the model. Moreover, adding attractiveness to the model decreases the parameter estimate of healthiness from 0.17 to 0.06, while adding healthiness to a model with attractiveness does not affect the parameter estimate of attractiveness. Thus, healthiness does not have an independent component associated with choice while attractiveness does. Additional likelihood ratio tests were performed to test whether the effects of attractiveness, purchase intention and tastiness varied across participants. This was done by comparing the models with the self-reports treated as fixed effects versus models with random slopes. None of these tests showed a statistically significant improvement of the model. With a likelihood ratio test comparing a model with a fixed intercept to the empty model with a random intercept (subject level 2), we tested whether the intercept was statistically different between subjects. This was also not the case. Chosen versus not chosen packages. The subtraction analysis of chosen vs. not-chosen packages in the second product presentation period showed that activation was stronger for chosen packages in the bilateral striatum (right putamen, left putamen, pallidum and caudate), in the left inferior parietal gyrus, in the middle temporal gyrus and in the right middle occipital gyrus (Table 4, Figure 2). There were no brain regions activated stronger in response to not-chosen packages. Table 4. Peak voxel coordinatesa of brain regions stronger activated in response to chosen versus not chosen packages during the second image period in regions of interest. Figure 2. Results from the traditional mass-univariate fMRI analysis. (a–e) Brain regions stronger activated in response to chosen vs. not chosen packages: a) Left inferior parietal gyrus; b/c) left caudate/putamen/pallidum and right putamen; d/e) Border of right middle occipital gyrus and middle temporal gyrus. (f) Brain regions modulated by absolute attractiveness in the first product presentation period: a cluster stretching from the left superior frontal gyrus to the middle frontal gyrus. For visualization purposes, all images are thresholded at T-value >2.86. For the first product presentation period, there were no brain regions with a significantly stronger activation in response to chosen packages at P<0.05 FWE-corrected for multiple comparisons at ROI level. Borderline significant clusters were found in the middle frontal gyrus (p = 0.076 FWE-corrected, Z = 3.26, MNI(−26, 20, 58)), the left putamen (p = 0.089 FWE-corrected, Z = 2.64, MNI(−18, 16, 2)) and caudate (p = 0.076 FWE-corrected, Z = 2.73, MNI(−14, 8, 10)). There were no brain regions in which activation was modulated by perceived healthiness at P<0.05 FWE-corrected for multiple comparisons at ROI level. We performed a parametric modulation analysis to establish in which brain regions activation is modulated by attractiveness, because the behavioral results showed that attractiveness of the packaging design was strongly associated with choice (see Results section 3.1 Behavioral Results). Brain regions where activation was positively modulated by absolute attractiveness during the first product presentation period were: a cluster in the left superior frontal gyrus (p = 0.002 FWE-corrected, Z = 4.26, MNI(−18, 24, 58) stretching to the left middle frontal gyrus (p = 0.014 FWE-corrected, Z = 4.83, MNI(−22, 24, 54)) (Figure 2). In the second product presentation period, there were no brain regions in which activation was modulated by absolute attractiveness (i.e., the attractiveness rating of the second product). However, there was a borderline significant cluster in the left pallidum (p = 0.092 FWE-corrected, Z = 2.41, MNI(−10, 8, −2)) in which activation was positively modulated by relative attractiveness (i.e., the attractiveness of the second product minus the attractiveness rating of the first product). In neither of the image periods was brain activation modulated negatively by absolute or relative attractiveness. To identify activation patterns that predict choice, MVPA was performed for the first and second product presentation period (Table 5, Figure 3). In the first product presentation period, brain activation patterns in the in the medial part of the right superior frontal gyrus significantly predicted food choice (peak accuracy: 60.0%). For the second product presentation period, activation patterns in the left middle occipital gyrus significantly predicted food choice (peak accuracy 61.2%). Table 5. Brain regionsa encoding product choice. Figure 3. Brain regions predictive of choice. a) left middle occipital gyrus; b) right superior frontal gyrus, medial part. For visualization purposes, images are thresholded at T-value >2.86. To ensure the validity of the results, the analyses were repeated with shuffled labels. When samples were randomly provided with a chosen or not chosen label, no statistical significant prediction of food choices could be attained. In addition, in a control region (left fusiform gyrus), which is not usually found in value encoding analyses, we did not find any statistical significant prediction accuracies (maximum accuracy 52.2%). These findings speak against potential methodological concerns such as the over-fitting of noise or insufficient corrections for multiple comparisons. Table S2 shows results of all analyses for all brain regions (i.e., not only in predefined ROI’s). This study is the first to investigate both the neural correlates and predictors of choice between two food items that only differ in their packaging. Our first aim was to replicate brain regions found in previous studies that respond to preferred food packages. The mass-univariate analysis contrasting chosen with not-chosen packages yielded several regions stronger activated in response to chosen packages, among which the bilateral striatum. This finding concurs with our recent meta-analysis , which showed that appetizing foods yield a consistently higher activation in the striatum than neutral or bland foods. The studies included in this meta-analysis compared two very different groups of unpackaged foods. Our results show that the same finding holds for package-induced variations in preference within the same product, which presumably are smaller than variations between different products. A recent study of Litt et al. has suggested a role for the striatum in both value and saliency (arousal) computations during food choice. Because we did not include any aversive (negatively valenced but arousing) products we cannot differentiate between these two processes. Thus, the striatal activation in the present study could reflect both value and salience computations. The finding that clusters in the inferior parietal gyrus and the middle temporal gyrus are more strongly activated during chosen versus not chosen packages, is in line with previous work. Activation of parietal regions during decision-making has been associated with the valuation of different options and a recent meta-analysis has shown that inferior parietal regions were more consistently activated during reward anticipation than during the reward-outcome . Thus, the inferior parietal gyrus activation during the second image period could reflect response selection, since all alternatives are known at that moment. Activation in the middle temporal gyrus during the decision period has previously been found to correlate with stimulus value (but not saliency) . Brain regions predictive of food choice. Our second aim was to investigate to what extent brain activation can predict food choice. To our knowledge, we are the first to use MVPA to investigate realistic low-involvement consumer choices, such as food choices. Previous studies using traditional analysis techniques investigated the neural correlates of consumer choice (e.g., , ) and of specific product characteristics (e.g., aesthetics, ). However, none of these studies used both traditional analysis and MVPA. It is well-acknowledged that MVPA is more sensitive than traditional mass-univariate fMRI analyses (e.g., ). One pioneering study showed the high potential of this novel technique in predicting the hypothetical choices for a high-involvement product (a car). However, until now it was unknown whether this technique could also accurately predict low-involvement consumer choices. Therefore, we assessed how accurately this type of consumer choices, such as those made during grocery shopping can be predicted by MVPA. These are choices in which the differences in preference are assumed to be much smaller than in infrequent high-involvement choices, such as those for a car. By employing a linear support vector machine, we showed that MVPA is also sensitive enough to predict every-day food choices: food choice could be predicted with up to 61.2% accuracy on group level with activation patterns in the right superior frontal gyrus (medial part) and the left middle occipital gyrus. Given that the choice was between two similar foods, which only differed in their packaging design, this can be considered as a high accuracy. Similar accuracies have been found in studies that used traditional mass-univariate analysis methods to predict choice (e.g., , ). The only other study on consumer choice that utilized MVPA, reported prediction accuracies in the range of 72–80% with patterns in the right middle frontal gyrus, medial frontal gyrus, left orbitofrontal cortex, bilateral dorsal anterior cingulate, bilateral posterior cingulate, and left insula . However, as mentioned above, that study used a very different category of consumer products, namely cars. A decision for a car is probably much more distinct than the low-involvement every-day decision for a snack food: cars are bought less often and less easily than foods. Another difference between the studies is that in the study of Tusche et al , all stimuli were familiar. Since we were interested in the influence of the packaging itself and to avoid effects of familiarity and previous experience with the product, we used novel packages as stimuli. Another explanation for the difference in findings is that the question posed in the study of Tusche et al. was to either buy the car or not. Thus, the value of just one car had to be taken into consideration, while in our study subjects had to make a binary choice. That is, preferences for two similar products had to be compared and decisions were thus not based on the absolute value of the products, but on the difference in value between the two options (i.e., the relative value, which will be elaborated on in section 4.2.1). In the first image period, brain activation patterns in the medial part of the right superior frontal gyrus predicted choice. This is in line with other studies showing that activation in this region correlates with value and willingness to buy during decision-making. Also, interestingly, a cluster at approximately the same coordinates was found to be activated during food choices in which the participants were asked to specifically consider the healthiness of the food . This suggests that this region could be involved in the consideration of product features such as healthiness. For the contrast between chosen and not-chosen packages as well as for the MVPA, we found involvement of the middle occipital gyrus, although for the prediction analysis the cluster was lateralized to the left and for the mass-univariate analysis to the right. This region is primarily known for its role in visual processing. Differential middle occipital activation for preferred versus not-preferred items has previously been observed in studies with food stimuli, e.g., our meta-analysis showed that across studies, the right middle occipital gyrus is stronger activated in response to highly hedonic versus bland/neutral foods . Although it cannot be ruled out that differential activation in regions involved in color processing such as the middle occipital gyrus and the inferior parietal gyrus, is partly due to color differences between the stimuli , , an equally likely explanation could be that these findings reflect modulation of visual processing by emotional valence. A recent study showed higher middle occipital activation in response to high- compared to low-energy foods, even though the pictures were matched on visual properties . It has been widely acknowledged that both attention and emotional valence modulate processing of visual stimuli by enhancing neuronal responses at different levels of visual processing, i.e., in early visual processing and in later phases such as recognition , , . Accordingly, we speculate that the observed activation of visual processing brain areas reflects increased attention to, or emotional valence of preferred packages. Future research should elucidate the exact role of the middle occipital gyrus in emotional valence and value calculation. It is important to note that our results show that predictions can be derived from brain activation both during both product presentation periods. However, it should be noted that evaluation processes differ between the two periods: whereas the expected value of the first product is evaluated in isolation (the absolute value), the expected value of the second product is evaluated with the first product still in mind (the relative value). Therefore, the value of the first product serves as a frame of reference against which the second product is weighed. Given our sequential binary choice design one would expect that the neural encoding of chosen and not chosen products is influenced by ordering effects within a trial (i.e., in the first product presentation period the absolute value of the product is computed whereas in the second product presentation period the relative value is computed). There is evidence to suggests that value is more often computed with respect to a reference point, rather than in isolation . This notion is also supported by psychological literature on contrast effects (e.g., ), as well as evidence from fMRI and neuronal recording studies which show ordering effects of comparative valuation in brain areas involved in decision-making (e.g., , and differential brain regions involved in encoding of absolute and relative value . We therefore argue that evaluation in the second product presentation period is influenced by the preceding stimulus while this is not the case in the first period. Therefore, the brain regions activated during the first image period most likely reflect the absolute value calculation of the product. In contrast, activation during the second image period likely reflects a comparative calculation in which the second product is weighed against the first product, which serves as a reference. Our findings, that the ventral part of the striatum is more strongly activated in response to chosen versus not chosen packages in the second product presentation period, and that activation in the ventral striatum tends to correlate with the relative attractiveness, is in line with findings of De Martino et al. . They also found that ventral striatum activation correlate with the relative value in a buying/selling fMRI paradigm. In addition, although borderline significant, we found that a more dorsal part of the striatum was stronger activated for chosen compared to not chosen packages in the first image period. This is also in line with the finding that a more dorsal part of the striatum correlates with the absolute value . In the fMRI task, subjects indicated their choice when presented with a separate choice screen, shown to them after the first and second product presentation period. This design may complicate the interpretation of the results for the second product presentation period because due to this separate choice screen, we cannot be completely sure whether subjects made their decisions during the second product presentation periods or at the moment they were presented with the choice screen. Nevertheless, we decided to use a separate choice screen in order to avoid biases due to motor responses accompanied with the button press in the evaluation-processes that take place during the product presentation periods. Several studies using a sequential design indicate that the decision process starts during the period when the second stimulus is presented [e.g., ]. Thus, although the design of our study does not allow to exactly determine when subjects made their choice (either during the second product period or when presented with the choice screen), we argue that it is likely that decisions were made during the second product period. Even though, evaluation and decision signals were confounded during the second presentation period, we do know that most likely relative value computations are taking place in the second product presentation period. Considering its ecological relevance (e.g., ), the differentiation between absolute and relative value computation in the brain is an important topic for future research. We compared brain activation during chosen and not-chosen products with the use of both traditional mass-univariate analysis and MVPA. The results of the traditional analysis enabled a comparison with results from previous studies. However, this kind of analysis alone, without any validation, is deemed unsuitable to establish a predictive relationship between neural activation and choice . To be able to establish the predictive performance of a technique (either univariate or multivariate), it is required to validate the model, for instance with independent testing and training data sets . Several studies showed that traditional mass-univariate analyses indeed can also yield brain regions predictive of choice, e.g. with the use of cross validation or by using a functional localizer task to identify predictive regions of interest . In our study, we did not find direct overlap between the results of the traditional analysis comparing chosen and not chosen packages and the brain regions predictive of choice in the MVPA. A likely explanation for the lack of overlap between the two techniques is that the underlying calculations are not the same: The main difference between the two methods is that the mass-univariate method tests for differences in level of activation of each voxel separately, while MVPA establishes whether activation patterns (i.e., interactions between multiple voxels) are associated with an outcome measure. More specifically, differences in brain regions identified by mass-univariate analyses and MVPA likely arise from the fact that (1) different information is taken from the data (i.e., differences in the degree of activation in single voxel vs. interactions between multiple voxels) and (2) differences in the preprocessing and analysis trail associated with (1). The preprocessing and analysis trail of mass-univariate analysis is optimized for detecting spatially extended differences in the degree of activation (i.e., differences in the same direction) while the preprocessing and analysis trail of MVPA is optimized for detection of pattern-based information. For mass-univariate analysis, images are smoothed for improving the signal-to-noise ratio, making the error-distribution more normal and accommodating functional variations between subjects. However, a drawback of smoothing is that it reduces the spatial resolution of the data. In MVPA, on the other hand the focus is on fine-grained activation patterns, therefore data for MVPA are not smoothed. To optimize data for MVPA, z-scoring (setting the mean to zero and standard deviation to 1) is performed to homogenize voxel intensities. Because z-scoring involves scaling all voxel intensities into approximately the same range and removing the mean the difference in activation level between conditions can be diminished. Therefore, a likely explanation of why we find evidence for involvement of the striatum in the mass-univariate analysis but not in the MVPA results is that (although there are differences in average activation for chosen versus not chosen stimuli), the activation patterns in the striatum do not contain (detectable) information that differentiates between conditions. For the regions that we found with MVPA but not with mass-univariate analysis (clusters in middle occipital gyrus, superior frontal gyrus) the opposite holds: although average activation in these regions did not differ for the chosen and not chosen stimuli, activation patterns did contain information that could distinguish between chosen and not chosen stimuli (and could predict this with up to 62,1% accuracy). The few studies that have employed both methods have also shown different results for mass-univariate analysis and MVPA. For instance, Lee et al found different cortical areas involved in categorical speech processing with mass-univariate analysis and MVPA, and Tusche et al did not find any brain regions significantly associated with consumer choice with a mass-univariate analysis, while the MVPA did differentiate. The fact that mass-univariate and MVPA results do not necessarily concur does not have implications for the interpretation of mass-univariate imaging data to date, i.e., these data remain valid in their own right, but it does highlight that other information can be gained with more sophisticated techniques. It seems likely that for purposes like choice prediction a combination of both mass-univariate analysis and MVPA will become the preferred approach because these two analysis methods complement each other. Prediction accuracy might be further improved by more trials for training and testing. It is hard to determine the optimal number of trials. More training data usually produce a better model and more test samples increase the power of the test for significance of the accuracy . In our analyses, we used cross-validation to maximize the number of data for training. However, performing MVPA with many features (voxels) and relatively few trials entail a risk of over fitting, especially with complex classification models . We avoided this by using a searchlight analysis to reduce the number of features and by employing a simple linear model (linear support vector machine) as classifier. Moreover, the validity of the MVPA results was supported by the finding that the analysis with the shuffled labels did not yield any significant prediction accuracies, and the fact that no significant prediction accuracies were found in a control region (left fusiform gyrus). The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has also been implicated in decision-making and activation in this region has been found to correlate with measures of preference (e.g., , , ). In our study, however, there was no significant association between vmPFC activation and the variables of interest, like attractiveness or choice. A possible explanation for this is that ventral prefrontal areas are prone to signal loss due to susceptibility artifacts. Visual inspection of the mean inclusive functional masks showed that there was indeed an (unexpectedly) low signal from ventral prefrontal regions. The specific scanning sequence we used, is known to be very sensitive and has a fast acquisition time . However, the signal in the vmPFC was unexpectedly low. Alternative explanations for not finding vmPFC-involvement could be that we performed no analyses that assessed the trial by trial correlation with values for the food items that would directly replicate the analyses that have identified vmPFC correlations with stimulus or decision value. We did correlate neural activation with self-reported attractiveness. However, this is only one component of stimulus value. A third explanation could be that our design does not allow one to exactly know at what moment subjects decided. As argued previously, it seems most likely that decisions were made during the second product presentation period, although we cannot rule out the alternative explanation that they were made later, i.e., when the ‘decision screen’ was presented. Previous work has shown that vmPFC activation correlates more strongly with stimulus value (WTP) when subjects are engaged in active decision making compared to forced responses . Therefore, a lack of vmPFC correlation with our measures of preference could be due to the unknown timing of the decision. Our third aim was to investigate how self-reported measures relate to food choice. We found that the attractiveness of the packaging design was the strongest predictor of choice, and that perceived healthiness did not have an independent component associated with choice while attractiveness did. This suggests that, when people choose between two alternatives of a certain type of product with which they are not familiar, the aesthetic value of the package is decisive. That is, an attractive package increases the general preference for the alternative. This could be exploited in promoting healthy eating behavior. Instead of the current strategy of putting emphasis on the healthiness of foods (e.g., by low-fat labels or health logos), it might be more effective to present healthy products in attractive packages. Our study does not allow for determining how attractiveness influences choice, i.e., whether subjects just chose the most attractive package or whether attractiveness influenced the expected value of the food. However, other studies suggest that attractiveness could influence general product preference by triggering positive responses and by increasing the expected quality, luxury and price of products in several consumption domains , , . As the stimuli we used were unfamiliar to the subjects, it could be that they used attractiveness as a proxy for quality. This would explain why in our study attractiveness is the strongest self-reported predictor of choice. Future research should investigate how attractiveness can influences choice and whether attractive packaging could indeed promote healthy food choices. We found that brain activation in a region stretching from the left middle frontal gyrus to the superior frontal gyrus was modulated by ratings of packaging attractiveness. This is in line with other studies which found that activation in this region correlates with product preference ratings , , goal values and willingness to buy . Also, an additional parametric analysis with self-reported purchase intention (Table S3) showed that neural activation in the same region correlated with purchase intention, a measure which correlated to a fair extent (r = 0.65) with attractiveness. From this we speculate that the modulation of activation in the superior frontal gyrus stretching to the middle frontal gyrus reflects a more general preference evaluation which is driven by the attractiveness. This topic deserves more investigation. The self-reports of healthiness, attractiveness, perceived fat content, purchasing intention and price willing to pay were measured after the choice-task. This has limitations because the act of choosing may induce changes in product preference, such that they better match with their prior decision . However, we nevertheless decided to measure product characteristics after choice, because measuring them before choice focuses attention on them which may also affect their choice. Since we were interested in subject’s spontaneous choice, we chose to avoid ‘priming’ them with the characteristics of interest before their choice. A second reason why these measures were not collected before the choice-task was to limit exposure to the stimuli and avoid a thorough evaluation of the stimuli before the choice because we wanted the evaluation processes to take place during the fMRI task. Multi-level logistic regression results: self-report measures and packaging type associated with food choice. Peak voxel coordinatesa of brain regions positively modulated by choice, attractiveness and brain regions predictive of choice. Peak voxel coordinatesa of brain regions positively modulated by purchase intention. 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2019-04-24T07:56:48Z

https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0041738

1.1 What is a clicker? 3. How can clicker technology be employed to teach law? Recent technological developments have led to a situation in which the employment of clicker technology in the law school lecture theatre is now a feasible possibility. Influential studies carried out in pure science disciplines (Hake, 1998; Crouch and Mazur, 2001) indicate positive results in both engagement and assessment success attributed to extensive clicker use. There is however a paucity of studies outlining the tailoring of this technology to the specific nature of legal education. This paper presents the findings of a small-scale use of clicker technology within the context of a wider study addressing issues of lecture engagement across a law course. These observations are drawn into the existing debate on clicker use by highlighting key emerging themes and commenting upon their potential impact within the field of legal education. An overview is then presented of the small body of literature on clicker use to teach law. This is then analysed to make observations on the opportunities for legal education presented by clicker technology and the factors affecting its adoption on a law school-wide basis. This is a Refereed Article published on 22nd December 2009. Clicker is a term employed in this paper and others to describe audience response systems which enable a lecturer to record student responses within the learning environment. Typically they are developed in the form of a handheld device with buttons resembling a mobile phone which allow for the transmission of numbers and letters. As with much educational technology there are commercial considerations inherent in institutional choice of clicker system. Due to an ongoing institutional trial, the clicker system employed in the MMU LLB study was provided by Promethean and included options for multiple choice, yes/no, true/false, numerical and freetext responses which could then be manipulated on the large screen of the lecture theatre. Lowery (2005) and Barber et al (2007) provide in-depth overviews of the available interactive systems and their relative merits. While addressing issues relating to the delivery of lectures this paper does not seek to evaluate the theoretical rationale behind the initial decision to adopt the lecture as a teaching method. A body of work, within which Gibbs (1981) and Bligh (1998) are prominent influences, questions the effectiveness of a large lecture to promote deep learning and suggests that lectures operate as little more than a tool for dissemination of information. Notwithstanding this key debate, this paper operates within the constraints inherent in the operation of a large law school which, due to a variety of factors, and akin to the majority of law schools across the UK, has chosen to employ the lecture as a baseline teaching tool across the vast majority of modules presented. This paper will therefore move away from any discussion of the merits of a large lecture per se and will focus upon initiatives to develop strategies to harness available technology in a bid to encourage student participation and engagement. The conventional lecture can be depicted as one in which the expert speaker imparts information via a monologue delivered to a passive audience (Goffman, 1991). However, this approach is criticised as representing an outdated paradigm (Johnson et al, 1998). A growing body of literature (eg, Hake, 1998; Northcott, 2001) highlights the ability of an interactive lecturing style, in which student participation is actively encouraged, to foster a deep approach to learning and higher levels of conceptual understanding. These findings have been supported by research in the field of cognitive psychology which finds a direct link between effective learning and active participation which engages multiple centres of the brain (Zull, 2002). Educational research has developed to address a need to test strategies, approaches and tools which can aid a lecturer to introduce effective interaction between lecturer and student and among the students themselves. At a basic level this can be achieved by soliciting responses to issues posed by the material covered. Meltzer and Manivannan (1996) describe the positive effects of increased student engagement from a large lecture approach which employed a series of coloured flashcards to enable students to communicate responses to questions presented. Technological developments now mean that this approach can be replicated on a much more sophisticated level through the use of interactive systems. Judson and Sawada (2002) indicate that in a variety of guises classroom interactive systems have been in existence and use since the 1960s. Within the last decade however, the available technology has been enhanced and modified to make adoption of these systems a feasible proposition for the modern law school. In 1999 the United States National Research Council (1999) hailed classroom interactive systems as a key transformative innovation which could revolutionise educational delivery and thereby develop the fully empowered critical learner. Indeed, classroom interactive systems are now available as standard in the large lecture theatres of Harvard, Vanderbilt, Duke, MIT, Yale, Brown, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and University of Virginia (Ewing, 2007). Similarly, many UK institutions such as Lancaster University (Elliot, 2003) and the University of Glasgow (Draper and Brown, 2004) have at differing levels adopted this technology or are in the process of trialling available systems. There is therefore a burgeoning body of research into many aspects of clicker use based upon a variety of pedagogical and technological foundations. A good overview of this research can be found in Fies and Marshall (2006) and Simpson and Oliver (2007). A striking theme within this body of work is the high prevalence of research activity in the disciplines of pure science, medicine, engineering and mathematics. As there is no accepted premise that higher education practitioners in the more humanities-based fields are less likely to publish findings related to academic practice, a conclusion can be drawn that adoption of clickers has developed at a slower level across non-science based subjects. Indeed, the available research publications on the use of clickers to teach law are minimal in comparison with those relating to the pure science of physics. A potential explanation for this could be that the level of technical expertise held by staff across disciplines will affect uptake but this may be too blunt a conclusion to draw. Caldwell (2007) however, in her paper "Clickers in the Large Classroom: Current Research and Best-Practice Tips" references research into clicker use across eighteen disciplines including nursing, communication and philosophy but does not refer to any studies specifically focusing on law. Issues relating to this observation will be discussed below. This paper seeks to present the findings from a small-scale trial of interactive technology to teach law. A summary of the work carried out will be presented and this will then be analysed against a number of key themes which emerge from existing literature. Given the relative paucity of literature within the sphere of legal education a separate evaluation will be carried out of the available literature on the use of clickers to teach law. Fulltime LLB: The subjects were first year full-time undergraduate LLB students (n=242) following a module in public law. One two-hour lecture within a series of six was delivered employing clickers as a key part of the presentation. The topic of the lecture was parliamentary sovereignty and the EU. Each student was provided with his or her own device; these devices were distributed at the beginning of the session and collected in afterwards. Part-time LLB: The subjects were second year part-time undergraduate LLB students (n=18) following a module in criminal law. One one-hour lecture within a series of 18 was delivered employing clickers as a key part of the presentation. The topic of the lecture was partial defences to murder. Each student was provided with his or her own device; these devices were distributed at the beginning of the session and collected in afterwards. Paper-based questionnaires: "Student questionnaire (full-time)" "Student questionnaire (part-time) A paper-based questionnaire was developed following methodological approaches outlined in Oppenheim (2006). This was distributed to the two cohorts. The questionnaire was administered directly after the interactive lectures and a decision was taken to employ a paper format as it was determined that the response would be higher if the students were asked to respond immediately and within the lecture environment. Within the full-time cohort 231 viable questionnaires were returned, 18 were returned by the part-time cohort. Web-based questionnaire: "Lecturer questionnaire" A web-based questionnaire designed using SurveyMonkey technology was administered to the 31 lecturers involved in the delivery of large lectures on MMU's LLB. This questionnaire focused on general issues of student engagement and interaction, not specifically clicker technology. This was designed and administered following relevant methodological considerations (e.g. Lazar and Preece, 1999). 19 viable responses were gained. Key themes from the literature surrounding the use of interactive technology will now be outlined and findings from the MMU LLB study of clicker use will then be analysed alongside these emerging debates. Herr (1994) comments that before using clicker technology to assess understanding of mathematical and scientific concepts, lectures would proceed based upon assumptions of knowledge gained from prior learning. Using clicker technology can enable the lecturer to evaluate any gaps in knowledge or misconceptions and build responses to these into teaching strategies. On a wide basis induction and introduction to legal study teaching sessions could employ clickers to determine any misconceptions year one LLB undergraduates hold about key elements of the legal system or legal education, perhaps based upon approaches taken in the media or even prior education. These could then be addressed within the module presentation. On a narrower basis clickers can be employed to assess and refresh understanding from previous sessions. For example, in the session on provocation and crime clickers were used to ascertain knowledge of homicide and manslaughter classification in general. The lecture can then quickly move on and build upon this knowledge with relevant new material. Burnstein and Lederman (2001) and Knight and Wood (2005) report positive findings from the use of clicker technology to assess student engagement with set tasks and recommended reading. This approach could be used within an LLB presentation to evaluate student understanding of, for example, a case or journal article which they have been required to read before attending a lecture. Clicker questions could focus on basic facts to determine that students had completed the task or include more conceptual questions testing higher level evaluation skills. The lecture could then be developed based upon a lecturer's heightened insight into student understanding of topic. The positive effects of formative feedback have been determined in a large body of literature (eg Boyd, 1973; Gall, 1984). It has been found that being called upon to answer frequent, structured questions and receive immediate, constructive feedback can significantly enhance student learning (Guthrie, 1971; Kulik and Kulik, 1988). In these studies there was a strong correlation between the immediacy of the feedback given and its effectiveness to promote understanding. This constant feedback within face-to-face sessions was deemed to have a greater impact upon developing cognitive learning processes than the delayed feedback given after an assignment submission. One particularly interesting study undertaken by Frase (1970) found that the assessment scores of less-motivated students improved to a level similar to that of highly-motivated learners when throughout a course they were asked to respond frequently to formative questions. The findings from this existing body of research carried out in a traditional environment can easily be extracted and applied to create a rationale for clicker use within the learning environment. Once the technology has been mastered, clickers pose an ideal opportunity to develop strategies in which immediate formative feedback is provided to each individual learner within a large lecture environment. A large number of studies on clicker use have reported increased assessment scores linked directly to clicker-facilitated constant formative feedback (d'Inverno et al, 2003; Roschelle et al, 2004). Research such as MacManaway's (1970) indicates that the longest period of time for which students can effectively engage with a lecture is 20-30 minutes. Clickers can be used to provide variety in the lecture presentation which can increase interactivity and therefore engagement. Allen and Tanner (2005) report positive findings through the building of clicker use into lectures to assess understanding periodically. Additionally, Lloyd (1968) stresses the importance of the first five minutes of a lecture which is often the period most effectively recalled by students and which is often disrupted as the students take time to settle down. Employing a clicker question at the very beginning of a session could compel students to engage with the valuable early minutes of a lecture presentation. "I found that I was fully engaged throughout the session. The questions acted as mini intervals - very good." "They kept my attention through the lecture which is sometime difficult with having lectures late in the evening." This is an area for further research but the impact of clicker use on the part-time learner's experience is a key area on which the expanding and diversifying law school should focus. The majority of research on clicker use depicts its employment in order to assess understanding on a formative basis. However, the technology is robust enough to, with careful planning and practical consideration, support summative assessment. Bernstein and Lederman (2001) report the findings of a study in which a small but significant percentage of the final module grade, ranging from 15-25% was awarded based upon clicker responses in lectures during a number of introductory module courses. They recorded increased levels of completed prior-reading, attendance and engagement which increased further the higher the percentage of the overall assessment assigned to clicker responses. Bernstein (2001) acknowledges that a prior level of technical competence and experience with the clicker system had been attained before the decision was made to employ them to assess summatively. However, notwithstanding practicalities, the technology is now available to assess, for example, a percentage of a large introductory LLB course via responses given in lectures. This, following the literature outlined in this paper, could have positive effects on attendance, engagement and ultimately assessment and retention. Influential studies carried out in the large lecture environment of a physics presentation (Mazur, 1997; Crouch and Mazur, 2001) show a higher level of conceptual understanding and ultimately assessment attainment gained through using clicker technology to promote discussion and debate among a student cohort. Students can be called upon to work together to submit answers which the lecturer then reviews to find any common themes or gaps in understanding. Hake (1998) employed similar techniques and determined a significant improvement in problem-solving skills, again in studies carried out within a large cohort of physics students. Within the academic study of law problem-solving skills are essential to achieve higher levels of conceptual understanding and sophisticated use of clicker technology could therefore revolutionise teaching strategies. Again, this is an area in which subject-specific research needs to be carried out, this issue is addressed further below. A growing body of research carried out within UK and worldwide establishments (eg Nicholl and Timmins, 2005; Gump, 2006) identifies student non-attendance as a problematic cross-disciplinary issue in higher education. This phenomenon can be evaluated alongside a general acceptance that attendance correlates positively with increased assessment scores, particularly in year one modules (Longhurst, 1999; Sharma 2005). Woods and Chiu (2003) report an increase in attendance rates due to the adoption of clicker technology; they attribute these findings to increased student participation and ownership. Similar results were outlined in El-Rady's study (2006) in which clicker use was found to increase attendance and ultimately exam scores. In a large law school strategies can be established to monitor attendance and act on these findings. Small group sessions lend themselves to effective student monitoring but the large, for example 200+, lecture poses problems which can be overcome by the use of technology. Requiring all students to sign a paper register can significantly diminish available lecture time. These problems can be overcome through the use of technology such as swipe cards (Brooke, 2004) but the use of a named clicker would allow effective monitoring in addition to accepted pedagogical benefits. This approach would come from the "kill as many birds as possible with one stone" school of academic practice. However, Zhu (2006) found negative responses when students perceived that clickers were being used primarily to monitor attendance without any tangible teaching and learning rationale. Following this, any strategy which focuses upon clicker use in order, among other aims, to monitor attendance across a year or LLB programme needs to ensure that teaching staff engage with the teaching and learning rationale behind interactive technology and are fully supported in doing this. Drawing upon key issues found in the integrationist approach to student retention outlined in the work of Tinto (1993), further work (Braxton and Hossler, 1996; Tinto 1996; Yorke and Longden, 2004) has focused upon the positive impact that the development of a community of learners and the fostering of social interaction has on increased rates of student success. These findings are particularly relevant to the first year experience (Beil, 1999) and correspond to responses gained to focus group research carried out among year one LLB learners at MMU (yet to be published). Responses to these findings have included further support for student societies, informal group meetings and interactive game-playing within induction sessions. Crucially, in addition to the added interaction fostered by taking a peer learning approach, Draper et al (2002) report an increased feeling of community achieved via clicker use. Their study employed clickers within induction and introductory sessions to ask students questions related to themselves and their approaches to learning. The students were then placed into groups based upon the similarities or differences in these responses and encouraged to discuss related issues and report back on these findings. With innovation and creativity these strategies could be adapted to promote a sense of community and a shared learning experience among a large group of LLB students which ultimately could impact positively on retention. "Polls from the 1960s through the late 1990s found that the use of electronic response systems made students more likely to attend class, pressed them to think more, promoted them to listen more intently, and made them feel instructors know more about them as students ." Most students think that clickers give them valuable feedback. Many students enjoy the interaction that clickers provide. A group of students dislikes clicker use. Explaining how clicker use can benefit students and how it supports your class goals improves students' attitudes toward using clickers. In one of the few clicker studies which presents negative student feedback, Knight and Wood (2005) found that students do not support clicker use if it is perceived to add little to the presentation of a lecture and serve as a disruption to the presentational flow. These findings highlight the need for a sound pedagogical framework surrounding the choice of interactive technology and also, crucially, that meticulous planning is essential to enable effective use of clickers. Researchers such as Elliott (2003) draw attention to the extra time and effort needed to develop materials and strategies to support clicker use. The preparation needed for the clicker sessions outlined in the MMU LLB study took roughly twice as long as that needed for a "traditional" lecture. A law school wishing to embrace clickers would need to address this issue when developing a policy to support staff in the development of interactive learning resources if a decision were made to adopt this technology. " Using the clickers to answer questions allows me to know when I am wrong and this has brought awareness of topics where I need to do further background reading ." "They help to gain a better understanding for kinaesthetic learners like myself." " We're able to ascertain whether our learning is in-line with others, whether we're struggling with a specific topic area but not communicating this to the lecturer. Concentrated much more ." "Even in small-enrolment classes, many students are reluctant to respond to faculty questions; the anonymity of responding with a hand-held device guarantees near or total participation by the entire class ." The potentially anonymous nature of clicker technology presents a unique opportunity to reach hitherto passive students, particularly when covering sensitive subject areas (Abrahamson, 1999). They could therefore be employed in legal education sessions which cover potentially sensitive subjects such as law and morality, gender and law and medical ethics. "The use of clickers was really effective and should be used more-but people should not be highlighted if they gave wrong answers - some privacy needed ." "The clickers allowed students to speak up and say whether they understood something or not, whereas the individual would just stay quiet in order not to look stupid ." "People are usually too afraid to say when they don't fully understand, the use of the clickers enables students to express truthfully their opinions and whether they are struggling " The named method adopted may appear to run counter to that recommended by existing work and further research would be needed to determine the best approach for the cohort in question. However, at a basic level the response rate was not affected by this decision and response rates stayed at an extremely high level throughout both sessions. This could be due to the nature of the questions posed and the issues covered in the session. A further point in relation to the high level of responses could be that this was influenced by the personal style of the lecturer. Inherent in clicker use is the need for a more energetic, engaged, flexible style of lecturing in order to encourage the students to respond effectively. These pressures indicate that the employment of clickers may not be feasible for lecturers with different pedagogical approaches. Wood (2004) outlines the concept of a "teachable moment" which arises when the lecturer presents a formative question relating to prior material and receives a very low level of correct responses. Research such as Sabine's (2005) indicates that after students determine that a large group of their cohort do not understand a concept they are much more responsive to any subsequent explanation of this concept. A lecturer prepared to adapt lecture delivery to seize upon a "teachable moment" determined through clicker use can, by revisiting a concept in a different manner, employ this situation to great pedagogical advantage. Within the MMU LLB study's use of clicker technology to teach public law a "teachable moment" arose when a multiple choice question concerning the nature of EU sovereignty in the light of the UK's doctrine of parliamentary sovereignty received a correct response of just 31%. This led to a change in lecture delivery in which these concepts were revisited in a more detailed and simplified manner. Without the clickers, understanding would have been assumed and the lecture would have continued, building upon weak conceptual understanding. A question on the same issue framed in a different way later in the lecture received a correct response rate of 88%. The web-based lecturer questionnaire which covered general issues of student engagement in lectures received 87% of responses agreeing or strongly agreeing with the statement: " The delivery of a lecture should be adapted as the lecture progresses if a lack of student engagement is perceived." An effective lecturer can from past experience and relationship-building with a cohort determine strategies to assess engagement but clicker technology can take this a step further and serve as a tangible method of determining conceptual misunderstanding. The need to cover a wide, set amount of material is a familiar experience of a lecturer in higher education, particularly in a discipline subject to monitoring by an external body, such as law. Blodgett (2006) reports a key worry expressed by staff on the suggestion of extensive clicker adoption was the fear that it would inhibit the ability to "cover the material". The majority of studies (eg Duncan, 2005) admit that clicker use does leave less time to cover material in the time available, this could be due to issues surrounding set-up or simply the time taken posing questions and waiting for answers. This reality is a particular concern for clicker use employed to deliver intensive courses or part-time courses which often have less face-to-face time than full-time equivalents. Effective planning and content management is needed in the use of clicker technology, this again needs lecturer and management commitment. Advocates of the system such as Beatty (2004) believe that the benefits of increased participation and engagement outweigh the extra constraints upon time. Indeed, use of the clickers to assess basic factual knowledge based on prior reading could be employed to ensure that students achieve a background understanding of key issues which might usually have been outlined in a lecture, leaving the rest of the lecture free to build upon this knowledge. Dufresne et al (1996) also state as a possible hindrance to technology adoption lies in a "concern about management of students in a large lecture hall while teaching in an alternative format." This is an interesting response which outlines a lecturer's personal style and approach to teaching. It needs to be recognised that despite the recorded benefits of clicker use there are many extremely effective pedagogical approaches which foster engagement and encourage interaction using little more than the skills of the lecturer him or herself. The use of clicker technology can be constraining and restrict a lecturer's ability to teach using existing, effective strategies. This paper in no way seeks to state that clicker technology should be employed by all in place of tried and testing methods but aims to highlight the potential advantages such as those discussed in 2.2.2 above regarding its ability to aid in the engagement of interactivity on a large scale. In the MMU LLB study increased noise levels in comparison with similar traditional lectures were determined, particularly when questions were posed as students conferred with peers to reach an answer. This had to be managed in order to promote engagement and strategies were employed using the available software in order to manipulate the time given for response. This is another issue which indicates a need for training and commitment at institutional level to promote and support the adoption of clicker technology. When teaching with clickers, particularly on their initial use, the lecturer needs to pay attention to any technical difficulties recorded by students and respond accordingly. This may be a more onerous task in extremely large lecture theatres but in the MMU LLB study, perhaps due to a clicker's functions being very similar to that of a mobile phone, no technical problems were observed. Notwithstanding students' expertise with clickers, their employment obviously involves a level of technical competence on the part of the lecturer not only in the original engagement with the software and question design but also in the lecture itself in order to manipulate effectively the presentation of the answers and respond to any new directions posed by students' answers. In the MMU LLB study the software was tested and trialled in the lecture theatre before its use and it was found to be extremely user-friendly and able to be manipulated to pose further questions based on past answers. Perhaps the most pertinent of a lecturer's technical concerns would be the scenario in which a lecture had been developed interweaving clicker responses into the presentation and the technology, for whatever reason, fails. Clickers not only rely upon the chosen system's software and hardware functioning correctly but also the lecture theatre's audio-visual system performing successfully. Silliman et al (2004) report that the small amount of negative feedback received from the students tended to focus around frustrations created by technology failure. In the MMU LLB study technical support was put in place for the large group session but this would not be feasible on an ongoing basis. The need for staff development and training and the provision of glitch free technological systems and effective support can only be met with a strong commitment to extensive clicker employment at an institutional level. As outlined above, the majority of studies carried out on the use of clicker technology have been undertaken in science-based disciplines. There is very little work which draws upon these findings and relates them to the specific nature of law teaching. The following is an overview of available clicker research focusing on the findings relating specifically to the teaching of law. "after calling on a student to relay the facts of the case, I ask the students which of the opinions best resolves the legal issue at hand and then call on students to explain their choices. When the discussion is complete, I ask the students to again choose their favorite opinion, and several students typically will change their "vote" in light of the discussion and choose another of the opinions as their favourite [sic]. These approaches, of course, work just as well (if not better) in courses like Constitutional Law than they do in courses like Tax." "responds to the failure of law school teaching to encourage active learning by the entire class. Unlike the traditional Socratic method, which engages one student at a time, the CPS extends the dialogue to the entire class by requiring each student to respond to each question ." " four factual scenarios relating to adverse possession time limits. A multiple choice question was devised for each of the four factual scenarios. Each multiple choice question had four responses. One of the responses was correct. Each student was issued with a keypad and they were given approximately five minutes to read and respond to each question ." "If the area of law is black and white, the law lecturer could create Powerpoint slides that have multiple choice questions, true or false questions or yes or no questions. If the area of law is grey, perhaps the lecturer could create a statement and ask the law students to agree or disagree. The responses to the statement could lead to a discussion within the lecture group ." "Law lecturers should catch up to lecturers in other disciplines and embed an audience response system in their lectures". "There have been two noticeable results so far. The first is that, if the students are to answer the questions in a way that will be helpful to them, they have to reflect more on what they have learnt and how they are learning. The second is that my teaching is being directed more by what the students need, or at least, say they need, rather than what I think they need. This means that I am not second-guessing or making unwarranted assumptions about their progress." This could be taken to indicate that clickers can be used with positive results in more theoretical disciplines such as philosophy and law which hinge upon understanding concepts rather than the repetition of facts. Assessment of prior learning : Based upon the material covered in the previous lecture the students were asked to type in the number of Member States of the EU. This was followed by a multiple choice question based upon parliamentary sovereignty and implied repeal. Peer learning : The students were asked to discuss in small groups the whether or not the following statement was true or false "Parliament cannot amend the Bill of Rights" and submit answers via clickers. The same approach was taken with the statement "Where two Acts of Parliament conflict the courts will apply the earlier one". The students were called upon to discuss how they alighted upon their answer and whether they understood why they were correct/incorrect. Community building : A Likert scale question was developed to elicit answers to the statement: "I am confident that I can stand up and pronounce the case name: Internationale Handelsgesellschaft mbH v Einfuhr und Vrratsstelle fur getreide und futtermittel". Only one student responded to this with "Strongly agree", he stood up and pronounced the name beautifully to loud applause from the rest of the cohort. Critically analysing legal principles . In relation to provocation and the potential impact of a perceived cooling-off period the students were explained the principles held in the cases of R v Duffy ((1949) 1 AER 932) and R v Ibrams and Gregory ((1981) 74 Cr App R 154). The facts of the subsequent case of R. v Baillie ( 2 Cr. App. R. 31) were then outlined and the students were asked to choose the most likely approach taken in this case from a series of options. All of the students chose an incorrect answer and a discussion then arose based upon how this case could be distinguished from previous legal authorities. The students seemed comforted by the fact that the whole group would have expected a different approach and this led to a lively discussion. Installation of clicker systems : A very practical drawback of clicker use centres on the provision of the clickers themselves. In the MMU LLB study clickers were given to the students at the beginning of the lectures and retrieved at the end. On an ongoing basis this approach would only be feasible for a group of sixty or under and the large group session could not have been presented without the help of the university's Centre for Learning and Teaching. This can be addressed by installing clickers within the lecture theatres themselves (Cromie, 2006) or asking the students to buy or rent their own clickers throughout the course. In relation to this however, Zhu (2006) states: "With tight instructional technology budgets, students will most likely need to purchase their own clickers… It is important for faculty to be sure that they will really use clickers consistently in class before requiring students to buy them." Clicker fatigue : A factor in the positive response of clicker use to teach law as outlined in the MMU LLB study could be influenced by its novelty value in relation to the previous traditional lectures. Following the literature outlined above, clickers can provide an extremely effective aid to teaching and learning but as Simpson and Oliver (2006) state, students react badly to clicker use "just for the sake of it". These issues both indicate that to support the use of interactive technology policies need to be put in place not only on an institutional but also a course and even year level to identify strategies for effective clicker employment across the modules presented to an entire cohort. Increasingly within higher education a need has been identified to encourage the acquisition of skills which can be transferred to enhance a student's wider experience and activity. This debate has been embraced by legal education with the development of strategies to promote the identification and development of transferable skills (Law Discipline Network,1998). Key studies (eg. Hake, 1998; Knight and Wood, 2005) highlight the ability of effective clicker use to promote high-level conceptual skills and deep understanding. A discipline such as law, not only due to recent focus on transferable skills, but also due to a traditional focus upon analytical problem solving should therefore be at the forefront of clicker use and experimentation. The uptake of this technology, for a number of key reasons outlined above, has been low within legal education and an opportunity is being missed to revolutionise the legal classroom. "teaching and learning in higher education are unlikely to be improved simply by the application of new technology…the medium itself is not the most important factor in any educational programme - what really matters is how it is creatively exploited and constructively assigned ." "The principal barrier to further use and evaluation of keypad merits in our science courses is simply inertia on the part of faculty." There may be numerous reasons why teaching staff are reluctant to overhaul teaching strategies to embrace technology but any employment of clickers needs to be facilitated by management, not only in the initial decision to make technology available but also in a continuous focus on staff development and technical support provision. Clicker technology presents an unrivalled opportunity to develop an engaged community of conceptually-focused, problem-solving legal learners but this can only be achieved through the engagement and commitment of managers, lecturers and ultimately the students themselves. This research has been undertaken with the aid of funding from MMU's Fellowship in Academic Practice scheme. The author wishes to thank Dennis Pass of MMU's Centre for Learning and Teaching for his instruction and practical support. Duncan, D. (2006) Clickers: A new technology with exceptional promise. Astronomy Education Review 5 (1) pp70-88. Frase, L., Patrick, E., and Schumer, H. (1970) Effect of question position and frequency upon learning from text under different levels of incentive. Journal Educational Psychology 61 pp52-56. Gall, M. (1984) Synthesis of research on teachers' questioning. Educational Leadership 42 (3) pp40-47. Gump, S. (2006) Guess who's (not) coming to class: students attitudes as indicators of attendance Educational Studies 32 (1) pp39-46. Guthrie, J. (1971) Feedback and sentence learning. Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior 10 pp23-28. Hake, R. (1998) Interactive Engagement Versus Traditional Methods: a Six-Thousand Student Survey of Mechanics Test Data for Introductory Physics Courses. American Journal of Physics 66 (1) pp64-74. Johnson, D., Johnson, R. and Smith, K. (1998) Active learning: Cooperation in the college classroom Edina, MN: Interaction Book Co. Knight, J. and Wood, W. (2005) Teaching more by lecturing less Cell Biology Education 4 pp298-310. Longhurst, R. (1999) Why aren't they here? Student absenteeism in a further education college Journal of Further and Higher Education 23 (1) pp61-80. Mazur, E. (1997) Peer instruction: A user's manual. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. McLeish, J. (1968) The Lecture Method, Cambridge Monographs in Teaching Methods, no. 1, Cambridge: Cambridge Institute of Education. Meltzer D. and Manivannan K. (1996) Promoting interactivity in physics lecture classes The Physics Teacher 34, pp72-76. National Research Council. (1999) How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Oppenheimer, T. (2003) The flickering mind: The false promise of technology in the classroom, and how learning can be saved. New York: Random House. Trees, A. and Jackson, M. (2003) The Learning Environment in Clicker Classrooms: Student Processes of Learning and Involvement in Large Courses Using Student Response Systems, Communications Department, University of Colorado. Yorke, M. and Longden, B. (2004) Retention and Student Success in Higher Education , Maidenhead, UK, Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press. Zull, J. (2002). The Art of Changing the Brain. Stylus Publishing, LLC: Sterling, Virginia.

2019-04-22T10:25:18Z

https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/law/elj/jilt/2009_3/easton

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Deploying HyperIP for replication, backup, recovery and data center migrations provides our partners and customers the confidence that their valuable information will be protected and moved on-time, every time. Software used for data replication, cloud storage, iSCSI replication, and other IP storage and file transfer applications. UltraDNS relieves businesses of complex DNS management while increasing reliability, security and performance. Our service ensures network uptime, faster Web traffic and protection from growing online threats. Because DNS powers the Web and the Web powers the world, enterprises with much at stake choose UltraDNS. Relieves businesses of complex DNS management while increasing reliability, security and performance. Business continuity solution that protects and your data in both physical and virtual environments. Business continuity solution that protects and your data in both physical and virtual environments. 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Dead simple monitoring for cron, Heroku Scheduler or any other scheduled task. Monitoring tool for cron, Heroku Scheduler or any other scheduled task. Receive emails or push notifications when your tasks don't run. Business continuity platform which provides client data security through branded offsite reseller program providers. Business continuity platform which provides client data security through branded offsite reseller program providers. Fast backup software performing automatic incremental, differential, and full backup to Dual layer drives, USB and network. Fast backup software performing automatic incremental, differential, and full backup to Dual layer drives, USB and network. Ringstor is an East Brunswick, NJ based developer of data backup and recovery software. 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PDS PST Recovery Software is easiest way to fix all issues of corrupted PST file and then restore corrupted PST file into new created PST file, EML, MSG, HTML, MHTML, RTF, TXT, DOC, PDF, MBOX and outlook profile with all email header information (to, cc, bcc, from, date, subject and time). PST Recovery Software works with all editions of Microsoft Outlook. It is capable to restore accidentally deleted folder items. Use PDS PST Recovery Software for recovery of damaged PST file and restore into new created PST file, EML, MSG and many more formats. Radia is an endpoint management solution that provides a unified, scalable, and cost-effective way for organizations to manage devices across various platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, etc.) and devices types (from servers, PCs, tablets, smartphones, thin clients, and more, to industry-specific devices, such as ATMs and POS devices). With Radia, easily configure, manage, secure, and retire devices to achieve better compliance and improved policy management. Unified endpoint management tool with a single-pane-of-glass management for all endpoints -PC, Laptop, Desktop, Mobile, Servers & more. Automates the process of managing your IT Environments in support of IT Project and Software Developments. Automates the process of managing your IT Environments in support of IT Project and Software Developments. Restore lost files from any media including hard drive or USB drive. Restore lost files from any media including hard drive or USB drive. A company that offers cloud backup & data recovery solutions through advanced monitoring and reporting tools. A company that offers cloud backup & data recovery solutions through advanced monitoring and reporting tools.

2019-04-25T10:17:08Z

https://www.capterra.com.br/directory/30206/business-continuity/software

Breakfast has a new dimension. Every morning, we habitually watch a news channel to learn what happened while we were blissfully asleep. In particular, we are most curious these days to find out what hair-raising nonsense Benito Mussolini – oops, no, what was his name? Donald or something – has come up with in the last few hours. And very rarely will we be disappointed and either laugh out loud or shake our heads in bewilderment. Obviously, we do realize many of the truly negative implications right away, but how else can you respond to all of that other than with venomous sarcasm? That the new US administration would cause havoc also for US wildlife I had forecast and, sadly, it’s starting to prove true now. It was clear that it would make opponents of nature conservation crawl out of their holes and try and use the opportunity to push their anti-wildlife pro-huntsmen bills. Our International News section below is full of the first ridiculous to outright barbaric proposals that have sprung up within the past few weeks. Fortunately there are (now more than ever) organisations that coordinate public protest and fight these with legal means. And considering how popular this joker at the helm has made himself already, many a judge will probably like nothing better than an opportunity to shoot his and his helpers’ ideas down. We found another dark wolf tale that we share with you here, and Erin updates us on the latest that has been happening in her mixed pack. The HuskyRomi Wolf Sanctuary’s 2017 Calendar can now be ordered. It is R 50 and all proceeds will go straight to the sanctuary. P&P not included. USA: Keep up the Fight for lobos! She never had a name, but she was known and loved around the world. …but then she was shot and killed just a few miles outside the Yellowstone National Park boundary – after the death of their matriarch Yellowstone’s Lamar Canyon pack was thrown into chaos. When the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service wrongly delisted Wyoming’s wolves in 2012, we went to court because the state’s wolf plan declared more than 80% of Wyoming a ‘predator zone,’ where anyone could kill as many wolves as they wanted at any time. And we won, but the case took two years. While the case was pending, 832F and more than 200 other Wyoming wolves were killed. I think you know the threats to wolves and other wildlife have never been greater than they are today. The incoming Trump administration and the extremist-dominated Congress have rung the dinner bell for developers, ideologues, and others who see wildlife either as nuisances or fit only for target practice. It’s up to you and me to stop them! We must do everything we can to fight this legislation! I’m counting on your help today. USA: Wolves and other wildlife – beware! From January 20th, things have been going from bad to worse for wolves and other wildlife. The Trump administration is a who’s who of climate change-denying oil and gas boosters and special interests. And, extremists in Congress are embarking on a ruthless campaign to turn the clock back on wildlife protection. I won’t lie. Animals will die in alarming numbers if the extremists get their way. I know you share you my love for wildlife. And you’ve been an important ally in protecting wolves, grizzlies and other wild things we love. And, now’s a particularly good time to do this. Our Board of Directors and National Council have offered to donate $100 for each member who donates $15 or more monthly, up to $25,000. We’ve seen that President-elect Trump views most things as resources to be exploited. And the ideologues and the oil barons he has named to his cabinet have their own agendas. As a monthly sustainer, your support provides a steady, reliable source of contributions as we fight habitat loss and threats to wildlife. What will happen to wolves in the lower 48 if stripped of all Endangered Species Act protection? What will happen to dwindling African elephant populations if the doors are thrown open for importing illegal ivory? What will happen to polar bears and other animals if the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and other precious wild habitats are opened for drilling, fracking and mining? These are real threats, just some of the many we are sure to face in the months and years ahead. But your monthly donation will give us the resources we need to defend wildlife from the mounting threats they face. Not everyone shares the commitment to wildlife that you and I do. This is the moment when those of who care must do everything possible. Congress is once again taking aim at our beloved wolves. A companion bill to H.R. 424, the House bill introduced by Liz Cheney of Wyoming to strip wolves in Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Wyoming of all protection under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), was just introduced in the Senate. One thing is for certain: If this bill is enacted, more wolves will die. This bill would return wolf management in Wyoming to the state, which had previously allowed for unregulated, shoot-on-sight killing of wolves in a “predator zone” that encompasses over 80% of the state. We are very concerned that a number of pro-conservation Senators have signed onto this bill because we need as much support for the ESA as possible this Congress. These decisions are supposed to be about science, not politics. When Congress intervenes, animals die. The state of Alaska refuses to give up on its relentless quest to kill wolves, bears and other wildlife by baiting, snaring and shooting mother bears with cubs and wolves with pups. We’re pulling out all the stops to defend these animals and end the madness. You might recall that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service passed regulations last year specifically outlawing Alaska’s excessive and extreme attacks on predators on national wildlife refuges and preserves. But Alaska is fighting back. They recently filed a lawsuit in federal court to overturn these regulations. And now the Alaska delegation has introduced legislation in Congress to accomplish the same goal. We’re fighting a war on two fronts. Thanks to you, Defenders’ is going to court and filing a motion to intervene to try to stop this deadly lawsuit. And on Capitol Hill, we’re gathering opposition to this crude effort to replace science with politics – but we need you! Wolves, bears and other Alaska carnivores are once again in grave danger. Congress is trying to revoke a regulation that protects wolves and other predators on national wildlife refuges in the state. If Congress succeeds, Alaska will be allowed to authorize extreme killing methods such as shooting mother bears with cubs and killing wolves with pups. Anti-wildlife Members of Congress are using an obscure law called the Congressional Review Act to toss aside a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) regulation that restricts these gruesome methods of “predator control” on Alaska national wildlife refuges. Perhaps even worse, voiding this rule would slam the door on any future regulations that aim to conserve these predators on refuge lands. Alaska wants to kill these animals to artificially inflate game populations so hunters have more animals to shoot. Alaska’s scheme targets wolves and bears through extreme methods including killing mother bears and cubs, killing wolves and pups in their dens, trapping, baiting and using airplanes to scout and shoot bears. This resolution opens federal refuge lands that belong to all of us to this despicable predator control program – and it will be voted on this week! Alaska’s egregious predator control program is a backwards attempt to artificially inflate game populations and clearly violates the letter and spirit of the National Wildlife Refuge System to conserve biological integrity and diversity for wildlife on refuges. Thanks for all you do for the wildlife we all love. www.azgfd.gov/wolf or by visiting the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service website at www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf. To view semi-monthly wolf telemetry flight location information please visit http://bit.do/mexicanwolf or www.fws.gov/southwest/es/mexicanwolf/RWL.cfm. Genetic results from a male pup, mp1561, in the Leopold Pack indicate that the breeding female of the Leopold Pack is AF1346; a pup cross-fostered into the Dark Canyon Pack in 2014. This confirms the first instance of a Mexican wolf cross-fostered into a wild den surviving to and successfully reproducing offspring. This is a significant accomplishment in recovery efforts to increase genetic diversity in the wild population through cross-fostering efforts. M1347 of the Baldy Pack was also cross-fostered into the Dark Canyon pack in 2014. M1347 has survived to reproductive age and has paired with f1445 which was named the Baldy Pack by the IFT in September 2016. On December 1, 2016, the Mexican Wolf/Livestock Council met to discuss requests for depredation compensation that varied from the depredation compensation guidelines. The Council also discussed how they would use estate funds that were provided to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation for conservation of the Mexican wolf. On December 6, 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service gave a recovery award to Chairman Lupe of the White Mountain Apache Tribe for their exceptional contributions to the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program. The Mexican wolf population on the 1.6 million-acre Fort Apache Indian Reservation has grown and now contributes substantially to the overall recovery of the Mexican wolf. Over fifteen years ago, the White Mountain Apache Tribe became the first tribe to officially facilitate Mexican wolf recovery. Population monitoring requires year round effort documenting births, deaths, survival, total numbers, and distribution. Mortality occurs throughout the year and is particularly high on young pups, so while the IFT has documented reproduction this year, the IFT will not have a complete idea of how many of these young pups and adults have died until the annual population survey which is conducted in the winter. Annual surveys are conducted in the winter because it is when the population is experiencing the least amount of natural fluctuation (i.e. in the spring the population increases dramatically with the birth of new pups and declines throughout the summer and fall as mortality is particularly high on young pups). Thus, the IFT summarizes the total number of wolves in the winter at a fairly static or consistent time of year. This allows for comparable year-to-year trends at a time of year that accounts for most mortality and survival of young pups. At this time, the IFT’s best population estimate is that there was a minimum of 97 wolves in the wild as of December 31, 2015. End of year counts for 2016 are currently ongoing and will be completed in February 2017. At the end of December, there were 56 wolves with functioning radio collars that the IFT was actively monitoring. In December, the Bear Wallow Pack was located within their traditional territory in the east central portion of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest (ASNF). In December, the Bluestem Pack continued to use their traditional territory in the east central portion of the ASNF. M1382 and F1488 from the Bluestem Pack displayed dispersal behaviour during the month. F1443 continued to travel with m1447, of the Diamond Pack, in New Mexico near the Arizona border. In December, the Elk Horn Pack was located within their traditional territory in the north eastern portion of the ASNF. In December, the Hawks Nest Pack was mostly located within their traditional territory in the north central portion of the ASNF. The IFT documented movements by AM1038 outside of the normal pack territory. Two additional sets of wolf tracks with AM1038 and photos from a remote camera indicate male sub-adults M1383 and m1483 from the Hawks Nest Pack may still be travelling with AM1038. In December, the Hoodoo Pack remained in the north central portion of the ASNF. In December, the Maverick Pack was located within their traditional territory both on the FAIR and ASNF. AM1183 was documented travelling with AF1291. In December, the Panther Creek Pack was located in the east central portion of the ASNF. In December, the Diamond Pack was located in the eastern portion of the FAIR, the northern portion of the ASNF and on private lands north of the ASNF. Sub-adult m1447 continued to be documented travelling with F1443, of the Bluestem Pack, in New Mexico near the Arizona border. In December, the Tsay-o-Ah Pack was located within their traditional territory in the eastern portion of the FAIR. In December, the Baldy Pack was located in the eastern portion of the FAIR and northern portion of the ASNF. During December, the IFT located this pack within its traditional territory in the west central portion of the Gila National Forest (GNF). During December, f1444 was often located near Eagle Peak in NM. During December, the IFT continued to document F1405 (formerly of the Buckalou Pack) travelling within the Lava Pack’s traditional territory in the south eastern portion of the GNF. During December, the IFT documented the Leopold Pack within their territory in the northern portion of the Gila Wilderness and southern portion of the GNF. During December, the Luna Pack remained in their traditional territory in the north central portion of the GNF. During December, the Mangas Pack was located within their territory in north western portions of the GNF in New Mexico. During December, the Prieto Pack was located within their traditional territory in the north central portion of the GNF. There has been dispersal behaviour documented for M1386, m1455, f1456, f1553 and M1552 within the GNF. Remote cameras documented f1553 and M1398 travelling with AF1251 and other uncollared wolves in the Prieto Pack. Photos from remote cameras taken later in the month revealed AF1251 travelling with M1398 and f1553 was travelling with AM1284 of the SBP Pack. December, the IFT documented the San Mateo Pack within their territory in the north central portion of the GNF. During December, the SBP Pack continued to use their traditional territory in the north central portion of the GNF. AM1284 was documented on remote cameras travelling with f1553 of the Prieto Pack. During December, the IFT documented the Willow Springs Pack within their traditional territory in the north central portion of the GNF. During December, AM1155 was documented travelling within New Mexico. During December, M1398 was documented travelling with AF1251 of the Prieto Pack in the west central portion of the GNF. During December, M1354 was documented travelling in southern portions of the GNF and northern Gila Wilderness. M1354 has been documented travelling with members of the Leopold Pack; M1354 is full siblings to AM1293. There were no documented mortalities in the month of December. During the month of December, there was one confirmed wolf kill and no nuisance reports. On December 14, Wildlife Services investigated two dead calves in Apache County, Arizona. The investigations determined both of the calves were killed by coyotes. On December 18, Wildlife Services investigated a dead calf in Apache County, Arizona. The investigation determined the calf was a confirmed wolf kill. On December 23, Wildlife Services investigated a dead adult cow in Apache County, Arizona. The investigation determined the cow died from unknown causes. On December 7, 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service met with the New Mexico Department of Game and Fish and the Chairman of the New Mexico State Game Commission to discuss issues regarding the recovery of the Mexican wolf. On December 8, 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service convened a meeting of the Mexican Wolf Tribal Working Group to discuss the status of recovery planning for the Mexican wolf. On December 14, 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service presented on Mexican wolves and the Mexican Wolf Recovery program for the Superstition Area Land Trust in Apache Junction. On December 14, 2016 WMAT met with the USDA-Farm Service Agency regarding livestock loss compensation options for Tribal cattle growers. On December 15, 2016, the Fish and Wildlife Service held a community information meeting in Young, Arizona to discuss the status of the Mexican Wolf Recovery Program and listen to issues and concerns raised by the public. The US Forest Service and Arizona Game and Fish Department were in attendance. On December 20, 2016 the Fish and Wildlife Service met with the US Forest Service regarding coordination of Mexican wolf recovery efforts, including the status of NEPA review for release sites in Zone 1 of the expanded Mexican Wolf Experimental Population Area. On December 29, 2016 WMAT presented on Mexican wolf biology and recovery at a community event in Vermont. During December, USFWS volunteer Craig Zurek left the volunteer program for other professional opportunities. Thanks for all your hard work and dedication Craig! Senators from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Wyoming yesterday introduced the “War on Wolves Act,” a companion bill to legislation introduced last week in the House that would strip federal protections from wolves and allow trophy hunting and trapping of the species in four states. “A new congress has resurfaced an old vendetta against imperiled wolves. If this legislation is signed into law, wolves in Wyoming will be subjected to unregulated killing across the vast majority of the state, and even on the borders of Yellowstone National Park numerous legal loopholes will authorize widespread wolf killing. Americans widely hailed the return of wolves to the Northern Rockies two decades ago as a triumph of the Endangered Species Act, but now this ‘War on Wolves Act’ would allow for the same unregulated killing that nearly wiped out the species in the first place. Donald Trump’s tenure in the White House, along with the Republican Party’s reign in Congress, will be an unmitigated disaster for the environment. A witch-hunt is already underway for federal employees who support the science of climate change: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/12/13/energy-dept-rejects-trumps-request-to-name-climate-change-workers-who-remain-worried/. Protections for the 640 million acres of public land you and I own in this country are already being stripped away: http://www.missionmt.com/journal/2017/1/6/115th-congress-immediately-moves-on-land-transfer. Oil and gas extraction on public land is expected to be deregulated (http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-congress-zinke-idUSKBN1511DQ), and even coal—a heavily polluting, inefficient energy source the market has rendered obsolete—may see reinvestment: http://www.livescience.com/57535-interior-nominee-zinke-focuses-on-coal.html. A victim of all of those programs, and even the target of specific GOP plans for eradication? The gray wolf, only recently reintroduced to western states to help check overpopulated elk and deer and restore balance to the natural food chain there. On January 17, 2017, Republican Senators introduced a bill nicknamed, “The War on Wolves Act.” If passed S.164 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-bill/164?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22wolf%22%5D%7D&r=1) will not only remove ESA protections from wolves in Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and Wyoming, but it will also strip citizens of the right to challenge it in court. It’s important to understand that the gray wolf, as a species, is not under threat overall—it’s just specific populations of wolves in certain geographic areas. There are approximately 60,000 wolves living in the wilds of Alaska and Canada. Those will only suffer the general impact of anti-environment policies, accelerated climate change, and habitat loss. It’s the wolf populations reintroduced to the American West that GOP policy is directly targeting. There’s also a population of more than 3,500 gray wolves in and around the Great Lakes—in Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota—that, to a lesser extent, is also threatened. Wolves were first brought back to the West in 1995, when 66 were brought from Canada to Yellowstone National Park and Idaho. The Northern Rocky Mountain Wolf Recovery Plan (https://www.fws.gov/montanafieldoffice/Endangered_Species/Recovery_and_Mgmt_Plans/Northern_Rocky_Mountain_Gray_Wolf_Recovery_Plan.pdf) also allowed for the natural southern dispersal of other wolf populations from Canada. Since then, the species has spread to Montana, Wyoming, Washington, and Oregon, and now there’s even a single pack living in Northern California. The population of wolves in those states is approaching 1,700 (http://www.defenders.org/gray-wolf/gray-wolves-northern-rockies) —a huge success story for conservationists, albeit one that’s still ongoing. Wolves numbered 2 million on this continent just a couple hundred years ago but were killed off as modern civilization expanded westward. As part of the reintroduction, the burgeoning population of gray wolves in the West was initially protected by the Endangered Species Act. Largely due to the controversial nature of the wolf reintroduction that we’ll get to a little later, however, those protections have variously been repealed, replaced, and repealed again at federal and local levels. Wolf populations have returned to just 10 percent of their original range in the West, making their existence there still tenuous and dependent on some sort of protection. In Yellowstone, for instance, the reintroduction of wolves corrected an imbalance caused by the unchecked expansion of ungulates. Historically, wolves kept the elk population in balance in that area; without them, the elk became too numerous and their movements too static. Grasslands were overgrazed. Willows, cottonwood, and aspen were damaged, destroying the riparian habitats of beavers, songbirds, otters, muskrats, ducks, fish, reptiles, and amphibians. Wolves fixed that. They also checked the population of coyotes, which preyed heavily on small animals. So those populations returned, too, along with the birds of prey that feed on them. The revitalized shrubbery produced more berries, expanding the bear population. The entire ecosystem benefited and was returned to balance by the mere reintroduction of a handful of wolves. It’s that whole circle of life thing that Elton John once sang about in that Disney movie. Can wolves restore balance to ecosystems elsewhere in their historic range? This study (http://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/abstract/S0169-5347%2815%2900005-1), published in the scientific journal Trends in Ecology and Evolution, suggests they can, and that they may also enable the successful coexistence of invasive species with their native counterparts. The study argues that allowing the return of apex predators like the wolf may be much cheaper than trying to manage these environments through human methods. Need a dollar amount to define their value? Wolves bring in more than $35 million a year of tourist spending (http://www.georgewright.org/251duffield.pdf) to the Yellowstone area. Local businesses benefit from the mere presence of wolves. Wolves kill and eat stuff. As described above, that’s their job. Things they like to kill and eat include things people like to kill and eat—primarily deer and elk, but also sometimes sheep and cattle; which makes us rivals. Between 1995 and 2005, wolves killed 213 cattle and 173 sheep in Wyoming. The elk population has also fallen since the reintroduction of wolves, though drought, disease, and hunting also play a role. There were 17,000 elk in the park when the reintroduction began. Today there are 4,844 (https://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/nature/elkinfo.htm). Perhaps due to an exaggerated presence of wolves in nursery rhymes and fairy tales, we humans also find them scary. There have been only six documented fatalities (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_wolf_attacks_in_North_America) due to wild wolves (two of which were rabid) in North America in the past 100 years. The number of people killed by wolves pales in comparison to the number of people who die each year due to, say, bee stings (in the United States, that’s 100 people every year, http://www.govexec.com/management/2015/08/bees-are-deadliest-non-human-animals-america-cdc/119328/). Others complain that the loss of livestock hurts ranchers’ livelihood, even though state governments compensate ranchers for any losses. Still others lament the decrease in lucrative guided elk hunts in wolf states, though that has largely been attributed to an increase in out-of-state tag prices. Politicians from rural areas have been pressured to address those unsubstantiated fears of their constituents, but that doesn’t come close to explaining the scale of the GOP’s war on wolves. The 114th Congress (2015–17) introduced 20 bills targeted at eliminating protections for the gray wolf alone. The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) called it “the most anti-wildlife Congress we’ve ever had.” Until the 115th, that is. Why exhaust so much time and energy attacking a single species? The real answer is that the protections wolves require in the West can run counter to the interests of industrial agriculture businesses and the oil and gas industry, both of which want to operate on land that is currently subject to protection because it’s wolf habitat. The anti-wolf policies being paid for in part by industrial agriculture are actually damaging the small, family-owned farms where problems with wolves killing livestock actually take place and which are often cited as the cause for these policies. It’s been scientifically demonstrated that killing problem wolves actually leads to a direct correlation in increased livestock depredation (http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/killing-wolves-actually-leads-more-livestock-death-180953605/). The killings disrupt pack order and disperse wolves into new areas, and weakened packs are forced to seek easier prey than the wild animals they’d otherwise focus on. The CBD has tracked donations from those industries to Congress (http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/esa_attacks/pdfs/ESAAttacks_09-2016.pdf) and compared them with the number of bills introduced that threaten the Endangered Species Act (ESA). As campaign donations from the oil and gas industry and industrial agriculture have increased, so too have legislative assaults on the ESA. Because wolves have large ranges, the ESA may prevent energy extraction or industrial farming across larger areas than some other species. That explains the focus on removing the wolf’s protections. In 1973, partly motivated by the plight of the bald eagle, President Richard Nixon called on Congress to take action to protect species on the verge of extinction. Congress created the Endangered Species Act (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endangered_Species_Act_of_1973) by a nearly unanimous vote. Bald eagle populations have since increased from a low of 417 mating pairs to more than 11,000 today. That species was delisted (removed from the ESA’s protections) in 2007, although it remains subject to other protections as our national bird. Today, the ESA protects more than 1,600 endangered plants and animals. Not every animal protected by the ESA is a success story. Due to the precarious nature of many of the species it protects, delistings are infrequent. Take, for instance, the case of the Death Valley pupfish. Only a handful exist in two ponds in Death Valley National Park. Totally isolated, it’s obviously unrealistic to expect that the species will ever expand its population enough that it will ever be considered anything but endangered. Does the pupfish deserve our protection? Environmentalists would say yes. And the law has prevented extinction for 99 percent of the species it protects. But Republicans argue no, because only 1 percent have been rehabilitated. “It has never been used for the rehabilitation of species. It’s been used for control of the land,” argues House National Resources Committee Chairman Rob Bishop (R-Utah). He has stated that he “would love to invalidate” the ESA. The wolf’s protection under the ESA has always been precarious. Due to the politically charged nature of their reintroduction, initial population targets that would trigger a delisting were set incredibly low—just 150 in Idaho, for instance. That didn’t sound like a viable population to wolf advocates, so, since the species started triggering de-listings shortly after its reintroduction, its status has bounced back and forth both nationally and locally in a process of litigation and lawsuits so confusing and asinine (http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/gray_wolves/index.html) that I’ll spare you a recap of it here. To the best of my understanding, wolves are currently protected by the ESA (http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/campaigns/gray_wolves/index.html) everywhere in the lower 48 with the exception of Montana, Idaho, and the eastern third of both Washington and Oregon. In large part, those protections are thanks to lawsuits conducted by environmental organizations like the CBD. Acknowledging that, Republican lawmakers have begun introducing anti-wolf laws as riders on essential budget bills, disturbingly including language that prevents legal challenge. Trump has yet to go on the record about either the ESA or wolves, but he does oppose environmental policies that get in the way of drilling. It’s not expected that he’d veto any legislation designed to weaken or repeal the ESA or any riders intended to remove wolf protection. Trump’s nominee for interior secretary, Ryan Zinke, who will manage the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which administers ESA programs, once sent out a Christmas card featuring a dead wolf. Last year, Zinke co-sponsored a bill designed to remove federal protections for wolves. It looks like the anti-wolf, anti-ESA Republican Congress is finally getting both the president it needs to rubber stamp this legislation, combined with an administrator of the Department of the Interior prepared to carry it out. In addition to both that rollback of the ESA and likely direct challenges to the wolf’s inclusion in it, wolves are under threat from the GOP’s plan to steal our public lands. Like all wild animals, wolves need habitat to survive. Development of resource extraction on those lands will further threaten them. In 2012, the Alaska Board of Game passed its heavy-handed management plan which included aerial gunning of wolves to stop the decline of moose populations in two Game Management Units (GMUs) on the Kenai Peninsula. This despite opposition from biologists and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG), who explained that the peninsula’s moose population decline was generally due to overharvest and habitat limitations, not increased predation by wolves. Later that year, ADFG’s division of Wildlife Conservation decided to hold off on implementing the Board’s controversial wolf cull to collect the information necessary to make a well-informed management decision. Today, we’re witnessing history repeat itself with the Board proposing to reauthorize its controversial plan to kill all the wolves on a part of the lower Kenai Peninsula despite opposition from the regional Fish and Game Advisory Committee (the Homer Fish and Game Advisory Committee) who objected to the proposal unanimously. If the Board of Game votes to approve the proposal, Proposal 155, at its upcoming meeting scheduled for Jan. 4–7, it would allow the public to hunt and trap wolves, both from the ground and from the air, and would be allowed to conduct its own aerial hunts. The Alaska Board of Game has repeatedly opted for lethal predator control as their management tool of choice despite opposition from the scientific community and public outcry. It’s time that science, not special interest groups, guide responsible wildlife management policy, especially with so much at stake in one of Alaska’s most iconic wild places. Please personalize the letter below. In 2012, the Alaska Board of Game passed its intensive wolf management plan which included aerial gunning of wolves to stop the decline of moose populations in two Game Management Units (GMUs) on the Kenai Peninsula. This despite opposition from biologists and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s division of Wildlife Conservation, who explained that the peninsula’s moose population decline was generally due to overharvest and habitat limitations, not increased predation by wolves. The decline of Kenai’s moose population is a complicated and delicate matter that should involve careful consideration of all factors involved. I am counting on the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to listen to science, as the Department did in 2012, and take the time to make a well-informed wildlife management decision that will ensure both sustainable moose and wolf populations. The Homer Fish and Game Advisory Committee objected to the proposal unanimously. Thus, I urge the Dept. to hold off on implementing the Board’s controversial wolf cull to collect the information necessary to make a well-informed management decision. After nearly 50 years of protection, endangered Italian wolves might be slaughtered soon. Despite a lack of recent scientific population estimates, the Italian Minister of Environmental Affairs is determined to kill off 5% of the endangered wolf population. The only reason the Italian government wants to kill endangered wolves is because farmers and ranchers blame them for killing their animals. Outrageously, there are no efforts to humanely protect livestock with electric fences or trained dogs – even though fences and dogs have proven effective elsewhere in Europe. Even worse, when pressed, farmers admit that feral dogs are far more lethal to their livestock than wolves. But wolves get the blame. Rhinos are in a desperate need of help, but the question remains how to help? It has only been a week ago that we launched a Crowd Funding campaign to help bring Nellie (a poaching survivor) home to an intensive protection zone where she can give birth and live life while being protected against any further poaching attempts. South Africa is facing the worst conservation crisis in our history and rhinos continue to be butchered at an unprecedented rate. Their numbers are plummeting and the crisis is very real. The past weekend two orphaned rhino calves were attacked right at the home of the farmer hand rearing them after poachers slaughtered their mothers. From the accompanying photographs, you will be able to see just how terrible their suffering must be. Disturbingly these incidents are quite regular and increasingly many other animals suffer a similar fate. There is no question that there is a massive and growing crisis! Taking all the factors into consideration, including all the amazing work being done by so many to curb rhino poaching and to bring about change with education and awareness, time unfortunately is running out for rhinos. The only sure-thing on the short-term, to end the terribly cruelty and suffering is to set-up private intensive protection zones and bring as many rhinos as possible into these protected areas; be they poaching survivors, orphans, or unwanted rhinos. Two weeks ago, a local man was arrested and charged for contravening our conservation laws pertaining to rhinos. This individual purchased unwanted rhinos from their owners, relocated the poor animals to his farm and summarily executed them. Their horns were removed and only certain body part where recovered by the authorities. As the investigation continues an increasing number of rhino carcasses is being unearthed revealing the callous murder of many rhinos for commercial gain. What this incident illustrates without a doubt is that no rhino is safe anymore and if they fall into the wrong hands the animals will die. Poachers coming under cover of darkness are not the only enemy these unfortunate creatures have to fear. Unfortunately, the world remains slow to respond and where help is provided, in some instances is not used effectively to end rhino poaching. There is also increasing donor fatigue as people, frustrated and saddened by the ongoing slaughter simply turn their backs on the rhinos and walk away. Many people feel that there is nothing to be done anymore to save the species, but we beg you to please reconsider and not desert South Africa’s rhinos! They are just too special to lose. With your help, we intend finding individual rhinos that need our help on a priority basis and where possible we intend buying these rhinos and relocating them to Intensive Protection Zones at undisclosed locations as a matter of urgency. It is pretty much like throwing that one star fish at a time, back into the ocean, but we feel that with your support and understanding we will inspire many more people to share our dream of seeing rhinos living wild and in safety for many years to come. Steve Jobs once said; that it is the people that are crazy enough to believe they can change the world, that actually do. By leading and proving that the concept is working well, we believe others will follow and use the example to establish more PIPZ’s that will, over the next couple of years, ensure that an increasing number of rhinos will be spared a brutal death and ensure that the genetic viability of the species is protected for future generations. Thanks for taking the time to read this and we hope and trust that Nellie’s story will inspire you to help bring her to safety. To Donate towards the Save Nellie campaign please click on this link or email [email protected] for more details or for the banking details. To help a very special rhino cow, called Nellie, that survived a brutal poaching incident we will be giving you the opportunity to make a donation towards her rescue and enter a silent auction for two respective Accommodation Vouchers. Beach House (Saldanha Bay) Western Cape South Africa 4 nights 5 days 4 people self-catering. AUCTION AMOUNTS ON BOTH DESTINATIONS OPEN AT $100. In other words the amount you donate may not be less than $100. ABSA, Danie Joubert Street, Tzaneen,0850. The highest offer (donation) received by close of business on Wednesday the 15th February 2017 on either of the two available destinations will be awarded the respective accommodation voucher for either the Beach House or Bukisa Camp. A single decision by President Donald Trump has undone years of fighting to stop the dangerous Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines from being built, hampering progress for short-term profits and environmental destruction. These combined projects would result in 2,279 miles of potentially leaking pipelines, contaminating everything in their path: rivers, forests, underground aquifers — everything. By approving the advancement of these projects, President Trump blatantly denies the link between oil and climate change, and ignores the damage that the pipelines will inevitably spread across the country. While it is true that the American economy depends on oil, now is the time to act on the fact that we cannot build a future on oil without sacrificing our farmlands, forests, water sources and climate. Please sign our petition today to implore President Trump to put an end to the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines — investing in viable green-energy and the sustainable jobs that accompany that industry instead. Please go to: http://therainforestsite.greatergood.com/clickToGive/trs/petition/dakota-keystone-pipelines/?utm_source=trs-ta-enviro&utm_medium=email&utm_term=01302017&utm_content=takeaction-f&utm_campaign=dakota-keystone-pipelines&origin=ETE_013017_dakota-keystone-pipelines_f&oidp=0x2bd25baa4cd41335c0a82937 to sign the petition. Urgent appeal for animals, like humans, to be legally recognized as “sentient beings”. In 2015, France, New Zealand and the province of Quebec, Canada recognized animals as sentient beings. I believe South Africa should lead the way as the first African country to do the same. To recognise that animals are sentient is to acknowledge clearly that they are able to experience both positive and negative emotions, including pain, distress and emotional trauma. This would make hunting of wild animals, animal testing and capture or ill treatment, illegal and would afford animals the right not to be owned as property. This would go a long way towards ensuring decent and humane housing and treatment of animals by individuals, breeders and retailers. Currently the requirements for the care and housing of animals are minimal, and inadequately enforced. It really is time we South Africans climb aboard and stand up for our fellow non human beings, who give us so much and enrich our lives in so many ways. Trophy hunting is a disgusting hobby wherein people pay large sums of money to slaughter and then stuff and bring home the bodies of animals, many of whom are at risk of becoming extinct. Each year, over 126,000 wildlife trophies are imported to the U.S. Most trophies are iconic, beloved mega fauna: African elephants, African lions, African leopards, southern white rhinos, and African buffalo. Over 1,000 different beautiful species have been killed and turned into trophies. Between 2005 and 2014, over 1.26 million in total were brought in. The website is full of images of people standing next to lifeless, bloodied animal bodies. Some are smiling proudly, others hold an emotionless face. But all share a few things in common: they spent a lot of money to kill animals, and they love doing it. Argentina: A baby dolphin died for an Instagram photo. Tourists in San Bernardo, Argentina, dragged the baby dolphin out of the ocean after he swam close to shore. A video shows a crowd taking pictures and touching the animal, who lay in just a few inches of water. Now, the baby dolphin is dead. This isn’t the first time tourists have killed wildlife in the area, either. Last February, tourists on a beach in Santa Teresita killed an endangered baby dolphin after pulling it out of the water. Tourists passed the dolphin around for photos until it died of dehydration. Care2 petition author Paige D. argues that animals in Argentina are particularly vulnerable to abuse because the country does not support the Universal Declaration on Animal Welfare, an inter-governmental agreement to reduce animal suffering and promote animal welfare standards. In fact, World Animal Protection, an animal welfare charity, gives the country an overall D rating in the protection of animals. The fight over the re-introduction of wolves is headed for new heights. More than 83,000 people have already signed an Internet petition against the shooting of a wolf in the Oberlausitz (Lower Saxony) that seems to have lost almost all shyness of humans. Saxony’s authorities have decided to have the so-called problem wolf „Pumpak“ killed by a bullet; will he have to share the same fate as Bruno, the problem bear of Bavaria? „We are a group of people who are fighting for the protection of wolves in Germany“; these are the introductory words of an Internet petition (https://www.change.org/p/wolf-pumpak-muss-weiterleben) that has the goal of saving the life of Pumpak, a wolf living in the area of Rietschen. He was seen on numerous occasions at night in the village searching for food in compost heaps, seemingly unperturbed by the presence of humans. When people approached him he calmly trotted back into the nearby pine forest. Sometimes he would watch from a safe distance how the frightened two-legged ones reacted to him by retreating into the safety of their homes. He is still a young wolf, and youngsters are curious. Wolves are very shy and will usually disappear into thin air before humans even spot them. But the young male wolf of Rietschen seems to be an exception to the rule. It is possible that he was fed by humans as a pup when he lived on the banks of the German/Polish border river Neisse. Pumpak seems to love cake, because he tried to steal a freshly baked one from a windowsill where it had been placed for cooling down. His curiosity, his searching for food in gardens, and the fear of humans of this legendary predator make Pumpak a problem wolf for the authorities. The district magistrate’s office Görlitz has declared the two-year old wolf free to be shot, and the Saxony Ministry for Environmental Affairs has also given the “green light” for shooting him in the Polish border area. Nature conservationists and animal lovers are shocked about the order to shoot and kill him, but some huntsmen welcome the decision, because a hardheaded fight has ensued since wolves have emigrated from Poland and re-occupied territory after territory. A similar scenario played out with a bear in Bavaria eleven years ago. Bruno the Bear had become a “problem” when after waking from hibernation, he chose Bavaria as his new hunting territory. He was the first bear there in 170 years and his presence was obvious in that he made a meal of six sheep. Again and again Bruno was seen in the close vicinity of villages; he broke into a pigsty, and he cleaned out a chicken pen on another occasion. All people saw of him was a fleeing shadow, and he divided Germany into camps of supporters and opponents. And like back then, the order to shoot and kill Bruno was causing the same storm of indignation as the one now to shoot and kill Pumpak. More than 83,000 people have already signed the Internet petition that is meant to prevent the so-called “removal of the wolf“. With the term “removal“, authorities describe the killing of wild animals exhibiting an abnormal behavior. A wolf can be removed if, e.g., he repeatedly attacks flocks of sheep, ignores protective fences or, like in Pumpak’s case, loses its natural shyness of humans. But wolf welfare activists are not only active on the Internet; more than 100 e-mails have been received by the Saxony Ministry for Environmental Affairs that are in favour of Pumpak. Even in Berlin, the Federal Minister of Environmental Affairs, Barbara Hendricks, has to deal with the so-called problem wolf and answer questions. She refers to the decision of the Dresden authorities by stating that the decision to remove the wolf has been made by experts who have the necessary knowledge about nature conservation and legal interests. Therefore the decision by the authorities is not really suitable for a public referendum, said Frank Meyer, press speaker for the Ministry of Environmental Affairs, Saxony. The huntsmen of the Oberlausitz are watching the fight over problem wolf Pumpak with great interest. For years they have been demanding orders to shoot and kill wolves that cause problems. One huntsman says, however, that Pumpak is actually not a problem yet, but he could become one if he, at a later stage, formed a pack and taught his experiences to his offspring, so that they would also lose their shyness of humans. Brigitte Sommer, who initiated the Internet petition, does not accept this statement without counter-arguing that there will always be curious young wolves that investigate their territory and learn from experience. She refers to a young wolf that strolled through villages around Oldenburg. If every curious young wolf is seen as a problem and is therefore shot and killed, it would be catastrophic, she says. She is trying for more than 100,000 signatures to make it clear to the provincial government that there is a huge public interest in nature, wild animals, and wolves in particular, and that a small lobby of politicians, huntsmen and farmers tries to accomplish their own goals against the will of the rest of the public, and that cannot be, she says. Meanwhile The Green Party wants to know from the Saxon state government who has been chosen to kill the problem wolf in the Oberlausitz. And a private person is said to have applied for a temporary interdict to prevent shooting Pumpak. Since the Rietschen wolf has officially been handed the death sentence, Pumpak has gone missing. For more than a week, the two-year old predator hasn’t been seen. Maybe he has moved back to Poland across the Neisse into the Görlitzer Heide, or he is travelling through the neighbouring army trainings ground. By the way, the Görlitz district council’s office would not reveal who will be the one to train the rifle at and shoot Pumpak and keep him as a trophy afterwards. Without the support of all the people who signed this petition this might not have been possible, and therefore many, many Thanks to everybody. The order to shoot Pumpak will expire on 19 February, the MDR radio and TV station announced this morning, although there is no official confirmation from the provincial government yet. Darkstorm is an Alpha wolf that was killed 4 years ago while saving another wolf in his pack, and carried off into the forest by an injured bear that was slowly dying from a wound caused by Darkstorm… What made Darkstorm so unique from the other wolves? What made him special? Well sit back and listen to the story of Darkstorm’s Life…. Darkstorm was born under the sign of the shadow… he had abilities that already would made another Alpha wolf bow to him as a pup! He was able to take down caribou and other large animals as a teen wolf… he could talk with nature itself… he was known as Natures Child. Darkstorm lost his mother around the time he was a pup, and his father, an alpha wolf at the time, blamed him for his love’s death. So he banned Darkstorm far from his homeland. Darkstorm was raised by many different animals and learned to communicate with the wind and earth… he could easily tell were game was by the feel of the earth… and the smell of the wind… he could tell what type of storm was brewing by the way the earth shifted. Back then, Darkstorm was not his name, it normally was Fang, but I’ll tell you how he earned the name Darkstorm. One day, Fang was out running with the other animals to see who was the fastest. Darkstorm easily won, but what scared the animals was that when he would run, he left a path of destruction behind him! He was so dark and fast he was like a DARK STORM!!! So he earned the name Darkstorm. When he left the new home he lived in for many years, he decided it was time to go back to his home and claim the rightful position as the new Alpha Wolf; but doing so he would have to challenge his Father! Darkstorm crossed many green fields and rocky mountains till he was home. The wolves saw Darkstorm enter and were ready to attack until they smelled his scent.. it was exactly like his father’s, Tundra. Darkstorm walked in between the wolves until he reached his father. When he saw his father Darkstorm totally changed; his eyes were no longer blue, but now forever a green-red, which showed the hatred he had for his father, and his black coat had a few white stripes showing now. His teeth a little more sharper and his claws a little more jagged, sharp as ice cycles in a cave. Darkstorm had changed and knew that the only way for him to become the new Alpha wolf, was to kill his father, even though it was forbidden. Darkstorm got into an attack position and leaped toward Tundra to begin the combat….. Darkstorm nimbly leaped onto the boulder, his slitted amber eyes never leaving his opponent’s. His misty charcoal coat rippled in the twilight breeze as a low growl escaped his tightened throat. A set of silvery fangs were bared, tinted with a thin shade of dark blood. He suddenly pivoted, and sprang, using every ounce of thick muscle in his legs. He launched himself towards Silverfeet and sunk his teeth into the alpha’s tough flank, ripping savagely at the wolf’s flesh, spraying deep red about the granite rock. Silverfeet flung himself against his challenger, fighting off Darkstorm with both tooth and claw. Darkstorm snarled, and shook away his attacker, then lunged at him again. The alpha crumpled, dark blood staining his silvery fur. His breath slowed, and then stopped, and the wolf lay motionless, the constant pounding of his heart now silent. Darkstorm raised his head, staring at the pack as they were at him. They were dumfounded at the sudden and short death of their leader, and now lowered their eyes and heads submissively to their new alpha, now standing proud in the rising fire of the sun. He was their future. Darkstorm stood tall in the frigid waters of the creek, upon the cliffs from which careened the mighty East Ridge Falls. The wind snapped icily at his skin, and tossed his dark fur like angry fire. He bent his head, and thirstily lapped up the cold water, which slid pleasantly down his dry throat. He then gazed upwards, staring at the cloudless skies. Below the cliffs lay a sea of forest, and beyond that, a golden tundra. It was early spring, and only two winters back he had challenged and caused the death of the alpha, his father Tundra, of the Whitehawk Creek Pack, the pack that he now held responsibility for. He knew from his previous pack, the West Ridge Pack, that it was against the wolf code to kill in a challenge – or even for a pack-less wolf to challenge an alpha. Yet he had ignored this – he had hated and dismissed all law of the wolf then, as it was what had affected his position as a beta in West Ridge, and placed him without family or pack. Russet came bounding towards him, his cinnamon coat gleaming and glossy in the sunlight. Darkstorm could tell straight away from the excited wags of the wolf’s tail and the spark in his pale brown eyes that they were here – pups! The two wolves streamed down the cliff-side, eagerly dodging the trees and following the scent path to their pack den. The alpha barked happily, and his pack welcomed him into the den, followed by Russet. He saw Raven, his mate, laying on her side, and her four pups wriggling and fighting beside her. Their tiny eyes were sealed shut, and their teeth were tiny but sharp. They were all black, like he and raven, but two had splotches of white on their faces and stomachs. One of the white-masked pups had a white tip on its tail, which was thumping the ground enthusiastically. Raven glanced at Darkstorm with tired eyes, and then her heavy eyelids shut from exhaustion. He nudged her with his nose, and left the den. Skysong stood in the shallow depths of Whitehawk Creek, feeling the wind blow through her fur and giving her a carefree, spirited attitude. She raced along the creek, her paws sending cold water splashing up her dark coat. Her pale green eyes scanned the jagged horizon, watching the sun rise, showering sparks of gold upon the tundra. Skysong walked ashore, shaking the water off her night-black fur. She paused for a moment, sensing a sort of danger unknown to her. She sniffed the air, and suddenly cried out at an agonizing pain in her back muscles. Skysong tried to free herself from the bear’s weight, then snarling and clawing at its face and eyes, but the bear remained unharmed. The female wolf knew she was as good as dead. She tried to helplessly shake it off, but its teeth were firmly sunk into her back. The wolf cried out for help from Blackfire, her brother, as the great bear prepared for its fatal bit to her jugular vein, but he only yelped at her sorrowfully, then turning and running to the forest in the opposite direction. Suddenly she heard the bear roar with pain and rage, and it let go of Skysong, turning to fight Darkstorm, who had then leaped upon the bear’s back and sunk his razor-sharp teeth into the bear’s massive neck muscle. Though the attack wasn’t enough to cause the bear serious harm, it distracted it long enough so that Skysong could drag herself to a hiding place. She watched, suffering from untold pain and unable to help, as the bear lifted her sire with its enormous forepaws and delivered the fatal bite to Darkstorm. The alpha convulsed in the bear’s tight grip, and then went limp as the bear dragged the wolf away. Skysong felt her strength ebbing away from her as her dripping blood formed a dark crimson path behind her as she made her way slowly to the den. Darkstorm had died in order to save her life – a sacrifice she wouldn’t soon forget. I have previously made mention of Ascar II being a little bully who loves to order Kajack II around and play the big boss. Now, lately Ascar was becoming so aggressive towards Kajack over no issues at all, that the latter was screaming for his life (it seemed) several times a day every day. He ended up with lots of small bits and pieces of scurf all over his face. Whatever we tried only resulted in Ascar taking out his frustration over his being reprimanded on Kajack. Taima, on the other hand, didn’t like our interfering at all and growled and even snapped at Ted a couple of times. Something had to happen, however, before Kajack would possibly lose an eye, for example. One day two weeks ago, it was particularly bad, and Ted couldn’t stand it anymore. While I was screaming at Ascar out of frustration, telling him we would oust and bring him back to where he came from, Ted grabbed a leash with a choke chain, slipped it over Ascar’s head, lifted him off Kajack, and dragged him out the back door. He fiddled the leash through the burglar bars of the door from the outside and pinned him against it from the inside. After a very short while Ascar became completely catatonic, which Ted knew to be a sign of him capitulating unconditionally. He held him there for a moment longer to make sure, then unfastened the chain. Ascar trotted off while Ted was torn between hating himself for having to be so drastic and fury over Ascar’s brutal mobbing of the most pacific pack member in the house. A short while later, Ascar could be seen trying to find a place where to jump the fence in order to get back into the house (the connecting gate was closed). We ignored him for half an hour and even closed the front door in case he should manage to get to the front yard. Ted eventually went out to have a talk with Ascar and meditate over the problem. He first addressed him and tried to tell him where his behaviour would end him up. All he got in response was “get in, get in, get to Kajack”. Ted eventually realized that Ascar needed a teacher. And because there was no four-legged dominant male that could teach him at our place, he realised he would have to take on this role. Some half-hour later, Ted and Ascar walked back to the still-closed backdoor. First, Ascar just wanted to get to Kajack on the inside, but when Ted didn’t let him, he sat down next to him and looked at him. Ted told him to apologize, and now the most unexpected things started to happen. Ascar got up and apologized to Ted, who told him that he must apologize to Kajack and true enough, he got up once more and started to wash Kajack’s face and ears through the bars. Ted praised him over the blue moon, opened the door, and he continued to wash Kajack, then Taima, then me, and Ted some more. He laid down next to Kajack and has been a new animal ever since. Whenever he gets too rough with Kajack (he can of course play with him, even wildly), Ted or I just have to touch the leash and make a small noise with the chain, and all aggression will cease this instant. We now even leave the set lying on the living room table so that he is reminded of it every time he walks past it. He will often sniff and touch it, and then sit down in front of either of us so that we can acknowledge him for his good behaviour. He will now also listen most of the time if we just tell him to be a little gentler or stop mobbing him. I was a bit worried at first that Ascar would now be scared of the leash and chain, but it is most curious that he doesn’t show any fear of them. When Ted picks it up, he sometimes even tries to put his head through the loop. Not that we are complaining, mind you. Subduing a canine as Ted did is nothing that could be recommend to anybody, for it is not exactly not dangerous to both the handler and the animal. However, in the above scenario, there was no way about it, and now we are glad that Ted mustered the courage. It just could not continue like it was.

2019-04-25T16:07:48Z

http://safow.org/volume-12-issue-148-february-2017/

As Locke admits, his Essay is something of a mess, from an editorial point of view. What follows are what I take to be some of the most important passages from the book, grouped under topical headings in an attempt to make a coherent and systematic whole. Parts and headings are given in bold and are purely my invention. Section headings are given in italics, and are Locke’s. Otherwise, all material in italics is mine, not Locke’s. ‘…’ indicates an omission. The Essay is organized into Books, Chapters, and Sections. The start of each section cites book.chapter.section. For example, ‘I.i.5’ means Book I, chapter i, section 5. (From I.i.3—Method) It is therefore worth while to search out the bounds between opinion and knowledge; and examine by what measures, in things whereof we have no certain knowledge, we ought to regulate our assent and moderate our persuasion. In order whereunto I shall pursue this following method: First, I shall inquire into the original of those ideas, notions, or whatever else you please to call them, which a man observes, and is conscious to himself he has in his mind; and the ways whereby the understanding comes to be furnished with them. Secondly, I shall endeavour to show what knowledge the understanding hath by those ideas; and the certainty, evidence, and extent of it. Thirdly, I shall make some inquiry into the nature and grounds of faith or opinion: whereby I mean that assent which we give to any proposition as true, of whose truth yet we have no certain knowledge. And here we shall have occasion to examine the reasons and degrees of assent. (From I.i.4—Useful to know the Extent of our Comprehension) If we can find out how far the understanding can extend its view; how far it has faculties to attain certainty; and in what cases it can only judge and guess, we may learn to content ourselves with what is attainable by us in this state. (From I.i.5—Our Capacity suited to our State and Concerns) It will be no excuse to an idle and untoward servant, who would not attend his business by candle light, to plead that he had not broad sunshine. The Candle that is set up in us shines bright enough for all our purposes. (From I.i.6—Knowledge of our Capacity a Cure of Scepticism and Idleness) When we know our own strength, we shall the better know what to undertake with hopes of success; and when we have well surveyed the powers of our own minds, and made some estimate what we may expect from them, we shall not be inclined either to sit still, and not set our thoughts on work at all, in despair of knowing anything; nor on the other side, question everything, and disclaim all knowledge, because some things are not to be understood. It is of great use to the sailor to know the length of his line, though he cannot with it fathom all the depths of the ocean. It is well he knows that it is long enough to reach the bottom, at such places as are necessary to direct his voyage, and caution him against running upon shoals that may ruin him. Our business here is not to know all things, but those which concern our conduct. If we can find out those measures, whereby a rational creature, put in that state in which man is in this world, may and ought to govern his opinions, and actions depending thereon, we need not to be troubled that some other things escape our knowledge. What is Locke’s main project in the Essay? What’s the point of pursuing it? What advantages does he expect to obtain from it? What is distinctive about Locke’s project? What would Locke think of the method of, say, Spinoza? Given Locke’s project, it makes sense that he begins by attacking the doctrine of innate knowledge. This attack was partly responsible for the Essay’s being banned at Oxford in 1704. Can you think why these thoughts might sound dangerous, and why Locke’s project begins where it does? [I]f the capacity of knowing be the natural impression contended for, all the truths a man ever comes to know will, by this account, be every one of them innate; and this great point will amount to no more, but only to a very improper way of speaking; which, whilst it pretends to assert the contrary, says nothing different from those who deny innate principles. For nobody, I think, ever denied that the mind was capable of knowing several truths. (From I.ii.15—The Steps by which the Mind attains several Truths) The senses at first let in particular ideas, and furnish the yet empty cabinet, and the mind by degrees growing familiar with some of them, they are lodged in the memory, and names got to them. Afterwards, the mind proceeding further, abstracts them, and by degrees learns the use of general names. In this manner the mind comes to be furnished with ideas and language, the materials about which to exercise its discursive faculty. And the use of reason becomes daily more visible, as these materials that give it employment increase. But though the having of general ideas and the use of general words and reason usually grow together, yet I see not how this any way proves them innate. (From I.iv.20—No innate Ideas in the Memory) To which let me add: if there be any innate ideas, any ideas in the mind which the mind does not actually think on, they must be lodged in the memory; and from thence must be brought into view by remembrance; i.e., must be known, when they are remembered, to have been perceptions in the mind before; unless remembrance can be without remembrance. For, to remember is to perceive anything with memory, or with a consciousness that it was perceived or known before. Without this, whatever idea comes into the mind is new, and not remembered; this consciousness of its having been in the mind before, being that which distinguishes remembering from all other ways of thinking. By this it may be tried whether there be any innate ideas in the mind before impression from sensation or reflection. I would fain meet with the man who, when he came to the use of reason, or at any other time, remembered any of them; and to whom, after he was born, they were never new. If any one will say, there are ideas in the mind that are not in the memory, I desire him to explain himself, and make what he says intelligible. Why is Locke concerned to deny the doctrine of innate principles? Can you connect this with Locke’s project? Premise 1: An innate idea is in the memory. It’s one thing to attack the doctrines of innate knowledge and innate ideas; it’s another to come up with a replacement for them. Locke must explain how all our ideas are generated solely out of the materials given to us in experience, and how experience alone can justify our knowledge claims. (From I.1.8—What Idea stands for) Thus much I thought necessary to say concerning the occasion of this inquiry into human understanding. But, before I proceed on to what I have thought on this subject, I must here in the entrance beg pardon of my reader for the frequent use of the word idea, which he will find in the following treatise. It being that term which, I think, serves best to stand for whatsoever is the object of the understanding when a man thinks, I have used it to express whatever is meant by phantasm, notion, species, or whatever it is which the mind can be employed about in thinking; and I could not avoid frequently using it. I presume it will be easily granted me, that there are such ideas in men’s minds: every one is conscious of them in himself; and men’s words and actions will satisfy him that they are in others. (From IV.xxi.4) [S]ince the things the mind contemplates are none of them, besides itself, present to the understanding, it is necessary that something else, as a sign or representation of the thing it considers, should be present to it: and these are ideas. (From II.i.2—All Ideas come from Sensation or Reflection) Let us then suppose the mind to be, as we say, white paper, void of all characters, without any ideas: how comes it to be furnished? … To this I answer, in one word, from experience. In that all our knowledge is founded; and from that it ultimately derives itself. Our observation employed either, about external sensible objects, or about the internal operations of our minds perceived and reflected on by ourselves, is that which supplies our understandings with all the materials of thinking. These two are the fountains of knowledge, from whence all the ideas we have, or can naturally have, do spring. (From II.i.5—All our Ideas are of the one or of the other of these) … These, when we have taken a full survey of them, and their several modes, and the compositions made out of them we shall find to contain all our whole stock of ideas; and that we have nothing in our minds which did not come in one of these two ways. Let any one examine his own thoughts, and thoroughly search into his understanding; and then let him tell me, whether all the original ideas he has there, are any other than of the objects of his senses, or of the operations of his mind, considered as objects of his reflection. Locke thinks that sensation and reflection are our only sources of ideas. We should now look at his response to Descartes’s argument for a third source of ideas, namely, the intellect (see the second paragraph of the Sixth Meditation. (From II.xxix.13—Complex ideas may be distinct in one part, and confused in another) Our complex ideas, being made up of collections, and so variety of simple ones, may accordingly be very clear and distinct in one part, and very obscure and confused in another. In a man who speaks of a chiliaedron, or a body of a thousand sides, the ideas of the figure may be very confused, though that of the number be very distinct; so that he being able to discourse and demonstrate concerning that part of his complex idea which depends upon the number of thousand, he is apt to think he has a distinct idea of a chiliaedron; though it be plain he has no precise idea of its figure, so as to distinguish it, by that, from one that has but 999 sides: the not observing whereof causes no small error in men’s thoughts, and confusion in their discourses. How does Locke respond to Descartes’s argument for the distinction between the intellect and the imagination? Who is right? (From II.i.1—Uncompounded Appearances) The better to understand the nature, manner, and extent of our knowledge, one thing is carefully to be observed concerning the ideas we have; and that is, that some of them, are simple and some complex. Though the qualities that affect our senses are, in the things themselves, so united and blended, that there is no separation, no distance between them; yet it is plain, the ideas they produce in the mind enter by the senses simple; and unmixed. For, though the sight and touch often take in from the same object, at the same time, different ideas;–as a man sees at once motion and colour; the hand feels softness and warmth in the same piece of wax: yet the simple ideas thus united in the same subject, are as perfectly distinct as those that come in by different senses. (From II.iii.1—Division of simple ideas) The better to conceive the ideas we receive from sensation, it may not be amiss for us to consider them, in reference to the different ways whereby they make their approaches to our minds, and make themselves perceivable by us. First, then, there are some which come into our minds by one sense only. Secondly, there are others that convey themselves into the mind by more senses than one. Thirdly, others that are had from reflection only. Fourthly, there are some that make themselves way, and are suggested to the mind by all the ways of sensation and reflection. As we’ll see, some ideas turn out to be ideas of powers rather than of qualities. So we’ll need a story about how we get our idea of power as a building block, before we can move on to the primary/secondary quality distinction. (From II.xxi.1—This Idea [of power] how got) The mind being every day informed, by the senses, of the alteration of those simple ideas it observes in things without; and taking notice how one comes to an end, and ceases to be, and another begins to exist which was not before; reflecting also on what passes within itself, and observing a constant change of its ideas, sometimes by the impression of outward objects on the senses, and sometimes by the determination of its own choice; and concluding from what it has so constantly observed to have been, that the like changes will for the future be made in the same things, by like agents, and by the like ways, considers in one thing the possibility of having any of its simple ideas changed, and in another the possibility of making that change; and so comes by that idea which we call power. Thus we say, fire has a power to melt gold, i.e., to destroy the consistency of its insensible parts, and consequently its hardness, and make it fluid … In which, and the like cases, the power we consider is in reference to the change of perceivable ideas. For we cannot observe any alteration to be made in, or operation upon anything, but by the observable change of its sensible ideas; nor conceive any alteration to be made, but by conceiving a change of some of its ideas. (From II.xxi.2—Power, active and passive) Power thus considered is two-fold, viz. As able to make, or able to receive any change. The one may be called active, and the other passive power. Whether matter be not wholly destitute of active power, as its author, God, is truly above all passive power; and whether the intermediate state of created spirits be not that alone which is capable of both active and passive power, may be worth consideration. I shall not now enter into that inquiry, my present business being not to search into the original of power, but how we come by the idea of it. But since active powers make so great a part of our complex ideas of natural substances, (as we shall see hereafter,) and I mention them as such, according to common apprehension; yet they being not, perhaps, so truly active powers as our hasty thoughts are apt to represent them, I judge it not amiss, by this intimation, to direct our minds to the consideration of god and spirits, for the clearest idea of active power. (From II.xxi.3—Power includes Relation) I confess power includes in it some kind of relation (a relation to action or change,) as indeed which of our ideas of what kind soever, when attentively considered, does not. For, our ideas of extension, duration, and number, do they not all contain in them a secret relation of the parts? figure and motion have something relative in them much more visibly. … Our idea therefore of power, I think, may well have a place amongst other simple ideas, and be considered as one of them; being one of those that make a principal ingredient in our complex ideas of substances, as we shall hereafter have occasion to observe. (From II.xxi.4—The clearest Idea of active Power had from Spirit) [I]f we will consider it attentively, bodies, by our senses, do not afford us so clear and distinct an idea of active power, as we have from reflection on the operations of our minds. For all power relating to action, and there being but two sorts of action whereof we have an idea, viz. Thinking and motion, let us consider whence we have the clearest ideas of the powers which produce these actions. Of thinking, body affords us no idea at all; it is only from reflection that we have that. Neither have we from body any idea of the beginning of motion. A body at rest affords us no idea of any active power to move; and when it is set in motion itself, that motion is rather a passion than an action in it. For, when the ball obeys the motion of a billiard-stick, it is not any action of the ball, but bare passion. Also when by impulse it sets another ball in motion that lay in its way, it only communicates the motion it had received from another, and loses in itself so much as the other received: which gives us but a very obscure idea of an active power of moving in body, whilst we observe it only to transfer, but not produce any motion. Is the idea of power a simple idea or not? What turns on this? How does the mind form an idea of power? Why does sensation not give us an idea of active power? II.viii is intended as a further discussion of simple ideas. Locke draws what should by now be a familiar distinction. Can you reconstruct Locke’s argument? (From II.viii.8—Our Ideas and the Qualities of Bodies) Whatsoever the mind perceives in itself, or is the immediate object of perception, thought, or understanding, that I call idea; and the power to produce any idea in our mind, I call quality of the subject wherein that power is. Thus a snowball having the power to produce in us the ideas of white, cold, and round—the power to produce those ideas in us, as they are in the snowball, I call qualities; and as they are sensations or perceptions in our understandings, I call them ideas; which ideas, if I speak of sometimes as in the things themselves, I would be understood to mean those qualities in the objects which produce them in us. (From II.viii.11—How Bodies produce Ideas in us) The next thing to be considered is, how bodies operate one upon another; and that is manifestly by impulse, and nothing else. It being impossible to conceive that body should operate on what it does not touch (which is all one as to imagine it can operate where it is not), or when it does touch, operate any other way than by motion. (From II.viii.13—How secondary Qualities produce their ideas) After the same manner that the ideas of these original qualities are produced in us, we may conceive that the ideas of secondary qualities are also produced, viz. By the operation of insensible particles on our senses. … [L]et us suppose at present that, the different motions and figures, bulk and number, of such particles, affecting the several organs of our senses, produce in us those different sensations which we have from the colours and smells of bodies … It being no more impossible to conceive that god should annex such ideas to such motions, with which they have no similitude, than that he should annex the idea of pain to the motion of a piece of steel dividing our flesh, with which that idea hath no resemblance. (From II.viii.14—They depend on the primary Qualities) What I have said concerning colours and smells may be understood also of tastes and sounds, and other the like sensible qualities; which, whatever reality we by mistake attribute to them, are in truth nothing in the objects themselves, but powers to produce various sensations in us; and depend on those primary qualities, viz. Bulk, figure, texture, and motion of parts and therefore I call them secondary qualities. (From II.viii.17—The ideas of the Primary alone really exist) The particular bulk, number, figure, and motion of the parts of fire or snow are really in them, whether any one’s senses perceive them or no: and therefore they may be called real qualities, because they really exist in those bodies. But light, heat, whiteness, or coldness, are no more really in them than sickness or pain is in manna. Take away the sensation of them; let not the eyes see light or colours, nor the can hear sounds; let the palate not taste, nor the nose smell, and all colours, tastes, odours, and sounds, as they are such particular ideas, vanish and cease, and are reduced to their causes, i.e., bulk, figure, and motion of parts. (From II.viii.19—Examples) Let us consider the red and white colours in porphyry. Hinder light from striking on it, and its colours vanish; it no longer produces any such ideas in us: upon the return of light it produces these appearances on us again. Can any one think any real alterations are made in the porphyry by the presence or absence of light; and that those ideas of whiteness and redness are really in porphyry in the light, when it is plain it has no colour in the dark? It has, indeed, such a configuration of particles, both night and day, as are apt, by the rays of light rebounding from some parts of that hard stone, to produce in us the idea of redness, and from others the idea of whiteness; but whiteness or redness are not in it at any time, but such a texture that hath the power to produce such a sensation in us. (From II.viii.20) Pound an almond, and the clear white colour will be altered into a dirty one, and the sweet taste into an oily one. What real alteration can the beating of the pestle make in an body, but an alteration of the texture of it? (From II.viii.21—Explains how water felt as cold by one hand may be warm to the other) Ideas being thus distinguished and understood, we may be able to give an account how the same water, at the same time, may produce the idea of cold by one hand and of heat by the other: whereas it is impossible that the same water, if those ideas were really in it, should at the same time be both hot and cold. For, if we imagine warmth, as it is in our hands, to be nothing but a certain sort and degree of motion in the minute particles of our nerves or animal spirits, we may understand how it is possible that the same water may, at the same time, produce the sensations of heat in one hand and cold in the other; which yet figure never does, that never producing the idea of a square by one hand which has produced the idea of a globe by another. If there were no observers or perceivers, what would the world be like, according to Locke? That is, what qualities does a physical object have in itself? How does Locke argue for his three theses? Let’s start with (i): ideas of secondary qualities resemble nothing in the objects. Recall Aquinas’s picture of (bodily) causation: one object (e.g., fire) produces in another the same kind of quality it has in itself (e.g., heat). Why does Locke think that there isn’t really any heat in the first object? Let’s take a case where fire produces a sensation of heat in a person. If our sensation of heat resembled any quality in the object, that quality would have to be the cause of the heat that it produces. Why does Locke reject this? (see especially II.viii.11 above). But as Locke points out, ideas of secondary qualities depend not just on the objects; they also depend on the perceivers. Think of as many different ways to change the color of this room as you can. So far, we’ve dealt only with simple ideas. But our experience doesn’t seem to come to us packaged in simple, discrete elements. So Locke needs to deal with how we generate experiences (and thoughts) of ordinary objects—what he calls ‘substances’– out of simple ideas. (From II.xii.1—Made by the Mind out of simple Ones) We have hitherto considered those ideas, in the reception whereof the mind is only passive, which are those simple ones received from sensation and reflection before mentioned, whereof the mind cannot make one to itself, nor have any idea which does not wholly consist of them. … Ideas thus made up of several simple ones put together, I call complex. (From II.xii.2—Made voluntarily) In this faculty of repeating and joining together its ideas, the mind has great power in varying and multiplying the objects of its thoughts, infinitely beyond what sensation or reflection furnished it with: but all this still confined to those simple ideas which it received from those two sources, and which are the ultimate materials of all its compositions. (From II.xxiii.1—Ideas of substances, how made) The mind being, as I have declared, furnished with a great number of the simple ideas, conveyed in by the senses as they are found in exterior things, or by reflection on its own operations, takes notice also that a certain number of these simple ideas go constantly together; which being presumed to belong to one thing, and words being suited to common apprehensions, and made use of for quick dispatch are called, so united in one subject, by one name; which, by inadvertency, we are apt afterward to talk of and consider as one simple idea, which indeed is a complication of many ideas together: because, as I have said, not imagining how these simple ideas can subsist by themselves, we accustom ourselves to suppose some substratum wherein they do subsist, and from which they do result, which therefore we call substance. List the ideas necessary to construct an idea of a substance like Helga (a dog). Our simple ideas represent qualities; to think of a substance like a dog, however, we need to think of these qualities as inhering in or being unified by some underlying substratum (which he sometimes also calls ‘pure substance in general’). What is Locke’s attitude toward this substratum, and our knowledge of it? (From II.xiii.19—Substance and accidents of little use in Philosophy) They who first ran into the notion of accidents, as a sort of real beings that needed something to inhere in, were forced to find out the word substance to support them. Had the poor Indian philosopher (who imagined that the earth also wanted something to bear it up) but thought of this word substance, he needed not to have been at the trouble to find an elephant to support it, and a tortoise to support his elephant: the word substance would have done it effectually. And he that inquired might have taken it for as good an answer from an Indian philosopher—that substance, without knowing what it is, is that which supports the earth, as take it for a sufficient answer and good doctrine from our european philosophers—that substance, without knowing what it is, is that which supports accidents. So that of substance, we have no idea of what it is, but only a confused obscure one of what it does. (From II.xiii.20—Sticking on and under-propping) Whatever a learned man may do here, an intelligent american, who inquired into the nature of things, would scarce take it for a satisfactory account, if, desiring to learn our architecture, he should be told that a pillar is a thing supported by a basis, and a basis something that supported a pillar. Would he not think himself mocked, instead of taught, with such an account as this? … Were the latin words, inhaerentia and substantio, put into the plain english ones that answer them, and were called sticking on and under-propping, they would better discover to us the very great clearness there is in the doctrine of substance and accidents, and show of what use they are in deciding of questions in philosophy. (From II.xxiii.23—Our obscure Idea of Substance in general) So that if any one will examine himself concerning his notion of pure substance in general, he will find he has no other idea of it at all, but only a supposition of he knows not what support of such qualities which are capable of producing simple ideas in us; which qualities are commonly called accidents. If any one should be asked, what is the subject wherein colour or weight inheres, he would have nothing to say, but the solid extended parts; and if he were demanded, what is it that solidity and extension adhere in, he would not be in a much better case than the Indian before mentioned who, saying that the world was supported by a great elephant, was asked what the elephant rested on; to which his answer was—a great tortoise: but being again pressed to know what gave support to the broad-backed tortoise, replied—something, he knew not what. It’s vital to see that by ‘substance’ Locke means here ‘substratum’: that in which properties inhere. This notion is akin to Aristotle’s notion of prime matter. Why might one say that Locke has a love/hate relationship with substratum? Now that we know how we think about individual substances (e.g., an elephant), we need to know how we can think about kinds or sorts of things. I’m not limited to thinking (or talking) about individual substances; I can make claims that apply to groups or sorts of substances. Locke’s abstraction is the mechanism by which we move from purely determinate ideas to general ones. Keep in mind that Locke has two kinds of fish to fry in this context: the Cartesians, who think that the essence of body is just extension, and the Aristotelians, who think that the world presents itself to us as if it were ‘carved at the joints’ into innumerable distinct natural kinds. In this context, Locke’s role as an ‘under-labourer’ to science is most in evidence. (From III.ii.6—How general Words are made) … Words become general by being made the signs of general ideas: and ideas become general, by separating from them the circumstances of time and place, and any other ideas that may determine them to this or that particular existence. By this way of abstraction they are made capable of representing more individuals than one; each of which having in it a conformity to that abstract idea, is (as we call it) of that sort. (From III.ii.7—Shown by the way we enlarge our complex ideas from infancy) … [T]here is nothing more evident, than that the ideas of the persons children converse with (to instance in them alone) are, like the persons themselves, only particular. The ideas of the nurse and the mother are well framed in their minds; and, like pictures of them there, represent only those individuals. The names they first gave to them are confined to these individuals; and the names of nurse and mamma, the child uses, determine themselves to those persons. Afterwards, when time and a larger acquaintance have made them observe that there are a great many other things in the world, that in some common agreements of shape, and several other qualities, resemble their father and mother, and those persons they have been used to, they frame an idea, which they find those many particulars do partake in; and to that they give, with others, the name man, for example. And thus they come to have a general name, and a general idea. Wherein they make nothing new; but only leave out of the complex idea they had of Peter and James, Mary and Jane, that which is peculiar to each, and retain only what is common to them all. (From III.iii.11—General and Universal are Creatures of the Understanding, and belong not to the Real Existence of things) [I]t is plain, by what has been said, that general and universal belong not to the real existence of things; but are the inventions and creatures of the understanding, made by it for its own use, and concern only signs, whether words or ideas. … [I]deas are general when they are set up as the representatives of many particular things: but universality belongs not to things themselves, which are all of them particular in their existence, even those words and ideas which in their signification are general. When therefore we quit particulars, the generals that rest are only creatures of our own making; their general nature being nothing but the capacity they are put into, by the understanding, of signifying or representing many particulars. For the signification they have is nothing but a relation that, by the mind of man, is added to them. (From III.iii.13—They are the Workmanship of the Understanding, but have their Foundation in the Similitude of Things) I would not here be thought to forget, much less to deny, that Nature, in the production of things, makes several of them alike: there is nothing more obvious, especially in the races of animals, and all things propagated by seed. But yet I think we may say, the sorting of them under names is the workmanship of the understanding, taking occasion, from the similitude it observes amongst them, to make abstract general ideas, and set them up in the mind, with names annexed to them, as patterns or forms, (for, in that sense, the word form has a very proper signification,) to which as particular things existing are found to agree, so they come to be of that species, have that denomination, or are put into that class. (From III.iii.15—Several significations of the word Essence) But since the essences of things are thought by some (and not without reason) to be wholly unknown, it may not be amiss to consider the several significations of the word essence. Real essences. First, essence may be taken for the very being of anything, whereby it is what it is. And thus the real internal, but generally (in substances) unknown constitution of things, whereon their discoverable qualities depend, may be called their essence. This is the proper original signification of the word, as is evident from the formation of it; essential in its primary notation, signifying properly, being. And in this sense it is still used, when we speak of the essence of particular things, without giving them any name. Nominal essences. Secondly, the learning and disputes of the schools having been much busied about genus and species, the word essence has almost lost its primary signification: and, instead of the real constitution of things, has been almost wholly applied to the artificial constitution of genus and species. It is true, there is ordinarily supposed a real constitution of the sorts of things; and it is past doubt there must be some real constitution, on which any collection of simple ideas co-existing must depend. But, it being evident that things are ranked under names into sorts or species, only as they agree to certain abstract ideas, to which we have annexed those names, the essence of each genus, or sort, comes to be nothing but that abstract idea which the general, or sortal (if I may have leave so to call it from sort, as I do general from genus,) name stands for. And this we shall find to be that which the word essence imports in its most familiar use. These two sorts of essences, I suppose, may not unfitly be termed, the one the real, the other nominal essence. (From III.vi.6—Even the real essences of individual substances imply potential sorts) It is true, I have often mentioned a real essence, distinct in substances from those abstract ideas of them, which I call their nominal essence. By this real essence I mean, that real constitution of anything, which is the foundation of all those properties that are combined in, and are constantly found to co-exist with the nominal essence; that particular constitution which everything has within itself, without any relation to anything without it. But essence, even in this sense, relates to a sort, and supposes a species. For, being that real constitution on which the properties depend, it necessarily supposes a sort of things, properties belonging only to species, and not to individuals: e.g., supposing the nominal essence of gold to be a body of such a peculiar colour and weight, with malleability and fusibility, the real essence is that constitution of the parts of matter on which these qualities and their union depend; and is also the foundation of its solubility in aqua regia and other properties, accompanying that complex idea. Hre are essences and properties, but all upon supposition of a sort or general abstract idea, which is considered as immutable; but there is no individual parcel of matter to which any of these qualities are so annexed as to be essential to it or inseparable from it. (From III.vi.50) For, let us consider, when we affirm that ‘all gold is fixed,’ either it means that fixedness is a part of the definition, i.e., part of the nominal essence the word ‘gold’ stands for; and so this affirmation, ‘all gold is fixed,’ contains nothing but the signification of the term ‘gold’. Or else it means, that fixedness, not being a part of the definition of ‘gold’, is a property of that substance itself: in which case it is plain that the word ‘gold’ stands in the place of a substance, having the real essence of a species of things made by nature. In which way of substitution it has so confused and uncertain a signification, that, though this proposition—‘gold is fixed’—be in that sense an affirmation of something real; yet it is a truth will always fail us in its particular application, and so is of no real use or certainty. For let it be ever so true, that all gold, i.e., all that has the real essence of gold, is fixed, what serves this for, whilst we know not, in this sense, what is or is not gold? For if we know not the real essence of gold, it is impossible we should know what parcel of matter has that essence, and so whether it be true gold or no. In this passage, Locke argues that all general claims about kinds (e.g., ‘gold is fixed’) are either trivial or uncertain. Using the gold example, explain each of these alternatives. In what way can it be taken as trivial? As uncertain? Now that we have some story about how our ideas of substances are constructed, we need to look at the two main kinds of substance we seem to find in the world: mind and body. Notice Locke’s argument against Descartes’s conflation of body and extension. Locke also replies here to Leibniz’s argument against Newtonian space, namely, that it must be either a substance or an accident, and neither makes much sense. (From II.xiii.17—Cohesion of solid parts and Impulse, the primary ideas peculiar to Body) The primary ideas we have peculiar to body, as contradistinguished to spirit, are the cohesion of solid, and consequently separable, parts, and a power of communicating motion by impulse. These, I think, are the original ideas proper and peculiar to body; for figure is but the consequence of finite extension. (From II.xiii.11—Extension and Body not the same) There are some that would persuade us, that body and extension are the same thing … If, therefore, they mean by body and extension the same that other people do, viz. By body something that is solid and extended, whose parts are separable and movable different ways; and by extension, only the space that lies between the extremities of those solid coherent parts, and which is possessed by them, [then] they confound very different ideas one with another; for I appeal to every man’s own thoughts, whether the idea of space be not as distinct from that of solidity, as it is from the idea of scarlet colour? It is true, solidity cannot exist without extension, neither can scarlet colour exist without extension, but this hinders not, but that they are distinct ideas. And if it be a reason to prove that spirit is different from body, because thinking includes not the idea of extension in it; the same reason will be as valid, I suppose, to prove that space is not body, because it includes not the idea of solidity in it; space and solidity being as distinct ideas as thinking and extension, and as wholly separable in the mind one from another … Extension includes no solidity, nor resistance to the motion of body, as body does. (From II.xiii.3—Space and Extension) This space, considered barely in length between any two beings, without considering anything else between them, is called distance: if considered in length, breadth, and thickness, I think it may be called capacity. When considered between the extremities of matter, which fills the capacity of space with something solid, tangible, and moveable, it is properly called extension. And so extension is an idea belonging to body only; but space may, as is evident, be considered without it. (From II.xiii.17—Substance, which we know not, no proof against space without body) If it be demanded (as usually it is) whether this space, void of body, be substance or accident, I shall readily answer I know not; nor shall be ashamed to own my ignorance, till they that ask show me a clear distinct idea of substance. Locke here sets out the constituent ideas that make up the complex idea of the mind. He also launches an attack against Descartes’s claim that thought is the essence of the soul. Most famously, he denies that we can be sure that what thinks in us in an immaterial substance. (From II.xxiii.18. Thinking and motivity) The ideas we have belonging and peculiar to spirit, are thinking, and will, or a power of putting body into motion by thought, and, which is consequent to it, liberty. For, as body cannot but communicate its motion by impulse to another body, which it meets with at rest, so the mind can put bodies into motion, or forbear to do so, as it pleases. The ideas of existence, duration, and mobility, are common to them both. But men in love with their opinions may not only suppose what is in question, but allege wrong matter of fact. How else could any one make it an inference of mine, that a thing is not, because we are not sensible of it in our sleep? I do not say there is no soul in a man, because he is not sensible of it in his sleep; but I do say, he cannot think at any time, waking or sleeping, without being sensible of it. Our being sensible of it is not necessary to anything but to our thoughts; and to them it is; and to them it always will be necessary, till we can think without being conscious of it. Premise 3: But experience shows _______. (From II.i.11—It is not always conscious of [thinking]) I grant that the soul, in a waking man, is never without thought, because it is the condition of being awake. But whether sleeping without dreaming be not an affection of the whole man, mind as well as body, may be worth a waking man’s consideration; it being hard to conceive that anything should think and not be conscious of it. If the soul doth think in a sleeping man without being conscious of it, I ask whether, during such thinking, it has any pleasure or pain, or be capable of happiness or misery? I am sure the man is not; no more than the bed or earth he lies on. For to be happy or miserable without being conscious of it, seems to me utterly inconsistent and impossible. Or if it be possible that the soul can, whilst the body is sleeping, have its thinking, enjoyments, and concerns, its pleasures or pain, apart, which the man is not conscious of nor partakes in—it is certain that Socrates asleep and Socrates awake is not the same person; but his soul when he sleeps, and Socrates the man, consisting of body and soul, when he is waking, are two persons: since waking Socrates has no knowledge of, or concernment for that happiness or misery of his soul, which it enjoys alone by itself whilst he sleeps, without perceiving anything of it; no more than he has for the happiness or misery of a man in the indies, whom he knows not. For, if we take wholly away all consciousness of our actions and sensations, especially of pleasure and pain, and the concernment that accompanies it, it will be hard to know wherein to place personal identity. What price does Locke think Descartes must pay, in order to hang on to his claim that the soul always thinks? (From II.xxiii.16—No Idea of abstract Substance either in Body or Spirit) By the complex idea of extended, figured, coloured, and all other sensible qualities, which is all that we know of it, we are as far from the idea of the substance of body, as if we knew nothing at all: nor after all the acquaintance and familiarity which we imagine we have with matter, and the many qualities men assure themselves they perceive and know in bodies, will it perhaps upon examination be found, that they have any more or clearer primary ideas belonging to body, than they have belonging to immaterial spirit. (From II.xxiii.23—Cohesion of solid Parts in Body as hard to be conceived as thinking in a Soul) [I]f [a man] says he knows not how he thinks, I answer, Neither knows he how he is extended, how the solid parts of body are united or cohere together to make extension. For though the pressure of the particles of air may account for the cohesion of several parts of matter that are grosser than the particles of air, and have pores less than the corpuscles of air, yet the weight or pressure of the air will not explain, nor can be a cause of the coherence of the particles of air themselves. And if the pressure of the aether, or any subtiler matter than the air, may unite, and hold fast together, the parts of a particle of air, as well as other bodies, yet it cannot make bonds for itself, and hold together the parts that make up every the least corpuscle of that materia subtilis. Locke is here raising the problem of transference: how can one body give its motion to another? See Aquinas, Summa Contra Gentiles Chapter Sixty-nine, Section Seven, and Descartes’s Principles (Part II, sections xxiv-v). How would each react to what Locke says here? (From IV.iii.6—Our Knowledge, therefore narrower than our Ideas) From all which it is evident, that the extent of our knowledge comes not only short of the reality of things, but even of the extent of our own ideas. Though our knowledge be limited to our ideas, and cannot exceed them either in extent or perfection; … Yet it would be well with us if our knowledge were but as large as our ideas, and there were not many doubts and inquiries concerning the ideas we have, whereof we are not, nor I believe ever shall be in this world resolved. Nevertheless, I do not question but that human knowledge, under the present circumstances of our beings and constitutions, may be carried much further than it has hitherto been, if men would sincerely, and with freedom of mind, employ all that industry and labour of thought, in improving the means of discovering truth, which they do for the colouring or support of falsehood, to maintain a system, interest, or party they are once engaged in. … We have the ideas of a square, a circle, and equality; and yet, perhaps, shall never be able to find a circle equal to a square, and certainly know that it is so. We have the ideas of matter and thinking, but possibly shall never be able to know whether [any mere material being] thinks or no; it being impossible for us, by the contemplation of our own ideas, without revelation, to discover whether Omnipotency has not given to some systems of matter, fitly disposed, a power to perceive and think, or else joined and fixed to matter, so disposed, a thinking immaterial substance: it being, in respect of our notions, not much more remote from our comprehension to conceive that God can, if he pleases, superadd to matter a faculty of thinking, than that he should superadd to it another substance with a faculty of thinking; since we know not wherein thinking consists, nor to what sort of substances the Almighty has been pleased to give that power, which cannot be in any created being, but merely by the good pleasure and bounty of the Creator. For I see no contradiction in it, that the first Eternal thinking Being, or Omnipotent Spirit, should, if he pleased, give to certain systems of created senseless matter, put together as he thinks fit, some degrees of sense, perception, and thought: though, as I think I have proved, lib. iv. Ch. 10, Section 14, &c., it is no less than a contradiction to suppose matter (which is evidently in its own nature void of sense and thought) should be that Eternal first-thinking Being. What certainty of knowledge can any one have, that some perceptions, such as, e.g., pleasure and pain, should not be in some bodies themselves, after a certain manner modified and moved, as well as that they should be in an immaterial substance, upon the motion of the parts of body: Body, as far as we can conceive, being able only to strike and affect body, and motion, according to the utmost reach of our ideas, being able to produce nothing but motion; so that when we allow it to produce pleasure or pain, or the idea of a colour or sound, we are fain to quit our reason, go beyond our ideas, and attribute it wholly to the good pleasure of our Maker. For, since we must allow He has annexed effects to motion which we can no way conceive motion able to produce, what reason have we to conclude that He could not order them as well to be produced in a subject we cannot conceive capable of them, as well as in a subject we cannot conceive the motion of matter can any way operate upon? I say not this, that I would any way lessen the belief of the soul’s immateriality: I am not here speaking of probability, but knowledge, and I think not only that it becomes the modesty of philosophy not to pronounce magisterially, where we want that evidence that can produce knowledge; but also, that it is of use to us to discern how far our knowledge does reach; for the state we are at present in, not being that of vision, we must in many things content ourselves with faith and probability: and in the present question, about the Immateriality of the Soul, if our faculties cannot arrive at demonstrative certainty, we need not think it strange. All the great ends of morality and religion are well enough secured, without philosophical proofs of the soul’s immateriality … since it is evident, that he who made us at the beginning to subsist here, sensible intelligent beings, and for several years continued us in such a state, can and will restore us to the like state of sensibility in another world, and make us capable there to receive the retribution he has designed to men, according to their doings in this life. Can Locke make good on his claim that ‘all the great ends of religion and morality’ can be served, even without a proof of the soul’s immortality? Both religion and morality require, Locke thinks, the certainty of post-mortem rewards and harms. But how can we make sense of the self surviving the death of the body, if we cannot show that the self is immaterial? (From II.xxvii.8—Idea of identity suited to the idea it is applied to) It is not therefore unity of substance that comprehends all sorts of identity, or will determine it in every case; but to conceive and judge of it aright, we must consider what idea the word it is applied to stands for: it being one thing to be the same substance, another the same man, and a third the same person, if person, man, and substance, are three names standing for three different ideas;—for such as is the idea belonging to that name, such must be the identity; which, if it had been a little more carefully attended to, would possibly have prevented a great deal of that confusion which often occurs about this matter, with no small seeming difficulties, especially concerning personal identity, which therefore we shall in the next place a little consider. (From II.xxvii.4) [L]et us suppose an atom, i.e., a continued body under one immutable superficies, existing in a determined time and place; it is evident, that, considered in any instant of its existence, it is in that instant the same with itself. For, being at that instant what it is, and nothing else, it is the same, and so must continue as long as its existence is continued; for so long it will be the same, and no other. In like manner, if two or more atoms be joined together into the same mass, every one of those atoms will be the same, by the foregoing rule: and whilst they exist united together, the mass, consisting of the same atoms, must be the same mass, or the same body, let the parts be ever so differently jumbled. But if one of these atoms be taken away, or one new one added, it is no longer the same mass or the same body. In the state of living creatures, their identity depends not on a mass of the same particles, but on something else. For in them the variation of great parcels of matter alters not the identity: an oak growing from a plant to a great tree, and then lopped, is still the same oak; and a colt grown up to a horse, sometimes fat, sometimes lean, is all the while the same horse: though, in both these cases, there may be a manifest change of the parts; so that truly they are not either of them the same masses of matter, though they be truly one of them the same oak, and the other the same horse. The reason whereof is, that, in these two cases—a mass of matter and a living body—identity is not applied to the same thing. (From II.xxvii.5–Identity of Vegetables) We must therefore consider wherein an oak differs from a mass of matter, and that seems to me to be in this, that the one is only the cohesion of particles of matter any how united, the other such a disposition of them as constitutes the parts of an oak; and such an organization of those parts as is fit to receive and distribute nourishment, so as to continue and frame the wood, bark, and leaves, &c., of an oak, in which consists the vegetable life. That being then one plant which has such an organization of parts in one coherent body, partaking of one common life, it continues to be the same plant as long as it partakes of the same life, though that life be communicated to new particles of matter vitally united to the living plant, in a like continued organization conformable to that sort of plants. For this organization, being at any one instant in any one collection of matter, is in that particular concrete distinguished from all other, and is that individual life, which existing constantly from that moment both forwards and backwards, in the same continuity of insensibly succeeding parts united to the living body of the plant, it has that identity which makes the same plant, and all the parts of it, parts of the same plant, during all the time that they exist united in that continued organization, which is fit to convey that common life to all the parts so united. (From II.xxvii.7—The Identity of Man) This also shows wherein the identity of the same man consists; viz. in nothing but a participation of the same continued life, by constantly fleeting particles of matter, in succession vitally united to the same organized body. (From II.xxvii.11—Personal Identity) This being premised, to find wherein personal identity consists, we must consider what person stands for; which, I think, is a thinking intelligent being, that has reason and reflection, and can consider itself as itself, the same thinking thing, in different times and places; which it does only by that consciousness which is inseparable from thinking, and, as it seems to me, essential to it: it being impossible for any one to perceive without perceiving that he does perceive. When we see, hear, smell, taste, feel, meditate, or will anything, we know that we do so. Thus it is always as to our present sensations and perceptions: and by this every one is to himself that which he calls self—it not being considered, in this case, whether the same self be continued in the same or divers substances. For, since consciousness always accompanies thinking, and it is that which makes every one to be what he calls self, and thereby distinguishes himself from all other thinking things, in this alone consists personal identity, i.e., the sameness of a rational being: and as far as this consciousness can be extended backwards to any past action or thought, so far reaches the identity of that person; it is the same self now it was then; and it is by the same self with this present one that now reflects on it, that that action was done. (From II.xxvii.12—Consciousness makes personal Identity) But it is further inquired, whether it be the same identical substance. This few would think they had reason to doubt of, if these perceptions, with their consciousness, always remained present in the mind, whereby the same thinking thing would be always consciously present, and, as would be thought, evidently the same to itself. But that which seems to make the difficulty is this, that this consciousness being interrupted always by forgetfulness, there being no moment of our lives wherein we have the whole train of all our past actions before our eyes in one view, but even the best memories losing the sight of one part whilst they are viewing another; and we sometimes, and that the greatest part of our lives, not reflecting on our past selves, being intent on our present thoughts, and in sound sleep having no thoughts at all, or at least none with that consciousness which remarks our waking thoughts—I say, in all these cases, our consciousness being interrupted, and we losing the sight of our past selves, doubts are raised whether we are the same thinking thing, i.e., the same substance or no. Which, however reasonable or unreasonable, concerns not personal identity at all. … For as far as any intelligent being can repeat the idea of any past action with the same consciousness it had of it at first, and with the same consciousness it has of any present action; so far it is the same personal self. For it is by the consciousness it has of its present thoughts and actions, that it is self to itself now, and so will be the same self, as far as the same consciousness can extend to actions past or to come; and would be by distance of time, or change of substance, no more two persons, than a man be two men by wearing other clothes to-day than he did yesterday, with a long or a short sleep between: the same consciousness uniting those distant actions into the same person, whatever substances contributed to their production. (From II.xxvii.15—Whether in Change of thinking Substances there can be one Person) [I]t must be allowed, that, if the same consciousness (which, as has been shown, is quite a different thing from the same numerical figure or motion in body) can be transferred from one thinking substance to another, it will be possible that two thinking substances may make but one person. For the same consciousness being preserved, whether in the same or different substances, the personal identity is preserved. (From II.xxvii.17—The body, as well as the soul, goes to the making of a Man) And thus may we be able, without any difficulty, to conceive the same person at the resurrection, though in a body not exactly in make or parts the same which he had here, the same consciousness going along with the soul that inhabits it. But yet the soul alone, in the change of bodies, would scarce to any one but to him that makes the soul the man, be enough to make the same man. For should the soul of a prince, carrying with it the consciousness of the prince’s past life, enter and inform the body of a cobbler, as soon as deserted by his own soul, every one sees he would be the same person with the prince, accountable only for the prince’s actions: but who would say it was the same man? (From II.xxvii.19—Self depends on Consciousness, not on Substance) Self is that conscious thinking thing—whatever substance made up of (whether spiritual or material, simple or compounded, it matters not)—which is sensible or conscious of pleasure and pain, capable of happiness or misery, and so is concerned for itself, as far as that consciousness extends. (From II.xxvii.20—Persons, not Substances, the Objects of Reward and Punishment) In this personal identity is founded all the right and justice of reward and punishment; happiness and misery being that for which every one is concerned for himself, and not mattering what becomes of any substance, not joined to, or affected with that consciousness. (From II.xxvii.21—Which shows wherein Personal identity consists) This may show us wherein personal identity consists: not in the identity of substance, but, as I have said, in the identity of consciousness … if Socrates waking and sleeping do not partake of the same consciousness, Socrates waking and sleeping is not the same person. And to punish Socrates waking for what sleeping Socrates thought, and waking Socrates was never conscious of, would be no more of right, than to punish one twin for what his brother-twin did, whereof he knew nothing, because their outsides were so like, that they could not be distinguished; for such twins have been seen. (From II.xxvii.24—Objection) But is not a man drunk and sober the same person? Why else is he punished for the fact he commits when drunk, though he be never afterwards conscious of it? Just as much the same person as a man that walks, and does other things in his sleep, is the same person, and is answerable for any mischief he shall do in it. Human laws punish both, with a justice suitable to their way of knowledge; because, in these cases, they cannot distinguish certainly what is real, what counterfeit: and so the ignorance in drunkenness or sleep is not admitted as a plea. But in the great day, wherein the secrets of all hearts shall be laid open, it may be reasonable to think, no one shall be made to answer for what he knows nothing of; but shall receive his doom, his conscience accusing or excusing him. What is Locke’s sortal relativity thesis? What does Descartes think accounts for personal identity over time? What does Locke think is wrong with Descartes’s answer? It now makes sense to turn to Locke’s official discussion of the limits of knowledge. Keep in mind that the two orders of classification Locke introduces (manners or degrees of knowledge and the objects known) cut across each other. I’ve chosen to frame the discussion in terms of the objects of knowledge: identity (known by intuition), relation (by demonstration), co-existence, and real existence (by sensation). (From IV.i.1—Our Knowledge conversant about our Ideas only) Since the mind, in all its thoughts and reasonings, hath no other immediate object but its own ideas, which it alone does or can contemplate, it is evident that our knowledge is only conversant about them. (From IV.i.2—Knowledge is the perception of the agreement or disagreement of two ideas) Knowledge then seems to me to be nothing but the perception of the connexion of and agreement, or disagreement and repugnancy of any of our ideas. In this alone it consists. Where this perception is, there is knowledge, and where it is not, there, though we may fancy, guess, or believe, yet we always come short of knowledge. For when we know that white is not black, what do we else but perceive, that these two ideas do not agree? when we possess ourselves with the utmost security of the demonstration, that the three angles of a triangle are equal to two right ones, what do we more but perceive, that equality to two right ones does necessarily agree to, and is inseparable from, the three angles of a triangle? (From IV.i.3—This Agreement or Disagreement may be any of four sorts) But to understand a little more distinctly wherein this agreement or disagreement consists, I think we may reduce it all to these four sorts: i. identity, or diversity. ii. relation. iii. co-existence, or necessary connexion. iv. real existence. (From IV.i.4—First, of Identity, or Diversity in ideas) First, as to the first sort of agreement or disagreement, viz. identity or diversity. It is the first act of the mind, when it has any sentiments or ideas at all, to perceive its ideas; and so far as it perceives them, to know each what it is, and thereby also to perceive their difference, and that one is not another. (From IV.i.5—Secondly, of abstract Relations between ideas) Secondly, the next sort of agreement or disagreement the mind perceives in any of its ideas may, I think, be called relative, and is nothing but the perception of the relation between any two ideas, of what kind soever, whether substances, modes, or any other. (From IV.i.6—Thirdly, of their necessary Co-existence in Substances) The third sort of agreement or disagreement to be found in our ideas, which the perception of the mind is employed about, is co-existence or non-co-existence in the same subject; and this belongs particularly to substances. Thus when we pronounce concerning gold, that it is fixed, our knowledge of this truth amounts to no more but this, that fixedness, or a power to remain in the fire unconsumed, is an idea that always accompanies and is joined with that particular sort of yellowness, weight, fusibility, malleableness, and solubility in aqua regia, which make our complex idea signified by the word ‘gold’. (From IV.iii.9–Of their Co-existence, extends only a very little way) [A]s to the … agreement or disagreement of our ideas in co-existence, in this our knowledge is very short; though in this consists the greatest and most material part of our knowledge concerning substances. For our ideas of the species of substances being, as I have showed, nothing but certain collections of simple ideas united in one subject, and so co-existing together; e.g., our idea of flame is a body hot, luminous, and moving upward; of gold, a body heavy to a certain degree, yellow, malleable, and fusible: for these, or some such complex ideas as these, in men’s minds, do these two names of the different substances, flame and gold, stand for. When we would know anything further concerning these, or any other sort of substances, what do we inquire, but what other qualities or powers these substances have or have not? which is nothing else but to know what other simple ideas do, or do not co-exist with those that make up that complex idea? (From IV.iii.10—Because the Connexion between simple Ideas in substances is for the most part unknown) This, how weighty and considerable a part soever of human science, is yet very narrow, and scarce any at all. The reason whereof is, that the simple ideas whereof our complex ideas of substances are made up are, for the most part, such as carry with them, in their own nature, no visible necessary connexion or inconsistency with any other simple ideas, whose co-existence with them we would inform ourselves about. (From IV.iii.25) If a great, nay, far the greatest part of the several ranks of bodies in the universe escape our notice by their remoteness, there are others that are no less concealed from us by their minuteness. These insensible corpuscles, being the active parts of matter, and the great instruments of nature, on which depend not only all their secondary qualities, but also most of their natural operations, our want of precise distinct ideas of their primary qualities keeps us in an incurable ignorance of what we desire to know about them. I doubt not but if we could discover the figure, size, texture, and motion of the minute constituent parts of any two bodies, we should know without trial several of their operations one upon another; as we do now the properties of a square or a triangle. Did we know the mechanical affections of the particles of rhubarb, hemlock, opium, and a man, as a watchmaker does those of a watch, whereby it performs its operations; and of a file, which by rubbing on them will alter the figure of any of the wheels; we should be able to tell beforehand that rhubarb will purge, hemlock kill, and opium make a man sleep: as well as a watchmaker can, that a little piece of paper laid on the balance will keep the watch from going till it be removed; or that, some small part of it being rubbed by a file, the machine would quite lose its motion, and the watch go no more. The dissolving of silver in aqua fortis, and gold in aqua regia, and not vice versa, would be then perhaps no more difficult to know than it is to a smith to understand why the turning of one key will open a lock, and not the turning of another. But whilst we are destitute of senses acute enough to discover the minute particles of bodies, and to give us ideas of their mechanical affections, we must be content to be ignorant of their properties and ways of operation; nor can we be assured about them any further than some few trials we make are able to reach. But whether they will succeed again another time, we cannot be certain. This hinders our certain knowledge of universal truths concerning natural bodies: and our reason carries us herein very little beyond particular matter of fact. (From IV.vi.9—No discoverable necessary connexion between nominal essence gold, and other simple ideas) As there is no discoverable connexion between fixedness and the colour, weight, and other simple ideas of that nominal essence of gold; so, if we make our complex idea of gold, a body yellow, fusable, ductile, weighty, and fixed, we shall be at the same uncertainty concerning solubility in aqua regia, and for the same reason. Since we can never, from consideration of the ideas themselves, with certainty affirm or deny of a body whose complex idea is made up of yellow, very weighty, ductile, fusible, and fixed, that it is soluble in aqua regia: and so on of the rest of its qualities. I would gladly meet with one general affirmation concerning any will, no doubt, be presently objected, is not this an universal proposition, “all gold is malleable”? to which I answer, it is a very complex idea the word ‘gold’ stands for. But then here is nothing affirmed of gold, but that that sound stands for an idea in which malleableness is contained: and such a sort of truth and certainty as this it is, to say a centaur is four-footed. But if malleableness make not a part of the specific essence the name of ‘gold’ stands for, it is plain, “all gold is malleable”, is not a certain proposition. Because, let the complex idea of gold be made up of whichsoever of its other qualities you please, malleableness will not appear to depend on that complex idea, nor follow from any simple one contained in it: the connexion that malleableness has (if it has any) with those other qualities being only by the intervention of the real constitution of its insensible parts; which, since we know not, it is impossible we should perceive that connexion, unless we could discover that which ties them together. (From IV.i.7—Fourthly, of real Existence agreeing to any idea) The fourth and last sort is that of actual real existence agreeing to any idea. Intuitive: The different clearness of our knowledge seems to me to lie in the different way of perception the mind has of the agreement or disagreement of any of its ideas. For if we will reflect on our own ways of thinking, we will find, that sometimes the mind perceives the agreement or disagreement of two ideas immediately by themselves, without the intervention of any other: and this I think we may call intuitive knowledge. That it is no great matter, whether I remove his scruple or no: where all is but dream, reasoning and arguments are of no use, truth and knowledge nothing. That I believe he will allow a very manifest difference between dreaming of being in the fire, and being actually in it. But yet if he be resolved to appear so sceptical as to maintain, that what I call being actually in the fire is nothing but a dream; and that we cannot thereby certainly know, that any such thing as fire actually exists without us: I answer, that we certainly finding that pleasure or pain follows upon the application of certain objects to us, whose existence we perceive, or dream that we perceive, by our senses; this certainty is as great as our happiness or misery, beyond which we have no concernment to know or to be. So that, I think, we may add to the two former sorts of knowledge this also, of the existence of particular external objects, by that perception and consciousness we have of the actual entrance of ideas from them, and allow these three degrees of knowledge, viz. intuitive, demonstrative, and sensitive; in each of which there are different degrees and ways of evidence and certainty. (From IV.iv.1—Objection: “Knowledge placed in our ideas may be all unreal or chimerical”) I doubt not but my reader, by this time, may be apt to think that I have been all this while only building a castle in the air; and be ready to say to me: To what purpose all this stir? knowledge, say you, is only the perception of the agreement or disagreement of our own ideas: but who knows what those ideas may be? Is there anything so extravagant as the imaginations of men’s brains? where is the head that has no chimeras in it? … If it be true, that all knowledge lies only in the perception of the agreement or disagreement of our own ideas, the visions of an enthusiast and the reasonings of a sober man will be equally certain. (From IV.iv.2—Answer Not so, where Ideas agree with Things) To which I answer, That if our knowledge of our ideas terminate in them, and reach no further, where there is something further intended, our most serious thoughts will be of little more use than the reveries of a crazy brain. … But I hope, before I have done, to make it evident, that this way of certainty, by the knowledge of our own ideas, goes a little further than bare imagination: and I believe it will appear that all the certainty of general truths a man has lies in nothing else. (From IV.iv.3—But what shall be the criterion of this agreement?) It is evident the mind knows not things immediately, but only by the intervention of the ideas it has of them. Our knowledge, therefore, is real only so far as there is a conformity between our ideas and the reality of things. But what shall be here the criterion? How shall the mind, when it perceives nothing but its own ideas, know that they agree with things themselves? this, though it seems not to want difficulty, yet, I think, there be two sorts of ideas that we may be assured agree with things. (From IV.iv.4—As, first all simple ideas are really conformed to things) First, the first are simple ideas, which since the mind, as has been showed, can by no means make to itself, must necessarily be the product of things operating on the mind, in a natural way, and producing therein those perceptions which by the Wisdom and Will of our Maker they are ordained and adapted to. From whence it follows, that simple ideas are not fictions of our fancies, but the natural and regular productions of things without us, really operating upon us; and so carry with them all the conformity which is intended; or which our state requires: for they represent to us things under those appearances which they are fitted to produce in us: whereby we are enabled to distinguish the sorts of particular substances, to discern the states they are in, and so to take them for our necessities, and apply them to our uses. Thus the idea of whiteness, or bitterness, as it is in the mind, exactly answering that power which is in any body to produce it there, has all the real conformity it can or ought to have, with things without us. And this conformity between our simple ideas and the existence of things, is sufficient for real knowledge. What is the difference between knowledge and ‘real’ knowledge? How can we know whether we have ‘real’ knowledge or not? Scholars disagree on just how Locke means to respond to skepticism. But it certainly looks as if he is invoking God at some crucial points in his defense of the reality of knowledge. What follows is Locke’s sketch of his argument for God’s existence; the details are to be found later in IV.x. (From IV.x.2—For Man knows that he himself exists) I think it is beyond question, that man has a clear idea of his own being; he knows certainly he exists, and that he is something. He that can doubt whether he be anything or no, I speak not to … This, then, I think I may take for a truth, which every one’s certain knowledge assures him of, beyond the liberty of doubting, viz. that he is something that actually exists. (From IV.x.3—He knows also that Nothing cannot produce a Being; therefore something must have existed from Eternity) In the next place, man knows, by an intuitive certainty, that bare nothing can no more produce any real being, than it can be equal to two right angles. [I]t is [thus] an evident demonstration, that from eternity there has been something; since what was not from eternity had a beginning; and what had a beginning must be produced by something else. (From IV.x.4—And that eternal being must be most powerful) Next, it is evident, that what had its being and beginning from another, must also have all that which is in and belongs to its being from another too. All the powers it has must be owing to and received from the same source. This eternal source, then, of all being must also be the source and original of all power; and so this eternal being must be also the most powerful. (From IV.x.5—And most knowing) Again, a man finds in himself perception and knowledge. We have then got one step further; and we are certain now that there is not only some being, but some knowing, intelligent being in the world. There was a time, then, when there was no knowing being, and when knowledge began to be; or else there has been also a knowing being from eternity. If it be said, there was a time when no being had any knowledge, when that eternal being was void of all understanding; I reply, that then it was impossible there should ever have been any knowledge: it being as impossible that things wholly void of knowledge, and operating blindly, and without any perception, should produce a knowing being, as it is impossible that a triangle should make itself three angles bigger than two right ones. For it is as repugnant to the idea of senseless matter, that it should put into itself sense, perception, and knowledge, as it is repugnant to the idea of a triangle, that it should put into itself greater angles than two right ones. (From IV.x.6—And therefore God) Thus, from the consideration of ourselves, and what we infallibly find in our own constitutions, our reason leads us to the knowledge of this certain and evident truth—that there is an eternal, most powerful, and most knowing being; which whether any one will please to call God, it matters not. Locke’s argument for God’s existence, as presented in these passages, looks pretty weak. What’s wrong with it? John Locke’s (1632–1704) Essay Concerning Human Understanding (1689) by Walter Ott and Alex Dunn is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

2019-04-20T12:34:35Z

https://opentextbc.ca/modernphilosophy/chapter/john-lockes-1632-1704-essay-concerning-human-understanding-1689/

Andrew Taylor Bio: Andrew Taylor is Director of the Bolz Center for Arts Administration www.bolzcenter.org - an MBA degree program and research center in the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business. An author, lecturer, and researcher on a broad range of arts management issues, Andrew has also served as a consultant to arts organizations and cultural initiatives throughout the U.S. and Canada, including the International Society for the Performing Arts, American Ballet Theatre, the Center for Arts and Culture, and the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, and helped develop the budget pro forma and operating plan for the $205-million Overture Center for the Arts in Madison, Wisconsin. Andrew is currently the president of the Association of Arts Administration Educators (www.artsadministration.org), an international association of degree-granting programs in arts and cultural management, research, and policy, and is a consulting editor for The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society. Since July 2003, he has written a popular weblog on the business of arts and culture, The Artful Manager, hosted by ArtsJournal.com (www.artfulmanager.com). Barry: There are many ways for arts and cultural professionals to learn and advance their craft. Where do degree-granting programs in higher education fit into that spectrum of learning opportunities? Andrew: Like most other professionals, arts and cultural managers can learn on the job, through professional development at conferences and workshops, through self-study or mentorship, or through a number of other paths and resources. In fact, most responsive leaders in the arts will always be learning through one of these means, as there's always more to learn. Undergraduate and graduate degree programs provide a place and process for uniquely intensive and sequential learning in the full range of skills and insights required of cultural management. For some, a degree program provides a fast-track through what would take decades to learn on the job. For others, these programs offer a space to rethink what they've learned through experience, and to connect it with the theory, critical thinking, and personal/professional networks they need to evolve their work in the arts. You certainly don't need a business degree to run a business. Nor do you need a communications degree to serve as an effective communications professional. But these structured learning opportunities, along with the rich environments and personal networks they provide, can bring you to a different place in your life and your work than you could discover without them. It's the same with degree programs in arts administration. Barry: When I was the Director of the California Arts Council, there were degree programs in Arts Administration at U.C.L.A. and Golden Gate University. Those programs no longer exist. Can you give us status report and an assessment of university arts administration program provision in the U.S. today? How many schools offer curriculum in the area? And are we turning out more or fewer graduates from these programs than say four years ago? Where do you see this area going in the next few years? What obstacles will it face? Andrew: There have been a few graduate and undergraduate degree programs that have closed shop over the years, due to the retirement of their founding directors or changing priorities for their host institutions but others have risen in equal or greater numbers. Over the past four years, I'd estimate that the total number of degree programs in arts and cultural management has grown slightly, with some more significant growth in undergraduate programs. In the next few years, I'd expect roughly the same slow growth in programs and graduates. As the environment for cultural organizations continues to change rather dramatically, our challenge will be adapting our curriculum and programs in response, to ground our students to know how the world used to work while preparing them for the world to come. Barry: Follow up Question: Can you give me some examples of how you think curriculum in arts nonprofit programs will likely change in the next couple of years in response to a changing environment in which our arts & culture nonprofits operate? For example, I am a vocal proponent of advancing the sector's advocacy and lobbying skills, and for arts leadership to make advocacy and lobbying a part of the job description of arts organization senior staff and board members yet advocacy and lobbying doesn't seem to yet be a part of most higher arts management programs. Do you think that is an area that will change? Are there others you can point to? Andrew: The shape and sequence of the coursework will likely remain much the same, as such things move at a glacial pace in higher education. But the content of the required courses is changing all the time. For example, introductory marketing courses used to emphasize fairly basic consumer awareness and decision-making models. Today, a course with the same title will cover much more sophisticated terrain, like customer analysis and segmentation, value-based pricing, and channel strategy. For me, the constant challenge is to resist the impulse to respond to complex changes by adding more complexity to our curriculum. As we notice more globalization in the arts, shifts in leisure time, challenges to copyright, and the like, the impulse is to tack on more and more readings and topics, rather than rethinking things down to their underlying forms. This is certainly true in connecting students to marketing and development. We used to treat these two income streams as entirely different entities (and many arts organizations are still structured as if they are different endeavors). Yet, really, marketing and development are just different corollaries of the same challenge: matching your organization's strengths with an individual's or organization's needs and values, and encouraging more of them to commit their resources to you. Come to think of it, that describes volunteer staffing and governance, as well. The growing need for advocacy and lobbying fits this simplicity effort as well. The two primary jobs for governing boards and top leadership are to ensure that their organizations work effectively and productively, and that there are sufficient resources and support to sustain that success over time. Lobbying and advocacy are essential elements of both of these primary tasks. So, what I hope will evolve in our curricula and our learning strategies is a new simplicity, a growing emphasis on elegance and elemental insight, rather than just teaching more and more stuff. As Leonardo Da Vinci is credited with saying (who knows if he actually did): Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. But it's a bear to get there. Barry: If the number of graduates from these programs is on the increase, does that mean the number of jobs available for these graduates is similarly increasing? Or to put the question another way, is arts administration more viable as a career path today than it was a few years ago? Are students optimistic that they will find the jobs they are looking for after graduation? And if they are optimistic, is that optimism justified by the reality? As a follow-up question, is recruitment for these programs difficult? Is it easier than it was a few years ago? How do these schools go about recruiting the best and brightest? Andrew: I can only speak from my own experience and the conversations I have with my colleagues at other programs, but I think that the supply of graduates and the demand for them in the market are well matched. We have great success in placing our graduates in substantial jobs around the country, and I know other programs do, as well. What's more, we know that graduates advance quickly in the ranks, once their organizations experience what they can do. Of course, the career success of our graduates is a different matter than the viability of cultural management on the grander scale. Most indicators suggest that the dramatic growth in the number and size of arts organizations of the past few decades has hit a plateau. Most of the forces that fueled that growth, massive increases in wealth; availability of workforce to staff, govern, and volunteer; and under-penetrated cultural markets, have leveled or declined. It's an increasingly challenging time to work in any capacity at a professional nonprofit arts organization. But to the benefit of degree programs and the students within them, those challenges are growing the demand for thoughtful, innovative, and accountable leaders and staff. Barry: Follow-up question: Do you think the pay level for arts administrators particularly at the levels the graduates from these programs both enter and aspire to will likely increase so as to remain somewhat competitive with other jobs those students might take? Will their holding a degree help to raise the pay structure? And what about the mid-level administrators who are not graduates of programs and don't hold degrees will they benefit from increased pay levels as well? Much of arts & culture funding is program based and even basic operational support often ignores salary needs what are your thoughts on how to advance the profession of arts administration through increased compensation packages to our leadership? Andrew: First off, conversations about compensation always need to recognize that it's a complex calculus. People have all sorts of reasons for committing their time, talent, and attention to careers in cultural management, or any other career for that matter. Salary is certainly an essential element of those calculations, but only one. Also in the mix are a sense of purpose, productive contribution to an endeavor you value, connections to co-workers and constituents who enrich and challenge you, and a sense of joy and play. On average, the arts industry will always be resource-poor in capital and operating cash, it will be delivering services at below their true total cost, and it will be striving toward mission statements that are much larger than its capacity to deliver. We'll make up some of the difference in contributed income, volunteer labor, and the fiscal privilege of the nonprofit form. And we'll make up the rest in relatively lower salaries as compared to our commercial peers. There will be outliers in large and iconic cultural organizations, but there's no escaping the math. Does that mean we can't structure organizations that pay a living wage with benefits that respect the time, talent, and commitment of staff and leadership? No, of course not. It just means we have to be resourceful in our human resource practices, thoughtful in our organizational scope and scale, and competitive in the full definition of compensation. I've been pleased to see a steady increase in starting salaries for our graduates, and a growing willingness for thoughtful organizations to shape competitive compensation, even when they have to be creative with vacation time, professional development, and other non-monetary benefits. As the labor pool constricts over the coming decade (which demographics say it must), the market will force this kind of resourcefulness for those who want the most qualified and productive leaders. Barry: What constitutes the core subjects in a balanced arts administration education program today? What areas of arts administration education are we, in your opinion, doing a good job at covering? Which areas are we not doing such a good job? Andrew: The benefit of having a full complement of independent graduate and undergraduate degree programs around the country is that there is more than one answer to those questions. Some programs emphasize community engagement, some balance toward business, some focus on a specific arts discipline, some are entirely cross-disciplinary. If prospective students take time to understand their choices, they can find the mix, balance, and teaching philosophy that match their own learning interests and career goals. The Association of Arts Administration Educators (AAAE) website at www.artsadministration.org is a great resource to begin this comparison, and it will soon be getting much better as we launch the association's web redesign in the coming months. But within that range and variety, there are certainly essential elements of an integrated curriculum in arts and cultural management. AAAE recently developed graduate program curriculum standards to clarify and advance those essential elements among its graduate-level member programs. Those standards recommend both coursework and service learning in the production and distribution of art, financial analysis and budget management, income generation through earned and contributed sources, strategic planning, legal and ethical environments, policy, institutional leadership, and international issues. Undergraduate programs will have a different mix at a different level of engagement, as they also need to cover the broader goals of undergraduate education. As for where we're doing a good job in arts administration education and where we aren't, there's no way to provide a general response. All of the degree programs have unique strengths. All of us are also working to continually improve. For me, one of the larger frustrations is the disconnect between academic programs in arts administration and leadership development initiatives outside academia. It seems so obvious that efforts on both sides would benefit from more seamless conversation and collaboration. And yet each side seems to work in isolation from the other. Barry: Follow-up question: Why is that? What can we do to build intersections between those academic programs and the initiatives outside academia? Andrew: I'm honestly not sure what created these separate camps, as it makes no sense for either side to disconnect from the knowledge and insight of the other. I hear grumblings from non-academic programs that the academics are detached from real-world challenges. And I hear similar grumblings from the academic world that practitioner-based programs lack reflection and rigor. Both are right and both are wrong. And it's certainly not a challenge unique to arts administration you'll hear similar strains in almost any industry with specialized academic programs. The only way to build those intersections is to continue to try. The AAAE is working to build more meaningful and productive bridges with national service organizations, and they seem more eager than ever to connect with our programs. If we can gain some little victories and I think we can we can slowly disassemble these flawed perspectives and unproductive barriers we've constructed over the decades. In the end, the theory/practice argument is silly. You can't take action without a working theory of the challenge in front of you even if that theory is unspoken and unexamined. And you can't advance theory without direct interaction with real people making real choices. Barry: Generational succession is a hot button topic, and how the arts & culture sector can, and will, attract new blood from the next generation will likely greatly impact the future health of the sector what is the role arts administration education (particularly at the university level) in helping to insure that the sector has a reliable stream of qualified new talent to join its leadership ranks? How has it fared in successfully playing out that role? Andrew: I'll have to admit that I have a growing frustration with the tone and tenor of our proclaimed leadership crisis as explored at national conferences and among arts leaders. From my vantage point, the arts world is swimming in extraordinary prospective leaders with great ideas, entrepreneurial spirit, killer skills, and passion for the arts. I meet passionate and competent young and mid-career arts professionals everywhere I go. But I also watch them leave the sector because of their own frustration with the work they are allowed to do. The problem, in my opinion, isn't a lack of prospects entering the pipeline, but rather an extraordinarily leaky pipe. Working in an arts organization should be one of the most powerful mixtures of passion and profession. As other industries strive to meet growing workforce demand for jobs with meaning, personal value, connection, and impact, arts organizations so often seem to squander the riches they hold in these very areas. Through rigid leadership and governance structures, advancing professionalism above passion, growing aversion to risk in programming and in practice, and strangely sterile and joyless work environments, many arts organizations have modeled the corporate ideal of the 1950s just as corporations are rediscovering creative expression. It's an odd irony that we feel we can't compete for tomorrow's knowledge workers, when we can offer so much of what those workers claim they want. In most of the hand-wringing by established arts leaders about not seeing a next generation to succeed them, I hear a consistent subtext that what they're really not seeing is leaders like them. This next group of arts leaders will work differently, balance their work and life differently, and aggressively work to reshape our current understanding of how arts organizations can and should be run. It doesn't mean that their predecessors did things badly, just that each generation brings its own style and flair to the challenge. And thank goodness for that! As for the role of higher education programs in this challenge, I'd say we have several. First, our programs need to work continually with practitioners to understand what competencies are needed, and how the environment is changing. If we graduate students that can't excel at the job at hand, we've missed a primary part of our calling. Beyond that, however, academic programs have a unique opportunity to reframe the conversation about arts and cultural leadership. Through research, convenings, service learning, collaborations with national and international service organizations, and conversations with our alumni, arts administration degree programs can help define the job ahead, while also serving the job at hand. I think we've already seen extraordinary contributions to this conversation from academic programs across the country and around the world. And, to my mind, this is the most productive space for academic programs to explore. Barry: In the follow-up public forums on the study we did for the Hewlett Foundation Youth Involvement in the Arts (click here to download the full report: http://www.hewlett.org/Programs/PerformingArts/Publications/YouthReport.htmwww.hewlettfoundation.org), a number of young people in several venues decried that the work offered them was pedestrian in nature, made no attempt to utilize their talents and was rigidly authoritarian, not allowing for them any meaningful decision-making authority. Those views echoed conclusions in the report itself by organizations that had successful programs to involve more young people. Given your observations, how would you suggest we begin a sector wide systemic change in our attitudes as to the recruitment and involvement of young people? Andrew: I sure wish that I knew where the levers were to impact systemic change on this issue. It's a constant frustration to release bright and insightful students back into the workforce only to hear them frustrated and undervalued. I'm not suggesting they should be given the keys to the kingdom, but it's astounding what a little honest and responsive listening can do, as well as a clear sense that their actions and insights are valued. I suppose the ever-increasing competition for labor will eventually force more thoughtful change. Corporations in other fields are working fast and furiously to rethink their work environments, their recruiting and advancement strategies, and their pipeline of potential leaders. Arts organizations that don't do the same will increasingly fall short of their promise, and eventually fall flat on their faces. Barry: Arts organizations are really small businesses at their core with all of the positive things small businesses can offer local communities, and all of the problems and challenges every small business faces does the current arts administration education, thinking adequately address the needs of future arts administrators to become smart small business entrepreneurs in an increasingly competitive marketplace? Andrew: The concept of an arts organization as a small business, resonates deeply with my program, and many programs of my peers. Even at a huge annual operating budget (like $30 million or more), arts organizations are small businesses for a range of reasons. They live on cash and die on cash flow, they excel only when a complex number of constituencies work in alignment, and they are personal endeavors that thrive on relationship and human interaction. I know that many of my peer programs are working hard to advance this way of thinking, and I also know that a new generation of students is demanding it. I experience that push from my own students, and it drives me to work even harder to change the game. As one example, students are increasingly interested in exploring non-traditional corporate forms for expressive organizations from hybrid for-profit/nonprofit structures to informal, non-corporate organizations, to entirely commercial enterprises that still strive for mission over money. The traditional, professional, independently operated 501c3 organization is certainly one tool in the toolbox. But a vibrant future cultural ecosystem will demand leaders with a mastery of many tools. Barry: Many people have suggested that it's time for the old models to die and be replaced by new models that adapt to the changing times. And that may apply to the wider nonprofit universe as a whole. How can we facilitate moving from one paradigm to another and minimize the fear, disruptions, and challenges that come with wholesale change? Andrew: I actually have this argument with my arts consultant friends quite a bit these days. After working with an endless string of struggling nonprofit arts organizations, all sharing the inevitable challenges of the nonprofit corporate structure, they can't help but wonder if there's a better way waiting in the wings. I'm not so ready to toss out the nonprofit structure, as it has proven to be powerful in advancing non-market-supported expressive forms. But I am ready to toss out all the myths and common conceptions of what the nonprofit form looks like. On paper, it's really not that complicated, a board of three or more, some basic rules about the distribution of net revenue and the avoidance of personal gain, and some loose but convincing ties to serving the public trust. George Thorn and Nello McDaniel figured this out decades ago, that the large majority of our troubles with nonprofit structure are due to the mythology we invest in it. But of course, there should be a full range of means to advance the expressive life of our communities and the creative voices of our artists. Tomorrow's arts ecology will need to work harder to match organizational and corporate structure to the specific challenge at hand. The good ol' 501c3 will remain an important part of the solution. At least, so says I. Barry: Is there any national consensus on policy being developed within the arts administration education community that can serve as a guideline for future decision-making in this area? If not, why not? If there is, how is that policy arrived at? Andrew: Cultural policy is such a multi-headed monster in the United States, I would doubt that anyone could forge a national consensus. It's a creature of government at every level, federal, state, county, municipal but also of organized philanthropy, individual giving, and corporate support, generally forged as the byproduct of initiatives outside the arts and advanced without much communication between the players. I think higher education can play a productive role in policy on several levels. Through dispassionate and rigorous research, we can inform and advance a productive conversation based on evidence and reflection. Through cross-sectoral and cross-disciplinary convenings and partnerships, we can provide neutral ground for multiple constituents to learn together. Through curriculum and service learning, we can engage a next generation of leaders in the pitfalls and potential of the policy environment, and give them the tools to join the fray. And through all of this work, we can serve as translators, connectors, provocateurs, and thought-leaders to keep things moving forward. Are we hitting all of the above on all cylinders? Of course not. But we're working at it. And some of the best policy work I know of is being done or supported by arts administration programs and their faculty in higher education. Barry: You seem to suggest a greater role for your sector which I think will find a very sympathetic audience in the wider nonprofit arts field. How do you think that expanded role can best be rolled out? Andrew: I can see a vast number of potential connections, but I can't yet figure the best ways to get there. For example, our degree programs have hundreds of students ready to research important questions in policy and practice and, in fact, many are required to do so as part of their coursework. At the same time, service organizations and policy-makers are swimming in vexing but essential questions with no time or resources to address them. How can we connect the student researchers with the subjects that will really inform our future, while giving them a substantial taste for policy development in the process? Many arts administration education programs are already doing exceptional work in this regard. Carnegie Mellon's program has constructed a fantastic Arts and Culture Observatory initiative to provide on-going research on the state and shape of their region's arts infrastructure http://aco.artsnet.org/. Joan Jeffri at Columbia University Teachers College has long been a focused and passionate researcher on artists and arts policy http://www.tc.columbia.edu/faculty/index.htm?facid=jj64. Perhaps we can model these successful efforts and adapt them to work elsewhere. I'd love to hear the thoughts of your readers and peers as to where and how we can move things forward. Barry: You're the current President of the Association of Arts Administration Educators. Can you explain what that organization is all about? Is there an annual gathering? Are there ways you guys share information and work together in program development? Do you intersect with each other (or other sectors of the arts & culture universe) in terms of curriculum development or in other ways? Andrew: Yes, I'm honored to be serving my term as president of the AAAE. It's an international association of arts and cultural management programs in higher education, started about 30 years ago as many of these programs were forming. We have an annual conference (our next is in Madison in April 2008). We connect our members on-line and in person to advance their programs and explore their craft. We engage prospective students in arts and cultural management and help them find a productive fit. We work with national and international service organizations, associations, and related networks. And we provide a forum for advancing the reach and quality of research, teaching, and service in this unique and complex field. I've already mentioned our association's work in developing graduate program curriculum standards, and the tools surrounding them. Our members can use these standards to evaluate their own programs, and connect with peers who can help them grow and evolve where they identify the need to do so. We also know that the standards have been invaluable to new degree programs as they develop. And we are using them to inform our conversations with practitioners and professional development initiatives outside academia. We have a team of our members now exploring a similar effort for undergraduate programs. Beyond this important and meaningful work, I'll admit that my favorite aspect of the association is the opportunity to gather with peers. These are brilliant, funny, reflective, insightful individuals. These are old friends and valued colleagues. These are members of an extended family with the common bond of advancing, celebrating, and supporting the expressive life of our planet, and the leaders who make it run. Barry: You go to a lot of conferences - and participate as a speaker or panelist at a goodly number of them, is there, in your opinion, enough of a focus on issues germane to the provision of arts administration education? If not, where might more groups focus? Andrew: I do travel the conference circuit a lot, and I'm sad to say that the arts and cultural industry lacks a thoughtful, responsive, and consistent learning infrastructure at almost every level. We're oddly insular in how we gather, and how we structure our learning, by discipline, by job function, by geographic region. And the bulk of our conference learning time is spent on tactics as to how to write a grant, use a blog, manage a mail campaign, rather than on strategy or lateral thinking. To be fair to the conference conveners, it's a nearly impossible task to build such an infrastructure in such a rapidly evolving industry, especially when so many established arts leaders discount the value of continual learning. But I know that many of the national service organizations are working to turn this around, to rethink how they engage their members and advance a more curious culture among arts professionals, and to rebuild our rather sparse research infrastructure in a way that advances collective understanding and strategy. We've built so many bunkers over the decades, and searched so desperately for good news about the arts and society to advance our cause, that we've lost much of our ability to question ourselves and each other out loud, to seek the connections among our disciplines, and to explore the integral links we have to other industries, other fields, and to the larger world. These are the fundamental building blocks of significant learning and field transformation in any field, and most definitely in the arts. One positive impact of the dramatic changes now taking place in the arts is the new ascendance of these qualities in our conversations. Barry: If you had ten million dollars to spend to improve arts administrator education, how would you spend the money? Andrew: I think we need a significant and sustained investment in fostering greater diversity in our student rosters, as the professional nonprofit arts also need more diversity in their staffs, leadership, and boards. A portion of the $10 million could make a tiny turn in that direction. I also would segment some resources to encourage, support, and disseminate research on arts and cultural management issues, as we've only begun to scratch the surface of what we need to know to be effective teachers, managers, and leaders. And this doesn't take a bucket of money. For example, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation is currently providing small grant incentives to researchers that will dive deeper into a recently developed data set on arts audiences. The grants (of $2000 to $5000 at the most) refocus bright minds on an essential issue in the arts, while generating new insight on existing data. Finally, I'd fund a series of opportunities to encourage cross-talk and collaborative work between academic programs in arts administration and national service organizations. There's so much potential for mutual learning and growth between these worlds that even a tiny spark could set off a bonfire. If I had change left over from the $10 million after that, I'd probably buy some gum. 1. Alonzo King's LINES Ballet celebrates its 25th Anniversary with an extraordinary presentation of two new works at its Fall Season beginning this Friday night at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in downtown San Francisco. The opening night Gala Party is sold-out, but there still tickets available to the performances during the run. Click here for more information LINES Ballet www.linesballet.org/ and I hope as many of you as possible get the chance to see one of the world's truly great artists at the peak of his career.

2019-04-25T05:52:27Z

https://blog.westaf.org/2007/10/october-31-2007.html

Escherichia coli contains the CspA family, consisting of nine proteins (CspA to CspI), in which CspA, CspB, and CspG have been shown to be cold shock inducible and CspD has been shown to be stationary-phase inducible. The cspI gene is located at 35.2 min on the E. coli chromosome map, and CspI shows 70, 70, and 79% identity to CspA, CspB, and CspG, respectively. Analyses of cspI-lacZ fusion constructs and thecspI mRNA revealed that cspI is cold shock inducible. The 5′-untranslated region of the cspI mRNA consists of 145 bases and causes a negative effect on cspIexpression at 37°C. The cspI mRNA was very unstable at 37°C but was stabilized upon cold shock. Analyses of the CspI protein on two-dimensional gel electrophoresis revealed that CspI production is maximal at or below 15°C. Taking these results together, E. coli possesses a total of four cold shock-inducible proteins in the CspA family. Interestingly, the optimal temperature ranges for their induction are different: CspA induction occurs over the broadest temperature range (30 to 10°C), CspI induction occurs over the narrowest and lowest temperature range (15 to 10°C), and CspB and CspG occurs at temperatures between the above extremes (20 to 10°C). When Escherichia colicells grown at 37°C are transferred to low temperatures such as 15°C, a set of proteins called cold shock proteins are transiently induced at very high levels during a growth lag period called the acclimation phase (16, 17, 30). Among them, CspA has been identified as a major cold shock protein, consisting of 70 amino acid residues. It has two RNA binding motifs, RNP1 and RNP2 (10,16), and forms a β-barrel structure (7, 24, 27). CspA was revealed to cooperatively bind to RNAs and single-stranded DNAs and is considered to function as an RNA chaperone, which may prevent the formation of secondary structures of mRNAs for efficient translation at low temperatures (15). The cspA promoter is highly active at 37°C, although CspA protein is hardly detected at this temperature (5, 22), indicating that cspA expression at low temperatures is regulated posttranscriptionally. It should be mentioned, however, that the AT-rich sequence immediately upstream of the −35 region of thecspA promoter functions as a UP element to enhancecspA transcription (9, 22). The cspAmRNA is extremely unstable at 37°C but is dramatically stabilized upon cold shock (3, 5, 8, 22). The cspA mRNA possesses an unusually long 5′ untranslated region (5′-UTR) consisting of 159 bases (29). Mutation analyses have shown that the 5′-UTR of the cspA mRNA plays a crucial role in its cold shock inducibility (5, 22). In addition, translation initiation of the cspA mRNA appears to be very efficient at low temperature in comparison with mRNAs of non-cold-shock proteins (22). Thus, the cspA expression is regulated in a complex manner, that is, at the levels of transcription, mRNA stability and translation efficiency (3, 5, 8, 9, 22). cspA induction occurs transiently during the acclimation phase upon cold shock, as mentioned above. At the end of the acclimation phase, cspA expression is repressed to a new basal level (10). It has been proposed that the cold box sequence, which is located in the 5′-UTR, and a factor which might bind to the cold box to repress the cspA expression at the level of transcription are responsible for autoregulation of cspAexpression (6, 14). Six additional cspA homologues in E. coli,cspB to cspG, have been identified by means of Southern analysis with cspA as a probe (cspB andcspC ), isolation of multicopy suppressors of a chromosome partition mutant (cspC andcspE ) and cold shock induction (cspG ). Of these, cspA,cspB, and cspG are cold shock inducible (10,19, 23) and cspC and cspE are expressed at both high and low temperatures (35). cspD is located upstream of clpA (11) and is induced during stationary phase and upon nutrition starvation (34).cspF is closely linked to cspB (33); however, its function is not known. cspA, cspB, and cspG mRNAs share a highly conserved, long 5′-UTR sequence (19, 23, 29), suggesting that the expression ofcspB and cspG is regulated in a similar way to that of cspA. It should be noted, however, that CspB and CspG are induced in a narrower range of low temperature than is CspA (4). cspA is dispensable for growth at either 37 or 15°C, and the production of CspB and CspG increased in acspA deletion strain, suggesting that they may have similar functions (2). Upon completion of E. coli genome sequencing, two more CspA homologues, designated CspH and CspI (33), were found. They show the highest similarity to CspF and CspG, respectively (33). Although the primary amino acid sequence of CspI shows high identity not only to CspG (79%) but also to CspA (70%) and CspB (70%) (33), the region corresponding to the highly conserved 5′-UTR of cspA, cspB, andcspG is less highly conserved in cspI. Here we demonstrate that cspI is another cold shock gene, as judged by lacZ expression of both the transcriptional and the translational cspI-lacZ fusions and by CspI production, determined by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. As shown forcspA, the cspI mRNA was dramatically stabilized upon cold shock and the overproduction of the cspI 5′-UTR caused derepression of cspA, cspB,cspG, and cspI. In addition, the cspIgene was induced in the lowest temperature range (15 to 10°C), suggesting that CspI may play an important physiological role in growth at very low temperature. Bacterial strains, plasmids, and media. E. coli JM83 (32) and AR134 (MC4100 pcnB80) (13) were used. Plasmid pUC19 (32) was used for cloning. Plasmids pRS414 and pRS415 (28) were used for construction oflacZ fusions. Plasmid pCspA-LacZ, in which thecspA upstream region and the first 13 codons ofcspA were fused translationally to lacZ on the pRS414 vector, as described previously (19), was used as a control. Luria-Bertani (LB) and M9 media, supplemented with 0.4% glucose, 0.4% Casamino Acids, and 50 μg/ml of thiamine, were used for bacterial growth. When necessary, ampicillin was added at a final concentration of 50 μg/ml. General techniques.DNA cloning was carried out by the method described previously (26). PCR amplification was carried out as specified in the manufacturer’s instruction manual (Boehringer) with 30 cycles of amplification steps each of 1 min at 95°C, 2 min at 50°C, and 2 min at 72°C. Restriction enzymes and DNA modification enzymes were purchased from Boehringer, Gibco BRL, and New England Biolabs. Plasmid construction. cspI was amplified by PCR with synthetic oligonucleotide primers, 8188 (5′-aagaattcAACATTTACATCGCGGAA-3′) and 8187 (5′-ttgggatCCTCAAAGCGCCACTA-3′), where the 5′ tails are shown in lowercase type and the EcoRI andBamHI sites, respectively, are underlined. Genomic DNA from prototype strain W3110 (18) was used as a template. The PCR fragment was directly cloned into the SmaI site of pUC19, yielding pNWI2. To construct a plasmid that can express only the 5′-UTR of cspI but not its coding region, pNWI2 was digested withStyI and SacI, blunt ended with T4 DNA polymerase, and then self-ligated, yielding pNWI6. To construct the transcriptional and translational cspI-lacZfusions, PCR was first carried out with primers 8188 (see above) and 8010 (5′-gggggatccGGGTTAAACCATTTCACT-3′), where the 5′ tail is shown in lowercase type and the BamHI site is underlined. The PCR fragment was digested with EcoRI andBamHI and then cloned into pRS414 for the construction of a translational fusion and into pRS415 for the construction of a transcriptional fusion, yielding pNWI3 and pNWI4, respectively. For the deletion construct of the entire 5′ untranslated region of thecspI-lacZ fusion, PCR was carried out with primers 8188 (see above) and 8404 (5′-ggggatcCAGAACACCATTAACGC-3′), where the 5′ tail is shown in lowercase type and theBamHI site is underlined. The PCR fragment was cloned into pRS415 in a similar way to that described above, yielding pNWI5. All the constructs were confirmed by DNA sequencing with Sequenase version 2.0 (Amersham). Assay for β-galactosidase activity.ThecspI-lacZ fusion constructs were introduced into strain AR134. Cells were grown in LB or M9 medium at 37°C to mid-log phase and then transferred to 15°C. Portions of culture were taken immediately before the temperature downshift (0 h) and at 1, 2, 3, and 5 h after the temperature downshift. β-Galactosidase activity was measured as described by Miller (21). The assay was done at least in duplicate at each time point. Isolation of RNA and primer extension.Strain JM83 was grown in LB medium at 37°C to mid-log phase and then transferred to 15°C. RNA was extracted from a 1.5-ml culture by the hot-phenol method described previously (1). Primer 8272 (5′-CCAAAACCTTTTTCAGGG-3′) for detection of cspIand primer 4593 (5′-ACATAGTGTATTACCTTTAA-3′) for detection of cspA were labeled with [γ-32P]ATP (>5,000 Ci/mmol; DuPont-New England Nuclear) by using T4 polynucleotide kinase (Gibco BRL). Primer extension was carried out with 5 μg of RNA at 42°C for 1 h in a final volume of 10 μl, which contained 50 mM Tris-HCl (pH 8.5), 8 mM MgCl2, 30 mM KCl, 1 mM dithiothreitol, 0.4 pmol of 32P-labeled primer, 0.5 mM dATP, 0.5 mM dGTP, 0.5 mM dCTP, 0.5 mM dTTP, 10 U of RNase inhibitor (Boehringer Mannheim), and 6.25 U of avian myeloblastosis virus reverse transcriptase (Boehringer Mannheim). Primer extension products were analyzed on a 6% polyacrylamide gel under denaturing conditions. For measurement of the stability of mRNA at 15°C, rifampin was added 1 h after the temperature downshift to 15°C at a final concentration of 200 μg/ml to stop transcription. For measurement of the stability of mRNA at 37°C, the culture was shifted to 15°C for 30 min to accumulate mRNAs, a 5-ml sample was taken and mixed with 5 ml of the medium (which was prewarmed at 60°C) in a glass flask kept at 37°C, rifampin was simultaneously added to a final concentration of 200 μg/ml, a 1.5-ml sample was taken at each time point, and RNA extraction and primer extension assays were done as described above. Primer extension products were quantitated by using a phosphorimager (Bio-Rad). Protein-labeling experiment.Cells were grown in M9 medium supplemented with glucose, 19 amino acids (no methionine), and thiamine at 37°C, and then transferred to an indicated temperature. Cells were labeled with [35S]methionine (1092 Ci/mmol; Amersham) for 30 min at lower temperatures and then chased for 5 min by adding nonradioactive methionine to a final concentration of 0.2 M. Cell lysates were prepared and processed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis as described previously (31). Sequence comparison among CspA, CspB, CspG, and CspI.TheE. coli genome-sequencing project has revealed the ninth member of the CspA family, which we designated CspI (33). CspI shows the highest identity to CspG (79%) (Fig.1A), and on the phylogenetic tree it belongs to the same group as CspA, CspB, and CspG, all of which are cold shock inducible as described previously (33). The three-dimensional structure of CspA has been determined. It consists of five antiparallel β-strands forming a β-barrel structure with two β-sheets (7, 24, 27). CspI contains well-conserved hydrophobic residues including V9, I21, V30, V32, and V51 (Fig. 1A), which form a hydrophobic core in CspA (7, 24,27). In addition, two RNA binding motifs, RNP1 and RNP2, are well conserved in CspI (Fig. 1A). These facts suggest that CspI may form a conformation similar to that of CspA and may also bind to RNA and single-stranded DNA, as CspA does (15). Sequence comparison of four cold shock-inducible members of the E. coli CspA family. (A) Amino acid sequence alignments of CspI (database accession no. AE000252), CspG (AE000201), CspB (AE000252), and CspA (AE000433). Residues identical to CspI are shown as dots. The residues forming the hydrophobic core in the β-barrel structure are indicated by solid circles above the sequences. The RNA binding motifs, RNP1 and RNP2, are boxed. Their amino acid sequence homologies are shown on the right, with CspI set at 100%. (B) Sequence alignment of the promoter, 5′-UTR, and the first 13 codon nucleotides of cspI, cspG, cspB, and cspA. Nucleotides identical to cspI are shown as dots. To maximize the alignment, some gaps have been introduced; these are indicated by dashes. The transcription start sites are in bold letters and are marked as +1. The translation start codon ATGs are also in bold letters and are underlined. The most homologous sequences (UP element, -35 region, -10 region, cold box, upstream sequence, Shine-Dalgarno [SD] sequence, and downstream box) are boxed and labeled above the boxes. Cold shock-inducible expression of cspI. ThecspI gene is located at 35.2 min on the E. colichromosome and transcribed counterclockwise. To determine the regulation of cspI expression, the 387-bp DNA fragment containing the 346-bp upstream sequence of the cspI coding region and the region for the first 13 codons of cspI was amplified and cloned, to translationally and transcriptionally fuse tolacZ on pRS414 and pRS415, yielding pNWI3 and pNWI4, respectively. These fusion constructs were introduced into AR134, and the β-galactosidase activity was measured. AR134 is a pcnBmutant (13), which keeps pBR322 derivatives at low copy number (20) to minimize any positive or negative effects of the multicopy plasmids on cspI-lacZ expression. β-Galactosidase activities of both fusion constructs were very low at 37°C at mid-log phase (zero time point in Fig.2). Since CspI shows the highest identity to cold shock-inducible CspG, we analyzed the effect of temperature downshift on cspI-lacZ expression. After the temperature downshift from 37 to 15°C, the β-galactosidase activities of both the transcriptional and the translational fusion constructs dramatically increased and were both approximately twofold higher than that of the cspA-lacZ translational fusion, as shown in Fig.2, indicating that cspI is a cold shock-inducible gene likecspA, cspB, and cspG. Cold shock induction of β-galactosidase activity. Strain AR134, harboring various plasmids, was grown to mid-log phase at 37°C in LB medium containing ampicillin (50 μg/ml) and then transferred to 15°C. Samples were taken at 0, 1, 2, 3, and 5 h after the temperature downshift, and β-galactosidase activity was measured. The assay was carried out at least in duplicate at each time point. Symbols: ○, pNWI3; ●, pNWI4; □, pCspA-LacZ; ▵, pRS414. Although the expression of cspA, cspB,cspG, and cspI is cold shock inducible and the primary amino acid sequence of CspI is highly homologous to those of CspA, CspB, and CspG, a putative 5′-UTR sequence for cspIdoes not show high similarity to those for cspA,cspB, and cspG, suggesting that cspImight be regulated somewhat differently. To identify the 5′-UTR ofcspI, the transcription start site of cspI was determined by primer extension analysis with primer 8272, which is specific for cspI. This primer corresponds to the complementary strand for cspI codons 14 through 19. Total RNA of strain JM83 was extracted from cells grown at 37°C and from cells grown for 0.5 and 3 h after the temperature downshift to 15°C. Primer extension products of cspI from pre-cold-shocked cells were hardly detected (Fig.3, lane 2). However, at 0.5 h after the temperature downshift, the amounts of primer extension products dramatically increased (lane 3), indicating that the amount ofcspI mRNA greatly increased upon cold shock. At 3 h after the temperature downshift, the amount of cspI mRNA was reduced to a new basal level (lane 4), which is slightly higher than that at 37°C. The pattern of cold shock induction of thecspI mRNA is very similar to those of the cspA,cspB, and cspG mRNAs (4, 23), indicating that cspI is also transiently induced upon cold shock. The cspI mRNA was not induced during stationary phase at 37°C (lane 5). Primer extension analysis of the cspI mRNA. Strain JM83 was grown in LB medium at 37°C. RNA extraction and primer extension analysis were carried out as described in Materials and Methods. The primer corresponds to the complementary strand for codons 14 to 19 of cspI. Lanes: 1, without RNA; 2, with RNA extracted from exponentially growing cells at 37°C; 3, with RNA extracted from cells at 0.5 h after the temperature downshift to 15°C; 4, with RNA extracted from cells at 3 h after the shift; 5, with RNA extracted from stationary-phase cells at 37°C. Primer extension products were analyzed on a denatured polyacrylamide gel together with a sequencing ladder. The sequence is shown at the right; the arrow indicates the transcription start site. On the basis of the primer extension experiment described above, the possible transcription start site and the deduced promoter region, the -35 and -10 sequences (TTGCTA and GTTAAT, respectively) are identified as shown in Fig. 1B. The promoter sequence of cspI is very similar to those ofcspA, cspB, and cspG. Upstream of the -35 region of cspA, cspB, and cspG is an AT-rich region called the UP element (25), which is believed to play an important role in maintaining the high promoter activity of cspA at both 37 and 15°C (22). The UP element also exists in the cspI gene and is likely to play an important role in cspI transcription at low temperature. The primer extension experiment (Fig. 3) also reveals that thecspI mRNA contains a long 5′-UTR consisting of 145 bases, which is comparable to the 5′-UTRs of cspA (159 bases),cspB (161 bases), and cspG (156 bases). Although the sequence of the 5′-UTR of cspI is not highly homologous to those of cspA, cspB, and cspG, the 5′-UTR of cspI still contains a well-conserved motif, termed the cold box, which is believed to be involved in autoregulation at the end of the acclimation phase (6, 14, see below). Farther downstream in the 5′-UTR, there is a 12-base conserved sequence designated the upstream sequence, which may be involved in the translation efficiency of cspA (36). It should be noted that cspA, cspB, and cspG all have a downstream box downstream of the translation initiation codon, which has been shown to play an important role in cold shock induction at the level of translation (22). As shown in Fig. 1B,cspI has exactly the same downstream box as cspBand cspG, suggesting that the cspI downstream box also plays an essential role in translation at low temperature. cspI mRNA stabilization upon cold shock.Based on the analysis of the cspI-lacZ fusion constructs,cspI expression seems to be regulated by transcription and/or mRNA stability (Fig. 2). It has been shown that mRNA stability plays a critical role in the cold inducibility of cspA and that the stability of mRNA is regulated by its long 5′-UTR (3, 5,8). Therefore, we examined the stability of the cspImRNA at both 37 and 15°C by primer extension analyses. As shown in Fig. 4, the cspI mRNA was very unstable at 37°C, with a half-life of approximately 30 s, somewhat more stable than the cspA mRNA (half-life, approximately 20 s). However, at 1 h after the temperature downshift, the cspI mRNA and the cspA mRNA were stabilized with half-lives of 14 and 12 min, respectively. These results suggest that mRNA stability also plays a major role in the cold shock induction of cspI. Analysis of mRNA stability. A culture of strain JM83 grown in LB medium at 37°C was shifted to 15°C. (A) For measurement of mRNA stability at 37°C, a culture preincubated at 15°C for 30 min was shifted back to 37°C. Rifampin was added to the culture to a final concentration of 200 μg/ml at the point of the temperature upshift. RNAs were extracted at 0 (lanes 1 and 6), 1 (lanes 2 and 7), 2 (lanes 3 and 8), 3 (lanes 4 and 9), and 5 (lanes 5 and 10) min after the addition of rifampin. (B) For measurement of the mRNA stability at 15°C, rifampin was added 1 h after the temperature downshift and RNAs were extracted at 0 (lanes 1 and 6), 5 (lanes 2 and 7), 10 (lanes 3 and 8), 20 (lanes 4 and 9), and 30 (lanes 5 and 10) min after the addition of rifampin. Primer extension was carried out with a primer for cspI (lanes 1 to 5) and with a primer forcspA (lanes 6 to 10) as described in Materials and Methods. (C and D) Graphical presentations based on the results obtained in panels A and B, respectively. The radioactivities of primer extension products were measured and plotted, with the product at time zero set to 100%. Symbols: ○, cspI; ●, cspA. When the 5′-UTR of the cspA mRNA was deleted,cspA expression was observed even at 37°C, indicating that the 5′-UTR has a negative effect on cspA expression at 37°C (22). To elucidate the effect of cspI5′-UTR on cspI expression, another transcriptionalcspI-lacZ fusion construct, pNWI5, which does not contain the 5′-UTR, was prepared (see Materials and Methods). At 37°C, the β-galactosidase activity in the cells harboring pNWI5 was 980 U, which was much higher than that in the cells harboring pNWI4 (29 U), which contains the 5′-UTR. This indicates that the cspI5′-UTR has a negative effect on its own gene expression at 37°C, as the cspA 5′-UTR does. CspI induction at lower temperatures.CspA, CspB, CspG, and CspI are all cold shock inducible. However, upon cold shock, the temperature dependence of CspA induction is broader while that of CspB and CspG is restricted to lower temperatures and to a narrower temperature range (4). To examine the optimal temperature for CspI induction, two-dimensional (2D) gel electrophoresis was carried out with cells labeled with [35S]methionine at different temperatures. For this purpose, we first determined the spot corresponding to CspI by using a plasmid which overproduces CspI. As shown in Fig.5A, CspI migrated very close to CspB and its production was indeed induced upon cold shock. Analysis of CspI protein by 2D gel electrophoresis. (A) Cultures of strain JM83 harboring pUC19 or pNWI2 were labeled with [35S]methionine at 37°C and labeled 30 min after the temperature downshift to 15°C. Total-cell extracts were analyzed by 2D gel electrophoresis, and autoradiograms were obtained. Only a portion corresponding to low-molecular-weight proteins is shown. (B) Cultures of strain JM83 were labeled with [35S]methionine 30 min after the temperature downshift from 37°C to 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10°C, and the one indicated by “15°C 3 hr” is a sample labeled at 3 h after the temperature downshift to 15°C. CspI is indicated by an arrowhead. The positions of CspA, CspB, and CspG are shown by labeled arrowheads in one of the panels in A and B: 1, CspA; 2, CspB; 3, CspG; and 4, CspI. CspI production from the chromosomal cspI gene could not be detected at 37°C but became clearly detectable at 15°C (Fig. 5B), unambiguously demonstrating that cspI is a cold shock-inducible gene. Next, cells grown at 37°C to mid-log phase was transferred to different temperatures, i.e., 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10°C. At 30 min after the temperature shift, cells were labeled with [35S]methionine for 30 min and total cellular proteins were analyzed by 2D gel electrophoresis. In contrast to CspA, CspB, and CspG, CspI was induced only when the temperature was shifted to or below 15°C (Fig. 5B), indicating that CspI has the narrowest and lowest temperature range for its induction. CspI production was reduced to a lower level at 3 h after the temperature downshift, as can be seen from the gel (Fig. 5B), which is in good agreement with the results of the primer extension analysis as shown in Fig. 3. This indicates that CspI production is transiently induced during the acclimation phase upon cold shock, as for CspA, CspB, and CspG (4,10, 23, 29). It is interesting that the rate of CspI synthesis is much lower than that of CspA (Fig. 5), although the β-galactosidase activity of thecspI-lacZ translational fusion construct is higher than that of the cspA-lacZ translational fusion construct (Fig. 2). In both fusion constructs, the first 13 codons of cspI orcspA were translationally fused to lacZ as mentioned above. Since transcription initiation and translation initiation from the fusion constructs are likely to occur in the same manner as those from the chromosomal copy of cspA andcspI, we examined any difference in protein stability between CspA and CspI. Their half-lives were measured by pulse-chase experiments 30 min after the temperature downshift and found to be longer than 5 h, although CspI was somewhat less stable than CspA (data not shown). The chasing in the 2D electrophoresis in Fig. 5 was only 5 min. Therefore, it is unlikely that the low production of CspI is due to protein stability. These results therefore suggest that the difference between CspA and CspI production at low temperature may be at the level of translation elongation. Derepression by overexpression of the cspA orcspI 5′-UTR.It has been reported that when thecspA 5′-UTR was overproduced during cold shock treatment, CspA and CspB expression were no longer transient and a high level of CspA and CspB expression was still observed after the acclimation phase (6, 14). This phenomenon, called derepression, was also observed when the region from +1 to +25 of the cspA 5′-UTR was overexpressed. Within this region, a highly conserved sequence, designated the cold box sequence, was found (Fig.1B) (14). Conversely, deletion of the cold box region abolished the derepression effect of the cspA 5′-UTR (6). It has been proposed that a factor might bind to the cold box to repress the cspA expression at the level of transcription at the end of the acclimation phase (6, 14). The overproduction of the 5′-UTR containing the cold box is thus expected to sequester this factor to derepress cspAexpression. As mentioned above, the cspI 5′-UTR possesses a cold box sequence. To investigate whether the cspI cold box has a similar effect as that of cspA, we constructed a plasmid pNWI6 that is able to overexpress the cspI 5′-UTR from +1 to +113. By primer extension analysis, we confirmed that thecspI 5′-UTR was effectively overexpressed (data not shown). pUC19-600 that can overexpress the cspA 5′-UTR (14) was used as a positive control, and pUC19 was used as a negative control. Before and at 1 h after temperature downshift, the patterns of CspA, CspB, CspG, and CspI expression were essentially the same among cells harboring pUC19, pUC19-600, and pNWI6 (Fig.6A, panels a to f). At 3 h after the temperature downshift, all four proteins were greatly repressed in cells harboring pUC19 (Fig. 6A, panel g) while production of all four proteins became derepressed in cells overexpressing either thecspA or the cspI 5′-UTR (Fig. 6A, panels h and i, respectively). As shown in Fig. 6B, overexpression of both thecspA and the cspI 5′-UTRs has a derepression effect, although the effect of the cspI 5′-UTR is weaker than that of the cspA 5′-UTR. These results suggest that thecspI 5′-UTR probably plays a role in the autoregulation of the cspI gene at the end of the acclimation phase. Effect of cspI 5′-UTR overexpression on CspA, CspB, CspG, and CspI expression. (A) Cultures of strain JM83 harboring pUC19 (a, d, and g), pUC19-600 (b, e, and h), or pNWI6 (c, f, and i) were labeled with [35S]methionine at 37°C (a, b, and c), and at 1 h (d, e, and f) and 3 h (g, h, and i) after the temperature downshift to 15°C. Total-cell extracts were analyzed by 2D gel electrophoresis, and autoradiograms were obtained. Only a portion corresponding to low-molecular-weight proteins is shown. The cold shock proteins are indicated: 1, CspA; 2, CspB; 3, CspG; 4, CspI. (B) The amounts of the four proteins were quantitated with a phosphorimager, with ribosomal protein L11 as a reference. The amounts of the proteins at each time point upon cold shock are given as the ratio to the amount of the L11 spot. Since the CspA and CspG spots are not separated, we counted them together. The ratio of the amount of protein at 1 h upon cold shock to that at 3 h upon cold shock is its repression rate. The derepression rate is the ratio of repression rate in control cells to that in the 5′-UTR overexpression cells. Lanes: 1, control cells; 2, cells overproducing cspA5′-UTR; 3, cells overproducing cspI 5′-UTR. Concluding remarks. E. coli has nine cspgenes, cspA to cspI (33). Of these,cspA (10), cspB (19),cspG (23), and cspI (this study) are cold shock inducible. All these csp genes share several important features. (i) They all contain a UP element immediately upstream of the promoter, which contributes to maintain the high promoter activity even at low temperatures (9, 22). (ii) They all contain a long 5′-UTR in their mRNAs (159, 161, 156, and 145 bases for cspA, cspB, cspG, andcspI, respectively). As found for the cspA mRNA (22), these 5′-UTRs are believed to exert a negative effect on their expression at 37°C, while they cause a positive effect on their cold shock inducibility. (iii) They all have the cold box at the 5′-end region of their 5′-UTRs, which plays a role in autoregulation to repress their own gene expression at the end of the acclimation phase (6, 14). (iv) They all contain a downstream box downstream of the translation initiation codon, which plays an essential role in the cold shock induction by enhancing translation (22). Taken together, expression of all four cspgenes appears to be regulated essentially in the same manner. It should be mentioned, however, that the optimal temperature ranges for the induction of these genes are different. CspI is induced at a relatively lower temperature range than the others. How are the differences in the temperature range of induction achieved? It is unlikely that the difference in optimal temperature is caused at the level of transcription initiation, because the putative promoter region and the UP element are very well conserved amongcspA, cspB, cspG, and cspI, as shown in Fig. 1B. It is also unlikely that it is caused at the level of translation initiation, because their Shine-Dalgarno sequences, downstream boxes, and coding regions are also quite well conserved (see Fig. 1B). In contrast, the nucleotide sequences of their 5′-UTRs are different, suggesting differences in their mRNA secondary structures and therefore in their stabilities. Thus, the 5′-UTRs of thecsp genes exert a negative effect on their expression at 37°C, affecting their mRNA stabilities and translation initiation efficiencies (22, 36). These are likely to be differently modulated upon temperature downshift, depending upon the secondary structure of each mRNA. A larger temperature difference might be required for cspI expression, while a smaller temperature difference would be enough for cspA expression. It is interesting that although the cspA gene was dispensable for cell growth at both high and low temperatures, the production of CspB and CspG significantly increased in acspA deletion mutant (2). This indicates that the CspA function may be at least partially complemented by CspB and CspG. It has been reported that in Bacillus subtilis, which contains three csp genes, at least one of the three csp genes is required for cell growth (12). It seems likely that the functions of CspA, CspB, CspG, and CspI overlap. To examine this possibility, we are attempting to construct multiple-deletion strains including a quadruple-deletion mutant. This approach may reveal a possibility that CspA, CspB, CspG, and CspI each play their own specific roles in the cells. We thank R. M. Simons for plasmids. We also thank S. Phadtare for comments. This work was supported by a grant (to M.I.) from the National Institutes of Health (GM19043). (1981) Evidence for two functional gal promoters in intact Escherichia coli cells. J. Biol. Chem. 256:11905–11910. (1997) CspA, the major cold-shock protein of Escherichia coli, negatively regulates its own gene expression. J. Bacteriol. 179:7081–7088. (1996) Post-transcriptional regulation of CspA expression in Escherichia coli. Mol. Microbiol. 19:231–240. (1996) Differential thermoregulation of two highly homologous cold-shock genes, cspA and cspB, of Escherichia coli. Genes Cells 1:171–178. (1997) Promoter-independent cold-shock induction of cspA and its derepression at 37°C by mRNA stabilization. Mol. Microbiol. 23:355–364. (1998) Role of the cold-box region in the 5′ untranslated region of the cspA mRNA in its transient expression at low temperature in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 180:90–95. (1998) Solution NMR structure and backbone dynamics of the major cold-shock protein (CspA) from Escherichia coli: evidence for conformational dynamics in the single-stranded RNA-binding site. Biochemistry 37:10881–10896. (1996) Differential mRNA stability of the cspA gene in the cold-shock response of Escherichia coli. Mol. Microbiol. 19:241–248. (1997) Role of Escherichia coli cspA promoter sequence and translational apparatus adaptation in the cold shock response. Mol. Gen. Genet. 256:282–290. (1990) Major cold shock proteins of Escherichia coli. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 87:283–287. (1990) The ATP-dependent Clp protease of Escherichia coli: sequence of clpA and identification of a Clp-specific substrate. J. Biol. Chem. 265:7886–7893. (1997) A family of cold shock proteins in Bacillus subtilis is essential for cellular growth and for efficient protein synthesis at optimal and low temperatures. Mol. Microbiol. 25:741–756. (1993) Phenotypic revertant mutations of a new OmpR2 mutant (V203Q) of Escherichia coli lie in the envZ gene, which encodes in the OmpR kinase. J. Bacteriol. 175:1956–1960. (1996) The role of 5′-end untranslated region of the mRNA for CspA, the major cold-shock protein of Escherichia coli, in cold-shock adaptation. J. Bacteriol. 178:4919–4925. (1997) CspA, the major cold-shock protein of Escherichia coli, is an RNA chaperone. J. Biol. Chem. 272:196–202. (1994) The cold-shock response—a hot topic. Mol. Microbiol. 11:811–818. (1987) Induction of proteins in response to low temperature in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 169:2092–2095. (1987) The physical map of the whole E. coli chromosome: application of a new strategy for rapid analysis and sorting of a large genomic library. Cell 50:495–508. (1994) Family of the major cold-shock protein, CspA (CS7.4) of Escherichia coli, whose members show a high sequence similarity with the eukaryotic Y-box binding proteins. Mol. Microbiol. 11:833–839. (1986) Mutations in a new chromosomal gene of Escherichia coli K-12, pcnB, reduced plasmid copy number of pBR322 and its derivatives. Mol. Gen. Genet. 205:285–290. (1992) A short course in bacterial genetics—a laboratory manual and handbook for Escherichia coli and related bacteria. (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y). (1997) Deletion analysis of cspA of Escherichia coli: requirement of the AT-rich UP element for cspA transcription and the downstream box in the coding region for its cold shock induction. Mol. Microbiol. 26:321–335. (1996) A novel member of the cspA family of genes that is induced by cold-shock in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 178:2994–2997. (1994) Solution NMR structure of the major cold shock protein (CspA) from Escherichia coli: identification of a binding epitope for DNA. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:5114–5118. (1993) A third recognition element in bacterial promoters: DNA binding by the α subunit of RNA polymerase. Science 262:1407–1413. (1994) Crystal structure of CspA, the major cold shock protein of Escherichia coli. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 91:5119–5123. (1987) Improved single and multicopy lac-based cloning vectors for protein and operon fusions. Gene 53:85–96. (1992) Identification of the promoter region of the Escherichia coli major cold shock gene, cspA. J. Bacteriol. 174:3867–3873. (1998) Cold shock and adaptation. BioEssays 20:49–57. (1990) Gene-protein database of Escherichia coli K-12: Edition 3. Electrophoresis 11:1131–1166. (1998) The CspA family in Escherichia coli: multiple gene duplication for stress adaptation. Mol. Microbiol. 27:247–255. (1997) Growth-phase-dependent expression of cspD, encoding a member of the CspA family in Escherichia coli. J. Bacteriol. 179:5126–5130. (1994) Cloning, sequencing, and characterization of multicopy suppressors of a mukB mutation in Escherichia coli. Mol. Microbiol. 13:301–312. Yamanaka, K., M. Mitta, and M. Inouye. Unpublished data.

2019-04-21T14:21:15Z

https://jb.asm.org/content/181/5/1603?ijkey=084217fd208abf3e3779aa0b039bcabfed9b3fbc&keytype2=tf_ipsecsha

The recent development of x-ray free-electron lasers (XFELs) is in the process of transforming macromolecular crystallography for both structural analysis (1) and time-resolved molecular imaging (2). Extremely bright and ultrashort x-ray pulses enable high-resolution data collection from micrometer-sized crystals at room temperature with minimal radiation damage. Because each crystal is destroyed by a powerful XFEL pulse, crystallographic data sets are typically collected using the serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) approach, in which microcrystals are delivered to the intersection with the pulsed XFEL beam in a continuous hydrated stream (3). A fast detector operating at the XFEL pulse repetition rate collects diffraction images from microcrystals intersecting the beam at random orientations. After identification of diffraction peaks and indexing, structure factor amplitudes are determined by averaging reflection intensities measured in each diffraction pattern over stochastic variables, such as the microcrystal size and the orientation of individual crystals (4). Recently developed enhancements to the basic Monte Carlo integration method enable more accurate data to be obtained from fewer diffraction patterns (5, 6). Meanwhile, the development of viscous crystal delivery media and special injectors (7–10) has allowed a marked reduction in crystal consumption for both membrane and soluble proteins. One of the most successful approaches to date involves the application of the gel-like lipidic cubic phase (LCP) for growth and delivery of microcrystals across the pulsed x-ray beam (11–13). The use of microcrystal injectors bypasses the need for mounting the crystals, whereas femtosecond-duration x-ray pulses from the FEL obviate cryocooling and extensive crystal optimization for challenging membrane proteins and their complexes with soluble partners. Combined with the improvements in data processing, this enables the determination of accurate reflection intensities from much smaller amounts of protein than previously possible. Most protein structures obtained by SFX so far have been determined using the molecular replacement (MR) method for solving the crystallographic phase problem. However, experimental phasing of XFEL data without using previous models is difficult because all existing approaches require a very high accuracy of structure factor amplitude measurements, as compared to MR. The first successful experimental phasing of SFX data was demonstrated with lysozyme crystals using single-wavelength anomalous dispersion (SAD) on gadolinium, which provides a very strong anomalous signal (14). Recent attempts to use SAD phasing of SFX data from another test soluble protein, luciferin-regenerating enzyme, with a more conventional mercury compound were initially unsuccessful, but the collection of additional data on native crystals and the use of the SIRAS (single isomorphous replacement with anomalous signal) method made it possible to solve the structure (15). Both of these methods rely on the incorporation of heavy atoms into protein crystals, which requires extensive screening of various compounds, many of which are toxic or suffer from poor solubility. Quite often, efficient incorporation is not attainable, and using native elements for phasing is therefore preferable. For example, native copper ions were used to phase SFX data for copper-nitride reductase (16); however, copper or other heavy atoms are not widespread in biological macromolecules. A more general phasing method that uses anomalous signal from native sulfur atoms, which are ubiquitous in most proteins, was introduced more than 30 years ago (17) but has not been commonly used for a long time because of the extremely low level of the anomalous signal and the challenges associated with data collection and processing. During the past decade, the method was revisited and started gaining popularity because of the advances in synchrotron radiation sources and in the data processing software (18, 19). However, the conventional wisdom was that, for this method to be successful, one needs a nearly perfect, large crystal that diffracts to high resolution and withstands radiation damage. A few years ago, it was shown that sulfur SAD phasing could be achieved by averaging data from multiple weakly diffracting small crystals (20), and an optimized method for routine sulfur SAD phasing at synchrotron beamlines was published (21). Recently, successful reports of sulfur SAD phasing of SFX data for test soluble proteins, lysozyme (22) and thaumatin (23), have been published. Phasing SFX data from weakly diffracting crystals of membrane proteins and complexes represents a next level of difficulty. Here, we demonstrate the ability to automatically solve a macromolecular structure by native sulfur SAD using SFX data collected at room temperature from micrometer-sized crystals of the human A2A adenosine receptor (A2AAR), which belongs to the pharmaceutically important but difficult-to-crystallize superfamily of G protein–coupled receptors (GPCRs). Anomalous SFX data were collected at the Coherent X-Ray Imaging (CXI) end station (24) of the Linac Coherent Light Source (LCLS), as previously described (11). Microcrystals (average size, 5 × 5 × 2 μm3; fig. S1) of the A2AAR with apocytochrome b562RIL (BRIL) fused into its third intracellular loop (A2AAR-BRIL) (25) in complex with the antagonist ZM241385 were grown (26) and delivered inside LCP using a viscous medium microinjector (7). An x-ray energy of 6 keV (wavelength, 2.07 Å) was used as a compromise between the strength of anomalous scattering from sulfur atoms (K-edge, 2.472 keV), the efficiencies of the Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors and of the detector, as well as the detector-size and wavelength limits on resolution. The sample was injected within a vacuum chamber to minimize background scattering, and the XFEL beam was attenuated to ~14% of its full power (~170 μJ per pulse) to prevent oversaturation of the Cornell-SLAC (Stanford Linear Accelerator Center) pixel array detector (CSPAD). At this x-ray energy, the anomalous difference in structure factors is expected to be less than 1.5% (17), requiring a very high precision of collected data and therefore a very high multiplicity (many measurements of each reflection). Within ~17 hours, a total of 7,324,430 images were collected at 120 images/s, in which 1,797,503 crystal diffraction patterns were identified using the Cheetah hit finding software (27). We successfully indexed 593,996 of these hits using the CrystFEL software package (28). The final reflection list was obtained by merging data from 578,620 indexed patterns using iterative scaling and resulted in a data set at 2.5 Å resolution. This resolution was limited by the x-ray energy, detector size, and minimal achievable sample-to-detector distance. To further extend resolution, we collected additional data at an x-ray energy of 9.8 keV (wavelength, 1.27 Å). This high-resolution data set was assembled from 72,735 indexed patterns and was truncated at 1.9 Å resolution on the basis of the correlation coefficient (CC*) >0.5 criterion (table S1). The structure was solved with a two-stage sulfur SAD phasing procedure using the A2A_S-SAD anomalous data set collected at the x-ray energy of 6 keV. In the first stage, SHELXD (19) was used to determine the sulfur atom substructure. The A2AR-BRIL construct contains 24 sulfurs (15 Cys and 9 Met) per 447 residues (Cys+Met residue content, ~5.4%), including 8 sulfurs engaged in four disulfide bonds. The resolution cutoff was the most critical parameter for the successful sulfur atom search, with optimal results obtained at 3.5 Å resolution (fig. S2A). A scatter plot of SHELXD correlation coefficients between the observed and calculated E values (CCall/CCweak; fig. S2B) showed the main cluster of random solutions with a few strong ones, which were well separated from the main cluster. A sharp drop in the occupancy of sulfur atoms from 0.72 to 0.42 (fig. S2C) was used as an indicator for distinguishing 16 correct sulfur atoms (Fig. 1) from five incorrect ones in the found solution, with CCall/CCweak = 32/12. In the second stage, the partial sulfur substructure solution found with SHELXD was used as an input for substructure refinement, log-likelihood gradient map substructure completion, and phasing with Phaser EP (29). The resulting phases were improved by density modification and phase extension using Resolve (30). Although density modification clearly improved the maps, it was not used at its full potential because of the absence of noncrystallographic symmetry and a relatively low solvent content (53%). The model was traced automatically with phenix.autobuild (31) to 59% completeness. The resulting model contained all eight receptor helices, with only the BRIL fusion and some loops missing. The electron density maps at the different stages of the phasing process are shown in Fig. 2. Density for the ligand ZM241385 became clear after automatic tracing (fig. 2C), validating the correct structure solution. Subsequently, we tried running the same diffraction data through an automated structure-determination pipeline, X2DF, which explores a wide range of settings (32). Several additional combinations of different parameters were found to yield structure solutions (fig. S3). The success in the phasing of SFX S-SAD data has been made possible by recent advances in data processing software. In particular, the new scaling algorithm introduced in CrystFEL version 0.6.1 appeared to be critical for improving data quality and solving the structure. Partiality correction was not necessary to achieve this result, and in fact appeared to slightly decrease the data quality (fig. S4), and did not lead to structure determination. Fig. 1 Sulfur peaks in the anomalous difference A2AAR Fourier map. Sulfur density is contoured at 3 σ and overlaid on the A2AAR crystal structure. Twenty sulfur atoms could be identified from the map. BRIL fusion moiety containing one ordered sulfur atom (M1033) is not shown. Three sulfurs (M-24, C-13, and M1058) are disordered and do not have electron density. Fig. 2 Improvements in electron density at different stages of the phasing process. (A) Phaser EP map. (B) Resolve density modified map. (C) Autobuild autotraced map. Omit electron density around the ligand is shown on the top panels. 2mFo-DFc electron density map for helix III is shown on the bottom panels. All maps are contoured at 1.0 σ. The final data set used for the structure solution contained 578,620 indexed patterns. To find the minimum number of indexed patterns necessary for successful structure determination, we performed phasing, density modification, and autotracing using data ranging from 100,000 to 550,000 indexed patterns in 50,000 pattern increments (fig. S5). All phasing attempts with a number of patterns lower than 500,000 have failed, even when the correct sulfur atom positions were used, highlighting the requirement of collecting data with high multiplicity for accurate calculation of anomalous differences from weak anomalous sulfur scattering. With 550,000 indexed patterns, structure determination was straightforward, and autotracing yielded a 46% complete model with 19 cycles in phenix.autobuild. However, with 500,000 indexed patterns, autotracing produced a 36% complete model with 19 cycles and required twice as many cycles (38 cycles) to produce a similar model with all receptor helices (53% complete) as the one obtained from 550,000 patterns. Reducing the number of indexed patterns also had a negative impact on the initial sulfur atom search using SHELXD. With 550,000 patterns, 15 sulfur atoms were found with the same parameters as for the full data set. With 500,000 and 450,000 patterns, 14 sulfur atoms were found, but this required optimization of the search parameters in SHELXD (such as the resolution cutoff) and increase in the number of trials from 1000 to 5000. With 400,000 patterns, only six sulfur atoms were found after an extensive search, and with 300,000 patterns and lower, the substructure could not be found. Because the sulfur content in proteins varies, to analyze the effect of the number of sulfur atoms in the substructure on the success of phasing, we consecutively removed the 10 weakest sulfur atoms from the complete 21-atom substructure and performed phasing, density modification, and autotracing using the complete data set. With nine sulfur atoms removed, the phasing was successful with a figure of merit (FOM) of 0.371 and with 45% of the structure built automatically. However, the removal of 10 sulfur atoms carried a negative effect, and no model was produced with 36 cycles of autotracing. Therefore, in this case, it was possible to solve the structure starting from as low as 12 sulfur atoms per 447 residues (2.7%). After solving and refining the structure at 2.5 Å with the A2A_S-SAD data set, the resolution was extended to 1.9 Å using the additional A2A_High-Res data set collected at 9.8 keV. The final, 1.9 Å room temperature A2AAR-BRIL structure (A2A_S-SAD_1.9) contains 396 of 447 residues (excluding disordered N- and C-terminal tags and one BRIL loop 1045–1055), the ligand ZM241385, 3 cholesterols, 21 lipids, 1 sodium ion, 1 polyethylene glycol (PEG), and 105 water molecules (table S2 and fig. S6). Alternatively, we solved the structure using MR with the A2A_High-Res data set truncated at 1.9 and 2.5 Å. Comparison of the A2A_S-SAD_2.5 and A2A_MR_2.5 structures (fig. S7) showed minimal differences as expected, with a root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 0.43 Å for Cα atoms of all resolved residues in the protein (0.60 Å for all atoms). Discrepancies were mostly observed in the solvent-exposed regions on the protein surface, where side chains of bulky residues adopted alternative conformations and could not be unambiguously modeled. Also, the B factor distribution showed no substantial deviations of one structure from the other (fig. S8). Functionally important protein regions, such as the ligand-binding pocket and the sodium ion binding site (25), have very similar quality of electron density maps (fig. S9). Furthermore, we compared the room temperature A2A_S-SAD_1.9 structure with the previously solved structure of the same protein at a synchrotron under cryo-conditions [Protein Data Bank (PDB) ID: 4EIY (25)]. Both structures overlay very well in the receptor part with an RMSD of 0.24 Å for all resolved Cα atoms, excluding the BRIL fusion protein (fig. S10). Most differences are observed in the loop regions of the receptor and in BRIL, which is tilted out from the receptor, accounting for the larger unit cell dimensions in the room temperature structure. As expected, the average B factor of the room temperature structure is ~20 Å2 higher than that of the cryocooled structure; nevertheless, the relative distribution of B factors in both structures is very similar, with higher B factor values in the loop regions and on the protein termini (fig. S11). Similar to the previous results (11), we observed slight improvements in the strength of most interactions that involve charged side chains in the room temperature structure (table S3), even though B factors for the interacting atoms usually increased. The current room temperature XFEL structure also provides important insights into water and ion binding to the receptor under close to physiological conditions (Fig. 3). A total of 101 ordered waters that interact with the receptor are observed in the XFEL structure (compared to 166 waters in PDB: 4EIY), of which 88 waters are located at the same (within 1 Å distance) positions. Most of the waters preserved at room temperature have relatively low B factors in both structures and form multiple polar contacts with the protein residues. At the same time, most high–B-factor waters are lost in the XFEL structure, suggesting that they do not have well-defined bound conformations at room temperature. Whereas most of the mobile waters are located in the intra- and extracellular loop regions of the receptor, tightly bound waters form two contiguous clusters. The first cluster is defined by close proximity (5 Å) to the ligand, supporting the notion that ligand binding is strongly mediated by a network of water interactions (33). The second cluster of waters, highly conserved in class A GPCRs, fills the binding pocket of the sodium ion, which itself has an identical position in both structures, emphasizing the stability of the extensive network of ionic and polar interactions around the sodium ion, which plays a key role in the receptor activation mechanism (34). Fig. 3 Comparison of resolved water molecules between the room temperature XFEL structure (A2A_S-SAD_1.9) and the cryocooled synchrotron structure (PDB: 4EIY). (A) Cartoon representation of the XFEL structure with overlaid waters. Water molecules from the XFEL structure are shown as semitransparent spheres, whereas waters from PDB: 4EYI are shown as dots, colored by location: green, close proximity to ligand (<5 Å); red, sodium ion pocket (<10 Å); cyan, other regions. (B) Conservation of the water positions between PDB: 4EIY and XFEL structures. For each water molecule in PDB: 4EIY, the distance to the closest water in the XFEL structure is shown on the y axis, whereas its B factor is shown on the x axis. Data points are colored the same way as in (A). Positions of water molecules can be considered as conserved if the distance between corresponding water molecules in two structures is less than 1 Å. Compared to the previously reported S-SAD phasing of SFX data for the soluble proteins lysozyme (22) and thaumatin (23), phasing of A2AAR data required approximately four times more indexed patterns (table S4). In addition to lower crystal symmetry and lower sulfur content, the diffraction power of A2AAR microcrystals is substantially (one to two orders of magnitude) lower compared to lysozyme crystals of comparable size. At the same time, the background scattering from an LCP stream 50 μm in diameter, in which A2AAR microcrystals were delivered, is substantially higher (8) than the background from a liquid stream 5 μm in diameter used to deliver thaumatin crystals. These factors, together with potentially lower isomorphicity of A2AAR microcrystals, contribute to the challenge of native sulfur phasing of SFX data for difficult membrane proteins. Here, protein consumption required for de novo phasing was very reasonable (~2.7 mg) due to the very efficient operation of the LCP injector (7). Our results that ~600,000 indexed patterns are potentially sufficient to phase GPCR data starting with 12 ordered sulfur atoms per 447 residues (2.7%) can be placed in perspective with the fact that over 88% of all human proteins have Cys and Met residue content higher than 2.7% (fig. S12). Thus, our report provides an important reference point reassuring that most human proteins could be phased by S-SAD for de novo structure determination with XFELs. Although this experiment took only two shifts (24 hours) of LCLS beam time, including experiment and sample changeover time, the scarcity of beam time is definitely currently a limiting factor for all XFEL experiments including de novo phasing and time-resolved studies. Future XFEL sources will have higher pulse repetition rates, enabling the acquisition of similar amounts of data in much less time. New XFEL facilities are coming online in the next few years (European XFEL, SwissFEL, PAL, and LCLS-II), providing additional capacity through an increased number of beamlines to choose from. New detectors will also have higher dynamic range, improving the quality of data. Further developments of the data processing software should result in determination of more accurate structure factors from fewer diffraction patterns. Therefore, we expect that within a few years, native sulfur phasing with XFELs will become a routine exercise. Expression and purification of A2AAR construct engineered for crystallization, containing BRIL fusion protein in the third intracellular loop (A2AAR-BRIL), were done as previously described (25). Briefly, A2AAR-BRIL was expressed in Spodoptera frugiperda (Sf9) insect cells for 48 hours at 27°C using recombinant baculovirus at a multiplicity of infection of 5. Cells were harvested by centrifugation and stored at −80°C until use. Frozen insect cell pellets were thawed on ice and disrupted by dounce homogenization in a hypotonic buffer containing 10 mM Hepes (pH 7.5), 10 mM MgCl2, 20 mM KCl, and EDTA-free cOmplete protease inhibitor cocktail (Roche). Insect cell membranes were collected by centrifugation at 150,000g for 45 min. Extensive washing of the isolated raw membranes was performed by repeated dounce homogenization and centrifugation in a high osmotic buffer containing 1.0 M NaCl, 10 mM Hepes (pH 7.5), 10 mM MgCl2, and 20 mM KCl (three times) to remove soluble and membrane associated proteins. Purified membranes were resuspended in a storage buffer containing 10 mM Hepes (pH 7.5), 10 mM MgCl2, 20 mM KCl, and 20% glycerol, flash-frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at −80°C until further use. Before solubilization, purified membranes were thawed on ice in the presence of 4 mM theophylline (Sigma), iodoacetamide (2.0 mg/ml; Sigma), and EDTA-free cOmplete protease inhibitor cocktail (Roche). After incubation for 30 min at 4°C, membranes were solubilized by incubation in a buffer containing 50 mM Hepes (pH 7.5), 800 mM NaCl, 1% (w/v) n-dodecyl-β-d-maltopyranoside (DDM) (Anatrace), and 0.2% (w/v) cholesteryl hemisuccinate (CHS) (Sigma) for 3 hours at 4°C. The unsolubilized material was removed by centrifugation at 250,000g for 45 min. The supernatant was incubated overnight with TALON immobilized metal affinity chromatography resin (1 ml of resin per 1 liter of expression culture; Takara-Clontech) in the presence of 20 mM imidazole. After overnight binding, the resin was washed with 10 column volumes of 50 mM Hepes (pH 7.5), 800 mM NaCl, 10% (v/v) glycerol, 25 mM imidazole, 0.1% (w/v) DDM, 0.02% (w/v) CHS, 10 mM MgCl2, 8 mM adenosine 5′-triphosphate (Sigma), and 100 μM ZM241385 (Tocris; prepared as 100 mM stock in dimethyl sulfoxide), followed by 5 column volumes of 50 mM Hepes (pH 7.5), 800 mM NaCl, 10% (v/v) glycerol, 50 mM imidazole, 0.05% (w/v) DDM, 0.01% (w/v) CHS, and 100 μM ZM241385. The receptor was eluted with 3 ml of elution buffer containing 25 mM Hepes (pH 7.5), 800 mM NaCl, 10% (v/v) glycerol, 220 mM imidazole, 0.01% (w/v) DDM, 0.002% (w/v) CHS, and 100 μM ZM241385. Purified receptor was concentrated to ~60 mg/ml with a 100-kDa molecular weight cutoff Amicon concentrator (Millipore). Receptor purity and monodispersity were analyzed by SDS–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and analytical size exclusion chromatography. Concentrated protein samples of A2AAR-BRIL in complex with ZM241385 were reconstituted into LCP by mixing with molten lipid using a syringe mixer (35). The protein-LCP mixture contained 40% (w/w) protein solution, 54% (w/w) monoolein (Sigma), and 6% (w/w) cholesterol (Sigma). Crystals for SFX data collection were obtained in Hamilton gas-tight syringes using the following procedure (26). Approximately 6 μl of protein-laden LCP was injected into a 100-μl syringe filled with 60 μl of precipitant solution [28% (v/v) PEG-400, 40 mM sodium thiocyanate, and 100 mM sodium citrate (pH 5.0)] and incubated for 24 hours at 20°C. After crystals had formed, excess precipitant solution was carefully removed, followed by the addition of ~3 μl of 7.9 MAG (monoacylglycerol) (36). The 7.9 MAG was used to prevent the appearance of a lipidic lamellar crystal phase due to rapid dehydration and cooling upon injection of LCP into vacuum (10−4 torr). The microcrystal samples were characterized on site at LCLS by optical and ultraviolet fluorescence imaging. The average microcrystal size was 5 × 5 × 2 μm3 (fig. S1). Experiments were performed using the CXI instrument (24) at the LCLS at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory. The LCLS was operated at a wavelength of 2.07 Å (6.0 keV), delivering individual x-ray pulses of 45-fs pulse duration and ~1.7 × 1011 photons per pulse focused into a spot size of approximately 1.5 μm in diameter using a pair of Kirkpatrick-Baez mirrors. Microcrystals of A2AAR-BRIL/ZM241385 were delivered in the LCP medium using a microextrusion injector (7) with 50-μm nozzle running at a flow rate of ~220 nl/min. Diffraction images were recorded at a rate of 7200 patterns/min (120 Hz) with the 2.3-megapixel CSPAD (64 independent detectors of 194 pixels × 184 pixels with a pixel size of 110 × 110 μm2 each tiled to cover an area of 200 × 200 mm2) (37). Background subtraction and detector correction were performed with the Cheetah software (27). Pedestal signal arising from the detector was removed by subtracting an average dark image from each frame and using unbonded pixels as a shot-to-shot dark reference for common mode corrections. Hot pixels were identified and masked. The software was also used to discriminate the patterns containing crystal diffraction, which were named “hits,” from the rest of the blank shots by locating pixel clusters that lie above a given threshold. These images were processed with the CrystFEL software package (version 0.6.1) (28). The unit cell parameters were first determined using a subset of the collected data. Subsequent indexing was performed by comparing the resulted unit cell parameters to the determined ones, allowing a tolerance of 15% in reciprocal space axis lengths and 3° in reciprocal space angles. The detector geometry and the sample-to-detector distance were first optimized using a virtual powder pattern from lysozyme crystals, which were collected at the beginning of the experiment, and further refined at this stage using geoptimiser (38). Multiple indexing runs were performed, each by using finer detector geometry corrections to get the final stream of processed data. The complete set of scattered intensities was obtained by merging (treating Friedel pairs as separate reflections) and iteratively scaling all the reflections using partialator (CrystFEL package) without partiality correction. Specifically, the algorithm first generates a reference set, averaging the reflections from single diffraction patterns and applying polarization corrections, followed by applying linear and Debye-Waller scaling of the diffraction patterns using least-squares minimization of residuals on a logarithmic scale, similar to the method previously described (39). Three cycles of scaling were used to generate the final data set. Through these scaling cycles, 15,376 crystals were rejected because they had either not enough common reflections with the merged data set to permit scaling or relative Debye-Waller factors greater than 100 Å2 or lower than −100 Å2. The final A2A_S-SAD data set was truncated at 2.5 Å resolution using the CC* >0.7 criterion (fig. S4A and table S1). The high-resolution data set (A2A_High-Res) was collected using a similar setup as for the A2A_S-SAD set, except for the x-ray energy of 9.8 keV (1.27 Å), and the flux of ~6.4 × 1010 photons per pulse. A total of 948,961 images were collected, 232,283 of which were identified as hits with the Cheetah program (24.5% hit rate). Of these hits, 72,735 were successfully indexed and merged using the standard CrystFEL pipeline of Monte Carlo averaging. The merging procedure was performed using per-pattern resolution cutoff with the “pushres 1.8” option and without an additional scaling step. Scaling and partiality refinement were tested but did not result in any significant improvement of data quality. The final A2A_High-Res data set was truncated at 1.9 Å resolution using the CC* >0.5 criterion (table S1). Integrated and scaled intensities of the A2A_S-SAD data set in CrysFEL format were converted to the XSCALE (40) format, followed by conversion to the CCP4 mtz and SHELX formats. Anomalous signal strength was analyzed with phenix.xtriage (31) and was found to extend to ~3.6 Å (fig. S2A). The substructure was found with SHELXD (19) (OS X version 2013/2) using the graphical user interface hkl2map (41), varying the resolution cutoff from 3.0 to 3.6 Å in 0.1 Å increments, the Emin from 1.5 to 1.2, the number of sites from 10 to 20, the number of disulfides from 0 to 4, and the number of trials from 1000 to 5000. A clear drop in occupancy from 0.72 to 0.42 at the 3.5 Å resolution cutoff (fig. S2C) was used as an indicator for the correct solution. After removing the five low-occupancy atoms, the substructure was used as an input in Phaser EP (29) for log-likelihood gradient map substructure completion and phasing. The resulting phases for both enantiomorphs with an FOM of 0.418 and a log-likelihood gain of 505 were subjected to density modification and phase extension using Resolve (30) with the mask type “Wang.” The correct hand was identified by success in autotracing. The model was traced automatically with phenix.autobuild (31), and it was possible to build 264 of 447 residues (59%) with R/Rfree = 0.31/0.34. Alternatively, we applied the automated crystal structure determination pipeline X2DF for the structure determination. X2DF automatically performs heavy atom search, S-SAD phasing, phase extension, density modification, and automated model building using different programs based on the “parameter-space screening” strategy (32). In the current version of X2DF pipeline, the parameters are different crystallography programs, such as phenix.autosol or SHELXC/D/E for heavy atom searching and phasing; DM or Parrot for density modification; phenix.autobuild, ARP/wARP, or BUCCANEER for model building; and high-resolution cutoff values and incremental step values for heavy atom search, phasing, phase extension, number of heavy atoms, solvent content, space groups, etc. For difficult-to-solve structures, such as S-SAD phasing, only a limited number of combinations of parameters may lead to successful structure solutions. Taking advantage of high-performance computer cluster’s parallel computing power, X2DF pipeline explores a much larger multidimensional parameter space than what a human can do manually. In this case, the 2.5 Å data set was subjected to the following steps of structure solution determination using the X2DF pipeline. The pipeline was configured to use SHELXC/D for sulfur atom substructure determination, Phaser EP for phasing, DM for phase extension, and phenix.autobuild for model building. Three-dimensional parameter-space screening was performed. The three screening parameters were (i) number of heavy atoms (screening range, 1 to 24 based on the sequence), (ii) high-resolution limits for heavy atom search (screening range, 2.5 to 4.0 Å; step, 0.1 Å), and (iii) high-resolution limits for phasing (screening range, 2.5 to 4.0 Å; step, 0.1 Å). A total of 7843 computing jobs were created, of which 200 jobs returned the correct structure solutions. The best combination resulted in a structure solution with 294 of 447 residues (66%) automatically traced, an R value of 28.7%, and an Rfree value of 30.2%. The best number of sulfur sites in the search was 10; however, SHELX yielded 18 sites, from which six low-occupancy sites were removed automatically before phase calculation. We observed that multiple combinations of high-resolution limits for sulfur site search and phasing could lead to structure solutions (fig. S3). The best high-resolution limits for sulfur site search and phasing were 3.60 and 3.25 Å, respectively. This result demonstrates that the X2DF pipeline could be used as a powerful tool for S-SAD structure determination with SFX data. The structure was further built and refined by repetitive cycling with phenix.refine (42) using experimental phase restraints with MLHL (phased maximum likelihood) target function followed by manual examination and rebuilding of the refined coordinates with Coot (43). The final model (A2A_S-SAD_2.5), refined to R/Rfree = 17.4/22.8 against the 2.5 Å A2A_S-SAD data using isotropic ADPs and three TLS groups consisting of residues −2 to 208, 1001 to 1106, and 219 to 308, contains the complete A2AAR-BRIL construct sequence, except for an unresolved gap (1045–1055) in one of the BRIL loops, ligand ZM241385, 3 cholesterol molecules, 20 lipids, and 70 waters. The overall structure had a good stereochemistry with no Ramachandran outliers (99.0% in favored and 1.0% in allowed regions), as determined with MolProbity (44). Resolution was then further extended to 1.9 Å by refining against the A2A_High-Res data set while using the same Rfree set, extended to 1.9 Å, and experimental phase restraints from the 2.5 Å A2A_S-SAD data. The final A2A_S-SAD_1.9 model, refined to R/Rfree = 17.3/20.8 using isotropic ADPs and three TLS groups consisting of residues −2 to 208, 1001 to 1106, and 219 to 308, contains the complete A2AAR-BRIL construct sequence except for an unresolved gap (1045–1055) in one of the BRIL loops, ligand ZM241385, 3 cholesterol molecules, 21 lipids, and 105 waters. The overall structure had a good stereochemistry with no Ramachandran outliers (99.0% in favored and 1.0% in allowed regions), as determined with MolProbity (44). In parallel, we applied MR using the previously obtained A2AAR structure (PDB: 4EIY; without BRIL, ligands, and waters) as a search model, using the A2A_High-Res data truncated at 1.9 and 2.5 Å resolution. The MR structures were refined by repetitive cycling with phenix.refine (42) using the same Rfree set as for the S-SAD structures, followed by manual examination and rebuilding of the refined coordinates with Coot (43). The final refinement was done with three TLS groups, consisting of residues −2 to 208, 1001 to 1106, and 219 to 308. The final model was fully completed with no gaps except missing residues 1044–1055 in BRIL. The overall structure contained a good stereochemistry with no Ramachandran outliers (99.0% in favored and 1.0% in allowed regions), as determined by MolProbity (44). The crystallographic refinement statistics are shown in table S2. fig. S1. A2A-BRIL/ZM241385 microcrystals used for data collection. fig. S2. Strength of anomalous signal and sulfur atom search. fig. S3. Parameter-space screening results for S-SAD phasing using the X2DF pipeline. fig. S4. Effect of different data processing methods on data merging metrics. fig. S5. Dependence of anomalous signal measurability on the number of indexed patterns. fig. S6. Final 1.9 Å XFEL room temperature A2AAR-BRIL structure (A2A_S-SAD_1.9). fig. S7. Structure-factor amplitude difference Fourier map between A2A_S-SAD_2.5 and A2A_MR_2.5 structures. fig. S8. B factor comparison between A2A_S-SAD_2.5 and A2A_MR_2.5 structures. fig. S9. Comparison of 2mFo-DFc electron density maps for the ligand- and sodium-binding pockets obtained by S-SAD and MR phasing. fig. S10. Cα-Cα difference distance matrix between A2A_S-SAD_1.9 and previously determined A2AAR structure (PDB: 4EIY). fig. S11. B factor comparison between room temperature A2A_S-SAD_1.9 and previously determined cryocooled A2AAR structure (PDB: 4EIY). fig. S12. Distribution of Cys and Met residues in human proteins. table S1. Data collection statistics. table S2. Data refinement statistics. table S3. Comparison of interactions involving charged residues between PDB: 4EIY and A2A_S-SAD_1.9 structures. table S4. Comparison of protein and data collection parameters for successful S-SAD phasing of XFEL data. , Serial femtosecond crystallography: The first five years. 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D68, 352–367 (2012). , Features and development of Coot. Acta Crystallogr. D Biol. Crystallogr. D66, 486–501 (2010). , MolProbity: All-atom structure validation for macromolecular crystallography. Acta Crystallogr. D Biol. Crystallogr. D66, 12–21 (2010). Acknowledgments: We thank A. Walker for assistance with manuscript preparation. A. Batyuk thanks A. Plückthun for helpful discussions. Funding: This work was supported by NIH grants R01 GM108635 (V.C.), U54 GM094618 (V.C., V.K., and R.C.S.), U54 GM094599 (P.F.), and R01 GM095583 (P.F.); by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China grant 2014CB910400 (Z.-j.L.); and by the NSF Science and Technology Center award 1231306 (J.C.H.S, U.W., W.L., and P.F.). C.G. thanks the PIER Helmholtz Graduate School and, together with L.G., A. Barty, and T.A.W., the Helmholtz Association for financial support through project-oriented funds. P.A.P. and V.C. acknowledge support from the Russian Ministry of Education and Science project 5-100. Parts of the sample delivery system used at LCLS for this research was funded by the NIH grant P41 GM103393, formerly P41 RR001209. Use of LCLS at Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) National Accelerator Laboratory is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under contract number DE-AC02-76SF00515. Author contributions: A. Batyuk prepared the samples, participated in data collection, solved the structure, analyzed the data, and wrote the paper; L.G. processed and analyzed the data and contributed to the writing of the paper; C.G. participated in data collection and processed and analyzed the data; A.I., B.S., M.-Y.L., and W.L. prepared the samples, participated in data collection, and analyzed the data; G.W.H. performed structure refinement; M.P. and Z.-j.L. analyzed the data and contributed to the writing of the paper; G.N., D.J., C.L., and Y.Z. operated the LCP injector; U.W. designed and operated the LCP injector and contributed to the writing of the paper; P.A.P. and V.K. analyzed the results and contributed to the writing of the paper; S.B., M.S.H., A.A., and M.L. set up the CXI beamline controls and data acquisition, operated the beamline, and performed the data collection; P.F. assisted with sample characterization and data collection; A. Barty and T.A.W. wrote the data processing software and contributed to data processing and the writing of the paper; J.C.H.S. contributed to data analysis and to the writing of the paper; R.C.S. supervised GPCR production; V.C. conceived the project, designed the experiments, supervised the data collection, analyzed the results, and wrote the paper. Competing interests: U.W. and J.C.H.S. have filed a patent application (US 20160051995) for the LCP injector. All other authors declare that they have no competing interests. Data and materials availability: Coordinates and the structure factors have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank under accession codes 5K2C (A2A S-SAD_1.9 data set), 5K2D (A2A MR_1.9 data set), 5K2A (A2A S-SAD_2.5 data set), and 5K2B (A2A MR_2.5 data set). Additional data related to this paper may be requested from the authors.

2019-04-25T15:44:55Z

https://advances.sciencemag.org/content/2/9/e1600292

There is disclosed a programmable analog or mixed analog/digital circuit. More particularly, this invention provides a circuit architecture that is flexible for a programmable electronic hardware device or for an analog circuit whose input and output signals are analog or multi-valued in nature, and primarily continuous in time. There is further disclosed a design for a current-mode integrator and sample-and-hold circuit, based upon Miller effect. This patent application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/173,414 filed Dec. 23, 1993 now abandoned. This invention provides a programmable analog or mixed analog/digital circuit. More particularly, this invention provides a circuit architecture that is flexible for a programmable electronic hardware device or for an analog circuit whose input and output signals are analog or multi-valued in nature, and primarily continuous in time. This invention further provides a design for a current-mode integrator and sample-and-hold circuit, based upon Miller effect. Analog circuits are a necessary component of many modern signal and information processing systems. The "real world" is primarily analog in nature and almost every digital system that interacts with the "real world" must have analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog interfaces. Analog circuits are continuous in time with a continuous signal, whereas circuits such as CNN's (cellular neural networks) operate in a discrete time (d-t) mode. In several applications (e.g., anti-aliasing and smoothing (reconstruction) filters, or pulse-slimming circuits in computer disk memories), analog circuits cannot be replaced by digital circuits either for reasons of speed or for analog's unique ability to work in a continuous-time (c-t) mode. Digital information can be processed in analog form to gain speed (e.g., image processing requiring many multiplications). Moreover, even if a digital solution exists, an analog solution may be smaller, require less power, generate less noise and be more reliable (e.g., a smaller number of elements to go wrong). Analog circuits have been avoided in the art since analog designs are often more difficult than digital and have often had to consider low-level circuit interactions, and since analog system have suffered dependencies, such as on temperature, fabrication run and time. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a novel analog architecture that is flexible and can even accommodate mixed signal (digital and analog) system designs. In some signal processing applications, analog circuits are preferred over digital circuits for their relative simplicity. In the field of analog c-t circuit design and architecture, full programmability (i.e., one of parameters and structure) has not been achieved commercially. Previous analog programmable circuit designs have favored flexibility (universality) of the architecture (i.e., pattern of connections in a programmable device) rather than performance. There is a wide spectrum of architectures of analog circuits which do not comprise any particular "pattern" or architecture of interconnection schemes. Therefore, programmable devices for analog circuits in the art feature long global signal interconnection schemes. The common characteristic of long global interconnection schemes of current programmable analog circuits is that they achieve greater flexibility of interconnection patterns, sometimes allowing every cell in a programmable device to be connected with every other cell. Such an approach favors flexibility of a programmable device, but jeopardizes high frequency performance. This also causes parasitic problems associated with long signal lines and crosstalk between long analog lines and digital lines on the same chip increasing noise and stability problems in analog and mixed signal (analog and digital) designs. Such problems are most acute in a high-frequency (HF) domain where analog circuits have their most desired applications. There are many published circuits for multiple-valued logic and continuous or fuzzy logic circuits, there are no programmable devices for multiple-valued, continuous or fuzzy logic circuits. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a field-programmable analog array (FPAA) that can be used for implementation of a wide class of multi-valued logic, fuzzy logic and other continuous logic circuits. Programmable hardware devices for digital circuits include such devices as programmable logic arrays (PLAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), and field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs). "Programmability" in this context means the ability of a hardware device to change its configuration and function in response to some kind of programming information, in order to perform a required task. This programmability is distinct from "software" programmability (such as the programmability of a microprocessor), which directs a sequence of steps to be performed but does not necessarily produce changes in the hardware characteristics of the device. Programmable hardware devices for discrete-time signal processing are limited to relatively low frequencies when used to process analog signals. Such circuits also cannot substitute for continuous-time circuits in applications such as anti-aliasing. Programmable hardware devices for analog, continuous-time signal processing, however, are not commercially available. Programmability opens up new ways of designing and building circuits for a given domain. For example, as soon as a technical means for realizing digital programmable circuits became available, new techniques of implementing digital circuits emerged. However, techniques for attaining programmability of digital circuits are inappropriate for analog circuits, for at least two reasons. First, to attain flexibility for creating various topologies of digital circuits realized by means of programmable devices, long global signal interconnections are often employed. These long interconnections introduce signal delays and phase errors that are tolerable, although undesired, in digital circuits. Such delays and errors would be fatal to analog circuits. Secondly, digital programmability techniques usually employ some kind of electronic switches. All realizations of such switches of practical interest for integrated circuits (ICs) suffer from considerable parasitics, namely substantial resistance in the "on" state, and parasitic capacitances. The net result of these parasitics is the introduction of phase errors in transmitted signals, an effect similar to that caused by long signal interconnections. Again, whereas these errors are tolerable in digital circuits, they are fatal for analog circuits. The foregoing problems are most severe for the fastest (i.e., HF analog circuits) which are the most desirable ones. The development of various analog integrated circuits (ICs) has led analog IC design to the point where it is desirable and advantageous to have universal analog and mixed-signal programmable circuits. Multi-valued and fuzzy-logic circuits are often based on the same or similar circuit techniques as analog circuits and analog programmable circuits could be used for their implementation. Circuits can generally operate in current-mode or in voltage mode. The majority of circuit designs operate in a voltage mode. Advantages of current-mode operations of circuits are speed and immunity or resistance to noise. Low frequency (e.g., acoustic range) analog programmable circuits can be built easily in MOS subthreshold technology. In this technology processing elements (i.e., cells of the programmable device) can work in subthreshold mode, whereas the switches (for programming the programmable device) can be realized as MOS transistors working in inversion mode. This approach would be suitable for low-frequency applications only. Consequently, even though a field-programmable analog array is theoretically possible, the realization of such a programmable device would have a most limited scope of applications, limited to artificial neural networks (ANN's) and low-frequency signal processing. One advantage of analog c-t processing is speed. Slower applications can be adequately served by digital or switched-capacitor (SC) circuits, where programmability is easier to achieve. Fully programmable SC circuits are commercially available. The nature of cellular neural networks (CNNs) is different than that of fully programmable circuits. CNNs are massively parallel collections of information processing units called cells, having memory (state information). CNNs are capable of attaining one of many equilibrium states due to a complex pattern of cell interactions through exclusively local interconnections. A CNN is either in one equilibrium state, when state and output information in cells is constant over time, and represents a solution of a certain problem, or is in the process of changing state and output information of its cells in order to attain one of its equilibria. Such a process of changing state and output information of its cells is actually the computation performed by a CNN. It is initiated by providing initial state information and input information. CNNs are not programmable devices in any sense. CNNs are, instead, special processors dedicated to solving certain information processing problems. Although the computation of a CNN can be performed continuously in time and in signal domain, the state and output information of CNN cells is not meaningful until the CNN reaches an equilibrium. Thus, a CNN is, de facto, a d-t processor, since meaningful output information is available only at time intervals when it remains in an equilibrium. Moreover, since the set of equilibria in a CNN is discrete, the output information of a CNN is also in discrete form. Field-programmable gate arrays for digital circuits are available from a few sources. However, field-programmable gate arrays for analog circuits are not available. Field-programmable gate arrays for analog circuits have to overcome several problems such as bandwidth, linearity, signal-to-noise ratio, frequency response and the like. One approach has been attempted by Lee and Gulak ("Field-Programmable Analogue Array Based on Mosfet Transconductors" Electronics Lett. 28:28-29, 1992). Lee and Gulak attempted to achieve full programmability by having connections between configurable analog blocks realized using MOSFET transconductors and controlling conductance by varying the gate voltage defined by a multivalued memory system. In another attempt using a digital system, Furtek (U.S. Pat. No. 4,918,440) describes exclusively digital programmable logic cells and arrays of such cells having an integrated logic and communications structure which emphasizes local communication. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a programmable analog device suitable for high frequency analog operation, a family of general-purpose mixed (analog and digital) signal-processing cells, and a method of creating architectures, i.e., patterns of interconnections of collections of such cells, suitable for a wide class of analog, multi-valued and fuzzy logic, circuit applications. An integrator is a basic building block for many analog signal processing systems, such as filters (Schaumann et al., "Design of Analog Filters" Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.Y., 1990). The main requirement for an integrator design are low excess phase, high linearity (frequency range and slew rate), high DC gain, and availability of electronic tuning. In one OTA-C (operational transconductance amplifier and capacitor) technique of filter implementation, integrators are realized by loading a transconductor (OTA) with a capacitor. The output signal is taken directly from the capacitor and the circuit has high output impedance, inherited from the OTA. To alleviate the loading effect of other OTAs typically connected to the integrator's output, techniques, such as parasitic absorption (Schaumann et al. infra.) have been developed. Another solution is a voltage-to-voltage, or current-to-voltage integrator, based on the Miller effect. A voltage-output Miller integrator was followed by an OTA ((Haigh, "Continuous-time and Switched Capacitor Monolithic Filters Based on LCR Filter Stimulation using Current and Charge Variables" in Analogue IC Design, the current-mode approach, ed. Toumazou et al., Peter Peregrinus Ltd. 1990) to realize a current-to-current integrator. In this arrangement, the linearity of the integrator depends on the linearity of the OTA. However, there is a need in the art for an integrator with current input and current output, and good linearity and high speed. This invention was also made to address this need. The full speed potential of analog circuits can be utilized by c-t Field-Programmable Analog Arrays (FPAAs). However, there are two problems that first need to be overcome. The first is to provide an architecture (interconnection scheme) complex enough to be programmable, yet contributing little interference, crosstalk and noise problems that are major problems in analog designs. The present invention overcomes this first problem. The second problem is designing a flexible, universal unit of a FPAA without explicit use of electronic switches in the signal path to attain programmed functionality. Switch parasitics, such as finite on resistance and stray capacitances, lead to frequency performance degradation. The present invention overcomes this second problem as well. This invention provides a programmable analog or mixed (i.e., analog/digital) circuit, called a FPAA. More particularly, this invention provides a circuit architecture that is flexible for a programmable electronic hardware device or for a predominantly analog circuit whose input and output signals are analog or multi-valued in nature, and primarily continuous in time. The invention provides a circuit architecture scheme for designing an analog circuit or a mixed analog/digital circuit device comprising an array of analog signal processing cells wherein each cell comprises an analog signal processing portion and a control circuit, wherein the array of cells are connected by a plurality of local signal interconnects. Preferably, the signals carried by the local signal interconnects are in a current-mode. The invention further provides a programmable analog device comprising an array of programmable analog signal processing cells, wherein each analog signal processing cell comprises an analog signal processing portion and a control circuit, wherein the control circuit controls the operation of the analog signal processing portion and may also take part in auxiliary information processing, wherein the cells in the array are interconnected by one or a plurality of local signal interconnections to form the programmable analog device. A signal interconnection is considered local in that the number of cells connected to the signal interconnection does not change as the number of cells in the programmable analog device varies. For example, if the number of programmable analog signal processing cells is doubled to provide for a larger programmable device, the number of cells connected to then-existing local signal interconnections does not change. Preferably, the programmable analog device further comprises one or a plurality of global signal interconnections for connecting various cells of the array together. A signal interconnection is considered global in that the number of programmable analog signal processing cells connected by a global signal interconnection changes as the number of cells in the array varies. The invention further provides a method for making the inventive programmable device comprising, (a) deriving a circuit interconnection labeled multi-graph from a schematic diagram of a representative circuit within a class of circuits, (b) adding nodes and edges to the circuit interconnection labeled multi-graph according to a predetermined strategy to create a superset of the circuit interconnection labeled multi-graph, (c) grouping together one or more selected edges and nodes from the graph to form an interconnection labeled multi-graph to impart functionality to the cells within the programmable device, and (d) deriving a floor plan of the programmable device, whereby the total length of signal interconnections in the floor plan is minimized. The invention further provides a method for mapping a particular circuit onto a programmable device to form a programmed device, comprising (a) providing a programmable device comprising an array of signal processing cells connected by local and global signal interconnections, wherein the array of signal processing cells is described by an interconnection labeled multi-graph defined by a particular number and arrangement of signal interconnections to each cell, (b) deriving a circuit labeled multi-graph of electrical connections from a schematic diagram of the particular circuit, and (c) embedding the circuit labeled multi-graph into the interconnection labeled multi-graph by selectively programming cells or signal interconnections in the device. Preferably, the embedding step may comprise selecting signal interconnections in the programmable device, according to a predetermined strategy to minimize overall length of interconnections within the programmed device (as defined by its floor plan), wherein the predetermined strategy comprises a one-to-one mapping of the circuit labeled multi-graph into the interconnection labeled multi-graph, whereby the total length of interconnections is minimized. The invention further provides a method for programming an electronic subcircuit, comprising (a) providing a programmable electronic subcircuit comprising a signal path and one or more transistors controlling signal flow through the signal path, wherein each transistor comprises multiple operating points that determine the signal propagation characteristics of the transistor, (b) providing a source of control current or voltage to part of the transistor, with the source being removed from the signal path, and (c) changing the operating point of the transistor by changing the control current or voltage sufficiently to switch the transistor on and off and thereby turn on and off the signal flow through the signal path of the circuit. Preferably, the electronic subcircuit comprises a two-transistor current mirror using bipolar or field-effect transistors. Preferably, the electronic subcircuit further comprises a differential pair of transistors. The analog subcircuit comprises a part of the analog signal processing portion of the cell. The analog subcircuit adds switching capability without introducing additional switching devices into the signal path of the circuit. There is further provided a programmable current-mode integrator/amplifier having a circuit based on the Miller effect, wherein the current-mode integrator/amplifier is capable of integrating or amplifying a current-mode signal input into a current-mode signal output. The current-mode integrator comprises a current buffer, having an input signal and an output signal, an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) input stage, having an input signal connected to the output of the current buffer and an output signal, connected to a current amplifier, wherein the current amplifier comprises an additional voltage mode output, and a capacitor or a plurality of capacitors connected to the voltage mode output of the current amplifier and to the input of the OTA, whereby a feedback connection typical of the Miller integrator is created. The current-mode output of the amplifier is proportional to its voltage-mode output signal, which represents the integral of the input current-mode signal. In this feedback arrangement, the OTA works with a very small input voltage swing (provided that the gain in the loop is high) which provides for high linearity of the circuit. The circuit also has a high DC gain (up to 90 dB or more). In one implementation, the current-mode integrator comprises a highly linear, no feedback, current path having a Gilbert amplifier cell and a voltage feedback path with capacitors, realizing integration. FIGS. 1A-C illustrate exemplary block diagrams of cells and local and global signal interconnections in field-programmable analog and mixed signal array devices. This illustrates a FPAA based upon a regular, square array of current-mode processing cells, interconnected on two levels, local and global. Each cell is connected to its four nearest neighbors by a two-way current-mode signal interconnection and is able to receive four different signals produced by those neighbors, whether all of them or just selected ones. FIG. 1A shows the local signal interconnections of the FPAA, FIG. 1B shows the global signal interconnections of the FPAA, FIG. 1C shows non-planar signal interconnections of the FPAA, and FIG. 1D shows hexagonal signal interconnections of the FPAA. The cell's own output signals are programmably distributed to the same four neighbors (FIG. 1A). The global interconnection pattern is superimposed on the local one, but it is shown separately to avoid clutter (FIG. 1B). Each cell can broadcast its output signals to any of the four global lines to which the cell is connected (possibly to more than one line at a time). The presented schemes of interconnections are planar. To allow realization of non-planar circuits in the FPAA, a non-planar structure of signal interconnections can be used. Such a structure can be easily obtained from any planar structure (such as that shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B) by adding non-planar connections (such as two diagonal connections shown in FIG. 1C). FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary functional block diagram of a cell within the array, showing an analog signal processing portion and a control circuit. The design of the cell is a result of a compromise between the circuit's power and its simplicity. The illustrated cell processes current-mode differential signals. The analog processing portion provides required operations on signals processed by the cell. The control circuitry determines the operation of analog processing portion: the operations performed by the analog blocks and the parameters of analog blocks based on the feedback received from the analog processing portion and the programming signals. FIGS. 3A-H show exemplary DC transfer characteristics of the cell which are achieved by combining (summing) the characteristics of two clipping (saturation) blocks. Some of those characteristics are necessary for multi-valued logic (MVL) and fuzzy logic applications such as triangle or trapezoidal ones shown in FIGS. 3B, C. FIG. 4 shows an elementary building block of the cell based on the Gilbert current amplifier cell. In its simplest form the circuit comprises only transistors Q1 -Q4 and current source IB +. Current sources IA represent the circuits input signals. FIG. 5 is an exemplary functional block diagram of the control circuit of the cell shown in FIG. 2. The control block directs the operation of the analog processing circuits of the cell and enhances functionality of the cell, enabling nonlinear operations such as a min/max follower, signal-controlled generation of programmed waveforms, signal-to-frequency conversion (VCO), and MVL operations. FIG. 5B shows a current-mode comparator as a part of a current-mode cell of the FPAA. It comprises two differential current-mode inputs IA =IA + -IA - and IB= IB + -IB -, two constant current sources IC, and a current mirror Q5, Q6. It produces a single-ended voltage signal Vout, representing logical value of the condition IA >IB. FIGS. 6A and B shows a current-mode integrator and sample-and-hold circuit. FIGS. 7A, B show a programmable current mirror and a programmable differential pair. FIG. 7C shows a differential, current-mode analog demultiplexer with independent tuning of output weights, which contains a multi-output version of the circuit shown in FIG. 7B. FIG. 7D shows its block diagram symbol of the demultiplexer shown in FIG. 7C. The signals are depicted by single lines, even though they are preferably differential. FIG. 7E shows a schematic of a differential, current-mode analog signal multiplexer/summer with independent tuning of input weights. Additional summation (without independent tuning) is realized by connecting a number of signals to each input. FIG. 7F shows the block diagram symbol of the multiplexer/summer shown in FIG. 7E. The signals are depicted by single lines, even though they are differential. FIG. 7G shows a schematic and FIG. 7H explains the operation of a Zener diode D1 (FIG. 7G). The Zener diode is connected in the path of current signal in reverse direction, i.e., when the current I switch is off, the diode does not pass the signal. When the I switch is turned on, the diode enters the breakdown region (FIG. 7H), provided that the reverse voltage forced across the diode by the current source is sufficiently high, and the signal can now pass through the diode. Due to very small incremental resistance of the diode in the breakdown region this makes an almost ideal switch. FIGS. 8A-E illustrate an example of constructing an FPAA for a matrix product tracking circuit. A circuit representing a class of circuits of interest is selected and its schematic diagram obtained. FIG. 8A shows the result of these steps. Next, a circuit labeled multi-graph for the matrix product tracking circuit is derived, as shown in FIG. 8B. The multi-graph is then generalized to a superset, as shown in FIG. 8C. In the current-mode, summing is performed on signal lines. Global signal interconnections are selected because if the matrices are scaled up, the number of nodes connected to the summing interconnections grows, so does the number of nodes connected to the input signal interconnections. The contents of the individual cells are then determined, as shown in FIG. 8D. Connections between the cells are made according to the graph of FIG. 8C, yielding a floor plan shown in FIG. 8E. FIG. 9 illustrates an electrical schematic of an eight-order, elliptic band-pass filter realized as an OTA-C (operational transconductance amplifier and capacitor) ladder. This is a voltage-mode circuit, since each OTA takes a voltage signal as input, and although it produces a current signal, this current is always turned into voltage, either by the integrating operation of a capacitor. Each signal created in this circuit is going to be fed to some OTA (which can accept only voltage-mode signals as input) or connected to the output terminals of the circuit, which also require a voltage-mode signal. This circuit, and other voltage-mode circuits, can be realized in an equivalent current-mode form in the structure of the inventive device, if current-mode implementation of the device is preferred. The circuit preferably employs current sources Iswitch in the fashion shown in FIGS. 7B, C, which are not shown to avoid clutter. FIG. 10 shows a labeled multi-graph of the ladder filter of FIG. 9. It demonstrates that the filter has a topology comprising only local interconnections. FIG. 11A shows how the elements of the filter of FIG. 9 can be grouped into "cells". FIG. 11B shows how 11 "cells" of FIG. 11A, interconnected only locally, comprise the entire filter. This figure also demonstrates the topology of the realization of the filter in the inventive FPAA structure. Dashed lines represent inactive cells and signal interconnections. FIG. 11C shows the functionality of the FPAA cell in example 7. FIG. 12A shows a block diagram of a single cell of an analog rank filter and FIG. 12B shows how it can be mapped into the structure of the inventive FPAA. Two cells of the FPAA are necessary to implement one cell of the rank filter. The left cell in FIG. 12B implements the left-hand part of the rank filter cell, and the right cell the right-hand part. One of ordinary skill in the art can identify functions performed by each cell in FIG. 12B. A required number of such cells can be placed next to each other to realize a rank filter circuit of arbitrary size. FIG. 13 shows the structure of a matrix product tracking circuit implemented in the structure of the inventive device realized in current-mode. It takes two time-varying matrices A(t)= aij ! and B(t)= bij !, both 3×3, and creates their product C(t)=A(t)·B(t) (a factor of 3 is required to account for the distribution of each input signal to 3 cells; alternatively the gain k (FIG. 2) of each cell could be increased by the same factor). The circuit can be generalized for any rectangular conformable matrices. Each element cij (t) of the product matrix is produced by a "local" group of cells along a diagonal global signal line. However, to distribute the input signals and to collect the results signals, global connections are necessary. Each diagonal output line is used to sum elementary products aij ·bjk, j=1, . . . , n, comprising the product element cik. FIG. 14 illustrates a circuit solving a system of 3 algebraic equations with 3 unknowns x1 (t), . . . , x3 (t). The global connections in this circuit carry internal feedback signals, although the distance traveled by these signals is small. FIG. 15 is a continuous-time circuit for solving a linear programming problem: given a set of constraints g(t)=F(t)·x(t)= g1 (t), . . . , gm (t)!'≦0 (the inequality is supposed to hold for every element of the vector; F is a rectangular matrix of constraints coefficients, g is a vector representing individual constraints), minimize the objective function ε(x1, . . . , xn)=ε·x=ε1 x1 + . . . +εn xn, where ε= ε1, . . . , εn !. Application of the method of steepest descent leads to a system of equations x=-μ·ε'-2a·A·diag(g)·U(g), where U(g) denotes the step function, diag(g) denotes a diagonal matrix with elements of vector g on the main diagonal, and μ and a are constants (μ→0, a→∞). This system can be solved by the circuit shown in FIG. 18. FIGS. 16A and B show the tables for addition and multiplication in Galois field of four elements (GF(22)), respectively. Each of these operations can be realized by the FPAA cells; only two of the cell's inputs are used at a time. Addition can be realized as a ⊕ b=ƒ(a+b) for a≠b (FIGS. 16C and D), and a ⊕ b=0 otherwise. The condition a=b can be detected by the control block of a cell. Instead of function ƒ(x) (FIG. 16D) a smooth function ƒ1 (x) (FIG. 16E) can be used. This function can be realized by adding two characteristics of the clipping blocks shown in FIG. 16F. If the function of the form shown in FIG. 16D is required, it can be realized by providing more clipping blocks in the cell. Multiplication a × b in (GF(22)) (FIG. 16B) can be realized as a × b=((a+b-2) mod 3)+1 for a≠0 and b≠0, and a × b=0 otherwise. Mod 3 operation can be realized, as shown in FIGS. 16G, by adding two characteristics of the clipping blocks shown in FIG. 16H. FIG. 17A shows a block diagram of a structure realizing an orthogonal expansion of a 4-valued function of input variables X1, X2, . . . , Xm, over GF(22). Each column realizes one orthogonal function over GF(22). Multiplied by a constant from GF(22), this function is added to the other orthogonal functions. All operations are in GF(22). FIG. 17B shows an example of realization of one of the functions ƒi. FIG. 18A shows a structure for implementations based upon generalized Shannon expansion of MVL functions. Some input variables need to be connected to more than one diagonal line. More general forms of the same kind are possible, based upon other operators than > used for separation, for instance even vs. odd parity, based on matrix orthogonality, which is a generalization of an approach for two-valued functions. FIG. 18B shows functions performed by each cell. FIG. 19 shows an example of a fuzzy controller. FIG. 19A shows the implementation of a controller with m input variables and n fuzzy inference rules. FIG. 19B shows details of each rule implementation. Fuzzy membership function is implemented as a trapezoidal transfer function of the kind shown in FIG. 3C. Activation values wi are multiplied by centroid values of the fuzzy rules consequents ci, and their areas Ii, yielding two sums computed on two horizontal global lines. The final expression for the defuzzified output variable vk is produced by a two-quadrant divider shown in FIG. 19C. FIG. 20 shows an electrical schematic of an integrator. Transistors Q1 ÷Q4 form a Gilbert "type A cell", working as the input buffer with current sources IA biasing the input pair Q1, Q2. This circuit is characterized by excellent linearity and high bandwidth (simulated -3 dB bandwidth for unity gain is better than 6 GHz). Transistors Q5 ÷Q8 realize the OTA input stage. The current-mode amplifier, again based on the Gilbert "type A cell" is realized by Q9 ÷Q12. Loaded by current sources IH, it provides high voltage gain. Its output voltage signal is connected to the emitter follower Q13, Q14, providing an output current, Iout, and output voltage connected to the capacitors. FIG. 21 shows the frequency response of the integrator of FIG. 20. FIG. 22 shows tuning the gain of the integrator of FIG. 20. FIG. 23 shows an implementation of a programmable current-mode amplifier/integrator, based on the inventive current-mode Miller integrator design (the block diagram of the amplifier/integrator is shown in FIGS. 6A, B). FIG. 24 shows the frequency response of the circuit of FIG. 23 in integrating mode and FIG. 25 shows its frequency response in amplifying mode. It is important that programming of the function of the circuit is attained without any switches in the signal path. FIG. 26 demonstrates an application of a single cell of the inventive device as a digitally-controlled oscillator. The const value is downloaded to the logic control block via the programming signals connection. FIG. 27 illustrates another variation as a signal-controlled oscillator. It is based on using one of the input signals X1, n . . . , Xn (or a mathematical function thereof, see Table 2) instead of const to be compared against the output of the integrator. In this case, one of the input multiplexer/summers (e.g., 22) is used to derive the desired signal to be used for comparison in place of const. Analog signal (continuous signal) is a signal that can assume any value in a certain interval. Each value of the signal in such interval conveys useful information. All other types of signals are special cases of an analog signal. Bipolar device is a bipolar transistor or diode. Bipolar signal is a signal that can assume positive, as well as negative values; two-directional signal. Continuous-time (c-t) signal is a signal which conveys useful information in every instance of time. Current mode signal is an electric signal which is represented by a current in a circuit branch, or a mathematical function of a number of currents (such as a difference of two currents). Digital signal is a binary (two-valued) signal. Discrete-time (d-t) signal is a signal that conveys useful information (is defined) only at certain predetermined periods of time or points in time. At all other times the signal values do not necessarily convey useful information (the signal is undefined). Discrete-time signal may be associated with some kind of a clock signal, or a system of clock signals, and the time periods (points in time) when the signal is defined are sometimes referred to as clock ticks in which case it is a synchronous signal. If there is no clock signal, and the time periods when the signal is defined are determined in another way (e.g., as a sequence of events), the signal is called asynchronous. Discrete signal (multi-valued signal) is a signal which can possibly assume any value from a certain interval, but only a finite number of such values (called levels) convey meaningful information. Depending on the particular purpose of the signal, values of the signal other than the levels are assumed to convey information of one of the neighboring levels, or to convey undefined (illegal) information. Multi-valued signal can have two levels in particular, in which case it is called a binary signal. 1. a process of assigning groups of nodes and edges of a first graph to the groups of nodes and edges of a second graph, such that a number of nodes and edges of the first graph is assigned to a number of nodes and edges of the second graph. 2. a result of such process. Floor plan is a general diagram showing location of circuit blocks or elements in space (or on a plane). Global connections. A cells is considered globally connected in that the number of cells connected to a given cell by programmable analog signal connections connected to the cell changes when the number of cells in the structure varies. Local connections. A cell is considered locally connected in that the number of cells connected to a given cell by programmable analog signal connections connected to the cell does not change as the number of cells in the structure varies. Labeled multi-graph is a generalization of a graph, having edges incident with two or more nodes, and both edges and nodes having symbols assigned to them (those symbols are called labels). Line (signal line) is the same as signal interconnection. Mapping of a labeled multi-graph into another labeled multi-graph: an embedding where for each node and each edge of the first graph there is assigned exactly one edge and node, respectively, in the second graph, and the nodes and edges assigned to each other in the two graphs have matching labels. Minimum embedding is an embedding of a circuit labeled multi-graph into an interconnection graph which does not lead to using cells as "wires" or "repeaters" i.e., cells programmed to merely transmit information (cells realizing only identity operation). One-time programmability is one that can be applied only once. Other Electron Devices mean electron devices having two, three, or more terminals, and displaying (a) linear or (b) nonlinear relationship(s) between electrical quantities such as voltage, current and charge, on those terminals, whereby the linear or nonlinear relationship is required to achieve amplifying, rectifying or similar operation, such as the operation of a transistor or a diode. Port means a single entry point for the signal (input port), or an output point for the signal (output port). Since signals can be transmitted on a plurality of wires (e.g. pairs of wires), it is more convenient to talk about ports than about wires. Programmability means an ability of a hardware device to perform a function or a composition of functions according to programming information, originating in the outside of the device. Programmability can be of software kind or of hardware kind. Software programmability does not necessarily involve changes in device's hardware characteristic. Hardware programmability involves such changes. Hardware programmability can be of two kinds: (i) tunability, which normally does not involve changes in the structure (configuration) of the device (structure of the signal path for signals processed by the device), also called parameter programmability, and (ii) structure programmability, involving changes in the structure (configuration) of the device (signal path for signals processed by the device). Finally, full programmability is programmability combining tunability and structure programmability. The term "reconfigurability" is used in literature to denote structure programmability. Programmable circuit (device) is (1) a circuit (hardware device) exhibiting any kind of hardware programmability, or (2) a circuit (hardware device) exhibiting full programmability. Repeated programmability is one that can be applied many times. Voltage mode signal is an electric signal which is represented by a voltage between circuit nodes, or a mathematical function of a number of voltages (such as a difference of two voltages). The present invention was made as part of an effort in designing analog programmable circuit architecture suitable for high-speed, high performance fully programmable analog operation. The highest performance can be achieved by reducing the length of signal interconnect lines, if possible, using only local signal interconnects. There is a tradeoff between the complexity of connections of a programmable device (and hence its functionality) and performance. Use of only local signal interconnects limits the class of such programmable analog devices to applications such as ladder continuous-time filters and other circuits. The present invention provides an architecture of a fully field-programmable analog array using primarily local signal interconnect architecture to create complex analog designs without compromising high-performance for the sake of functionality. Global interconnections can be incorporated into the inventive architecture and used only when absolutely necessary. The control circuit, as used herein, includes, for example, a means for exchanging information to and from the control circuit, a means for storing information, a means for processing information, or a means for communicating with an associated analog processing portion of a cell. With such means, the control circuit is programmed to determine the operation of the analog processing portion of the cell. The analog processing portion of a cell, includes, for example, a means for performing one or more mathematical and other functions, including, but not limited to, weighted summing, multiplication, integration, exponentiation, logarithms, trigonometric functions, and the like. The essential feature of the inventive device is that the length of the local signal interconnections in the array is minimized. Preferably, the cells of the array are arranged to minimize the length of local signal interconnections required to form the programmed device. Additionally, the total length of unprogrammed local and global signal interconnections is preferably minimized (for a given graph of connections between the cells). This architecture will minimize undesired noise effects and other signal distortions such as phase errors in the device. The present architecture, described and exemplified herein, is suitable for the realization of a wide class of analog circuits. This specific architecture results from the general premise to use local signal interconnections whenever possible, and global signal interconnections only when absolutely necessary. The design of individual cells, and specific details of the architecture, were determined upon consideration of the perceived applications of the device, i.e., fast dynamic systems and fuzzy and multi-valued logic circuits. Although only continuous time examples are provided herein, the inventive device is capable of discrete-time operation as well. The inventive device, and particularly, the inventive general purpose field-programmable analog array can be used for the implementation of various analog and logic circuits. We have shown that the realizations of MVL functions based upon orthogonal expansions as well as more general ones based on sets of not necessarily orthogonal functions, lead to regular circuit structures which can easily be mapped to the inventive FPAA. Other circuits, such as ladder filters, have the same property. Therefore, the inventive FPAA is an excellent tool for fast prototyping of various circuits and provides a skilled artisan with an opportunity to experiment with hardware realizations of various circuits without the necessity of their physical design and fabrication. The examples provided herein demonstrate the simplicity of realization of a wide class of such circuits, which also enables the implementation of design automation procedures. FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate structure (floor plan) of a field-programmable mixed (analog/digital) array (FPMA) or field-programmable analog array (FPAA). These arrays are based on a regular array (10) of programmable analog signal processing cells (12), interconnected at two levels: local (FIG. 1A) and global (FIG. 1B). The array shown in FIGS. 1A and B is for illustration only; regular arrays of various patterns may be utilized such as shown in FIG. 1C. FIG. 1A shows the local signal interconnections (14) for interconnecting cells (12) of the array to form the programmable device. Each local signal interconnection (14) connects a fixed number of cells (12) together. That is, a signal interconnection is local in that the number of cells connected by the signal interconnection does not vary as the number of cells in the array varies. For example, in FIG. 1A, cell (12a) is connected to its four nearest neighboring cells by two-way signal interconnections (14a-d). Cell (12a) is able to receive four different signals produced by these neighboring cells, collectively or selectively, and can distribute its output signal to the same four neighboring cells. If the size of the array (10) were increased by adding additional cells to the array's borders, the number of cells connected by local signal interconnections (14a-d) does not change. FIG. 1B shows a pattern of global signal interconnections (16) superimposed on the pattern of local signal interconnections (14). Each cell (12) can broadcast its output signal to one or more of four global interconnection lines (16a-d) to which the cell is connected. Unlike local signal interconnections, a signal interconnection (16) is global in that the number of cells connected by the signal interconnection changes as the number of cells in the array (10) varies. For example, if a row of additional cells (12) were added to the upper border of the array, one of those cells would connect to global interconnection (16a). Typically, a cell will have only one output signal, the same signal being distributed to the local neighbors and to the global lines, although in a general case a cell can produce a plurality of output signals (by outputting signals from various processing blocks of the cell). If a plurality of different output signals is produced, different signals can be sent to different destinations (i.e. local neighbors or global signal lines). In the preferred current-mode realization of global signal lines, the signals sent to a given global line by different cells are summed on those lines (by virtue of Kirchhoff's Current Law (KCL)). Also, each cell can receive signals from global lines to which it is connected, selectively (from some lines) or collectively (from all lines). The signals from global lines can be received by single or multiple cells, although single cells are preferred. If a signal from a global line is received by more than one cell, it gets divided evenly by those cells, e.g. if n cells receive signal X present on a global line, each cell actually receives signal X/n. Whether one or more cells receive a signal from a global line, is determined in the process of programming the input multiplexer/summers of the receiving cells. Each cell can broadcast its output signal to any of the four global lines to which the cell is connected (possibly to more than one at a time). If the signals are in a current-mode, they are summed on the global lines, and if more than one cell receives the signal from a given global line, the signal will be divided evenly by the receiving cells. Each cell can then send and receive signals to and from any of its four nearest neighbors and any of the global lines to which it is connected. In the example of FIG. 1, each cell has eight input ports and one output port (or eight output ports with copies of the same output signal). The input and output signals of cell can be (i) in voltage or current form, (ii) single-ended or fully differential (balanced). The first choice (voltage or current) will lead to four classes of cells: voltage-to-voltage, voltage-to-current, current-to-voltage, and current-to-current. A differential mode input will preferably imply a differential mode output and vice-versa, although one can create cells with, for instance, differential input signals, and a single-ended output signal. At least eight types of cells can be created: the four types listed above for single ended signals, and the same types for fully differential signals. Selection of the type of signals will be based among other criteria on the required interconnections between cells in the structure of the programmable circuit device. If the output signal of a given cell needs to be distributed to many places in the structure, it is more convenient to have it in voltage form, although current form can be used as well. If, on the other hand, summing of output signals of several cells is desired, current output signals are better. Current mode signals are generally more immune to noise and are usually faster. Therefore, a current-to-current cell design is preferred. The presented architecture and principles can be used for the design of an FPAA with cells using other signal combinations (voltage-to-voltage, etc.). The Analog Signal Processing Portion. A block diagram of cell is shown in FIG. 2. Preferably, the cell processes current-mode differential signals. The cell has two essential parts: a signal processing portion and an associated control circuit (32). The associated control circuit preferably is included within the body of cell, but can alternatively be located partly or wholly outside the cell body. All of the details of communication (e.g., signals from the processing portion to the control circuit) are not shown in FIG. 2 to avoid clutter but are described together with the control circuit. The signal processing portion may include a number of subcircuits that provide desired signal processing functions, such as a multiplier (24), an integrator (26), clipping circuits (28), and various support circuitry such as analog multiplexer/summers (20, 22) and analog demultiplexers (30). A multiplier, for example, may include a Gilbert multiplier cell combined with a wide band, current-mode amplifier, tunable in a wide range (such as 0-80 dB). The wide tunability range is required primarily by dynamic system type of applications, such as filters, differential equation solvers and others. The multiplier can perform other signal processing functions, such as phase detection and balanced modulation. The multiplexer/summers selectively pass the input signals, multiplying them by the programmable weights wi and wj, which can be positive, negative or zero, and then summing. Two input sums (one from each multiplexer/summers) are then passed to the multiplier. Therefore, a product of two independently selected sums of input signals is created. If no multiplication is desired, a constant signal (Max,±Max representing the range of the signals processed by the cell) is selected and fed to an input of the multiplier, or Max is selected on the input of one of the multiplexer/summer. Each of the input or output ports can be independently turned off by means of programming the input multiplexer/summer or the output demultiplexer. An integrator (26) has a programmable pole α, which can be turned down to a value as close to zero as a practical circuit realization allows, in order to realize an "ideal", or "lossless" integration. It can also be programmed to a non-zero value (in the range depending on a particular circuit implementation) to realize "lossy" integration (a single-pole circuit function). Finally, the integration function can be programmably bypassed internally in the integrator, and the circuit realizes amplification function only, with gain programmed in a wide range, such as 0-80 dB. The integrator can be used as a short-term analog memory or a sample-and-hold circuit. In a preferred embodiment, the analog processing portion comprises two multiplexer/summers, a multiplier, a programmable integrator/amplifier, a number of clipping (saturation) blocks, and an output demultiplexer. Each of the multiplexer/summers produces a weighted sum of the input signals. The weights, which can be positive, negative, or zero, are determined by the control circuit. A constant signal, Max,±Max representing the range of the signals processed by the cell, is connected to one input of each multiplexer/summer. This allows the multiplexer/summers to produce more variety of its output signals (for instance complements of signals to Max). The two sums (from the two multiplexer/summers) are fed to the multiplier block. On each of the inputs of the multiplier block a signal from a multiplexer/summer or a constant value Max can be selected. This allows bypassing the multiplication (when Max is selected on one input of the multiplier). When Max is selected on one input of the multiplier, the corresponding multiplexer/summer can be used for the calculation of weighted sums or complements of signals used by the control block. Each clipping block provides limiting of the output signal of the cell between two independently programmable values a and b, -Max≦a≦0, 0≦b≦Max, as well as programming the zero z of the characteristic and its slope (gain) k. The control block, preferably, not only sends control signals to the analog processing blocks, but also receives output signals from those blocks. This feedback allows the control block to perform comparisons and other operations on the analog signals processed by the cell in order to produce more variety of control signals and more variety of functions realized by the cell. The programming signals connected to the control block from the outside of the cell determine the operation of the control block, and via control block--the operation of the entire cell. The clock signal(s) allow(s) discrete-time operation of the cell, if desired. Through a feedback connection (43), the output signal can be connected to the inputs of the cell, which is required for certain circuits for certain applications. The output demultiplexer produces the desired number of copies of the output signal Y. FIG. 4 shows a preferred embodiment of the elementary building block of the cell. In its simplest form the circuit contains only transistors Q1 -Q4 and current source Ib +. Current sources IA represent the circuit's input signals. The circuit is fully differential, i.e., both input and output signals are represented by differences of currents in two wires. The sum of currents IA +, which can be expressed as IA (1+X) is the positive "half" of the input signal, and IA -, which can be expressed as IA (1-X), is the negative "half". The input signal is then IA (1+X)-IA (1-X)=2IA X, wherein X is called a modulation index. Likewise, the output signal is the difference I+ out -I- out, expressed as IB (1+Y)-IB (1-Y)=2IB Y. Current gain is determined by the ratio IB /IA and in practice can be tuned over several decades from a fraction of unity to about 10. The circuit has an excellent linearity and a wide bandwidth, limited by the ƒT of the transistors. In a bipolar process used for prototyping, ƒT is of the order of 8 GHz and the simulated unity gain bandwidth of this circuit is over 6 GHz. FIG. 3A shows the DC transfer characteristic of the circuit of FIG. 4. The slope k in the linear range can be changed by adjusting the gain. The width and height of the linear range are determined by the currents IA and IB respectively. By adding (subtracting) currents on the input and on the output of the circuit (by additional programmed current sources, FIG. 4B) one can change the location of the zero z of the characteristic, as well as the two clipping (saturation) levels a and b. This circuit has many variations. By including transistors Q5 and Q6, one achieves an ability to invert the signal (negative weight). If another input is connected in place of the tail current sources IB + and IB -, a current-mode Gilbert multiplier is realized. More output (inner) transistor pairs can be added (dashed line) to obtain more independently tuned outputs. A current-mode comparator is a part of a current-mode cell of the FPAA. The comparator is shown in FIG. 5B. It comprises two differential current-mode inputs IA =IA + -IA - and IB= IB + -IB -, two constant current sources IC, and a current mirror Q5, Q6. It produces a single-ended voltage signal Vout, representing logical value of the Condition IA >IB. It operates as follows: The two input current-mode differential signals IA and IB (in FIG. 5B produced by differential pairs Q1, Q2 and Q3, Q4, such as the ones found at outputs of an analog multiplexer/summer, shown here to demonstrate how the comparator may be connected to analog circuitry of the cell), are connected to constant current sources IC. By virtue of KCL, I1 =IC -IA - -IB +, and I2 =IC -IA + -IB -. If IA >IB, it follows that IC -IA - -IB + >IC -IA + -IB - and consequently, I1 >I2. For sufficiently high β of Q5, I5 ≅I2. The current mirror Q5, Q6 provides I5 ≅I6. Therefore with no load connected to the collector of Q6, Vout will be driven high (near the positive voltage supply VCC), which represents desired output of the comparator. Analogously, it can be demonstrated that when IA <IB, the output Vout will be driven low (near 0). A suitable output buffer can be added by those skilled in the art to provide sufficient drive for logic circuits connect to Vout, without causing undesired loading of the node Vout. FIG. 7E shows a schematic of an analog multiplexer/summer with independent tuning of input weights, in a differential, current-mode implementation. Additional summation (without independent tuning) can be realized by connecting a number of signals to each input. A demultiplexer can be realized in a similar fashion by placing more inner (output) pairs of transistors (FIGS.. 7C, D). Circuits from this family can be connected is cascades by adding current sources (sources IC in FIG. 7E). Then the difference between the (constant) current sources IC from such sources and the output signal of one stage can be fed to the next stage. This arrangement is well suited to the IC fabrication process with good quality vertical npn devices and poor quality lateral pnp devices, as it has better frequency response. By cascading several stages based upon the circuit of FIG. 4, a wide-band current amplifier tunable in a wide range (such as 0-80 dB or more) is obtained. Two (or more) clipping (limiting) blocks (28), shown in FIG. 2, are realized as single amplifier stages of FIG. 4B. With two blocks, one achieves many nonlinear characteristics, some of which are shown in FIGS. 3A-H. There is further provided a programmable current-mode integrator/amplifier having a circuit based on a Miller effect, wherein the current-mode integrator/amplifier is capable of integrating or amplifying a current-mode signal input into a current-mode signal output (FIG. 6). The current-mode integrator/amplifier comprises an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) input stage (60), having an input signal and an output signal, connected to a current amplifier (62), wherein the current amplifier comprises an additional voltage mode output, and a capacitor or a plurality of capacitors connected to the voltage mode output (64) of the current amplifier and to the input of the OTA. The current-mode output of the amplifier is proportional to its voltage-mode output signal, which represents the integral of the input current-mode signal. In this feedback arrangement, the OTA works with a small input voltage swing (provided that the gain in the loop is high). Due to the feedback operation, the voltage on the capacitors is only slightly disturbed by any nonlinearities within the loop. Therefore, the linearity of the circuit is primarily determined by the linearity of the relationship between the voltage-mode and the current-mode output signals, which is good if there is proper design of the output stage. The OTA input stage linearity is not critical. This design inherits all good features of a classical Miller integrator employing a voltage-to-voltage amplifier (an op amp). This design provides an ability to realize a low-frequency pole (ideally, an integrator's pole should be at zero) with a small capacitors value, mostly independent of the impedances of the source of the input signal and the load. This is because the capacitors see an extremely high impedance (typically of the order of tens or even hundreds of GΩ). In the traditional design of a current-to-current integrator, the Miller integrator (or even a capacitor) is followed by an OTA, converting the full range of voltages developing across the capacitor into the output current. In such a design, the linearity of the OTA limits the linearity of the integrator, even though (in the Miller integrator) the voltage on the capacitors is a nearly perfect linear integral of the input signal. The pole can be moved by changing the operating conditions of the circuit. If a high frequency pole is desired, the output signal can be fed back to an additional input of the OTA to simulate resistors connected to the output. The inventive circuit has additional advantages over the classical design. For example, the input signal can be fed directly into the current amplifier, making the voltage on the capacitors track the input signal. When desired, the input stage of the current amplifier can be turned off, and the capacitors will hold the last value of the signal, thus realizing the sample-and-hold function. Finally, when no integration or sample-and-hold operation is necessary, the voltage output is turned off and only the current amplifier is used. Then, the circuit works as a tunable amplifier. Advantages of the exemplified current-mode integrator include (1) better linearity (the only intrinsically nonlinear part is the voltage-to-current stage (OTA input stage), which works with very small voltage swing and in a feedback loop), (2) good frequency response (the circuit is almost entirely current-mode, except for the two pairs of high-impedance points where the capacitors are connected). With C of 0.8 pF, the simulated frequency response shows its wide range of useful frequencies, wherein the phase response is tunable to -90°±0.5°, in the range of about 92 kHz to over 160 MHz. Operation up to about 670 MHz and more (depending on the technology) is possible in simplified design of the circuit shown in FIG. 20. To maximize ADC and minimize fp one should maximize Rin, k2 and gm and minimize g0 (i.e., maximize both input resistance of the OTA and the voltage gain in the loop. High voltage gain in the loop additionally results in low V1 swing, relaxing the requirements on the OTA linearity. is a constant in the particular circuit implementation. Therefore, k2 should not be used for tuning of the integrator, as its changes result in changing g0. The gain of the input current buffer, k1, should be used instead. The buffer has low input impedance and it isolates high-impedance input of the core circuit from the signal source, whose impedance is not critical for circuit performance. Additionally, the buffer blocks the common mode input signals. The output of the integrator has high impedance and can be connected to the input of another integrator. A simplified schematic of a particular implementation is shown in FIG. 20. Transistors Q1 ÷Q4 form a Gilbert "type A cell", working as the input buffer with current sources IA biasing the input pair Q1, Q2. This circuit is characterized by excellent linearity and high bandwidth (simulated unity gain frequency is better than 6 GHz). The buffer blocks common-mode input signals and provides tunability of k1, at least in the range of -20 dB to 20 dB (by means of changing the ratio IA /IB). Current sources IG, are necessary to achieve high impedance at the OTA input and eliminate the common-mode component of the collector currents of Q3 and Q4. Transistors Q5 ÷Q8 realize the OTA input stage. Changing IC and ID allows tuning of gm. The current-mode amplifier, again based on the Gilbert "type A cell" is realized by Q9 ÷Q12. Changing ID /IF allows tuning of k2 over at least 40 dB. Active loads IH provide required voltage gain in the feedback loop. The voltage signal is connected to the emitter follower Q13, Q14, providing also an output current. Lineraity of the emitter resistors RE (Eq. 6, 7) in the follower is critical to the linearity of the integrator. For proper operation, the circuit contains two common-mode feedback subcircuits, one of which is shown in FIG. 20B. Their function is to assure adequate DC voltages at the two pairs of high-impedance points in the integrator, that is at the collectors of Q3, Q4 and the collectors of Q11, Q12. The circuits sense voltages on the emitters of the respective current gain cells and compare them with constant voltages, Vb1 and Vb2. Any mismatch of the collector currents at the high-impedance points is corrected by adjusting the base-emitter voltages of the respective current mirror transistors, by means of dumping additional current onto their emitter resistors (R1 and R2 in FIG. 20B). The gain of the common-mode feedback circuits can be adjusted by changing the tail currents Ib1 and Ib2. The foregoing illustrative circuit was tested by computer simulation. With C of 0.8 pF, the circuit phase response of -90±0.5° in the range of 1 MHz to 670 MHz (FIG. 21). The gain was adjusted by changing the tail current IB of the input buffer (FIG. 20). The low-frequency pole was moved down to about 3 Hz by changing the operating conditions of the circuit. With sufficiently high gain in the feedback loop, the circuit had THD of less than 0.052% for an output signal current of over 2.8 mApp (Table 1). Emitter area mismatches in the current gain cells will lead to nonlinearities which can be eliminated by applying measures described in Gilbert (J. Solid State Circuits SC-3:353-365, 1968). Mismatches of emitter resistors in the current sources can be eliminated by applying correcting currents in a similar manner as in common mode feedback circuits. Proper values of RE resistors are important for high frequency operation of the circuit because of a parasitic pole-zero pair near 500 MHz. However, even considerably higher departures from required values can be corrected by changing current IE. IE can also be used to correct excess phase. The foregoing illustration of a current-mode integrator illustrates the invention. The illustrated circuit combines good properties of voltage-output Miller integrator with excellent linearity and speed of gain cell. The design is a core of a programmable amplifier-integrator for a FPAA described below. Also voltage output from the integrator is possible if desired. The Amplifier/Integrator can also work as a sample-and-hold circuit. To attain sample-and-hold operation the entire circuit is activated, as opposed to using only parts of it in the amplifying mode and in the integrating mode (FIG. 23). The parts indicated by dashed line in the figure are all active. In such a case there is a direct path from the input to the output, and the circuit realizes a transfer function a/(sC+b)+d, where a, b, and d are constants. By changing bias currents in the circuit (IE11 through IE33 and IC13 through IC36 in FIG. 22) one can change a, b, and d in the above equation. For the sample mode, when the circuit follows the input signal, it is desired to have a as small, and b and d as large as practically possible. Then the voltage on the capacitors follows the changes in the input signal. When it is desired that the circuit entered the hold mode, IE11, IE12, and IC13 -IC16 (FIG. 22) are turned down to zero. Then the circuit holds the last value of the signal, working as an integrator with no input signal (because the input signal has been disconnected by deactivating bias current sources IE11, IE12, and IC13 -IC16). The held value is available as the output current. FIG. 26 demonstrates the application of a single cell of the inventive device as a digitally controlled oscillator. The const value is downloaded to the logic control block via the programming signals connection. The multiplexer/summer 52 is programmed to pass const to the comparator 54. The other input of the comparator 54 is connected to the output signal Y via the feedback connection 34. The input multiplexer/summer 20 is programmed by the logic control block to produce a scaled constant value derived from Max. This constant value is fed to the input of the integrator via the multiplier (which has Max connected to its second input, not shown in the figure to avoid clutter). In this arrangement the multiplier passes its input signal to the integrator. Thus the integrator receives a constant signal, which causes it's output signal to ramp up. When the output signal Y of the integrator rises to the level equal to const, the comparator sends a signal to the logic control block. Then the logic control block reverses both the weight of the input multiplexer/summer 20, and the value of const. The first event results in feeding a constant signal of opposite polarity to the input of the integrator. This in turn causes the output signal of the integrator to ramp in opposite direction, i.e. down. When it crosses -const, the above cycle starts over again, which yields a triangle waveform on the output Y. One of the internal signals in the logic control block represents the sign of const. The changes of this signal comprise a square waveform synchronous with the triangle waveform observed on the integrator's output. This square waveform can be communicated to other cells via the connections existing between control blocks in the array. Alternatively, it can be used to program the weights of the output demultiplexer 30 of the cell (FIG. 22), so that it outputs a constant derived from Max (by turning on only the weight associated with Max), or that constant negated in the second half of the waveform cycle. Numerous variations of the above presented scheme of waveform generation can be easily derived by those skilled in the art. One can manipulate the values of const, -const, the weights of the multiplexers and demultiplexers, the gain k of the intergrator (all that by downloading appropriate programming information to the logic control block), to achieve waveforms with duty cycle other than 50% (sawtooth in particular), or with absolute values of the maximum and minimum levels equal to each other or different, as desired. Another variation of the presented scheme is based on using one of the input signals X1, . . . , Xn (or a mathematical function thereof, see Table 2) instead of const to be compared against the output of the integrator. In this case one of the input multiplexer/summers (e.g., 22, FIG. 27) would be used to derive the desired signal to be used for comparison in place of const. This value would then be selected by the multiplexer/summer 52 instead of const. The other multiplexer/summer would work as in the scheme described above. This way an oscillator controlled by a(n) (combination of) input signal(s) would be attained (what is known in the art as VCO, voltage-controlled oscillator, even though strictly speaking this would be a current controlled oscillator, since the signal is in current mode in the preferred embodiment of the cell). Again, numerous variations of this modified oscillator scheme could be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Other schemes of controlled waveform generation are possible. One can connect two cells of the FPAA to implement a circuit with two conjugate poles on the imaginary axis of the complex plane to generate a sinewave. Such circuit would require both cells to be programmed to perform integration. Appropriate scheme of parameter adjustment to achieve a stable waveform of desired frequency and amplitude could be easily derived by those skilled in the art. Another application of the inventive device, related to the controlled oscillators described above, is a phase-locked loop (PLL). PLL typically comprises a VCO, a low-pass filter, and a phase detector. A phase detector can be realized by a single cell of the inventive device, whereby the Gilbert multiplier block would be used as a phase detector (e.g., Alan B. Grebene, Bipolar and MOS Analog Circuit Design, John Wiley, 1984). Other blocks can be realized easily in the structure of the inventive device, and connected appropriately to implement a PLL. The control block stores programming information (loaded to it via a control signals connection) and sends programming signals to the analog processing blocks of the cell. One way to arrange storage of information is by means of digital memory, such as RAM. Another way is by storing electrical charge on floating gates of MOS devices, such as EEPROM cells. Programming signals sent to the analog processing blocks can be derived by methods known in the implementations of digital-to-analog converters (DACs). Since the control block has access to input and internal signals of the cell as well, it can produce control signals as a function of instantaneous input and internal signals values. This feature of the control block is important for certain operations, such as a minimum (maximum) follower (min, max). FIG. 5A shows a preferred embodiment of the control block. It contains a logic control circuit, which can be realized as a combinatorial circuit or as a finite state machine such as those known in the art, and may contain logic circuits, registers, RAM cells, EEPROM cells, DACs, and other elements typically used in digital and analog-digital (mixed-mode) circuits known in the art. Further, the control block comprises a number of comparators for comparing signals in desired mode (e.g. current-mode), having analog inputs and digital outputs, and an analog multiplexer/summer, such as the one described above. One input of each comparator is preferably connected to one of the input signals, while the other input is connected to the output of the multiplexer summer. The multiplexer/summer's select input is controlled by the control circuit. The inputs of the multiplexer/summer are connected to the internal signals of the analog processing part of the cell (i.e. the output signals of the analog processing blocks of the cell). Additionally, a constant signal created by the control block is connected to one input of the multiplexer/summer. Thus the control circuit can choose one of the internal signals processed by the cell or its own programmed constant to be compared with any of the input signals X1, X2, . . . , Xn, (or the output signal Y, which is connected to the input of the cell via the feedback connection 34). The outputs of the comparators are connected to the control circuit. The control circuit programmably operates to compare the analog input signals (or the output signal) against one of the values produced by any of the analog processing blocks or their weighted sum obtained in the multiplexer/summer 52. In one implementation, the comparators each produce two binary signals corresponding to the conditions a≦b and a ≧b, where a and b are input signals to comparators. Two signals of equal value on the output of a comparator indicate equal input signals. A preferred implementation of current-input comparator is shown in FIG. 5B. Ordinary comparators, such as those known in the art, can be used instead. In this way, control circuit produces control signals as a function of certain conditions of instantaneous input and internal signal values (e.g., equality of two or more signals, relationship between a number of signals and zero or another constant). This feature also realizes minimum and maximum followers (min, max), absolute value (abs), and other operations. To realize min and max operations, the control circuit detects the smallest (largest) signal and selects this signal on the input of cell. This selection is accomplished by comparing the output signal of the selected multiplexer with the input signals. If one or more of the input signals is smaller (larger) than the multiplexer output, the control circuit sends appropriate signals to the multiplexer to adjust its weights until the smallest (largest) signal is selected. When realizing the absolute value function, control circuit changes the sign of input weights if the weighted sum is negative. Variations of the presented cell can be derived. By changing the arrangement of the blocks comprising the cell, the functions of those blocks, or the physical nature or type of the signals, one can obtain equivalent designs of the cell. In particular, one can design a cell having voltage input signals and current output signals, simply by adding appropriate front-end and back-end circuits such as OTAs. Alternative cell implementations, namely voltage-to-current, voltage-to-voltage and current-to-voltage versions of the cell, can be built. The design decision as to the physical nature of the input and output signals of the cell has an impact on the design of the interconnection network of the programmable circuit device. For instance, voltage output signals can be, in principle, easily distributed to multiple inputs of other cells. Current output signals, on the contrary, work best if they are "sent" to one destination only. Therefore, if one output signal in current form needs to be distributed to several cells' inputs, preferably only one of those cells opens its input port for the current. Alternatively, the output current may be mirrored (copied), for instance by an analog demultiplexer such as the one presented above, and individual copies sent to the several cells' inputs. Also, signals of current form can be freely added in electrical nodes, which is not possible for signals in voltage form. The topology of the circuit realized in the programmable device (the mapping of the circuit into the structure of the programmable device) is independent of the physical nature of the input and output signals of the cells of the programmable device. It is determined by the flow of signal in the circuit. That is, if a mapping of a given circuit to the resources of the programmable device of a given arrangement of physical natures of signals (e.g., current-to-current) is known, the same mapping can be used for this circuit if it needs to be implemented in a programmable device of a different arrangement of physical natures of signals (e.g., voltage-to current), with the possible exception of the additions performed in current-mode on signal lines by virtue of KCL, which would have to be implemented differently in voltage mode. Some operations, important for dynamic systems, multi-valued, fuzzy and other logic applications, performed by cell are summarized in Table 2 below. Xi denotes inputs signals and Y denotes an output signal. The symbol k represents a programmed constant (gain). No distinction is made between local and global signals, since the cell processes them in the same manner. The cell performs summing of input signals selected by the control circuitry, multiplication of two signals (squaring of one signal), or multiplication of two independently derived weighted sums of input signals. Further processing includes lossless or lossy integration, and clipping, max, min, etc. These functions are important for implementation of continuous-time dynamic systems, and multi-valued, fuzzy, and continuous (such as Lukasiewicz) logic circuits. The inventive architecture of the device is motivated by the desire to enable circuit realizations with minimal signal delays. Examples include an elliptic eighth-order ladder bandpass filter (Tan, "Design and Automatic Tuning of Fully Integrated, Transconductance-Grounded Capacitor Filters" Ph.D. Thesis, Univ. Of Minn. 1988), a rank filter cell (Paul et al., "A Simple Analog Rank Filter", ISCAS, pp. 121-24, 1992), a circuit for tracking the product of two matrices, a circuit for tracking a solution of a system of linear equations, a circuit for tracking a solution of a linear programming problem by the method of steepest descent, and a fuzzy controller (Kosko, "Neural Networks and Fuzzy Systems. A Dynamic Systems Approach to Machine Intelligence", Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1992). The programmable support circuitry within a cell are preferably designed to minimize parasitics incurred by introducing switching capability. Parasitics, such as additional resistance in the signal path and stray capacitances, would be unavoidable if switching devices of any kind available in IC technologies were used. The net result of these parasitics is the introduction of phase errors and other distortions in transmitted signals, which compromise circuit's performance, such as speed and accuracy. Therefore, the present invention, preferably, does not employ switches, directly in the signal path of the device, but uses circuits which attain switching function without additional switching devices in the signal path. FIGS. 7A-F show a number of preferred embodiments of circuits with switching capability that minimize such parasiticis. FIG. 7A, for example, shows the basic form of a programmable current mirror that includes transistors Q1 and Q2 and emitter degeneration resistors R1 and R2. The circuit 40 within the dashed box is a common current mirror with emitter degeneration. However, by connecting a current source Iswitch to the emitter of Q2, this circuit becomes programmable. When there is no current supplied by the source, the mirror 40 simply copies the input current Iin into the output current out. When the Iswitch current source is turned on and supplies a current large enough to raise voltage on the emitter of Q2 sufficiently to turn Q2 off, the mirror shuts off. By controlling Iswitch one can control how deeply Q2 goes into cutoff. This way desired programmability of the signal path is realized. The programmability is attained without introducing any additional elements in the signal path, such as switches connected in series with other circuit elements. Therefore there is only a negligible degradation of performance of the circuit, caused by output capacitance of the current source. Since this capacitance is in parallel with other parasitic capacitances already present at this node, it does not change the local topology of the circuit, and the undesired effects it causes can be taken care of in the same way as for those capacitances. This is much easier than for series switches, which actually change the local topology of the circuit. The circuit of FIG. 7A then is a programmable one, with repeated programmability of the signal path attained substantially without sacrificing the circuit's performance, such as speed and accuracy. A programmable analog electronic circuit according to the invention comprises a programmable electronic circuit that includes a signal path and one or more active devices such as transistors controlling signal flow through the signal path. Each active device has multiple operating points that determine the signal propagation characteristics of the device. The circuit also includes a source of control current or control voltage to a part of an active device in the circuit, the source being removed from the signal path. The source changes the operating point of the active device from one point to another by changing the delivered control current or control voltage sufficiently to switch the device on and off and thereby turn on and off the signal flow through the signal path of the circuit. Another useful embodiment of the programmable support circuitry is shown in FIG. 7B. The circuit comprises a differential pair 42 (in the dashed box)--which in this figure is not a complete circuit but rather a generic building block from which many specific circuits are derived, by adding resistors, transistors, other differential pairs or other devices. The circuit in the dashed box is tunable/programmable by virtue of changing the current Ibias. To shut both Q1 and Q2 off, one needs to turn Ibias down to zero. Then, additional current Iswitch can be provided to drive Q1 and Q2 deeper in cut-off. FIG. 7C shows a programmable analog demultiplexer circuit 44. The circuit mirrors the differential current-mode input signal on a number of outputs. Each output signal is an amplified, attenuated, or identical copy of the input signal, depending on the values of bias currents Ibias. The bias currents can be tuned independently of each other. Each output can be turned off by turning off the corresponding bias Ibias,i or providing corresponding current Iswitch,i >Ibias,i. The same concept of signal-path programming is used to build multiplexer/summers (FIGS. 7E, F). FIGS. 7D and F show block-diagram symbols of the analog demultiplexer and multiplexer/summer blocks, respectively. FIG. 7G shows a schematic and FIG. 7H explains the operation of a Zener diode D1 (FIG. 7G). The Zener diode is connected in the path of current signal in reverse direction, i.e., when the current I switch is off, the diode does not pass the signal. When the I switch is turned on, the diode enters the breakdown region (FIG. 7H), provided that the reverse voltage forced across the diode by the current source is sufficiently high, and the signal can now pass through the diode. Due to very small incremental resistance of the diode in the breakdown region this makes an almost ideal switch. The structures of individual FPAAs may differ depending on the class of analog circuits for which they will be used. A structure is determined in accordance with the following steps of a method. This method may be implemented in a number of ways, but preferably is carried out with a computer to reduce computation time. The present invention provides a method for designing a FPAA, comprising: (1) selecting a representative circuit from a class of circuits of interest (e.g., if the class of circuits is active filters, an example filter of reasonably high order is selected); (2) creating a schematic diagram of the representative circuit (e.g., the filter); (3) deriving a circuit labeled multi-graph from the schematic diagram; (4) adding nodes and edges to produce a superset of the multi-graph; (5) grouping together selected edges and nodes from the superset of the multi-graph to form an interconnection multi-graph of desired cells and determine the functionality of individual cells, (6) realizing a cell in a desired technology; and (7) determining connections between the cells. Such connections are made according to the multi-graph derived in #5 above and the cell contents. Some circuits can be scaled up and down (e.g. for filters, scaling usually means changing the order of the filter). In a matrix product tracking circuit, scaling means changing the sizes of input matrices. If in the process of scaling the circuit up and down the number of edges incident with a single cell (the cell represented by a number of nodes of the superset of the circuit labeled multi-graph) changes, these edges should be realized as global connections. If, on the other hand, in the scaling process the number of such edges does not change, they should be realized as local connections. With the addition of control circuit in one of the ways described above, a field-programmable mixed array device is now complete, constructed for a particular class of circuits. An example of constructing an FPAA is shown in FIGS. 8A-E for a matrix product tracking circuit. A circuit representing a class of circuits of interest is selected and its schematic diagram obtained. FIG. 8A shows the result of these steps. Next, a circuit labeled multi-graph for the matrix product tracking circuit is derived, as shown in FIG. 8B. The multi-graph is then generalized to a superset, as shown in FIG. 8C. Global signal interconnections are selected because if the matrices are scaled up, the number of connections to the summing nodes grows. If the output matrix has more than one element as a result of scaling up, the same input signals must be distributed to more than one product element, which also leads to global signal interconnections. The contents of the individual cells are then determined, as shown in FIG. 8D. Since current-mode summation can be done directly on a signal line, there is no need to realize Σ nodes as part of cells. A single cell will contain the multiplication operation. The cell is realized as a current-mode one. Connections between the cells are made according to the graph of FIG. 8C, as shown in FIG. 8E. Various programmable devices, created by the method described herein for different classes of circuits, such as filters and matrix multiplication circuits, can be merged after creation to provide a programmable device capable of accommodating circuits of both classes. Such merge operations will typically lead to the extension of functionality of individual cells of the programmable device for the circuit of the first class by the operations necessary to realize the circuits of the second class, and the like extension of the interconnection scheme. For instance, functionality of the cell can be extended by whatever is required to implement circuits, such as filters. If filters are considered, integration and summation would be added to the functions performed by individual cells. FPAA can be customized for the various classes of circuits. The present invention further provides a method for programming (i.e., mapping a particular circuit onto a programmable device such as an FPAA to form a programmed device) comprising: (1) obtaining a schematic diagram of the desired circuit (FIG. 9); (2) grouping circuit elements of the desired circuit into clusters that can be realized by single cells within the programmable device to form a schematic diagram with clustered elements (e.g., 3a,b,c in FIG. 9); (3) deriving a circuit labeled multi-graph from the schematic diagram with clustered elements (as shown in FIGS. 10, 11A--see Example 1 for details); and (4) embedding the circuit labeled multi-graph into an interconnection labeled multi-graph of the programmable device (shown in FIG. 1A) to form a programmed device (shown in FIG. 11B). In the example illustrating the above process, for instance, OTAs labeled 3a,b,c in FIG. 9 are grouped together and represented by edges 3a,b,c in the graph of FIG. 10, and the capacitor CC4 connected to the OTAs is represented by a node of the graph labeled accordingly. Then the edges 3a,b,c and the node CC4 are all mapped into a single node of the graph of FIG. 1A. Such a node represents a group of OTAs and a capacitor shown in FIG. 11A, and can be realized by a single cell of the programmable device. Eleven such cells can be mapped into the programmable device as in FIG. 11B. The following examples are intended to illustrate possible applications of a programmable analog device according to the invention. They are not exclusive by any means. Those skilled in the art can readily find many other applications. This example illustrates a continuous-time ladder filter constructed using the inventive FPAA and having only local signal interconnections. FIG. 9 shows an electrical schematic of an eight-order, elliptic band-pass filter realized as an OTA-C ladder. This is a voltage-mode circuit, since each OTA takes a voltage signal as input, and although it produces a current signal, this current is always turned into voltage, either by the integrating operation of a capacitor (possibly only parasitic input capacitor of (an)other OTA(s)), or by another OTA with a feedback connection, which is equivalent to a resistor. Each signal created in this circuit is going to be fed to some OTA (which can accept only voltage-mode signals as input) or connected to the output terminals of the circuit, which also require a voltage-mode signal. This circuit, and other voltage-mode circuits, can be realized in an equivalent current-mode form in the structure of the presented device, if current-mode implementation of the device is preferred. At first, the network of the filter does not exhibit much regularity, nor locality of connections. The easiest way to see both is by drawing the graph of connections of the circuit. Each pair of wires carries one differential signal, represented by a single node of the graph (FIG. 10). Each OTA is represented as a directed edge of the graph (FIG. 10). The graph reveals regularity which leads to a realization based on regular, locally-only interconnected structure. One particular way of deriving a regular structure for the circuit is by grouping all edges coming into a given node as a single unit. As an example, consider edges 3a-c (FIG. 10), representing OTA's with the same labels (FIG. 9) (as it is easy to notice, OTA's with outputs connected to the same pair of wires are labeled with the same numbers). OTA's 3a-c can be collected together as in FIG. 11A, forming a cluster with four inputs and one output (as for the realization of the whole filter circuit, nodes 1 and 10 would additionally require a feedback connection in one of the OTA's to realize lossy integration, and all four OTAs are required only in cell 6). Eleven such clusters can be connected locally only to comprise the whole filter, as is shown in FIG. 11B, wherein dashed lines indicate unused parts of the structure. Instead of voltage-mode cells (OTA and C) current-mode cells of the programmable device may be used. The structure of connections is independent of the mode of signals, therefore, the cells in the programmable device are arranged in the same way as shown in FIG. 11B. Each cell works in an integrating mode, except cell 6, which realized "infinite" (i.e. very high) gain. Cells 1 and 10 realize lossy integrators, all others--lossless. All the signal interconnections are local, within the structure provided by the exemplified device. Since the input and output terminals are on the sides of the rectangular collection of cells in FIG. 11B, no extra global connections are necessary for this circuit, which can simply be placed in a corner of an array. Most ladder filters of practical importance can be mapped into the structure of the exemplified FPAA in a similar way. Second-order (biquad) filters can be mapped too. Since every transfer function can be realized as a cascade of biquads and one-pole blocks (they can be realized by single cells), which can be then put next to each other in the array, the device provides a way of realizing continuous-time filters (in cascade or ladder topology) by means of local signal interconnections only. This example illustrates an analog rank filter, a nonlinear circuit that is realized with local signal interconnections only. An analog rank filter is described, for example, in Paul et al., "A Simple Analog Rank Filter" ISCAS, IEEE, pp. 121-24, 1992. FIG. 12A shows a block diagram of a single cell of the exemplified analog rank filter and FIG. 12B shows how it can be mapped into the structure of the presented device. Two cells of the device are necessary to implement one cell of the rank filter. The left cell in FIG. 12B implements the left-hand part of the rank filter cell, and the right cell the right-hand part. One of ordinary skill in the art can identify functions performed by each cell in FIG. 12B. A required number of such cells can be placed next to each other to realize a rank filter circuit. This example illustrates circuits also having global signal interconnections. FIG. 13 shows the structure of a matrix product tracking circuit. It takes two time-varying matrices A(t)= aij ! and B(t)= bij !, both 3 times 3, and creates their product C(t)=A(t)·B(t) (a factor of 3 is required to account for the distribution of each input signal to 3 cells; alternatively the input weights or gain k of each cell could be increased by the same factor). The circuit can be generalized for any rectangular conformable matrices. Each element cij (t) of the product matrix is produced by a "local" group of cells along a diagonal global signal line. However, to distribute the input signals and to collect the results signals, global connections are necessary. Each diagonal output line is used to sum elementary products aij ·bjk, j=1, . . . , n, comprising the product element cik. The "globality" of connections results primarily from the need to distribute input signals and collect output signals. Creation of each matrix product is done "locally" (although using global signal lines). Global signal lines are used in this example only at the "terminals" of the circuit, such as for the input and output signals. Global lines are not involved in transmitting internal signals of the circuit. If one modifies slightly the matrix product tracking circuit of FIG. 13, one can build a circuit tracking the solution of a system of linear equations. The solution x(t) of the system of algebraic equations A(t)·x(t)=b(t) can be found by solving a system x(t)+A(t)·x(t)-b(t)=0 of differential equations provided that the matrix A(t) is always positive stable. In many practical cases, matrix A will be time-invariant, but it is instructive to see the solution of a more general problem, i.e., with a time-varying matrix A(t). FIG. 14 shows a circuit solving a system of 3 equations with 3 unknowns x1 (t), . . . , x3 (t). The global connections in this circuit carry internal feedback signals, although the distance traveled by these signals is small. A linear programming problem can be stated: given a set of constraints g(t)=F(t)·x(t)= g1 (t), . . . , gm (t)!'≦0 (the inequality is supposed to hold for every element of the vector; F is a rectangular matrix of constraints coefficients, g is a vector representing individual constraints), minimize the objective function ε(x1, . . . , xn)=ε·x=ε1 x1 + . . . +εn xn, where ε= ε1, . . . , εn !. Application of the method of steepest descent leads to a system of equations x=-μ·ε'-2a·A·diag(g)·U(g), where U(g) denotes the step function, diag(g) denotes a diagonal matrix with elements of vector g on the main diagonal, and μ and a are constants (μ→0, a→∞). This system can be solved by the circuit shown in FIG. 15. In the case of linear constraints matrix A will be identical to matrix F, nevertheless a more general circuit not assuming this equality is shown as an illustration of the versatility of the inventive device. A simplified circuit, with only matrix F input, can be easily derived. This example illustrates Galois field GF(22) operations as part of MVL applications. FIGS. 16A and B shows the tables for addition and multiplication in Galois field 22. Each of these operations can be realized by the cells of FPAA, assuming that only two of the cell's inputs are used at a time. Addition can be realized as a ⊕ b=ƒ(a+b) for a≠b (FIGS. 16C and D), and a ⊕ b=0 otherwise. The condition a=b can be detected by the control block of a cell. This requires programming the weights of one of the input multiplexers/summers to calculate the difference a-b of the input signals, selecting constant 0 for comparison in the control block, and controlling the weights of the other input multiplexer to set them to zero if a=b was detected. Instead of function ƒ(x) (FIG. 16D) a smooth function ƒ1 (x) (FIG. 16E) can be used. This function can be realized by adding two characteristics of the clipping blocks shown in FIG. 16F. If the function of the form shown in FIG. 16D is required, it can be realized by providing more clipping blocks of the cell. Multiplication a × b in the field (FIG. 16B) can be realized as a × b=((a+b-2) mod 3)+1 for a≠0 and b≠0, and a × b=0 otherwise. The two conditions for a and b can be tested independently by the comparators in the control block, and upon at least one of them being true the input weights of the multiplexer/summer would be turned down to 0. Mod 3 operation can be realized, as shown in FIGS. 16G and H. The control block performs the necessary logic operations. The realizations of GF(22) operations proposed in this example are similar to the ones presented in Zilic et al., "Current-mode CMOS Galois Field Circuits" ISMVL '93, p. 245-250. This example illustrates an application of the addition and multiplication functions in GF(22) described in example 4 above to combinational functions synthesis method based on orthogonal expansions. FIG. 17A shows a block diagram of a structure realizing a function of input variables X1, X2, . . . , Xm. Each column realizes one base function over GF(22). Multiplied by a constant from GF(22), this function is added to the other base functions. All operations are in GF(22). FIG. 17B shows an example of realization of one of the functions ƒi. Since each cell can realize the identity operation (see Table 2), it is possible to omit certain input variables Xi, X3 in this example. More than one column of cells can be used for the realization of each ƒi if necessary. Also, it may be convenient to make certain input variables available on more than one horizontal global line. An alternative approach, based upon providing literals on horizontal lines, or some functions of single variables which are convenient for the creation of literals, is also possible. In one such approach the powers (i.e., multiple products in GF(22)) are used to create polynomial expansions of MVL functions. The same structure illustrated in FIG. 17 is used for the implementation of Post logic. Each cell realizes min and max operations (See Table 1) instead of × and ⊕, respectively, and literals of the form shown in FIG. 3D. Each function ƒi is realized as in FIG. 17B, except that the cells realize min, max, or identity operation. The structure of FIG. 17A can be used for realization of combinational functions with other methods. In such realizations, unlike the ones based upon orthogonal expansions, due to the availability of addition, multiplication (in the conventional sense), and nonlinear operations on signals, some combinational functions have very efficient implementations. The topology of MVL circuits mapped into the inventive FPAA does not have to be constrained, such as the one shown in FIG. 17. Global vertical and diagonal signal lines can be used, if necessary, to achieve greater flexibility of the circuits' topology. FIG. 18 shows a structure for implementations based upon generalized Shannon expansion of MVL functions. Some input variables need to be connected to more than one diagonal line. More general forms of the same kind are possible, based upon other operators than > used for separation, for instance even vs. odd parity, based on matrix orthogonality, which is a generalization of an approach known for two-valued functions. The integrator block is used as a memory element, enabling realization of sequential circuits. Since each cell is capable of realizing identity function, and global connections are available, larger, irregular structures, composed of combinational and sequential parts, can be built with the inventive FPAA. This example illustrates an application of the inventive FPAA for fuzzy logic and continuous logic (such as Lukasiewicz logic) circuits, for example a fuzzy logic controller with correlation-product inference. A structure similar to the one shown is FIG. 17A is shown in FIG. 19A and used to implement a controller with m input variables and n fuzzy inference rules. FIG. 19B shows details of each rule implementation. Fuzzy membership function is implemented as a trapezoidal DC transfer function of the kind shown in FIG. 3C. Activation values wi are multiplied by centroid values of the fuzzy rules consequents ci, and their areas Ii, yielding two sums computed on two horizontal global lines. The final expression for the defuzzified output variable vk is produced by a two-quadrant divider shown in FIG. 19C. Based on these these designs, other continuous-time matrix manipulation circuits, such as matrix addition, or inversion, and other circuits can be created according to the prior art knowledge in analog computers design. The methodology of realization of various circuits implemented in the programmable circuit device structure can be also a basis of more general circuit synthesis. For instance, if one designs a continuous-time filter (like the band-pass filter described above) in the structure of the device, the mapping of the filter components into the structure of the programmable device, together with the FPAA's floor plan, can be used as a basis for a standard custom design of such a filter, leading to the improved layout of the filter due to the use of local connections only. Other applications of the invention include but are not limited to classical neural networks; cellular neural networks; immunocomputers; Wiener and Kalman filters; state-space and other adaptive filters; differential and integral equation solvers; partial differential equation (PDE) solvers (by finite element method); combinatorial optimization solvers; consistent labeling problem solvers; Ricatti control circuits; reverse tracking robot and other robot control problems; cellular automata; gas Ising problems; and optimal control problems (e.g., Kurman chains). Having illustrated and described the principles of the invention in a preferred embodiment, it should be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention can be modified in arrangement and detail without departing from such principles. For example, discrete or integrated components of various types may be employed for the various parts of the programmable device, as is known to those of skill in the art. Technologies such as bipolar, MOS, NMOS, PMOS, ECL, and others may be used as desired. This example illustrates a FPAA structure (ladder filter) with local interconnections (FIG. 11B). Each cell derives a weighted sum of selected signals from four nearest neighbors and optionally performs lossy or lossless integration to produce its own output signal (FIG. 11C). An eighth-order elliptic band-pass ladder filter has been mapped into the FPAA. Dashed lines show unused elements and connections. All cells in the structure are identical, however, in the filter they realize three different functions: ideal integration, lossy integration and amplification, with parameters varying from cell to cell. The illustrated design does not use any switches in the signal path. A straightforward implementation of amplification/integration in OTA-C (operational transconductance amplifier and capacitor) technique (Schaumann et al. infra. and Tan, infra.) leads to a capacitor connected to the OTA's output via electronic switches, degrading the frequency response. A test circuit, containing an amplifier/integrator core of a cell (FIGS. 24 and 25A, B), was fabricated in a Maxim CPI transistor-array process. To avoid clutter, auxiliary bias and common-mode feedback circuitry was omitted in the figures. The input buffer k1 (FIGS. 6A, B), comprising transistors Q11 -Q16 (FIG. 23) was based on a Gilbert current-mode amplifier. When IE11, IE12 are off, no signal is passed to the cell (an inactive connection in FIG. 11B). When one of the sources is on, the signal is transmitted with optional gain (dependent of the bias) of up to about 10. The buffer also eliminates common-mode signals and separates high impedance gm input from other cells. In the integrating mode (FIGS. 6A, 23) sources IE12, IC15 and IC16 are off. Outputs of the buffer are connected to a simplified gm cell (Darlington pairs Q25 -Q26, Q27 -Q28) and to the capacitors C. A two-stage current amplifier k2 (Q21 -Q24, Q31 -Q32, Q35 -Q36) follows gm. Q35, Q36 with active loads and emitter follower Q37 Q38 provide voltage output. With IE31 off, differential output current is IC33, IC34 minus collector currents of Q37, Q38 With capacitors C, this is a classic Miller integrator in differential form with an additional current output. The gain can be changed by changing bias of the input buffer. In amplifying mode (FIGS. 6B, 23), IE11 is off, the gm cell receives no signal, and IE33 is off. Buffer k1 feeds current directly to the amplifier k2 (from Q15, Q16) The gain of this cascade can be turned up to 60 dB by changing the bias. The output current is IC33, IC34 minus collector currents of Q33, Q34. FIGS. 24 and 25 demonstrate frequency response in integrating and amplifying modes, respectively. Adjustment of IE33 allows fine tuning of a phase response in the vicinity of -90°. Two common-mode feedback circuits (similar to the ones shown in FIG. 20B), assure proper voltage levels at the input of the gm cell, and the collectors of Q35 and Q36. Voltage emitters of Q21 and Q22, proportional to the common-mode voltage at the gm input, is compared to a reference level. Correction signals are sent to the bias sources IE11, IC13, IC14. A similar scheme is used for Q35 and Q36. Changing voltage gain within the integrator results in shifting the useful range of frequencies along a frequency axis. Table 3 below summarizes main parameters of a single cell of this illustrative circuit. The full cell should have five independently tuned input buffers: four to communicate with neighbors, and one to implement a one-pole function by feeding the integrator's output back to the input. Therefore, this example implements a fully programmable FPAA with exclusively local signal interconnections. The filter implementation in the FPAA does not suffer any more undesirable signal interactions than the ones unavoidably present in its non-programmable implementations. Ladders or other types of filters, as well as certain circuits modeling systems of differential equations can be mapped to this FPAA. 1. A programmable analog device comprising an array of programmable analog signal processing cells, wherein each analog signal processing cell comprises an analog signal processing portion and a control circuit, wherein the control circuit controls the operation of the analog signal processing portion and may also take part in auxiliary information processing, wherein the array of programmable analog signal processing cells are locally interconnected by one or a plurality of signal interconnections to form the programmable analog device, wherein a cell is considered locally interconnected in that the number of cells connected to a given cell by programmable analog signal connections connected to the cell does not change as the number of cells in the programmable analog device varies, whereby a total length of unprogrammed signal connections has been minimized. 2. The programmable analog device of claim 1, further comprising one or a plurality of signal interconnections for connecting various cells of the array together, wherein said signal interconnections result in some cells becoming globally connected, wherein a cell is considered globally interconnected in that the number of cells connected to a given cell by programmable analog signal connections connected to the cell changes as the number of cells in the array varies, whereby a total length of unprogrammed signal connections has been minimized. 3. The programmable analog device of claim 2 wherein the control circuit comprises a means for exchanging information to and from the control circuit, a means for storing information, or a means for communicating with an associated analog processing portion of a cell. 4. The programmable analog device of claim 3 wherein the control circuit is programmed to determine the operation of the analog processing portion of the cell, and the analog processing portion of a cell comprises a means for performing one or more mathematical and other functions. 5. The programmable analog device of claim 4 wherein the analog processing portion is programmed by changing the operating point (bias) of electron devices in the signal path and not by using switches in the signal path. 6. The programmable analog device of claim 5 wherein the analog processing portion comprises an amplifier/integrator, wherein the amplifier/integrator comprises an operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) input stage, having an input signal and an output signal connected to a current amplifier, wherein the current amplifier comprises an additional voltage mode output, and a capacitor or a plurality of capacitors connected to the voltage mode output of the current amplifier and to the input of the OTA, wherein the current-mode output signal of the amplifier is proportional to its voltage-mode output signal, which represents the integral of the input current-mode signal, wherein the amplifier/integrator further optionally comprises an input current buffer having a current-mode input and two current-mode outputs, whereby one output is connected to the input of the OTA and the other output is connected to the input of the amplifier/integrator. Baktir and Tan, IEEE Trans. Cir. Sys. 40:200-206, 1993. Chua and Roska, IEEE Trans. Cir. Sys. I 40:147-156, 1993. Chua and Yang, IEEE Trans. Cir. Sys. pp. 1257-1272, 1988. Chua and Yang I!. Chua and Yang, IEEE Trans. Cir. Sys. pp. 1273-1290, 1988. Chua and Yang II!. Cimagalli et al., IEEE Trans. Cir. Sys. II, 40:174-183, 1993. Cruz and Chua, IEEE Trans. Cir. Sys. 38:812-817, 1991. Dalla Betta et al., IEEE Trans. Cir. Sys. 40:206-215, 1993. EL Gamal et al., IEEE J. Solid-State Circ. 24:394-398, 1989. Gilbert, IEEE ISSCC Dig. Tech. Papers, pp. 286-287, 1984. Gold Mavretic, IEEE Midwest Symp. Cir. Sys., pp. 984-987, 1988. Harrer et al., IEEE Trans. Neural Networks 3:466-476, 1992. Ismail et al., IEEE J. Solid-State Cir. 23:183-194, 1988. Krieg et al., ISCAS, pp. 958-961, IEEE, 1990. Lee and Gulak, 1991 IEEE ISSCC Dig. Tech. Papers, 34:186-187, 1991. Lee and Gulak I!. Lee and Gulak, Electronics Lett. 28:28-29, 1992. Lee and Gulak III!. Lee and Gulak, IEEE J. Solid-State Circ., 26:1860-1867, 1991. Lee and Gulak II!. Lee and Gulak, Proc. EPGA '94 Workshop, ACM, Berkely, CA, 1994. Lee and Gulak IV!. Loh and Geiger, ISCAS, pp. 2248-2251, Singapore, 1991. Loh et al., IEEE Trans. Cir. Sys. 39:265-276, 1992. Manetti and Piccirilli, Proc. 6th Mediterranean ELectrotechnical Conference, pp. 355-358, Ljubljana, Yugoslavia, 1991. Mashiko et al., ISCAS, pp. 1279-1282, 1991. PMI, GAP-01, Analog Signal Processing Subsystem. Rodriguez-Vazquez et al., IEEE Trans. Cir. Sys. II, 40:132-146, 1993. Roska and Chua, IEEE Trans. Cir. Sys. II, 40:163-173, 1993. Sivilotti, Advanced Res. VLSI, Proc. Fifth MIT Conf., ed. Leighton, pp. 237-258, MIT Press, Cambridge, MA, 1988. Vallancourt and Tsividis, IEEE ISSCC Dig. Tech. Papers, pp. 208-209, 1987. van den Broeke and Nieuwkerk, IEEE J. Solid-State Cir. 28:862-864, 1993. Van der Spiegel et al., J. Solid-State Circ. 27:82-92, 1992. Varrientos et al., IEEE Trans. on Cir. Sys. II 40:147-155, 1993.

2019-04-22T02:42:56Z

https://patents.google.com/patent/US5959871A/en

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You further agree and acknowledge that you may be exposed to Submissions that are inaccurate, offensive, indecent, or objectionable, and you agrees to waive, and hereby does waive, any legal or equitable rights or remedies you have or may have against us with respect thereto, and agree to indemnify and hold us harmless to the fullest extent allowed by law regarding all matters related to your use of the LeuPay Wallet Chat. 3.9. You acknowledge and agree that the provision of any Goods and Platforms performed via LeuPay Wallet, including but not limited to top-up of prepaid or similar services, are transactions between the respective service/goods provider and you and not with us. We are not liable for the performance of obligation of such providers and you should address your claims to them. 3.10. You hereby confirm your understanding that our Platform solely provides you online access to the LeuPay Wallet e-money and payment services, with the exception of some linked activities such as chat services or customized stickers. We are not liable for the provision of the e-money and payment services. In case of any dispute you should address your claims to the company, providing these services to you. 5.1. The use of the e-money and payment services, such as funding of account receipt of money, payments with cards, credit transfer, direct debit, currency exchange or others, are regulated in the respective Legal Agreements for LeuPay Wallet Account and Legal Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Card and other legal documents (if applicable), which are concluded with iCard AD, a separate entity – licensed E-money institution under the laws of the Republic of Bulgaria. (j) Use of the Platform for any sale of purchase of goods and/or services, which are not acceptable to us as determined our website for the Platform or as instructed in writing by us. 6.4 We shall be entitled to notify you at any time for the termination of your use ofthe Platform via the Online account or through the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App, in case you have become a non-acceptable client for us. The decision for the refusal is strictly in our discretion and we shall not be liable for whatsoever compensations. 6.5 You agree that you will not engage in any activity that interferes with or disrupts the Platform (or the servers and networks which are connected to the Platform, or impact or attempt to impact the availability of the Platform, with a denial of service (DOS) or distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. 6.6 You agree that you will not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, trade or resell the Platform for any purpose. 6.7 You agree that you re fully responsible for (and that we have no responsibility to you or to any third party for) any breach of your obligations under the Agreement and for the consequences (including any loss or damage which we may suffer) of any such breach. 6.8 The LeuPay Wallet Mobile Application for smart devices is available for downloading only for certain Smart devices as described in the Agreement and we are not liable for lack of availability of the Platform on mobile or smart devices, or inability to download or use the Platforms via particular smart device, or lack of Platform or part of the Platform, because of lack of Internet or because of mobile operator services (such as SMS or other) or hardware specifics or problems. 6.9 Non-satisfaction of the conditions in this Agreement may result in immediate suspension of the the Platform, blocking of the funds in your Account, our right to withhold funds in your Account for satisfaction of damages incurred by us, because of your breach, claim by us against you, initiation of procedures before competent regulatory bodies or Card Organizations, and also termination of this Agreement without prior notice to Client. 7.1 You acknowledge and agree that we may stop providing the Platform to you, as provided in the Agreement. You may stop using the Platform at any time, without need to inform us. The Agreement will continue to apply until terminated either by you or by us, as set out below. 7.3. In case you wish to terminate the present Agreement, the company which provides the e-money and payment services will have to terminate the respective legal relationships with you as well. You will be given the option to redeem your e-money balance in accordance with the terms set out in the Legal Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Account. You will be instructed to destroy or return the LeuPay Wallet Card in accordance with the Legal Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Card, in case it’s applicable. 7.4. In case of any risk of Damages for us, resulting from claims, fees, fines, penalties, your non-compliance with regulations and other similar liabilities arising from your use of the Platform, you hereby agree that we may instruct the entity, which services your e-money account to hold your funds for up to 180 Days even after Termination of Agreement or shorter or longer period, as required by the law, including laws in favor of the consumer. You will remain liable for all obligations arising under this Agreement even after Termination of Agreement and/or closing of Account. (b) We are required to do so by law or Regulations (for example, where the provision of the Platform to you becomes non-compliant with the Regulations). 7.6 Unless a shorter period is provided in this Agreement, as permitted by law, we may, at any time, terminate the Agreement by giving you 5-days' notice. 7.7 When this Agreement comes to an end, all of the legal rights, obligations and liabilities that you and we have benefited from, or which have accrued over time whilst the Agreement has been in force, or which are expressed to continue indefinitely, will be unaffected by this cessation, and the provisions of clause 19.5 will continue to apply to such rights, obligations and liabilities indefinitely. 7.8.1 Death of a natural person. We will assume that the relationship between us persists until we are notified in writing about your death. We must be notified by who is legally vested with the rights and obligations to act on behalf of your affairs and will take instructions from him/her/them. Such person may be the heir, legatee, administrator, executor or otherwise. We shall be entitled to receive to its satisfaction such evidence, at your cost, as may be required by us to establish the proper entitlement and authority of the person claiming to be in charge of acting on behalf of your affairs and we shall not be bound to act upon such instructions until such time as we are satisfied of such authority. 7.8.2 Legal Entities: In the event that you are placed into liquidation, bankruptcy or administration or any other analogous process wherein a liquidator, curator or trustee or similar officer is appointed and in whom legal authority and representation is vested, to the exclusion of the persons you may have nominated, we shall be entitled to receive to our satisfaction such evidence, at your cost, as we may require to establish the proper entitlement and authority of the person claiming power to give us instructions and we shall not be bound to act upon such instructions until such time as we are satisfied of such authority. In case where the legal entity or organization is dissolved, the succssessor of the assets (money) in the Account has to provide us with additional information for the due identificaton and verification of the persons, entitled to be provided with access to our service of providing access to the LeuPay Wallet Platform. (c) Any information obtained by you as a result of use of the Platform will be accurate or reliable. 8.2 No conditions, warranties or other terms (including any implied terms as to satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose or conformance with description) apply to the Platform, except to the extent that they are expressly set out in the Agreement. 8.3 Nothing in the Agreement will affect those mandatory statutory rights to which you are entitled as a consumer and that you cannot contractually agree to alter or waive. 9.1 Nothing in the Agreement will exclude or limit our liability for losses which may not be lawfully excluded or limited by this Agreement or by applicable law. 9.3 We do not assume any responsibility for the information provided by you or other persons to any third parties upon which we cannot influence or control in any way. You acknowledge and agree that we are not liable for any damages or claims resulting from your use or visit on third parties’ websites. 10.1 You agree that we may make changes to the Agreement from time to time. We shall give you 5-days' notice of changes in the Agreement, unless a longer period is necessitated by a Regulatory change, or is allowed by law, by notification-mail sent to your e-mail registered for LeuPay Wallet Platform before their proposed date of entry into force. 10.2 You understand and agree that you will be deemed to have accepted the changes unless you notify us to the contrary by notice, as provided herein under, prior to the date on which the changes are to come into effect, in which case the Agreement will terminate without charge for termination immediately before the effective date of the changes. 10.4 We may introduce innovations, improvements, developments, new functionalities, upgrade Accounts or amend the names of Accounts or products unilaterally and without your consent, for which we shall inform you via e-mail or via the Website for the Platform. 11.1 All information will be made available or provided to you in an easily accessible manner, in easily understandable language, in a clear and comprehensible form and in English and other languages supported by us. 11.2 You agree that we may send notices and other communications to you via your Online account for the Platform or via the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App, or via e-mail or other reasonable means to any matter relating to your use of the Platform, including the Agreement (and revisions or amendments to the Agreement), notices or disclosures regarding the Platform. (ii) Notification by you that you do not agree to the amendment of the Agreement and wish to terminate the Agreement prior to entry into force of the amendments has to be sent from you via your registered e-mail for the Platform. (iii) Notification by you that you complain about certain services have to be sent via your registered e-mail for the Platform. 12.2 You agree that if we do not exercise or enforce any legal right or remedy which is contained in the Agreement (or which we have the benefit of under any applicable law), this will not constitute a waiver of ours rights and that those rights or remedies will still be available to us. 12.3 If any court of law having the jurisdiction to decide on a matter relating to the Agreement rules that any provision of the Agreement is invalid in respect to you, in your capacity of a Consumer, then that provision will be deemed void and will be removed from the content of the Agreement with you without affecting the rest of the Agreement. The remaining provisions of the Agreement will continue to be valid and enforceable. 12.4 You may not assign your rights under the Agreement or otherwise sub-contract or transfer any of your rights or obligations under the Agreement without our prior written consent. 12.5 We may transfer our rights and obligations under the Agreement to a third party, giving to you at least two-month notice previous the date of the transfer per e-mail or via LeuPay Wallet Mobile App unless such a transfer is required due to regulatory reasons. In case you disagree with such transfer we shall provide you the possibility to terminate the Agreement free of taxes, penalties or other. For Complaints related to e-money and payment services: See your Legal Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Account. 12.7 "LeuPay Wallet", "LeuPay Wallet Card", "LeuPay Wallet Account" and all related URLs, logos, marks or designs, scripts, graphics, interactive features and similar, software, interfaces, standard or special design of Pay Stickers or visualizations or other related to the Platform, including logos and marks of Card Organizations are protected by copyrights, trademark registrations or Patents or other of our intellectual property rights. You may not use, copy, imitate, modify, alter or amend, sell, distribute or provide them without our prior written explicit consent to do so in a separate Agreement. 12.8 This User Agreement and the relationship between us shall be governed by the Republic of Bulgaria, subject to your local mandatory rights. For complaints that cannot be resolved otherwise, you submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Bulgarian courts in Sofia arising out of or relating to this User Agreement or the provision of our Platforms. In simple terms, “nonexclusive jurisdiction of the Bulgarian courts” means that if you were able to bring a claim arising from this User Agreement against us in Court, the competent court in Sofia, Bulgaria, but in case you are a consumer you may also elect to bring a claim in the court of the country as per your permanent residence. 1.1 This Agreement is concluded between the Client (referred to as “You”) on one side and iCard AD, having its seat and registered office at: Bulgaria, Sofia, 76A James Boucher Blvd., PO 1407, UIN: 175325806, authorized and regulated by the Bulgarian National Bank as an Electronic Money Institution under the Electronic Money Directive 2009/110/EC (the “EMD”) with license No. 4703-5081/25.07.2011 Principal Member of Mastercard, VISA and JCB, (hereinafter referred to as “us”, “we”, “our”, “iCard” or “Financial Institution”), entitled to provide e-money, payment services and card services under EU Payment Services Directive and EU E-money Institutions Directive. “LeuPay Wallet Service” is a FinTech online payment service for e-money, provided by iCard, accessible through the LeuPay Wallet Platform, which is supported by iCard Services AD. The present agreement regulates the part of the LeuPay Wallet Service, which constitutes of Е-money issuing and distribution, and any other payment services related to said e-money services. These services are provided by a licensed Institution – iCard AD. To use the LeuPay Wallet Account you have to subscribe and use the LeuPay Wallet Platform via the Mobile app. "LeuPay Wallet Account" or “Е-money Account” or “Account” means an account for electronic money, provided by us. LeuPay Wallet Account can solely be Personal - for your personal needs. Your use of LeuPay Wallet is regulated by the terms of the present Legal Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Account. (i) Downloading the Mobile App for the Service, published by iCard Services AD., and agreeing with the Mobile App License Agreement and the User Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Service. (ii) Agreeing with the Legal agreement for LeuPay Wallet Account and the other legal documents if applicable. 1.4 The Agreement will be effective from the date of its acceptance by you ("Effective Date"). By clicking “Accept” or “Agree” where this option is made available to you by us via the Website for the Service and which you hereby adopt as your electronic signature you consent and agree to the terms and conditions of the present Legal Agreement and therefore the electronic document of the Agreement is deemed as duly signed by you. 1.5 A link of the Agreement will be provided to you in the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App from where you may download the Agreement in printable form during or immediately after the sign-up process. A copy of the Agreement, as amended from time to time, is available to you on Website of the Service You may request to be provided with a copy of the Agreement, and a link to the Agreement will be sent to your registered mobile number for the Service. 1.7 You declare that you are registering for the Service on you own behalf only and that you are not acting on behalf or on account of third party. 1.8 14-days cancellation period for Consumers: If you act in your capacity of Consumer, for 14 days after agreeing with the Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Account you have the right to cancel your contract with us by closing your Account(s). We will give you all your available money back to a bank account stated by you or via cash withdrawal with LeuPay Wallet Card (if you have such) after completion of card activation. You will not have to pay any charges for exercising this right but you will have to pay for any transactions relating to the time that your Account was open. You can tell us you want to close your Account(s) via your Online account or by calling us at our Contact Center. If you do not close your account in the 14-day period, you can still close your Account in accordance with the Section 14 of this Agreement. 2.1 To be eligible for the payment and e-money Services, you must (i) be at least 18 years old (unless you are a Dependent, as described below); and (ii) be resident of the countries, listed on the Website; and (iii) you or any user of additional card to your Account must not be present on any black list or sanctions lists, related to AML/FT purposes, officially published and notified by Regulators or black lists of card fraudsters or similar. 2.2 Identification and verification: We are legally obliged to identify and verify your identity in compliance with the applicable AML/FT laws, our Internal AML/FT rules and procedures and the applicable rules of the Card Organizations. (i) For that purpose, we require identification and registration of your data on LeuPay Wallet Platform (via the Website for the Service), such as, but not exhaustively, names, address, date of birth, citizenship, TIN, registered mobile number and other. (iii) You agree that the video call is only a part of the verification and that your identity will be verified by us via independent sources, such as documents for proof of address, other documents, PEP registers, Dow Jones or similar databases, registers of Card Organizations or other independent sources. You agree with such checks and will provide all assistance requested by us in carrying out such checks. You agree that we shall have full discretion in determining whether you are verified and continue to be in compliance with the anti-money-laundering/FT requirements. We are entitled to decline, stop or terminate Service temporarily or in a permanent way in case of failure to complete the identification and verification process successfully in reasonable time or due to any other risk, security or regulatory reasons, for which we shall not be liable. (iv) You understand and agree that the payment services, including the Account and the Card/s, shall not be activated and available until successful completion of the identification and verification procedures under our Internal AML/FT rules and procedures. We reserve our right to ask for any additional documents, personal details, originals or notarized copies of ID documents or other documents at any time. 2.3 At our discretion you may be entitled to use only part of the Service, such as LeuPay Wallet Card or Additional card, prior to completion of the full identification and verification procedure. In this case special limits shall be applied for the Service whereas these limits are defined explicitly in the section regarding “Limits” which is available in your Online account. You agree that the limits specified there are based on statutory requirements and may be subject to immediate change in case the regulatory requirements are amended accordingly for which you will be notified. 2.4 In case you are successfully verified by us, your Account shall be automatically activated with the standard limits. Nevertheless, we may require at any time additional information as a condition of the continued use of the Service by you. You agree to provide such information without undue delay, as we may require in this regard. The limits on your Account/Card are set out in the section regarding “Limits” which is available in the Website for the Service and in your Mobile app. 2.5 For regulatory, risk and security reasons we may impose or change the limits unilaterally and without your consent for which we shall inform you with a notification unless we are not permitted by law to notify you in certain cases. We are entitled at our sole discretion to decide whether to change the limits after a customer request for change of limits and we shall not be liable in case of decline of request. 2.6 Upon registration for the Service and during this Agreement, you must provide current, complete and accurate information by personalizing your Online account, as requested by us and maintain that information as current and accurate during use of the Service. In case of any changes in information you provided, you agree to update the information in the online Account without delay. 2.7 Set-off. You agree that LeuPay Wallet Service may set-off any of the amounts held in your e-money accounts or currency balances held or controlled by you with any fees, charges or other amounts you owe to us or our Affiliates. In simple terms, our right to set-off means that we may deduct such fees, charges or other amounts due by you to us or our Affiliates. If such set-off includes a currency conversion we will convert the amount that you owe us according to our currency exchange rate for the date of the operation. 2.8 Users under 18 years of age (“Dependents”): Users under 18 years of age are not eligible to use independently the payment services under this Agreement and have their own independent e-money account, nor to pass the video chat identification. If such users wish to use the payment services they have to ask at least 1 of their parent or guardian (“Parent/Guardian”) to download the mobile app, register for the Service, conclude the Legal Agreement, undergo successfully the video chat identification and add the user under 18 years old as a “Dependent” in their own account. To add as a “Dependent” the main client will have to enter the names, birth date and mobile phone of the Dependent. Dependent users are not considered as Clients for the payment or e-money services and do not have a separate claim on the e-money balance in the Dependent account. However, they shall be entitled to contact the Call Center or the Chat in case of lost or stolen additional card, where they will be asked to state their name, birth date and registered mobile number for security reasons. We reserve our right to ask the Parent/Guardian for any document which may prove his/her relation to the Dependent. 2.8.1 Once successfully added as “Dependent” such users under 18 years of age will be able to use the service only as sub-account to the main account of the Parent/Guardian and/or additional cards, linked to the Parent/Guardian account of the main user with limits set by the Parent/Guardian and only for as long as the main account of the Parent/Guardian is valid, not blocked and/or not terminated. Any claim for chargeback or unauthorized transaction with additional card/wallet has to be made by the Parent/Guardian. 2.8.2 Upon request of the Parent/Guardian the Dependent may be issued or have limited or terminated additional cards embossed or not with the name of the Dependent. Such Dependent users will also be able to use the Fund, Send and Request money functionalities with strict limitations, set via the Parent/Guardian account, and their cards will be limited for certain MCC according to the Card Organizations Rules. The information on all transactions made by such Dependent Users will be sent via the Chat to the Parent/Guardian account. 2.8.3 Once such user reaches the age of 18 years, such user may conclude a Legal Agreement for independent e-money account/card via the mobile app and upon successful identification and verification of the person the account will be open with the standard functionalities and limits. Any cards, issued prior to that moment, may continue to be used with the new independent account. The transactional history of the Dependent prior to the age of 18 shall be also available in the new independent account. 2.8.4 Disclosure to my Dependents: This section only applies to Parents/Guardians of dependents with sub-accounts and/or additional card(s): I, the Parent/Guardian, agree that you can disclose to my Dependent who has a sub-account and/or additional card (s) account with you that I no longer have a and account with you. You may purchase or receive e-money in the following ways, as allowed by the Service. 3.1.1 You may decide to register a valid card (stored card), of which you’re an authorized holder, which will be used to fund the purchase of e-money for the Service. Purchase of e-money via stored card may be for amount defined by you or for the amount determined by us, necessary for crediting of your Account, in order to complete a payment transaction or charge you as per this Agreement. By adding a stored card you consent to use the stored card for funding transactions, that the funding transactions in compliance with this Agreement can no longer be revoked and that we may check if the stored card is in good standing with the issuing institution or Member, including, but not limited via procedure for verification of a stored card or in other ways. The limits for Funding via stored card are set out in the Online account. You may change the limits, as allowed by the Service, by completing successfully the procedure for verification of stored card, available in your Online account. c) Upon your explicit request and our consent of or in other cases of reversal of payment operation or refund of sums, to credit, if possible, to your stored card such amounts as may be necessary to effect any Reversal of a funding or payment transaction or refunds of amounts, through the Service. 3.1.3 If you choose to register multiple stored cards, you must select the priority order, to be followed by us for funding transactions. You have to select the order for debiting of your Account from available Account Balance or stored card. You may enable via the Servicee, and afterwards - disable, the functionality for automatic funding of your Account from the stored card with the purpose for payment on physical POS or virtual POS (in Internet) in which case there will be no funding fee for such funding operation. In order to enable this option, we may have requirements for verification of stored card or others, as requested by us. If you activate this option, you (1) cannot dispute or make chargeback of the funding operation and (2) agree that if the stored card cannot be debited for some reason and you have enough Balance in your Account, then your Balance may be debited for the performance of the payment transaction. 3.2 Funding via bank transfer: You can order a credit transfer from a bank account to your LeuPay Wallet Account for e-money provided by us. Upon receipt of the amount of the transfer by us, we will issue electronic money in the same amount and currency as the amount and currency received by us and in the same business day as the date of receipt of the funds. We are not responsible for and do not control when we are going to receive the funds from your payment services provider and whether your payment services provider or correspondent banks will charge you fees for the transfer and will transfer the full amount to us. You will be notified through information in the Online account in the Balance and transaction history on the amount of issued money and date of credit operation. 3.3 In order to receive the amount in the Account, you must provide the correct number of your Account and/or correct IBAN, as well as other beneficiary account details, as stated in your Online account. The limits for Funding via bank transfer are set out in the Online account. 3.4 You agree that we may impose different limitations on amounts of purchased e-money, or special requirements, or not accept bank transfer from certain banks, upon our sole discretion. 3.5 The credit value date for the Payee's account (your Account) and the amount of the funding transactions shall be available no later than the Business day on which the amount of the funding transaction is credited to the Account, held with us. 3.6 Funding in cash: If and when it is allowed and provided by the Service, you will be able to purchase e-money in cash only in the places where this funding is allowed by us and only for type of Accounts and limits for funding in cash, approved by us. Funding in cash is possible in the offices, stores or points of sale of some of our authorized agents or subcontractors, listed on the Website for the Service. Funding in cash is available in limited places and countries, stated on the Website for the Service (“authorized points for cash-in”). The authorized points for cash-in services may charge you at their discretion a fee for the cash-in service on top of the amount to be funded in cash. We shall issue e-money in the same amount as the amount paid in cash by you, less fee for cash-in (if there is such) and shall make the amount available to you immediately after the receipt of funds, or in case of a Payee, who is not a Consumer – at latest on the next Business day after the receipt of the funds. In some cases, such as co-branded programs with sub-contractors, upon our sole discretion, we may make the amount available to you earlier than the receipt of funds by us. Limits on funding in cash operations may vary depending on place and country and are provided to you on the Website for the Service or on spot. 3.7 Funding transactions with some funding methods may be rejected or limited by us for regulatory reasons (AML/FT), risk and security or in order to avoid conflict between various Services by We or on other grounds, or may be rejected or delayed, for reasons beyond our reasonable control. We do not guarantee the acceptance of any particular funding method, and may make changes or discontinue the acceptance of any particular funding method at any time and without prior notice to you, for which we are not liable. 3.8 You agree that you cannot make a successful Chargeback after a funding transaction, on the ground “goods not delivered or similar”, as the purchased e-money (purchased goods) is issued (delivered) by us upon receipt of funds. 3.9 Budget: You may set a Budget via the Service – a fixed amount of e-money, within the limits of the Service, which is debited from the funding instrument (funding card or other) and is credited as e-money in the wallet, and is available at a certain period of time, such as daily, weekly or monthly. You may use or spend this amount and the other e-money balance. This amount may be subject to a blocking or hold by us, in the same way and on the same grounds, as the e-money. You understand and agree that by authorizing the first funding of the wallet for replenishing the fixed budget amount, you express an authorization for recurring transactions with the funding instrument and in this regard, you are not entitled to a charge-back or reversal for unauthorized transactions. You may edit or suspend the Budget at any time via the Service. 3.10 The Service offers possibility for top-up (loading of money) into vouchers and prepaid mobile numbers (“Top-Up”) from the LeuPay Wallet balance. The Service is using third parties subcontractors, who are acting as top-up resellers for the Mobile Operators, who provide the vouchers or prepaid mobile numbers and we are not providing the vouchers or prepaid mobile numbers. Some Mobile operators or some of their agents may collect a surcharge fee on top of the amount to be loaded in the vouchers or prepaid mobile numbers (“Top-Up Fee”). Such fees may vary depending on the Mobile operator, not on us. In such cases, this fee will be displayed in LeuPay Wallet, prior to the debit operation and the customer may refuse to proceed with a Top-up, if the customer does not agree to the fee. The fee is just collected by us and transferred to the agent of the Mobile operator or its sub-contractor. We are not liable for any compensation for the delivery, timely delivery or quality of the vouchers or prepaid time from the Mobile Operators or their agents or sub-contractors. 3.12 Receipt of money: Your Account may be funded with e-money on receipt of money by you from your other Accounts in our system and services or from other bank accounts. In order to receive money from a Client’s Accounts in our system, you have to provide to the Payer either your registered email for the Service or your registered Mobile phone number for the Service or the number of your Account, available in your Online account. In order to receive money from a bank account (inbound money transfer), you must provide to the Payer the correct number of your Account and/or correct IBAN, as well as other beneficiary Account details, as stated in your Online account. 4.1. Once verified, you may send e-money via the Service to other users, registered for LeuPay Wallet Service. In order to send money via the Service you must use the correct mobile phone number of the user, registered for the Service (recipient). You understand and accept that LeuPay Wallet Service does not allow Sending money to persons that are not registered for the Service. 4.2. You are fully liable for sending correct submissions via the send money functionality of LeuPay Wallet Service. By clicking the button "Send Money" or similar in the Mobile App and after entry of the secret code when requested by the Service, you confirm that you are making confirmed and irrevocable payment order to us to execute the payment order and debit your balance with the amount of the transfer, and all applicable fees (if any). Confirmed order, already received by us, cannot be revoked. 4.3. We shall execute the authorized payment order made by you, provided that the balance of e-money in your account is enough to cover the amount of the transfer and the applicable fees (if any). We may refuse to execute a specific transaction if there is not enough balance of e-money or we reasonably believe that the payment order is made by unauthorized person or transaction is fraudulent, illegal or in breach of the present Agreement or any law or regulation. 4.4. We are obliged process you Send money order to another LeuPay Wallet Client and credit its LeuPay Wallet with the amount of the order within the same day as of the date of placement of correct payment order. 5.1. Where we refuse to execute a payment order, the refusal and, if possible, the reasons for it as well as the procedure for correcting any factual mistakes that led to the refusal shall be notified to you, unless prohibited by other relevant EU or national legislation. We shall provide notification to you via Mobile App at the earliest opportunity. We may charge a fee for providing additional information for such a notification if the refusal is objectively justified. 5.2. You are obliged to notify us immediately and without delay via the Contact numbers of the Call Center on the website www.leupaywallet.com in case of loss, theft, misappropriation or unauthorized use of Identifying Credentials and/or Card/s and to take all preventive and security measures as allowed by the Service or us to limit the risks and damages. If you are not a Consumer you cannot claim that a transaction is not authorized, because of lack of your consent for the specific transaction. 5.3. You agree that we may not be always able to reverse the amount of unauthorized transaction in cases, where the deadlines for chargeback before the Card Organizations have expired or in other cases according to the rules of the respective Card Organization, in which cases we shall not be liable before you for compensation bigger than the one provided in the law. 5.4. When you receive a payment, you are liable to us for the full amount of the payment plus any Fees if the payment is later invalidated for any reason. In addition to any other liability, if there is a Reversal, or if you lose a Chargeback or Claim, you will owe to us an amount equal to the Reversal, Chargeback or Claim and applicable fee as per the Tariff and other charges related to the Reversal, Chargeback or Claim. We may debit your account to recover any amounts and fees, due by you in connection to Reversal, or Chargeback or Claim or Reserve, immediately and without prior notice. (iv) If payment has been made with e-money via debiting of linked Funding Instrument - the amount subject to reversal or refund is refunded to Funding instrument if possible, or if not possible is refunded in your LeuPay Wallet account in the currency of the transaction. 5.6. In case we have reasonable doubts or we receive information from third parties, such as Card Organizations, other Regulators or card issuers/acquirers for fraud or payments with stolen cards, false cards, or unauthorized payments with cards or other irregularities in connection with your use of the Service, we have the right to withhold or block all amounts in your account and other accounts, which seem to be connected to your account, and to start an investigation without prior notice to you or third parties. You are obliged to cooperate with us and present us all requested information related to the alleged fraud or unauthorized payments. We have to complete our internal investigation within a reasonable period and inform you on the outcome, unless this is not permitted by the law for compliance reasons. You acknowledge and agree that in some cases of violations we may be obliged to report you to registers of Card Organizations or other Regulators and terminate the Service, for which we shall not be liable. 5.7.1 Without prejudice to the above, you agree and acknowledge that the reporting and payment of any applicable taxes arising from use of the Service and which by law are your obligations, shall be your exclusive responsibility and liability. You hereby agree to comply with any and all applicable tax laws. 5.7.2 You acknowledge and agree that the sales of Goods and Services, including but not limited to top-up of prepaid or similar services, are transactions between the Merchant and you and not with us, or any of our Branches, Agents or affiliates. We are not liable for the performance of obligation of Merchants. 5.7.3 We provide to you via the LeuPay Wallet platform information on balance/s, IBAN numbers and other unique account identifiers, information on transactions, history of transactions, status of account, status of other payment instruments, status of your customer verification point of view, notifications sent to you and other important information regarding your e-money account opened under the present Agreement. You agree to any such disclosures of your personal and e-money and payment services data and records to iCard Services AD for the purposes of providing the LeuPay Wallet Service. 5.7.4 You will be able to view transactions free of charge in the transaction history, which is updated regularly, and you agree not to receive paper statements. Upon your request we may, at our discretion, provide you with additional statements, paper or otherwise, of the transactions but in this case we may charge you a reasonable administration fee. We may charge you a fee for other information services, different from the standard information services, provided via the Service or additional services provided by us, as provided in the Tariff. 6.1 We have provided to you personalized security features which comply with the principles of strong customer authentication for using all payment instruments, included in the Service, such as, but not limited to, password, OTP (one-time passcodes) received via SMS or generated via special mobile applications for access to Online account and making a payment order, embossed number of the card, PIN, CVC/CVV or similar code of the card, password for Mobile Application and others, which are necessary tools for preserving the security of your payment instruments. We will make sure that the personalized security features of the payment instruments are not accessible to parties other than you or the entitled to use the payment instrument user and conform to all Regulatory Technical Standards, without prejudice to your obligations. 6.2 You are able to control the security of the payment instruments, by enabling or disabling them for certain transactions, such as Internet transactions, ATM cash withdrawal or other, receipt of SMS or email after each transaction with Card, and imposing limits, which are more stringent than our default spending limits via the Service (Online account, Mobile App or SMS commands via registered mobile number or in other available ways). You agree to use these security control mechanisms available via the Service in order to minimize the risks of unauthorized access to your Account and unauthorized transactions. You must use the functionalities of the Service for disabling cards for Internet transactions and cash withdrawals only with one click or with SMS and enabling such Internet transactions or cash withdrawals only when you wish to make such transactions. 6.3 You agree to use your credentials, such as username and password and other personalized security features for your payment instruments only in accordance with this Agreement and with the law. You must not provide and must not allow disclosure of the personalized security features to a third party even where the Card or payment instrument is PIN based, because even in this case Card or payment instrument can be comprised and result in unauthorized transactions, for which you are fully liable. You must not disclose the credentials for access to a Business account (username and password), because they may be identical with the credentials for access to your personal account and there is a risk of unauthorized transactions. The breach of this obligation is breach of your obligation for protection of personalized security characteristics of payment instrument and you will be fully liable for unauthorized transactions as a result of your breach of this obligation willfully or with gross negligence. 6.4 You acknowledge and agree that all Cards linked to your Account are providing access to the e-money in your Account and you shall be liable for all transactions and charges arising of the use of Cards, associated with your Account. 6.5 If you believe that your Account or other payment instruments have been used in an unauthorized manner or in case of unauthorized transactions, you have to contact us without undue delay. You agree to notify us via the Contact Center or via "Contact us" on our Website for the Service, immediately and without delay in case of loss, theft, misappropriation or unauthorized use of credentials and/or personalized security features and/or payment instruments, including, but not limited to Cards, and to take all preventive and security measures as allowed by the Service, including to disable the compromised payment instruments via the Service, or allow us to do it and limit the risks of unauthorized transactions and damages. You also agree to notify us without undue delay and in the same manner of any other breach of security regarding the Service of which you have knowledge. 6.6 We may suspend the use of the Service in part of wholly, including block the Card, or Account, where we suspect that their security may have been compromised or that unauthorized or fraudulent use has taken place. We will inform you in advance or, if that is not possible, immediately after, of the suspension of the use of the Service, specifying the reasons for the suspension, unless such provision of information would compromise reasonable security measures or be otherwise unlawful. We will provide the Service or replacement credentials or personalized security characteristics to you, as soon as practicable after the reasons for the suspension cease to exist and on condition that you have satisfied all obligations towards us. 6.7 More information on security measures, which you must and are able to take, is provided on the Website for the Service or in the Online account. h) Use of the Service for any sale of purchase of goods and/or services, which are not acceptable to us as determined on our Website for the Service or instructed in writing by us. 8.4 We shall be entitled to notify you at any time about the cessation of the provision of the Service to you via e-mail. The decision for the refusal is strictly in our discretion and we shall not be liable for whatsoever compensations. 8.5 You authorize us to obtain a credit report and/or to otherwise make credit or other background enquiries from time to time, as we may deem appropriate, to evaluate your registration for or continued use of the Service. 8.6 You agreе not to access (or attempt to access) any of the Service by any means other than through the Online account of the Service and Card that we have provided for the Service, unless you have been specifically allowed to do so in a separate agreement with us. You acknowledge that this restriction will apply to use of the Service by any automated means. 8.7 You agree that you will not engage in any activity that interferes with or disrupts the Service (or the servers and networks which are connected to the Service). 8.8 You agree that you will not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, trade or resell the Service for any purpose. 8.9 You agree that you are fully responsible for (and that we have no responsibility to you or to any third party for) any breach of your obligations under the Agreement and for the consequences (including any loss or damage which we may suffer) of any such breach. 8.10 You acknowledge and agree that in order to meet all obligations after the anti-money laundering legislation (Prevention of Money Laundering Act and The Prevention of Money Laundering and Funding of Terrorism Regulations) and other documents related to their execution, as well as all European and national legislation in the field, we may establish general practices and limits concerning the use of the Service without prior notice to you, including, without limitation, individual or aggregate transaction limits on the value or turnover of e-money, transaction or other limits on the value, type or number of funding transactions or Payment Transactions during any specified time period(s). We shall notify you for every amendment in the common practices and limitations within reasonable time unless such notification is prohibited by aforementioned anti-money laundering legislation. 8.11 We may refuse to execute any funding or payment transaction, payment order or other use of the Service if we have reasonable grounds to suspect fraud, a breach of the applicable Agreement by you or the Merchant, or a violation of law or regulation of Card Organization or other Organization. Transactions may also be delayed due to our compliance withour obligations under applicable anti-money-laundering legislation, including if we suspect that the transaction involves fraud or illegal or non-acceptable activities. In the event that we refuse to execute a Funding or Payment Transaction or Payment Order, you will be notified, unless it is unlawful for us to do so or would compromise reasonable security measures. 8.12 You acknowledge and agree that if we disable access to E-money account or to any payment instrument by stopping the use of your Identifying Credentials or blocking the Card/s, you may be prevented from accessing the Service, your Account details or any files or other content which are contained in your Account or connected to your e-money or payment instruments. 8.13 We are not liable for declined payment transactions or lack of Service, due to lack of enough Balance in the Account or linked funding instrument/s, use of Card without name of Cardholder or in case of Merchants not accepting payments with such Cards, or offline transactions (Cards are generally not accepted for offline transactions, such as payments on toll roads, or other, however, this does not exclude your liability for offline transactions, if any), lack of Internet, or problems with your hardware or software, or exceeding the limits set by you as allowed by the Service, or the general limits, determined by us, or any other reason beyond our reasonable control. 8.14 Non-satisfaction of the conditions in this Agreement and/or our Acceptance Policy, may result in immediate suspension of your use of the Service, blocking of funds in your Account, our right to withhold funds in your Account for satisfaction of damages incurred by us, because of you rbreach, our claim against you, initiation of procedures before competent regulatory bodies or Card Organizations, and also termination of this Agreement without prior notice to you. 9.1 We will charge you fees to use the Service, as specified in the Tariff. Tariff may be changed by us unilaterally with 2-month notice to you. Updates in Tariff will be indicated on the Website for the Service or via the Online account, and you will be duly notified in accordance to the Agreement. We may charge fee for transfers, if it is stated in the Tariff. 9.2 Currency conversion: If transaction involves a currency conversion, it will be completed at a foreign exchange rate determined by us plus a Currency exchange fee expressed as a certain percentage above the exchange rate and as specified in the Tariff. Foreign exchange rate is adjusted regularly based on market conditions (the wholesale exchange rate at which we obtains foreign currency). The exchange rate may be applied immediately by us. The exchange rate may be updated daily by us and applied immediately by us. It may be viewed in your Mobile App or on https://www.leupaywallet.com/ under Currency Exchange Rates. 9.3 Where a currency conversion is offered by us at the point of sale you will be shown the foreign exchange rate that will be applied to the transaction before authorising the payment transaction on our Website for the Service. By proceeding with authorisation of the payment transaction you are agreeing to the currency conversion on the basis of the foreign exchange rate. Where a currency conversion is offered at the point of sale by the Merchant, not by us, you choose to authorize the payment transaction on the basis of the Merchant's exchange rate and charges, we shall have no liability to you for that currency conversion. Where your payment for e-money is funded by a Debit or Credit Card and involves a currency conversion, by entering into this Agreement you consent to and authorize us to convert the currency in place of your Credit or Debit card issuer. 9.4 In case you are being sent e-money in currency, different from the currency of your account, you agree that we shall automatically make a currency conversion and shall issue e-money in the currency of your LeuPay Wallet account at the foreign exchange rate, applied by us at the date of issuing the e-money. 9.5 You agree and understand that the Institution or Member that issues the stored card or providеs the bank account to you, used for funding tranactions, may charge you a fee and/or currency conversion fee in connection with the debiting or charging of the funding instrument resulting from the funding transaction. You should consult the Terms and Conditions governing your funding instrument for more information about any such fees. We are not liable for taxes, fees or costs imposed by third parties. 9.6. In case where your LeuPay Wallet Account has been blocked by us for compliance or security reasons, or under order by a regulator, and this situation has not been rectified within a period of 2 (two) years from date of blocking, we shall be entitled to charge a Non-compliant fee in the amount of 15 EUR per month from any outstanding Balance or Reserve amount, or collateral amount, until rectification of the non-compliance or depletion of the funds in the Account, in which last case we have the right to terminate the Agreement and close the Account. 10.1 In case you are using the Service as a Consumer, you shall be liable for all losses incurred in respect of unauthorized transactions, as a result of use of lost or stolen payment instrument or from its misappropriation, before it is reported for up to a maximum of 50 EUR unless you were able to detect the loss, theft or misappropriation of the payment instrument before the payment was made or the loss was caused by acts or lack of action of an employee, agent or branch of ours. In case you are not using the Service as a Consumer, you shall be liable without limitation for all losses incurred in respect of unauthorized or incorrect transactions, as a result of use of lost or stolen payment instrument or from its misappropriation or incorrect payment orders. When you do not use LeuPay Wallet Service as a Consumer, you agree that all payment transactions with your LeuPay Wallet Account or Card or other payment instruments will be considered as authorized by you if they are registered in the system of the respective Financial Institution. In case that the unauthorized transaction was made through a third-party payment service provider approved by the payment initiation service, we shall immediately refund the amount involved in said unauthorized transaction no later than by the end on the next working day. If applicable, the status of the debited account shall be restored to the state it would have been had the unauthorized transaction not been made, nothwistanding any rights of recourse to which we may be entitled against the payment service provider. Your liability cap of 50 EUR maximum arising from unauthorized transactions under the terms set out in the above paragraph shall likewise apply in the event of transactions made through a third-party payment service provider. 10.2 However, you shall be fully liable for all losses incurred in respect of unauthorized transactions and/or all damages, notwithstanding the amount of the losses or damages, if you have acted fraudulently or has, with intent or gross negligence, failed to comply with the Agreement or law, including your obligations to preserve the security of your Identifying Credentials, providing access to your Account, e-money or Card or other. 10.3 You shall be entitled to redress losses (excluding fees or interest in case your are not a Consumers) incurred by you in respect of unauthorized or incorrect transactions made after you have informed us for the unauthorized or incorrect transaction and we has been able to block the Account and/or Card or other payment instrument without undue delay in the day when your Account was debited or within 7 (seven) days afterwards, and in case where you have acted as a Consumer, no later than any longer period after the debit date, as provided in applicable legislation in the interest of Consumer. We will, on your request, make efforts to trace the transaction and notify you of the outcome. Where you are entitled to redress, we will refund the amount of the unauthorized transactions, less applicable fees as per Tariff, by crediting your Account. In the case of an unauthorised payment transaction, which debits your Account, including where the unauthorized transaction was made through a third party authorised payment initiation services provider (PISP), we shall refund the amount of the unauthorised payment transaction immediately, and in any event no later than by the end of the following business day, after being notified of the unauthorized transaction by you or your legal representative (in case of legal entities), except where we have reasonable grounds for suspecting fraud and communicate those grounds to the relevant national authority in writing. Where applicable, we shall restore the debited account to the state in which it would have been had the unauthorised payment transaction not taken place. This shall also ensure that the credit value date for your account shall be no later than the date the amount had been debited. You have to inform us via your registered e-mail in case of unauthorized transaction and request a refund. You have to be fully identified and verified and your account has to be in good standing and not blocked for security or compliance reasons. 10.4. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold us harmless , from and against any losses or negative Balance on Account or Cards, resulting from any and all actions, causes of actions, claims, demands, liabilities, judgments, damages or expenses (collectively, "Claim" or "Claims") which we may at any time during the term of this Agreement or within 5 (five) years after its termination incur, sustain or become subject as a result of any Claim and: (a) connected to your or your employees’, agents’ or sub-contractors’, or 3rd parties’ use of the Service, including, but not limited to Accounts or Cards, breach of any provision, warranty or representation in this Agreement, or regulations of Card Organizations or other Organizations; or (b) arising out of your or your employees’, agents’ or sub-contractors’, or end customers’ or 3rd parties’ use of the Service, including, but not limited to Accounts or Cards, willful acts or omissions, gross negligence, or other similar wrongdoings or claims, or fraud, charge back, including, but not limited to amounts and fees debited or charged by Card Organizations for charge back, initiated by you or 3rd parties, offline transactions, recurring transactions, currency conversions, pre-authorization, manual operations, stand-in process, system malfunction, or other unlawful use of the Card and/or e-money; or (c) arising from your or your employees’, agents’ or sub-contractors’, or end customers’ or 3rd parties’ use of the Service, including, but not limited to Accounts or Cards, failure to comply with any law or regulation including but not limited to AML, data protection laws, Cardholder´s data information and other rules and regulations. You agree that we are authorized to satisfy immediately as they become due any of your obligations by debiting or withdrawing directly funds from your Account, or from any Security provided by you (if Security is provided), or any outstanding sums owed by us to you, including by debiting or charging your Funding instrument. We shall inform you on the ground, amount and value date of such withdrawals, unless it is forbidden by law or regulations for AML or security reasons to make such notice. 10.4.1 In case of outstanding obligations of yours towards us or any of our Affiliates, you consent explicitly and irrevocably and authorize us to debit the amount of your obligations from your account/s with us without prior notice and pay your obligations on your behalf. The information on the debit transaction value and date will be shown in the Client’s online account. 10.5 In case of delay for payment of amounts due to us you shall owe a penalty for delay in the amount of the statutory interest according to the European Central Bank rate for each day of delay from the date of delay until payment of the full amount. 10.6 Right of Retention: Unless otherwise agreed between the parties in writing, according to applicable law we may exercise a right of retention over all your money in your account/s with us or our Affiliates until all outstanding fees, costs, charges, expenses and liabilities owed to us have been paid in full. 10.7 In addition to our right of indemnification, in case where your LeuPay Wallet Account has been blocked by us for compliance or security reasons, or under order by a regulator, due to your breach of this Legal Agreement or use of the Service by you in breach the applicable laws or the Rules of the Card Organizations, we shall be entitled to block your LeuPay Wallet Account and all or part of the Services, without prior notice to you and we shall be entitled to receive as a penalty for each breach by you, equal to 20% of your turnover via LeuPay Wallet Service for a period not exceeding the last 12 (twelve) months prior to the blocking of the account, and per each breach. We reserve our right to withhold amounts and/or seek higher compensation for our actual damages. 10.8 Right of Withhold or Set-off: Unless otherwise agreed between the parties in writing, according to the applicable law we may exercise a right of withhold and/or set-off over all your money in your Account/s with us until all outstanding fees, costs, charges, expenses and liabilities due to us have been paid in full. 10.9 We shall be released of liability in the case that a card is not accepted by a Merchant or another financial institution that has undertaken to sell goods or render services paid for by card or in the event of incidents of a technical or operational nature that affects ATMs. We shall be held harmless from any incidents and liabilities that may arise from transactions conducted between us. 11.1 You acknowledge and agree that we may stop providing the Service to you, as provided in the Agreement. You may stop using the Service at any time, without need to inform us when you stop using the Service. The Agreement will continue to apply until terminated either by you or us, as set out below. c) Return of Card to us. 11.3. In case of any risk of Damages for us, resulting from reversals, chargebacks, claims, fees, fines, penalties, your non-compliance with AML/FT or other regulations and other similar liabilities arising from your use of the Service, Wwe may hold your funds for up to 180 Days even after Termination of Agreement or shorter or longer period, as required by the law, including laws in favor of the Consumer. You will remain liable for all obligations arising under this Agreement even after Termination of Agreement and/or closing of Account. b) We are required to do so by law or Regulations of Card Organizations or other Organizations (for example, where the provision of the Service to you becomes non-compliant with the Regulations). 11.5 Unless a shorter period is provided in this Agreement, as permitted by law, we may, at any time, terminate the Agreement by giving you two (2) months' notice. 11.6 When this Agreement comes to an end, all of the legal rights, obligations and liabilities that both parties have benefited from, or which have accrued over time whilst the Agreement has been in force, or which are expressed to continue indefinitely, will be unaffected by this cessation, and the provisions of clause 19.5 will continue to apply to such rights, obligations and liabilities indefinitely. 11.7.1 You are entitled to request personally by sending an e-mail from “Contact Us” on our Website for the Service to redeem (buy back) part or all available Balance of your e-money, less all applicable fees. The request for redemption of e-money has to be signed by a legal representative or a person explicitly authorized by you in relation to the Business Account. Subject to the successful completion of applicable anti-money-laundering, fraud, risk and other checks of every request for redemption by us and subject to the expiry of any reserve/hold/block or collateral under this Agreement or the law, we will redeem the amount of the outstanding e-money, less the applicable fees, such as redemption fee, determined in Tariff or currency conversion fees if applicable and possible bank transfer fees for the bank transfer. We shall initiate transfer of the remaining amount to your personal bank account, which has to be in the same currency as the currency in your account or in one of the currencies, supported by us, as notified by us on our Website for the Service. The e-money is issued by us in our capacity of a E-money Institution and your claim of for the available balance of e-money is towards us. 11.7.2 We are not liable for incorrect transactions based on false or incomplete information. We shall not be liable for delays in the redemption of e-money where the delay is caused by any third party involved in the transfer transaction of redeemed money. 11.7.3 You cannot request and is not entitled to e-money redemption if there is no Balance available in your Account for whatsoever reason or Balance is not enough to cover the fees for redemption. 11.7.4 If the outstanding amount of e-money cannot be redeemed in accordance with this clause, you have six (6) years following termination of the Agreement to request the redemption of the outstanding amount in full and in compliance with this Agreement, after which time any e-money left in your Account becomes our property . For the purposes of this clause, the Agreement terminates when you are no longer able to use your e-money for the purpose of making Funding and/or Payment transactions or use of the Service. Any redemption made, pursuant to this clause, is subject to the successful completion of applicable anti-money-laundering, fraud and other illegal activity checks, and you agree to provide the information requested by us in order for us to complete these checks. Nothing in this clause limits our right to terminate the Agreement, pursuant to the other clauses of this Agreement or the law. 11.8. Death of Individuals: We will assume that the relationship between us persists until we are notified in writing about your death. We must be notified by who is legally vested with the rights and obligations to act on behalf of your affairs and will take instructions from him/her/them. Such person may be the heir, legatee, administrator, executor or otherwise. We shall be entitled to receive to its satisfaction such evidence, at your cost, as may be required by us to establish the proper entitlement and authority of the person claiming to be in charge of acting on behalf of your affairs and the Bank shall not be bound to act upon such instructions until such time as we are satisfied of such authority. (c) Any information obtained by you as a result of use of the Service will be accurate or reliable. 12.2 No conditions, warranties or other terms (including any implied terms as to satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose or conformance with description) apply to the Service, except to the extent that they are expressly set out in the Agreement. 12.3 Nothing in the Agreement will affect those mandatory statutory rights to which you are entitled as a Consumer and that you cannot contractually agree to alter or waive. 13.1 Nothing in the Agreement will exclude or limit our liability for losses which may not be lawfully excluded or limited by this Agreement or by applicable law. c) (in case you are not a Consumer) Any compensation for fees or interest paid or levied on you , as a result of non-performance or incorrect performance of a payment transaction. 13.3. We do not assume any responsibility for the information provided by you or other clients via the LeuPay Wallet Chat which has links to content, policies or practices of any third parties websites upon which we cannot influence or control in any way. You acknowledge and agree that we are not liable for any damages or claims resulting from your use or visit on third parties’ websites. 14.1 You agree that we may make changes to the Agreement from time to time. We shall give you two (2) months' notice of changes in the Agreement, unless shorter period is necessitated by a Regulatory change, or is allowed by law, by email sent to your email address and/or by notifying you in the Online account or the Website of the Service before their proposed date of entry into force. 14.2 You understand and agree that you will be deemed to have accepted the changes unless you notifie us to the contrary by notice, as provided hereinunder, prior to the date on which the changes are to come into effect, in which case the Agreement will terminate without charge for termination immediately before the effective date of the changes. b) The parties' right to vary the terms of this Section, where the variation is not prohibited by law and both parties agree to it. 14.4 We may introduce innovations, improvements, developments, new functionalities, upgrade accounts or amend the names of accounts or products unilaterally and without your consent, for which we shall inform you via LeuPay Wallet App. 15.1 All information will be made available or provided to you in an easily accessible manner, in easily understandable language, in a clear and comprehensible form and in English. For each transaction made through the Service we shall provide to you information about its execution deadline, the fees to which you shall be subject and, if applicable, a breakdown of the fees, provided such information is requested prior to execution. Furthermore, once the fees have been debited from your LeuPay Wallet account, we shall provide you with the following information: (i) a reference number that enables you to identify each payment and, if applicable, information about the beneficiary; (ii) the amount involved in each payment; (iii) the amount of any fees charged and, if applicable, the corresponding breakdown; (iv) the exchange rate to which each payment is subject, if applicable, and (v) the date of debit or receipt of a payment order. You are entitled to request this information to be provided or made accessible regularly, at least once a month, free of charge, provided you are allowed to store this information and reproduce it without changes. 15.2 You agree that we may send notices and other communications to you via LeuPay Wallet App or other reasonable means to any matter relating to your use of the Service, including the Agreement (and revisions or amendments to the Agreement), notices or disclosures regarding the Service and payment authorizations. (v) Information about a suspension of the Service and about the rejection of transactions with e-money will be made available via the Mobile App. (ii) Notification of application for Card, purchase of e-money, redemption of e-money upon termination of this Agreement should be sent via the Mobile App. (iii) Notification by you that you do not agree to the amendment of the Agreement and wish to terminate the Agreement prior to entry into force of the amendments has to be sent from you via the Mobile App. (iv) Notification by you that you complain about certain services have to be sent via the Mobile app and via your registered mobile number. 16.1 Unless otherwise expressly stated in the Agreement or Tariff, all amounts stated in the Agreement are denominated in EURO (EUR) or Bulgarian lev (BGN). 16.3 You agree that if we do not exercise or enforce any legal right or remedy which is contained in the Agreement (or which we have the benefit of under any applicable law), this will not constitute a waiver of our rights and that those rights or remedies will still be available to us. 16.4 If any court of law having the jurisdiction to decide on a matter relating to the Agreement rules that any provision of the Agreement is invalid, then that provision will be removed from the Agreement without affecting the rest of the Agreement. The remaining provisions of the Agreement will continue to be valid and enforceable. 16.5 You may not assign your rights under the Agreement or otherwise sub-contract or transfer any of your rights or obligations under the Agreement without our prior written consent. 16.6 We may transfer our rights and obligations under the Agreement to third party, which is licensed to issue e-money giving to you at least two-month notice previous the date of the transfer per e-mail unless such a transfer is required due to regulatory reasons. In case of such transfer and if you disagree with it we shall provide you the possibility to terminate the Agreement free of taxes, penalties or other. 16.8 Both Parties agree that the authentic and/or correct execution of transactions and operations shall be proven with print-outs or statements printed or generated from ur IT systems, such as your online account, our Website of for the Service, our Card System of or the Member’s, our Register of E-money of or other software systems or platforms used by us in the capacity of regulated Financial institution or its sub-contractors, licensed to use our software or platforms. 16.9 “LeuPay Wallet”, “LeuPay Wallet Card”, LeuPay Wallet, www.leupaywallet.com and all related URLs, logos, marks or designs, software, interfaces or other related to the Services, including logos and marks of Card Organizations are protected by copyright, trademark registration or Patent or our other intellectual property rights or third party Licensor’s. You may not use, copy, imitate, modify, alter or amend, sell, distribute or provide them without our prior written explicit consent to do . 16.10 The Agreement and our relationship under the Agreement will be governed in all cases by Bulgarian law. For complaints arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the provision of our Service that cannot be resolved otherwise, you submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the competent Court in Sofia, Bulgaria. In simple terms, “nonexclusive jurisdiction of the competent Court in Sofia, Bulgaria” means that if you were able to bring a claim arising from this Agreement against us in Court, an acceptable Court would be a Court located Sofia, Bulgaria, but in case you are using the Service as a Consumer you may also elect to bring a claim in the Court of the country as per your permanent residence. “Card” means “LeuPay Wallet Card”, issued as part of the Service, collectively called "Card" means a payment instrument, issued by the Member, with the logos of and one of the Card Organizations, providing possibility for the Cardholder to submit payment orders for payment on POS and in Internet, or ATM transactions, such as cash withdrawal or Balance check. The Card is linked to your account for e-money. Card is always personalized with personalized security characteristics, such as PAN, expiry date, CHIP & PIN based, CVV or CVC or similar characteristics, and is with or without Cardholder names embossed. “Additional card” means a card, which is linked to your account for e-money, that may be without your names, or with your names or with the names of members of your family or close associates. Cardholders of additional cards, different from you, do not have account for e-money and use your electronic money. "Card Organizations" means MasterCard International (“MasterCard”), VISA Europe (VISA), JCB Europe (“JCB”), UnionPay or any other card association or organization applicable hereunder, including any parent, affiliate, subsidiary, or successor, of any of them. “Currencies, supported by us” means various currencies, supported by us for the Service, in which we issue electronic money, notified on our Website for the Service. "Electronic Money" or “e-money” means monetary value issued by us on receipt of funds, registered in electronic form in our Register of e-money in our IT System and indicated as a Balance, which represents your claim towards us for redemption and is accepted as means of payment by persons other than us. "Funding via bank transfer" means the transaction by which you will order a credit transfer from your bank account to your account and upon receipt of the amount of the transfer by us, we will issue electronic money in the same amount as received by us and in the same business day. "LeuPay Wallet Chat" is part of the Mobile App that allows you to send encrypted instant messages, such as text, images, stickers, document, pictures, video and other supported files by the Service, to other users registered for the Service. LeuPay Wallet Chat is supported by iCard Services AD. "Service" means issuing of electronic money from us upon receipt of funds from you, providing account for electronic money with Balances in multiple currencies, unique identifier of the account for electronic money and/or IBAN as unique identifier for your different Balances, issuing and acquiring of prepaid cards with the logo of MasterCard, VISA, JCB and other Card Organizations, money transfers within our system and SEPA and International money transfers and all payment services and related products available through the Website(s) for the Service, such as www.LeuPay Wallet.eu and all related URLs. "Verification of mobile phone number" is the procedure we follow that verifies You Mobile phone number for the Service by sending via SMS a confirmation to your mobile phone number assigned to the device on which you have installed the Mobile App which confirmation must be entered in the Mobile App in order to complete the verification. “Financial Institution” or “We” means iCARD AD, having its seat and registered office at: Bulgaria, Sofia, 76A James Boucher Blvd., PO 1407, UIN: 175325806, authorized and regulated by the Bulgarian National Bank as an Electronic Money Institution under the Electronic Money Directive 2009/110/EC (the “EMD”) with license No. 4703-5081/25.07.2011 Principal Member of MasterCard, VISA and JCB. The present agreement regulates the part of the LeuPay Wallet Service, which constitutes of Card/s issuing and processing, and any other payment services with Cards with the logo of the Card Organizations. These services are provided by a licensed Institution, which is a Member to the Card Organizations – iCard AD. To use the LeuPay Wallet Card/s you have to subscribe and use the LeuPay Wallet Platform via the Mobile app. This Agreement represents an inseparable part of the Legal Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Account, concluded via LeuPay Wallet Platform. For the purposes of the present Agreement, all consumer-related protections shall apply to Clients which are micro-enterprises and are protected as Consumers under the payment services legislation of their domicile. "LeuPay Wallet Card" or "Card" is a payment instrument, provided by us with the logo of the Card Organizations used for payments on POS or Internet or cash withdrawals on ATMs. The LeuPay Wallet Card is a plastic card, CHIP & PIN based, embossed with names of the cardholder. The LeuPay Wallet Card provides access to the funds in the LeuPay Wallet Account to which it is linked. “Member” means the company, which is a principal member of the Card Organizations and is providing card issuing services. The Member is iCard AD defined as a party to this Agreement. 1.3 The present Agreement regulates the issuing, use and execution of payments with LeuPay Wallet Card. (i) The plastic payment card for POS and Internet purchases and ATM or POS cash withdrawals is not issued automatically and must be ordered by you via the Online account on the Website for the Service or via the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App for which we may charge issuing fee. The Card is issued and linked to your LeuPay Wallet Account as described in this Agreement. In case, where allowed by the LeuPay Wallet Service you may purchase or otherwise obtain an inactive LeuPay Wallet Card by an authorized Agent or Distributor of the LeuPay Wallet Service or directly from the Member, where the Card will be inactive and not loaded with funds. You agree that to activate such Card, you have to enroll for the LeuPay Wallet Service and agree with all Legal Agreements and documents and requirements for identification and verification applicable to your use of the Service. (ii) Your use of the Card/s is subject to opening and maintaining of at least one valid LeuPay Wallet Account. (v) Perform the procedure for Card activation as indicated by us on the cover of the Card, or the Online account, or in the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App or on the Website of the Service. In some cases, we may allow limited use of the Card prior to completion of the client verification procedure with regulatory limits, such as 150 EUR or other in compliance with the law. The limits are specified below in this Agreement and may be changed due to regulatory requirements or at our discretion in case of higher risk. (vi) Successfully pass the identification and verification procedure as per your Legal Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Account, to which Account the Card will be linked. 1.6 By clicking “Accept” or “Agree” where this option is made available to you by us on the Website for the Service and which you hereby adopt as your electronic signature you consent and agree to the terms and conditions of the present Agreement and therefore the electronic document of the Agreement is deemed as duly signed by you. 1.7 A link of the Agreement will be provided to you in the Mobile App from where you may download the Agreement in printable form during or immediately after the sign-up process. A copy of the Agreement, as amended from time to time, is available to you in the Website for the Service. You may request to be provided with a copy of the Agreement, and a link to the Agreement will be sent to your registered mobile number for the Service. 1.8 The Agreement and all communication between you and us will be in English language. Where we have provided you with a translation of the English-language version of the Agreement or communication in other languages, this translation is only for your convenience and you explicitly agree that the English-language version of the Agreement and communication will govern the relationship with us. If there is any contradiction between the English-language version and a translation, the English-language version takes precedence. 1.9 You declare that you are concluding the present Agreement you own behalf only and that you are not acting on behalf or on account of third party with respect to the use of the Card. d) by providing the card data (number, validity, CVC2) to the provider of goods or services and authorizing him to use it for payment of the respective service by fax, telephone or other communication device. 2.2 Card, which has been personalized with your names in your capacity of a cardholder, must be used only by you. Card, which has not been personalized with your names in your capacity of cardholder (if offered by the Service), may be used by you or third parties, to whom you provide or make available the Card for which you shall be fully responsible. 2.3 The spending limits with Cards or via Contactless Payments are set out the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App. To minimize the risk from losses and/or unauthorized transactions, you may set even more strict spending limits via the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App and manage the security characteristics of the payment instruments, as allowed by the Service, via the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App. Requests for blocking and unblocking of Cards may be made only by you in your capacity of main cardholder. 2.4 You understand and agree that in some cases when you perform a cash withdrawal transaction with your Card at ATM or POS terminal the Service provider supporting the terminal may charge you a fee for the transaction. You understand and acknowledge that we may not control the amount of such fees, prevent their application or affect them in any way. We are not liable for the fees determined by other service providers. 3.1 We have provided to you Personalized Security Features which comply with the principles of strong customer authentication for using all payment instruments, included in the Service, such as, but not limited to secret code for access to the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App, secret code for confirmation of payment orders, embossed number of the card, PIN, CVC/CVV or similar code of the card/s and others, which are necessary tools for preserving the security of your payment instruments. We will make sure that the Personalized Security Features of the payment instruments are not accessible to parties other than you or any user authorized by you to use the payment instrument and conform to all Regulatory Technical Standards, without prejudice to your obligations. 3.2 You are able to control the security of the payment instruments, by enabling or disabling them for certain transactions, such as Internet transactions, ATM cash withdrawal or other, receipt of SMS after each transaction with Card, and imposing limits, which are more stringent than our default spending limits via the Service (LeuPay Wallet Mobile App or SMS commands). You agree to use these security control mechanisms available in order to minimize the risks of unauthorized access to your Account and unauthorized transactions. You must use the functionalities for disabling cards for Internet transactions and cash withdrawals only with one click and enabling such Internet transactions or cash withdrawals only when you wish to make such transactions. 3.3 You agree to use Personalized Security Features for your payment instruments only in accordance with this Agreement and with the law. You must not provide and must not allow disclosure of the Personalized Security Features to a third party even where the Card or payment instrument is PIN based, because even in this case Card or payment instrument can be comprised and result in unauthorized transactions, for which you are fully liable. The breach of this obligation is breach of your obligation for protection of Personalized Security Features of payment instrument and you will be fully liable for unauthorized transactions as a result of your breach of this obligation willfully or with gross negligence. 3.4 When you do not act as a consumer you agree that when a transaction is executed with your LeuPay Wallet Card the use of your LeuPay Wallet Card recorded in our system by us as appropriate means that the transaction is authorized by you. The appropriate use includes without limitation any transaction in which the chip or the magnetic stripe of your LeuPay Wallet Card is read by any ATM or POS device, or a self-service machine, and/or your valid PIN is entered, and/or the data of your LeuPay Wallet Card, such as the 16-digits number, validity date or CVC2 code is entered in the Internet. In case where the transaction is executed by a third party the use of your LeuPay Wallet Card recorded in our system as appropriate means you have breached your obligation for protection of your security features with gross negligence or you have acted with fraud, or you have willfully shared your Personalized Security Features with a third party. 3.5 If you believe that your Card(s) or other payment instruments have been used in an unauthorized manner or in case of unauthorized transactions, you have to contact us without undue delay. You agree to notify us via the Contact Center, immediately and without delay in case of loss, theft, misappropriation or unauthorized use of Personalized Security Features and/or Identification Credentials and/or payment instruments, including, but not limited to Cards, and to take all preventive and security measures as allowed by the Service, including to disable the compromised payment instruments via the Service, or allow us to do it and limit the risks of unauthorized transactions and damages. You also agree to notify us without undue delay and in the same manner of any other breach of security regarding the Service of which you have knowledge. 3.6 We may suspend the use of the Card in part of wholly, including block the Card/s or the Contactless Payments, where we suspect that their security may have been compromised or that unauthorized or fraudulent use has taken place. We will inform you in advance or, if that is not possible, immediately after, of the suspension of the use of the Card, specifying the reasons for the suspension, unless such provision of information would compromise reasonable security measures or be otherwise unlawful. We will unblock the use of the Card or replace your Personalized Security Features, as soon as practicable after the reasons for the suspension cease to exist and on condition that you have performed all obligations towards us. 5.1 We will charge you fees to use the Service, as specified in the Tariff. Tariff may be changed by us unilaterally with 2-month notice sent to you. Updates in Tariff will be indicated via the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App, and you will be duly notified in accordance to the Agreement. We may charge fee for transfers, if it is stated in the Tariff. 5.2 Currency conversion: If transaction involves a currency conversion, it will be completed at a foreign exchange rate determined by us plus a Currency exchange fee expressed as a certain percentage above the exchange rate and as specified in the Tariff. Foreign exchange rate is adjusted regularly based on market conditions (the wholesale exchange rate at which we obtain foreign currency). The exchange rate may be applied immediately and could be viewed by you in your LeuPay Wallet Mobile app. 5.3 Where a currency conversion is offered by us at the point of sale you will be shown in your Mobile App the foreign exchange rate that will be applied to the transaction before authorizing the payment transaction. By proceeding with authorization of the payment transaction you are agreeing to the currency conversion on the basis of the foreign exchange rate. Where a currency conversion is offered at the point of sale by the Merchant, not by us, you choose to authorize the payment transaction on the basis of the Merchant's exchange rate and charges, we have no liability to you for that currency conversion. Where your payment for e-money is funded by a Debit or Credit Card and involves a currency conversion, by entering into this Agreement you agree and authorize us to convert the currency in place of your Credit or Debit card issuer. 6.1 When you act as a consumer you shall be liable for all losses incurred in respect of unauthorized transactions, as a result of use of lost or stolen payment instrument or from its misappropriation, before it is reported, up to a maximum of 50 EUR unless you were able to detect the loss, theft or misappropriation of the payment instrument before the payment was made or the loss was caused by acts or lack of action of an employee, agent or branch of ours. When you do not act as a consumer and you use your LeuPay Wallet Card, you shall be liable without limitation for all losses incurred in respect of any unauthorized or incorrect transactions executed with your Card, as a result of lost or stolen payment instrument or from its misappropriation or incorrect payment orders. In case that the unauthorized transaction was made through a third-party payment service provider approved by the payment initiation service, we shall immediately refund the amount involved in said unauthorized transaction no later than by the end on the next working day. If applicable, the status of the debited account shall be restored to the state it would have been had the unauthorized transaction not been made, nothwistanding any rights of recourse to which we may be entitled against the payment service provider. Your liability cap of 50 EUR maximum arising from unauthorized transactions under the terms set out in the above paragraph shall likewise apply in the event of transactions made through a third-party payment service provider. 6.2 Notwithstanding the provision above, you shall be fully liable for all losses incurred in respect of unauthorized transactions and/or all damages, notwithstanding the amount of the losses or damages, if you have acted fraudulently or have, with intent or gross negligence, failed to comply with the Agreement or law, including your obligations to preserve the security of your Identifying Credentials, providing access to your E-money account, or Card or other. When you do not act as a consumer and you use your LeuPay Wallet Card you agree that it is for you to prove that the payment transaction was unauthorized or incorrectly executed. 6.3 You shall be entitled to redress losses (excluding fees or interest in case of when you are not a consumer) incurred by you in respect of unauthorized or incorrect transactions made after you have informed us for the unauthorized or incorrect transaction and we have been able to block the Card or other payment instrument without undue delay in the day when your Account was debited or within 7 (seven) days afterwards, and in case where you act as consumer, no later than any longer period after the debit date, as provided in applicable legislation in the interest of consumer. We will, on your request, make efforts to trace the transaction and notify you of the outcome. Where you are entitled to a redress, we will refund the amount of the unauthorized transactions, less applicable fees as per Tariff, by crediting your Account. 6.4 You agree that we are entitled to satisfy immediately as they become due any of your obligations by debiting or withdrawing directly funds from your LeuPay Wallet account under Legal Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Account, or from Security provided by you (if Security is provided), or any outstanding sums owed by us to you, including by debiting or charging your Funding instrument. 6.5 We shall be released of liability in the case that a card is not accepted by a Retailer or Bank that has undertaken to sell goods or render services paid for by card or in the event of incidents of a technical or operational nature that affects ATMs. We shall be held harmless from any incidents and liabilities that may arise from transactions conducted between us. You shall not bear any financial consequences for the use of the card subsequent to it being reported as lost or stolen, except in the case of fraudulent acts. 7.1 You acknowledge and agree that we may stop providing the Services to you, as provided in the Agreement and the Legal Agreement for LeuPay Wallet Account. You may stop using these services at any time, without need to inform us. The Agreement will continue to apply until terminated either by you or by us, as set out below. b) Return of your Card to us. 7.3 In case of any risk of Damages for us, resulting from reversals, chargebacks, claims, fees, fines, penalties, your non-compliance with AML/FT or other regulations and other similar liabilities arising from your use of the Service, we may stop providing the Services and/or hold your funds for up to 180 Days even after Termination of Agreement or shorter or longer period, as required by the law, including laws in favor of the consumer. You will remain liable for all obligations arising under this Agreement even after Termination of Agreement and/or closing of Account. c) We block the LeuPay Wallet E-money account, to which the Cards are linked, or otherwise decide to terminate the LeuPay Wallet Account Agreement with you for any reasons. In such case we shall not be liable for terminating this Agreement with you. 7.5 Unless a shorter period is provided in this Agreement, as permitted by law, we may, at any time, terminate the Agreement by giving you two (2) months' notice. 7.6 When this Agreement comes to an end, all of the legal rights, obligations and liabilities that you and we have benefited from, or which have accrued over time whilst the Agreement has been in force, or which are expressed to continue indefinitely, will be unaffected by this cessation. c) Any information obtained by you as a result of use of the Service will be accurate or reliable. 8.2 No conditions, warranties or other terms (including any implied terms as to satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose or conformance with description) apply to the Service, except to the extent that they are expressly set out in the Agreement. c) Any compensation for fees or interest paid or levied on you who are not consumers, as a result of non-performance or incorrect performance of a payment transaction. 10.1 All information will be made available or provided to you in an easily accessible manner, in easily understandable language, in a clear and comprehensible form and in English language, unless we support another language for the Service. For each transaction made through the Service we shall provide to you information about its execution deadline, the fees to which you shall be subject and, if applicable, a breakdown of the fees, provided such information is requested prior to execution. Furthermore, once the fees have been debited from your LeuPay Wallet account, we shall provide you with the following information: (i) a reference number that enables you to identify each payment and, if applicable, information about the beneficiary; (ii) the amount involved in each payment; (iii) the amount of any fees charged and, if applicable, the corresponding breakdown; and (iv) the date of debit or receipt of a payment order. You are entitled to request this information to be provided or made accessible regularly, at least once a month, free of charge, provided you are allowed to store this information and reproduce it without changes. 10.2 You agree that we may send notices and other communications to you via emails, via the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App (if applicable) or other reasonable means to any matter relating to your use of LeuPay Wallet Card, including the Agreement (and revisions or amendments to it), notices or disclosures regarding the Card and payment authorizations. (v) Information about a suspension of the use of the Card and about the rejection of transactions with e-money will be made available to your email registered for the Service or on the Online account, or via the Mobile App. (ii) Notification of application for Card should be sent via or via email the Online account or via LeuPay Wallet Mobile App. (iii) Notification by you that you do not agree to the amendment of the Agreement and wish to terminate the Agreement prior to entry into force of the amendments has to be sent from you from your registered email for the Service, from your Online account or via the LeuPay Wallet Mobile App. (iv) Notifications by you that you complain about certain services have to be sent via from your registered email for the Service, the Mobile app and via your registered mobile number. (iv) Customers claims for refunds of unauthorized transactions have to be sent to us with clear explanation of the claim, reasons why do you believe that the transaction is unauthorized and a request for refund, via e-mail from your registered e-mail for the Service to the e-mail, published on the website for the Service: support@LeuPay Wallet.eu. We reserve our right not to honour requests for refunds of unauthorized transactions made via the chat channel of communication. 10.6 To help us continually improve our Services and in the interests of security we may monitor and/or record your telephone calls with us. 11.1 Unless otherwise expressly stated in the Agreement or Tariff, all amounts stated in the Agreement are denominated in EURO (EUR) or in Bulgarian lev (BGN). 11.3 You agree that if we do not exercise or enforce any legal right or remedy which is contained in the Agreement (or which we have the benefit of under any applicable law), this will not constitute a waiver of ours rights and that those rights or remedies will still be available to us. 11.4 If any court of law having the jurisdiction to decide on a matter relating to the Agreement rules that any provision of the Agreement is invalid in respect to you, in your capacity of a consumer, then that provision will be deemed void and will be removed from the content of the Agreement with you without affecting the rest of the Agreement. The remaining provisions of the Agreement will continue to be valid and enforceable. 11.5 You may not assign your rights under the Agreement or otherwise sub-contract or transfer any of your rights or obligations under the Agreement without our prior written consent. 11.6 We may transfer our rights and obligations under the Agreement to third party, which is a licensed Member giving to you at least two-month notice previous the date of the transfer per e-mail unless such a transfer is required due to regulatory reasons. In case you disagree with such transfer we shall provide you the possibility to terminate the Agreement free of taxes, penalties or other. 11.8 Both Parties agree that the authentic and/or correct execution of transactions and operations shall be proven with print-outs or statements printed or generated from our IT systems, such as your Online account for the Service for the LeuPay Wallet Service, our Card System, our Register of E-money or other software systems or multims used by us in our capacity of regulated E-Money Institution or our Agents or sub-contractors, in the capacity of our authorized Agents or sub-contractors, licensed to use our software or platforms. 11.9 "LeuPay Wallet", "LeuPay Wallet Card", and all related URLs, logos, marks or designs, scripts, graphics, interactive features and similar, software, interfaces, standard or special design of Pay Stickers or visualizations or other related to the Service, including logos and marks of Card Organizations are protected by our copyrights, trademark registrations or Patents or other of our intellectual property rights or of third party Licensor. You may not use, copy, imitate, modify, alter or amend, sell, distribute or provide them without our prior written explicit consent to do so in a separate Agreement. 11.10 The Agreement and relationship between you and us arising under this Agreement will be governed by Bulgarian law. When you are using the LeuPay Wallet Service not as a consumer, the Parties agree to submit to the jurisdiction of the competent court in the City of Sofia, Bulgaria to resolve any dispute arising between them. Nevertheless, the Client agrees that we will still be allowed, upon our discretion, to bring a claim or apply for injunctive remedies (or an equivalent type of urgent legal relief) in any court or jurisdiction.

2019-04-26T00:20:17Z

https://leupaywallet.com/en/terms-conditions

WHAT TYPE OF SOLAR LIGHT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? How We Picked Best Lights? Finding the best solar flood light wasn’t an easy task. To get to this flood light we went through more than 50 different models, starting from cheap solar wall lights to expensive dusk to dawn flood lights, each one a little different from another. There are few key components that make up a great solar flood light – illumination intensity and brightness, efficiency and quality of solar panel, battery type and capacity, durability and weatherproofness of all parts of solar flood light, sensors included with the fixture and of course the price of the flood light. And not only the components are important but also how wide the range of applications is, meaning if the light can be installed both horizontally and vertically, does it come with adjustable mounts and ground stakes, how long is the cable that connects solar panel to the flood light and other similar factors. And last but not least, we also judged the manufacturer of the fixture – how well known it is, how many other products it has, for how long it has been around, how fast it responds to different user inquiries, how well they solve problems, how long warranty period they provide for their products, how willing they are to replace defective lights, and what is very important for solar lights (mostly considering rechargeable batteries) – how easy it will be to get replacements in the future. And considering all the previously mentioned aspects, we found one solar flood light that nails most of these previously mentioned points – Guardian 580X Solar Flood Light. This solar flood light features 84 amazingly bright LED diodes, high quality industrial grade aluminium solar panel, 2500 mAh lithium-ion battery providing up to 12 hours of illumination and a PIR motion sensor, all sealed in a fully waterproof cast iron and tempered glass casing. Excellent specs for an amazing price. There are a lot of solar flood lights now out there on the market, and they vary widely in terms of their quality. Sorting the wheat from the chaff, and finding the pick of the solar flood light bunch, is not an easy task – fortunately for you, though, we have already done most of the hard work, and come up with what in our view is the best solar flood light currently going around. And the winner is … the Guardian 580X. This device comes with 84 LED bulbs that together produce a grand total of 730 lumens of light. It is solar powered, with a 16 feet cable connecting the solar panel to the flood light; and comes with three lighting modes, plus its own PIR motion sensor (a 9-foot cable connects the motion sensor to your solar panel). It has a full aluminum body, and is IP65 certified, which means it is suitable for use outdoors in all weather conditions. When it comes to the factors that make up a great solar flood light – brightness and lighting intensity, energy efficiency and quality of the solar panel, capacity of the battery, durability and ability to withstand all weather conditions, inclusion of additional features like motion sensors and dimmers, ground stakes and other mounting equipment, and of course the affordability of the light itself – this solar flood light beats most of the competition hands down. And not only does this product tick all of these boxes, it also comes from a quality manufacturer who have an established reputation in this market, and who provide excellent service and protection to their customers – whether in the form of generous warranties and product guarantees, responsiveness to complaints, and ease of obtaining replacement parts (like batteries). So without further ado, let’s take a look at the Guardian 580X. To begin with, let’s take a look at the range of places you can use this light. Both the light itself, and the solar panel, can be mounted on any solid surface – wall or floor – using the mounts included in the box. This means you can use the light as a security light (by placing on the wall), or as a landscape light (if you position it on the ground). Another benefit is that the mounts are made out of 100 percent metal (not plastic, like a lot of products in this line), giving you enhanced durability. In addition, there are 16 feet of cable connected the solar panel to the light – which gives you plenty of options as to where you place your light, though because this is a solar-powered light, you are still basically limited to those areas that receive plenty of direct sunlight during the daylight hours. Also, the mounts for the solar panel are non-adjustable, and you can’t alter the angle – which makes things difficult if you are not installing the panels on a flat, horizontal surface. When it comes to durability, this light is built from the sturdiest cast iron and tempered glass. All other fittings are made from stainless steel which is strong, and non-corrosive. The light’s frame is die-cast, waterproof and has received an IP65 weatherproof rating – which means it can be used outside the entire year round, whatever the weather conditions. The solar panel, meanwhile, is built from lightweight yet tough aluminum and tempered glass, and is also IP65 weatherproof rated; the motion sensor device is built from ABS (weatherproof) plastic. When you look at the IP65 rating, and the quality of the materials used in its construction, this is, without doubt, one of the most durable solar flood lights out there – it will stand up to whatever elements nature throws at it. PIR motion sensor mode, off to full brightness: upon motion being detected, the light puts out 730 lumens worth of light for up to a minute; otherwise, the light is off, no light is emitted at all. All in all, these are some very bright flood lights, they will easily illuminate an area of up to 50 square feet. With several of these lights, you will be able to illuminate your entire backyard! The color temperature of this light is 7000 Kelvins – ie warm, white colored light. The Guardian 580X comes with a 2-watt polycrystalline material solar panel that is very efficient at converting sunlight into power – though admittedly not as powerful as some other (for example, 10-watt) panels out there on the market. There is also built into the solar panel a cutting-edge LED driver that ensures a steady output of power from the panel, thus preventing the battery from being overcharged and having its lifespan reduced. The panel has a sturdy aluminum frame that will, like the light fixture itself, stand up under all weather conditions; and is connected to the light by a 16 feet long waterproof cable; meanwhile, there is a 3-foot long waterproof cable between the solar panel and the motion sensor. The solar panel can be mounted just about anywhere, all it requires is access to direct sunlight, and it will automatically convert solar energy into power that can be utilized by your lights when it gets dark. It does this by charging the 2500 mAh Lithium-ion rechargeable battery included with the light. While the battery does not have the highest capacity compared to some other models out there, thanks to the motion sensor feature of this floodlight, it will have no problem illuminating your yard through the entirety of the night-time period – making this a truly dawn-to-dusk light. The battery is installed inside the light fixture, so it will power your lights even when the solar panel is not connected as well. As goes without saying, though – and the same is true of any solar powered light – the amount and length of lighting coverage you get from this light depends largely on the amount of sunlight available to the panel during the day – which will differ depending on the latitude, and the time of year. Where the amount of sunlight available is only fair or average, you will get 8-10 hours of lighting at best from this light; on the other hand, in peak lighting conditions within favorable climates, you can expect a fully charged battery to deliver up to 12 hours lighting coverage with this light. One other very important point to take into consideration with solar lights is the ease of replacing the batteries, which have a lifespan of only about 2 to 3 years. Fortunately, Solar Light Mart do sell replacement batteries for their lights, so you shouldn’t have any trouble obtaining one when the time comes. As we have seen, included with this light is a passive infra-red (PIR) motion sensor that detects movement with a range of 10-12 meters of your light, and spanning an angle of 180 degrees. Whenever motion is detected, your light is triggered to either turn on – or become brighter; instead of being forced to have your light on at full intensity the whole night long, the motion sensor feature allows you to keep the light off – or on in dim mode – until someone comes into the area. This enables you to save light – and power – for when it is really needed, which is especially useful if you live in climates with high cloud cover and not a lot of sunlight during the daylight hours. There are three different working modes included with this light – as was explored above. In addition, this light has built into the solar panel a photocell sensor. As soon as the ambient lighting in the area drops below a certain level, the photosensor triggers the lights to turn on. In the same manner, once it starts getting brighter outside as morning arrives, the light switches off. There is also an on/off push button switch included with the Guardian 580X for good measure. Turn the light off on those nights you are sure you will not need it; or when you go away on vacation. Solar Light Mart is the manufacturer of this light. These guys are a relative newcomer to the solar flood light game, with only a handful of solar flood light products already out there on the market. However, despite their lack of reputation, all of their products offer full warranties and product satisfaction guarantees. In addition, they are, according to consumer reviews, very responsive to customer complaints and queries. They also claim to offer replacement parts for their products – including batteries that have reached the end of their lifespan. That’s yet another reason to choose the Guardian 580X! For the most part, the Guardian 580X is a quality solar flood light that ticks all the right boxes. Yet it still has a few shortcomings, as is to be expected. To start with, the cables connecting the light to the solar panel, and the solar panel to the motion sensor, might be a little short for some people’s liking. Also, it would be better if the motion sensor were connected to the light itself, rather than the solar panel. Another slight drawback of this light is that you can’t adjust how long the light remains on once motion has been detected – it is fixed at one minute’s illumination time, which may be suitable for some purposes, but probably not for all. The solar panel mount is not adjustable and is fixed at an angle of 45 degrees, so if you want to install it somewhere other than on a flat, horizontal surface, you may have to install additional mounting equipment. A few other areas where this light could improve are the lack of remote control – you have to change the working mode of the light manually each and every time; the lack of alternative options when it comes to brightness – there are only two brightness modes (full brightness at 730 lumens, and 55 lumens in dime mode); and capacity of the battery and power of the solar panel, which are not as impressive as some other comparable products out there on the market. Finally, the manufacturer, Solar Light Mart, is not all that well known, so it’s not possible to determine the quality of this product from the previous track record of the company alone. Despite these minor shortcomings, the Guardian 580X is overall a quality solar flood light and gets our vote as the best light of this sort out there on the market at current. It’s easy to install, built with high quality, weatherproof materials, has excellent light output, and comes with its own motion sensor that enables you to save power and extend the lifespan of your light – this is one solar flood light that ticks all the right boxes. It’s backed by a one year manufacturer’s warranty as well – which is a testament, really, to the quality of this product and the faith the manufacturers have in it. How we picked the best solar flood lights? Solar flood light market has recently been swarmed with lots of good (and not so good) fixtures starting from small wall lights to powerful dusk-to-dawn flood lights and choosing the best one can be a very challenging and time-consuming task. So to make it easier for you, we have taken this job and picked the best out of best solar flood lights that will fit everyone’s needs. 1. Categorized solar lights for easier comparison. And at the end, we chose the single best solar flood light that we felt was the most universal one, had the best specs for the price and that we could recommend for everyone looking for a solar flood light. Components used and the overall quality of the fixture – First we looked at what components are used in the fixture and what is the overall quality of the product. The main factor that indicates whether it is a good fixture or not is the type of components used in the unit. For example, does it have a polycrystalline solar panel or some other type, does it have a lithium-ion battery or older Ni-Cd battery, is casing made out of durable aluminum or weaker plastic, does it produce lighting using LED diodes or other types of bulbs, etc.. Of course, using newer and more expensive components doesn’t automatically make one light better than other, so we didn’t base our decision just by the components of the fixture alone, but also looked at the overall quality of the light, how well it’s built, how long the light is expected to last and other factors. Features and specs – Each solar flood light type have its own unique features and specs that are important exactly to that light type. For example, security lights must have an adjustable motion sensor that can pick up motion in a longer range, dusk-to-dawn flood lights must have large batteries and solar panels that output enough wattage to charge these batteries fast, landscape flood lights need to have ground stakes to be placed in the ground etc. Price and value for money – It isn’t difficult to produce a powerful flood light, with large battery, high wattage solar panel and durable metal housing, but it is very hard to combine it all together in a well-priced fixture. Often we saw very high-quality solar flood lights with inadequately high price or the opposite, those solar lights that come at a bargain price contain some underpowered or cheap parts. So when choosing the best solar flood lights we did pay a lot of attention to the price and value ratio, picking those flood lights that offered the best value for money. User ratings – Price, components, and specs don’t tell you the whole story about a product, so we also paid a lot of attention to the ratings and reviews from other users, considering each good and bad review we could find about the product from its owners. Manufacturer reputation – Although not as important as other factors, the reputation and reliability of the manufacturer did play a role when we couldn’t choose between two flood lights with very similar specs. We preferred well-known manufacturers that had been around for a while and offered great customer service, provided warranty for their products and actually replaced any faulty items clients complained about, and that also offer replacement parts if anything needs to be replaced for the flood light in the future. Own testing experience – With multiple years of experience in running solar lighting websites and blogs, we brought in all our experience and knowledge to make this article as professional as we could, at the same time making all the important information simple and understandable for beginners to solar lighting. 3. Compared five of the best solar flood lights in each category to find the winners. We took 5 best solar lights in each category (selected based on the criteria in the previous point) and compared them side by side making our final TOP3 list for each category. Then we made an extensive review of all three lights, listing both positive and negative aspects of them, to provide as much information as possible and make your decision of which solar light to purchase much easier. When to choose security lights? To illuminate an area at night for walking – People mostly choose to install solar security lights for practical reasons – to illuminate front doors, walkway, driveway or another path that leads to the house. Security lights are ideal for these kinds of situations because motion sensor turns the light on only when motion has been detected thus saving battery life in the remaining time. To deter burglars – When an unwanted person is wandering around your backyard in the dark, a sudden splash of light from your motion activated security light will not only surprise them but also unveil them to everyone nearby, therefore increasing the chance that they will immediately leave your property. To deter animals – Solar security lights are also great for deterring animals away from your yard. Most motion sensors can be adjusted to pick motion even from smaller animals like raccoons. Provide lighting for security cameras – Solar security lights can also be used together with security cameras illuminating the area that needs to be captured immediately when someone walks into that area. Provide illumination indoors – Solar security lights not only are useful outdoors but also can provide illumination indoors in areas such as staircases. Most solar security flood lights come with a separate solar panel that attaches to the flood light with a cable, so you can install the solar panel outdoors to pick up solar energy, while the fixture itself is installed and provides illumination indoors. The key factors of a solar security light that you need to pay most attention to are brightness and motion sensor. Make sure the solar flood light is bright enough to be able to fully illuminate the intended area and also that motion sensor has got a long detection range. As a bonus, look for solar security lights with an adjustable motion sensor that allows controlling illumination time, lux range and sensitivity or detection distance and range. High quality security light with 48 LED diodes, an effective amorphous solar panel and a 1500mAh capacity lithium-ion battery. Powerful and bright solar security flood light with amazing 150 LED diodes producing 1000 lumens and featuring a triple head design for better light coverage. Durable plastic housing with IP55 rating, built-in PIR motion sensor and high capacity 4500mAh battery makes this a top quality security light. Choosing the best solar security light wasn’t an easy task, because the range of motion activated solar lights has grown rapidly in the previous years. Comparing the most important aspects of security lights – brightness, light direction and coverage, motion sensor detection range and adjustment possibilities, our choice came down to 150 LED Triple Head Motion Activated Light by SunForce. What really pulled the trigger for this solar flood light was the power and brightness provided by amazing 150 LED diodes and triple head feature (each head has got 50 LED diodes) that allows adjusting the illumination in any direction needed. Often there is a need to illuminate not only one spot, such as front doors, but multiple spots at a single time, especially if it is for security purposes, and to do that, usually you would need to purchase and install multiple lights separately. This SunForce solar security light basically combines 3 flood lights in one reasonably priced fixture to offer an excellent lighting coverage in all directions. In our book, this is an exceptional deal! Not only us, but many reviewers on Amazon (the light has got one of the best ratings for any solar flood light) also praised the brightness of this flood light. In total it can output 1000 lumens of light, which is very respectable for a solar light at this price and will easily light up an area to uncover unwanted persons walking by your property. The solar powered flood light is equipped with a PIR motion detector that can pick up motion in 180-degree range, in up to 30 feet distance. You can expect similar results with the majority of motion activated flood lights. There is an option to adjust the sensitivity (detection range) and detection time of the motion sensor for different situations. To collect solar energy, the SunForce solar light uses an amorphous solar panel. We would prefer a more efficient polycrystalline solar panel for a light that can produce 1000 lumens of light, but amorphous panel used on this fixture isn’t bad by any means and will do its job of charging lights batteries. While we’re at it, SunForce has chosen to use three AA-size Ni-MH rechargeable batteries instead of Lithium-ion for the fixture. Similar to the solar panel, this seems a bit weird decision for such a powerful lamp to not use the more superior lithium-ion battery, but Ni-MH is definitely not the worse choice either. While it has lower specific energy than lithium-ion batteries, it is also cheaper and you can easily buy a replacement when the batteries run out. The light is going to be good for short periods of illumination (what motion activated lights are made for), but definitely won’t be able to provide continuous illumination from dusk to dawn. The fixture itself has got a durable, weather resistant plastic housing. Although the manufacturer hasn’t indicated anywhere the IP rating of the light, based on our experience with similar fixtures, we can guess that it is either IP44 or IP45 flood light. The light should run outdoors without any problems all year round. The cable length from solar panel to fixture is 15 feet and the flood light comes with wall mounting hardware. If you are still in doubt whether to get this flood light and want the last bit of convincing, we can recommend the manufacturer of the fixture – SunForce to be a well known and respectable brand in solar flood lighting. Also, the solar flood light comes with a 1-year warranty. All in all, this is really a great solar security flood light without practically any major drawbacks. As previously mentioned, we would like to see a little bit different choices for few lamp components, such as polycrystalline solar panel instead of amorphous and lithium-ion battery instead of Ni-MH, but these aren’t really drawback, because they help to keep the price of the fixture so low and overall the light works very well. The only real drawback we could find is that the fixture is not equipped with a dusk to dawn sensor, but instead, you have to manually turn on the “always on” setting for continuous illumination. This, however, will drain the small battery in just a few hours so you won’t get a full night illumination from this flood light. What are the qualities you look for in a good solar security light for your entryway, garage, yard, patio or other external parts of your property? Ideally, it will be bright, weatherproof, and with a powerful and effective motion sensor built into the light. And as a solar powered light, the solar panel should be able to collect sunlight and efficiently charge the battery so that it is ready to go supplying light to your property at night. Well, the SOLLA Security Light satisfies all of these requirements, thus making it one of the best solar security lights out there today. Read on to find out more. This adjustable head flood light is equipped with a high tech LED lamp that emits a super-bright 950 lumens of light. You can either set the light to Auto (motion sensing) mode, in which it emits 950 lumens of bright, white light only when motion is detected (it is off the rest of the time) or constant ON mode, in which it emits 950 lumens constantly throughout the night. The light head is rotatable as well, which enables you to achieve more focused, targeted lighting. If you choose to avail yourself of the AUTO mode in this light, then the motion sensor has a range of 49 feet spanning an angle of 180 degrees. And when motion is detected by the passive infrared (PIR) sensor, the light stays on for one minute before turning off again. This light is solar powered, and the panel is an amorphous solar panel, which means it charges in all conditions and does not require access to direct sunlight. It has a capacity of 8 watts which will enable it to charge the battery quickly and efficiently. One lithium-ion battery is included with this light, it charges quickly and has excellent storage capacity so that it will be ready to go supplying light to your property of a night time. Fully charged, it will provide up to 10 hours lighting coverage – whether in auto or on mode. The light fixture and solar panel are housed in IP65 weatherproof, plastic material that will endure all weather conditions, whether rain, snow, wind or scorching summer sun – this truly is a light ‘for all seasons’. It has a lifespan of 50,000 hours. This light is backed by a one year manufacturer’s warranty. There is also a 60 days money back guarantee, so should you be in any way dissatisfied with your purchase within this time frame, you can return to the manufacturer and get a full refund, no questions asked. There are 9 feet of cable connecting the light to the solar panel, which gives you plenty of options as to where you position your light. You get the wall and horizontal mounting brackets for both the light fixture and the solar panel as well. As with other lights reviewed here, this light would benefit from a remote control option to change the settings from afar. It would also make for a better light if there were more lighting modes and if you could adjust the brightness – for example, if you were able to have the light constantly on in dim mode, which converts to full brightness when motion is detected. Also, you are not able to adjust the length of time the light stays on for after motion is detected – which would enable you to save power when it is needed. These – albeit minor – disadvantages, prevent the SOLLA security light from taking the prize as the number one solar security light going around today. For a quality solar security light, this offering from OPERNEE has few rivals. Super bright, adjustable, solar powered and eco-friendly, and comes with its very own motion sensor, the OPERNEE Dual Head comes with everything you could ask for in a light of this sort. Read on to find out more. There are 6, dual head, LED lights included with this product, each light comes equipped with a lamp on either side, and each emits 50 lumens of light. This gives you a grand total of 12 LED pieces, and 600 lumens of bright – excellent lighting coverage that will allow you to illuminate your yard, patio, deck, garden and more. And because lamps are installed on each side, you get an illumination angle of 360 degrees with each one of these lights. The color temperature of these lights is 6500-700 Kelvins. This light comes with its own built-in passive infra-red (PIR) motion sensor, that can detect movement up to 26 feet away, ranging an angle of 120 degrees – when this occurs it will automatically turn the light up to bright mode (600 lumens) for a full minute after motion is detected, before returning it to OFF mode. There is also a photosensor built into these lights, so that they automatically turn on at dusk, off at dawn. The motion sensor is not active during the day. No external power source is required with these lights, this is green energy at it’s finest! The 3 watts, 6 inches by 6 inches solar panel is made from the highest quality polysilicon material that will efficiently convert sunlight into electricity that you can utilize as light in your yard. All it requires is exposure to direct sunlight during the day. The solar panel charges a 4500 mAh lithium-ion battery, courtesy of the solar panel it will be fully charged in 4.5 hours given optimal sunlight conditions and will deliver 9-11 hours continuous lighting for your yard. The light is constructed from IP55 weatherproof, ABS plastic that will stand up under all conditions. It’s backed by a one year manufacturer’s warranty. There are 16 feet of cable connecting the solar panel to the light. And screws are included for mounting the light fixture and solar panel on your surface of choice. This light only has one lighting mode – off to full brightness motion sensor mode. This is appropriate for a security light intend to scare away intruders, however, this light would be a lot more versatile if it had dimming option or a dim light to full brightness motion sensor mode. You also can’t adjust the length of time the light stays on for after motion is detected. For these reasons, we can’t give the No. 1 ranking to the OPERNEE Dual Head solar security light. It’s still a great light though! ELEDing EE814WDC solar security light delivers dusk-to-dawn motion sensor, solar powered/ eco-friendly lighting that is suitable for all weather conditions. IPM programming automatically adjusts the light emitted to suit the external weather conditions – saving you power for when it’s needed most. Despite these advantages, it is not nearly as bright as comparable lights in this market – only equivalent to a 60-watt Halogen lamp – and the range of the motion sensor is quite limited as well. MAXSA Innovations 44449-L – great flood light with 100 bright LEDs with over 500 lumens of brightness, large 4400 mAh Lithium-ion battery and adjustable PIR sensor with 40 feet detection range. However, the price is a bit higher than for other, similarly equipped security lights we chose for this list. When to choose dusk to dawn lights? Out of all types of solar flood lights, dusk to dawn lights must meet the most strict criteria to be considered a successful light, because these type of lights are used outdoor practically all year round and need to provide continuous illumination from sunset to sunrise. The application range of these lights is very broad, they can be as good security lights as landscape lights. Dusk to dawn flood lights are the most versatile outdoor lighting options, but all that comes at a much greater price. To be able to power bright outdoor flood lights, the lighting fixture needs to have a decent sized battery and to charge that battery there must be an efficient solar panel (monocrystalline or polycrystalline) that outputs enough wattage to be able to recharge the battery during the daytime. And not only that but also the casing of the flood light must be durable enough, to protect all these components from any (solid or water) damage. And in a result, solar dusk to dawn flood light that consists of all these powerful, high-end components will cost you from $100 even up to $1000. So the key components you need to watch in a dusk to dawn solar flood light are battery type and capacity, durability and IP rating of whole fixture (including solar panel and sensors), solar panel type and wattage, and brightness. Probabaly the best equipped dusk-to-dawn flood light on the market also feautring an adjustable motion sensor and a remote control. This dusk-to-dawn light has it all - 1200 lumens of light and intelligent power management software with everything safely sealed in a heavy-duty IP65 polycarbonate casing. One of the best dusk to dawn lights which has 44 LED diodes producing up to 1000 lumens. And It will provide up to 10 hours of worktime with its high capacity 8000mAh lithium-ion battery. When it comes to dusk to dawn solar lights, few devices compare with the leading 1200 lumens solar flood light. The ELEDing 1200 lm solar light features ultra-bright LED 3rd generation illuminators, IP65 weatherproof design, and cutting-edge SMART light saving technology that enables you to save power and achieve true ‘dusk to dawn’ outdoor lighting. Read on as we explore just what makes this the number one rated dusk to dawn solar flood light on the market today. This light comes with two LED 3rd generation illuminators that together produce a maximum light output of 1200 lumens of white, daylight color temperature light (7000 Kelvins) that delivers enhanced full-color-image vision – and far outperforms your traditional 120 watts incandescent bulb in terms of both brightness and light quality. The LED illuminators have adjustable heads which enable you to either combine or separate their beams, achieving more precise, targeted illumination. Choose SMART mode (the default setting of these lights), and it will provide all-night, dusk to dawn illumination, functioning in dim mode until motion is detected, after which the light automatically switches to maximum brightness. But that’s not all. With the innovative Intelligent Power Management (IPM) software built into this light, the brightness level of the light emitted by these lamps automatically varies in accordance with the external weather conditions. You can also manually dim the lights using the dials situated on the light body. As we have seen, this light is also a motion sensor light. Under SMART mode, the default setting, it automatically switches from dim light mode to maximum brightness when motion is detected. Alternatively, you can choose the SMART AUTO setting on your light, and it will operate as a conventional motion sensing security light – ie lighting up to maximum brightness when motion is detected; the rest of the time the light is off. On either setting, the motion sensor has a range of 30-40 feet, spanning an angle of 180 degrees, and triggers the light to stay on for a minute after a motion is detected. In order for this light to be a true dawn to dusk floodlight, it needs to have a photo-sensor built into it as well, and the leading 1200 lumens certainly does. Switch your light to ‘on’, and when ambient lighting levels in the surrounding environment drop to a certain level, the light will automatically light up; similarly, when ambient lighting levels start to increase as morning approaches, the light will automatically switch off. The IPM power saving software built into this light also alters the lighting output of this light to compensate for external weather conditions. This is solar powered lighting, which means no external power source is required; all you need to do is place the solar panel in an area that receives plenty of sunlight during the day, and the attached battery will automatically charge your lights so that come nightfall they are ready to go illuminating your yard. The 8 watts solar panel that accompanies this light is built from tempered glass and high-quality polycrystalline material, it also comes with its own (adjustable) mounts and 10 feet worth of cable for connecting to the light fixture itself – which gives you plenty of options as to where you position your lights. With 8 watts charging capacity, you can be sure it will charge the battery quickly and efficiently as well. A rechargeable 28 watts Lithium-Poly AA battery is built into this light so that the power accumulated by the solar panel during the day can be saved and stored for when it is needed after dark. The battery has a long lifespan, so that it can be recharged by the solar panel many times over, and has an excellent capacity compared to comparable batteries out there on the market. Given a full day’s exposure to sunlight, the battery will deliver up to 10 hours continuous lighting to your yard – whether you choose full brightness or dimmed mode. All components included with this light are housed in durable, well-built components. The light fixture and solar panel are housed in heavy-duty polycarbonate material that is IP65 rated – meaning it is completely weatherproof and will stand up under all climatic conditions. The solar panel also is designed with tempered glass that is very durable. Sturdy, all-metal, wall and ground mounting stakes are included with this light as well. It’s backed by a one-year limited manufacturer’s warranty. And wall and mounting stakes, and full installation instructions are included with this light, free of charge. Whilst the LEDing 1200 lumens is a really fantastic little solar flood light, it is still far from perfect. It could benefit from the inclusion of a remote control that enables you to change the settings from afar instead of manually. Also the mounting brackets and solar panel head are not adjustable, so you can’t alter their angle relative to the sky as the position of the sun changes through the year. You will need to purchase additional equipment to do this. Finally, you can’t change the amount of time the light stays on for after motion is detected – which would come in handy on those occasions where you want to save power. Compared to the many advantages of this light, though, these are minor shortcomings. A great contender for the best dusk-to-dawn flood light title is the SGG-F156-2R solar flood light by Solar Goes Green. This is a fully equipped dusk to dawn fixture that in addition to two polycrystalline solar panels and 180 bright LED diodes also features an adjustable motion sensor and a remote control, all things to make this the best dusk-to-dawn solar flood light on the market. So why didn’t it make the first spot on our list? Simply, all these great features come at a much higher price, which we think might be out of budget for most homeowners that are the target audience for this article. But because this is one of the best solar flood lights on the market, we must look at it in more details. Solar Goes Green SGG-F156-2R has got 156 LED diodes that produce total 780 lumens of bright white light, which may not seem that much, but actually the flood light is very powerful and will lit practically anything, from your backyard to a parking lot, commercial signs and anything else. To make this an ideal outdoor light, the fixture and solar panel have got rugged aluminum bodies, the design of the fixture (except the motion sensor) is totally weather-proof, allowing to use the flood light outdoors all year round. Unfortunately, Solar Goes Green haven’t listed the IP rating of the flood light, but it should be at least IP65 rated fixture. The length of two cables – one from flood light to solar panel and other from the flood light to motion sensor is 15 feet, allowing a wide range of installation choices. There are also 4 ground stakes included in the packaging, so you can choose to install the light on a wall or other vertical surface or in the ground and use it as a landscape light. Similarly to MicroSolar 180 LED fixture, this flood light also has got two 10W polycrystalline solar panels (20W in total) which, as we previously mentioned, is an excellent choice for dusk-to-dawn flood light. The polycrystalline solar panels charges a 7000 mAh large lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) battery, which is able to power the light for about 10 hours with a full charge. The fixture requires about 8-10 hours of sunshine to fully charge its batteries. You can also purchase a flag pole mount separately for this fixture. What makes this dusk to dawn flood light to stand out among the rest is the ability to connect a fully adjustable motion sensor. The sensor has got a 40 feet detection range and you can adjust the sensitivity, lux detection settings and lighting time from 10 seconds to 5 minutes. And because this is a dusk-to-dawn flood light, it is obviously equipped with a photosensor, so you can choose whether the light will work as a normal dusk to dawn flood light, automatically turning on at dusk and off at dawn, or as a motion activated flood light. Another great feature of this solar flood light that you won’t find in practically any other lighting is a remote control which allows you to operate the flood light from a distance. This is especially useful if you have installed the fixture high above the ground and don’t want to climb up the ladder each time you need to change illumination settings of the fixture. First of all, although this is one of the most feature-packed solar flood lights on the market, we felt that the price of it is just a bit too high looking at the prices of few competitor dusk to dawn flood lights. And second, considering the build quality and materials used to make the flood light and solar panel, we didn’t understand why motion sensor was made out of plastic and was not fully water proof (while it would stand most weather conditions, some heavier downpour could damage the sensor). This solar powered, motion sensor flood light from RuggedGrade is one of the best dusk to dawn solar flood lights out there on the market today. The RuggedGrade 1000lm flood light utilizes cutting edge, 10 watt LEDs that together deliver 1000 lumens of super bright, white light (5000 Kelvins color temperature) in full brightness mode. That’s more than enough to illuminate your balcony, deck, garden, landscaping – or any other features in your yard! The PIR motion sensor included with this light has a range of 5 meters. After detecting any movement, it automatically increases the output of your flood light from 10 percent capacity, dimming mode, to full brightness. It remains bright for 30 seconds before returning to dim mode. This light also has an in-built photosensor so that it automatically turns on at dusk, off at dawn. The motion sensor is not active during the day. The polycrystalline, 5 watts solar panel is what powers your lights, it collects sunlight during the day and efficiently converts it into electricity that you can utilize in your yard as light after dark. You can directly mount it onto your wall of choice, or other horizontal surfaces. You can adjust the angle as required to maximize sunlight exposure. The premium super sized 8000 mAh lithium-ion battery built into this light charges quickly and has an exceptional capacity. It can deliver up to 10 hours continuous lighting to your property of a night-time when fully charged. It’s also much longer lasting than your average battery and will run for many years before replacement is required. The light and solar panel are built from sturdy, high-quality aluminum and plastic materials, with tempered, shock-resistant glass. They have an IP65 weatherproof rating, which ensures they will stand up under all conditions, and throughout the year. It’s backed by a full one year manufacturer’s warranty. And there are 16 feet of cable included for connecting the light fixture to the solar panel. And screws and mounting stakes are included to install your light and panel. It would be good if you could dispense with the motion sensor as required, and use your light simply as a normal flood light at a medium or full brightness. That would certainly enhance its versatility! It would also be to this light’s advantage if it came with its own remote control for changing the settings from afar. These are minor quibbles, however – the RuggedGrade solar motion sensor light is still a high-quality offering. Well and truly recommended! The SunBonar 800 lumens dusk to dawn solar flood light delivers super bright (800-1000 lumens), long-lasting (8-10 hours) solar powered lighting for your yard. With an IP66 weatherproof rating, it will deliver year around coverage as well. However, it lacks any kind of dimming option – and there is no motion sensor feature either – which limit it’s versatility somewhat. While ALPHA 1200X dusk to dawn solar flood light comes with 180 LED pieces and three brightness settings (150, 500, 1500 lumens), making it suitable for just about any lighting purpose you might have in mind for your yard. With 16 feet of cable connecting your light to the solar panel that powers it, you can place it just about anywhere as well. However, it lacks a motion sensor feature, and it has a rather flimsy, lightweight design. When to choose landscape flood lights? Landscape flood lights are used to illuminate different objects whether it is a commercial sing next to a road or some interesting object in your backyard such as a fountain or an old tree. Landscape lights are mostly used for aesthetic purposes, to showcase something or make something stand out in the night rather than for security reasons as other types of solar flood lights. And often they work similar to dusk-to-dawn lights providing continuous illumination during the night. Because of this, the key features to look for when purchasing solar landscape lights are durability (casing material and IP rating), battery capacity, solar panel type and wattage, and mounting hardware supplied, because mostly landscape flood lights are placed in the ground so the light should include ground stakes for solar panel, flood light or both. Why landscape flood light instead of landscape spot light? Often solar landscape spot lights are the more popular option than solar landscape flood lights, so in which case should you install flood lights instead of spot lights? We recommend installing flood lights when you need to illuminate a larger (wider) object or area. Flood lights are designed to produce a wider beam of light, which can illuminate a larger area, while spot lights have a more concentrated beam which is great if you need to illuminate a smaller object but with more intense light. Also, landscape flood lights tend to be brighter and most can illuminate from dusk to dawn, so if you need a powerful light, that covers a larger area and can provide illumination throughout the whole night, get a solar landscape light. Thanks to the 2-watt polycrystalline solar panel and 2000 mAh rechargeable battery this 120 lumen fixture can run for up to 10 hours. Thanks to the 3W polycrystalline solar panel and 4000 mAh lithium-ion battery this 180 lumens bright fixture can run for up to 10 hours. Powerful 6-watt polycrystalline solar panel and a 4400mAh mAh battery allows this solar landscape light to illuminate your space for up to 12 hours straight. If you need a good quality solar landscape light that has enough power for most uses, you may want to consider this – MicroSolar FL2 solar flood light. The flood light has got 64 LED diodes that produce total 180 lumens of light, enough to illuminate not only some landscape objects but also a smaller parking lot, driveway, a walkway and similar areas. The flood light can be mounted to a wall or other vertical surface or placed in the ground with three ground stakes (one for light and two for solar panel) and used as a solar landscape lighting. Because this is a more powerful light, it also requires a more powerful solar panel. FL2 solar flood light is powered by a 3W polycrystalline solar panel that charges a 4000 mAh lithium-ion battery. In most areas, during the summer months, the light will run about 8-10 hours with a full charge or about 6 hours if its cloudy throughout the day. As expected from lights manufactured by MicroSolar, the fixture is equipped with the most up-to-date, efficient and long lasting components such as LED diodes, polycrystalline solar panel, and lithium-ion batteries. The housing of the flood light has got an IP65 rating so you can use it outdoors all year round. There is a 16.4 feet long cable connecting solar panel with the flood light fixture and you can also get an additional 16.4 feet extension cable (as with other MicroSolar lights). There is no motion sensor on the MicroSolar FL2, but there is a photocell in the solar panel, as you would expect from a solar landscape flood light, so the light will automatically turn on and illuminate during the night and then turn off when the sun reaches the solar panel again in the morning. This light has got an on/off switch behind the solar panel, so you can actually control when the light illuminates and can turn it off at night if you don’t need light. The manufacturer MicroSolar provides a 1-year warranty for this flood light. First of all, this is not the cheapest light considering its light output is just around 180 lumens. While it’s perfectly fine for most applications, some may find the light to be just a bit too dim to properly illuminate an object. And second, attaching the metal mounting bracket to the back of the solar panel is a bit complex, because you need to hold the nut to tighten the screw, but there is a very small place to access it, so some extra tools may be needed to do the job. Would you like to show off your garden and landscaping after dark, and in a manner that saves money and is good for the environment? Then the Findyouled 60 LEDs solar flood light may be the product for you. Super bright, adjustable and 100 percent weatherproof – this is one of the best solar flood lights going around today. You can use it to illuminate your trees, garden, pathways, patios, decks, signage – or any other feature of your yard that you deem to need lighting. Read on to find out more. The Findyouled flood light comes with 60 powerful LED bulbs that together emit a maximum light output of 120 lumens. The light emitted spans an angle of 60 degrees, wider than many comparable lights out there on the market. You can also dim the light to suit your lighting requirements, and to save power. This is not a motion sensor light, however, it is light sensitive, such that it only turns on once ambient lighting levels in the environment drop below a certain level; in the same vein, once it starts to get brighter as morning approaches, the light will automatically turn off. This quality of the FindyouLED 60 LEDs flood light makes it a true ‘dusk to dawn’ outdoor flood light. Free, clean energy is yours’ for the taking with this solar-powered light. No external power source is required, just install the rotatable, 7.6 by 6.1 inches, 2 watts solar panel in an area where it will receive plenty of sunlight during the day and it will charge the battery attached to the light quickly and efficiently. And because this is an amorphous solar panel, it will charge well even in cloudy weather. The light comes with a 2000 mAh rechargeable, lithium-ion battery that charges quickly and has excellent storage capacity – it will deliver between 6 and 15 hours continuous lighting (in full brightness mode) to your yard depending on the quality and amount of sunlight the panel receives during the day. The Findyou LED light fixture is housed in sturdy cast aluminum material that has a black finish, locking ring plus rubber gasket that ensures it will withstand rain, moisture, wind and intense summer sun. It has an IP55 weatherproof rating. The solar panel is housed in weatherproof, tempered glass. It’s backed by a full, 3 years’ manufacturer’s warranty. Included with this product are 16.4 feet of cable connecting the solar panel too the light fixture. There is also a 2-in-1 installation feature, ie you can either stick your light and solar panel into the ground using the mounting stakes included with this product or hang from the wall using the screws also contained in the box. A motion sensor feature would add to the Findyou LED’s versatility, whilst a remote control option would make it much more convenient to change the settings without having to dismount the light each and every time. Also, this light only has a maximum light output of 120 lumens, spanning an angle of 60 degrees, which is not as impressive as some other comparable lights on the market. In larger yards and gardens, you may require several of these lights to get maximal lighting coverage. Despite its impressive credentials, because of these drawbacks, we can’t give the Findyou LED flood light the prize as the best solar flood light on the market. This solar flood light from SunBonar is super bright, eco-friendly and fully weatherproof – which qualities make it one of the very best landscape solar flood lights out there on the market today. Read on to find out more. The SunBonar 54 LED flood light comes with 54 LED pieces that together deliver a maximum light output of 400 lumens which is more than capable of illuminating your yard, garden, walkways, patio, balcony, deck and more. The light emitted is of a warm, white color (6000 Kelvins color temperature). This is not a motion sensor light, however, it is a light sensor light. That is, your lights are so designed that they detect the ambient lighting levels in their environment and accordingly turn on automatically at dusk, and switch off at dawn. There is no need to switch them on and off manually each day. This wireless outdoor landscape flood light is powered by a 6-volt/6-watt solar panel made from the very finest polycrystalline silicon material that efficiently collects sunlight during the day and converts it into electricity that your lamps can utilize as light after dark. The solar panel charges a 3.7 volts, 4400 mAh lithium-ion battery that delivers up to 12 hours continuous lighting (during summer), and a still impressive 7-8 hours during the winter months. The light and the solar panel are both encased in tough, durable aluminum and tempered glass materials that is IP65 weatherproof rated – this is one set of lights that will endure whatever the natural elements hurl at it. The SunBonar solar landscape flood light is backed by a full one year manufacturer’s warranty. This light from SunBonar comes with 16 feet of cable for connecting the light to the solar panel. There is also included equipment that gives you three installation options: stick the light and panel in the ground using the included mounting spike; mount upon the wall using the screws, also contains in the box; or fix the solar light to the solar panel using the same screws. This light from SunBonar, whilst an effective solar landscape light, only comes with one working mode – there is no dimming option, no motion sensor feature that would enable you to keep your light on in dim mode until movement is detected, upon which it increases to full brightness. This certainly detracts from the versatility of the SunBonar solar flood light – and prevents it from being our selection as the best landscape solar flood light on the market today. It’s still a fine light, though, and well worth the investment of time and money. The MicroSOlar FL3 108 LED landscape solar flood light comes with 108 LED pieces, and has a light output of 400 lumens spanning a 60 degrees angle. Given optimal sunlight conditions, this solar powered light deliver up to 12 hours continuous lighting. You can also mount it either on the wall, or stick in the ground using included mounting spikes. There is no dimming option, however, and it doesn’t function as a motion sensor light either. The LTE 60 LED landscape solar flood light will light up your yard, balcony, deck, patio, garden, and more with no problems. It comes with 60 LED pieces and has a 300 lumens light output with 120 degrees beam angle. IP65 weatherproof rated, there also two installation options – stick in the ground or mount from the wall – all equipment provided. On the other hand, there is no dimming feature, and these are no motion sensor lights either. When to choose wall mounted lights? When looking for a wall mounted solar motion sensor light there are few things you must pay more attention to – the ease of installation, brightness, motion sensor and its customisability and, of course, the brightness. There might be several reasons why you would want such a light, whether to provide lighting for security reasons, for decoration purposes around your house or in your backyard, to scare off animals from your yard or any other reason. And depending on your needs, certain features and specifics might prove more useful to you. Because the market is filled with very similar looking solar wall lights, we have picked the best according to their level of brightness and size – one smaller 10 LED light, one medium 20 LED light and one larger 38 LED light. We see this type of light best fitting situations where a relatively small area that serves a certain function should be illuminated, so it is easier to see at night, for example, front doors, stairway or sidewalk (multiple lights might be needed). Larger and brighter than our top pick, this fixture features 54 LED diodes, 8-watt solar panel, passive infra-red PIR sensor and a lithium-ion battery. The best light for everyone - it is compact and bright for its size, has got a decent battery life, adjustable motion sensor and a very attractive price. Larger and brighter than our top pick, this fixture features 38 LED diodes, 2.5W solar panel, adjustable PIR sensor and a 4400 mAh lithium-ion battery. The option that might suite most people is this – Litom 20 LED wall mounted solar motion light. It offers the best of all worlds – it is compact, relatively bright for its size, has got pretty decent battery life, adjustable motion sensor and very attractive price. Choosing the best wall mounted solar light was very difficult because the market is swarmed with very similarly designed lighting fixtures (different companies selling exact same light simply putting on their own branding). And the one light that had a slight edge in all our criteria over the rest was this Litom 20 LED model. The solar light has got 20 LED diodes producing about 400 lumens of light. The light beam is pretty concentrated as this isn’t exactly a flood light, however it produces a decent amount of light to see even in 30 to 40 feet distances. Based on its size and brightness, this is a perfect front door light that will effectively illuminate the walkway to your house. When talking about the fixture itself, it is made out of plastic and is pretty weatherproof with an IP55 rating. One problem with these small wall mounted solar lights is that they tend to have weak housings and are prone to water damage, however, this unit seems to be pretty solid and all open spots have been properly sealed. However, we still wouldn’t recommend to install it in areas where running water could constantly reach the fixture, as it might get damaged. Practically all of these all-in-one fixture solar lights have one problem, there are very limited areas where the light can be installed, because you cannot detach the solar panel form the lighting fixture, meaning that you can only install the light in areas where direct sunlight can reach the solar panel and charge its batteries during the day. Fortunately, the solar panel on this unit seems to be pretty effective at charging the 2200 mAh lithium-ion battery (by the way this is a 18650 lithium-ion rechargeable battery, so there won’t be any problems getting a replacement when it dies). This is a pretty small capacity battery, but because it needs to power only 20 LED diodes, you can expect some impressive working times from the unit, even up to 10 hours on its “always on” setting with a fully charged battery. I must note that these settings only are active from dusk to dawn and light won’t be triggered during the sunny hours when the solar panel is charging the battery of the lighting fixture. Detection distance for the motion sensor on this light is pretty decent, the distance will differ based on the placement position and height of the fixture, but on average will be about 15-20 feet. Going away from the product itself and talking about the manufacturer/brand a bit, we can say that our opinion about these Chinese companies is neutral, it is clearly understandable that most of these products offered by different companies probably come from the same factories, so it comes down to each seller how they value their customers and how serious they are about their business. In this case, we can definitely recommend Litom, as they do address every problem with their lights and will help if you’ll have any problems with the products they sell. While the fixture itself is well built and function exceptionally, there is one problem we found with the design of the light. The switch for changing illumination settings is located in a difficult to reach place behind the light, so you must choose the mode before installing the unit and if later you wish to change these setting, for example from continuous illumination to motion activation only, you will have to remove the fixture to access the switch, change the mode and reinstall the fixture back to its place. This wall mounted, Litom 54 LED solar motion light is a great option for enhancing security around your property, accenting your yard and garden, or lighting up your walkways so you can find your way to the front door more easily after dark. Read on to find out what makes the Litom 54 LEDs one of the best wall mounted solar motion lights on the market right now. This is one outdoor solar light that provides excellent illumination. It comes equipped with 54 LED bulbs that combined deliver a maximal light output of 800 lumens – although you can also choose to run your light in dim, or medium lighting mode. The unique wide-angle design of this light (LEDs installed on both sides of the light fixture) also ensures the light emitted spans a maximum angle of 270 degrees – again, one of the best out there for lights of this sort. The Litom 54 LED also comes equipped with a passive infra-red (PIR) motion sensor that detects movement within a range of 26 feet and 120 degrees. Set your light to dim mode motion sensor or off-motion sensor mode, and it will automatically project maximally bright light as soon as movement is detected, lasting for 17-20 seconds before it returns to the dim mode/turns off. This is eco-friendly solar powered lighting, the 8 watts solar panel you get with this light is made from a polycrystalline material that has a high (17 percent) conversion efficiency rating. All it needs is access to direct sunlight during the day, and it will automatically charge the battery installed in your light so that it is ready to go come nightfall. The panel is housed in sturdy, ABS plastic material that will withstand all weather conditions. There is one lithium-ion battery included with this light. Fully charged, it delivers up to 10 hours of continuous lighting to your property. Both the light fixture and solar panel of this light are housed in ABS plastic that comes with an IP56 weatherproof rating – meaning they will stand up to all climatic conditions, including rain, wind, snow, sleet and more. The Litom 54 LED solar light is backed by a full one year manufacturer’s warranty. And there are 16 feet of cable connecting the solar panel to the light fixture. Screws are also included for mounting the light and solar panel on your wall of choice. A remote control option would add to this light’s convenience, especially given that it is a wall mounted light – to change the settings manually, you have to dismount the light each and every time. The inclusion of ground stakes would also enhance it’s versatility, allowing you to install the light and solar panel on horizontal surfaces. Because of these shortcomings, the Litom 54 LEDs light doesn’t quite take the cake as the best wall mounted solar motion light on the market today. If you feel like the previous light by Litom isn’t powerful enough and you need something to illuminate a larger area such as a porch, deck or patio, then definitely check out this light – Albrillo wall mounted solar motion light. The unit is a bit more expensive but also is more powerful producing about 500 lumens of light from 38 LED diodes. 500 lumens of light is pretty decent if we consider that some much higher costing lights produce only few hundred lumens more, so there are lots of applications where you could use this solar motion sensor light. The unit itself is made from plastic as you would expect at this price range, however, the manufacturer is stating that this fixture has got an IP65 rating, which you mostly see on high power solar flood lights with aluminum housings. Whether or not this fixture is fully waterproof we cannot tell you, but it seems to hold up very well in all sorts of weather conditions. The solar light comes with two mounting screws allowing to easily attach it to practically any wall, and also, if you don’t want to drill holes, you can easily use a double-sided outdoor tape to attach it to a wall (not recommended in winter and in stormy areas). Albrillo solar wall light is powered by a 2.5W solar panel that charges 4400 mAh lithium-ion batteries. The unit is supplied with two 2200 mAh lithium-ion batteries, which are 18650 type ones, so it will be easy and cheap to get a replacement when they wear out. 4400 mAh capacity is really good for such light and can easily power it from dusk to dawn when batteries are fully charged. Strong long light mode – continuous illumination from dusk to dawn (or until the batteries die). These settings are very similar to ones provided by the Litom solar light, with the only noticeable difference being that this solar light illuminates for 20 seconds when motion is detected while Litom light only for 15 seconds. What is different, however, is the way you change modes on this light. As mentioned there is a small button right next to the motion sensor which you must press for about 3 seconds to turn the light on and then press it again one, two or three times to change the lighting modes. We actually didn’t like this mechanism and much better preferred the switch on the Litom light, however, the placement of the button on Albrillo light is in a much better and easy to reach position than it was on the Litom light. The situation with the manufacturer/brand of the fixture is very similar to the previous light, however, Albrillo says that they will provide an 18-month warranty for the product, which is very rear for a solar light (usual warranty period of a solar light is 12 months). All in all, this is a very good solar wall mounted light which will illuminate your front doors, porch, deck, patio, shed or any other place at night. While the motion sensor itself works very well, we didn’t like the button that you have to use to change the lighting modes, because it sometimes confuses you which setting you have actually turned on. On the other hand, the button itself is placed in a very convenient and easy to access place in front of the light. The LAMPAT 62 LED wall mounted solar motion light is a motion sensor light with two lighting modes. And with 62 LED pieces and wide-angle light beam design, it will provide excellent coverage and security to your yard. However, it is not as bright as some comparable lights out there on the market, and there aren’t as many working modes and lighting options either. The InnoGear Wall Light delivers a super bright 450 lumens of light to your yard, and comes with 4 working modes, including full brightness, half brightness, dim mode and motion sensor lighting modes – it certainly is a versatile little light. All installation and mounting equipment are provided, and the solar panel has an exceptional capacity, translating into fast charging and longer lighting times. Drawbacks included lack of remote control option, and plastic design and construction – not as durable as metal. When to choose budget solar flood lights? There are so many solar lights out there making it an overwhelming task to find the one that best fits your needs. But sometimes you just need a flood light that can illuminate a decent area, is solar powered, has got a motion sensor and doesn’t cost a fortune. Well for those of you who just want a good solar flood light to install around the house or in the backyard at a reliable price, we have gathered this small list of the best budget solar flood lights under $40. This is also a very popular solar flood light and features a very similar specs to our Top Pick, the difference being in 60 LED diodes and a cheaper price. One of the most popular solar flood lights on the market. This fixture is fully equipped with 80 LED diodes, 1W solar panel, 900 mAh battery and a PIR sesnor. Very good specs at a bargain price. This solar flood lights has got a polycrystalline solar panel, 2000 mAh lithium-ion battery, adjustale mounts and a PIR sensor. The best solar flood light under $40 definitely is this Sunforce 82080 light. It is also one of the most purchased solar flood lights on the Amazon maintaining a decent 4.2 rating and there are good reasons for this. First of all Sunforce 82080 is affordable and has got good reviews from thousands of people that are using this fixture. When looking at the light output, you can expect around 800-900 lumens of light from 80 LED diodes, it will light a 20-30 feet area without any problems. If you need to light a larger area, say a backyard or garden, purchase multiple of these lights and install in each corner to give you a large coverage of light. The fixture itself isn’t anything too fancy, the casing for the fixture, motion sensor, and the solar panel is made from plastic, so you should install the fixture in an area where it is less exposed to any type of water. However, it should withstand any “normal” weather conditions such as rain, snow, hot and cold weather. And at this price range, it is almost impossible to find a fully weatherproof solar flood light. The fixture and the solar panel is pretty easy to install to a vertical surface and the cable length between the solar panel and the fixture is 15 feet giving you enough options to install a solar panel in an optimal place to get the most sunshine throughout the day. The unit is charged by a 1-watt amorphous solar panel, not the most efficient solar panel on the market, but good enough for this light, and it also helps to keep the price low for the fixture. The power is stored in a 900 mAh Ni-MH battery pack which consists of five AA type batteries. Of course, this is a pretty low capacity battery that would be waistless for a dusk to dawn flood light, but considering that this a motion activated solar flood light that isn’t continuously illuminating but only turns on for few minutes when motion is detected, the battery should be able to power the flood light throughout the night. Sensitivity – how sensitive the motion detector is or in other words, in how far distances the sensor will pick up motion. The switch to adjust the sensitivity of the sensor is conveniently placed under to motion sensor, so you don’t have to dismount the light from the wall to access the switch. In the best case scenario, we would love that the light came with a remote control so these settings could be adjusted from a distance, however, this is not expected from a flood light that costs less than $40. Sunforce is providing a 1 year warranty for this solar flood light. Sunforce 82080 has got many things we like such a powerful and bright light, adjustable motion sensor with long detection range, rather good solar panel and of course, a very attractive price. However, there were also some drawbacks to the flood light. First, the battery used on this fixture has got a low capacity, meaning that it cannot provide a continuous illumination from dusk to dawn (it also doesn’t come with a dusk to dawn setting), but if you only need a motion activated flood light, this isn’t really a con for you. And second, the housing of flood light is not the most waterproof we have seen, so to prolong the lifetime of the fixture, we would suggest to even further waterproof the fixture by filling all seams with silicone and installing the fixture in an area where it is not constantly exposed to water that could damage the flood light. If, for some reason, the Sunforce 82080 we reviewed previously didn’t fit your requirements or simply isn’t available, the next best budget solar flood light we can recommend is Sunforce 82156. When comparing it to the other Sunfoce light, this unit has got 20 LEDs less which results in about 50-100 lumens less brightness (you will hardly notice the difference) producing a total of 850 lumens of light, and it is also few dollars cheaper. The area of usage for both of these lights is pretty similar, so it basically comes down whether you need a little brighter flood light for few dollars more or can easily live with this 60 LED model. When we look at other specifications of the fixture beside the light output, it is powered by a similar 1-watt amorphous solar panel which charges the same Ni-MH five AA battery pack with 900 mAh capacity. However, because this light has got 20 LED diodes less than the other fixture but the same solar panel and battery, you can expect it to run a little bit longer with one charge. The manufacturer has indicated that it can illuminate at maximum brightness for about 45 minutes continuously and because this is a motion activated flood light, you can expect it to be able to last throughout the night. The unit itself this time is made from a mixture of aluminum and plastic materials, which we don’t think has any impact on the durability or waterproofness of the fixture, however, it looks a little bit better than all plastic light and feels more durable at the same time. It also has got a 15 feet cable to connect the solar panel to the fixture giving you enough installation options for the fixture. PIR motion sensor used on Sunforce 82156 is very similar to the one used on Sunforce 82080, it can detect motion in up to 30 feet distance in a 180-degree range around the fixture. You can also adjust the Lux (level of darkness required to turn the light on), Time (for how long the fixture will illuminate after motion has been detected) and Sensitivity (in what range the motion sensor will pick up motion). The motion sensor can also be adjusted horizontally and vertically. The fixture itself, however, can only be adjusted vertically, so you may need some additional mounting if you also want to be able to adjust it horizontally. Manufacturer Sunforce provides a 1 year warranty for this solar flood light. The first thing we believe could be improved with this fixture is its waterproofness. Depending on the area you live and quality of the unit you’ve received, there is a high chance that you won’t face any problems such as water damage for many years of usage. However, if the area you’re living is common to have long or hard downpours, wet winters or similar weather conditions, we recommend that you improve the waterproofing of the fixture, motion sensor and solar panel by sealing seams with silicone or similar sealant. It won’t take you much time but will ensure that the fixture continues to work as intended in any weather conditions. Also, one minor problem we found with this solar flood light (which is very common for cheaper lighting fixtures) is that the mounting hardware (screws for attaching the light and solar panel) is pretty bad, we would recommend you to go to the local hardware store and purchase more durable and longer lasting screws that would secure the fixture on a wall or roof in any weather conditions. Here is another equally good solar flood light – Robust Solar 80 LED. It is a bit more expensive when compared to both Sunforce lights, however it also offers few additional features such as a polycrystalline solar panel, a bit higher capacity lithium-ion battery and more adjustability for the fixture. Starting with the brightness, this solar flood light outputs pretty decent amount of light, 80 LED diodes produce around 700-800 lumens of bright white light. When comparing this model with both Sunforce flood lights, it is very difficult to tell the difference between all three of them in terms of brightness, so this light, similar to both Sunforce models, will lit an approx. 15-25 feet area. As a plus, this light uses a polycrystalline solar panel, although the wattage is similar to Sunforce models – 1 watt. The battery used in this unit is 2000 mAh lithium-ion, the same 18650 type you will find in many other solar lights. The battery capacity is decent enough to power the light throughout the night, and because this is a motion activated flood light only, there is no option to set it to illuminate continuously from dusk to dawn. Manufacturer states that you will get about 200 triggers of 60-second illumination with a full charge, which seems to be right considering the battery capacity of the flood light. Robust Solar 80 LED solar flood light’s construction is made from both plastic and metal materials, for example, the housing of the fixture is made from metal while the mount, motion sensor, and solar panel frame are made from plastic. The cable connecting solar panel to the flood light is approx. 16 feet long. One thing we really liked about this light is that its mounting hardware allows to adjust the fixture not only vertically, but also horizontally, so you don’t have to make any additional mounts if you want to adjust the lighting angle to one of the sides. The motion sensor can also be adjusted vertically and horizontally. The PIR motion sensor has got two adjustable settings – Lux and Time. Lux setting allows to set the level of darkness needed for light to start working and Time setting allows to set the time of how long the fixture will illuminate when it has detected a motion. You can set the illumination time from 3 seconds up to 10 minutes. Robust Solar has a very good customer service and they also provide a 1-year warranty for their flood light. The thing we didn’t like the most about this solar flood light was the mounting hardware that is made out of plastic and does not seem that durable. Most people will be fine with this mounting hardware and won’t notice any problems, but those living in areas with higher winds and storms might consider upgrading it to something more durable, probably made from metal. The second thing we didn’t like (which is very common to cheaper lights) are the poor quality screws for installing the unit. We definitely recommend changing them to more durable ones that you can find in your local hardware store. And last, the motion sensor doesn’t allow to adjust the sensitivity in opposite to both Sunforce lights, which is a useful feature if you need to adjust the detection range and distance, for example, to only pick up motion from humans (and ignore animals) or to pick up motion from humans and also from smaller animals. The Magictec COB Lights are solar powered with a long working time, and two lighting modes including a sensor lighting mode for warding of intruders. It is super bright, with 600 lumens maximum light output. These are some of the most affordable lights of this sort out there today. However, the plastic construction is a bit flimsy and lightweight, and there is no remote control included either. And there aren’t as many working modes as you get with some other lights out there. Frostfire Digital 80 LED Solar Flood Light – Another light which is worth looking at is this 80 LED Solar Flood Light by Frostfire. What caught our attention to this product is the digital control panel for motion sensor that not only allows to adjust the Time and Lux settings, but also shows the current battery level, which is a very useful feature that we didn’t find in practically any other solar light. I’m looking for a solar light that can provide 15000 lumens brightness. But I don’t know if there really exists one like this. Could you help me check if there is one? My field of expertise is mostly with regular household solar flood lights which don’t usually produce more than 2000 lumens of light. The thing with these very high power solar lights is that they are way too expensive for an average homeowner, because you need a high capacity solar panels (that not only take up a lot of space but also are expensive) and large battery packs which also take up space and are difficult to transport due to their weight. Now, for a solar light that can produce 15000-20000 lumens I would either look for a custom solution (maybe attaching light to an existing solar system) or for specifically designed area lighting. There are few Chinese solar lights that claim to reach 20000 lumen brightness which I have never tested or owned so I cannot say anything about quality of these lights or accuracy of their lumens measuring. And another company that rents out high power solar lights is this – http://www.solarlightingtower.com/. You can contact them and maybe they will be able to assist you better than I would regarding high powered solar lighting. Hope that this helped you at least a bit and good luck for finding the light you are looking for. This is a good resource. Thank you! This is the only site I came across that gave actual honest reviews and comparisons of different lights, including cons. It’s especially valuable to get in impression of water proofed-ness, and “real world” light coverage comparisons. Thanks! the mounting bracket that holds the solar panel for the 80 LED solar flood light. I need the bracket that holds the solar panel. where can I buy one or two of these brackets? I don’t want to buy another whole light just because the plastic tube that holds the solar panel can’t be fixed or repaired. If you’re talking about the Robust Solar 80 LED light than the first thing I would suggest you to do is to contact the manufacturer directly and they should assist you with this problem and even replace the bracket if the light is still under warranty. Contact them here. If this doesn’t help, I’m afraid you will need to come up with some DIY solution, because most of these small solar lighting manufacturers usually don’t sell spare parts for their lights. This article is very helpful for me and I really appreciate the detail. I have a backyard area that I would like to light up on command (not all night long – i.e. have an on/off switch). The reason is to allow kids to play outside when it gets dark early. Would the MicroSolar IP65 120 LED do the trick you think? I am not looking to light a statue or have a sensor or anything like that. Just light an area for some kid play time in my backyard since it gets dark at 5:15 where I am. Thanks!!! As for the light, the MicroSolar 120 LED unit is a great light, but whether it is the correct option for you depends on the area you need to illuminate. Perhaps if you have a small background and need to illuminate a small area for you kid to play, you may choose a cheaper and less powerful option. On the other hand, if you want decent enough illumination, this may be the best choice. Great article thank you! I think I am in a similar situation to Mike who commented above. I would like a solar light with an easy on/off option (wire a switch thats easy to reach every day or a remote) to light a barn in my very dark backyard. Hard wiring isn’t an option. I want to light the inside and out with reasonable brightness. Should I look into battery powered LEDs for the inside of the barn? It’s only about 40ft long and open to the outside so some light from outdoor flood lights would come in. Any tips would be appreciated! Yes, Liz, battery-powered LEDs could be a great option for you if hard wiring isn’t really an option for you. But I would recommend you also look into solar shed lights. These lights not only come with a wire switch but also don’t require any wiring. Just place the solar panel outdoor, the light indoor and use it without having to change the batteries for the light every few months. I’ve considered solar flood lights but didn’t know how useful they could be for home safety. I was really happy to learn about the all-weather suitability of the Guardian 580x. Finding quality solar flood lights is very important and I’m really grateful for your reviews! I think the Sunforce 200 dual motion solar light is the best of its kind on the market, but it is not readily available. The one store that had the best price is completely out of stock. In short, this model is the latest from sunforce. It is smaller than the previous models and it looks so much better. I agree, Marge, the Sunforce 200 dual motion solar light does look really, really good.

2019-04-20T05:13:44Z

https://www.ledwatcher.com/best-solar-flood-lights/

2006-10-16 Assigned to AVG SOFTWARE, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY reassignment AVG SOFTWARE, LIMITED LIABILITY COMPANY ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: HANDSIGNAL, INC. A method and system for pushing information to personal computing and communication devices operated by users in such a way that the users can use and/or act upon the information even when the users are off-network or off-line. The method and system also automatically “provisions” the personal computing and communication devices so that the devices may be used to act upon the information that is pushed to the devices. The present invention relates to wireless communications. More particularly, the invention relates to a method and system for automatically pushing wireless messages and other information to personal computing and communication devices such as personal digital assistants. The market for wireless communication services has grown dramatically in the past few years and is expected to grow at an even faster rate in the future. Many experts predict that wireless communication services will soon surpass traditional “wired” methods of communication. Wireless communication services are no longer limited to voice traffic, but instead now include voice and data traffic so that all types of messages and information can be wirelessly transmitted to and from mobile devices. Unfortunately, current wireless communication services, as well as conventional wired communication services such as e-mail, voice mail, telephone services, etc., require users to connect to a provider by dialing-in and/or accessing a network before information can be retrieved. This is a problem because users often cannot regularly check for new messages and information and therefore often retrieve time-sensitive information too late. The above-described problem has been partially remedied by wireless communication services that automatically “push” information to users rather than requiring the users to “pull” the information from a provider. However, such push communication services still require the users to be connected to a service provider to be able to use and act upon the information. Once the users go off-network or off-line, the information cannot be used and/or acted upon. Moreover, existing push types of communication services can only push short messages and are therefore not robust enough for many business applications that require more extensive messages and data to be pushed to users. The present invention solves the above-described problems and provides a distinct advance in the art of communication methods. More particularly, the present invention provides a method and system for pushing information to personal computing and communication devices operated by users in such a way that the users can use and/or act upon the information even when the users are off-network or off-line. The present invention also provides a method and system for automatically “provisioning” personal computing and communication devices so that the devices may be used to act upon the information that is pushed to the devices. One preferred embodiment of the present invention is implemented with a computer network that is coupled with at least one wireless communication service provider. The computer network is operated by an administrator or provider that offers push message and information delivery services in accordance with the present invention. Senders of messages and other information may access the computer network and provide information destined for a recipient. The computer network then conditions the information and stores the information in a queue until a computing and communication device operated by the recipient is in communication with a corresponding wireless communication service provider. The computer network then automatically pushes the information to the device once it is in communication with the service provider and automatically loads the information into appropriate databases and/or programs in the device. The device thus receives necessary information without requiring the recipient to request the information or to enter or load the information into the appropriate program or database residing on the device. The computer network may also provision devices by automatically loading and assembling software applications in the devices wirelessly without input or configuration from users of the device. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the computer network may push information to a device operated by a recipient as described above. The device may then determine that it does not have the necessary applications and/or software versions to process the information and thus automatically transmits a wireless message back to the computer network with an indication of what applications and/or software versions need to be sent to the device. The computer network then automatically pushes any additional necessary software to the device. This allows all information and necessary programs to be seamlessly pushed to a device without requiring the user of the device to determine which programs are necessary to run the information, request the information, or to load the information and programs into the device. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram depicting computer and communications equipment that may be used to implement certain aspects of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram depicting certain of the components of FIG. 1 in more detail. The present invention can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination thereof. In a preferred embodiment, however, the invention is implemented with one or more computer programs that operate computer and communications equipment broadly referred to by the numeral 10 in FIG. 1. The computer and communications equipment 10 includes a computer network 12, a computer network 14, a wireless communication service provider network 16, and a plurality of computer and communication devices 18. The computer program and equipment 10 illustrated and described herein are merely examples of programs and equipment that may be used to implement preferred embodiments of the present invention and may be replaced with other software and computer equipment without departing from the scope of the present invention. The computer network 12 is preferably operated by an administrator or provider of the services of the present invention and may include a variety of different conventional computing equipment. In one preferred embodiment of the present invention illustrated in FIG. 2, the computer network includes a server gateway computer 20, a web server computer 22, and a communications server 24. Each of the computers 20, 22, 24 may be any computing device such as a network computer running Windows NT, Novell Netware, Unix, or any other network operating system. The computers are preferably coupled to one another and to other equipment such as various databases 26 and computers or terminals 28 by a wireless area network 30 or other conventional network. The web server computer 22 may also be coupled with a hub 32, a firewall 34, another hub 36, and a router 38. The web server computer 22 also includes conventional web hosting operating software, an Internet connection such as a modem, DSL converter or ISDN converter, and is assigned a URL and corresponding domain name so that the web server computer can be accessed via the Internet in a conventional manner. The computer network 14 represents any number of computer systems that may be operated by persons or entities wishing to send messages and other information to recipients and may include any types of conventional computer equipment. In one preferred embodiment, each computer network 14 is coupled with the computer network 12 via a frame relay or VPN connection 40 and includes one or more server computers 42 and one or more personal computers 44 that may access the server computer 42 via a communications network 46 such as the Internet. In another embodiment of the invention, senders of messages and other information may also access the web server computer 22 of the computer network 12 with one or more personal computers 48 via the Internet 50. The wireless communications network 16 represents any number of conventional wireless communication provider networks such as PCS, ReFLEX, Advanced Radio Data Network and cellular networks that may be used to implement certain steps of the present invention. Each wireless network includes various computing equipment broadly referred to by the numeral 52 and a plurality of broadcast antennas 54 that serve different cells or coverage areas. The computing and communication devices 18 are operated by recipients of messages and other information and preferably are handheld personal digital assistants such as those manufactured and sold by Palm, Handspring, RIM, Symbol, and Kyocera. The computing and communication devices 18 may also be personal or laptop computers such as those manufactured and sold by Dell, Compaq, Gateway, or any other computer manufacturer; intelligent mobile phones; pagers; or even Internet appliances that are specifically designed for accessing the Internet. Each computing device 18 includes wireless communications capabilities so that it can send and receive wireless messages and other information. The computer programs of the present invention are stored in or on computer-readable medium residing on or accessible by the computer network 12 and the devices 18 for instructing the equipment to operate as described herein. Each computer program preferably comprises an ordered listing of executable instructions for implementing logical functions in the computer network 12 and the devices 18. The computer programs can be embodied in any computer-readable medium for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, such as a computer-based system, processor-containing system, or other system that can fetch the instructions from the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device, and execute the instructions. In the context of this application, a “computer-readable medium” can be any means that can contain, store, communicate, propagate or transport the program for use by or in connection with the instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The computer-readable medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semi-conductor system, apparatus, device, or propagation medium. More specific, although not inclusive, examples of the computer-readable medium would include the following: an electrical connection having one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable, programmable, read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber, and a portable compact disk read-only memory (CDROM). The computer-readable medium could even be paper or another suitable medium upon which the program is printed, as the program can be electronically captured, via for instance, optical scanning of the paper or other medium, then compiled, interpreted, or otherwise processed in a suitable manner, if necessary, and then stored in a computer memory. The computer programs of the present invention preferably include communication and provisioning programs residing on the computer network 12 and communication and provisioning programs as well as custom application programs, form applications, or other interpretive programs residing on each of the devices 18. The functionality and operation of several preferred implementations of these programs are described in more detail below. In this regard, some of the steps discussed below may represent a module segment or portion of code of the computer programs of the present invention which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function or functions. In some alternative implementations, the functions described may occur out of the order described. For example, two functions described as being in succession may in fact be executed substantially concurrently, or the functions may sometimes be executed in the reverse order depending upon the functionality involved. In one application of the present invention, the above-described computer and communications equipment 10 and computer programs are used to automatically push dispatch-type information from senders to recipients, request acknowledgment from the recipients, and then transmit task status information from the recipients back to the computer network 12 for delivery to the senders. The senders of the information may include companies such as trucking companies or service companies, and the recipients may include workers of the companies such as truck operators, electricians, plumbers, technicians, or computer service personnel. As used herein, the term “information” is meant to include all types of messages, data, programs, applications, and other information that senders may wish to send to recipients, or vice versa. A sender that wishes to push information to a recipient first accesses the computer network 12 via one of the computer networks 14 or computers 48 and submits dispatch information to the computer network 12. The dispatch information may include, for example, information relating to a maintenance activity, a load pick-up, a load delivery, or other type of project. Such information may also include task lists, punch lists, parts lists, the address for a pick-up or project start point, the address for a drop-off or project stop point, a date and time for the requested pick-up or drop-off, detailed instructions relating to the tasks to be performed, and other related information. This information may be generated with an Internet-based dispatch application and may involve the use of a database that contains attributes for tracking status information related to the task (i.e. accepted, declined, arrived, finished). Once the sender submits the above dispatch information to the computer network 12, the computer network 12 conditions or processes the information so that it may be delivered to the intended recipient. The computer network 12 does so by first creating a unique message ID number for the information that is to be sent. The computer network 12 then records the information in a recovery log using the message ID so that it may be later recovered. The information is then moved to a queue in the computer network 12 and stored based on the message type and assigned certain tracking information such as a process code, a format code, and a version number. The computer network 12 may at this point convert the information to transmittable strings in a compressed, binary, or encrypted mode. The information is then parsed into a series of message packets and then moved to a packet queue. The message packets are next sent from the packet queue to a communication thread of a wireless communication service provider 16 which serves the device 18 for which the information is destined. When the provider 16 acknowledges receipt of the message packets, the computer network 12 updates the status of the information in the recovery log. A record for the information is then moved to a transaction log for record-keeping purposes. Finally, the message packets are delivered to a queue operated by the wireless service provider 16. The wireless service provider 16 then delivers the message packets to the nearest transmission tower 54 according to the last known position of the device 18 as listed in a home location register (HLR) or visiting location register (VLR) accessible by the provider. Once the device 18 is in range and in communication with the wireless service provider, the message packets are broadcast to the device in a conventional manner. A communication layer on the device 18 receives and stores the message packets in a packet queue, turns on the device, and activates a communication program residing on the device 18 and configured in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. The communication program processes the message packets by stripping the header from each packet, concatenating the packets in sequence order, converting the strings of information from transmittable strings to the appropriate format for the program or application that will access or run the information (i.e. compressed, binary, or encrypted mode), and inserting the message number, message description, message category, and date into a message manager database. The communication program 18 also runs error tests to ensure integrity of the information, and deletes the packets from the packet queue if the information was received error-free. The communication program then automatically loads the information into the appropriate program or application residing on the device 18 so that the information can be acted upon by the user of the device 18. A custom dispatch application on the device 18 then receives the message string from the communication program, sounds an alert if the information is marked as urgent, and displays the dispatch information so that the user of the device 18 may accept, decline, or otherwise comment on the dispatch information. Once the recipient accepts or declines, the dispatch application composes an automatic feedback message that is to be transmitted to the computer network 12. The feedback message is then passed to the communication program residing on the device 18. The communication program residing on the device 18 then processes the feedback message by assigning a message key to the message (if needed), counting the characters in the message, and determining the number of packets required to transmit it. Configuration parameters pertinent to the device 18, the wireless service provider 16, and the computer network 12 are stored on the device 18 in a configuration file to determine optimal packet sizes. The communication program then builds packet headers from the message number and packet sequence numbers and splits the message into a number of packets. The packet headers are then concatenated onto the front of each packet, and the packets are moved to an outgoing queue. The communication layer on the device 18 then receives and stores the message packets and prepares the device 18 to transmit the packets. The packets are transmitted from the device 18 to the nearest tower 54, which then confirms receipt of the packets. Specifically, the wireless service provider 16 receives the message packets, recognizes the packet identifier and/or address, acknowledges receipt, and moves the message packets to a corresponding queue residing in the computer network 12. The computer network 12 next processes the incoming feedback message by creating a unique message ID number if the message does not have an existing message ID and then recording the message packets with the message ID in the recovery log. The message packets are then moved to a queue based on the message type. These packets are processed by removing packet headers and concatenating into a single message string in sequence order. The message string is then converted from transmittable characters into appropriate compressed, binary, or encrypted strings. The status of the message in the log is then updated. Finally, the message record is moved to a transaction log for record-keeping and the message string is transmitted to a queue on the sender's computer equipment 14 or 48. The sender's computer equipment 14 or 48 receives the message from the computer network 12 and acknowledges acceptance. The information is then stored as a record in a task status database associated with the dispatch assignment. Dispatchers may then access the task status database to evaluate which tasks have been assigned, accepted, or declined. In another application of the present invention, the above-described computer and communications equipment 10 and computer programs are used to automatically provision the devices 18 by sending software upgrades, new applications or programs, or other large binary objects to the devices 18. This allows users of the devices 18 to act upon information that is pushed to the devices 18 even if the devices 18 do not have all necessary applications and/or software. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, the computer network may push information to a device operated by a recipient as described above. The device may then determine from the information what applications and/or software is needed to act upon the information. The device then automatically generates and transmits a wireless message back to the computer network with an indication of what applications and/or software are needed. The computer network then automatically pushes any necessary software to the device. This allows all information and necessary programs to be seamlessly pushed to a device without requiring the user of then device to determine which programs are necessary to run the information, request the information, or load the information and programs into the device. For this application, the computer network 12 includes a library that can be populated with various binary objects such as the software upgrades, applications, and other items discussed above. This library also preferably includes a distribution list that lists all recipients that have received each object, a description of each object, a final assembled size of each object, a check sum benchmark to confirm that each object has been assembled in the correct sequence, and a binary copy of each object. Attributes for tracking which recipients have acknowledged receipt of an object may also be stored in or alongside the library. An object that is to be sent to a device 18 is first passed to the gateway computer 20. The gateway computer 20 then conditions or processes the object so that it may be more easily delivered to the intended recipient. The computer network 12 does so by first creating a unique message ID number for the object. The computer network 12 then records the object in a recovery log using the message ID so that it may be later recovered. The object is then moved to a queue in the computer network 12 and stored based on the message type and assigned certain tracking information such as a process code, a format code, and a version number. The computer network 12 may at this point convert the object to transmittable strings in a compressed, binary, or encrypted mode. The object is then parsed into a series of message packets and then moved to a packet queue. The message packets are next sent from the packet queue to a communication thread of a wireless communication service provider 16 which serves the device 18 for which the object is destined. When the provider 16 acknowledges receipt of the message packets, the computer network 12 updates the status of the information in the recovery log. A record for the object is then moved to a transaction log for record-keeping purposes. Finally, the message packets are delivered to a queue operated by the wireless service provider 16. The wireless service provider 16 then delivers the message packets to the nearest transmission tower 54 according to the last known position of the device 18 as listed in an HLR or VLR. Once the device 18 is in range and in communication with the wireless service provider, the message packets are broadcast to the device in a conventional manner. A communication layer on the device 18 receives and stores the message packets in a packet queue, turns on the device, and activates a communication program residing on the device 18 and configured in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. The communication program processes the message packets by stripping the header from each packet, concatenating the packets in sequence order, converting the strings of information from transmittable strings to the appropriate format for the object, and inserting the message number, message description, message category, and date into a message manager database. The communication program 18 also runs error tests to ensure integrity of the object, and deletes the packets from the packet queue if the object was received error-free. The communication program passes the assembled object to a provisioning program residing on the device 18. The provisioning program then loads the object string from the communication program and proceeds to assemble and test the object based on certain header information including the check sum for the assembled object, the size of the assembled object, and the creator ID assigned to the object. Once the object has been assembled and confirmed, the provisioning program installs the object on the device and creates a feedback message indicating that the installation has been successful. The feedback message is then transferred to the communication program residing on the device 18. The communication program processes the feedback message by assigning a message key to the message (if needed), counting the characters in the message, and determining the number of packets required to transmit it. Configuration parameters pertinent to the device 18, the wireless service provider 16, and the computer network 12 are stored on the device 18 in a configuration file to determine optimal packet sizes. The communication program then builds packet headers from the message number and packet sequence numbers and splits the message into a number of packets. The packet headers are then concatenated onto the front of each packet, and the packets are moved to an outgoing queue. The communication layer then receives and stores the message packets and prepares the device 18 to transmit the packets. The packets are transmitted from the device 18 to the nearest tower 54, which then confirms receipt of the packets. Specifically, the wireless service provider 16 receives the message packets, recognizes the packet identifier and/or address, acknowledges receipt, and moves the message packets to a corresponding queue residing in the computer network 12. The computer network 12 next processes the incoming feedback message by creating a unique message ID number if the message does not have an existing message ID and then recording the message packets with the message ID in the recovery log. The message packets are then moved to a queue based on the message type and then concatenated into a single message string. The message string is then converted from transmittable characters into appropriate compressed, binary, or encrypted strings. The status of the message in the log is then updated. Finally, the message record is moved to a transaction log for record-keeping and the message string is transmitted to a queue on the sender's computer equipment 14 or 48. The sender's computer equipment 14 or 48 receives the message from the computer network 12 and acknowledges receipt. Administrators may then access the computer network 12 and see which recipients have received a new object by viewing web pages that access records in the computer network 12. In another application of the present invention, the above-described computer and communications equipment 10 and computer programs may be used to automatically push calendar information to the devices 18. The calendar information may include, for example, meeting dates, travel schedules, deadlines, etc. A sender that wishes to push such calendar information to a recipient first accesses the computer network 12 via one of the computer networks 14 or computers 48 and submits the information to the computer network 12. The computer network 12 then conditions or processes the information so that it may be delivered to the intended recipient. The computer network 12 does so by first creating a unique message ID number for the information. The computer network 12 then records the information in a recovery log using the message ID so that it may be later recovered. The information is then moved to a queue in the computer network 12 and stored based on the message type and assigned certain tracking information such as a process code, a format code, and a version number. A custom calender or scheduling application on the device 18 then receives the message string from the communication program, sounds an alert if the information is marked as urgent, and displays the information so that the user of the device 18 may act upon it. The user may, for example, review proposed meeting dates and times and either accept or decline the proposed times or press a button labeled “Later.” Pressing the Later button causes the display screen to delay requesting this information until the next time the device is turned on. If the recipient accepts or declines, the calender application adds the event to a scheduling program and composes an automatic feedback message that is to be transmitted to the computer network 12. The feedback message is then passed to the communication program residing on the device 18. A scheduling program on the sender's computer equipment 14 or 48 receives the message from the computer network 12 and acknowledges acceptance of the proposed meeting or other event. The information is then stored as a record in a calendering database. Administrators can then access the calendering database to see which recipients have accepted the proposed meeting date. In another application of the present invention, the above-described computer and communications equipment 10 and computer programs may be used to automatically send to one or more of the devices 18 a request for data matching a particular criteria. The device then fills the request and sends the results back to the computer network 12 for delivery to the requester of the data. A sender that wishes to request such a data search first accesses the computer network 12 via one of the computer networks 14 or computers 48 and identifies the search criteria and the devices to be searched. The search criteria may be generated with any known data search program or application. Once the sender submits the above search information to the computer network 12, the computer network 12 conditions or processes the information so that it may be delivered to the intended recipient. The computer network 12 does so by first creating a unique message ID number for the information that is to be sent. The computer network 12 then records the information in a recovery log using the message ID so that it may be later recovered. The information is then moved to a queue in the computer network 12 and stored based on the message type and assigned certain tracking information such as a process code, a format code, and a version number. A communication layer on the device 18 receives and stores the message packets in a packet queue, turns on the device, and activates a communication program residing on the device 18 and configured in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. The communication program processes the message packets by stripping the header from each packet, concatenating the packets in sequence order, converting the strings of information from transmittable strings to the appropriate format for the program or application that will access or run the information (i.e. compressed, binary, or encrypted mode), and inserting the message number, message description, message category, and date into a message manager database. The communication program 18 also runs error tests to ensure integrity of the information, and deletes the packets from the packet queue if the information was received error-free. The communication program then automatically loads the information into a custom search application residing on the device 18 so that the information can be acted upon by the user of the device 18. The custom search application on the device 18 then receives the message string from the communication program and initiates a series of find operations on the device to locate all records matching the search criteria. Once the records have been identified, the results are collected and formatted to be transmitted to the computer network 12. The results are then passed to the communication program residing on the device 18. The communication program then processes the results by assigning a message key to the message (if needed), counting the characters in the message, and determining the number of packets required to transmit it. Configuration parameters pertinent to the device 18, the wireless service provider 16, and the computer network 12 are stored on the device 18 in a configuration file to determine optimal packet sizes. The communication program then builds packet headers from the message number and packet sequence numbers and splits the message into a number of packets. The packet headers are then concatenated onto the front of each packet, and the packets are moved to an outgoing queue. The computer network 12 next processes the incoming results by creating a unique message ID number if the message does not have an existing message ID and then recording the message packets with the message ID in the recovery log. The message packets are then moved to a queue based on the message type and then concatenated into a single message string. The message string is then converted from transmittable characters into appropriate compressed, binary, or encrypted strings. The status of the message in the log is then updated. Finally, the message record is moved to a transaction log for record-keeping and the message string is transmitted to a queue on the sender's computer equipment 14 or 48. The sender's computer equipment 14 or 48 receives the results from the computer network 12 and acknowledges acceptance. An information requestor may then access the results to determine what records or data were found that meet the criteria. Alternatively, the above-described data search can be initiated by one of the devices 18 and the results can be sent to the requesting device. In another application of the present invention, the above-described computer and communications equipment 10 and computer programs may be used to automatically request location information from multiples devices 18 and determine which device 18 is closest to a particular location. Such information may be used for dispatching mobile units to assignments based on location information for the mobile units. A sender that wishes to push location information to a recipient first accesses the computer network 12 via one of the computer networks 14 or computers 48 and submits such information to the computer network 12. The location information may be generated with any known dispatch application and may also include project information such as an address for a project and a scheduled date and time. The location information requested from the devices 18 is preferably GPS location coordinates generated from GPS receivers located on the devices 18. Once the sender submits the above location information to the computer network 12, the computer network 12 conditions or processes the information so that it may be delivered to the intended recipient. The computer network 12 does so by first creating a unique message ID number for the information that is to be sent. The computer network 12 then records the information in a recovery log using the message ID so that it may be later recovered. The information is then moved to a queue in the computer network 12 and stored based on the message type and assigned certain tracking information such as a process code, a format code, and a version number. A communication layer on the device 18 receives and stores the message packets in a packet queue, turns on the device, and activates a communication program residing on the device 18 and configured in accordance with one aspect of the present invention. The communication program processes the message packets by stripping the header from each packet, concatenating the packets in sequence order, converting the strings of information from transmittable strings to the appropriate format for the program or application that will access or run the information. (i.e. compressed, binary, or encrypted mode), and inserting the message number, message description, message category, and date into a message manager database. The communication program 18 also runs error tests to ensure integrity of the information, and deletes the packets from the packet queue if the information was received error-free. The communication program then automatically loads the information into the appropriate program or application residing on the device 18 so that the information can be acted upon by the device 18. A custom location application on the device 18 then receives the message string from the communication program. The location application then polls a GPS receiver on or coupled with the device 18 through a location communication port. The GPS receiver provides response by providing GPS coordinate readings. The location application formats the GPS coordinates into an automatic feedback message to be sent back to the computer network 12. The feedback message is then passed to the communication program residing on the device 18. The sender's computer equipment 14 or 48 receives the message from the computer network 12 and acknowledges acceptance. A proximity application on the sender's computer equipment 14 or 48 then reviews all the responses from multiple devices 18 and estimates the distance that each device is from the target location. The nearest device 18 can then be dispatched as described in the dispatch application above. provisioning the computing and communication device by pushing the information as well as all applications needed to act upon the information to the computing and communication device when the computing and communication device is in communication with the wireless communication service provider so that the recipient may continue to use the information even when the computing and communication device is no longer in communication with the wireless communication service provider. pushing to the computer and communication device the applications. 3. The method as set forth in claim 1, the information including at least one of the following: dispatch information, calender information, search request, location information software, and software upgrades. 4. The method as set forth in claim 1, the computing and communication device including one of the following: a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a laptop computer, and an intelligent wireless phone. 5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein the sender is a company wishing to deliver information to employees, suppliers, or customers. 6. The method as set forth in claim 5, wherein the recipient is an employee, supplier or customer of the company. 7. The method as set forth in claim 1, the provisioning step further including the step of automatically loading the information into appropriate software applications on the computing and communication device. parsing the information into a series of message packets. provision the computing and communication device by pushing the information as well as all applications needed to act upon the information to the computing and communication device when the computing and communication device is in communication with the wireless communication service provider so that the recipient may continue to use the information even when the computing and communication device is no longer in communication with the wireless communication service provider. push to the computer and communication device the applications. 11. The system as set forth in claim 9, the information including at least one of the following: dispatch information, calender information, search request, location information software, and software upgrades. 12. The system as set forth in claim 9, the computing and communication device including one of the following: a personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a laptop computer, and an intelligent wireless phone. 13. The system as set forth in claim 9, wherein the sender is a company wishing to deliver information to employees, suppliers, or customers. 14. The system as set forth in claim 13, wherein the recipient is an employee, supplier or customer of the company. 15. The system as set forth in claim 9, the system being further operable to automatically load the information into appropriate software applications on the computing and communication device. parse the information into a series of message packets. provisioning the computing and communications device by pushing the information as well as all applications needed to act upon the information to the computing and communications device when the computing and communications device is in communication with the wireless communication service provider so that the recipient may continue to use the information even when the computing and communications device is no longer in communication with the wireless communication service provider. pushing the applications to the computing and communications device. push the applications to the computing and communications device. 21. The method as set forth in claim 1, the information including at least one of the following: calender information, search request, location information software, and software upgrades. 22. The system as set forth in claim 9, the information including at least one of the following: calender information, search request, location information software, and software upgrades. pushing the applications needed to act upon the information, as determined by the computing and communications device, to the computing and communications device through the service provider. 24. The method as set forth in claim 23, further including the step of conditioning the information so that it can be more easily delivered to the recipient. 25. The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein the wireless communication service provider operates a network selected from the group consisting of a PCS network, a ReFLEX network, an Advanced Radio Data Network, and a cellular network. 26. The method as set forth in claim 23, wherein the computing and communications device is selected from the group consisting of a handheld personal digital assistant, a personal computer, a laptop computer, an intelligent mobile phone, a pager, and an Internet appliance.

2019-04-25T02:23:09Z

https://patents.google.com/patent/US6804707B1/en

CATALYST FOR SYNTHESIZING THEAFLAVINS AND METHOD FOR SYNTHESIZING THEAFLAVINS - NBC MESHTEC INC. The objective/problem addressed by the present invention is to provide a novel technique pertaining to theaflavins synthesis. The present invention pertains to: a theaflavins synthesis catalyst characterized in having a base comprising an inorganic material, and metal nanoparticles anchored to the base, said particles measuring 0.5-100 nm in diameter; and a theaflavins synthesis method in which the catalyst is used. 20050154052 Novel crystalline forms of (s)-citalopram oxalate July, 2005 Parthasaradhi et al. 20090299082 EPOXY FUNCTIONALIZED CARBON NANOTUBES AND METHODS OF FORMING THE SAME December, 2009 Baudot et al. 20100029962 Alkylene oxide purification systems February, 2010 Szul et al. 20090299080 Photochromic Compound December, 2009 Yokoyama et al. 20030216260 C2-phenyl-substituted cyclic keto-enols used as pesticides and herbicides November, 2003 Ruther et al. 20070281989 Process for preparing duloxetine and intermediates thereof December, 2007 Ini et al. 20080281073 High-Purity Oxydiphthalic Acid Anhydride and Process for Producing the Same November, 2008 Nagayama et al. 20080188549 Composition for Preventing and/or Treating Metabolic Syndrome and Insulin Resistance Syndrome August, 2008 Tanaka et al. 20020032320 Methods of labelling biomolecules with fluorescent dyes March, 2002 Burgess et al. 20090131689 TRICYCLIC AROMATICS AND LIQUID-CRYSTALLINE MEDIUM May, 2009 Eidenschink et al. 1. A catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins, comprising: a base having an anchored part including an inorganic material on a surface; and metal nanoparticles that are anchored to the anchored part and have a particle diameter of 0.5 nm or more and 100 nm or less. 2. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to claim 1, wherein the metal nanoparticles are one or two or more selected from the group consisting of Au, Pd, Pt, and oxides thereof. 3. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to claim 1, wherein the anchored part includes a metal oxide. 4. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to claim 3, wherein the metal oxide is one or two or more compounds selected from the group consisting of SiO2, ZrO2, Fe2O3, and TiO2. 5. A method for synthesizing theaflavins comprising bringing the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to claim 1 into contact with a catechins aqueous solution that is an aqueous solution in which pyrogallol-type catechin and catechol-type catechin are dissolved, to synthesize theaflavins. 6. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to claim 2, wherein the anchored part includes a metal oxide. 7. A method for synthesizing theaflavins comprising bringing the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to claim 2 into contact with a catechins aqueous solution that is an aqueous solution in which pyrogallol-type catechin and catechol-type catechin are dissolved, to synthesize theaflavins. 8. A method for synthesizing theaflavins comprising bringing the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to claim 3 into contact with a catechins aqueous solution that is an aqueous solution in which pyrogallol-type catechin and catechol-type catechin are dissolved, to synthesize theaflavins. 9. A method for synthesizing theaflavins comprising bringing the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to claim 4 into contact with a catechins aqueous solution that is an aqueous solution in which pyrogallol-type catechin and catechol-type catechin are dissolved, to synthesize theaflavins. The present invention relates to a catalyst usable for synthesis of theaflavins and a method for synthesizing theaflavins. Attention has been attracted to various functional substances contained in Japanese tea that has been drunk by Japanese for a long time due to current boom of health. A representative example thereof as catechins. Catechins were first confirmed by Dr. Tsujimura, et al. in 1929 at The Institute of Physical and Chemical Research. Then, various functions of catechins such as an antioxidation action, an antibiotic action, prevention of cancer, and decrease in blood cholesterol level have been found. Products such as foods for specified health uses and supplements have been made from catechins. However, production of green tea that contains a large amount of catechins is restricted to some regions such as Japan and China, and fermented tea such as black tea and oolong tea is produced in about 80% of the world. In recent years, it has been clear that the fermented tea contains substances having the same function as that of catechins, which are called theaflavins, and attention has been attracted (Patent Literature 1). Further, a method for synthesizing theaflavins has been studied (Patent Literatures 2 and 3). However, a method using an enzymatic reaction or a cultured cell, as described in Patent Literatures 2 and 3, has problems such as very severe conditions for synthesis, low handling ability, and difficult removal of an enzyme after the reaction. It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel technique pertaining to theaflavins synthesis. A catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins having a base having an anchored part including an inorganic material on a surface, and metal nanoparticles that are anchored to the anchored part and have a particle diameter of 0.5 nm or more and 100 nm or less. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to , wherein the metal nanoparticles are one or two or more selected from the group consisting of Au, Pd, Pt, and oxides thereof. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to or , wherein the anchored part includes a metal oxide. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to , wherein the metal oxide is one or two or more compounds selected from the group consisting of SiO2, ZrO2, Fe2O3, and TiO2. A method for synthesizing theaflavins including bringing the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to any one of to into contact with a catechin aqueous solution that is an aqueous solution in which pyrogallol-type catechin and catechol-type catechin are dissolved, to synthesize theaflavins. The present invention can provide a novel technique pertaining to theaflavins synthesis. FIG. 1 is a TEM image of a catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of Example. FIG. 2 is a result of analysis of a theaflavin aqueous solution obtained in Example. FIG. 3 is a result of analysis of a theaflavin aqueous solution obtained in Example. A catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment has a base having an anchored part including an inorganic material on a surface, and metal nanoparticles that are anchored to the anchored part and have a particle diameter of 0.5 nm or more and 100 nm or less. When the metal nanoparticles are anchored to the anchored part including an inorganic material on the surface of the base, the composite has very high oxidation catalytic ability. The metal nanoparticles can be anchored to the anchored part by various methods described below. When the metal nanoparticles are converted into particles using a reductant or the like without the base, the metal particles may be aggregated. For this reason, loss of activity is considered. In this embodiment, the metal nanoparticles are anchored to the anchored part on the surface of the base including an inorganic material. Therefore, the aggregation of the metal nanoparticles can be prevented. The base of this embodiment is not particularly limited as long as the base has the anchored part including an inorganic material. Specific examples of the base having the anchored part may include a base of which surface is constituted by an inorganic material, and a base of which the whole is constituted by an inorganic material. The anchored part may be constituted by one or two or more of zeolite, apatite, a carbon material such as activated carbon, diatomaceous earth, and a metal oxide. Among these, it is preferable that the anchored part be a metal oxide. A method of forming the anchored part from the metal oxide is not particularly limited. Examples thereof may include a method of electrochemically forming a thin coating film of the metal oxide by anodic oxidation, a method of oxidizing a metal surface by a thermal treatment, and a method of forming an oxidized thin film by sputtering or an ion plating method. The whole base may be constituted by the metal oxide. Since the anchored part is constituted by the metal oxide, exchange of oxygen molecules is active. Therefore, the catalytic activity can be enhanced more. Examples of the metal oxide may include oxides of silicon, zirconium, zinc, titanium, chromium, iron, cooper, tin, and aluminum. For example, the anchored part may be constituted by one or two or more of these metal oxides. It is particularly preferable that the anchored part be constituted by one or two or more of SiO2, ZrO2, Fe2O3, and TiO2 since the catalytic activity is further enhanced due to a relation with the amount of the metal nanoparticles anchored. For example, the metal nanoparticles according to this embodiment may be one or two or more selected from the group consisting of gold (Au), metal palladium (Pd), platinum (Pt), and oxides thereof. Specifically, one or two or more selected from the group consisting of gold, metal palladium, platinum, a gold oxide, a palladium oxide, and a platinum oxide may foe used as the metal nanoparticles according to this embodiment. Metal palladium refers to palladium having a valence of 0. Metal palladium may be usually obtained by reducing divalent and/or tetravalent palladium ions using a reductant (e.g., hydrazine, formaldehyde, tartaric acid, citric acid, glucose, tin chloride, sodium borohydride, sodium phosphite, and sodium hypophosphite). In this case, all of palladium may not be in a metal state. The metal nanoparticles herein refer to metal particles having a particle diameter of less than 1 μm. In this embodiment, the average particle diameter of the metal nanoparticles is preferably 0.5 nm or more and 100 nm or less, more preferably 0.5 nm. or more and 20 nm or less, and further preferably 0.5 nm or more and 10 nm or less. A substance having an average particle diameter of less than 0.5 nm is likely to be more unstable than a substance having an average particle diameter of 0.5 nm or more, and a substance having an average particle diameter of more than 100 nm has a catalytic activity lower than a substance having an average particle diameter of 100 nm or less. On the other hand, when the average particle diameter is 100 nm or less (more preferably 20 nm or less, and further preferably 10 nm or less), the catalytic activity is further enhanced. The average particle diameter herein refers to an average of 300 or more particle diameters of the metal nanoparticles that are actually measured in a TEM image. The particle diameter may be adjusted, for example, by adjustment of pH of a solution during preparation by a publicly known method. A method of anchoring the metal nanoparticles to the anchored part is not particularly limited, and may be appropriately set. For example, the metal nanoparticles may be anchored to the anchored part on the surface of the base by a binder, heating and drying, or the like. The metal nanoparticles may be anchored by applying colloid to a part on the surface of the base that becomes the anchored part, followed by drying. When metal palladium or a palladium oxide is anchored to the base, palladium ions may be anchored by absorption through a chemical method such as a zeta potential between the palladium ions and the base and diffusion of the palladium ions. Alternatively, the base is immersed in an aqueous solution containing palladium ions to be coated therewith, and then immersed in an aqueous solution containing a reductant such as an organic acid, formaldehyde, and hydrazine, or reduced in a hydrogen reduction atmosphere. Thus, nanoparticles of the metal palladium or palladium oxide may be anchored to the anchored part. For example, the metal nanoparticles may have a hemispheric shape or the like and be closely jointed to the anchored part. Thus, a junction interface peripheral part may be formed at the anchored part by the junction. At that time, the metal nanoparticles are directly jointed to the anchored part using a difference in zeta potential between the inorganic material constituting the anchored part and the metal nanoparticles. The junction herein represents that the anchored part and the metal nanoparticles are brought into contact with each other at a surface (junction interface), resulting in anchoring. The junction interface peripheral part herein refers to a peripheral part (perimeter) of the junction interface. Herein, directly jointed represents that the anchored part on the surface of the base and the metal nanoparticles are anchored without another material, such as a binder, interposed therebetween. The metal nanoparticles are directly jointed to the anchored part of the surface of the base, and the junction interface peripheral part is exposed to a surface of the catalyst. When the catalyst having the junction interface peripheral part between the base and the metal nanoparticles acts on catechol-type catechin and pyrogallol-type catechin, a synthesis reaction of theaflavins further proceeds. This will be specifically described. It is estimated that oxygen defects tend to occur at the junction interface peripheral part and activation of oxygen molecules and hydrogen molecules proceeds at the part. Therefore, the presence of the junction interface peripheral part is advantageous for increase in oxidation catalytic activity and selectivity. Accordingly, in this embodiment, if is preferable that the catalyst have a junction interface peripheral part formed by junction between the metal nanoparticles and the anchored part. A method of anchoring the metal nanoparticles in a state where the junction interface peripheral part is formed by direct jointing to the surface of the base is not particularly limited. Specific examples of the method may include methods such as coprecipitation, deposition-precipitation, a sol-gel method, precipitation by dropping neutralization, addition of a reductant, precipitation by pH-control neutralization, and addition of carboxylic acid metal salt. The methods can be appropriately used depending on the kind of the inorganic material constituting the base. Hereinafter, a method of preparing the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment using a gold compound and based on deposition-preparation as an example of method of anchoring the metal nanoparticles will be specifically described. In a specific method of the deposition-precipitation, an aqueous solution in which the gold compound is dissolved is first heated to 20 to 90° C., and preferably 50 to 70° C., and the pH of the solution is adjusted to 3 to 10, and preferably 5 to 8 with an alkaline solution with stirring. After that, the inorganic material to become the base is added to the aqueous solution, and the mixture is dried by heating at 100 to 200° C., to obtain the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment. Examples of the gold compound that can be used in preparation of the gold compound aqueous solution may include HAuCl4.4H2O, NH4AuCl4, KAuCl4.nH2O, KAu(CN)4, Na2AuCl4, KAuBr4.2H2O, and NaAuBr4. The concentration of the gold compound in the gold compound aqueous solution is not particularly limited, and is preferably 1×10−2 to 1×10−5 mol/L. The amount of the metal nanoparticles to be supported on the base is not particularly limited, and is preferably 0.5 to 20% by mass, and more preferably 0.5 to 10% by mass, relative to the amount of the base. When the metal nanoparticles are supported at a rate of higher than 20% by mass, the metal nanoparticles are likely to be aggregated and a reduction-oxidation action is decreased as compared with a case where the amount falls within the range. In the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment, the metal nanoparticles may be anchored to the surface of the base including the inorganic-material and oxide particles of titanium, aluminum, iron, and the like may be further supported on the surface. A method of supporting oxide particles on the surface of the base is not particularly limited. For example, the oxide particles may be supported on the base by a thermal spraying method. The oxide particles supported on the base can suppress attachment of a substance that inhibits catalytic activity to the metal nanoparticles. Therefore, the reduction-oxidation action can be stably maintained over an extended period of time. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment can have various forms. A method of adjusting the form is not particularly limited. Fox example, the form of the catalyst can be molded into any form by adjusting a form of the base. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment can have a form such as a powder form, a granular form, and a tablet form obtained by molding under pressure. When as the base, a woven fabric, non-woven fabric, or sheet formed of fibrous inorganic materials or a foil-shaped or plate-shaped metal oxide is used, the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment can have various forms such as a filter shape and a sheet shape. When the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment has a form such as a powder form, a granular forts, and a tablet form obtained by molding under pressure, the catalyst can be contained in a fibrous structure or is fixed on an outside surface of the fibrous structure. A specific treatment in which the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment is contained in or fixed on the fibrous structure can be appropriately selected by those skilled in the art, and is not particularly limited. For example, the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins may be contained in the fibrous structure by adding the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment to a polymer material, kneading the mixture, and forming fibers. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins may be fixed on the fibrous structure such as a woven fabric and a non-woven fabric using a binder, a coupling agent, or the like. Further, the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins is fixed on an inorganic material such as zeolite, and the inorganic material having the fixed catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins is fixed on the fibrous structure to produce a theaflavins synthesis catalyst filter. Also, a base formed of a material such as inorganic oxide particles is fixed on a fibrous base material, and immersed in a hydrate in which a material for metal nanoparticles is dissolved. Thus, the metal nanoparticles can be precipitated on a surface of the inorganic oxide particles and the like. Herein, the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins that is contained is a concept including a case where the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins is exposed to an outside surface of the fibrous structure. A binder component can be appropriately selected in consideration of adhesion to the fibrous base material, and the like, and is not particularly limited. For example, a synthetic resin such as a polyester resin, an amino resin, an epoxy resin, a polyurethane resin, an acrylic resin, a water-soluble resin, a vinyl-based resin, a fluororesin, a silicone resin, a fibrin-based resin, a phenolic resin, a xylene resin, and a toluene resin, or a natural resin such as drying oil including castor oil, linseed oil, and tung oil may be used. In a method of fixing the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment on the fibrous base material, the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins may be fixed by the above-described binder, or the like. The catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment is chemically bonded to a silane monomer having an unsaturated bond, or the like, by a reflux treatment, or the like, dispersed in a solvent such as methanol, applied to or immersed in a fibrous base, and irradiated with radioactive ray such as electron beam. Thus, a chemical bond may be formed by graft polymerization. Examples of silane monomer used may include vinyltrichlorosilane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, N-β-(N-vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-γ-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, hydrochloride of N-(vinylbenzyl)-2-aminoethyl-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 2-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane, 3-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane, p-styryltrimethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropylmethyldiethoxysilane, 3-methacryloxypropyltriethoxysilane, 3-acryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane 3-isocyanatepropyltriethoxysilane, bis (triethoxysilylpropyl) tetrasulfide, 3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-triethoxysilyl-N-(1,3-dimethyl-butylidene) propylamine, N-phenyl-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, N-2-(aminoethyl)-3-aminopropylmethyldimethoxysilane, N-2-(aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, N-2-(aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropylmethyldimethoxysilane, 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane, N-phenyl-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, specialized aminosilane, 3-ureidopropyltriethoxysilane, 3-chloropropyltrimethoxysilane, tetramethoxysilane, tetraethoxysilane, methyltrimethoxysilane, methyltriethoxysilane, dimethyldiethoxysilane, phenyltriethoxysilane, hexamethyldisilazane, hexyltrimethoxysilane, decyltrimethoxysilane, hydrolysable group-containing siloxane, floroalkyl group-containing oligomer, methylhydrogensiloxane, and a silicone quaternary ammonium salt. In a specific example of a method for producing the fibrous structure, for example, the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment is mixed during production of a non-woven fabric produced by entangling fibers, or a mixed paper produced by mixing pulp and a binding agent, or the like, as the base. In this manner, the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins can be disposed in a space inside of the base. Alternatively, the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment may be fixed by discharging a thermoplastic resin, a reactive hot melt adhesive, or a resin to be cured through a reaction by particle rays such as ultraviolet light and an electron beam, into a fibrous shape from a nozzle; while a surface of the fibers formed by discharging has tackiness, bringing the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment into contact with the fibers; and then performing a reaction curing treatment. In the fixing, the hot melt adhesive may be anchored by returning the temperature to room temperature, the reactive hot melt adhesive may be cured through a reaction due to moisture in the air, or a resin to be crosslinked by ultraviolet light or an electron beam may be cured through a reaction by irradiation with ultraviolet light or an electron beam. Examples of the resin thus used may include a hot melt adhesive containing, as a main component, a resin such as a low density polyethylene, a liner chain low density polyethylene, polypropylene, an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, an ethylene-methyl methacrylate copolymer resin, and an ethylene-ethyl acrylate copolymer resin, a reactive hot melt adhesive mainly containing an urethane prepolymer, and a resin to be cross linked by ultraviolet light or an electron beam, containing, as a main component, polyurethane acrylate or a polyester acrylate resin. Next, synthesis of theaflavins using the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment will be described in detail. In this embodiment, for example, there is an aspect in which the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to this embodiment is brought into contact with catechins aqueous solution that is an aqueous solution in which pyrogallol-type catechin and catechol-type catechin are dissolved, to synthesize theaflavins. Herein, theaflavin represents theaflavin (TE) represented by the formula (I), theaflavin-3-O-gallate represented by the formula (II), theaflavin-3′-O-gallate represented by the formula (III), and theaflavin-3,3′-O-digallate represented by the formula (IV). Hereinafter, the synthesis of theaflavins according to this embodiment will be described in more detail. In the synthesis of theaflavins according to this embodiment, catechins are used as a raw material. Catechins are classified into pyrogallol-type catechin and catechol-type catechin, and a mixture thereof is used as a raw material in this embodiment. The catechins used as a raw material may be a commercially available product or an extract from tea leaves. The pyrogallol-type catechin is represented by the following general formula (V), and the catechol-type catechin is represented by the following general formula (VI). In the formula (V), R3 represents a hydrogen atom or a galloyl group. Epigallocatechin (EGC) is a compound in which R1 in the formula (V) is a hydrogen atom. Epigallocatechingallate (EGCg) is a compound in which R1 in the formula (V) is a galloyl group. In the formula (VI), R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a galloyl group. Epicatechin (EC) is a compound in which R2 in the formula (VI) is a hydrogen atom. Epicatechin gallate (ECg) is a compound in which R2 in the formula (VI) is a galloyl group. For example, catechol-type catechin such as epicatechin and pyrogallol-type catechin such as epigallocatechin as raw materials are first added to pure water, stirred overnight at a pH of 5 to 8, and dissolved, to obtain an aqueous solution (hereinafter referred to as catechins aqueous solution). The concentration of catechins in the catechins aqueous solution are not particularly limited, and can be appropriately set by those skilled in the art. It is preferable that the ratio of the concentration of metal nanoparticles supported on the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins (μmol/mL) to the whole concentration of catechins (μmol/ml) be 1:10 or more and 1:100 or less. It is preferable that the concentration of the catechol-type catechin in the catechin aqueous solution be smaller than that of the pyrogallol-type catechin. It is desirable that the ratio of the concentration of the catechol-type catechin to that of the pyrogallol-type catechin be 1:1 to 1:10 or less. In order to easily dissolve the catechol-type catechin and the pyrogallol-type catechin, an alcohol may be mixed in the catechins aqueous solution. The pH of the catechins aqueous solution may be made acidic. To the obtained catechins aqueous solution containing the catechol-type catechin and the pyrogallol-type catechin, the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment is added to promote a reaction. For example, the reaction may be performed with stirring until, the pyrogallol-type catechin is consumed. The temperature during the reaction is not particularly limited as long as it is a temperature at which the aqueous solution is not frozen. The temperature may be 4° C. to 100° C., and is preferably a temperature equal to or higher than room temperature (15° C. to 25° C.) to lower than 100° C., at which the reaction efficiency of the catalyst is good. After completion of the reaction, a suspension containing the obtained theaflavins and the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins are subjected to centrifugation or filtration through a filter, to remove the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins. Thus, an aqueous solution containing the theaflavins (hereinafter referred to as theaflavins aqueous solution) is obtained. The resulting theaflavins aqueous solution may be used as it is. In addition, the theaflavins may be collected by removing water from the theaflavins aqueous solution, if necessary. In another embodiment in which the catechins aqueous solution is brought into contact with the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment, the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins having the filter shape of this embodiment, or a filter in which the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment is contained or fixed may also be used. When a powdered catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins is used, theaflavins as a product and the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins need to be separated, for example by centrifugation after the complication of the reaction. However, when the filter is used, the separation process can be omitted. The powdered catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment may be placed in a cylinder with a hole or a box, or may be placed in a bag formed of a woven fabric or a knit fabric, and the bag may be immersed in the catechins aqueous solution. In the above-described reaction process, oxygen may be added by bubbling to a reaction liquid in which the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins according to this embodiment is added to the catechins aqueous solution. When the dissolved oxygen concentration in the reaction liquid is increased, an oxidation reaction of the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins proceeds. An increase in yield of theaflavins can be expected. In this embodiment, the catalyst can be easily removed from a product after production of theaflavins, compared with a case where a reaction is performed using an enzyme or the like. When the reaction is performed using an enzyme or the like, theaflavins cannot be efficiently synthesized without a specialized condition of temperature, pH, and the like. However, in this embodiment, the reaction can be efficiently performed under a wider reaction condition. The present invention will be then described more specifically with reference to Examples. However, the present invention is not limited only to these Examples. 0.5 mmol of HAuCl4.4H2O was dissolved in 100 ml of water (5 mmol/L), the resultant mixture was heated to 70° C., and the pH was adjusted with an NaOH aqueous solution to 4.8. To the aqueous solution, 5 g of zirconia powder was added as a base, and the mixture was stirred for 1 hour. After that, the mixture was separated into a solid and a liquid, and the solid was dried under reduced pressure. The obtained solid was dried under a nitrogen atmosphere at 200° C. for 4 hours, and pulverized, to obtain a gold nanoparticle-supporting catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins. The resulting catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins was observed by a transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and junction of the gold nanoparticles to zirconia particles and formation of junction interface peripheral part were confirmed. A TEM image of the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins is shown in FIG. 1. From the TEM image, the particle diameters or 300 gold nanoparticles were measured, and averaged. The average particle diameter of the gold nanoparticles was 3.3 nm (σ=1.8 nm). A catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the base was changed into silica powder. The average particle diameter of gold nanoparticles jointed to the base was 6.6 nm (σ=2.7 nm). A catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the base was changed into iron (III) oxide powder. The average particle diameter of gold nanoparticles jointed to the base was 1.8 nm (σ=0.2 nm). A catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the base was changed into titanium dioxide powder. The average particle diameter of gold nanoparticles jointed to the base was 4.1 nm (σ=2.2 nm). A catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the base was changed into alumina powder. The average particle diameter of gold nanoparticles jointed to the base was 3.5 nm (σ=2.4 nm). A catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except that the base was changed into zirconia cloth of 1 cm×0.5 cm (ZYW-30A; available from Tomoe Engineering Co., Ltd.). The average particle diameter of gold nanoparticles jointed to the base was 4.7 nm (σ=1.6 nm). A JIS class 1 titanium plate (with a size of 10 cm×10 cm and a thickness of 0. 5 mm) was washed with ethanol. Then, the titanium plate was immersed in a sodium carbonate aqueous solution of 2 mol/L, and a direct current voltage was applied to the titanium plate for 10 minutes while spark discharge was generated on a surface of the titanium plate using a carbon electrode as a cathode and the titanium plate as an anode. As a result, a thin film of titanium oxide of rutile-type and anatase-type was formed on the surface of the titanium plate. After that, the titanium plate was washed with ion-exchanged water, and immersed in an aqueous solution of 70° C. obtained by dissolving 0.5 mmol of HAuCl4.4H2O used in Example 1 and adjusting the pH to 4.8 for 1 hour, to obtain a catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins. The average particle diameter of gold nanoparticles jointed to the surface of the thin film of titanium oxide was 4.6 nm (σ=2.0 nm). An aluminum plate of JIS H1070 (with a size of 10 cm×10 cm and a thickness of 0.5 mm) was immersed in a 5% aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide heated to 50° C. for 1 minute, resulting in delipidization. The aluminum plate was immersed in a 3% aqueous solution of nitric acid, and immersed in an aqueous solution containing 2 mol sodium carbonate and 0.2 mol sodium fluoride. A direct current voltage was applied to the aluminum plate for 5 minutes while spark discharge was generated on a surface of the aluminum plate using a carbon electrode as a counter electrode. As a result, a thin film of γ-alumina was formed on the surface of the aluminum plate. After that, gold nanoparticles were precipitated on a surface of the thin film of γ-alumina under the same condition as in Example 7 to obtain a catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins. The average particle diameter of the gold nanoparticles jointed to the surface of the oxidized thin film was 3.2 nm (σ=1.9 nm). 1 mmol of ammonium tetrachloropalladate (NH4) 2PdCl4 was dissolved in 200 mL of water, the aqueous solution was heated to 70° C., and the pH was adjusted with an NaOH aqueous solution to 11. To the above-described (NH4)2PdCl4 aqueous solution, 5 g of commercially available zirconium oxide powder (PCS, available from Nippon Denko Co., Ltd.) was added, the mixture was stirred for 1 hour, and water was then removed, to obtain powder. The powder was washed with pure water. After the washing, the powder was collected by centrifugation (3,000 rpm, 10 minutes), dried under reduced pressure for 12 hours, heated at 200° C. under an air atmosphere for 4 hours to obtain a catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins. The average particle diameter of palladium nanoparticles precipitated on a surface of zirconium oxide was 8.6 nm (σ=2.2 nm). γ-alumina (TAIMICRON, available from Taimei Chemicals Co., Ltd.) was dispersed in water by a homogenizer to prepare a γ-alumina suspension. Subsequently, the γ-alumina suspension was mixed in a methanol solution in which 0.5% by mass of aminopropylethoxysilane was added, and the mixture was treated at 50° C. for 2 hours, to introduce aminopropylethoxysilane into a surface of γ-alumina. The γ-alumina was then filtered, and dried at 120° C. for 1 hour, to bond aminopropylethoxysilane to the surface of γ-alumina. Subsequently, γ-alumina in which aminopropylethoxysilane was introduced was dispersed in an aqueous solution containing 0.066 mmol/L of stannous chloride and 0.095 mmol/L of hydrochloric acid by a homogenizer. 0.5 mmol of (NH4)2PdCl4 solution that was dissolved in 100 mL of water was mixed to the solution to coordinate and adsorb palladium ions on the surface of γ-alumina. The γ-alumina in which palladium ions were coordinated and adsorbed was collected by filtration, and then dried at 200° C. for 2 hours to obtain a catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins in which nanoparticles of palladium oxide (PdO) were anchored. The average particle diameter of palladium oxide nanoparticles precipitated on the surface of γ-alumina was 10.4 nm (σ=3.8 nm). Platinum bis (acetylacetonate) and α-alumina were mixed in a mortar so that the amount of platinum was 5% by weight relative to 1 g of α-alumina. The resulting mixture was fired at 450° C. for 4 hours, and further fired at 450° C. for 2 hours under a hydrogen atmosphere, to obtain a catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins in which platinum nanoparticles were anchored. The average particle diameter of platinum nanoparticles precipitated on a surface of α-alumina was 14.8 nm (σ=2.0 nm). In Comparative Example 1, zirconia powder used in Example 1 was used. In Comparative Example 2, silica powder used in Example 2 was used. In Comparative Example 3, iron (III) oxide powder used in Example 3 was used. In Comparative Example 4, titanium dioxide powder used in Example 4 was used. In Comparative Example 5, alumina powder used in Example 5 was used. Theaflavin was synthesized using each sample of Examples 1 to 11 and Comparative Examples 1 to 5. Epicatechin and epigallocatechin as raw materials were first added in each amount of 4 μmol/L to pure water, and stirred overnight to dissolve, thereby obtaining a catechins aqueous solution. 1 mL of each catechins aqueous solution was placed in a 5-mL tube. Each sample (0.5 mL) of Examples and Comparative Examples was added to the catechins aqueous solution at room temperature to obtain each reaction liquid. The reaction liquid was subjected to a reaction with stirring for 4 hours. In Examples 1 to 8, each dispersion liquid in which the Au concentration was adjusted to 0.8 μmol/mL was added as the above-described sample to the catechins aqueous solution. In Examples 9 and 10, each dispersion liquid in which the Pd concentration was adjusted to 0.8 μmol/mL was added as the above-described sample to the catechins aqueous solution. In Example 11, a dispersion liquid in which the Pt concentration was adjusted to 0.8 μmol/mL was added as the above-described sample to the catechins aqueous solution. In Comparative Examples, a dispersion liquid in which each base was dispersed in the same amount as that of the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins used in each Example was added to the catechins aqueous solution as the above-described sample. After completion of the reaction, the reaction liquid was subjected to filtration through a filter with a pore diameter of 0.45 μm to remove the catalyst. A product obtained by the above-described method was analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) under the following conditions, and the amount of produced theaflavins was calculated. A gradient condition in the analysis is shown in Table 1. The results are shown in Table 2. Chromatograms according to Example 1 and Comparative Example 1 are shown in FIG. 2. As understood from FIG. 2, a peak corresponding to theaflavin represented by TF was confirmed in the chromatogram of the sample according to Example 1. Even in the samples according to other Examples, the similar chromatogram as in Example 1 was obtained. As shown in Table 2, in all Examples, synthesis of theaflavin was confirmed. In order to confirm in detail whether or not theaflavin was produced in the aforementioned reaction, analysis using LC-MS was performed. As an analysis sample, a sample in which the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of Example 1 was used as a catalyst was used. A peak that was estimated to correspond to theaflavin was extracted using liquid chromatogram (LC), and measured by mass spectrum (MS). The results are shown in FIG. 3. From the results of FIG. 3, the molecular weight in which hydrogen ions (H) were added to the molecular weight of theaflavin was confirmed. Therefore, synthesis of theaflavin was confirmed. From the results of FIG. 3, a substance synthesized by a reaction of pyrogallol-type catechin and catechol-type catechin was not a substance other than theaflavin. Therefore, in theaflavin synthesized by a synthesis method using the catalyst for synthesizing theaflavins of this embodiment, peaks other than that of theaflavin were very few, and it was confirmed that synthesis of theaflavins was achieved while production of by-product was suppressed.

2019-04-22T21:58:29Z

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/y2017/0158660.html

The present disclosure relates to methods and a related systems and tools for dispensing an adhesive piece having damping qualities onto a component of a hard disk drive suspension. The adhesive piece can be commercially available layered strip sold as an adhesive layer having a first and a second liner adhered to each side. An exemplary method can cut an adhesive piece, separate the adhesive piece from a secondary liner, adhere the adhesive piece onto a component of a hard disk drive suspension, separate a primary liner from the adhesive piece, and dispose of the primary liner using a conventional gantry system. The method can be performed using a two-step operation of the gantry system. 3877120 April 1975 Hikota et al. 5189779 March 1993 Fishel et al. 5212847 May 1993 Melcher et al. 5657188 August 1997 Jurgenson et al. 5764444 June 1998 Imamura et al. 5795435 August 1998 Waters et al. 6063228 May 2000 Sasaki et al. 6080173 June 2000 Williamson et al. 6095023 August 2000 Harada et al. 6695859 February 2004 Golden et al. 6711930 March 2004 Thom et al. 6752661 June 2004 Gu et al. 6789593 September 2004 Aono et al. 7241302 July 2007 Sniffen et al. 7288590 October 2007 Lechat et al. 7322999 January 2008 Kanner et al. 7338693 March 2008 Shikano et al. 7438718 October 2008 Milliman et al. 7938840 May 2011 Golden et al. 7946010 May 2011 Myers et al. 8151440 April 2012 Tsutsumi et al. 8681456 March 2014 Miller et al. 8741195 June 2014 Kurihara et al. 8834660 September 2014 Scheele et al. 2001/0001937 May 2001 Benes et al. 2002/0178778 December 2002 Thom et al. 2004/0007322 January 2004 Lechat et al. 2004/0092971 May 2004 Sniffin et al. 2004/0092998 May 2004 Sniffin et al. 2004/0102797 May 2004 Golden et al. 2004/0199182 October 2004 Milliman et al. 2004/0225313 November 2004 Kanner et al. 2004/0250952 December 2004 Lechat et al. 2005/0010241 January 2005 Milliman et al. 2005/0045914 March 2005 Agranat et al. 2005/0060864 March 2005 Nikolaidis et al. 2005/0101983 May 2005 Loshakove et al. 2006/0248702 November 2006 Nikolaidis et al. 2007/0005072 January 2007 Castillo et al. 2007/0293884 December 2007 Cole et al. 2008/0071302 March 2008 Castillo et al. 2008/0124842 May 2008 Wang et al. 2008/0144225 June 2008 Yao et al. 2008/0251201 October 2008 Sikkel et al. 2009/0036904 February 2009 Milliman et al. 2009/0183359 July 2009 Tsutsumi et al. 2010/0067151 March 2010 Okawara et al. 2011/0159767 June 2011 Sakurai et al. 2012/0000376 January 2012 Kurihara et al. 2012/0002329 January 2012 Shum et al. 2012/0276232 November 2012 Marczyk et al. 2013/0006281 January 2013 Golden et al. 2013/0055561 March 2013 Tsutsumi et al. 2014/0198412 July 2014 Miller et al. 3M Ultra.sub.--pure Viscoelastic Damping Polymer 242NRO1, Technical Data, Mar. 2012, 4 pages. cited by applicant. This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/148,930, filed Jan. 7, 2014, entitled VISCO PAD PLACEMENT IN DISK DRIVES, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. 1. A method for dispensing an adhesive piece onto a gimbal component of a dual stage actuation hard disk drive suspension, the method comprising: providing a layered adhesive strip having an adhesive layer and a liner; cutting into the layered adhesive strip with a punch, the punch having a cutting edge and a lumen, the cutting edge passing through the liner and the adhesive layer to form a liner piece and an adhesive piece; separating the adhesive piece from the layered adhesive strip, wherein the liner piece is retained at least partially in the lumen of the punch by a retention feature within the lumen and the adhesive piece remains adhered to the liner piece; adhering the adhesive piece to the component of the hard disk drive suspension; and separating the adhesive piece from the liner piece. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adhesive piece is adhered to the component of the hard disk drive suspension by translating a pressure pin within the lumen from a first position to a second position. 3. The method of claim 2, further comprising expelling the liner piece from the lumen of the punch by translating the pressure pin within the lumen from the second position to a third position. 4. The method of claim 3, further comprising disposing of the expelled liner piece in a receptacle having an opening. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the retention feature within the lumen engages the liner piece to create a retention force. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the retention force is created by frictional interference between an inner surface of the lumen and the liner piece. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the lumen narrows between a distal location and a proximal location such that, after the cutting step and before the separating the adhesive piece from the liner piece step, the liner piece is compressed within the lumen to increase the frictional engagement between the inner surface of the lumen and the liner piece. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein cutting comprises lowering the punch along a Z-axis, separating the adhesive piece from the layered adhesive strip comprising raising the punch along the Z-axis, adhering the adhesive piece to the component comprises lowering the punch, and separating the adhesive piece from the liner piece comprises raising the punch along the Z-axis. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising positioning the punch in a first location along an X-Y plane for the cutting and separating from the layered adhesive strip steps, and positioning the punch in a second location along the X-Y plane for the adhering and the separating the adhesive piece from the liner piece steps. 10. A system for dispensing an adhesive piece onto a gimbal component of a dual stage actuation hard disk drive suspension, the system comprising: a punch comprising a barrel, a lumen, and a distal cutting edge, and a retention feature disposed within the lumen; a gantry system configured to translate the punch along a Z-axis between an upper position and a lower position; and wherein the cutting edge is configured to cut a liner piece and an adhesive piece from a layered adhesive strip when the gantry system translates the punch from the upper position to the lower position, the first position of the pressure pin allows the release liner to enter the lumen during the cutting of the liner piece from the layered adhesive strip, the retention feature is configured to retain the liner piece within the lumen while the adhesive piece is attached to the liner piece following the cutting of the liner piece from the layered adhesive strip, and the gantry system and the punch are configured to apply the adhesive piece to the component of the hard disk drive suspension when translating the punch to the lower position. 11. The system of claim 10, further comprising a receptacle having an opening for receiving the expelled liner piece. 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the retention feature is configured to cause frictional interference between an inner surface of the barrel and a liner piece creating a retention force greater than an adhesion force between the adhesive piece and a second liner of the layered adhesive strip. 13. The system of claim 10, wherein the gantry system is further configured to translate the punch from the lower position to the upper position to separate the adhesive layer from the liner piece. 14. The system of claim 10, wherein the retention feature is configured to retain the liner piece within the lumen. 15. The system of claim 10, wherein the gantry system is configured to position the punch in a first location along an X-Y plane when cutting the liner piece and the adhesive piece from the layered adhesive strip, and the gantry system is configured to position the punch in a second location along the X-Y plane when applying the adhesive piece to the component of the hard disk drive suspension. 16. The system of claim 10, wherein the lumen narrows between a distal location and a proximal location to compress the liner piece within the lumen to increase the frictional engagement between the inner surface of the lumen and the liner piece. 17. The system of claim 10, wherein the retention feature comprises a barb. 18. The system of claim 10, wherein the retention feature is formed from the inner surface of the lumen. 19. A method for dispensing an adhesive piece onto a gimbal component of a dual stage actuation hard disk drive suspension, the method comprising: cutting into a layered adhesive strip by moving a punch downward, the punch having a cutting edge and a lumen, the cutting edge passing through a first liner and an adhesive layer to form a liner piece and an adhesive piece; separating the adhesive piece from the layered adhesive strip by moving the punch upward, wherein the liner piece is retained at least partially in the lumen of the punch by a retention feature within the lumen and the adhesive piece remains adhered to the liner piece; and adhering the adhesive piece to the component of the hard disk drive suspension by moving the punch downward. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein adhering the adhesive piece to the component of the hard disk drive suspension further comprises moving a pressure pin within the lumen of the punch from a first position to a second position, the second position distal of the first position, the pressure pin engaged with the liner piece. The present disclosure relates to disk drives and suspensions for disk drives and other electronic components. Dual stage actuation (DSA) disk drive head suspensions and disk drives incorporating DSA suspensions are generally known and commercially available. For example, DSA suspensions having an actuation structure on the baseplate or other mounting portion of the suspension, i.e., toward one end from the spring or hinge region of the suspension, are described in the U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0067151 to Okawara, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2012/0002329 to Shum, U.S. Patent Publication No. 2011/0242708 to Fuchino, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,764,444 to Imamura. DSA suspensions having actuation structures located on the loadbeam or gimbal portions of the suspension, i.e., toward another end from the spring or hinge region, are also known and disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,188 to Jurgenson, U.S. Pat. No. 7,256,968 to Krinke, and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/0144225 to Yao. Co-located gimbal-based DSA suspensions are disclosed in co-pending U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/700,972. All of the above-identified patents and patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. The present disclosure relates to methods, systems, and apparatuses for dispensing an adhesive piece onto a component, such as a component of a hard disk drive suspension. Various embodiments can comprise a gantry system and a punch. The punch can be attached to the gantry system and have a proximal end, a distal tip, a barrel, and a lumen extending through the barrel, the barrel having an inner surface defining the lumen and an outer surface, the distal tip including a cutting edge. A retention feature can be formed in the inner surface and disposed within the lumen at or near the distal tip. The cutting edge can be configured to cut through a layered adhesive strip having an adhesive layer and a liner adhered to the adhesive layer. The retention feature be configured to engage the liner during a cutting of the liner and the adhesive layer and retain at least partially a piece of the liner adhered to a piece of the adhesive layer within the lumen following a cutting of the liner and the adhesive layer. A pressure pin can be disposed within the lumen and translatable within the lumen. The actuator can translate the pressure pin within the lumen to a first position, a second position, and a third position. The first position of the pressure pin allows the release liner to enter the lumen during the cutting of the release liner and the adhesive layer. Translation of the pressure pin from the first position to the second position adheres the adhesive piece to the component of the hard disk drive suspension while retaining the liner piece in the lumen. Translation of the pressure pin from the second position to the third position expels the liner piece from the lumen. FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one end portion of a hard disk drive suspension. FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the end portion of FIG. 1 showing an adhesive piece placed on a component of the hard disk drive suspension according to various embodiments of the disclosure. FIG. 3 is a schematic, cross-sectional side view of an exemplary layered adhesive strip from which an adhesive piece can be extracted. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a system including a tool attached to a gantry system according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional side view of the distal end of an exemplary tool 60. FIG. 6 is a side view showing the tool 60 in a pre-cut position. FIG. 7 is a side view showing the tool 60 in the post-cut position. FIG. 8 is a side view showing the tool 60 in extraction position. FIG. 9 is a side view showing the tool 60 in pre-placement position. FIG. 10 is a side view showing the tool 60 in placement position. FIG. 11 is a side view showing the tool 60 in release position. FIG. 12 is a side view showing the tool 60 in pre-disposal position. FIG. 13 is a side view showing the tool 60 in disposal position. FIG. 14 is side view showing the end of a tool 160 in accordance with alternative embodiments of this disclosure. FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing an overview of an exemplary method, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. DSA structures typically have components which move relative to each other. The capacity to move leaves the DSA structure, and the suspension as a whole, susceptible to unwanted vibration and other movement. Various embodiments of the present invention concern the placement of a dampening layer along a suspension, such as on the DSA structure. For example, a dampening layer can be placed on a component, such as a tongue, a motor, and/or other components of a DSA structure. Commercially-available dampers are often sold in strips having two-sided adhesive and liners on each side. Placing the damper onto the component requires cutting a piece of the strip for the damper, removing a bottom liner, adhering the damper to the component, and then removing the top liner. Placing the damper is often performed with a gantry system. Removing the top liner often requires a manual operation, another apparatus in addition to the gantry system, or a more complicated gantry system, which increases manufacturing time and cost. The present disclosure addresses placing an adhesive damper, from a commercially available strip, onto a component of a hard disk drive suspension with a conventional gantry system. FIG. 1 is an isometric view of one end portion of a hard disk drive suspension 10 showing the stainless steel side of a flexure 12 having a gimbal 16 with a DSA structure 14. FIG. 2 is an isometric view of the end portion of FIG. 1 showing an adhesive piece 30 placed according to various embodiments of the disclosure. As shown, the flexure 12 includes a gimbal 16 at an end of the flexure 12. A DSA structure 14 is located on the gimbal 16. The DSA structure 14 includes a motor 32, which is a lead zirconium titanate element (PZT) or other piezoelectric actuator in the illustrated embodiment, mounted to the gimbal 16 of the flexure 12. The lateral ends of a motor 32 can be attached to the support regions 22 of the spring arms 24. Layers of adhesive can be positioned on the support regions 22 of the spring arms 24. The motor 32 extends over the tongue 18. The motor 32 can be electrically activated to bend the struts 20 and move (e.g., rotate) the tongue 18 about a tracking axis. As shown by the removal of the motor 32 in FIG. 2, an adhesive piece 30 is located on a top surface of the tongue 18. In this way, the adhesive piece 30 is located between the top surface of the tongue 18 and the bottom surface of the motor 32. It is noted that the top surface of the tongue 18 and the bottom surface of the motor 32 face each other. The adhesive piece 30 can be in contact with each of the top surface of the tongue 18 and the bottom surface of the motor 32. In various embodiments, the adhesive piece 30 can be adhered to the top surface of the tongue 18 and/or the bottom surface of the motor 32. The adhesive piece 30 can be in the form of a layer of material. The adhesive piece 30 can be formed from a viscoelastic adhesive material. In some embodiments, the material that forms the adhesive piece 30 is inherently adhesive. In some other embodiments, the adhesive piece 30 comprises a core non-adhesive material (e.g., a viscoelastic or elastic layer) and an adhesive material that is disposed on the top and/or bottom surface of the core non-adhesive material. Relative motion occurs between the motor 32 and the tongue 18 during activation of the motor 32. The adhesive piece 30 acts as a damper to reduce or eliminate vibration and/or other types of unwanted motion such as out-of plane motion of the tongue 18 during high frequency resonance modes, thereby providing lower gain and higher servo bandwidth capabilities. In general, the greater the area directly between the motor 32 and the tongue 18 that is covered by adhesive piece 30, the greater the benefits and advantages such as those described above that can be achieved. Adhesive layers such as that described herein can also be incorporated into other DSA structures (not shown) in a similar configuration or other parts of a suspension. Adhesive piece 30 can be formed as various shapes. In various embodiments, the adhesive piece 30 has an annular outer profile. As illustrated, the adhesive piece 30 is in the shape of a circle. The adhesive piece 30 has a cross-sectional area bound by the outer profile and a thickness. In various embodiments, the cross-sectional area is sized such that the motor 32 generally covers the adhesive piece 30 when viewing the suspension 10 from directly above the top surface of the motor 32. The thickness of the adhesive piece 30 depends on at least the type of suspension used, the conditions under which the suspension is being used, and the damping performance of the material used to form the adhesive piece 30. In various embodiments, the adhesive piece 30 has a thickness between 10-100 microns. The adhesive piece 30 is formed of a resilient material. The resilient material can be an elastic material. Such resilient material can be a visco-elastic material. Visco-elastic materials can provide enhanced damping benefits. Examples of suitable materials include 3M.TM. 242 and JDC MP65 materials. These materials typically have a relatively low elastic modulus and therefore have low stiffness. In various embodiments, the adhesive piece 30 is extracted from a commercially available and inexpensive layered adhesive strip. The motor 32 has a top surface opposite the bottom surface of the motor 32. As shown, an impingement element 34 can be mounted on the top surface of the motor 32. The illustrated impingement element 34 comprises multiple layers. Specifically, the impingement element comprises a top layer 36 which can comprise a layer of metal (e.g., stainless steel), plastic, or other material that is relatively hard to robustly engage a dimple of a loadbeam. The impingement element 34 includes a second layer 38 below the top layer 36. The second layer 38 can be adhered to the top layer 36 and the top surface of the motor 32. The second layer 38 can comprise an adhesive piece, which is similar to adhesive piece 30. FIG. 3 is a schematic, cross-sectional side view of an exemplary layered adhesive strip 40 from which the adhesive piece 30 can be extracted. Layered adhesive strip 40 is generally planar in the lateral direction and has an overall thickness. The layered adhesive strip 40 has layers, which can include a liner and/or an adhesive layer. In the illustrated embodiment, the layered adhesive strip 40 has a first liner (e.g., a primary liner or release liner) 42, an adhesive layer 44 having a first side 41 adhered onto the first liner, and a second liner 46 adhered onto a second side 43 of the adhesive layer. The liners 46, 42 and adhesive layer 44 each has a thickness contributing to the overall thickness of the layered adhesive strip 40. In various embodiments, the thickness of each layer can differ. In some embodiments, the thickness of the first liner is 4/1000 of an inch, the adhesive layer is 1/1000 of an inch, and the second liner is 2/1000 of an inch. As such, the first liner can be thicker than the second liner. The first liner 42 is releasably adhered to the adhesive layer 44 and is formed of a first material, such as polyethylene. The second liner 46 is releasably adhered to the adhesive layer 44 and is formed of a second material, such as polyester. The first liner 42 and adhesive layer 44 can be resiliently compressible in the lateral direction. The second liner 46 may further include a coating made of a third material. The adhesive layer 44 can be adhered to the first and second liners 42, 46 by a suitable adhesive, such as an acrylic polymer. Because the adhesive layer 44 is adhered to different materials of the first liner 42 and the second liner 46, the adhesion force or peel strength when removing each liner 42, 46 from the adhesive layer 44 differs. In various embodiments, a first adhesion force between the first liner 42 and the adhesive layer 44 is greater than a second adhesion force between the adhesive layer 44 and second liner 46. Specifically, the layered adhesive strip 40 can be a commercially available product, such as 3M.TM. Ultra-Pure Visco elastic Damping Polymer 242NR01, which exhibits such differential adhesion strengths for opposing liners that sandwich an intermediate adhesive layer. In some embodiments, the first liner 42 and the second liner 46 may be formed from the same type of material. In such cases, the first liner 42 and the second liner 46 may be processed differently such that they have different relative strengths of adhesion to the adhesive layer 44 (e.g., the surface of the first liner 42 may be rougher than the surface of the second liner 46, wherein the smoother profile of the second liner 46 lowers the strength of the adhesion bond with the adhesive layer 44). FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a system 61 including a tool 60 attached to a gantry system 62 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. A gantry system 62 can control the position of the tool 60. An example of a gantry system is described in U.S. Publication No. 2005/0045914, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety for all purposes. In various embodiments, a suitable gantry system 62 has a precise Z-axis gantry. In various embodiments, the gantry system 62 is configured to perform a 2-step operation including a kiss-cut step and a place step. As recited herein, distal refers to a first direction generally away from the gantry system 62 (e.g., the tool 60 in particular) and proximal refers to a second direction generally toward the gantry system (e.g., along the Z-axis). The gantry system 62 can include an XYZ gantry allowing the gantry system 62 to control the position of the tool 60 along the X-, Y-, and Z-axes. The gantry system 62 can position the tool 60 in a first relative position in an X-Y plane near the layered adhesive strip 40. The gantry system 62 can position the tool 60 in a second relative position in the X-Y plane near a component of a hard disk drive suspension 10. The gantry system 62 can position the tool 60 in a third relative position in the X-Y plane near a receptacle. To achieve the relative positions, the gantry system 62 can translate the tool 60, layered adhesive strip 40, and/or the hard disk drive suspension 10. The gantry system 62 can utilize the Z-axis for controlling the cutting motion of the tool 60 and placing adhesive piece 30 on the surface of the component of the hard disk drive suspension 10. The Z-axis control is configured to have the required precision to cut through one layer or multiple layers of the layered adhesive strip 40 without partially or completely cutting through an adjacent layer. In various embodiments, the gantry system 62 can cause the tool 60 to cut through an adhesive layer 44 without cutting through the entire thickness of the second liner 46. The cutting depth along the Z-axis may be precisely controlled with a hard stop 88, included in the tool 60 or the gantry system 62 (not shown), which functions as a depth-marker to control the precise cutting depth of the tool 60. The hard stop 88 can be generally immoveable in relation to the punch 64 in the Z-axis. The hard stop 88 can prevent the tool 60 from moving in one direction on the Z-axis by engaging a generally immoveable object or surface. The hard stop 88 may be set to allow the tool 60 to cut through an adhesive layer 44. The hard stop 88 may be set to prevent the tool 60 from cutting through the entire thickness of the second liner 46. The tool 60 comprises a punch 64, a pressure pin 66, and an actuator 68 in the illustrated embodiment. The punch 64 has a proximal end 70, a distal end or tip 72, a barrel 65, and a lumen 74 extending through the barrel. In various embodiments, the barrel 65 is generally cylindrical. The barrel 65 has an inner surface 76 defining the lumen 74 and an outer surface 78. A retention feature 80 is formed in the inner surface 76 of the barrel 65 at or near the distal tip 72. The retention feature 80 can be configured to exert a friction force, causing frictional interference with an object in the lumen 74 of the punch 64, thereby retaining the object within the lumen. The retention feature 80 can be configured to exert a compression force to retain an object within the lumen 74 of the punch 64. In various embodiments, the retention feature 80 is annularly shaped in the X-Y plane. The pressure pin 66 is disposed within the lumen 74. The pressure pin 66 is radially sized to move through the lumen 74, which may include the region bounded by the retention feature 80 of the inner surface 76 at the distal tip 72. A distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 is substantially flat so that the pressure pin 66 can engage a liner of the layered adhesive strip 40 and apply a generally even force thereto. The actuator 68 is disposed in the proximal end 70 of the tool 60 and is configured to translate the pressure pin 66. The actuator 68 is capable of exerting a force upon the pressure pin 66 to translate the pin generally along the Z-axis. In other words, the actuator 68 can extend or retract the pressure pin 66 to select positions. FIG. 5 is a detailed cross-sectional side view of the distal end of an exemplary tool 60. The barrel 65 near the distal tip 72 forms a cutting edge 94 of the punch 64. The cutting edge 94 is sharp. The cutting edge 94 is configured to cut various layers of a layered adhesive strip 40, for example, as shown in FIG. 3. In various embodiments, the outer surface 78 tapers to the cutting edge 94 at or near the distal tip 72. The retention feature 80 can have a proximal surface 90 and a distal surface 92, which meet at an angle that forms an inner edge 100. The inner edge 100 can be sharp giving the retention feature 80 a barb shape. In various embodiments, the inner edge 100 is continuous and/or annularly shaped in the X-Y plane. The barb shape is configured to readily allow an object (e.g., a first liner 42) to traverse proximally along the barb shape but to resist movement of the object distally along the barb shape. In various embodiments, the angle between the surfaces 90, 92 is less than 90 degrees. The distal surface 92 tapers to meet the outer surface 78 at an edge opposite the inner edge 100 forming the profile of the cutting edge 94 at the distal tip 72. In various embodiments, the angle between the distal surface 92 and the outer surface 78 is less than 90 degrees, giving sharpness to the cutting edge 94. In some embodiments, the retention feature 80 can be a ring that projects inwardly around the entirety of an inner circumference of the lumen 74. In this way, the inner edge 100 can be a ridge within the lumen 74. In some other embodiments, the retention feature 80 comprises a plurality of separate protrusion elements that each project inwardly at discrete locations around the inner circumference of the lumen 74. The projection elements can be evenly spaced around the inner circumference of the lumen 74. For example, a set of two protrusion elements can be located 180 degrees from each other, a set of three protrusion elements can be located 120 degrees from each other, a set of four protrusion elements can be located 90 degrees from each other, etc. In some embodiments, the protrusion elements are located at the same longitudinal position of the barrel 65 (e.g., each has the same Z-axis location). In some other embodiments, the protrusion elements are located at different longitudinal positions of the barrel 65 (e.g., two or more protrusion elements have different Z-axis locations). The cutting edge 94 has a profile in the X-Y plane. The profile can be an annular profile, such as a circle shape or an ellipse shape. In the illustrated embodiment, the cutting edge 94 is substantially symmetric about an axis parallel to the Z-axis. The cutting edge 94 is configured to form the shape of the adhesive piece 30 upon cutting. For example, if the cutting edge 94 has a circular profile, then it will cut the adhesive piece 30 into a circular shape. In various embodiments, the diameter of adhesive piece 30 having the circular profile is 12/1000 of an inch. The punch 64 can be formed of any suitable material to establish a cutting edge, such as aluminum or steel. The features of the punch 64 can be formed by CNC machining, etching, or other suitable methods for forming said suitable material. The distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 can be translated by the actuator 68 into a first position 82, a second position 84 proximal the first position 82, and a third position 86 proximal the second position 84 along a Z-axis. In the first position 82, the distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 is substantially in the X-Y plane defined by first position 82, which is proximal to the inner edge 100. In the second position 84, the distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 is substantially in the X-Y plane defined by second position 84, which is proximal the inner edge 100. In the third position 86, the distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 is substantially in the X-Y plane defined by third position 86, which is distal to the inner edge 100. In the first position 82, the pressure pin 66 leaves a space between its distal face 67 and the distal tip 72 in the lumen 74. In the second position 84, the pressure pin 66 leaves less space in distal tip 72 in the lumen 74 relative to the first position 82. In the third position 86, the pressure pin 66 leaves even less space in the distal tip 72 in the lumen 74 relative to the second position 84. The actuator 68 can be configured as, for example, a hard stop actuator, an encoder motor, or a fluid or air pressure actuator, capable of translating the pressure pin 66 into each position from another position. FIGS. 6-12 are side facing cross sectional views showing exemplary tool 60 at various points in time during use (e.g., corresponding to the method steps of FIG. 15). FIG. 6 is a side facing cross sectional view showing the tool 60 in a pre-cut position 110. In pre-cut position 110, the tool 60 is positioned in the X-Y plane at a first relative position, as previously described, proximal to a layered adhesive strip 40. The tool 60 hovers proximal to the layered adhesive strip 40 leaving a space between the distal tip 72 of the punch 64 and the layered adhesive strip 40. The portion of the layered adhesive strip 40 over which the tool 60 hovers has a first liner 42, adhesive layer 44, and a second liner 46. As shown in FIG. 6, the pressure pin 66 is retracted within the lumen 74 of the punch 64 and the distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 is in a first position 82. FIG. 7 is a side facing cross sectional view showing the tool 60 in the post-cut position 112 (e.g., following the state shown in FIG. 6). In post-cut position 112, the tool 60 is in a position distal to pre-cut position 110. The gantry system 62 causes relative movement of the tool 60 from the pre-cut position 110 to the post-cut position 112. The gantry system 62 also causes the punch 64 to move downward, along the Z-axis, to cut into a layered adhesive strip 40 having a first liner 42, adhesive layer 44, and second liner 46. The cutting edge 94 of the punch 64 passes completely through the first liner 42 and the adhesive layer 44. A layered piece 96 is at least partially separated from the layered adhesive strip 40 but the cutting. The layered piece 96 includes a liner piece 98 and an adhesive piece 30 formed from the first liner 42 and adhesive layer 44, respectively. The layered piece 96 is forced into the lumen 74 of the punch 64 during the cutting. The cutting edge 94 may extend partially into the second liner 46 to ensure a full cut through the adhesive layer 44. The cutting edge 94 is halted from cutting completely through the second liner 46 by the functioning of the hard stop 88 (shown in FIGS. 4 and 5). For example, the hard stop 88 can be fixed in position relative to the punch 64 and can engage a surface, such as a platform or post, to prevent no more downward movement of the cutting edge 94 than intended. The distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 remains retracted in first position 82 during the cutting. The lumen 74 is shown as having received the first liner 42 in the interior space of the lumen 74. The retention feature 80 is inwardly bound by a proximal surface 90 and a distal surface 92. The retention feature 80 engages the first liner 42 during cutting of the first liner 42 and the adhesive layer 44. The retention feature 80 provides a retention force upon the first liner 42. The retention force can include a friction force upon the first liner 42, causing frictional interference, which may be sufficient to retain the first liner 42 within the lumen 74 during various subsequent steps. The retention force of the frictional interference can be enhanced by a compression force. In the illustrated embodiment, the inner edge 100 of the retention feature 80 extends radially inward into the first liner 42. The inner diameter of the lumen 74 narrows along the distal surface 92 from the distal most tip of the cutting edge 94 to the inner edge 100. In other words, the lumen 74 has a first inner diameter at a first location and a second inner diameter at a second location, wherein the first inner diameter is larger than the second inner diameter and the first location is distal of the second location. The first liner 42 is compressed by the narrowing of the lumen 74 as the first liner 42 moves proximally along the distal surface 92 into the lumen 74 during the downward cutting stroke of the punch 64. The compression of the first liner 42 increases frictional interference between the lateral sides of the first liner 42 and the distal surface 92. The retention force can be provided by the barb-like shape of the retention feature 80. The first liner 42 has sufficient thickness (as measured along the Z-axis) such that a proximal portion of the first liner 42 extends proximal of the retention feature 80 (e.g., the inner edge 100 specifically) and a distal portion of the first liner 42 extends distal of the retention feature 80 after cutting. As shown, a width of the portion of the first liner 42 that is proximal of the inner edge 100 may be greater than a width of another portion of the first liner 42 that is distal the inner edge 100. In other words, compression of the first liner 42 by the inner edge 100 causes the barb-shaped retention feature 80 to catch the first liner 42, increasing a retention force that resists movement of the first liner 42 (and the adhesive piece 30 attached thereto) distally in the Z-axis. Whether by frictional interference and/or the action of the barb-shaped retention feature, the overall retention force exerted on the release liner 42 is greater than the adhesion forces between the liners 42, 46 and a portion of the adhesive layer 44 within the lumen 74. FIG. 8 is a cross sectional side view showing the tool 60 in an extraction position 114. In the extraction position 114, the tool 60 is in a position proximal to post-cut position 112. The gantry system 62 causes relative movement of the tool 60 from post-cut position 112 to extraction position 114, such as by proximal movement of the tool 60 relative to the remainder of the layered adhesive strip 40. As previously discussed, the overall retention force is greater than the second adhesion force between the adhesive piece 30 and the second liner 46, and the second adhesion force is greater than the first adhesion force between the adhesive piece 30 and the liner piece 98. The relationship between the forces allows the punch 64 to retain, at least partially, the liner piece 98 adhered to the adhesive piece 30 in the lumen 74 following the cutting and during separation of the layered piece 96 from the remaining layered adhesive strip 40. In the illustrated embodiment, the distal end 72 of the punch 64 is tapered, which facilitates release of the punch 64 from the remainder of the layered adhesive strip 40 as the punch 64 is moved into the extraction position 114. The distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 remains in first position 82. FIG. 9 is a cross sectional side view showing the tool 60 in pre-placement position 116. In pre-placement position 116, the tool 60 is in the X-Y plane at a second relative position, as previously described, proximal to a component 102 of a hard disk drive suspension 10. The gantry system 62 causes the tool 60 to move from the first relative position in post-cut position 112 to the second relative position in pre-placement position 116. The tool 60 is poised proximal to the suspension component 102 leaving a space between the distal tip 72 of the punch 64 and the suspension component. The component 102 can be a tongue 18 or a motor 32, for example, although the component 102 could be any part of a suspension or other device. A top surface of the suspension component 102 is preferably clean and free of contaminants, such as dust, to facilitate proper adhesion to the top surface. The layered piece 96 remains retained in the lumen 74 of the punch 64 due to the retention force, as previously described. The distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 remains in the first position 82. FIG. 10 is a cross sectional side view showing the tool 60 in a placement position 118. In the placement position 118, the tool 60 is in a position distal to pre-placement position 116. The gantry system 62 causes relative movement of the tool 60 from pre-placement position 116 to placement position 118. Specifically, the gantry system 62 lowers the tool 60 in a distal movement. When the distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 is translated by the actuator 68 from first position 82 to second position 84, the distal face 67 engages a top surface of the liner piece 98, advancing the whole layered piece 96 distally. The adhesive piece 30, while still adhered to a bottom surface of the liner piece 98, engages the top surface of the suspension component 102. The pressure pin 66 can be advanced (distally) or at least held in position relative to the punch 64 during and/or after the lowering of the tool 60 from the pre-placement position 116 to the placement position 118. The advancement of the pressure pin 66 relative to the punch 64 and/or the lowering of the tool 60 applies pressure to the top side of the liner piece 98 which in turn applies pressure to the adhesive piece 30 to bond the bottom surface of the adhesive piece 30 to the top surface of the suspension component 102. The distal tip 72 of the punch 64 remains proximal to the suspension component 102. The adhesion force created between the adhesive piece 30 and the suspension component 102 is greater than the adhesion force between the liner piece 98 and adhesive piece 30. The liner piece 98 has a sufficient thickness such that, when the distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 is translated to the second position 84, a portion of the liner piece 98 remains proximal to the retention feature 80. The retention force due to the retention feature 80, as previously described, is greater than either the adhesion force between the adhesive piece 30 and the suspension component 102 or the adhesion force between the liner piece 98 and adhesive piece 30. FIG. 11 is a cross sectional side view showing the tool 60 in a release position 120. In the release position 120, the tool 60 is in a position proximal to placement position 118. The gantry system 62 causes relative movement of the tool 60 from the placement position 118 to the release position 120. When the punch 64 moves proximally along the Z-axis, the relationship of forces described above with respect to FIG. 10 causes the liner piece 98 to separate or release from the adhesive piece 30. The adhesive piece 30 remains adhered to the component 102. The liner piece 98 remains in the lumen 74 of the punch 64 at the distal tip 72 due to the previously described retention force caused by the retention feature 80. The pressure pin 66 can remain in the second position 84. Alternatively, the pressure pin 66 can be retracted to first position 82. FIG. 12 is a cross sectional side view showing the tool 60 in a pre-disposal position 122. In the pre-disposal position 122, the tool 60 is in the X-Y plane at a third relative position, as previously described, proximate to a receptacle 104 (e.g., a vacuum bucket). The gantry system 62 causes the tool 60 to move from the second relative position in release position 120 to the third relative position in pre-disposal position 122. The tool 60 hovers proximal to the receptacle 104 near an opening 106 of the receptacle 104. The distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 remains in a position other than the third position 86, such as the second position 84 or a position with the distal face 67 proximal of the third position 86. The liner piece 98 is retained in the lumen 74 of the punch 64 at the distal tip 72 by the retention force due to the retention feature 80, as previously described. FIG. 13 is a cross sectional side view showing the tool 60 in a disposal position 124. In the disposal position 124, the punch 64 is in the same position as in the pre-disposal position 122. When the distal face 67 of the pressure pin 66 is translated by the actuator 68 from the second position 84 to the third position 86, the distal face 67 engages a top surface of the liner piece 98, advancing the liner piece distally. As previously described, the distal face 67 in the third position 86 is distal to the inner edge 100, and the inner edge 100 no longer engages the liner piece 98, causing a substantial reduction in retention force due to the retention feature 80. The receptacle 104 can also provide a vacuum force through the opening 106 that urges the liner piece 98 to move distally. Whether by the reduced retention force and/or the vacuum force, the retention force is no longer sufficient to retain the liner piece 98 and the liner piece 98 is expelled or ejected from the lumen 74 of the punch 64 at the distal end 72. The liner piece 98 preferably enters the opening 106 and is disposed within the receptacle 104. Disposal of the liner piece 98 prevents it from disrupting or contaminating nearby manufacturing processes. FIG. 14 is a cross sectional side view showing the end of a tool 160 in accordance with various embodiments of this disclosure. Tool 160 is similar to tool 60 in structure and function and thus is similarly numbered to FIG. 5 for similar features (e.g. pressure pin 166 is similar to pressure pin 66), except where noted. In the illustrated embodiment, the tool 160 includes a punch 164, a pressure pin 166, and an actuator (not shown). The punch 164 includes a distal tip 172, a barrel 165, and a lumen 174 extending through the barrel. The barrel 65 has an inner surface 176 defining the lumen 174 and an outer surface 178. A retention feature 180 is formed in the inner surface 176 of the barrel 165 at or near the distal tip 172. The retention feature 180 has a proximal surface 190 and a distal surface 192. Different from the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the distal surface 192 of the retention feature 180 does not taper. Instead, the distal surface 192 is generally parallel to a Z-axis and meets at an approximately 90 degree angle with the proximal surface 190 forming an inner edge 200 and giving the retention feature 180 a barb shape. The outer surface 178 near the distal tip 172 tapers to meet the distal surface 192 to form the cutting edge 194. The retention feature 180 is configured to exert a similar retention force to that described above upon a layered piece 196, which includes a liner piece 198 and an adhesive piece 130. FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing an overview of an exemplary method 210 for placing an adhesive piece extracted from a layered adhesive strip onto a component of hard disk drive suspension using tool, according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The method 210 can employ the apparatuses discussed herein (e.g., the embodiments of FIGS. 4-14 or other embodiments). In step 212, a punch of the tool cuts into a layered adhesive strip. The punch cuts at least a first liner and an adhesive layer forming a layered piece including a liner piece remaining adhered to an adhesive piece. The tool includes a pressure pin placed in a first position and an actuator for controlling translation of the pin. In step 214, the layered piece is separated from the remainder of the layered adhesive strip, and is retained in the punch, as the punch moves away from the layered adhesive strip. The tool is moved toward a component of a hard disk drive suspension. In step 216, the adhesive piece is adhered to the component of the hard disk drive suspension by providing a first force onto the adhesive piece through the adhered liner piece. Such force can be provided by the actuator through the pressure pin being translated from a first position to a second position. In step 218, a liner piece is separated from the adhesive piece, which remains adhered to the suspension component, while the liner piece is retained in a lumen of the punch. In step 220, the liner piece is disposed. The liner piece can be expelled from the lumen of the punch by translating the pressure pin from a second position to a third position, which provides a second force onto the liner piece. The expelled liner piece may also be collected by a receptacle, such as a vacuum bucket. Although the present invention has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that changes can be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. For example, the various features of the illustrated embodiments can be combined with features of other embodiments. As such, the various embodiments disclosed herein can be modified in view of the features of other embodiments, such as by omitting and/or adding features.

2019-04-24T23:52:52Z

http://patents.com/us-9443547.html

APP ELI LINK Use the ELILINK app <logo> to listen and look at the multimedia content of your Digital Book on your smartphone or tablet. Download the app from App Store for iOS or from Google Play for Android. Frame the page of your book. Access the content and download. Three Little Birds Value: Be helpful. I like… / I don’t like... Do you like…? Yes, I do. / No, I don’t. Fruit Trees Value: Be polite – say Thank you. I’ve got (two) (eyes). I’ve got (one) (nose). There’s a (noise). There’s a (smell). What’s that Noise? Value: Have fun with your family. Let’s go to (the playground). I like (the swing). Let’s play on (the seesaw). It’s (rainy). The School Playground Value: Work together and play together. Sharing a Tree Value: We can share. Where’s (mummy)? He’s/She’s in the (bedroom). He/She isn’t in the (kitchen). Our New Home Value: We say sorry for mistakes. What’s wrong? Are you (sad)? Yes, I am. / No, I’m not. I’m (hungry). The Story of Snow White Value: Be kind, don’t be mean. It’s a/an… (ostrich). It’s got (two legs). They’re (tigers). They’ve got (black stripes). On Safari Value: Respect animals. What day is it today? It’s (Monday). When is your birthday? My birthday is on (Saturday). A Surprise Party Value: Celebrate together. Welcome to Smart Start, a three-level English course for children aged between 3 and 5 which offers a fun and smart start for very young learners. The approach and philosophy of Smart Start is to nurture the growth of each individual child in terms of their language development whilst also nurturing their emotional, creative, mathematical and physical development as they move from nursery through kindergarten to the start of primary school. Smart Start is a high-level pre-primary course aimed at schools that teach 5+ hours a week of English. Specially developed to cater for all the different interests and learning styles of young learners, Smart Start aims to inspire children as they take their first steps in English language learning. Young learners Pre-primary aged children generally learn quickly but often do not always retain what they have learned. New key language is introduced in every unit in lexical sets connected to themes and topics relevant and connected to young learners’ own world and experiences. The topics start close to home and school in Level 1 and gently take the learners into settings and experiences in the wider world around them by the end of Level 3. The words chosen are always high frequency, usually personalised segments of language which fit with the unit topic. The language taught is then recycled in subsequent units through the teaching notes and the language the teacher uses in class. As with all courses, a teacher needs to use a Teacher’s Book to best exploit the materials created in the student components but never more so than with preprimary. The amount of teaching in terms of language used is not expected to equal the amount of language that children produce. For this reason, the teacher is guided as to how to use and recycle language in class. Children in a pre-school class can differ in many ways such as age, energy, size, interests, adaptability, experience and familiarity with the world outside the home, emotional maturity, linguistic aptitude and physical development. It is not possible or realistic to expect the same outcomes for all children who use the course. Some children will learn more English than others; some children will be better at maths. As part of individualising the materials for children, teaching and learning activities are presented in such a way as to cater for different learning styles. The engaging characters, Tom and Izzy (twin brother and sister), introduce children to the world of English and create a positive learning environment. Their adventures with their friends, family and adorable cat, Coco, contextualise the language in a fun and humorous way. The two class CDs for the teacher contain all of the audio material for the Student’s Book, including the vocabulary, dialogues, chants, songs, and stories. The recordings feature only native speakers of English to ensure the children are exposed to authentic and natural pronunciation. Teacher’s DVD Teacher’s This component features the Smart Student’s Book that can be used Start with an interactive whiteboard. 2 DVD rom It features vocabulary and phonics games plus the animated stories. The Activity Book, Numeracy Book and Literacy Book in PDF format are also included for classroom use. The flashcards cover all of the core vocabulary. They are an important teaching tool at pre-school level and can be used to introduce and practise key items in the majority of lessons. Digital Book The complementary Digital Book is for children to use at home or in the school computer room. It contains audio tracks in MP3 format plus a selection of interactive games to reinforce and consolidate language while the children have fun. There are also animated versions of the stories for the children to enjoy. Parents can access and download this material using the printed code in the inside front cover of the Student’s Book. Poster Smart Start 2 Pack The Coco the cat hand puppet can be used in all lessons to introduce vocabulary, demonstrate games and activities and encourage critical thinking. Coco is a kind character who doesn’t always do the right thing and provides a fun element of humour! able to be supported by artwork such as pronouns, connectors and articles, children are taught a sight word system. The sight words are very high-frequency words that children are taught to recognise by sight. In Level 3 the children are introduced to two-letter consonant and vowel sound combinations (diagraphs) in frequency order. They use these new sounds in combination with the sounds from Level 1 and 2 as building blocks to sound out and blend new words. In Smart Start we use fun phonics chants and engaging and attractive artwork to present the words and sentences. The Teacher’s Book lesson notes give ideas for fun phonics games and activities to allow children to explore and enjoy their early reading experience. All the phonics methodology and strategies are based on the Letters and Sounds approach used in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in the UK. For more information and activity ideas see www.gov.uk/early-years-foundation-stage. An entertaining reader gives children the opportunity to apply all their pre-reading skills and move towards autonomous reading. Audio tracks can be downloaded in MP3 format from www.elionline.smartstart. The Numeracy Book provides further activities to recognise written and number forms from 1-20, counting practice, simple additions and sums, number bonds, plus sequences and patterns. The Literacy Book gives children the chance to extend their skills. It introduces the upper case form of each letter, and consolidates phonics, and early reading. TOUR OF A UNIT - Lesson 1 Vocabulary is presented through a scene featuring the course characters, twins Tom and Izzy, and their friends, family and their adorable cat, Coco. On either side of the scene there are picture dictionary strips with the key vocabulary labelled. The words on the pages are for environmental exposure to the written language and are fully supported by pictures and the audio. They are not supposed to be read by the children but you can highlight any initial letter sounds of the key vocabulary that the children have already learned. Key Language: door, window, table, chair, bin, board, bag, notebook. Activities: 1 Tr 1.08 Listen, point and say. 2 Place stickers. 3 Talk about the picture and match. 4 Tr 1.09 Say the chant and point. The lesson ends with a song or a chant featuring the new vocabulary. The picture scene has three or four faded-out spots of key vocabulary items that the children complete with stickers. This type of sticker activity is enjoyable and engaging and involves visual discrimination skills and fine motor skills. Once the scene is complete, children are asked to talk about the picture. This involves pointing and naming the key items (and any other items they know) in the scene. Prompt the children with simple questions such as, Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s this? What colour is it? etc. Clear reference to the Digital Book that contains an array of interactive activities, plus all of the audio tracks in MP3 format. Clear reference to the activities in the Activity Book. Lesson 2 - TOUR OF A UNIT The Let’s learn! page presents the key language structure through a humorous cartoon usually featuring Tom, Izzy and Coco. These are light-hearted and often end with Coco causing mischief or in some kind of fix! The dialogue is on the page as speech bubbles and on the audio. The speech bubbles are provided for environmental exposure to the text and children are not expected to read them. Oh, Coco! Where’s the bin? It’s next to the door. There is always a preliteracy task on the page where children respond to a question or complete a sentence by drawing or circling something that personalizes the language for them. The children sing a song or do a chant at the end of the lesson to practise and consolidate the language. under Key Language: Where’s my/the (bag)? It’s under, on, next to (the table). Activities: 1 Tr 1.10 Listen to the conversation. 2 Act it out. 3 Read, circle and draw. 4 Tr 1.11-1.12 Sing the song and do the actions. After hearing the dialogue a few times, children are encouraged to act it out in small groups. Children learn one sound for each letter of the alphabet. The sounds are introduced in frequency groups and the words are all supported by artwork. The audio provides pronunciation practice and recognition of the sounds. Tr 1.14 Listen and say. 4 Read and trace. Children are introduced to simple CVC (consonant-vowel-consonant) words e.g. cat, tap and begin to aurally decode (i.e. read) them. Children learn a number of the most common nondecodable sight words e.g. the, and, etc. They trace, copy and write individual letters and words. Lesson 4 - TOUR OF A UNIT These are CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) projects where children explore the unit theme and language through science, arts and crafts and social studies, by carrying out a practical task. Photos of children are used to model the project and the lesson notes support the teacher to set-up and undertake the project in class. The craft activities are easy to prepare and do in the classroom and donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t usually require detailed preparation. Cutting, sticking and drawing skills that help to develop childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s fine motor abilities are practised in these lessons as well as communication and collaboration skills. A second vocabulary set of a further three or four topic-related words is presented in this lesson. Key Language: pencil, crayon, book, bookmark; cut, draw, write. Activities: 1 Tr 1.15 Listen and point. 2 Look and say. 3 Make a bookmark and put it in your book. of the course. Again, the story is provided on the audio, and speech bubbles and/or captions provide the story text on the page but are not there for children to read, only to expose them to the conventions of English text. The fun, engaging stories are told only with language the children have been exposed to so they will feel a sense of fulfillment that they can understand and enjoy them. This helps nurture a love of reading and storytelling and encourages the children to express themselves creatively. Three Little Birds It’s show and tell. Oh, no! Where’s the blue bird? A story song or chant accompanies each story. Key Language: blue, green, yellow, bird; Where’s the (blue bird)? It’s on the (board). Activities: 1 Talk about the pictures. Make predictions. 2 Tr 1.16 Listen to the story. 3 Act it out. 4 Tr 1.17 Sing the song and do the actions. The lesson notes provide ideas for storytelling, role-play, and artistic expression. By pretending and playing, children use their imagination and express their feelings and thoughts in a natural context. It’s next to the door. Where’s the green bird? Oh! Where’s the yellow bird? The yellow bird is on the table! Now it’s under the bin! The Values lesson gives the children another chance to share and enjoy the story. There is then a focus on the value which the story teaches. Teachers are asked to discuss the value with the children and are supported by the teaching notes. The values taught in Level 2 are: being helpful, saying thank you, having fun with your family, working and playing together, sharing, saying sorry, being kind, respecting animals, celebrating together. In these lessons the use of L1 is useful and the teacher can lead the discussion in L1 and give feedback of simple ideas in English. Tr 1.19 Listen and point. 4 Talk about the value. All of the stories are brought to life in the animated stories in the Digital Book for the children to enjoy as they reinforce and consolidate language. TOUR OF A UNIT - Lesson 7 In level 2, numbers 1-20 are approached as vocabulary items but children also learn concepts such as counting, place value, number and quantity correlation, simple additions, counting back, number bonds, patterns and sequences. The Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s count! lessons are numeracy lessons where children explore key vocabulary through basic maths and numeracy skills. Children practise tracing and writing numbers. Key Language: 1 - 5 - 6; (one) add (one) is (two). Activities: 1 Trace and count. 2 Colour the correct number of items. 3 Count and do the sums. Write the answer. 4 Tr 1.20 Say the chant and do the actions. There are also number and counting songs and chants. Lesson 8 - TOUR OF A UNIT At the end of each unit there is a Review lesson. Children do a simple listening task to practise some of the key language and vocabulary from the unit. This is followed by a personalisation task to consolidate the language. Key Language: Unit 1 review. Activities: 1 Point and say. 2 Tr 1.21 Listen and circle. 3 Ask and answer with Where isâ&#x20AC;Ś? 4 Cut and stick to make a collage of your classroom. After every three units there is a Real World lesson. These lessons feature children from around the world who contextualise the vocabulary and language from the previous units in a real-life setting. Key Language: I’m from (the UK).These are my friends. Review: girl, apple, crayons, table, school, window, teacher, boy, book, children, biscuits, milk, banana, eyes, ears, mouths; I’m (Sophie). This is my (school). I’ve got (crayons). She’s got a (book). It’s lunchtime. They’ve got biscuits, milk and bananas. These lessons are highly photographic and provide a contrast with the illustrations. They take children away from home to share English as a global language. 4 Activities: 1 Talk about the pictures. 2 Tr 1.52 Listen, point and say. 3 Tr 1.53 Listen and point. 4 Look and count: How many eyes? How many mouths? 5 Class Project: take photos of your school and classroom. Make a display. Cut-Out Picture Cards and Stickers - TOUR OF A UNIT At the back of the Studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Book there is a section with cut-out vocabulary picture cards. These can be used in the classroom to play games in pairs or teams, or the children can take them home to create a pleasant school-home link, encouraging them to show their family what they are learning in their English lessons. The stickers allow the children to complete Lesson 1 of each unit. Find the flashcard Revise vocabulary by playing a game with the flashcards. Hide the flashcards around the classroom. Play one of the songs or chants while the children walk around to find them. Ask them to shout the word out loud when they find the flashcard. Matching Put a few flashcards on the board. Put the flashcards of the numbers under these. Say the name of the flashcard and ask What number is it? The children say the number. Then reverse the procedure. Say a number and ask What item is it? Odd-one-out Put on the board a set of flashcards from one unit and one flashcard from a previous unit. Ask the class to identify the odd-one-out. Uncover the card Cover one of the flashcards with a sheet of dark paper. Show the covered flashcard and tell the class they have to guess what it is. Start moving the paper very slowly to uncover the card. Say What is it? If the children can’t guess, continue to move the sheet of paper and keep asking the question until they identify the flashcard. Yes/No activities 1) Choose a set of flashcards. Show the children one flashcard at a time and say one of the words at random, not necessarily of the object on the flashcard. The children shout Yes if the word corresponds to the card. Do this faster and faster to make it into a game. 2) Distribute the flashcards to some children. Then call out one word, the child with that flashcard runs to the board and sticks the card. Teach the class to shout Yes or No to confirm the answer. 3) Use the Coco puppet and Izzy and Tom cut-outs. Tell the children that you are going to make some statements. They have to shout Yes or No. Hold up the Coco puppet and say I am a cat. The class shouts Yes. Hold up Izzy and say I am a boy. (No) Hold up Tom and say I am a boy. (Yes) Continue with other statements referring to the target lesson. The class shouts Yes or No. More confident children may be able to correct the wrong statements. This fun activity is particularly suitable to the story pages. A blindfold game Prepare some objects with recognisable shapes or smells (an orange, a ball, a pen, a carrot, etc.) and a box. Blindfold a group of children, ask them to sit down in a circle, give the box with one object inside to the first child and ask What can you smell / touch etc.? Do not confirm their answer, but ask them to pass the box to the next blindfolded child. Now it is the class turn to ask What is it? or What can you smell / touch etc.? Coco’s whisper This game is known to English children as Chinese Whispers. Put all the children in a line. Stand at the beginning of the line holding Coco. Tell the class that Coco is going to whisper a word in your ear and you will whisper it very quietly to the child standing next to you in the line. This child will whisper it to the next child and so on. The last child will say the word out loud, and it may not be the one you said! This is a fun activity and it can be used as a way of getting the class to calm down after some excitement: everybody will be very quiet in order to hear the word! Guess the drawing Start drawing one of the items of the target vocabulary on the board, a few lines at a time, and encourage the children to guess what it is. Keep drawing until they have guessed. Continue with other items. If there are children with good art skills, call them to the board to take your role. Guess the flashcard Call one child to stand at the front looking towards the class. Position yourself behind the child and show the class one flashcard. The child should guess the flashcard by asking questions such as What colour is it? Is it an object or an animal? Can you see one in the classroom? Have you got one at home? I spy Teach the children the game I spy with my little eye something beginning with… and say the sound of a letter e.g. d (desk). Tell the children which category of words you are going to use, e.g. objects in the classroom, or people in the school, or pictures from the story pages, etc. The first child to guess has the right to continue the game suggesting a different letter. Miming You can ask individual children to mime animals, emotions, actions of the senses. Give the unit flashcards to some children. They mustn’t show them to the class. Each child in turn mimes what is represented on their card, the class has to guess and say the word. Continue with different children until everybody has had a turn. You can also do this in teams. Give each team a couple of minutes to agree on a mime for their flashcard. The other team wins a point if they understand the mime and say the word correctly. If they don’t, the first team scores. Level 2 Teacher’s Book - Games Bank Picture bingo Ask the children to draw four or six items they have learnt in the unit. Now say the unit words in whichever order you want. If the children have a drawing corresponding to that word, they cross it out. The winner is the first child to cross out all their drawings. Watch my lips Revise vocabulary with this guessing game. Put some flashcards on the board and say that you will move your lips to say one word, but without making any sound. Shape one word with your mouth, exaggerating the movements. When the class guesses the word, take the flashcard off the board. This activity concentrates the attention of the children on the articulation of the sounds of English words. What’s in the bag? Put an object in a soft bag and call some children to touch it and guess what the object is and say the English word for it. This game is especially suitable for a lesson on school items or on food. What’s missing? Stick the flashcards on the board. Point to each flashcard and ask the children to say the word. Then tell them to close their eyes. Remove one of the flashcards and say Open your eyes. The children say which flashcard is missing. Alternatively, put the children in a circle and the flashcards face up on the floor. Let them memorise the position of the flashcards, then ask them to turn around so that they can’t see the cards. Take one card away, the children turn back and guess which card is missing. Snap (a card game) Bring one or two packs of cards to class, depending on the number of children. The children sit on the floor in one or two circles. Choose one child in each group to deal the cards. Each child places their card face down in a pile in front of them. On their turn, each player turns over the top card from their face-down pile. When someone turns over a card that matches a card already face up on another player’s pile, the players race to be the first to call “Snap!”. The player who calls “Snap!” first wins both piles and adds them to the bottom of his facedown pile. The goal of the game is to win all of the cards. Pelmanism is a card game in which two sets of cards are laid face down on a surface and two cards are flipped face up over each turn. The object of the game is to turn over pairs of matching cards. It can be played just by two children or by as many as you want. Blind man’s buff If you have access to a playground or a large room, you can have the class play this game. One child is blindfolded and tries to touch the other children without being able to see them. The others try to avoid him/her, and try to make him/her change direction by talking. They can say, for example, Can you see me? Can you touch me? The blindfolded child says No, I can’t or Yes, I can. Call a name The children hold hands in a circle and walk to the right. The teacher stands in the middle. They all say I like coffee, I like tea, I’d like George in with me. George then comes into the middle and the teacher asks Who do you want to call? Children: Sara. Teacher: OK, let’s all say: I like coffee, I like tea, I’d like Sara in with me. George goes out and it’s Sara’s turn to call someone. Coco says This game is known to English children as Simon says. Use the Coco puppet to give an instruction, such as Coco says “Touch your nose”. Model the action of touching your nose and tell the children to do the same. Explain that you are going to give similar instructions but they must do the action only if the instruction starts with the words Coco says. If Coco doesn’t talk, the children mustn’t move. Give a demonstration by saying Touch your feet: you stand still and so do the children. If there are children unable to do the movements, give them the flashcard of the part of the body and ask them to show it when you give the command Coco says. Hit the word Revise the words from two or three units saying the words while you stick all the flashcards on the board. Call three or four children to line up facing the board and give them a soft little ball each (you can make the balls with tissue paper). Say a word, the children have to throw the ball and hit the right flashcard. Continue with different children. Run to the flashcard Use this to revise the language from any vocabulary set. Put the flashcards in various places around the classroom and play a song or a chant. Tell the children they can move, march or dance around the room as long as the audio is playing. Tell them you are going to stop it suddenly and name a flashcard. They have to run to that flashcard. Swap places Hang some flashcards around the room. Divide the class into groups, assign each group to a flashcard, and invite them to stand next to it. Say the name of two flashcards out loud, e.g. scooter/seesaw. The children next to those flashcards quickly swap places. Level 2 Teacher’s Book - Games Bank Where’s Coco? Take one child aside while the others hide Coco somewhere in the room. The children are going to guide their friend to Coco by singing a familiar song or rhyme out loud when their friend gets closer to Coco, or quietly when he/she moves further away from Coco. TPR activity with balloons Blow up some balloons and tell the children to keep the balloons from touching the floor while you play a song or a chant. Tell them they are “out” if they are the last person to touch a balloon that hits the ground. TPR activity with a ball This can be played with a ball while chanting a rhyme. The children stand outside a circle marked by a rope and take turns to bounce the ball inside or outside the circle, while chanting the rhyme. TPR activity in a circle Put the children in a circle and assign a flashcard each. Play a song or a chant with those words. The children march on the spot when they hear the chorus, they step toward the centre of the circle when they hear their flashcard word, and then step back. Missing numbers 1) Revise the numbers the children learnt in the unit by writing the figures or sticking the flashcards of the numbers on the board. Ask the children to say the words or to repeat them after you. Now take away one flashcard or erase one number, and ask the class to say the whole series in English including the missing number. Continue to erase numbers until the class says all the numbers without any figures on the board. 2) Put the numbers flashcards on the board in the correct order. Call a child to stand with their back to the board, and take one flashcard off. The class says the sequence of numbers skipping the one that was taken off. The child has to guess the missing number and say it out loud. 3) Put the flashcards 1-20 on a heap on your desk and take one out without showing it. The children come to the desk, take the cards one by one and put them on the board in the correct order. They must discover and say which one is missing. Ordering numbers 1) Put the number flashcards in a bag and call one child at a time to pull one out. The child must say the number and put it up on the board. The flashcards on the board must be in the correct order. 2) Divide the class into small groups and give each group the flashcards of numbers 1-10. Ask the children to put them in the correct sequence on the table or on the floor and to read them in English, first counting up (1-10) and then counting down (10-1). Find the numbers Walk around the class putting the number flashcards in different locations. Then call the numbers in random order. The children run to the number flashcard and stick it on the board leaving appropriate gaps to put all numbers in the correct sequence. Number sequence Line up all the children and ask every fifth child to step out. As it might be difficult for them to identify their order in the line up, ask the first in the line to stand at the front, to point at every fifth child and to say progressively five, ten, fifteen, twenty. If there are more children, you may need to add twenty-five, thirty, etc. Choose another child to call the numbers backwards: while he/she calls them, the children step back in the line. Patterns Ask the children to create patterns with any category of objects. They need to recognise the category and to alternate different types within that category, repeating them at intervals. For example, for the category toys, put a number of toys on the floor. They must be of different shape or colour such as toy cars, small dolls, wooden bricks, constructions shapes, crayons. Working together, the children create patterns based on type, colour or shape. You can also use some sets of flashcards from the course alternating, for example, animals with furniture, food with parts of the body, playground items with items from the natural world. Duck duck goose A group of children sit in a circle, facing inward, while another child called “it” walks around touching the head of each child and calling each “duck” until finally calling one “goose”. The “goose” then gets up and tries to catch “it” while “it” tries to run and sit where the goose had been sitting. If “it” succeeds, the goose becomes “it” and the process begins again. Grandmother’s footsteps The teacher starts out as the Grandmother and stands at the end of the room / playground / field. All the children stand at the far end of the place. The teacher turns their back to the children, and they try to race across the area and tag the teacher. Whenever the teacher turns around, the children must freeze in position and hold that for as long as the teacher looks at them. Whenever the teacher’s back is turned, the children are free to move. The object of the game is for a child to tag the teacher, taking his/her place and restarting the game. Level 2 Teacherâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Book - Games Bank Musical chairs Put a number of chairs in a circle, one fewer than the number of children. Arrange them all facing outward with the children standing in a circle all around the chairs. Play a song or a rhyme while the children walk around the chairs. When the music stops, each child tries to sit down on one of the chairs. The child who is left without a chair is eliminated from the game. One chair is then removed to ensure that there will always be one fewer chair than there are children. The music resumes and the cycle repeats until there is only one child left in the game, who is the winner. Musical statues Have some music ready and have the children standing anywhere in the classroom or the playground. Start the music and the children start dancing around. Stop the music and all of the children must freeze in whatever position they are in. Watch the children for any movement: the first person to move goes out. Then restart the music and repeat until only one person is left, the winner. Pin the tail on the donkey Stick a picture of a donkey with a missing tail to a wall or to the board, within easy reach of the children. Blindfold one child and give him/her a paper tail with some blue tack on it. The blindfolded child is spun round and round, then stops and tries to pin the tail on the donkey. Sleeping lions This is a useful game to calm the children down after a period of excitement. All but one player (the hunter) lie down on the floor, eyes closed, as if they were sleeping. The hunter moves about the room attempting to encourage the lions to move. The hunters canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t touch the lions, but may move close to them, tell them jokes or making scaring noises. Any person who moves must stand up and join the hunter. Pass the parcel Before the game, prepare a prize wrapped up in many layers of wrapping paper. You can place smaller prizes between each layer. Have all the children sitting on the floor and give one of them the parcel. Play some music: the parcel is passed around from child to child. Stop the music: whoever is holding the parcel at that moment removes one layer of wrapping and gets the small prize found under that layer. Restart the music. The game continues until every layer is removed. The last child to hold it claims the main prize. Key Language: family members, toys, colours; numbers 1 - 10 Activities: 1 Tr 1.02 Sing the song. 2 Tr 1.03 Listen and point. 3 Tr 1.04 Listen, point and say. 4 Tr 1.05 Listen, count and clap. 5 How many bricks? Circle. Page 4 Welcome Back! Objectives: • revise vocabulary and structures from Smart Start level 1 Review language: family members, toys, colours; numbers 1-10. Materials: CD1, the Coco puppet, Tom and Izzy cut-outs (template TB pages 84-85). Language competences: The children can name toys and count up to ten. Clap one two three; walk around. children clap their hands three times then walk around the class It’s a Smart Start today! • Use the Coco puppet to say Welcome back class! Explain the meaning. Then look at the puppet and say Welcome back Coco. Have Coco repeat Welcome back class. The children say Welcome back Coco. • Repeat with the cut-outs of Tom and Izzy. • If there are children who are new to the Smart Start course, make sure the class explains who the characters are: a boy (Tom), a girl (Izzy) and a puppet cat called Coco. • This is the song that identifies Smart Start. So it can be used at the start of each lesson as a nice way to highlight that it’s time for English. Children who have used level 1 will already be familiar with the song. • Play the song through once doing all the actions. • Play the song again. Encourage the children to copy your actions. • Play the song once more. The children do the actions and sing the words at the same time. They will probably want to repeat this last step a couple of times. Verse It’s a Smart Start, a Smart Start, a Smart Start all the way. Tom, Izzy and Coco are all ready to play! Songs, games, puzzles and stories too. It’s a Smart Start for me and you! • Point to the picture on page 4 and say Listen. Play the audio. The children just listen. • Say Listen and point. Play the audio and show the children how to point to the people in the picture. • Say Listen and point again. Play the audio again. The children point without your help. Audio script Hello, I’m Tom. This is my mummy. This is my daddy. This is my sister, Izzy. This is my brother. This is my grandpa. This is my grandma. Oh and this is my cat, Coco! 3 Listen, point and say. 4 Listen count and clap. • Point to the numbers on page 4 and say Listen. Play the audio. The children just listen. • Say Listen and count. Play the audio and count with the children following the rhythm of the recording. • Say Listen, count and clap. Play the audio again. The children count, clapping their hands to the rhythm. 5 How many bricks? Circle. • Point to the picture and ask the children if they can see some coloured bricks. • Ask them to count the bricks and to circle the corresponding number on the page. • Point to the six bricks on your book and ask the children to say the colours (red, white, yellow, green, blue, purple). • Point to the picture again and say Listen. Play the audio. The children just listen. • Say Listen and point. Play the audio and show the children how to point to the toys in the picture. • Say Point and say. Play the audio again. The children point to the toys and say the words. Page 5 Welcome Back! Objectives: • revise vocabulary from Smart Start level 1 Review language: letters a-z; clothes, toys, colours, food, animals. Materials: CD1, cardboard. Language competences: The children can say the sounds of the letters of the alphabet and identify words with the corresponding sounds. • Use the Coco puppet to say Hello class! Have the class reply Hello Coco! • You can start the lesson with the number chant (Tr 1.05) to help children get back into English by saying an easy sequence of words (1-10) and doing some actions at the same time. 1 Talk about the pictures. • Point to the items and prompt the children with simple questions such as What’s this? What colour is it? etc. They answer with one word (apple, red). More confident children can say It’s an apple. It’s red. 2 Say the chant and point. • Play the chant with the names of the letters of the alphabet. • Play it again as many times as necessary for the children to chant along with ease. Audio script ABCDEFG HIJKLMNOP Q R S, T U V W X, Y and Z Now you know your ABC, come and sing along with me. • Point to the letters of the alphabet, both upper case and lower case and explain that they represent the initial sound of the pictured word. How many letters are there? (26). • Play the audio while the children follow on the page. • Play it again as many times as necessary for the children to repeat with a correct pronunciation. 4 Look and find: 2 colours; 6 animals; 4 foods; 2 body parts; 3 clothes. • Make sure the children understand the instructions. • Ask them to show you the two spots of colour on their books (pink, yellow) and to name them. • Ask them to name six animals and to show them to you on their books (dog, fish, goat, lion, rabbit, zebra). • Do the same with the foods (apple, egg, jam, orange), with the parts of the body (mouth, nose) and with the clothes (hat, socks, T-shirt). You can photocopy the pictures on page 5, stick them on cardboard and cut them out so as to create your own alphabet flashcards. Mix them up and put them in a soft bag. Pass the bag around, each child pulls out a card, says the word and runs to the board to put it up. At the end, call some children to the board and let them help each other to try to put them in the order of the English alphabet. Activity Book 2 page 5 1 Point and say. The children point to each letter and say its name, following the path from A to Z. 2 Sing. They then sing the alphabet song (Tr 1.06 Student Book CD1). 3 Colour. The children colour the pictures. Review Language: letters a-z; clothes, toys, colours, food, animals. Activities: 1 Talk about the pictures. 2 Tr 1.06 Say the chant and point. 3 Tr 1.07 Listen, point and say. 4 Look and find: 2 colours; 6 animals; 4 foods; 2 body parts; 3 clothes.

2019-04-21T21:10:54Z

https://issuu.com/elipublishing/docs/smartstart2_tb

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The lights made available is one which blends properly in the illuminated region. The title suggests everything. It is just a fibathroomable light-weight thats recessed. An average recessed gentle could be standard incandescent, fluorescent, halogen or LED (light-weight emitting diode) lamps.Recessed lighting is able to giving good and brilliant illumination to a complete place. When focused on a specific Room, they may be used as amazing task lightings. The best thing about chrome steel recessed lights is The reality that its stainless-steel housing. Stainless steel is rather resilient is able to withstand harsh problems, the most obvious 1 remaining moisture. Theres a principal facet of the master bathroom that should not be neglected. The cleanliness of learn bathroom is really a key to produce appealing bathroom. There are many means to generate clean grasp bathroom. If you would like to produce a master bathroom with clear concept, this article will guidebook you how to make it happen. Before you start producing just one, you will want to make some preparing very first. All you will need is often a master bathroom that is able to beautify in addition to a enough funds. This structure is not going to cost you too much.All grasp bathroom shower Suggestions demand the best material. Ranging from the tile applied, you will need the most beneficial ceramic. Do not applied tile with a lot of pattern in it. Complicate pattern will give crowded perception to the master bathroom. Employing tile with neutral coloration is the best Option below. Mosaic tile just is not suggested for this style and design. gap amongst Those people tiles will a develop Area wherever the filthy particle can caught into. In the meantime, more substantial tile will develop fewer gaps. Its proposed to employ tiles that are effortless to scrub. Making use of this method, you will not only manage the learn bathroom cleanse but additionally it takes considerably less effort and hard work to clean it up. Use glass to be a separator for showering spot Together with the rest room region. Master bathroom shower Suggestions put shower spot and rest room in the same place. Hence, it is critical to include separator involving Those people two spots. From the shower region, the drinking water from the shower in some cases splashes just about everywhere. The functionality of this separator is to avoid the h2o from splashing on the destinations we do not wish to get moist. When the h2o splashing someplace you do not notice, its going to produce a spot for moss to increase. home furnishings can be an ebedroomcellent option to decorate your child’s bedroom in one of a kind genuine location. As opposed to regular wooden Little ones’ bedroom and picket analyze desk, this one particular is unquestionably a lot better possibility. But your position hasn’t finished nevertheless with installing the loft bed and desk. Effectively, You should insert decoration things like wooden cabinets, organizers and pendant lights. It’s improved to mibedroom natural lights and lamp. To keep the children keen on undertaking functions within their loft mattress and desk, You will need to include attention-grabbing options. Normally, the functions include things like drawings, magnetic board and notes. You can also use the shelves ebedroomtra to loft bed with desk, to Allow your Young children retail store their toys. Using this method, your Children will find out how to organize their stuff by by themselves.The phrase of French region bedroom cannot be translated virtually. French is like other countries in Europe, so these words and phrases have new viewpoint to ebedroomamine. Bed room with French model refers to lubedroomurious and chic decoration. In previous time, France was notable artwork and tunes center with many artist all over the world utilize it as reference. Till now, France is among developed nations around the world with very long historical qualifications that influences Europe and Environment. Lubedroomurious and chic feels never entirely relate to pricey. Often, antique bed with iconic ornament results in spectacular home. Space designers have their own individual design and definition when coming into this type of concept. Typical and conventional method of mattress is still the key home furniture. Ordinarily, the bed is in double dimension, so it is fairly big for just one individual. Headboard and footboard use picket as the leading material and you may not often locate metallic. French place bedroom focuses on how you can match the primary furniture with other. 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You have to retain the balance concerning uncomplicated, old, and most up-to-date design. White is Most important coloration for wall and floor. You could possibly increase Photograph body or ornament to further improve inventive part. It is better to avoid wallpaper, Ebedroomcept if to go over the defection. Simple, sophisticated, and lubedroomurious are The fundamental idea of French state bedroom. As a result, you will notice why this type is the most gorgeous design and style in the slightest degree.Do you might have minimal budget to decor bedroom? Well, selling price does not decide good quality or decoration and style. Needless to say, you are totally free To place antique and lubedroomurious items for bedroom. In compact bedroom on a spending plan, various furnishings are offered to build convenient and fantastic-wanting area. It might not be delubedroome space as 5-star resort. Nonetheless, at the least you have the ability to snooze peacefully at nighttime. 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Little bedroom with a price range is about conserving income for improved product or service, so You should purchase tiny desk with minimalist drawer over the still left or appropriate facet. form the effect that you might want, so You can even deliver comfort in the shades.Purple typically provide the impact of elegance and delightful. A great deal of men and women like the purple. Purple significantly accentuates the character of a noble nature, a Status, wealthy and packed with ebedroomcellent and visionary. In developing the purple bedroom, it is possible to ebedroompress anything you want. You are able to take advantage of of your area into a dominant purple bedroom, which includes in the selection of wall coloration or purple wallpaper and purple bed. Or, You can also structure a bedroom purple with a variety of degradation due to the fact purple also has many kinds of density. One of them is grey and purple bedrooms.Also, grey is actually a neutral color which will provide the effect of quiet, peaceful, and secure as part of your bedroom. You should use in a method to apply it from the ground, your entire side walls and ceiling. Grey may make the home search spacious, providing the impression of straightforward and tranquil. Having said that, you have to think about if grey is used in ebedroomcessive, it could even have adverse effects like the effect of silent, chilly and rigid. You may provide shades of darkish brown on the leading home furniture in mattress. To really make it looks harmonious, use bedding equipment in white, but for pillow you can retain employing grey. Dark purple may be included to grey and purple bedrooms for household furniture including cabinets, tables, chairs, dressers, plus a console desk. And for that wall, you must use the same color body. 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On the other hand, if you’re likely for a more contemporary search, pick desks which might be much more metallic have modern traces and in many cases created out of glass.So there you have it, some practical information and recommendations on the corner research desk. So Eliving roomactly what are you waiting for? Go in eliving roomistence and have just one for your house!Common ceiling design and style is basic, flat, and white. You will discover these types of style in typical home. Having said that, people today want the contemporary and impressive Concepts to decor their ceiling. In this post, you can find some ceiling styles Tips to apply at your house. A lot of them are eliving roomtended model from normal and The remainder are wholly out of your boliving room. One basic plan to produce flat ceiling beautiful is to include plumber or wood to be a spot for lighting filiving roomture. Wooden pattern with dark brown provides new teliving roomture for the ceiling. You only bind this Wooden beneath eliving roomisting ceiling. Obviously, Wooden may be customized into numerous designs. Typical kind is rectangular. Just Be happy to try oval, circle, pentagon, heliving roomagon, etc. Therefore, chances are you will use this space for obtaining the family members collecting time. Just increase a coffee desk for completion. Also, you will have double capabilities place. Is that fantastic? Sometimes, its possible you will dismiss the wall paint Tips. The most crucial factor is how to place relaliving roomed sofa and broad screen for watching films. You just have to handle Individuals Thoughts. If you would like to make the theater as loved ones home, the addition of espresso table will likely be actually wanted. Individuals are definitely the matters to put in in smaller property theater space Tips that you need to know.Family room is a location where you devote many time in the middle of your business with family and friends. That’s why; the place ought to be at ease, gorgeous and useful Even when you are in a conventional dwelling. Different interior designs which offer the kind of classic residence living rooms commence to seem. There are numerous items to take into consideration when choosing the design of living room, including the style, personality along with your budget. This is certainly certainly different in the living room in apartment with a contemporary minimalist fashion. In fact, condominium is created in constrained Area. It makes the use of living room must be adjoined to a different place.By producing other people at ease when checking out the house, then absolutely you will sense comfortable too at some time in your own home. Equally critical in arranging a living room is the look itself. As we realize it, there are lots of style and design solution which may be applied as being a reference when you want to make a cushty property. However, there have to be so a lot of things for yourself to set up following acquiring couch and television racks. What are they? Under, there are plenty of Suggestions for additinal software for spouse and children rooms. It seems that you ought to stay right here for farther information. Couch assortment is a large deal for generating superb IKEA household area Tips. As you recognize, sofa is a vital software within a relatives area. For that reason, it really is affordable if it is best to choose couch in great design. Addressing the soda style and design collection, there are plenty of issues to contemplate. To begin with, You should pick couch in great coloration. This means that you should make the sofa coloration in line with the area decoration. If you wish to deliver Winter season concept to the family area, not surprisingly Its important to decide on sofa in light-weight blue shade selection. It is an important so that you can offer.Decide on relaliving roomed rugs to the IKEA relatives space Thoughts completion. After putting in sofa in fantastic shade and pleasant design and style, it truly is time to suit your needs to think about rugs software. Your loved ones room need to be comfy adequate. That may be why; selecting relaliving roomed rugs is a wonderful deal for you personally. Be certain that the rugs are so comfortable. Consequently, you are going to get superb IKEA household room Strategies. How is always that even feasible? The answer is lies within the home furnishings option that are likely to be applied because the decoration for your home. You will want to recall a selected essential part when endeavoring to enhance your own home with this concept. Decorating a dwelling inside with this idea is not only about acquiring mid-century modern home furnishings and arranges them everywhere you would like them to generally be. You must locate equilibrium and harmony in between the color plan and the dimensions in the household furniture. That basic component offers you interesting challenge after you do the decorating.Get started with The fundamental ingredient of the mid-century household furniture you will use. The design with the mid-century furniture is crucial, Specifically since it is the very first thing anybody sees. The dimension (dimension and form) on the mid-century furniture arrives after the look. Being familiar with the look on the mid-century furniture can assist you make a decision what mid-century home furniture goes nicely with it and Eliving roomactly what does not. Putting mid-century home furnishings near to other mid-century home furnishings thats not goes effectively with the design will only bring about unbalance in the interior. You may as well put a flat TV as entertainment machine with your space. To produce the area feels fresh new, put medium sizing of black pot contains of inebedroomperienced plant inside the corner. A further masculine bedroom structure that you will likely pick could be the one in blue concept coloration. Blue is ideal to describe masculine appear. This coloration is usually really comforting which is offered in different shades together with ocean, sky blue, topaz, and the like. For this kind of bedroom interior design, paint the wall with blue color you prefer. You will be able to put grey rug on the floor and simple wood desk in square form close to your bed. Inside the corner, supply a stress-free chair near book shelve made from glass. You are able to enjoy your time and efforts to read your favorite guide on this chair. Bedroom is a vital Place in the house. This home is the most non-public spot of yours which has the operate to help make you feel ease and comfort all through your rest. To be able To optimize its operate, you needs to have to embellish it for the most effective. Bedding is just one part that needs to be managed properly for the highest ease and comfort. Are you continue to searching for The concept to generate your mattress appears terrific? For your personal suggestion, chances are you will opt for teal and gray bedding. This can be the new type for bedding which combines the grey and teal color for the most effective and ebedroomclusive benefits. The mibedroom of teal and gray bedding models can be found in some alternatives. It is possible to select the set of bedding that has The mibedroom hues and pattern with the color of teal and grey. You will be able to Merge a single concept to Some others like nature and animal. Two themes ought to have mutual relation or assistance each other’s. Making use of completely two opposite theme into a single bedroom styles for boys just is not superior plan. How would you place soccer and rain forest theme in one one space? Therefore, a person concept is sufficient to build sophisticated bedroom for boys.Little space does not suggest its useless or restricted. With right management, bedroom Tips for teenage girls with modest rooms are no longer jus creativeness. Theres two certain are in this subject. Very first thing is place House. Small or large one particular needs distinctive design. Frequently, particular household furniture can provide in the two of area space. Having said that, making use of purposely home for tiny place lower unwanted result like imbalance and unmatched look. 2nd make a difference is girls. As you all know, space for ladies are undoubtedly distinct in topic and thought. There is certainly age that decides how one particular space really should be produced. House affect nearly all of Over-all room style. The simplest way to make correct bedroom ideas for teenage women with small rooms is employing small home furnishings. Place tiny cupboard and console table as wardrobe substitution. In this way could be much too Ebedroomcessive but quite simple. You do not will need big wardrobe to put clothes. Modification present furniture minimizes Charge and Area respectively. Check with practical ebedroomperience people today to recuperate Perception about bedroom structure for small home. Murphy mattress is likely to be good selection nevertheless it really need to carefully mounted. Men and women can modify their bedroom with sliding traction. It might be pulled out or in. Working with certain topic is brief strategy to get well idea. There are numerous Suggestions about ladies bedroom for certain modest home, theme affect each part like furnishings, coloration, etcetera. Do not overlook the component of optimum lighting in bedroom to enliven the nuances. Grey and purple bedrooms Tips will be the best choice If you are able to apply it effectively. It is actually attractive in generating the sophistication and class when applied with the right blend colours. Absolutely, ebedroomcellent blend of accessories can be particularly needed. Purple and grey search great with ebedroomotic decor.Are you interested in make neat bedrooms for teenage fellas? You might have teenage boys so that you have to decorate a bedroom for them. There are lots of thought of bedroom decoration idea that you should know. However, You need to select one of them according to funds that you have got established ahead of. Referring to this subject, there are plenty of Strategies for you to know. These are seriously inspirational for making your teenage bedroom seems to be superb. So, just keep here for more inspirations.The main level in interesting bedrooms for teenage guys is about wall paint coloration assortment. Be sure that the colour is darkish. If you wish to select brilliant shade option for wall paint, it have to be coupled with distinct coloration. Handling the awesome coloration, darkish blue is so great.

2019-04-19T23:12:48Z

http://theblbar.com/tag/white-wooden-sink-cabinet-with-gray-top/

84 Commercial Real Estate and Properties in Canberra South are listed in 6 categories. We have 73 Offices for Sale & Lease , 41 Industrial Warehouses for Sale & Lease , 12 Retail Shops for Sale & Lease , 4 Showrooms for Sale & Lease , 2 Medical and Consulting Properties for Sale & Lease and 2 Development Lands for Sale & Lease . Abundance Of Natural Light | Malls Nearby | Free Parking $253pw | 4 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $253pw Price incl. Large unfurnished office in the leafy suburb of Kambah. This space is as good as your own lease as you can secure a 12 person open plan workspace, three smaller private offices and a large private boardroom at a way lower cost on a more flexible commitment. There are also options to split the space up for smaller teams. It boasts great levels of natural light through large windows on three sides to encourage productivity and creative thinking throughout your business. There is a range of storage space and some furniture including desks, partitions and whiteboards if they’re needed. There are also print/scan facilities and the space can be securely accessed 24 hours a day. Perfect for businesses in the service industry that require their own private space, this office represents an incredibly affordable and agile alternative to a costly long term lease. Located in the heart of Kambah, this large office space has parking, great transport links and fab convenience to amenities. The building is split into four units and the tenants together have shared access to toilets and a generous kitchen/breakout area. It has a large shared car park and street parking is also easy to find on Kett Street. This excellent location is in between the Burns Club and Kambah shops, including Woolworths and lots of specialty shops for great day to day convenience, and the building enjoys a lovely tranquil outlook over the Kambah playing fields. It’s situated just off the Tuggeranong Parkway so a journey to Canberra takes just 15 minutes and, even better, you beat all the traffic as you’re travelling away from the city in the morning and towards it in the evening. Life is easier working in Tuggeranong and you’ll love the tranquil green filled area that surrounds this Kumbah office space. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 4. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Access to secure printer and scanner , Building outgoings included , Electricity usage included , Lockable storage unit , High speed Internet Building features , Abundance of natural light , Air conditioning , Car parking in building (Free) , Car parking Street (Free) , Gym and fitness centre close by , Print, scan and copy facilities , Retail and shopping malls nearby 250m to Woolworths 150m to Burns Club buffet Direct access to gym and day care centre 200m Tuggeranong Parkway, giving access to the city WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only and may be withdrawn at any time due to space availability. Ideal Location | Premium Grade Office Space | Abundance Of Natural Light $67pw | 1 Person Workspac.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $67pw Price incl. Polished and professional managed space in affluent Barton location close to Canberra's Parliament House. Price includes: Commercial grade internet | Access to meeting and boardrooms | Flexible terms | Access to internal breakout areas | Business lounge | Professional environment | Stunning Reception | Great Natural Light | Premium Serviced Office | A Grade fit out Located and at the footsteps of Parliament House and Government Departments in one of Canberra's newest five star buildings, 18 National Circuit is also nearby Australia's most iconic attractions. The National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, Questacon Award winning Hotel Realm and Burbury Hotel are all close The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 1. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent A prestigious address for your business cards Mail and courier management services Local phone number and dedicated receptionist 3 hours /day FREE use of Coworking lounges worldwide 3 days /mth FREE use of private offices outside your city Access to boardrooms and meeting rooms worldwide Access to secretarial and IT support Signage board in foyer to highlight your business name Secure high speed WiFi in Coworking lounges and private offices Electricity usage included Flexible terms from 1 month to long term Ability to bring your existing phone number over No security deposit when you sign with credit card Book all facilities and view bills online or on our apps First month is FREE, no further obligation Building features Modern high rise classified as an "A" grade building Immaculate fit out and facilities 24 x 7 security High speed lifts Car parking in building and surrounding areas Dedicated on site management team Available on a pay as you go basis when you need it Non accumulative and subject to availability 30m to Bus 50m to Gym, Pub and Shopping Centre 5m to Park Ideal location, with everything close by! WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub is Australia & New Zealand\'s No 1 small office space commercial real estate agency. We have the largest collection of shared spaces, coworking and serviced offices in Australia & New Zealand, perfect for 1 100 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. Price includes any incentives offered. This is for new tenants only. Abundance Of Natural Light | Cafes And Shops Nearby | Free Meeting Rooms $74pw | 1 Person Workspac.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $74pw Price incl. Large commercial office in Phillip offering a range of private and coworking spaces for rent. With flexible terms and multiple workspace options, there is heaps of potential here for businesses of all sizes – it could be rented by a 15 person team to make it their very own private office or by multiple individuals and small businesses in a shared working scenario. The workspace harbours a traditional office look with partitioned coworking areas, spacious private offices and comfortable sofa areas with plenty of office furniture and storage units provided. Commercial grade internet is already setup and the advertised rate covers every cost to do with the space – no need to worry about upfront costs or legal fees with this simple agreement. Meeting rooms can be used freely, the whole space is regularly cleaned and there is a large kitchen space where you can relax on breaks. Affordable and generous, this office space could be the perfect home for your business – enquire today to explore the options and arrange a move in date to suit you. This striking commercial building is placed in the centre of Woden just steps from the action at Westfield Woden Shopping Centre. It’s prominently positioned and features three lifts, basement parking and a recently renovated foyer for a great professional look. Plus it enjoys a wonderful northerly aspect with fantastic views towards Canberra to keep you inspired all day long. The setting is ideal for anyone wanting to work in Canberra’s southern suburbs – it’s 100m from a wide range of amenities and services at Westfield Woden, a couple of kilometres from the Tuggeranong Parkway, 7.3km from Parliament Circle and just over 10km to Civic. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 1. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to kitchen facilities , Building outgoings included , Commercial grade internet (Free) , Electricity usage included , Flexible terms , FREE use of the meeting rooms , Plug and play furnished workspace , Regular cleaning Building features , Abundance of natural light , Air conditioning , Car parking Street / Public Car Park (Paid) , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Direct access to public transport , End of trip facilities e.g showers, bike racks , Onsite Cafe / Restaurant , Professional working environment 10m to Woden Bus Interchange 50m to Westfield Woden 10min to Canberra CBD Close to shops, cafes, restaurants, bars in fact everything! WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub is Australia & New Zealand\'s No 1 small office space commercial real estate agency. We have the largest collection of shared spaces, coworking and serviced offices in Australia & New Zealand, perfect for 1 100 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. Price includes any incentives offered. This is for new tenants only. Free Meeting Rooms | Transport Close By | Abundance Of Natural Light $190pw | 2 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $190pw Price incl. Large commercial office in Phillip offering a range of private and coworking spaces for rent. With flexible terms and multiple workspace options, there is heaps of potential here for businesses of all sizes – it could be rented by a 15 person team to make it their very own private office or by multiple individuals and small businesses in a shared working scenario. The workspace harbours a traditional office look with partitioned coworking areas, spacious private offices and comfortable sofa areas with plenty of office furniture and storage units provided. Commercial grade internet is already setup and the advertised rate covers every cost to do with the space – no need to worry about upfront costs or legal fees with this simple agreement. Meeting rooms can be used freely, the whole space is regularly cleaned and there is a large kitchen space where you can relax on breaks. Affordable and generous, this office space could be the perfect home for your business – enquire today to explore the options and arrange a move in date to suit you. This striking commercial building is placed in the centre of Woden just steps from the action at Westfield Woden Shopping Centre. It’s prominently positioned and features three lifts, basement parking and a recently renovated foyer for a great professional look. Plus it enjoys a wonderful northerly aspect with fantastic views towards Canberra to keep you inspired all day long. The setting is ideal for anyone wanting to work in Canberra’s southern suburbs – it’s 100m from a wide range of amenities and services at Westfield Woden, a couple of kilometres from the Tuggeranong Parkway, 7.3km from Parliament Circle and just over 10km to Civic. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 2. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to kitchen facilities , Building outgoings included , Commercial grade internet (Free) , Electricity usage included , Flexible terms , FREE use of the meeting rooms , Plug and play furnished workspace , Regular cleaning Building features , Abundance of natural light , Air conditioning , Car parking Street / Public Car Park (Paid) , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Direct access to public transport , End of trip facilities e.g showers, bike racks , Onsite Cafe / Restaurant , Professional working environment 10m to Woden Bus Interchange 50m to Westfield Woden 10min to Canberra CBD Close to shops, cafes, restaurants, bars in fact everything! WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub is Australia & New Zealands No 1 small office space commercial real estate agency. We have the largest collection of shared spaces, coworking and serviced offices in Australia & New Zealand, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. Price includes any incentives offered. This is for new tenants only. Excellent Lighting | Modern Utilities | Fitted And Furnished $1688pw | 31 Person Works.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $1688pw Price incl. Large unfurnished office in the leafy suburb of Kambah. This space is as good as your own lease as you can secure a 12 person open plan workspace, three smaller private offices and a large private boardroom at a way lower cost on a more flexible commitment. There are also options to split the space up for smaller teams. It boasts great levels of natural light through large windows on three sides to encourage productivity and creative thinking throughout your business. There is a range of storage space and some furniture including desks, partitions and whiteboards if they’re needed. There are also print/scan facilities and the space can be securely accessed 24 hours a day. Perfect for businesses in the service industry that require their own private space, this office represents an incredibly affordable and agile alternative to a costly long term lease. Located in the heart of Kambah, this large office space has parking, great transport links and fab convenience to amenities. The building is split into four units and the tenants together have shared access to toilets and a generous kitchen/breakout area. It has a large shared car park and street parking is also easy to find on Kett Street. This excellent location is in between the Burns Club and Kambah shops, including Woolworths and lots of specialty shops for great day to day convenience, and the building enjoys a lovely tranquil outlook over the Kambah playing fields. It’s situated just off the Tuggeranong Parkway so a journey to Canberra takes just 15 minutes and, even better, you beat all the traffic as you’re travelling away from the city in the morning and towards it in the evening. Life is easier working in Tuggeranong and you’ll love the tranquil green filled area that surrounds this Kumbah office space. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 31. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Access to secure printer and scanner , Building outgoings included , Electricity usage included , Lockable storage unit , High speed Internet Building features , Abundance of natural light , Air conditioning , Car parking in building (Free) , Car parking Street (Free) , Gym and fitness centre close by , Print, scan and copy facilities , Retail and shopping malls nearby 250m to Woolworths 150m to Burns Club buffet Direct access to gym and day care centre 200m Tuggeranong Parkway, giving access to the city WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only and may be withdrawn at any time due to space availability. Abundance Of Natural Light | Free Meeting Rooms | Bike Racks & Showers $253pw | 4 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $253pw Price incl. Large commercial office in Phillip offering a range of private and coworking spaces for rent. With flexible terms and multiple workspace options, there is heaps of potential here for businesses of all sizes – it could be rented by a 15 person team to make it their very own private office or by multiple individuals and small businesses in a shared working scenario. The workspace harbours a traditional office look with partitioned coworking areas, spacious private offices and comfortable sofa areas with plenty of office furniture and storage units provided. Commercial grade internet is already setup and the advertised rate covers every cost to do with the space – no need to worry about upfront costs or legal fees with this simple agreement. Meeting rooms can be used freely, the whole space is regularly cleaned and there is a large kitchen space where you can relax on breaks. Affordable and generous, this office space could be the perfect home for your business – enquire today to explore the options and arrange a move in date to suit you. This striking commercial building is placed in the centre of Woden just steps from the action at Westfield Woden Shopping Centre. It’s prominently positioned and features three lifts, basement parking and a recently renovated foyer for a great professional look. Plus it enjoys a wonderful northerly aspect with fantastic views towards Canberra to keep you inspired all day long. The setting is ideal for anyone wanting to work in Canberra’s southern suburbs – it’s 100m from a wide range of amenities and services at Westfield Woden, a couple of kilometres from the Tuggeranong Parkway, 7.3km from Parliament Circle and just over 10km to Civic. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 4. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to kitchen facilities , Building outgoings included , Commercial grade internet (Free) , Electricity usage included , Flexible terms , FREE use of the meeting rooms , Plug and play furnished workspace , Regular cleaning Building features , Abundance of natural light , Air conditioning , Car parking Street / Public Car Park (Paid) , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Direct access to public transport , End of trip facilities e.g showers, bike racks , Onsite Cafe / Restaurant , Professional working environment 10m to Woden Bus Interchange 50m to Westfield Woden 10min to Canberra CBD Close to shops, cafes, restaurants, bars in fact everything! WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub is Australia & New Zealands No 1 small office space commercial real estate agency. We have the largest collection of shared spaces, coworking and serviced offices in Australia & New Zealand, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. Price includes any incentives offered. This is for new tenants only. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $253pw Price incl. Large unfurnished office in the leafy suburb of Kambah. This space is as good as your own lease as you can secure a 12 person open plan workspace, three smaller private offices and a large private boardroom at a way lower cost on a more flexible commitment. There are also options to split the space up for smaller teams. It boasts great levels of natural light through large windows on three sides to encourage productivity and creative thinking throughout your business. There is a range of storage space and some furniture including desks, partitions and whiteboards if they’re needed. There are also print/scan facilities and the space can be securely accessed 24 hours a day. Perfect for businesses in the service industry that require their own private space, this office represents an incredibly affordable and agile alternative to a costly long term lease. Located in the heart of Kambah, this large office space has parking, great transport links and fab convenience to amenities. The building is split into four units and the tenants together have shared access to toilets and a generous kitchen/breakout area. It has a large shared car park and street parking is also easy to find on Kett Street. This excellent location is in between the Burns Club and Kambah shops, including Woolworths and lots of specialty shops for great day to day convenience, and the building enjoys a lovely tranquil outlook over the Kambah playing fields. It’s situated just off the Tuggeranong Parkway so a journey to Canberra takes just 15 minutes and, even better, you beat all the traffic as you’re travelling away from the city in the morning and towards it in the evening. Life is easier working in Tuggeranong and you’ll love the tranquil green filled area that surrounds this Kumbah office space. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 4. If that\'s not quite right, we have ready to use workspaces of all sizes all over the world and our free service will help you find the perfect solution for your needs. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Access to secure printer and scanner , Building outgoings included , Electricity usage included , Lockable storage unit , High speed Internet Building features , Abundance of natural light , Air conditioning , Car parking in building (Free) , Car parking Street (Free) , Gym and fitness centre close by , Print, scan and copy facilities , Retail and shopping malls nearby 250m to Woolworths 150m to Burns Club buffet Direct access to gym and day care centre 200m Tuggeranong Parkway, giving access to the city WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only and may be withdrawn at any time due to space availability. Fitted And Furnished | Abundance Of Natural Light | Ideal Location $1100pw | 4 Person Worksp.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $1100pw Price incl. Light, stylish and professional space in Barton for medical and health based businesses. This building has two spare 20sqm medical offices available to be rented together or separately. With plenty of room in each office, you can move all your equipment in and enjoy a fresh and clean environment in which to welcome clients and treat patients. Included in the rent is 24/7 access, secure high speed internet, printing & scanning and the services of the onsite reception team to take calls and messages for you. As well as your light filled dedicated space, you have access to a shared kitchen and bathroom facilities and all are regularly cleaned and well maintained. Key benefits will be gaining unlimited networking and referral opportunities and an exciting sociable atmosphere as you work within a whole community of commercial health businesses. This is the perfect opportunity for medical, psychology, physiotherapy, massage, alternative health, holistic wellness and other practices in similar health related sectors. Flexible short and long term rentals available – enquire today! This first floor office space in Barton sits within a modern mixed use development filled with health and professional services businesses. It’s right behind the Realm Hotel and Burberry Hotel in the heart of Barton where you can enjoy a range of popular cafes, restaurants and amenities. Perfectly positioned between the City, Manuka and Kingston, this office sets you up in a midway point for all your clients plus gives you great access to the Parliamentary Precinct. The building is fully air conditioned with direct lift access from the carpack to the business door making it accessible and comfortable for patients – there are also 350 public car parks in the vicinity so parking will always be easy. The busy professional atmosphere is offset by plenty of greenery to create a feeling of wellbeing, adding to the totally picture perfect package for health businesses in Canberra. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 4. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , Access to kitchen facilities , Access to secure printer and scanner , Collaborative space with a great community feel , Commercial grade internet , Regular cleaning , Secure high speed Internet , Your own receptionist and waiting area for your clients Building features , Air conditioning , Boutique low rise buidling , Car parking in building (Paid) , Car parking Street (Free) , Company Branding at reception , Company branding in foyer , Contemporary fit out , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Direct access to public transport , Disabled access and facilities 7 minutes to Canberra hospital, 10 minutes to Calvary hospital and 1 minute to Barton Private 5 hotels within walking distance, restaurants, bars and cafes within walking distance also 3 minutes to Manuka 7 minutes from CBD, 10 minutes from Woden, 15 minutes from Belconnen 12 Minutes from the airport WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only and may be withdrawn at any time due to space availability. Enjoyable Working Environment | Fitted And Furnished | Economical Workspace $443pw | 7 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $443pw Price incl. Large unfurnished office in the leafy suburb of Kambah. This space is as good as your own lease as you can secure a 12 person open plan workspace, three smaller private offices and a large private boardroom at a way lower cost on a more flexible commitment. There are also options to split the space up for smaller teams. It boasts great levels of natural light through large windows on three sides to encourage productivity and creative thinking throughout your business. There is a range of storage space and some furniture including desks, partitions and whiteboards if they’re needed. There are also print/scan facilities and the space can be securely accessed 24 hours a day. Perfect for businesses in the service industry that require their own private space, this office represents an incredibly affordable and agile alternative to a costly long term lease. Located in the heart of Kambah, this large office space has parking, great transport links and fab convenience to amenities. The building is split into four units and the tenants together have shared access to toilets and a generous kitchen/breakout area. It has a large shared car park and street parking is also easy to find on Kett Street. This excellent location is in between the Burns Club and Kambah shops, including Woolworths and lots of specialty shops for great day to day convenience, and the building enjoys a lovely tranquil outlook over the Kambah playing fields. It’s situated just off the Tuggeranong Parkway so a journey to Canberra takes just 15 minutes and, even better, you beat all the traffic as you’re travelling away from the city in the morning and towards it in the evening. Life is easier working in Tuggeranong and you’ll love the tranquil green filled area that surrounds this Kumbah office space. The advertised work space is perfect for a team of 7. If you need more or less space we have furnished and unfurnished offices ready to go from 10sqm 200sqm all over Australia and New Zealand. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Access to secure printer and scanner , Building outgoings included , Electricity usage included , Lockable storage unit , High speed Internet Building features , Abundance of natural light , Air conditioning , Car parking in building (Free) , Car parking Street (Free) , Gym and fitness centre close by , Print, scan and copy facilities , Retail and shopping malls nearby 250m to Woolworths 150m to Burns Club buffet Direct access to gym and day care centre 200m Tuggeranong Parkway, giving access to the city WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only and may be withdrawn at any time due to space availability. Natural Light | Prestigious Location | Shared Workspace $253pw | 2 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $253pw Price incl. Cool and high quality Serviced office located next to Canberra Airport. Price incl. Internet, Rent & Building outgoings 24/7 Access Access to meeting and boardrooms Access to internal breakout areas Open plan layout Stunning Reception Located in the ultra modern Brindabella Business Park development, this A Grade building contains a mix of private offices and shared desks in an exciting, cutting edge work environment. Brightly lit and airy with access to NBN internet, this space is well positioned with restaurants, cafes and Canberra International Airport all nearby. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 2. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Building outgoings included , Commercial grade internet , Flexible terms , A prestigious address to put on your business cards , Worldwide access to boardrooms, meeting rooms and day offices , Plug and play furnished workspace Building features , Air conditioning , Conference facilities available , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Modern fit out , Natural light , Open plan layout , Private offices , Professional environment , Shared office space , Quick access to major airports 7 minute drive to Majura shopping centre 3.5kms to IKEA Canberra 750m to Canberra Airport WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. All pricing shown excludes any local taxes such as GST or VAT Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only and may be withdrawn at any time due to space availability. Furnished 2-person Workspace With Unlimited Access To Coworking Breakout Areas Across The Servcorp Network All-inclusive $562 weekly.. Enjoy a fully furnished private office located in Canberra’s best address. Designed to be "plug and play", this space is fully furnished with all IT and communications infrastructure provided. The Nishi building is an award winning sustainable building in Canberra’s NewActon design precinct. The building boasts spectacular views across Lake Burley Griffin, the National Museum of Australia, the Telstra tower and the new Parliament House. Private sector building occupants include Clayton Utz, State Super and Molonglo Group. A number of Australian Commonwealth Government departments are also tenants, including The Department of Industry, Innovation and Science, and Safe Work Australia. What your weekly rent includes : • Fully furnished office with 24/7 access • Local phone number assigned with a dedicated receptionist to answer your calls • Impressive address on your website and collateral • High speed and secure Internet with 99.99% uptime • Connect with 40,000+ like minded business professionals • Community events to build your local network • Access to coworking and breakout areas • Modern kitchen facilities with complimentary coffee and tea • Pay as you go services including print facilities, administration and in house IT support. • Meeting room and boardroom access with member rates • Access to Servcorp's 160+ locations including 5 days free office usage outside your home state. Please contact us to arrange a tour today! Note Photos are representative of the workspaces you immediately get access to as part of your Servcorp membership. Outgoings are not included in the weekly price. $513pw | 4 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $513pw Price incl. Professional serviced office in Kingston. Price incl. Internet, Telephone, Electricity & Kitchen Flexi terms Regular Cleaning 24/7 access Dedicated receptionist Trendy Canberra Location close to Parliament House Avail NOW for short or long term rent Located in Canberra's popular inner south between the Canberra railway station and the Kingston Powerhouse, this low rise boutique building is only an 8 minutes drive to the CBD. These new developments and the rise of a cafe culture have reformed Kingston as one of the most exclusive suburbs in Canberra. Located in Kingston, Canberra's oldest suburb, this space provides you with a professional and economical total office solution. The advertised work space is perfect for a team of 4. If you need more or less space we have furnished and unfurnished offices ready to go from 10sqm 200sqm all over Australia and New Zealand. What you get for your weekly rent Furnished office with desks, chairs and lock up storage units Complimentary receptionist to meet and greet your clients Unlimited commercial grade internet service Electricity usage included Regular cleaning Telephone number & handset Prestigious business address to put on your cards Flexible terms from 1 month 2 years Ability to bring your existing phone number over 24 x 7 access to your office 24 x 7 security Office features Views from selected offices Full mail management and postage Large boardroom and meeting rooms Signage board in foyer to highlight your business name (fees apply) Server / Comms rooms available for server storage Building features Modern building Food court in building Bike racks and shower facilities High speed lifts Car parking in building and surrounding areas Dedicated on site management team 100m to buses along Giles Street 600m to Canberra Train Station WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub is Australia & New Zealand\'s No 1 small office space commercial real estate agency. We have the largest collection of shared spaces, coworking and serviced offices in Australia & New Zealand, perfect for 1 100 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. Price includes any incentives offered. This is for new tenants only. A Grade Fitout | Excellent Amenities | Impressive Location $484pw | 2 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $484pw Price incl. Polished and professional managed space in affluent Barton location close to Canberra's Parliament House. Price includes: 24/7 Access | Commercial grade internet | Access to meeting and boardrooms | Flexible terms | Access to internal breakout areas | Business lounge | Professional environment | Stunning Reception | Great Natural Light | Premium Serviced Office | A Grade fit out Located and at the footsteps of Parliament House and Government Departments in one of Canberra's newest five star buildings, 18 National Circuit is also nearby Australia's most iconic attractions. The National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, Questacon Award winning Hotel Realm and Burbury Hotel are all close The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 2. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent Furnished office with desks, chairs and lock up storage units Commercial grade internet service Telephone line and personalised phone answering Use of kitchen facilities with premium coffee/tea service Electricity usage included Complimentary receptionist to meet and greet your clients Prestigious business address Flexible terms from 1 month to long term Ability to bring your existing phone number over Business lounge with complimentary break out areas 24 x 7 Access to your office 24 x 7 security Office features Immaculate fit out and facilities Full mail management and postage Large boardroom and meeting rooms Signage board in foyer to highlight your business name Professional environment Server / Comms rooms available for server storage Building features Modern high rise classified as an "A" grade building 24 x 7 access to your office High speed lifts Car parking in building and surrounding areas Dedicated on site management team The advertised price includes building outgoings and is based on one person occupying the workspace. If you have 2 or more people extra fees will apply to cover off services like telephone, internet and kitchen amenities. 30m to Bus 50m to Gym, Pub and Shopping Centre 5m to Park Ideal location, with everything close by! WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub is Australia & New Zealands No 1 small office space commercial real estate agency. We have the largest collection of shared spaces, coworking and serviced offices in Australia & New Zealand, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. Price includes any incentives offered. This is for new tenants only. Dedicated Receptionist | Modern Building | Regular Cleaning $573pw | 6 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $573pw Price incl. Professional serviced office in Kingston. Price incl. Internet, Telephone, Electricity & Kitchen Flexi terms Regular Cleaning 24/7 access Dedicated receptionist Trendy Canberra Location close to Parliament House Avail NOW for short or long term rent Located in Canberra's popular inner south between the Canberra railway station and the Kingston Powerhouse, this low rise boutique building is only an 8 minutes drive to the CBD. These new developments and the rise of a cafe culture have reformed Kingston as one of the most exclusive suburbs in Canberra. Located in Kingston, Canberra's oldest suburb, this space provides you with a professional and economical total office solution. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 6. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent Furnished office with desks, chairs and lock up storage units Complimentary receptionist to meet and greet your clients Unlimited commercial grade internet service Electricity usage included Regular cleaning Telephone number & handset Prestigious business address to put on your cards Flexible terms from 1 month 2 years Ability to bring your existing phone number over 24 x 7 access to your office 24 x 7 security Office features Views from selected offices Full mail management and postage Large boardroom and meeting rooms Signage board in foyer to highlight your business name (fees apply) Server / Comms rooms available for server storage Building features Modern building Food court in building Bike racks and shower facilities High speed lifts Car parking in building and surrounding areas Dedicated on site management team 100m to buses along Giles Street 600m to Canberra Train Station WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub is Australia & New Zealand\'s No 1 small office space commercial real estate agency. We have the largest collection of shared spaces, coworking and serviced offices in Australia & New Zealand, perfect for 1 100 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. Price includes any incentives offered. This is for new tenants only. A Grade Building | Cafes And Shops Nearby | Prestigious Location $635pw | 5 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $635pw Price incl. Cool and high quality Serviced office located next to Canberra Airport. Price incl. Internet, Rent & Building outgoings 24/7 Access Access to meeting and boardrooms Access to internal breakout areas Open plan layout Stunning Reception Located in the ultra modern Brindabella Business Park development, this A Grade building contains a mix of private offices and shared desks in an exciting, cutting edge work environment. Brightly lit and airy with access to NBN internet, this space is well positioned with restaurants, cafes and Canberra International Airport all nearby. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 5. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Building outgoings included , Commercial grade internet , Flexible terms , A prestigious address to put on your business cards , Worldwide access to boardrooms, meeting rooms and day offices , Plug and play furnished workspace Building features , Air conditioning , Conference facilities available , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Modern fit out , Natural light , Open plan layout , Private offices , Professional environment , Shared office space , Quick access to major airports 7 minute drive to Majura shopping centre 3.5kms to IKEA Canberra 750m to Canberra Airport WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. All pricing shown excludes any local taxes such as GST or VAT Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only and may be withdrawn at any time due to space availability. Dedicated Receptionist | Excellent Amenities | Fully Furnished $175pw | 5 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $175pw Price incl. Professional serviced office in Kingston. Price incl. Internet, Telephone, Electricity & Kitchen Flexi terms Regular Cleaning 24/7 access Dedicated receptionist Trendy Canberra Location close to Parliament House Avail NOW for short or long term rent Located in Canberra's popular inner south between the Canberra railway station and the Kingston Powerhouse, this low rise boutique building is only an 8 minutes drive to the CBD. These new developments and the rise of a cafe culture have reformed Kingston as one of the most exclusive suburbs in Canberra. Located in Kingston, Canberra's oldest suburb, this space provides you with a professional and economical total office solution. The advertised work space is perfect for a team of 5. If you need more or less space we have furnished and unfurnished offices ready to go from 10sqm 200sqm all over Australia and New Zealand. What you get for your weekly rent Furnished office with desks, chairs and lock up storage units Complimentary receptionist to meet and greet your clients Unlimited commercial grade internet service Electricity usage included Regular cleaning Telephone number & handset Prestigious business address to put on your cards Flexible terms from 1 month 2 years Ability to bring your existing phone number over 24 x 7 access to your office 24 x 7 security Office features Views from selected offices Full mail management and postage Large boardroom and meeting rooms Signage board in foyer to highlight your business name (fees apply) Server / Comms rooms available for server storage Building features Modern building Food court in building Bike racks and shower facilities High speed lifts Car parking in building and surrounding areas Dedicated on site management team 100m to buses along Giles Street 600m to Canberra Train Station WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub is Australia & New Zealand\'s No 1 small office space commercial real estate agency. We have the largest collection of shared spaces, coworking and serviced offices in Australia & New Zealand, perfect for 1 100 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. Price includes any incentives offered. This is for new tenants only. Buses Nearby | Fully Furnished | Brightly Lit $140pw | 2 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $140pw Price incl. This boutique managed space is a winner for small businesses and individuals alike! Situated in Canberra South, the creative space combines serviced offices, hotdesks and permanent desks in a light and modern open plan workspace. Your team will benefit from dedicated meeting rooms, boardrooms and communal kitchen areas and they’ll love the stylish and light filled open plan design. This managed office space is in the ideal location of Symonston, South Canberra, close to the Canberra Outlet Centre and Mill Creek Oval, just 6.4km from the city centre with excellent road and public transport links. Symonston is a primarily industrial and agricultural suburb of Canberra so this location may suit a business operating in these industries. The modern office building has disabled access, in built and street parking, a great little cafe and 24/7 CCTV monitoring. There are shower and kitchen facilities as well as mail handling services and a pet friendly policy. The advertised work space is perfect for a team of 2. If you need more or less space we have furnished and unfurnished offices ready to go from 10sqm 200sqm all over Australia and New Zealand. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , Access to internal breakout areas , Commercial grade internet , Electricity usage included , Flexible terms , Premium Coffee/Tea Facilities , Fully equipped boardrooms, meeting rooms and day offices (fees may apply) , Plug and play furnished workspace , One simple bill for everything related to your workspace , FREE business networking events , Collaborative space with a great community feel Building features , Air conditioning , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Disabled facilities , Modern fit out , Natural light , Showers , Modern communal food preparation areas , Car parking in building (Paid) , Car parking Street (Free) , Pet friendly office space , Creative co working space Multiple bus links within 600m 11km from Canberra Airport Close to cafes and bars of Manuka and Kingston Road access from Canberra Avenue Parking available WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only and may be withdrawn at any time due to space availability. Regular Cleaning | Trendy Location | Dedicated Receptionist $653pw | 5 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $653pw Price incl. Professional serviced office in Kingston. Price incl. Internet, Telephone, Electricity & Kitchen Flexi terms Regular Cleaning 24/7 access Dedicated receptionist Trendy Canberra Location close to Parliament House Avail NOW for short or long term rent Located in Canberra's popular inner south between the Canberra railway station and the Kingston Powerhouse, this low rise boutique building is only an 8 minutes drive to the CBD. These new developments and the rise of a cafe culture have reformed Kingston as one of the most exclusive suburbs in Canberra. Located in Kingston, Canberra's oldest suburb, this space provides you with a professional and economical total office solution. The advertised work space is perfect for a team of 5. If you need more or less space we have furnished and unfurnished offices ready to go from 10sqm 200sqm all over Australia and New Zealand. What you get for your weekly rent Furnished office with desks, chairs and lock up storage units Complimentary receptionist to meet and greet your clients Unlimited commercial grade internet service Electricity usage included Regular cleaning Telephone number & handset Prestigious business address to put on your cards Flexible terms from 1 month 2 years Ability to bring your existing phone number over 24 x 7 access to your office 24 x 7 security Office features Views from selected offices Full mail management and postage Large boardroom and meeting rooms Signage board in foyer to highlight your business name (fees apply) Server / Comms rooms available for server storage Building features Modern building Food court in building Bike racks and shower facilities High speed lifts Car parking in building and surrounding areas Dedicated on site management team 100m to buses along Giles Street 600m to Canberra Train Station WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub is Australia & New Zealand\'s No 1 small office space commercial real estate agency. We have the largest collection of shared spaces, coworking and serviced offices in Australia & New Zealand, perfect for 1 100 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. Price includes any incentives offered. This is for new tenants only. Natural Light | Cafes And Shops Nearby | Prestigious Location $1519pw | 8 Person Worksp.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $1519pw Price incl. Cool and high quality Serviced office located next to Canberra Airport. Price incl. Internet, Rent & Building outgoings 24/7 Access Access to meeting and boardrooms Access to internal breakout areas Open plan layout Stunning Reception Located in the ultra modern Brindabella Business Park development, this A Grade building contains a mix of private offices and shared desks in an exciting, cutting edge work environment. Brightly lit and airy with access to NBN internet, this space is well positioned with restaurants, cafes and Canberra International Airport all nearby. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 8. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Building outgoings included , Commercial grade internet , Flexible terms , A prestigious address to put on your business cards , Worldwide access to boardrooms, meeting rooms and day offices , Plug and play furnished workspace Building features , Air conditioning , Conference facilities available , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Modern fit out , Natural light , Open plan layout , Private offices , Professional environment , Shared office space , Quick access to major airports 7 minute drive to Majura shopping centre 3.5kms to IKEA Canberra 750m to Canberra Airport WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. All pricing shown excludes any local taxes such as GST or VAT Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only and may be withdrawn at any time due to space availability. Abundance Of Natural Light | Transport Close By | A Grade Building $126pw | 1 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $126pw Price incl. Cool and high quality Serviced office located next to Canberra Airport. Price incl. Internet, Rent & Building outgoings 24/7 Access Access to meeting and boardrooms Access to internal breakout areas Open plan layout Stunning Reception Located in the ultra modern Brindabella Business Park development, this A Grade building contains a mix of private offices and shared desks in an exciting, cutting edge work environment. Brightly lit and airy with access to NBN internet, this space is well positioned with restaurants, cafes and Canberra International Airport all nearby. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 1. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Building outgoings included , Commercial grade internet , Flexible terms , A prestigious address to put on your business cards , Worldwide access to boardrooms, meeting rooms and day offices , Plug and play furnished workspace Building features , Air conditioning , Conference facilities available , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Modern fit out , Natural light , Open plan layout , Private offices , Professional environment , Shared office space , Quick access to major airports 7 minute drive to Majura shopping centre 3.5kms to IKEA Canberra 750m to Canberra Airport WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only. Abundance Of Natural Light | Transport Close By | A Grade Building $232pw | 2 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $232pw Price incl. Cool and high quality Serviced office located next to Canberra Airport. Price incl. Internet, Rent & Building outgoings 24/7 Access Access to meeting and boardrooms Access to internal breakout areas Open plan layout Stunning Reception Located in the ultra modern Brindabella Business Park development, this A Grade building contains a mix of private offices and shared desks in an exciting, cutting edge work environment. Brightly lit and airy with access to NBN internet, this space is well positioned with restaurants, cafes and Canberra International Airport all nearby. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 2. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Building outgoings included , Commercial grade internet , Flexible terms , A prestigious address to put on your business cards , Worldwide access to boardrooms, meeting rooms and day offices , Plug and play furnished workspace Building features , Air conditioning , Conference facilities available , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Modern fit out , Natural light , Open plan layout , Private offices , Professional environment , Shared office space , Quick access to major airports 7 minute drive to Majura shopping centre 3.5kms to IKEA Canberra 750m to Canberra Airport WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only. 4-person Plug And Play Workspace With Abundant Natural Light All-inclusive $924 weekly.. Spacious Working Environment | Convenient Location | Spectacular Views $1519pw | 9 Person Worksp.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $1519pw Price incl. Cool and high quality Serviced office located next to Canberra Airport. Price incl. Internet, Rent & Building outgoings 24/7 Access Access to meeting and boardrooms Access to internal breakout areas Open plan layout Stunning Reception Located in the ultra modern Brindabella Business Park development, this A Grade building contains a mix of private offices and shared desks in an exciting, cutting edge work environment. Brightly lit and airy with access to NBN internet, this space is well positioned with restaurants, cafes and Canberra International Airport all nearby. The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 9. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Building outgoings included , Commercial grade internet , Flexible terms , A prestigious address to put on your business cards , Worldwide access to boardrooms, meeting rooms and day offices , Plug and play furnished workspace Building features , Air conditioning , Conference facilities available , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Modern fit out , Natural light , Open plan layout , Private offices , Professional environment , Shared office space , Quick access to major airports 7 minute drive to Majura shopping centre 3.5kms to IKEA Canberra 750m to Canberra Airport WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only. Filtered Light | Premium Fit Out | Great Location $382pw | 3 Person Workspa.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $382pw Price incl. Cool and high quality Serviced office located next to Canberra Airport. Price incl. Internet, Rent & Building outgoings 24/7 Access Access to meeting and boardrooms Access to internal breakout areas Open plan layout Stunning Reception Located in the ultra modern Brindabella Business Park development, this A Grade building contains a mix of private offices and shared desks in an exciting, cutting edge work environment. Brightly lit and airy with access to NBN internet, this space is well positioned with restaurants, cafes and Canberra International Airport all nearby. The advertised work space is perfect for a team of 3. If you need more or less space we have furnished and unfurnished offices ready to go from 10sqm 200sqm all over Australia and New Zealand. What you get for your weekly rent , 24/7 Access , 24/7 Security , Access to internal breakout areas , Access to kitchen facilities , Building outgoings included , Commercial grade internet , Flexible terms , A prestigious address to put on your business cards , Worldwide access to boardrooms, meeting rooms and day offices , Plug and play furnished workspace Building features , Air conditioning , Conference facilities available , Dedicated men and ladies bathrooms , Modern fit out , Natural light , Open plan layout , Private offices , Professional environment , Shared office space , Quick access to major airports 7 minute drive to Majura shopping centre 3.5kms to IKEA Canberra 750m to Canberra Airport WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub has largest collection of shared office space, sublet office space, creative coworking office space and serviced offices, perfect for 1 200 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. The advertised price includes any incentives offered based on a 12 month agreement. If a shorter period is agreed to please note the price may increase accordingly. This promotional offer for new tenants only. $1414pw | 10 Person Works.. PROPERTY OVERVIEW $1414pw Price incl. Polished and professional managed space in affluent Barton location close to Canberra's Parliament House. Price includes: 24/7 Access | Commercial grade internet | Access to meeting and boardrooms | Flexible terms | Access to internal breakout areas | Business lounge | Professional environment | Stunning Reception | Great Natural Light | Premium Serviced Office | A Grade fit out Located and at the footsteps of Parliament House and Government Departments in one of Canberra's newest five star buildings, 18 National Circuit is also nearby Australia's most iconic attractions. The National Gallery of Australia, National Library of Australia, National Portrait Gallery, Questacon Award winning Hotel Realm and Burbury Hotel are all close The advertised office space is perfect for a team of 10. If you need more or less space, we have over 30,000 furnished workspaces all over the world suitable for a team of 1 to 200+. Our award winning team offer a free service that will help you find the perfect solution for your needs, so reach out if you need more help. What you get for your weekly rent Furnished office with desks, chairs and lock up storage units Commercial grade internet service Telephone line and personalised phone answering Use of kitchen facilities with premium coffee/tea service Electricity usage included Complimentary receptionist to meet and greet your clients Prestigious business address Flexible terms from 1 month to long term Ability to bring your existing phone number over Business lounge with complimentary break out areas 24 x 7 Access to your office 24 x 7 security Office features Immaculate fit out and facilities Full mail management and postage Large boardroom and meeting rooms Signage board in foyer to highlight your business name Professional environment Server / Comms rooms available for server storage Building features Modern high rise classified as an "A" grade building 24 x 7 access to your office High speed lifts Car parking in building and surrounding areas Dedicated on site management team The advertised price includes building outgoings and is based on one person occupying the workspace. If you have 2 or more people extra fees will apply to cover off services like telephone, internet and kitchen amenities. 30m to Bus 50m to Gym, Pub and Shopping Centre 5m to Park Ideal location, with everything close by! WHO IS OFFICE HUB? Office Hub is Australia & New Zealand\'s No 1 small office space commercial real estate agency. We have the largest collection of shared spaces, coworking and serviced offices in Australia & New Zealand, perfect for 1 100 employees. Let us take you on a tour of all the spaces that fit your needs and budget. Our service is complimentary and we work for you and the landlord to negotiate the most competitive deal in the market. Let us show you how shared and serviced offices can be the perfect solution for your business. www.office hub.com.au www.office hub.co.nz Conditions apply A portion of the square meterage factors in access to shared space. Price includes any incentives offered. This is for new tenants only.

2019-04-20T23:02:29Z

https://www.commercialproperty2sell.com.au/real-estate/act/canberra-south/offices/

Science needs women.forwomeninscience. Carol Milano. Chris Tachibana Editor: Sean Sanders. 24 September 2010 .org/en/fellowships/loreal VIROLOGY From the Invisible to the Global MOLECULAR BIOLOGY Exploring the Basic Units of Life 12 16 20 NEUROSCIENCE The Brain’s Allure MICROBIOLOGY The Universe in a Single Cell IMMUNOLOGY The Powers of Proteins Writers: Virginia Gewin. Young women researchers in the Life Sciences can apply for one of the 15 annual UNESCO-L’ORÉAL For Women in Science International Fellowships.com © 2010 American Association for the Advancement of Science.000 each over a two-year period.unesco. Application forms for International Fellowships are available at: www.D.Call for applications UNESCO-L’ORÉAL International Fellowships Contents INTROS On Their Way to the Top–2 By Sean Sanders. in support of research abroad. are worth up to $40. All Rights Reserved. Changing the Face of Science: The L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Partnership–3 4 8 The world needs science. The Fellowships. Designer: Amy Hardcastle www. Copy Editor: Robert Buck. Ph. At the global level.D. Some were inspired by their parents. and represent the key to the future. married with children. has a 35 percent lower chance of being granted tenure than a man with the same family situation. In the United States. Although this list does not cover all areas of research. Each year. Ph.com Fan us on Blog on Watch us on Follow us on For Women in Science .On Their Way to the Top There is one thing you will find that almost all scientists have in common: a huge passion for their work. Yet the role of women in science still needs to be defended. their interest in science began when they were young. a recent study by the Center for American Progress shows that a woman scientist with a Ph. young and old.D. Paradoxically. Science • • • • For many young researchers. 84 percent of respondents believe that science lies at the heart of their daily life.unesco. and Immunology. They will also give you some insight into their personal triumphs and struggles as these women have strived to build successful and meaningful careers for themselves.forwomeninscience. And that is particularly true of the successful and dedicated women featured in this new Women in Science booklet. Through the For Women in Science program.forwomeninscience. Microbiology.com www. as well as more established researchers who have experienced the many ups and downs of a life in biology research.twitter. and some came to it accidentally.. nearly 1. kindly sponsored once again by the L’Oreal Corporate Foundation. Molecular Biology. Sean Sanders. according to a 2009 TNS Sofres survey conducted in 10 countries in partnership with the L’Oréal Corporate Foundation and UNESCO. 5 eminent women scientists are honored by the L’Oréal-UNESCO Awards. But all have carried their excitement and interest in doing science through to their adult years. we meet 16 women in five different areas of biology research: Virology. for their outstanding scientific contributions and commitment to research. In this latest Women in Science booklet. often while they were still in elementary school.com/forwomeninscience www. L’Oréal and UNESCO have taken the initiative in recognizing women whose research contributes to changing the world.org/en/fellowships/loreal 2 . some by their teachers. but only 30 percent are in the sciences or technology. from women demonstrating their scientific passion and inspiring the same in others.youtube. These top-ranking scientists embrace universal challenges ranging from health and the environment to social actions. All of our featured scientists have an enthusiasm for what they do that is infectious! For many of them. L’Oréal and UNESCO work together to promote the cause of women in science by highlighting scientific excellence and encouraging young women to pursue scientific careers. Fellowships are awarded to promising young women to encourage them to pursue careers in science. the essays about the scientists in these fields will give you an idea of the differences. Over the past twelve years.com/4womeninscience www. the program today represents an invaluable source of motivation and inspiration. Each year. and similarities. Neuroscience. We have interviewed young scientists just starting out. Commercial Editor. All of their situations are unique and interesting. www. 864 Fellowships for young women researchers in 93 countries. This booklet will also be made available in print later in the year when we will publish these stories and more. one per continent. women hold over half of university degrees.Official Page agora. We hope that you enjoy their stories and take inspiration from their personal tales. Changing the Face of Science The L’Oréal-UNESCO Partnership For Women in Science F or the past twelve years. as they head for the top.000 women have been recognized: 62 “For Women in Science” Award Laureates from 28 countries. between their jobs. and even tried to do research when I was in school. but she trained as a veterinarian. your school might have a program to connect you with professors at a nearby university. and says she has been interested in science since high school. “I always wanted to be in the lab. and keep at it.PAMELA BJÖRKMAN A VETERINARIAN LEARNS MOLECULAR BIOLOGY FROM A VIRUS Margarita Marqués Martinez. The important thing. She was awarded a UNESCO-L’Oréal Fellowship to work in virus research at the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg. This is how farm animals like sheep can be made to secrete medically useful proteins into their milk. she uses MARTINEZ what she learned from virus research in her work on animals. says Pamela. like how they take over an entire cell using just a few proteins. who is finding ways to use the designer antibodies for possible gene therapy against HIV and AIDS. she starts with a few rare antibodies that are good at preventing HIV from infecting host cells. or for vaccines. a L’Oréal-UNESCO laureate in 2006. but I didn’t know anyone who could help me find a lab. known as Margot. They predict patterns of infection and plan public health strategies for when a viral disease spreads around the world during a pandemic. She and the scientists in her lab examine how these antibodies work. has also been interested in science since she was a young student. the virus that causes acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. The best of the engineered antibodies are sent to another scientist who collaborates with Pamela’s lab.” When Margot was a postgraduate student in Spain. RNA or DNA. She says. like how to engineer genes. wrapped in protein. and maybe for healthier animals.” she says.” Virology: From the Invisible to the Global Pamela Björkman is a designer.” In her laboratory at the California Institute of Technology. so they work even better. Since milk is so easy to collect. and used therapeutically. though. “I really enjoyed high school chemistry. She designs proteins to attack HIV (human immunodeficiency virus). She doesn’t design clothes or buildings or anything that we can see. “We’re trying to design a better anti-HIV antibody.” If visiting or working in a research laboratory sounds interesting to you. “I’ve always liked looking at cells under the microscope and observing things that you are not able to see with just your eyes. or get a vaccine. Now. Now. her supervisors wanted her to learn molecular biology techniques. and introduce them into cells. Pamela. “The reward is that you are doing something in the laboratory that can translate into a benefit for people. then tweak them or combine them with parts of other proteins. These simple structures pose complicated puzzles. though. is a biology professor. where she learned how to clone MARGOT and manipulate genes. is to “try doing research as soon as you can. 4 5 .” says Pamela. Virologists study how viruses force their way into our cells and how our bodies fight back. I sometimes have high school students working in my own lab. the proteins can be quickly purified from the milk proteins.” ? W h at is V i r o l o g y? In their most basic form. or AIDS. back in Spain. “But people don’t make very effective antibodies against HIV. Viruses can’t multiply unless they infect a host cell. or you could do research as an undergraduate in college. our immune system makes antibodies that stick to the virus so it can’t infect our cells. finding ways to put new genes into sheep cells. and how they evade our immune system’s efforts to eliminate them. When we are infected with a virus. Margot’s work could improve the amount of these proteins that sheep produce in their milk. too. she says. viruses are just genetic material. ” UNESCO-L’Oréal Fellowship work—and now to Princeton University in the United States. “I love their enthusiasm!” Don’t lose that energy. just like a virus. “so collaborations are very important. and I look forward to teaching. especially math and biology. They went out to beaches to find where seals were dying.” 7 PETRA KLEPAC . but if you are willing to take on challenges.” All these scientists are very dedicated. “When people find what they love to do. The project used her training in math and biology.” If you are interested in virus research as a career. discovery. and at conferences and seminars. “I work in a small institute.” Since then. and entertained her with stories of unusual experiments and science problems. “Your best years in science are also your reproductive years. and find good people to mentor and train you. Finding a balance between work and family is a challenge for any scientist. Since viruses infect all types of cells. and the best way to get vaccines and treatments to people around the world during a disease outbreak. Margot says she’s grateful to her mentors. Like Margot.” she says. “Once a year.” as long as you have a love of science. “Right now.” Margot was educated in Spain. says Petra. especially math and biology.” THE BIG PICTURE Petra Klepac has a passion for science. says Margot. who taught her to ask good scientific questions. not all virus research projects involve humans. They may travel around the world. and I found an area where I could combine the two. She also stresses that biology is not a 9-to-5 job. “In science.” she says. and to be creative and rigorous about answering them. both as a teacher. because she worked with scientists and veterinarians from several other countries. She studies how viruses can spread through a population. “Your family must understand and support your passion for your work. Petra says it is “very doable.” she says. perhaps for women in particular. Another aspect of being a scientist that students might not expect is public speaking. Petra is encouraging. “I’ve always liked science. She says this taught her that “science can be fun. because you need a lot of education to get to the place you want to be. Petra uses computer modeling to see how factors like time. But it is easy to talk about something you love doing.” she says. and her enthusiasm is clear as she describes her work on the big picture of viral infection— the really big picture. and technology. Petra says scientists must learn to juggle many time-consuming interests. she advises. Spain.” says Margot. she says former students of her school came back to talk about what they were learning in college. students come and spend a day with us and see what we are doing. Germany. saying. not geeky! And it can be cool when you solve a problem. routine does not exist! If you like every day of the week to be the same. Margot says. This global approach is common among scientists. Her advice is “follow your curiosity and go where your interests lie. in León. before they start at the university. they are naturally good at it. which is a consideration for women going into any scientific field. her pursuit of science has taken her from Croatia to universities in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania—where she carried out her “I’ve always liked science. In science.Just as she was taught new skills as a student. She wants to improve how health officials control infectious diseases. Margot now encourages new students at her university. then used computer modeling to figure out how the virus was transmitted through the seal population in northern Europe. they acquire and transmit knowledge.” She notes that she already has many women on her research teams. or planning the strategy against viral pandemics. and the Roslin Institute in the United King- dom (where Dolly the sheep was cloned). When Petra was a student in Croatia. don’t go into science. “where I work.” whether that is studying the details of a single virus. I think there are at least three women for every man. or medical research to improve the way doctors treat viral infections. and the cost of a drug or vaccine. “I enjoy talking about my work. For this reason. and her people skills. The virus causes a disease that is like the canine distemper that people vaccinate their dogs against. “There’s nothing that girls and young women can’t do. but instead of spreading disease. it’s completely worth it. and still travels often. and I found an area where I could combine the two. and spend many hours working and thinking about their research. But if you love doing it. Petra now uses what she learned from that project to follow the transmission of human viruses. Another of Petra’s projects was tracing transmission of a virus in harbor seals. affect how quickly nations respond to a disease epidemic. though. then science could be for you.” she says. maybe you have to be a little more persistent and self-motivated. gratefully. and you forget everything else. “You had to work with what you had. her research focus. that helps regulate how and when cells divide. has two atoms of hydrogen and one oxygen atom. or how.” In basic science. it’s amazing! You can’t imagine until you’re in this field. she was a cellular biologist specializing in cell biology and parasitology at Central Universidad de Venezuela in Caracas. That’s very WATCHING CELLS MOVE Like Rocio. Rocio was able to spend seven months in Seattle at the University of Washington. hours before some of her five colleagues.PAMELA BJÖRKMAN ELIZABETHBLACKBURN ELIZABETH BLACKBURN far away. “but the basic science that I do is the first step in this process. it’s the carrier of all the genetic information) is made up of many millions of carbon. ROCIO DIAZ-BENJUMEA BENAVIDES ? W h at is M o l e c u l a r B i o l o g y? A molecule is a tiny particle made up of at least one atom.. doing key experiments that allowed her to complete her Ph. which are common there. phosphorus. “We work with cells growing in Petri dishes. It’s much less dangerous than working with parasites. the delight can now come from someone else’s work.D. Rocio appreciated being able to take three months of maternity leave. RhoA.” Rocio admits. Antonina Roll-Mecak is elated at seeing great data emerge on a project after lengthy hard work. and her family situation. for instance. But the work is just as difficult—these cells take longer to grow. “My boss is really nice. as well as her own. A water molecule. we could discover a way to help control cancer. Rocio doesn’t want to get discouraged after a lot of hard work on a project shows no results. In Venezuela. her research had more limitations. and get contaminated very easily. nitrogen.” At the lab. Her applications for a full time scientific position led her to a postdoctoral fellowship at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia in 2005. while DNA (found in the nucleus of every cell. Molecular biology is still a young science and is closely related to biochemistry and genetics. In her case. and hydrogen atoms. and keep your eye on the big picture. 8 9 . she starts at 8:15 a. “Then something works. When her son was born in early 2009. she’s shifted her location.” Rather than face the difficulty of studying a completely unfamiliar parasite.” she explains. We must find out what goes on in the cell before we can plan to cure someone. You have to be very patient. why am I doing this?—nothing’s happening. “No one worked with the same parasites I had studied in Venezuela. In January. These include DNA and RNA (which guides the way the body synthesizes protein. and always try.m. try again. Rocio quickly discovered that she had unique research expertise.” Molecular Biology: Exploring the Basic Units of Life When Rocio Diaz-Benjumea Benavides won her UNESCO-L’Oreal Fellowship in 2003. in 2004.m. Antonina became the head of her own lab—a big career advancement—at the U. Molecular biologists study the functions and interactions of biological molecules inside a cell.S.” she says. Sometimes you ask yourself. National Institutes of Health (NIH). “If we find out how RhoA is controlled. Rocio decided to switch her research to study a small protein. She’s the head of the new Cell Biology and Biophysics Unit in the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. “you constantly ask why. If I can ever get a result that could lead to a vaccine. Seven years later. The work is so interesting. which also study cells on a molecular level. I can get whatever I need. but very rare here. “You just try to approach your goal in other ways. and leaves by 5 p. a major component of all plant and animal cells).” she acknowledges. it would be awesome. It’s fascinating how things work in a cell—everything is so tiny!” Rocio loves studying the RhoA protein because it regulates some of the processes that are altered when a cell becomes cancerous. oxygen. Here. which carry serious diseases. With her L’Oreal fellowship. After you decide how to renovate the space and what equipment to order. “That’s the reality of biological and clinical research. Little organelles move on tracks. During Ph. “Science sometimes brings a moment when everything clicks into place. Many degenerative diseases are linked to mutations in proteins that form the cell’s microtubular skeleton. you will never work a single day in your life. It’s great to see someone so happy. Over lunch one day. If we can understand the features of a healthy cell’s microtubulular structure. she was eager to understand molecules. and possibly how to prevent or treat it. She has one biochemist and one physicist in her lab. I still feel that in science. and international universities. we could learn what changes them in a disease. “I think science is generally long hours. It’s very exciting that my first postdoc got a fellowship on his first try! That feeling validates his work. She’s elated that the word is in Webster’s Dictionary. molecularmovies.” The prestige of becoming an Investigator brings major demands.” Antonina recounts. it doesn’t feel like a job.D. When DNA doesn’t have enough protection at its tips.S.” Elizabeth Blackburn’s calling showed in her childhood love of animals.” It was an ‘aha!’ moment when Elizabeth first saw the pattern of the enzyme that repairs DNA ends. but an even rarer reward: the 2009 Nobel Prize in Medicine. “You walk into the new lab. what new directions we’re working on. was about to become Molecular Biology. For the first few months. Her scientific contributions have brought not only a new dictionary word. it doesn’t feel like a job. It’s intriguing how those play off against each other. ANTONINA ROLL-MECAK A 2006 UNESCO-L’Oreal Fellow. Curious about chemical activity inside cells. To encourage her 16-yearold intern’s increasing scientific interest. she became fascinated with the long strips of DNA that form chromosomes. It just feels like your calling. At 10 years old. it can’t renew itself. She and her lab team named their 1985 discovery “telomerase” because it protects the telomeres. A cell’s tracks. Telomerase levels are very high in cancer cells.m. and interactions with people. still part of biochemistry in the 1960s.” Antonina reports.” Antonina says happily.” Elizabeth remembers. They’re being constantly taken apart and rebuilt. Antonina recommended a website (www. and the cell stops dividing and replenishing tis- ELIZABETH BLACKBURN 11 . She often talks with them about “the big picture—where their own projects are going.” Elizabeth reflects. If you love it. It just feels like your calling.” says the Morris Herztstein Professor of Biology and Physiology at the University of California. that’s part of the fascination. She got hooked seeing visuals of proteins because they look cool. You really have to like the process. she worked from 9 a. you can never stop. and may also be related to heart disease. and nothing’s there. Elizabeth always knew she’d be a scientist. to 11p. San Francisco. “Her mom said Rachel watched it for days. creative thinking time. To me. Our lab tries to understand what modulates the dynamic behavior of the microtubules. the train tracks are stable. This weakens the immune system. ‘Aha! I can see it—this is really something new. and our lab’s project.’ That’s why. whose research achievements recently led to her being named as a Searle Scholar. Years of observation convinced her that as telomeres wear down and are rebuilt. because it’s all-consuming. keep adapting. some kind of enzyme is probably causing that renewal activity. and 2008 L’Oréal-UNESCO laureate.” Antonina enjoys mentoring younger scientists. Antonina researches the cell’s ability to move and respond to external signals.” she explains. The fascination is mutual. Elizabeth studies telomerase’s role in various diseases.m. called microtubules. You suddenly say. I wanted to sequence the DNA at the end of each chromosome. a cell is the image of a bustling city. Elizabeth finds frequent collaboration “a very exciting. She appreciates the scientist’s combination of solitary. 10 and told her friends what molecules can do. studies at Cambridge University. chose NIH because she’s allowed to spend 80 percent of her time doing her own lab work. she’d imagine “the glamorous life of a scientist—probably not a realistic view. so Elizabeth hopes this research can someday be applied to treating cancer. You’re always learning more about what makes us tick. “There’s such beauty to creatures and animals.com) with scientific animations of important cellular processes. sues. I wake up every day and think about what’s going on in our lab. Rachel shared a favorite quote: “If you love what you do. “In a city. That specialty. once you become a scientist. Things are very exciting in research now. She appreciates NIH’s graduate programs with U.” Antonina. “They’re like shoelaces with a cap (telomere) at the end that protects all their genetic information.” Having done much of her earlier work alone.THE “AHA!” MOMENT “If you love it. knowing how to get to the right place at the right time. and especially its year-round program for high school and undergraduate students. you have to train your people so some knowledge transfers from you to them and they can become selfsufficient in the lab.” she reflects. enjoyable new part of where our science is. “Through a microscope. She’s not complaining. advances in genetics enable researchers to pinpoint the genes and proteins that will lead to new drug targets for neurodegenerative disorders. she develops software that helps doctors implant electrodes deep inside the brain more accurately and effectively. neuroscience is about studying what makes us human. Once she completed her Ph. That experience helped convince Sridevi to ? W h at is N e u r o s c i e N c e? Neuroscience—one of the most diverse. imaging. she says creativity is needed to find the answers. She now leads the department of molecular genetics within the Flanders Institute for Biotechnology (VIB). and genetic approaches to study brain development. spinal cord and billions of specialized nerve cells. Christine’s research has identified genes and proteins that sabotage brain cells and lead to dementia. behavior. and move.” she adds. Christine’s experience is just one example of how the brain’s marvelous complexity brings together the variety of scientific backgrounds necessary to unlock its mysteries. also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. She was so impressed that hundreds of people had donated their most sacred and complex organ to scientific exploration that she decided to use her training to search for the genes responsible for neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia.CHRISTINE VAN BROECKHOVEN (center) and her lab members use her training in mathematical modeling to study the most complex system possible—the brain. feel. Sridevi pursued a postdoctoral appointment in computational neuroscience where she learned to model the activity of neuron clusters. So she took classes to explore her growing interest in neuroscience and conducted a case study of her aunt. Since then. interdisciplinary branches of biology—is the study of the brain. are among those who have helped shed light on how the brain works—often by searching for the causes of its malfunction. There. “What’s lacking is the ability to put all these pieces of the puzzle together. At the same time. As a Ph. 12 The human element ultimately lured Sridevi Sarma to neuroscience. and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. diseases—until the Belgian scientist toured the brain collection of the Institute Born-Bunge at the University of Antwerp in 1983. Today she is a biomedical engineer at Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Computational Medicine in Baltimore. Maryland. “The reality is that we live in a technology savvy world where we can now probe the brain in three dimensions. who was diagnosed with a rare case of early onset Parkinson’s disease. new imaging capabilities. Neuroscientists often focus their research efforts on brain abnormalities or diseases in order to find potential treatments. at its essence.D. Geneticists. molecular biologists. student at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alzheimer’s disease. but also as a way to find out how brains normally function. The electrodes deliver an electric current which stimulates nearby neurons and alters how they communicate information—and they ultimately help patients with conditions like Parkinson’s disease to control their movements. in electrical engineering. This growing field of research combines chemical. and record electrical activity from single neurons in every different part of the brain. 13 . but they ultimately weren’t complex enough for her. biological. even electrical engineers. a nonprofit research institute housed across four Flemish universities. and cognition. For example. that transmit the electrical impulses necessary to think. New technologies are allowing researchers to glimpse the brain’s inner workings. called neurons. including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and positron emission tomography (PET). Neuroscience: The Brain’s Allure Christine Van Broeckhoven intended to study the molecular genetics of metabolic SRIDEVI SARMA RIPE FOR DISCOVERY Neuroscience is on the cusp of big breakthroughs that will help unlock the brain’s mysteries and deliver therapies to patients. But while technology provides the tools.” says Christine. allow researchers to monitor which specific cells are active inside the brain while a task is being performed. identify every structure down to the micron.” says Sridevi. “Researchers are drawn to the brain because.D. Sridevi could have used her engineering background to design passenger airplanes. a neuroscientist’s reach extends beyond the laboratory. As godmother of the Flemish Alzheimer’s Association. curiosity is a “disease” for which conducting research is the only cure. you can anticipate having an extremely interesting life!” she says. says Christine. the fellowship came at a time when they needed something to bolster their resolve for this career path. Christine says. but these renamic organ that is alsearchers want to see ways evolving. besuits are exciting cause the brain is a dyenough. identify six genes responsible for neuromuscular diseases. there was an investment in research that helped give patients and families hope for the future. rather than eschew. mately turn those targets into therapies. As these award laureates and fellowship winners prove. I needed to know that my work mattered. Researchtheir findings change AG ers are just beginning to A the lives of patients. but neuroscience has endless career opporThe intellectual purtunities—in part. In a field as intense and competitive as neuroscience. Working with patients. and not part of the aging process. Passion may be a prerequisite. Christine’s research environmental forces shaping the uncovers the potential targets for brain.” she says. and therefore not had the chance to join Dotti’s lab. known as TAU. which became legal in 2008. While they are all driven to find and deliver new therapies. “Finding out that I won the L’Oreal fellowship couldn’t have come at a better time.” says Christine. Belgium. 15 “If you have a passion for research. motivates her to keep finding ways to improve their quality of life. “If I hadn’t gotten the fellowship. She used the money to build a strong collaboration with a clinical neuroscientist at a nearby hospital. “I’m lucky because I’m doing discovery-based science that has a direct application to treating disease. From adipose tissue to umbilical cord to fallopian tubes.Finding treatments for are all pioneers because brain disorders drives everything is still so new. “Once dementia was recognized as a disease. the fellowship enabled her to join Carlos Dotti’s lab at VIB. so she pursued a career at Janssen Pharmaceutica in Beerse. the nerve junctions needed to store memories and learn. With so much yet to be learned. I do not know if I would have continued in science. torn by the demands of raising young children and conducting ambitious research. researchers can easily leave their mark in the field. which provides her with access to data from human patients. “We Agnieszka wanted her research to have a direct impact on treating disease. to offer physical therapy and psychological support to those with muscular dystrophy and their families. the first center of its type in Latin America. PAIRING PASSION WITH COMPASSION The award helped these women get their careers established. Mayana credits the L’Oreal-UNESCO Award with giving her the visibility to communicate the importance of stem cell research to the public. For Mayana. they have also had an impact on society through the variety of ways they’ve found to work with patients. and pursue her interests in conducting stem cell research. She says it was those donations that allowed her to begin identifying the genetic underpinnings of dementia. she almost wanted to give up. she has worked with thousands of affected families and pioneered the molecular techniques necessary to. whose research has been recognized around the world. For Agnieszka. the next therapeutic frontier involves the use of stem cells to treat neuromuscular disorders. “The brain we have at the end of our drug development. Mayana has spent over 25 years teasing apart the molecular genetics of neuromuscular diseases. you can anticipate having an extremely interesting life! ” A NEEDED BOOST For Mayana Zatz. 14 MAYANA ZATZ . For NI SK E SZ tease apart the biological and K A SADOW example. disrupts the ability of neurons to form synapses. a company exclusively devoted to developing treatments for mental disorders. she works with academics to determine how the accumulation of a protein. so far. she is grateful that the award allows women to celebrate both the compassion for patients that draws them to this field as well as their passion for research. Today the center offers care to 300 patients. But she never forgets how important it is to honor the patients who have donated their brains to research. For Sridevi and Agnieszka. she played a major role in convincing the Brazilian government to authorize research with embryonic stem cells. Sridevi hit a low point in her career when. Mayana founded the Brazilian Association of Muscular Dystrophy. but it is Agnieszka lives is not the same as the one we are born Sadowska’s work in industry that will ultiwith. their femininity.” she says. As a result. the UNESCO-L’Oreal Fellowship provides the recognition necessary to keep careers thriving. Mayana is exploring new sources of stem cells that would bypass the controversial use of embryos.” she says. As a result. For Christine.” says Christine. “If you have a passion for research.” many research efforts. but it sometimes must be stoked to stay alive. director of the Human Genome Research Center at the University of São Paulo in Brazil. She hopes that studying TAU will lead to the development of a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. There. L’Oréal-UNESCO Awards are special for two reasons: they honor womens’ achievements in often male-dominated fields and they encourage women scientists to embrace. but science chose me. multicelled arrangements. “if you are honest with yourself and follow your heart—it sounds corny—but you will know what you want to do. who received a UNESCO-L’Oréal Fellowship in 2001. Silvija and her coworkers are figuring out the structure of the complicated little protein gates that control how information and molecules go in and out of the nucleus. she says her education required determination. picking up things. who study if life is possible on planets like Mars. but microbes are found everywhere—from deep-sea vents to Antarctica—so microbiologists can work anywhere.” says Miroslava. and now Boston. where the temperatures are near boiling. “I’ve been interested in biology since my teenage years. Astrobiology. to a university department that specializes in “extremophilic” bacteria.” GLOBETROTTING MICROBIOLOGISTS Miroslava Atanassova is also a global microbiologist. Then. she plans to return to Bulgaria. To her. Scientists need “dedication. From her home country of Croatia. They also thrive at the North and South poles.” When she was a student. or low amounts of water. and looking at them with a simple microscope I had at home. you just have to try to get there. Silvija takes a few minutes to think about why she chose a career in microbiology. and I grew up in a family of scientists. microbiology is learning about “the universe of microorganisms. Eventually.” Getting there might mean seeing the world along the way. and enthusiastic teachers. however. “I liked going out to the forest or the mountains. In the middle of the chaos. “I have always been in love with nature. “It is not well understood. I read a lot of books about nature and animals.SILVIJA BILOKAPIC where conditions might include high amounts of acid or salt. 17 . From her home country of Bulgaria.” she says. and says it was “quite a good investment. These microbes live in harsh environments like hot springs and deep sea vents. All of this—my natural interest and curiosity. “I did not choose science. and the benefits of being in a family of researchers—led me into a career in natural sciences. known and unknown. Silvija has worked in Zurich. exploring life on other planets. the laboratory buzzes with students. who are very important to opening and motivating young minds. and every little piece of the global picture that we get about the structure is very exciting and motivating. Silvija says. and they need to seek out training from the best specialists in the field. in a lab that works on communication systems inside cells. For young women considering a career in biology. and is now doing postdoctoral research in Spain. Microbiologists in the food industries grow and engineer bacteria and yeast to help produce everything from vitamins to wine. Miroslava made a choice between a career in biochemistry or in microbiology.” she says. MIROSLAVA ATANASSOVA Microbiology: The Universe in a Single Cell Silvija Bilokapic is in the middle of a big experiment. These are the microorganisms that interest astrobiologists. or 16 ? W h at is MicroBiology Microbiologists study organisms that live as single cells or in simple. Her mother was a chemistry professor who let her spend time in the laboratory.” She laughs and says for her 15th birthday. patience. Massachusetts. It sounds like it means just working in a laboratory with microscopes. because she has always been drawn to biology. she asked for a book on genetics. and Miroslava always had access to a computer and a parent who was ready and able to explain how to use the software. but the pathogenic ones can cause serious diseases.” Now Silvija is a researcher at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “I was also lucky to have good. Switzerland (on a UNESCOL’Oréal Fellowship). Like Silvija. She says an encouraging microbiology teacher made all the difference.” Now Miroslava studies microorganisms that live in unusual environments. like bacteria that happily grow in water that is as hot as scalding tap water.” Her parents encouraged her interests. and visitors. while all around her. since humans live peacefully with billions of microbes. scientists. innovative. Miroslava has always been interested in science. Microbiologists might do medical research. she has studied and worked in France and Belgium. Besides good teachers. so a microbiologist might study how microbes thrive in harsh environments. starts with understanding microbial diversity on Earth. but technically complex. and opens doors. Then. where children are still dying of diarrhea. for her work studying a single bacterial protein that senses the cell’s environment. learning something new all the time.D. you can link it to anything. It’s not restricted. and creativity. and be prepared to do a large part of the learning and training without supervision or help. photography. when experiments don’t turn out as planned. Cindy has worked in science communication and outreach. “In some places. “Science is everywhere. Cindy talked about a communication system inside cells. because bacteria cause a lot of harm in the third world. She once connected traditional Spanish dancing to microbiology. People think science is boring. and the exchange of students between labs can help promote development. foreign labs. Most scientists enjoy the unpredictability of their work. and how pathogenic microbes can take over that system. through joint projects in health development in Third World countries. and even peace. Miroslava says you have to be ready to “assimilate large amounts of information and keep up-to-date in a rapidly developing field.” CINDY QUEZADA but it’s not. and there are many ways of incorporating other subjects and interests of your life into science.” as part of their training.” says Cindy.” Specifically. Cindy trained some Rwandan women in the techniques. which has let her combine her microbiology background with her interests in journalism. Cindy is also working on strengthening the science and technology relationship between the United States and Brazil. and a deep understanding of biological processes and phenomena. “If you are really interested in a scientific career. Silvija notes that “scientists are known to move from place to place every four or five years. for a program in New York City that brings scientists and artists together for a monthly public performance. “Science. and who want to go wherever new discoveries are waiting. Cindy Quezada was an international relations major in college.. She also advises having fun. but this can make for long hours. If you can link science to flamenco.S. I basically had to build my work environment from scratch.” 19 18 . you must have a strong will and motivation. mobility.” she says. MOBILITY AND CREATIVIITY The path to a career in microbiology isn’t always easy. though. and creativeness in your everyday existence which do not exist in many other fields. she investigated whether a fast. Microbiology can keep you on the move. include a unique point of view on the environment and society. which is a normal part of any scientific career. You have to learn an entire. passion. “But I was fascinated by science. “working on incorporating science into U.” Cindy also says science means having drive. and was interested in how to eliminate poverty and raise the standard of living for people throughout the world. There. It may not be an ideal field for homebodies. but it’s great for women who are interested in working in different parts of the world. “It opens your mind.” Starting with a chemistry class. I got interested in microbiology.” PATIENCE AND MOTIVATION. a flamenco dancer and musicians demonstrated intricate and interdependent signaling and communication between artists.” she says. be prepared for a long period of studying and training. “Just because you’re a scientist doesn’t mean that is all you do.” she says.” As an example. D. foreign policy. and mixing in your other interests. “And since I was interested in how to improve conditions in developing countries.MICROBIOLOGY AS DIPLOMACY Not all microbiologists grow up in a family of scientists.” says Miroslava. She was still interested in global health. she says. Back in the United States. prosperity. Cindy took more science classes. “Just do what really excites you and what doesn’t seem like work. and eventually earned a Ph. and even dance. specific way of thinking and it takes a lot of patience. Many diseases of the poor are caused by microorganisms. It opens your mind. she says. and opens doors. which President Obama outlined as part of a speech he gave in Egypt in June 2009. Miroslava also says microbiology offers “freedom. test for the bacterial disease tuberculosis could be used in areas with few modern resources.C.” she says. “can be a great diplomacy tool—collaborations between governments. The creative side is finding out new details about how life is organized. The rewards. Cindy is no longer in the laboratory. specifically host-pathogen interactions. but is at the State Department in Washington. “Science is everywhere. and together they wrote a clinical research paper about using the diagnostic test in resource-poor settings.” Her work is part of a broad effort to encourage cooperation between the United States and the Muslim world on science and technology. or even start out studying science in school. and a UNESCO-L’Oreal Fellowship allowed her to work in Rwanda in Africa. she approached professor Steve Mayo. Immunologists look at physical. I have a lot of flexibility. Now. The earliest written mention of immunology was during the Plague of Athens in 430 BCE. Irene feels pressure to get things done. “I’m in contact with people from all over the world. You’re sharing the joy with them. After recognizing her growing interest in how proteins interact. You can often plan experiments so you don’t have to be there on Sunday night.” exclaims the Yale University Sterling Professor of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry and Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator. thymus gland. “I like to go into structures and learn more about how they interact. and asked if she could join his lab to learn more about their techniques. When the immune system functions incorrectly.” she enthuses. She says she loved teaching undergraduate biochemistry at the University of Vienna. “A wonderful thing about a university. and advise the patient to stay away from whichever food was causing all those symptoms. “I want to get it done! If I don’t know how it works. chemical. Irene’s enthusiasm persists. Even when the work is difficult. an expert in protein design at Caltech. An allergy is caused by an overactive immune system. a doctor could identify the cause of a food allergy. and skin—are designed to protect our bodies from potentially harmful infections.” she explains. “If all the work isn’t done between Monday and Friday.” Immunology: The Powers of Proteins Irene Maier’s first big project in immunology brought her a Ph. Irene appreciates the flexible hours. Funded in part through a UNESCO-L’Oréal Fellowship. and physiological components of the immune system. is that they get excited about discoveries.” she notes. but with continuous experiments. “It’s a creative job. Its main organs—including bone marrow. 21 . It’s up to me to decide how I want to reach the goal. she worked on developing a biochip that could help diagnose food allergies. or I just want to finish something. studies all aspects of the immune system and how it functions. I want to find out. If a person has an allergy to something that’s usually harmless—like peanuts—the immune system will overreact and quickly attack that substance. with students to teach or work with in your lab.D.” Managing all that flexibility is a challenge. in both illness and health.PHILIPPA MARRACK She loves the challenge of trying to master a new technique. using computers to predict how the function of a protein might be altered when you change the sequence of its constituent amino acids. I come in on a weekend. As long as it fits in with the current project. It’s really neat!” she says. In trying to put my ideas into the real world. on top of the frustration when experiments don’t work. a delighted Irene moved from Austria to southern California in 2009.” Scientists can use the lab whenever they want. and I’m often most productive late at night. tonsils. Irene enjoys human interactions as much as structural ones. 20 IRENE MAIER ? W h at is i M M u N o l o g y? Immunology. ”Science is all about discovery. as well as collaborating with other scientists in different fields and getting great input. “I specialize in computational protein design. a wide range of problems. By using Irene’s diagnostic chip. can result. from arthritis to chronic infections. This is what causes the itchy eyes and runny nose of an allergic reaction. When Professor Mayo agreed to sponsor her. she has become a structural biologist on a postdoctoral fellowship at California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Her experiments are testing whether redesigning a protein’s structure in the lab can help control the way the immune system responds to a foreign substance. in biochemistry at the University of Vienna. you sometimes need to visit the lab for an hour.” SOLVING ONE OF LIFE’S PUZZLES Joan Steitz concurs. a large branch of medical science. “You have to stay motivated when you’re repeating an experiment again and again—eventually it will work. we’re allowed to do a lot of things. including the intricate changes that occur as the immune system and the brain develop.” Philippa studies survival and function of T cells. That’s what it’s all about!” LOOKING FOR THE “LITTLE THINGS” Philippa Marrack.“Sometimes you’re doing an experiment.” Scientists typically set their own hours. the T cell is alerted and multiplies rapidly to attack the invading germ. People get joy from the things they’re good at. “It’s a mistake to think that scientists lead solitary existences. Joan remembers testing a particular hypothesis. This is especially important for immunology research. with more people sharing discoveries. and then with more people by publishing. “You put them in not because anyone says you have to.’” Joan’s groundbreaking research of that mysterious splicing process has been important for understanding how proteins are formed. For Joan. but “you have to delight in little things along the way.” says Philippa. and depend on our colleagues for ideas. which change with a project’s stage. but believes it’s vital to teach and train the next generation of scientists. We educate. She’s eager to reach her lab each day “to learn what’s new. learn.000 unique protein “receptors” on its surface. jointly run their lab. the only thing that’s always gone smoothly was doing science together. and share the enthusiasm of the people actually producing the results. which retrieve the important genetic information from DNA. trying to find the beginning of the gene that will eventually make the right protein. “I developed the film and could see—for the first time— exactly HOW they do it! I drove home at 2 a. ‘Every cell in my body is doing that right now. Now the world understands better how life’s machinery operates. She has found a way to balance her family needs with those of her lab and career. I’ll do the faster experiments. Most scientists are driven by wanting to unravel mysteries.U N E S C O Award winner. discuss. like receptors and antigens. supervising over 20 people. learn. the fun’s always the excitement of “finding out how things work inside living organisms.” Philippa reflects. “And the more successful you are. because our bodies are made of chemicals—but have different skills in the kind of science we each understand or manage best. 23 . Her initial hypothesis and basic findings took two years. Immunologists interact with people all the time. We educate. confirm. too.” Together they make a great team.” Her biggest challenge was integrating science and family.” she explains. Taking time off can be challenging. “You can hardly wait to share it with others in the lab. since it is this kind of splicing that creates all the different types 22 of antibodies that can recognize and defend the body against the millions of viruses and bacteria out there. and depend on our colleagues for ideas. though. ‘That’s the answer!’ And you’re the only person on Earth who knows that. Any infectious organism also has proteins on its surface—called antigens—some of which may randomly match a particular T cell’s receptor. you reach an equilibrium. John Kappler. Then 10 other labs spent five more years to further explore. you want to get answers more quickly. where it is interspersed with what she calls ‘junk.m. a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Scholar and L’Oréal-UNESCO Award winner in 2004. “loves finding answers to life’s puzzles. get a new piece of data.’ “snRNPs are the machinery that gets rid of the junk and splices together the useful information. Philippa’s lab discovered what the T cell protein receptors look like. and understand snRNPs. During her research. the more people you’re responsible for. Each T cell has 40. Now. It’s also allowed her to explore other biological processes. who is a 2001 L’ O r é a l . different from every other T cell’s receptors. You’re so curious about what’s going on. “Groups working at different levels in your lab increases the reward level. Don’t let hard work or long hours scare you. advises Joan. Then ribosomes can make proteins without interference from the junky stuff. “In 36 years of marriage. discuss. look at it and say. As a lab manager. so they can be identified and studied. thinking.” She works with seven postdoctoral fellows.” Joan acknowledges. He’s very careful and precise. of which everyone has about a million million. It was really fun to figure that out. and some graduate students. she misses doing handson research. you’re not producing or publishing data. Joan and other scientists JOAN STEITZ are hoping that her research can help lead to new treatments for all sorts of serious immune system disorders. and questions with you. trying to care for two (now grown) children as well as her aging parents. where cells would die quickly.” Philippa and her husband. It does get hectic. “We were both trained as chemists—important for understanding biology. five undergraduates.” she confides. because when you’re not in the lab. When antigen and receptor come together.” “It’s a mistake to think that scientists lead solitary existences.” The University of Colorado immunology Professor is proud that her team solved “one of the ways the immune system knows not to attack the person it lives inside of. who often spends nine hours a day in her lab. several advanced scientists.” Joan. visions. discovered and defined the function of mammalian cells called small nuclear ribonucleoproteins (snRNPs).” she recounts. but because you want to. “Somehow. 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The anti-Roman sentiment of the Heidelberg Catechism is well-documented. In its contents the Catechism often seeks to combat Roman doctrine. However, this anti-Roman sentiment did not have its origin from textbooks and it was not merely an academic exercise. It was first and foremost a reaction to the ecclesiastical context of that time. At the same time that Elector Frederick III commissioned the writing of the Heidelberg Catechism, the Council of Trent was meeting on the other side of the Alpine mountains. Remarkably, this meeting had only recently decided to write a catechism of its own. It is very likely that the decision-makers in Heidelberg were aware of what was happening in Trent, and reacted accordingly. Underlying the decision to commission and write the Heidelberg Catechism was the acknowledgment of the importance of catechetical teaching. In several documents, which are closely related to the Heidelberg Catechism, the importance of catechetical teaching is highlighted. Interestingly, however, these documents also contrast the reformed principal of catechetical teaching with the Roman sacrament of confirmation. Whereas catechetical teaching leads children on the way from their baptism to the Lord's Supper, the sacrament of confirmation takes away the urgency for any form of catechetical teaching. Daar is reeds baie geskryf oor die anti-Roomse sentiment wat uit die Heidelbergse Kategismus spreek. Inhoudelik voer die Kategismus dikwels 'n stryd met die Roomse leer. Die oorsprong van hierdie anti-Roomse sentiment kom egter nie net uit handboeke nie en dit was ook nie bloot 'n akademiese oefening nie. Dit was eerstens veral 'n reaksie op die kerklike konteks van daardie tyd. Dieselfde tyd toe Keurvors Frederick III opdrag gegee het vir die opstel van die Heidelbergse Kategismus, het die Konsilie van Trente aan die oorkant van die Alpe vergader. Dit is merkwaardig dat hierdie vergadering kort voor dit besluit het om op sy eie 'n kategismus op te stel. Die besluitnemers in Heidelberg was heel waarskynlik volkome bewus van wat in Trente gebeur het en het dienooreenkomstig opgetree. Onderliggend aan die besluit om opdrag te gee tot die opstel van die Heidelbergse Kategismus, was die besef van die belangrikheid van kategese. In verskeie dokumente wat nóú aan die Heidelbergse Kategismus verwant is, word die belangrikheid van kategese beklemtoon. Dit is egter interessant dat hierdie dokumente ook die kontras tussen die gereformeerde beginsel van kategetiese onderrig en die Roomse sakrament van die vormsel aantoon. Terwyl kategetiese onderrig kinders vanaf hulle doop tot by die nagmaal begelei, misken die sakrament van die vormsel die noodsaaklikheid van enige vorm van kategetiese onderrig. The year 2013 not only marks the 450th anniversary of the origin of the Heidelberg Catechism for Protestants, but it is also a 450th anniversary of another kind for Christians on the other side of the confessional fence. The year 1563 was, after all, not only the beginning of the Heidelberg book-of-comfort, but it was also the year in which the famous Council of Trent came to its grand conclusion. Reformation and Counter-Reformation therefore share this remarkable year, and Christians of both Reformed and Catholic conviction will commemorate their respective heritages in 2013. Could this shared piece of history maybe lead to a shared future, even if it means only a little piece of shared future? Could Heidelberg and Trent be a boost for the ecumenical dialogue?1 Without necessarily answering these questions for today's context, this article will at least attempt to show what the answer was 450 years ago. In short, the answer was as follows: in 1563 Heidelberg and Trent were complete opposites. The obstacles between Heidelberg and Trent were as big as the Alpine mountains that stood between these two historically important cities. Although the delegates in Trent might not have been aware of what was happening in Heidelberg, the opposite was certainly true. Heidelberg consciously positioned itself against Trent and its canons and anathemas. In this article a picture will be sketched of the history and contents of this opposition. To begin with, it will be shown that Heidelberg and Trent not only share a common date (1563), but that there are also more formal links: in Heidelberg the canons and anathemas of Trent had a direct influence on the decision to produce a new Catechism. Next, the opposition between Trent and Heidelberg will be focused on a specific aspect, as expressed by persons who played a leading role in the origin and realisation of the Heidelberg Catechism. This aspect has to do with the contrast between the reformers' rediscovery of the value of catechetical teaching and the Roman sacrament of confirmation. Finally, a few conclusions will be drawn. For many Christians coming from reformed churches, the Heidelberg Catechism (HC)2 is a unique writing. Unique in the sense that it is the only catechism they know and in their experience it is the only catechism that exists.3 However, in sixteenth-century Europe the situation was different. It was quite common for reformed cities and territories to produce their own catechisms. Also, in the Palatinate, one of the leading principalities of the Holy Roman Empire, there were several catechisms in use at the time when the HC was written, although they had not been produced locally. One of them was Johannes Brenz's Landescatechismus (Gunnoe 2005:35). Consequently, Bierma (2005:49) can state that it was not surprising that the Palatinate created its own catechism. What was surprising, however, was that it had not done so earlier. Bierma does not delve into the reasons for this 'delay'. This begs the question: Why was the HC only produced in 1563? After all, the reformation of the Palatinate had been progressing gradually from the 1520s through the reigns of Ludwig V (r. 1508-1544), Frederick II (r. 1544-1556), Ottheinreich (r. 1556-1559) and Frederick III, the Pious (r. 1559-1576), by whom the production of the HC was eventually commissioned (Gunnoe 2005:15-47). Furthermore, the reformation, albeit in Lutheran form, was already officially accepted in the Palatinate in 1546 through a series of edicts and judgments legalising the reform, and it was fixed in a Protestant church order shortly afterwards (Gunnoe ibid:27-28). Added to this, a church visitation, ordered by Ottheinreich in 1556, found inter alia that the ideas of the Anabaptists had taken root in the parishes of the Palatinate, that there were only a few properly trained ministers available, and that many parishioners still held to the traditions of their folk piety (Gunnoe ibid:35) - a state of affairs that would lead one to expect a thorough reformation of the means and methods of the Christian education. And, finally, such a reformation of the Christian education would have been completely within the capabilities of Heidelberg, seeing that, especially since the time of Ottheinreich, a well-known university with a relatively strong theological faculty was readily available.4 All these factors taken into account, one wonders why it had taken almost two decades, after officially accepting Protestantism, for Heidelberg to produce its own catechism. And when the commission was finally given for an own catechism, what was, at that time, the cause for its production? This question will now be explored further. Elector Frederick III commissioned the preparation of a new catechism, most probably sometime in 1562. Seeing that very little documentation has survived, it has proven impossible to give an exact date for this commissioning. However, it has to be somewhere between 09 September 1561 and 19 January 1563. The first is the date of the arrival of Zacharius Ursinus, generally regarded as the person responsible for crafting the draft of the HC (Bierma 2005:70). The second is the date of Elector Frederick III's preface to the HC (Bakhuizen van den Brink 1976:151).5 However, the terminus post quem [limit after which] and terminus ante quem [limit before which] for the commissioning of the HC can be narrowed down even more when the following facts are taken into consideration. It is generally accepted that Ursinus' Catechesis minor6 was used as one of the main source documents for composing the HC,7 and thus had to be composed somewhere before the HC. In Reuter's 1612 collection of Ursinus' works, the title of the Catechesis minor is appended by the words 'written in the year 1562 by dr Zacaharias Ursinus; produced now for the first time from the library and original manuscript of the author' (Bierma 2005:137). According to this evidence, the Catechesis minor was composed in 1562, and therefore the latter part of 1561 can be eliminated as a possible terminus post quem for the commissioning of the HC. For a more precise terminus ante quem, reference can be made to Ursinus' inaugural address in September 1562 when taking up his position as professor at the University of Heidelberg, in which he indicates that the new catechism was almost ready (Bierma ibid:137-138). Thus, by September 1562 good progress had been made on the production of the HC. From these snippets of information, one can conclude that the Catechesis minor had to be composed in the first half of 1562, and that Frederick III's commission for the production of the HC was either given shortly before (so that the Catechesis minor was composed as a 'trial run' for the HC), or shortly afterwards (using the Catechesis minor as a source for the HC). The reason for trying to establish the date of Frederick III's commission so precisely, is brought about by the interesting fact that the third and last session of the Council of Trent started on 18 January 1562 (and continued until its final adjournment on 04 December 1563) - thus, shortly before the time when the HC was commissioned and drawn up. In itself, of course, this proximity in time does not prove a connection between these two important events. However, there are a few indicators that do suggest a link between the final session of the Council of Trent and the commissioning, as well as the contents, of the HC. The Council of Trent and the Heidelberg Catechism: A coincidence? Firstly, during its eighteenth session (26 February 1562) the Council of Trent commissioned the composition of the very first Roman catechism. As a matter of fact, it was already decreed by the council during its fourth session on 5 April 1546 that a catechism, to be compiled by capable persons, must be published in Latin and in the vernacular for children and uninstructed adults. But, as the council was occupied by more pressing matters, nothing is heard of this decision again until the eighteenth session in February 1562, when it was brought up by Archbishop Carlo Borromeo. During this session a commission was appointed to commence with the work. Although individual catechisms had been in existence in the Roman Catholic Church before that time (e.g. the catechism of the Jesuit Petrus Canisius), this would become the very first church-wide catechism for the Roman church (Halsall 1999). It was surely an historic moment. Frederick III could hardly have known the contents of this catechism before he commissioned the production of the HC, as it was only published in 1566. But the mere fact that he commissioned the preparation of what would become the HC only months after the Council of Trent's decision to compose the very first Roman catechism, certainly attracts attention. There is a very real possibility that Frederick's commission came as a direct result of receiving word of the decision made at Trent, or at the very least, the Tridentine decision served as the final impetus for the Elector to do what seems to have been long overdue. Why was HC 80 initially omitted, and why was it later added and even expanded? According to Doedes (1867:27; cf. Bierma, 2005:79), who carefully compared the different editions, the initial omission of HC 80 was not a matter of mere oversight, although this impression is created.13 It is quite possible that Frederick III insisted on this addition as a result of the decrees on the mass made by the Council of Trent in its 22nd session in September of 1562.14 Probably these Papal decisions reached the Elector and his advisors too late to react to them before the approval of the final text in December of 1562, and therefore it was not included in the first edition, but only got its place in the second edition almost a month later. Doedes (ibid:35) is of the opinion that, after the Elector had the opportunity to study the official anathema of the Council of Trent, he decided to expand on HC 80 even more for the third edition (again almost a month later). It can therefore be said that Rome's anathema surrounding the doctrine of the mass, forced the Elector into a strong-worded, reformed rejection of the mass. The Papal anathema was countered by a Reformed condemnation: and a condemnable idolatry' (last words of answer 80, added in the third edition). It seems therefore that we have here another indicator (the first being the coinciding dates, both in 1562, of Trent's decision to compose a Catechism and Elector Frederick's decision to do the same) that Frederick III was very aware of what was happening at the Council of Trent, and that the Tridentine decisions influenced some important aspects of the contents of the HC. The pretention of the above is not to say that Rome and the Council of Trent was the one and only reason for the birth of the HC. History and contents would defy such a pretention.15 But users of the HC should at least take note of Frederick III's acute awareness of what was happening in Northern Italy, where the Council of Trent was meeting. That awareness made the Elector realise that the Papists answered the Reformation with a Counter-Reformation, especially when they decided to put the Roman doctrine, officially reconfirmed by the Council of Trent, on paper in a catechism. That in turn led Frederick III to further reformation. He realised that the true doctrine needed to be taught time and time again to children in the schools and common people from the pulpit.16 Reformation was, after all, not a once-off event on which the church could look back with satisfaction, but rather a process of continuous reformation (semper reformanda). Therefore, in his preface to the first edition of the HC, Frederick III can state that what was done before by his predecessors needed to be further improved, reformed and further established, as the exigencies of the time demanded (da es die nothwendigkeit erfordert; Bakhuizen van den Brink 1976:150). It is very possible that this nothwendigkeit is inter alia a hidden reference to what was happening at Trent. It can therefore be stated, with a considerable degree of certainty, that the commissioning of the HC was, at least partially, a reaction to what was decided at Trent. In light of the role that Heidelberg's conscious opposition towards Rome, and more specifically the Council of Trent, played in the establishment of the HC, as described above, this chapter wants to dig a little deeper into the motivation for this opposition. What was at the heart of Heidelberg's anti-Roman polemic when it came to the issue of Christian education? More generally stated: Where did Rome and the Reformation differ exactly on the issue of catechetical teaching? Two concise, but important citations - one from the introduction to the fourth edition of the HC and one from Zacharias Ursinus' commentary on the HC - may be of help to find the heart of the matter. The HC was published in four different versions in 1563, a testimony to its immediate success. The fourth and final edition did not differ from the text of the third edition, but it did differ in the 'packaging'. The fourth edition of the HC did not stand on its own, but received a place within the whole of a new Palatine church order, entitled Kirchenordnung, wie es mit der christlichen Lehre, heiligen Sacramenten, und Ceremonien, inn des durchleuchtigsten Herrn Friedrichs Pfaltzgraven bey Rhein ... gehalten wirdt (Maag 2005:105). This church order consisted of a whole range of church ordinances, including instructions on celebrating baptism and the Lord's Supper, as well as formulary prayers for use during church services (Niesel 1938:23). In addition to a general preface, the HC received its own introduction (vom Catechismo; Niesel ibid:148-149), dated 15 November 1563 (Niesel ibid:140-141), attached to the whole church order. In this introduction it is stated that, from the beginning of the church, all the godly taught their children in the fear of the Lord, 'doubtless because of the following reasons' (one zweifel auβ nachfolgenden ursachen; Niesel ibid:148, line 14). Three reasons are subsequently provided. The first reason pertains to the natural depravity of the heart of even the small children, which should be countered with wholesome teaching. The second reason makes clear that this teaching is commanded by God. But it is the third reason that is of special interest to the topic of this article. It says that just like the children of Israel, after circumcision and when they came to their senses, were instructed in the covenant and the signs of the covenant, so our children should be instructed in the baptism they received, as well as in the true Christian faith and repentance, so that they can confess their faith before the whole Christian congregation before they are allowed at the table of the Lord.18 According to this reasoning, catechetical teaching is given a very important position between receiving the baptism and celebrating the Lord's Supper. Catechetical teaching receives the function of instructing the children in the covenant and in the signs of the covenant (the sacraments), thereby guiding them from their baptism to their confession of faith, and ultimately to the celebration of the Lord's Supper together with the congregation. It is therefore no surprise to see that, in the register of the Palatinate church order (Register an welchen blatt ein jeder Titel zufinden), the HC is placed exactly between holy baptism and the Lord's Supper (Niesel 1938:141, line 24-32). This is not merely a trivial decision of order, but a deliberate, theological placement. Children are led from their baptism, by means of catechetical teaching, towards their confession of faith and attending the table of the Lord. The introduction to the HC, however, does not stop with the third reason for catechetical teaching. After this final reason, it continues without interruption by saying that this important custom of using the Catechism, originating as it did from the command of God, had been destroyed by Satan through the Papal Antichrist (den Antichrist den Bapst). The Papists have substituted catechetical teaching with the abomination of the confirmation (die Firmung; Niesel 1938:148, line 31-36). Here the veil is lifted briefly, albeit in very vehement language,19 on what might have been at the root of Heidelberg's antiRoman polemic concerning Christian education. When it came to Christian education, it seems that Heidelberg was in essence fighting the Roman sacrament of the confirmation, because through the sacrament of the confirmation, the century-old and biblical custom of catechetical teaching had been abandoned. The process of instructing children from baptism to Lord's Supper had been interrupted and eventually replaced by a non-recurrent sacrament. This was not only a battle surrounding catechetical teaching, but it also reflected diverging views on the sacraments. Zacharias Ursinus was not only the primary author of the HC,20 but also its chief expositor and apologist. His main expository work was his commentary on the HC. This commentary was a compilation of his lectures on the HC, revised and published in a number of editions by Ursinus' student, David Pareus (1548-1622).21 As part of the prolegomena to this commentary, Ursinus discusses five specific questions concerning catechetical teaching, and it is at this point that he reveals some of the anti-Roman sentiment that also underlies the HC. Although this is a description of an earlier ecclesiastical practice, Ursinus shows his implicit agreement with this practice when, at the end of the section, he encourages his readers to consult Eusebius' Ecclesiastical History if they want to learn more about it. Two aspects are important for the purpose of this discussion. Firstly, the practice of the early church was characterised by the same three elements that were already identified in the introduction to the HC (see The fourth edition of the Heidelberg Catechism), namely baptism, catechetical teaching and the Lord's Supper, and they appear here in the same chronological order. Just as in the introduction to the HC, it is clearly the intention that the children, having grown a little older, should be led from baptism towards the Lord's Supper by means of catechetical teaching. Secondly, however, Ursinus makes no mention in this description of the confession of faith as a distinctive step, something that the introduction to the HC does mention. Instead, he mentions the laying on of hands, by which persons were dismissed from the class of catechumens. Could this imply that the confession of faith and the laying on of hands were part of the same ceremony? What can be said with certainty is that the act of the laying on of hands was the culmination and completion of a process of catechetical teaching, as the catechumens were subsequently dismissed from the catechism class and permitted to celebrate the Lord's Supper with those of riper years. Seeing that in the introduction to the HC in the Palatine church order the confession of faith fulfils the same function, it justifies the conclusion that the confession of faith and the laying on of hands were both part of the same ceremony by which a person concluded the process of instruction and was allowed to the Lord's table. Under the next heading ('What is the origin of catechisation, and has it always been practiced in the church?'), Ursinus (1634:11-13) claims that catechetical teaching was instituted by God, and he proves it with examples and Scripture passages from both the Old and the New Testament. When discussing his final prooftext, Hebrews 6, Ursinus deducts the following heads of doctrine from this passage: repentance from dead works, faith towards God, baptism, the laying on of hands, the resurrection from the dead and eternal judgment. These points of doctrine had to be known by both the catechumens of adult age before their baptism, and by the children before the laying on of hands. According to Ursinus, this distinction between the catechumens of adult age (who received baptism) and the children (who received the laying on of hands) is the reason why the apostle, in the list of doctrines in Hebrews 6, first speaks of the doctrine of baptism and afterwards of the laying on of hands. As with the previous citation from Ursinus' prolegomena, the laying on of hands again refers to the end of a process of catechetical teaching, specifically for those who have been baptised in the church as little children. In other words: for the catechumens of adult age, the process of teaching ends with baptism, and for the children it ends with the laying on of hands. Ursinus, however, continues that since the time of Pope Gregory, who placed images and idols in the church to serve as books for the laity and the children,22 doctrine became corrupt through the negligence of the bishops and the priests, and catechetical teaching grew into disuse. Eventually catechetical teaching was changed into the ridiculous rite of the confirmation (in ludicrum confirmationis ritum transformata), which today is called die Firmung (1634:13). Again, catechetical teaching as a process of instruction that results in the laying on of hands and admittance to the Lord's table, is contrasted to the Roman sacrament of the confirmation. At this point, it will be beneficial to put this contrast in a broader framework. Calvin, just as the fathers of the HC, makes clear that the custom of catechetical teaching existed in the early church, but was gradually replaced by the sacrament of the confirmation. He calls confirmation an injury to baptism (quae sine baptismi iniuria nec nominari potest; Inst. 4.19.13; CO 2:1075). What the church needs, however, is catechising by means of a form containing the heads of doctrine. In this way children will come to a confession of the one faith. Baptism, therefore, needs no addition. Rather, children need to be instructed in their baptism. Both the introduction to the HC in the Palatine church order and the prolegomena to Ursinus' commentary on the HC highlight the fact that catechetical teaching is an institution of God that has been practiced from the beginning of the church. This catechetical teaching plays a very important role in children's progress from the time of their baptism until the time when they are allowed to celebrate the Lord's Supper. It prepares the children of the congregation to confess their faith - an act that was apparently accompanied by the laying on of hands - and subsequently be allowed to the Lord's table together with the rest of the congregation. In both documents this instrument of catechetical teaching is contrasted with the Roman sacrament of confirmation, where the laying on of hands received a sacramental function. According to the fathers of the HC, the institution of catechetical teaching has gradually been neglected and eventually it grew into complete disuse and was substituted with the sacrament of the confirmation. Rome already drew this battle line in March 1547. Frederick III most probably received word that Rome was about to write its first church-wide catechism, but it did not convince him that reformation was really taking place in Trent. Instead of viewing Rome's proposed catechism as a possible olive branch for renewed relations between Rome and the reformers, the Elector may rather have seen it as an instrument of distributing Rome's false doctrine. After all, the mere existence of a catechism did not change the doctrine contained in it. And in addition, the existence of a catechism did not mean the reformation of catechetical teaching, because the sacrament of confirmation was still a reality, even more so now that the Pope would soon officially endorse it in a catechism. That had to be countered with the true teaching of Scripture. The HC became Frederick III's instrument for further reformation. The Roman sacrament of confirmation had a detrimental effect on the church's custom of catechetical teaching, which was based on Scripture and had been in practice since the early church. The idea that baptism was completed by another sacrament - confirmation - led to the gradual neglect of catechetical teaching. The same can also be formulated within a broader framework: the sacramentalism of the Roman church, whereby grace is conveyed ex opere operato, makes knowledge and acknowledgement of the doctrine of Scripture superfluous. The fathers of the HC saw the dangers of this view, and countered it by, negatively, showing the dangers of the Roman sacrament of confirmation and by, positively, showing the Biblical command to teach the children. The author declares that he has no financial or personal relationship that may have inappropriately influenced him in writing this article. 1. According to Refo500 (n.d.), this will be the central question at the Trier exhibition '1563 - Heidelberg and Trent' planned for September and October 2013. 2. Hereafter the Heidelberg Catechism will be designated only by 'HC'. For references to the textus receptus of 1563, I have used the editions of W. Niesel (1938) and of J.N. Bakhuizen van den Brink (1976). 3. Most reformed Christians are, of course, also familiar with, or at least aware of, the Westminster Shorter and Larger Catechisms, but these confessions were produced almost a century after the HC. 4. For more on the history of the Heidelberg University, see Maag (1995). 5. This last date can even be moved backwards to the end of 1562, when the text of the HC was fixed in a meeting between the theological faculty and the ministers of the church (Bakhuizen van den Brink 1976:29). 6. Although the authorship of the Catechesis minor has been debated through the years, the outcome of this debate has no direct bearing on the argumentation followed above. For the purpose of this article, I accept the authorship of Ursinus. For a short background on this debate, see Bierma (2005:137-138). 7. This is primarily based on a comment by Reuter in his 1612 collection of Ursinus' works where he says that the Catechesis minor and Catechesis maior had been composed by order of the magistrate, and that from the Catechesis minor a large part was taken over into the HC. Scholars noting the similarities in contents between the Catechesis minor and the HC have confirmed this comment. Bierma (2005:139) notes that parallels in phrasing of at least 90 of the questions and answers in the Catechesis minor can be found in 110 of the questions and answers in the HC. 8. Some explicit examples of this anti-Roman sentiment are the repudiation of trust in saints (Q/A 30, 94), justification by good works (Q/A 62-64), worship of images (Q/A 97 and 98). Further examples, see Bierma (2005:79). 9. For more on HC 80 and the conflict with Rome, see Mulder (2010). Q. How does the Lord's Supper differ from the Roman Catholic Mass? A. The Lord's Supper declares to us that our sins have been completely forgiven through the one sacrifice of Jesus Christ which he himself finished on the cross once for all. It also declares to us that the Holy Spirit grafts us into Christ, who with his very body is now in heaven at the right hand of the Father where he wants us to worship him. But the Mass teaches that the living and the dead do not have their sins forgiven through the suffering of Christ unless Christ is still offered for them daily by the priests. It also teaches that Christ is bodily present in the form of bread and wine where Christ is therefore to be worshiped. Thus the Mass is basically nothing but a denial of the one sacrifice and suffering of Jesus Christ and a condemnable idolatry. 10. The questions and answers were, at that time, still unnumbered. Only from the first Latin edition, this specific question and answer would be known as question and answer 80 (Bakhuizen van den Brink 1976:32). 11. Calvini Opera 19:684, in a letter from Olevianus to Calvin, dated 03 April 1563. 12. According to Doedes (1867:24), Bakhuizen Van den Brink (1976:30) and Oberholzer (1986:12), the second edition probably saw the light at the end of February or the beginning of March 1563, whilst the third edition followed almost a month later. The fourth and final edition has a preface dated 15 November 1563. 13. On page 96 of the second edition it is written: 'An den Christlichen Leser. Was im ersten truck übersehen, als fürnemlich folio 55. Ist jetzunder ausbefelch Churfürstlicher Gnaden addiert worden 1563' ['To the Christian reader. What was missed in the first edition, especially page 55, is now added on demand of the Elector 1563'] (Bakhuizen van den Brink 1976:194). 14. For Trent's decrees and anathemas on the Roman Mass, see Waterworth (1995). 15. Bierma (2005:50-52), for example, argues strongly that Frederick III commissioned the new catechism as a standard preaching and teaching guide around which the major Protestant factions in his realm could unite. Thus, he emphasises the ecumenical purpose of the HC. This, however, does not exclude the anti-Roman purpose of the HC. 16. See this double purpose that comes out of Frederick III's preface to the first edition of the HC (Bierma 2005:50-52). 17. This is, of course, not the only place in the HC where Roman doctrine is countered (see Bierma 2005:79 for other examples), but the history surrounding this question and answer (see the section above The Council of Trent and the Heidelberg Catechism: A coincidence?) makes clear how involved Frederick III was with what was happening in Trent. 18. 'Endlich auch gleich wie der von Jsrael kinder nach der Beschneidung wann sie zu jrem verstand kamen von der geheimnuβ desselben Bundzeichens und auch vom bund Gottes underricht wurden also sollen auch unsere kinder von jrem empfangnen Tauff warem Christlichen Glauben und Buβ underrichtet werden auff dad ehe zie zum Tisch des Herrn zugelassen werden sie für der gantzen Christlichen gemein jhren glauben bekennen' (Niesel 1938:148, line 24-31). 19. '... also auch diese zerrissen und an stadt derselben sein schmierwerck und backenstreich, und andere grewel hat gesetzet welche er die Firmung nennet (Niesel 1938:148, line 34-36). 20. Bierma (2005:52-74) makes a convincing argument for Ursinus as the primary author of the HC, although he does not deny that the HC was in essence a team project. 22. These words are reminiscent of question and answer 98 of the HC: Question 98: But may not images be tolerated in the churches, as books to the laity? Answer: No, for we must not pretend to be wiser than God, who will have his people taught, not by dumb images, but by the lively preaching of his word.

2019-04-20T04:13:12Z

http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S2305-08532013000200008&lng=es&nrm=iso&tlng=es

1 Do they have lunch at one o’clock? generally Yes, they generally have lunch at one o’clock. 2 Is John working in the garden? still Yes, John’s still working in the garden. 3 Is he late for lunch? always Yes,he’s always late for lunch. 4 Do you cook in the evening? usually Yes,I usually cook in the evening. 5 Are we hungry at night? often Yes, we’re often hungry at night. 6 Has Peter finished his lunch? already Yes, Peter’s already finished his lunch. 7 Does Susan eat potatoes? sometimes Yes,Susan sometimes eats potatoes. 8 Can you eat two potatoes for dinner? always Yes, I can always eat two potatoes for dinner. 1 I want somepotatoes. bread But I don’t want any bread. 2 He’s bringing some lemonade. whisky But he isn’t bringing any whisky. 3 They usually give him some milk. wine But they don’t usually give him any wine. 4 We’re taking some sandwiches. bottles of beer But we aren’t taking any bottles of beer. 5 He wants some peas. tomatoes But he doesn’t want any tomatoes. 6 There’s some milk in the fridge. butter But there isn’t any butter in the fridge. 7 They need some paper. pencils But they don’t need any pencils. 8 They’re writing some papers. cards But they aren’t writing any cards. 1 We’re going for a picnic on Sunday. every Sunday We go for a picnic every Sunday. 2 We are leaving early in the morning. usually We usually leave early in the morning. 3 The children are coming with us. always The children always come with us. 4 I’m taking my fishing rod. sometimes I sometimes take my fishing rod. 5 My wife’s cooking a chicken now. every weekend Shecooks a chicken every weekend. 6 Tim’s bringing some beer. generally Tim generally brings some beer. 7 He isn’t driving the car. usually He doesn’t usually drive the car. 8 We aren’t staying out late. often We don’t often stay out late. 1. Felix plays golf every weekend. now Felix is playing golf now. 2. Gertie cleans the house regularly. this afternoon Gertie’s cleaning the house this afternoon. 3. We often visit them. today We’re visiting them today. 5. Our son usually comes with us. tomorrow Our son’s coming with us tomorrow. 7. We get up early on Sundays. in the morning We’re getting up early in the morning. 8. I don’t work on Saturdays. next Saturday I’m not working next Saturday. 1 We often go to the theatre. Do you often go to the theatre? 2 Jack’s going to see the new play next week. Is Jack going to see the new play next week? 3 Sheila likes comedies. Does Sheila like comedies? 4 I’m buying the tickets tonight. Are you buying the tickets tonight? 5 The show begins at eight o’clock. Does the show begin at eight o’clock? 6 Jack and Joyce are having a meal first. Are Jack and Joyce having a meal first? 7 They want to see a serious play. Do they want to see a serious play? 8 We’re taking a taxi to the theatre. Are we taking a taxi to the theatre? 1 John is going to the doctor’ today because he feels ill. 2 Jack often goes to the theatre. On Saturday he is going to see the new play. 3 In spring the days grow longer and the nights become warmer. 4 I ‘m catching the train to London this evening. It leaves at eight o’clock. 5 Ice floats on water, but iron does not float. 6 I hear you are going to France next week. Do you speak French? 7 I understand a little, but I never practise so I do not speak very well. 8 Mr. Laker coming to tea today. Do you remember him? 1 I want some paper to write a letter. 2 He wants some milk and a teaspoon of sugar in his tea. 3 You need a sharp knife to cut some wood. 4 I’d like a cup of coffee and some water, please. 5 There’s some tea in the pot but there isn’t any coffee left. 6 Have you got any good ideas? 7 John gave me some good advice, but I didn’t take any notice. 8 I went to the manager to get some information. 1 Those boys need to have their hair cut. 2 They planted some these in their gardens. 3 They bought some bottles of wine. 5 The furniture in these rooms is very old. We must buy some new tables and chairs. 6 Bottles are made of glass. 7 Fathers can give good advice to their sons. 8 They left their luggage on the chairs. 1 There are some glasses in the cupboard. Would you fetch them? 2 It was very hot when I went out this morning. 3 It is difficult to speak English correctly, don’t you think? 4 It is warm today, but there are some clouds in the sky. 5 It is true that there are some difficult questions in this exercise. 6 It is possible that there will be another war soon. 7 It is difficult to understand why Gertie ever married him. 8 There was a fight in the street last week. 1 I am still waiting for a answer to my questions. 2 Do dogs ever eat fruit for breakfast? 3 My mother does not often go to the theatre. 4 We have only got a few bottles of lemonade in the house. 5 He has already drunk a full bottle of whisky. 6 The weather is rarely cold at this time of the year. 7 The children generally do their homework at school. 8 That old man can hardly understand what you say. 1 He thought he was late, but in fact he got to the station before the train left. 2 It’s late; I must be off to work now. 3 The doctors operated on the boy’s leg. 4 He stopped at a shop on the way; then he went on to the station. 5 That man is at least 80 years old. 6 I am very content with your progress. 7 Are you confident of finishing the exercise before tomorrow? 8 Please look after my luggage while I go to the toilet. 9 What’s on at the cinema tonight? 10 It’s raining so we’ll put off the picnic until next week. 11 They got up early in the morning and went for a swim before breakfast. 12 He feeds his cat on fresh fish. he began teaching in a secondary school. a job teaching English to foreign students during the long summer holidays. he met someone who offered him a job teaching English to foreign students during the long summer holidays. 1. When did you go to France? last year I went to France last year. 2. When did he wear this tie? a week ago He wore this tie a week ago. 3. When did you offer him a job? on Monday I offered him a job on Monday. 4. When did she speak to my father? yesterday She spoke to your father yesterday. 5. When did we invite Simon to lunch? last Saturday We invited Simon to lunch yesterday. 6. When did the children come home? at four o’clock The children came home at four o’clock. 7. When did John have lunch? an hour ago John had lunch an hour ago. 8. When did the war end? in 1945 The war ended in 1945. 1. Have you been to Mexico? No. No, I haven’t been to Mexico yet. 2. Have you spoken to the manager? Yes. Yes, I’ve already spoken to the manager. 3. Have I told you the answer? No. No, you haven’t told me the answer yet. 4. Have they had their holiday? No. No, they haven’t had their holiday yet. 5. Have you decided where to go yet? Yes. Yes, we’ve already decided where to go. 6. Have we spent all the money? Yes. Yes, we’ve already spent all the money. 7. Has Mary been to Ireland yet? Yes. Yes, Mary’s already been to Ireland. 8. Have the children learned French? No. No, the children haven’t learnt French yet. 1 How long have they worked here? Monday They've worked here since Monday. 2 How long have you known him? 10 years I’ve known him for ten years. 3 How long have they lived there? 1974 They’ve lived here since 1974. 4 How long has he had that car? January He’s had this car since January. 5 How long has Mary been here? one o’clock Mary’s been here since one o’clock. 6 How long has Jane been here? one hour Jane’s been here for one hour. 7 How long have they waited for it? two hours they’ve waited for us for two hours. 8 How long have you waited for it? two o’clock I’ve waited for it since two o’clock. 1 Didn’t you see the Smiths last week? Yes, I saw the Smiths last week, but I haven’t seen them this week. 2 Didn’t he go to France last year? Yes, he went to France last year, but he hasn’t been there this year. 3 Didn’t they study German last winter? Yes, they studied German last winter, but they haven’t studied German this winter. 4 Didn’t John buy a new car last year? Yes, John bought a new car last year, but he hasn’t bought a new car this year. 5 Didn’t you work hard last week? Yes, I worked hard last week, but I haven’t worked hard this week. 6 Didn’t he play football last winter? Yes, he played football last winter, but he hasn’t played football this winter. 7 Didn’t it rain last July? Yes, it rained last July, but it hasn’t rained this July. 8 Didn’t it snow last February? Yes, it snowed last February, but it hasn’t snowed this February. 1 Sheila plays the piano very well. 2 She sang that song beautifully. 3 I like music very much. 4 Mary speaks Spanish fluently. 5 The boys can do exercises easily. 6 They have done their work well. 7 They finished the job quickly. 8 I enjoy my lessons very much. 1 I bought a new tie last week, but I haven’t worn it yet. 2 He has already seen that film. He saw it when he was in London. 3 «When did you meet Mr. Smith?» «I met him the day before yesterday». 4 « Have you ever spoken to him?» «Yes. I spoke to him before the party”. 5 Peter has lived in Greece for the last three years. He lived in Africa before he went to Greece. 6 I have just had my lunch. I finished eating five minutes ago. 7 I have made five mistakes so far today. Yesterday I only make three mistakes altogether. 8 I have never played rugby in my life, but I played football when I was at school. 1 «Where is Jane?» «She has gone to the shops. She’ll be back soon». 3 We have been in this class since September. 4 The Smiths have been in Paris for years now. They like it there. 5 John has gone to Oxford in his car. He is staying the night with friends. 6 I have been to Italy and I have been to Spain, but I haven’t been to Portugal yet. 7 How long have you been in this country? 8 The Hunts have gone to Australia to live. I’m sure they’ll be happier there. 1 He came to Athens four years ago . 2 I have lived in this town for the last six months. 3 Peter has worked in Greece for three years now. 4 Two years ago I went to Spain for my holidays. 5 He has not finished his homework yet, although he started it two hours ago . 6 I played tennis for an hour and then I went for a swim. I have played a lot of tennis since the summer began. 7 They stayed in Paris for several days before they flew to Rome. 8 We have not seen John this morning, but we saw him a couple of days ago. 1 The children took some cakes from the cupboard after breakfast. 2 He always sings loudly in the bath. 3 The Hunts have only got one car now. 4 The baby was born at 2 o’clock in the morning on 3rd June 1974. 5 The students usually come out of class noisily at four o’clock. 6 Jean generally sings that song beautifully . 7 My father likes classical music very much. 8 They understand French very well but they don’t speak it very easily. 1 He is interested in languages, but he isn’t good at them. 2 He specialised in Roman history. 3 I didn’t like him at first, but I got on with him very well in the end. 4 We met by chance at the end of the holiday. 5 He is very well off. His money enables him to travel all over the world. 6 It’s difficult to adjust to the heat in such countries. 7 We are thinking of going to Sweden, but we haven’t made up our minds yet. 8 I want to have my room done up , but I’m too hard up at the moment. 9 We called in on Bill last week. He was pleased to see us. 10 Why don’t you visit me this summer? I could put you up for a few nights. 11 My son isn’t getting on very well at school. 12 I’ll tidy up the room and put your books away while I look for your tie. Mrs. Smith Good morning, Mrs. Jones. / What splendid weather, isn’t it! Mrs. Jones Yes, beautiful. / Some people are complaining though, of course. Mrs. Jones O, have you heard about Patric Ellis? / He’s had another car accident! Mrs. Smith No! How awful! / Was he driving too fast again? Mrs. Jones I suppose so. / How wild the young men are these days! Mrs. Smith And what do you think of Eva Browning? / She’s getting married again! Mrs. Jones What a dreadful woman she is! / Three divorces! / She’ll lose count at this rate! Mrs. Smith Ah, but we won’ Mrs. Smith, will we, Mrs. Jones! 1 I’m sitting down now. And when I came in? No, I wasn't sitting down when you came in. 2 He isn’t living in a flat now. And a year ago? Yes, he was living in a flat a year ago. 3 John’s learning French now. And last year? No, John wasn’t learning French a year ago. 4 They aren’t sleeping now. And when Smiths arrived? 5 The sun’s shining now. And when you got up? No, the sun wasn’t shining when the Smiths arrived. 6 The children aren’t playing in the garden now. And when it started to rain? Yes, the children were playing in the garden when it started to rain. 7 He’s talking to John now. And when you saw him? No, he wasn’t talking to John when I saw him. 8 I’m not doing my homework now. And when I phoned? Yes, I was doing my homework when you phoned. She’s very beautiful. It’s terrible weather. How beautiful she is! What terrible weather! 1 She’s very beautiful. How beautiful she is! 2 It’s terrible weather! What terrible weather! 3 He eats very quickly. How quickly he eats! 4 He’s a greedy boy. What a greedy boy! 5 They are trying very hard. How hard they are trying! 6 That’s awful news. What awful news! 7 It’s very heavy. How heavy it is! 8 That’s a good idea. What a good idea! I made the tea. John cleaned the car. I was making the tea while John was cleaning the car. It rained. I walked up the hill. It was raining whileI was walking up the hill. 1 I made the tea. John cleaned the car. I was making the tea while John was cleaning car. 2 It rained. I walked up the hill. It was raining whileI was walking up the hill. 3 They watched television. I wrote some letters. They were watching television while I was writing some letters. 4 You talked to Mary. I talked to John. You were talking to Mary while I was talking to John. 5 I had a holiday. He worked hard. I was having a holiday while he was working hard. 6 You had a bath. The girls washed the dishes. You were having a bath while the girls were washing the dishes. 7 Mary got ready. John fetched the car. Mary was getting ready while John was fetching the car. 8 The house burnt down. You slept. The house was burning down while you were sleeping. 1 Have you got any money? or time? I haven’t got much money, but I’ve got a lot of time. 2 Have they met any boys? or girls? They haven’t met many boys, but they’ve met a lot of girls. 3 Do they eat any fish? or meat? They don’t eat much fish, but they eat a lot of meat. 4 Did he catch any fish? or boots? They didn’t catch mush fish, but they caught a lot of fish. 5 Do they plant any trees? or flowers? They don’t plant many trees, but they plant a lot of flowers. 6 Has he got any hair? or teeth? He hasn’t got much hair, but he’s got a lot of teeth. 7 Did he drink any wine? or beer? He didn’t drink much wine, but he drank a lot of beer. 8 Are you buying any dresses? or blouses? I’m not buying many dresses, but I’m buying a lot of blouses. 1 The doorbell rang. He left the house. The doorbell rang just as he was leaving the house. 2 He had an accident. He drove too fast. He had an accident because he was driving too fast. 3 He went out. I came in. He went out just as I was coming in. 4 He got wet. It rained. He got wet because it was raining. 5 It started to rain. I set off. It started to rain just as I was setting off. 6 He didn’t see the bus. He looked at the map. He didn’t see the bus because he was looking at the map. 7 John called. I went to bed. John called just as I was going to bed. 8 I didn’t hear you. I listened to the radio. I didn’t hear you because I was listening to the radio. The students were talking excitedly when the teacher came in, but they stopped at once when the teacher speak. He walked across the room and began to write questions on the blackboard. While he was writing, the students were sitting down, taking out their pens and preparing themselves for the test. The teacher finished writing, sat down in front of the class and opened a book. He was reading his book the whole time while the students were answering the questions. When the bell rang at four o’clock, most of them were still writing. The teacher told them to stop working and he collected their answer papers. As they were leaving the room he began to correct the papers. 1 There are a lot of people in the street. There aren’t many people in the street. 2 I took a large number of photos while I was on holiday. I didn’t take many photos while I was on holiday. 3 The people were spending a lot of money. The people were not spending much money. 4 He gave me lots of help. He didn’t give me much help. 5 They’ve got plenty of whisky. They haven’t got mush whisky. 6 He can drink a great deal of wine. He can’t drink much wine. 7 There was a large quantity of blood on the face. There wasn’t much blood on his face. 8 He saw a great many animals. He didn’t see many animals. 1 He came to London on the 13th of June and left again in September. 2 They went out qt half past one; they’ll be back in ten minutes. 3 He plays cricket in summer and football in winter. 4 He always leaves early in the morning and comes back late at night. 5 He rests at the weekends but works hard from Monday to Friday. 6 He was born in the nineteenth century. 7 I’m working until six o’clock on Friday evening. 8 He’s busy at present. He’ll see you in 30 minutes' time. 1 That man is very fat. How fat that man is! What a fat man! 2 Those houses are very old. How old those houses are! What old houses! 3 That boy is really clever. How clever that boy is! What a clever boy! 4 This tea is very strong. How strong this tea is! what strong tea! 5 Those people are really funny. How funny those people are! What funny people! I had a great deal of work to do and I didn’t have much time to waste, so when my son began to ask a number of questions, I became rather angry. I told him he had lots of toys to play with and plenty of friends to go and see. As soon as he had gone, I took a quantity of magazines from my desk and tried to find an important article in one of them. I haven’t got much patience and I soon stopped searching. There was a lot of noise coming from the street outside my window, and when I looked out, I saw a large number of people gathered around a car. There had been an accident and there wasn’t large quantity much doubt that it was serious. 1 She often complains about the weather. 2 I’m having difficulty in hearing what you say. 3 By the way, have you heard that John is getting married to Mary? 4 The car came round the corner at full speed. 5 As a matter of fact I didn’t do business with them after all. 6 You’ll soon get over your illness, but you must get to bed at... once. 7 We’re short of... time and we’ve nearly run out of money. 8 I’ll pick you up at seven o’clock and we’ll go to the cinema. 9 Hold on a minute while I write down your address on this piece of paper. 10 The car hit a tree and turned over. There was no other car ... in sight. 11 There’s a man at the door inquiring about you. 12 After the accident he didn’t come round for twenty minutes. They were much too hard. They are all over now, except for the results. I couldn’t look at another book for months. That’s the trouble with you. Malcolm: How did you get on in the exams, Pete? Pete: They were much too hard up. I’m sere I’ve failed. Malcolm: Oh no, of course you haven’t, they were dead easy. Pete: Well, they are all over now, except for the results, of course. Malcolm: Yes, now I’ll have enough time for my own reading. Pete: Reading! I couldn’t look at another book for months! Malcolm: Well, I’ve got to do some serious work if I’m going to Oxford.. Pete: You never stop; that’s the trouble with you. 1 John’s still waiting for Mary. How long has he been waiting for her? 2 They’re all sitting in the garden. How long have they been sitting there? 3 He’s still working in that office. How long has he been working there? 4 We’re living in London now. How long have you been lining there? 5 Mary’s still staying at the Grand Hotel. How long has she been staying there? 6 Mrs. Smith is still talking to Mrs. Jones. How long has she been talking to her? 7 Peter’s still reading that book. How long has he been reading it? 8 That fire’s still burning. How long has it been burning? 1 That car is very expensive. I can’t buy it. That car is too expensive for me to buy. 3 The coffee is very hot. John can’t drink it. The coffee is too hot for John to drink. 4 This question is too difficult. The question is too difficult for them to answer. 5 These oranges are very sour. We can’t eat them. These oranges are too sour for us to eat. 6 This hat is very small. I can’t wear it. This hat is too small for me to wear. 7 The hotel is very far away. You can’t walk to it. The hotel is too far away for you to walk to. 8 That tree is very high. John can’t climb it. That tree is too high for John to climb. 1 The water is too cold to swim in. The water isn’t warm enough to swim in. 2 This suit is too expensive for him to buy. This suit isn’t cheap enough for him to buy. 3 John is too young to see that film. John isn’t old enough to see that film. 4 She is too ugly to be a film star. She isn’t beautiful enough to be a film star. 5 This case is too heavy for me to carry. This case isn’t light enough for me to carry. 6 That man is too weak to lift this box. That man isn’t strong enough to lift this box. 7 This bikini is too small for me to wear? This bikini isn’t big enough for me tp wear. 8 Our dog is too slow to catch that cat. Our dog isn’t fast enough to catch that cat. 1 Is John still sleeping? hours Yes, he’s been sleeping for hours. 3 Are you still living in Scotland now? a year Yes, I’ve been living in Scotland for a year. 4 Are you still working for the same company? I left school Yes, I’ve been working for the same company since left school. 5 Are they still trying to learn French? ten years Yes, I’ve been trying to learn French for ten years. 6 Are they all sitting in the garden? lunch time Yes,I’ve been sitting in the garden since lunch time. 7 Is he still playing tennis? ten o’clock Yes, he’s been playing tennis since ten o’clock. They serve red wine here. I like red wine. I like the red wine they serve here. He grows roses in his garden . I love roses. I love the roses he grows in his garden. We study History at school. John hates History. John hates the history we study at school. My son writes poetry. I don’t understand poetry. I don’t understand the poetry my son writes. Her husband composes. She can’t stand music. She can’t stand the music her sun writes. This firm builds modern houses. I like modern houses. I like the modern houses my firm builds. This group plays pop music. I adore pop music. I adore the music this group plays. My mother makes cheese. I like cheese. I like the cheese my mother makes. 1 It was still raining when I came in just now. It has been raining all morning. 2 I have been sitting here waiting for you for nearly an hour. I have already drunk four whiskies. 3 What have you been doing all this time? I have not seen you for weeks. 4 They have not worked for several days now. They have been too ill. 5 It has not rained for a month now. The grass is very dry . 6 They have been going to this pub every evening for the last ten years. 7 Peter has been writing letters since two o’clock. He has already written five letters. 8 I have been sleeping for the last two hours and I have not woken up properly yet. 1 That girl is beautiful enough to become a film star. 2 It’s too hot to sit in the sun. 3 This book is too boring to read. 4 That woman is too fat to get through the door. 6 He hasn’t done enough work to pass the exam. 7 I’m hungry enough to eat a horse. 8 My uncle has got enough money to buy an aeroplane. Peter went to the shops in Oxford Street yesterday. First of all he went into a large department store to buy some trousers and a pair of socks. He bought a nice pair of grey socks, but he couldn’t find any trousers in the colours he likes. He likes dark blue; he doesn’t like bright colours generally. Next he went to a supermarket to buy a piece of cheese and a bottle of wine. He loves wine, but the trouble is that he prefers white wine while the rest of the family prefers red wine. The wine he bought last week was very good but very expensive. Finally he went to the library to borrow a book. He often reads books about art. Last week he borrowed a book called the History of European Architecture. This week he wants a book on Japanese painting. 1 This is my father’s letter. 2 Here is James’s French teacher. 4 There is the top of the hill. 6 That is an hour’s work. 7 This John’s father’s book. 8 It is a twenty minutes walk. 9 This is the middle of the town. 10 These are students’ papers. 1 You must make an effort or you will fail the exam. 2 I did my best, but I didn’t finish in time. 3 He made a fortune by selling second-hand clothes. 4 He made up his mind to go to Canada. 5 My flat needs painting. I’m going to do it up next week. 6 Have you made arrangements for the holidays yet? 7 Will you do me a favour? 8 I haven’t got a big hammer. Will this small one do ? 1 I am not keen on studying, but I’m sitting an exam next week, so I have to read about all sorts of boring things I am not interested in for hours on end. 3 At the last moment we went to a Chinese restaurant for a change. 4 James is bored with his work. What about Malcolm? 5 I always worry about money, but my wife doesn’t care how much she spends on clothes. 6 He’s trying to give up smoking, but he isn’t to succeed . In other words he has no will-power. 7 We took up tennis for a month or so, but we aren’t cut out for athletic games. 8 This paper only comes out once a week. 9 It’s your own fault if you don’t take a break from time to time. You should take an occasional afternoon off. 10 In my opinion he’s a bore, but you can invite him if you like. It’s up to you. and to invite you to our house-warming party next Saturday. and I’ve had little time for anything else. I’m sorry about the lack of warning, but we’ve been busy moving house and I’ve had little time for anything else. 1 Have they got any chocolate? Yes, they’ve got a little chocolate. 2 Have you bought any new chairs? Yes, I’ve bought a few new chairs. 3 Do they need any money? Yes, they need a little money. 4 Are they making any progress? Yes, they are making a little progress. 5 Have I made any mistakes? Yes, you’ve made a few mistakes. 6 Did he ask for any information? Yes, he asked for a little information. 7 Did he give him any advice? Yes, I gave him a little advice. 8 Did you tell them any lies? Yes, I told them a few lies. 1 Who did you give the books to? Peter? I gave the books to Peter. 2 Who did he lend the hammer to? Mr. Williams? He lent the hammer to Mr. Williams. 3 Who did she buy that tie for? Uncle Tom? She bought that tie for Uncle Tom. 4 Who’s she sending this letter to? Her boyfriend? She’s sending this letter toher boyfriend. 5 Who’s he bringing that ice-cream for? That fat boy? He’s bringing that ice cream for that boy. 6 Who are you writing this card to? Your brother? I’m writing this post card to my brother. 7 Who have you made that pullover for? Your nephew? I’ve made this pullover for my nephew. 1. Is there any whisky in the bottle? I’m afraid there’s very little whisky in the bottle. 2. Did we see any pubs on the way here? I’m afraid there’re very few pubs on the way here. 3. Is there any time left now? I’m afraid there’s very little time left now. 4. Isn’t there anything any of us can do? I’m afraid there’s very little any of us can do. 5. Did you find any flowers in the wood? I’m afraid I found very few flowers in the wood. 6. Haven’t they done any work today? I’m afraid I’ve done very little work today. 7. Did he tell any funny stories? I’m afraid he told very few funny stories. 8. Wasn’t he any help to any of them? I’m afraid he was very little help to any of them. Pass this plate to John, please. Pass John this plate, please. I didn’t send any money to my son. I didn’t send my son any money. You haven’t ordered a drink for me. You haven’t ordered me a drink for. They didn’t serve breakfast to us in bed. They didn’t serve us breakfast in bed. John lent his car to his girlfriend. John lent his girlfriend his car. The manager offered a job to my husband. The manager offered my husband a job. Did you get a sandwich for me? Did you get me a sandwich? I’m writing a letter to him tomorrow. I’m writing him a letter tomorrow. 1. I last smoked a month ago. You haven’t smoked a cigarette for a month. 2. They last came to see us on Christmas. They haven’t come to see us since Christmas. 3. I last played football a year ago. I haven’s played football for a year. 4. He last ate at six o’clock this morning. He hasn’t eaten since six o’clock this morning. 5. We last had a holiday three years ago. We haven’t had a holiday for three years. 6. John last saw Mary on Monday evening. John hasn’t seen Mary since Monday evening. 7. I last had a bath a week ago. I haven’t had a bath for a week. 8. You last kissed me six months ago. You haven’t kissed me for six months. Charles and Barbara Williamslive at a village called Harpole. They have only lived (have only been living) there for a few weeks. Theyarrivedon the 28th of August and they quickly arranged the furniture in their new house. They have not made many friends yet, but they think that they soon will. The neighbours have been very kind so far, and Mr. Williamsis inviting (has invited)some of them to a party he is holding next week. His friends from London and Oxford are coming to the party. The Williams family lived (was/were living) in London before they came to Harpole. Mr. Williams did not likeliving in London. While he was visiting some friends in Southampton last year, he met a company director who offered him a job. Mrs. Williams wanted to stay in London, but when they arrive in the village, the sun was shining and she is already beginning (has already begun) to enjoy the country surroundings. 1 I lent my car to John. 2 My uncle wrote us a letter before Christmas. 3 The lady cut a piece of cake for me. 4 I always read a story to my son before he goes to bed. 5 We sold our boat to Mr. Williams. 6 Hand that screwdriver to me, please. 7 My wife made a pullover for me. 8 I owe my brother ten pounds. 1 I’m busy today, but I have a little time to spare tomorrow. 2 Few people understand international politics, although a lot of people study the subject. 3 There’s no brandy left, but you can have a little whisky. 4 There’s little hope of finding the lost men now. 5 It was very cheap. It only cost a few pounds. 6 My guests left early, but there were still a few people there at midnight. 7 Few of us have any idea what he was talking about. 8 He had little interest in any kind of sport. Yesterday afternoon I went to the airport to meet Pierre who was coming from Paris to spend a few days with me. I arrived at the airport at two o’clock, went into a waiting room and sat down. When it was announced that the plane was an hour late, I decided to go for a stroll. I got up, walked across the room and out of the door. I was just walking away from the building, when I saw an old friend coming towards me. We chattered for a moment, then went back inside and up some steps to (into) the bar on the first floor directly above the waiting room, where we had a few drinks, while from time to time aeroplanes roared over our heads. Suddenly I remembered Pierre. We rushed down the steps out of the waiting room below. At the information desk I was told that the plane from Paris had arrived 40 minutes earlier. I hurried out of the building, got into my car and drove rapidly away. When I arrived home I found Pierre sitting on his suitcase outside my front door. 1 He bought a book and some chocolates for his mother, but he had little money left for any other presents. 2 I opened a few windows to let in some fresh air. 3 Few of the students knew any of the answers. 4 Tomorrow there’ll be a little free time to do some shopping, but today there isn’t a moment to spare for any other business. 5 He wrote few letters to any of his family, but he sent a few cards to some of his friends. 1 It’s a nice house if you can put up with the noise of the traffic on the main road. 2 In spite of the heavy traffic, we got there in an hour. 3 I’m fed up with the weather and tired of my job. 4 When you see a hotel on the left, slow down and, just after it, turn to the right. 5 If you give me a hand with the sandwiches, I’m prepared to carry on till everything’s ready. 6 Move your car, please. It’s in. the way and I can’t pass, and in any case you can’t park there. 7 I’ll fix this piece of metal in place and tighten up these screws. 8 After stopping to find out exactly where they were, they went on at full speed. Ron: What’s up with my car, Sid? / I can’t make is start. Sid: Oh yes, I see what’s wrong. / I’ll put it right for a pound. Ron: All right. Will it take long? Ron: But you only took twenty seconds! / Shall I pay you now? Sid: Yes, please, / and remember – it’s not for what i Did, it’s for what I know! 1 Do you intend washing the car tomorrow? Yes, I’m going to wash the car tomorrow. 2 I’m certain it’ll rain this afternoon. Yes, it’s going to rain this afternoon. 3 Do you intend leaning French at night school? Yes, they are going to learn French at night school. 4 We’re sure there’ll be another war soon. Yes, there’s going to be another war soon. 5 Does he intend to by a new suit? Yes, he’s going to buy a new suit. 6 We’re certain we’ll be late again. Yes, you’re going to be late again. 7 Do they mean to come home early? Yes, they’re going to come home early. 8 Do you mean to sell your house? Yes, I’m going to sell my house. 1 We’ll get to the station and then we’ll have a drink. when When we get to the station, we’ll have a drink. 2 John will clean the car and Mary will cook the lunch. while While John cleans the car, Mary will cook the lunch. 3 Mary will be ready soon and we’ll be able to start. when When Mary is ready, we’ll be able to start. 4 The bell will ring and they will leave the room. the moment The moment the bell rings, they’ll leave the room. 5 The Smiths will arrive soon and we’ll begin. as soon as As soon as the Smiths arrive, we’ll begin. 6 They’ll read the book and they’ll know the answer. when When they read the book, they’ll know the answer. 7 He’ll study hard and he’ll pass the exam. if If they study hard, they/ll pass the exam. 8 We’ll finish work and then we’ll go to the pictures. as soon as As soon as we finish work, we’ll go to the pictures. 1 Let’s open the windows. Shall we open the windows? 2 I’d like you to give me a hand. Will you give me a hand, please? 3 Do you want me to tell the truth? Shall I tell the truth? 4 We’d like you to tell us the truth. Will you tell us the truth? 5 Let’s help them.. Shall we help them? 6 I’d like you to come with me. Will you come with me? 7 Do you want me to pour the drinks? Shall I pour the drinks? 8 We’d like you to teach us French. Will you teach us French? I’m not going anywhere special tonight. I’m going nowhere special tonight. They didn’t say anything important at the meeting. They said nothing important at the meeting. John didn’t tell anyone what he knew. John told no one what he knew. We don’t want any trouble. We want no trouble. Mary didn’t dance with anybody at all. Mary danced with nobody at all. You took two sandwiches, but I didn’t take any. You took two sandwiches, I took none. Joe didn’t drink any whisky, but John drank a lot. Joe drank no whisky, but John drank a lot. I wanted to go to Spain, but in the end I didn’t go anywhere at all. I wanted to go to Spain, but in the end I went nowhere at all. 1. Do you want a new or a second-hand car? I don’t want a new car. I want a second-hand one. 2. Do they like old or new houses? They don’t like old houses. They like new ones. 3. Did he buy a red or a blue shirt? He didn’t buy a red shirt. He bought a blue one. 4. Does she wear old-fashioned or modern dresses? She doesn’t wear old-fashioned dresses. She wears new ones. 5. Will you write me a long or a short letter? I won’t write you a long letter. I’ll write you a short one. 6. Would she like a big or a small dog? I wouldn’t like a big dog. I’d like a small one. 7. Do they go to see serious or funny stories? They don’t go to see serious stories. They go to see funny ones. 8. Has your boyfriend got a straight or a crooked nose? My boyfriend hasn’t got a straight nose. He’s got a crooked one. 1 It’s late. I think I‘ll take a taxi. 2 Look at the weather! The sea (will be / is going to be) very rough this afternoon. 3 They (will be / are going to be) seasick on the boat. 4 That case is very heavy. I’ll help you to carry it. 5 I’m too busy today, but I ‘ll do it tomorrow - I promise. 6 Although I’ve asked them nicely, they won’t move their car. 7 I don’t like the Smiths so I (shan’t (won’t) / I’m not going to) speak to them at the party tonight. 8 John will know what to do. There’s no tea in the pot. There isn’t any tea in the pot. I didn’t go anywhere last week. I went nowhere last week.. 1 He found nothing at all. 2 I didn’t meet anybody interesting at the party. 3 They’d like some more beer, but there is none left. 4 They didn’t go anywhere at all during the daylight. 5 You made no mistakes at all. 6 My brother doesn’t know anyone in this group. 7 Peter’s got lots of chocolate, but I’ve not got any at all. 8 He eats no vegetables. 1 Do you want a red rose or a white one? 2 Would you like red wine or white? 3 John doesn’t want any wine, but Peter wants some . 4 Quickly, my trousers! Pass them to me, please! 5 The big oranges are lovely, but I don’t like the small ones . 6 There are three small melons and one big one. I’d like a small one . 7 Do you like cakes? Here are some nice fresh ones . 8 The big one is better than those small ones . I’ll take it. 1 Get a move on or we’ll be late again! What’s up with the woman? 2 There’s no point in hurrying, they won’t be here for ages yet. 3 Let’s see these two letters now, and I’ll try to get round to the others tomorrow. 4 If you .are at a loose end tonight, come round to my house for a drink. 5 Thank you for your help. Is there anything I can do in return? 6 What’s wrong John? He could put this right in a jiffy if he tried. 7 The police will catch him. He won’t get through with it. 8 Borrow my car be all means, but fill her up with petrol first of all. And be careful; the tyres are nearly worn out. I’m scared stiff of the journey. They fly so high and fast. I’d rather prefer to go by luxury liner. I’d rather be seasick than dead. Susan: Looking forward to your trip, Julie? Julie: Yes, but I’m scared stiff of the journey. Susan: Why? How often are the plane crashes? Once a year? Julie: When they fly so high and fast, once is enough! Susan: Yes, but there are fewer deaths per year than there are road casualties per day. Julie: Well, I’d prefer to go by luxury liner, like QE 2. Susan: Are you a good sailor? Julie: I don’t know, but I’d rather be sea-sick than dead. 1 The British will be holding an election next month. They won’t be holding an election next month. 2 The Queen won’t be speaking on television tonight. He’ll be speaking on television tonight. 3 My family will be listening to the speeches. I won’t be listening to the speeches. 4 I’ll be trying to turn the television off. She won’t be trying to turn the television off. 5 The Socialists will be introducing nationalisation. They won’t be introducing nationalisation. 6 They won’t be talking about inflation. They’ll be talking about prosperity. 7 They’ll be promising higher salaries. They won’t be promising higher prices. 8 They won’t be talking sense. They’ll be talking nonsense. 1. He’s a fast driver. Yes, he drives very fast. 2. They’re slow walkers. Yes, they walk very slowly. 3. You’re a hard worker. Yes , I work very hard. 4. He’s a quiet talker. Yes, he talks very quietly. 5. They’re early starters. Yes, they start very early. 6. She’s a careful writer. Yes, she writes very carefully. 7. These birds are high fliers. Yes, those birds fly very high. 8. You’re a quick thinker. Yes, I think very quickly. 1 He’s sleeping now. when I arrive tonight He’ll be sleeping when you arrive tonight. while Terry’s working hard working hard. 4 We’re having lunch. at one o’clock We’ll be having lunch at one o’clock.. 5 The boys are playing tennis. until five o’clock The boys’ll be playing tennis until five o’clock. 6 I’m writing letters. all day tomorrow I’ll be writing letters all day tomorrow. 7 You’re watching television. until midnight You’ll be watching television until midnight. 8 They’re sitting an exam. in June They’ll be sitting an exam in June.

2019-04-20T04:53:26Z

https://studopedia.net/1_38205_What-about-the-Prime-Minister.html

2015-06-29 Assigned to Nantworks, LLC reassignment Nantworks, LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: WITCHEY, NICHOLAS J. Healthcare transaction validation systems and methods are presented. Healthcare transactions associated with a stakeholder are compiled into a chain of healthcare transaction blocks. The chain can be considered a chronicle of person's healthcare path through life. When a transaction is conducted, the corresponding healthcare parameters (e.g., inputs, outputs, clinical evidence, outcomes, etc.) are sent to one or more validation devices. The devices establish a validity of the transaction and generate a new block via a proof-of-work principle. Once the new block has been calculated it can be appended to the stakeholder's health care blockchain. This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 61/992,734, filed May 13, 2014. The entire content of that application is hereby incorporated herein by reference. The field of the invention is transaction validation technologies. Cryptocurrencies have risen over the last few years. The most famous cryptocurrency is Bitcoin, launched in 2009, as described in the original paper openly published on May 24, 2009, by Nakamoto and titled “Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System” (see URL en.bitcoin.it/wiki/Bitcoin_white_paper). Cryptocurrencies operate on the principle of applying proof-of-work (POW) principles to process Bitcoin transactions that are bound together in large blocks of data. The device that successfully meets the proof-of-work requirements (i.e., generating a double hash value with a required number of leading zero bits) for the transaction block and has their block accepted by peers receives a reward in the form of Bitcoins. Although Bitcoin is probably the most famous application of POW, many others have applied POW to other areas of technology. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,356,696 to Jakobsson et al. titled “Proofs of Work and Bread Pudding Protocols”, filed Aug. 1, 2000, describes re-using stale computations of a POW to continue minting digital currency. Another example of using POW further afield from cryptocurrency includes U.S. Pat. No. 7,600,255 to Baugher titled “Preventing Network Denial of Service Attacks Using an Accumulated Proof-of-work Approach”, filed Apr. 14, 2004. Baugher requires a computer client to generate a POW to access a service where the POW could include hashing a message until a desired number of leading bit-level zeros is found, similar to the POW of Bitcoin. In a somewhat similar vein to Baugher, U.S. Pat. No. 8,412,952 to Ramzan et al. titled “Systems and Methods for Authenticating Requests from a Client Running Trialware Through a Proof of Work Protocol”, filed May 6, 2009, also uses POW to grant access to services. Ramzan describes generating a cryptographic puzzle if no authentication token is included with a service request to run trialware. The client making the request must solve the cryptographic puzzle in order to receive authentication to proceed with running the trialware. All publications identified herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply. Interestingly, the above known proof-of-work (POW) systems have only focused on transaction processing or authentication. It has yet to be appreciated that POW systems could be deployed in other areas. One market that is fraught with issues includes healthcare systems that manage large volumes of electronic medical records (EMR). Example issues include enforcing privacy, standards compliance, interoperability, data format conversion, ensuring proper treatment applied to a patient, and especially the difficulty maintaining a continuity of treatment records for individuals. As a representative example of the state of the art, consider U.S. Pat. No. 8,615,532 to Bessette titled “System and Method for Electronically Managing Medical Data Files”, filed Sep. 12, 2012. Bessette discusses one of myriad possible ways in which medical records can be updated assuming proper authentication. Even with the countless healthcare management or EMR systems available, the systems lack the ability to properly construct a history of health transaction across various entities. A more ideal system would create of chain of transactions from various entities where each transaction is validated via a POW approach. Such a validation approach ensures that all entities are held responsible for their transactions by peer review while also preserving a record of healthcare transactions. Thus, there remains a need validating healthcare transactions. The inventive subject matter provides apparatus, systems and methods in which a proof-of-work system can be employed to track or validate healthcare transactions. One aspect of the inventive subject matter includes a method of validating healthcare transactions. The disclosed methods can include receiving, by one or more validation devices, a healthcare transaction that includes a set of healthcare tokens that represent healthcare actions taken with respect to a stakeholder. For example, the healthcare tokens might include test results for a patient and a corresponding diagnosis from a doctor. The validation device continues executing the method by obtaining a historical block identifier of the stakeholder's healthcare historical blockchain. The healthcare historical blockchain represents a chronicle of healthcare activities in the form of a substantially linear set of healthcare transactions for the particular stakeholder (e.g., patient, doctor, insurance company, hospital, etc.). The method also includes receiving a validity requirement with respect to the healthcare actions indicating criteria that must be met in order for the system to accept a validation event with respect to the transaction. The validation device continues to validate the healthcare actions by obtain a digital signature of a validator, perhaps another healthcare provider's public key or an expert system identifier. In addition, the method includes obtaining a validity token indicating the validity of the healthcare actions (e.g., valid action, invalid action, indeterminate, etc.). Once the various pieces of information has been collected, the validation device calculates a validity block based on the transaction and according the validity requirements as a function of the healthcare action parameters: the validity token, historical block identifier, the set of healthcare tokens, and the digital signature. Should the validity requirements be met, the validation device can cause the healthcare historical blockchain to be updated, possibly by appending the validity block to the chain. In some embodiments, proof-of-work methods are not necessarily employed. In some embodiments, proof-of-stake methods are used to authenticate a validity block to be appended to a stakeholder's healthcare historical blockchain. FIG. 1 is a schematic overview of a healthcare transaction ecosystem. FIG. 2 illustrates a method of validating a healthcare transaction. FIG. 3 illustrates further details of processing carried out by one of the steps of FIG. 2. FIG. 4 shows an example of a computer system (one or more of which may provide the components shown in FIG. 1) that may be used to execute instruction code contained in a computer program product in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. It should be noted that any language directed to a computer should be read to include any suitable combination of computing devices, including servers, interfaces, systems, databases, agents, peers, engines, controllers, or other types of computing devices operating individually or collectively. One should appreciate the computing devices comprise a processor configured to execute software instructions stored on a tangible, non-transitory computer readable storage medium (e.g., hard drive, solid state drive, RAM, flash, ROM, etc.). The software instructions preferably configure the computing device to be operable to provide the roles, responsibilities, or other functionality as discussed below with respect to the disclosed apparatus. Further, the disclosed technologies can be embodied as a computer program product that comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium storing the software instructions that causes a processor to execute the disclosed steps. In especially preferred embodiments, the various servers, systems, databases, or interfaces exchange data using standardized protocols or algorithms, possibly based on HTTP, HTTPS, AES, public-private key exchanges, web service APIs, known financial transaction protocols, or other electronic information exchanging methods. Data exchanges preferably are conducted over a packet-switched network, the Internet, LAN, WAN, VPN, or other type of packet switched network. One should appreciate that the disclosed techniques provide many advantageous technical effects including construction and storage of a healthcare blockchain representing healthcare transactions of a patient or other healthcare stakeholder. Construction and storage of the healthcare blockchain enables computing devices to quickly and efficient validate or access healthcare data, thereby improving the performance of the computing devices. The following discussion presents the inventive subject matter from the perspective of a patient interacting with a doctor. With respect to the disclosed subject matter, the patient's healthcare interactions are chronicled via an associated healthcare historical record represented by a blockchain. As the doctor performs services for the patient, information related to the services (e.g., inputs, outputs, codes, etc.) are packaged in the form of a healthcare transaction. The transactions are analyzed by peers in the ecosystem with respect to validity of the services. Once analyzed the transactions are incorporated into the patient's healthcare historical blockchain. Although the subject matter is presented from the perspective of a patient-doctor interaction, it should be appreciated that the transactions can relate to other types of interactions. Additional interactions could include doctor-insurance transactions, consumer-insurance interactions, patient-psychologist interactions, or other types of transactions. FIG. 1 presents an overview of healthcare transaction validation system 100 where peers in a healthcare network are configured or programmed to manage healthcare transactions in the form of healthcare historical blockchains 130. Each block in the chain includes one or more healthcare transactions that further incorporate validation information representing the validity of the transaction as assessed by peer validation devices 120 (e.g., peers 120A through 120N), collectively referred to as peers 120. In some embodiments, peers 120 operate collectively in a peer-to-peer network. Further the device can exist within a clinical operating system ecosystem; possibly based on the cOS™ services offered by Nanthealth, LLC (see URL nanthealth.com/cos-clinical-operating-system). Stakeholder 110 represents an entity that has a stake in a healthcare management lifecycle. A shown, stakeholder 110 could be a patient. However, stakeholder 110 could represent other types of entities. In some embodiments, stakeholder 110 could be another person, possibly a doctor, a nurse, a technician, a care provider, a guardian, a parent, a broker, or other individual. Further, stakeholder 110 could also include other types of entities including a company, an affiliation, a hospital, an organization, a demographic, a community, or other type of entity. Of particular interest with respect to the inventive subject matter is that each stakeholder 110 could have associated healthcare historical blockchain (HHBC) 130. HHBC 130 represents a chronicle or ledger (e.g., public ledger, private ledger, protected ledger, etc.) of healthcare transactions for stakeholder 110. With respect to a patient, HHBC 130 might start with an initial block or genesis block created at birth that includes information associated with the patient's birth (e.g., parent information, attending physician, Apgar score, etc.). Each subsequent healthcare transaction for the patient can be combined with HHBC 130 as a new block, possibly until the HHBC becomes terminated at the death of the patient. It should be appreciated that each entity can have its own blockchain in the disclosed ecosystem rather than the complete ecosystem having a single chain covering all transactions as is done with cryptocurrencies. HHBC 130 could comprise any number of blocks. For a healthy patient, HHBC 130 might only increase in size by one block per year based on annual visits to the doctor. However, when stakeholder 110 comprises a surgeon, the surgeon's HHBC 130 might represent performed surgeries where the surgeon's HHBC might increase in size by several blocks per day. Even further, when stakeholder 110 is a hospital, HHBC 130 could increase by hundreds of blocks per day. Large scale insurance companies might have HHBCs 130 that increase by thousands of blocks per day. Returning to the example shown where a patient interacts with a doctor; the doctor works to understand the circumstances of the patient. Such information can be considered to represent input information related to the healthcare transaction in progress. Based on the information, the doctor preforms one or more actions; possibly including applying treatment, generating a diagnosis, establishing a prognosis, or other types of actions. The actions taken by the doctor can be considered outputs to or outcomes of the healthcare transaction. The various attributes or properties of the inputs and outputs can be represented by healthcare tokens 132. Healthcare tokens 132 represent the information defining the nature of the healthcare transaction associated within stakeholder 110. In more preferred embodiments, healthcare tokens 132 adhere to a defined, possibly standardized, healthcare namespace. For example, the healthcare namespace might include standardized codes (e.g., ICD 9, ICD 10, CPT, DSM, etc.) that categorize the inputs and outputs. Use of a common healthcare namespace aids in creating a common reference frame or nomenclature among peers 120 as they process or validate the healthcare transactions. Such an approach ensures all peers 120 or stakeholders 110 represent information according to a common language, which ensures that the transactions are processed in a uniform, repeatable, and verifiable manner. More preferred healthcare namespaces include normalized terms, especially in circumstances where conflicting codes might exist (e.g., ICD-9 codes 290-319 for mental disorders versus DSM-IV codes for mental disorder; although some harmonization exists between these two schemes). Peer 120A, perhaps the doctor's EMR system, can package healthcare tokens 132 for delivery to one or more validation devices; peers 120B through 120M for example. For example, healthcare tokens 132 can be packaged in an XML, JSON, or other formats suitable for exchanging data over network 115. The phrase “tokens” herein is used in the broader sense of parsing data into tokens (useful groupings of data) rather than in the narrow data security context. In other words, healthcare tokens and validity tokens referenced herein are not necessarily hashed or otherwise processed to make the underlying data unrecoverable. In the example shown, peer 120B obtains healthcare tokens 132 and attempts generate validity block 135 that comprises the healthcare transaction represented by healthcare tokens 132 among other pieces of information. For example, the transaction could include a transaction ID, a time stamp, validator digital signature, or other data. Of especial interest, the transaction validity block 135 also incorporates a validity token that represents the validator's perspective on the validity of the interaction between the patient and the doctor. The validity token could include simple information such as “agree” or “disagree”. A more complex validity token could include alternative information such as suggestions or recommendations on improving the transaction; perhaps an alternative diagnosis for example. Peer 120B generates validity block 135 according to validity requirement. It should be appreciated that the other peers can, at the same time, also process the same transaction. The validity requirement can be considered a proof-of-work requirement related to the healthcare transactions. Further, the validity requirement can incorporate other criteria that should be satisfied before the transactions are considered properly processed. Peer 120B builds validity block 135 from one or more transactions as shown. For a single patient visiting a doctor office, validity block 135 will likely have only a single transaction. For a more active stakeholder 110 (e.g., a hospital, etc.), validity block 135 could comprise multiple transactions. Validity block 135 is processed by combining previous block information (e.g., a hash of a block header) from HHBC 130 with additional information, thereby linking validity block 135 with the blockchain. As discussed previously, the additional transaction information can include time stamp, healthcare tokens 132, validator digital signature, and especially the validity token. Peer 120B can re-calculate a value for validity block 135, typically a hash of the validity block's header along with hash information from the transactions, until the resulting value satisfies the validity requirement. For example, in embodiments where validity block 135 is processed via a hash function (e.g., SHA256, Scrypt, etc.), peer 120B can increment a nonce value until a hash is generated having the desired proof-of-work characteristics, perhaps a number of leading zero bits among other factors. Once validity block 135 has been properly calculated and/or validated by the peers, it can be sent to other peers 120 in ecosystem 100 so that validity block 135 will be appended to HHBC 130. Thus, validity block 135 becomes part of the chronicled healthcare history of stakeholder 110. Validity block 135 an be considered accepted as part of the HHBC 130 once other peers 120 pickup and integrate it into their own copies of the HHBC 130. FIG. 2 provides a more detailed perspective of method 200 of validating healthcare transactions. Method 200 details the steps of providing validation information with respect to a healthcare transaction represented by healthcare tokens and a validity token among other items. The steps of method 200 are executed by one or more validation devices (e.g., computer clients, computer servers, web servers, mobile devices, clouds service servers, etc.). The validation devices are considered part of healthcare transaction ecosystem. For example, all the devices could be subscribers to a clinical operating system and electronic medical record exchange ecosystem. Although the following steps are described from the perspective of a single validation device, it should be appreciated that multiple devices could be operating together to fulfill the roles or responsibilities described by the steps. Step 210 includes receiving a healthcare transaction comprising a set of healthcare tokens representative of healthcare actions taken with respect to a healthcare stakeholder. The healthcare tokens can be received over a network, via a web service, through an API call, or other techniques through which data can be exchanged. For example, in a peer-to-peer network, the validation device can receive a broadcast from a peer device where the broadcast comprises serialized healthcare tokens, perhaps in a JSON, XML, or YAML format. The healthcare tokens can represent the inputs or outputs of a healthcare transaction between a stakeholder (e.g., a patient) and another entity (e.g., doctor, insurance company, pharmacy, etc.). Example healthcare tokens could include a test result, a genetic sequence, a diagnosis, a prognosis, a patient identifier, a caregiver identifier, a fee, a payer identifier, or other type of information. More preferred healthcare tokens comprises standardized codes so that all peers can reference healthcare transactions in a uniform manner. Example standardized codes that could be leveraged with the disclosed system include ICD codes, CPT codes, DSM codes, or other known coding standards or those yet to be defined. Step 220 comprises the validation device obtaining a historical block identifier from a healthcare historical blockchain representative of historical actions taken with respect to the stakeholder. The historical block identifier preferably represents a link to the stakeholder's HHBC. The historical block identifier could comprise a hash value of a previous block header in the HHBC, possibly the last block added to the HHBC. Such an approach is considered advantageous because the hash value incorporates all previously processed blocks, which mitigates the risk of fraud by participants that seek to inject erroneous information to the HHBC. In such cases the block identifier represents a link of continuity across all blocks in the chain. In view that the validation devices could exist within a peer-to-peer network, a validation device could obtain at least a portion of the HHBC over network as suggested by step 225. Consider a scenario where a new device has subscribed to the ecosystem or is integrated into a cOS environment. Part of the process could include downloading relevant HHBCs, subject to permissions or authorizations, from other peers in the ecosystem. Alternatively, the new peer could download the HHBC or portions thereof directly from a central database. In some scenarios, an HHBC might not yet exist. For example, a newly born baby might require creation of a new HHBC, or stakeholders that newly engage with the ecosystem might require creation of a new HHBC. With reference to the birth of a baby, the method could include the step of creating the HHBC (not shown) from the set of healthcare tokens. In such a case, the healthcare tokens could comprise a birth token, where the genesis block from the newly created HHBC depends on the birth token or other information relating to the birth. Additionally, the newly created HHBC could depend on one or more parent tokens in the set of healthcare tokens. The parent tokens might represent identifiers that uniquely identify the parents of the baby (e.g., social security number, GUID, private or public key, etc.). This approach is considered advantageous because it allows for linking one HHBC of a stakeholder to the origin of another HHBC. Step 230 includes receiving a validity requirement with respect to the healthcare actions. The validity requirement can take on many different forms depending on the nature of the healthcare actions or how difficult the validation is intended to be. The validity requirement could be packaged with the healthcare tokens as discussed previously. Alternatively, the validity requirements could be obtained via a validation pool manager or a central authority service. The validity requirement can provide a proof-of-work difficulty such as requiring a number of leading zero bits in a hash value generated based on the transaction information. Further, the validity requirement can also include factors beyond proof-of-work. For example, the validity requirement could also include two or more factors that depend on a value of a corresponding validity token. In such cases, the validity token could represent an “agreement” with the transaction or a “disagreement” with the transaction, which could then determine the nature of the validity requirement. If the validator “agrees” with the transaction, then the validity requirement might have a low threshold proof-of-work requirements, while a “disagreement” might require a higher threshold proof-of-work requirement. Thus, the disclosed systems could include asymmetric validity requirements depending on the validity tokens. Still further, the validity requirement might also require presence of additional healthcare tokens should the validity token take on different values. Should the validator disagree, the validator might be required to provide recommendations or suggestions on how to alter or correct the healthcare transaction. The validity requirement can be considered to comprise rules or criteria that must be satisfied before the validation device is considered to have completed its work in processing a block of transactions. In some embodiments, the validity requirements can be described within a package data structure or a protocol packet having a difficulty code. In other embodiments, the validity requirement could include executable code, which can include software instructions (e.g., hash algorithms, analysis techniques, expert system rules, etc.) or algorithms that should be applied to the healthcare transactions. Step 240 continues by obtaining a digital signature of a validator. The validator can be considered the entity that processes the healthcare tokens to determine if the healthcare transaction should be perceived as being valid or invalid. The digital signature represents a code indicative of the identity of the validator. Although the digital signature could be secured to protect the identity of the validator, there is no requirement that the digital signature be secured. Example digital signatures could include a public key, a private key, an address of the validator peer (e.g., hash-based address, a transaction address, IPv4 address, IPv6 address, GUID, UUID, etc.), or other type of information that identifies the validator. More preferred validator digital signatures exist within a common signature space; peer network addresses for example. The validator could comprise a human observer or mechanical turk worker that reviews the content of the healthcare tokens. In other embodiments, the validator could comprise an expert system employing one or more rules sets by which the healthcare tokens should be processed. The expert system executing on one peer validation device can be separately or independently programmed from other peers in the network. Such an approach is considered useful because it is expected that a large number of peers will be able process the healthcare tokens from many different perspectives according to their individual rules. For example, the ecosystem could employ one or more kernel functions by which the expert systems evaluate the healthcare tokens for validity. The kernel functions can be distributed across the peers and separately evaluated. Alternatively, the expert systems could employ trained machine learning algorithms (e.g., neural networks, support vector machines, etc.) that have been trained on separate or disparate data sets. This is considered advantageous because it ensures the peers have different, learned perspectives on the subject matter, which mitigates the risk of all peers possibly generating false negatives or false positive results if they are trained exactly on the same data. Step 250 includes the validation device obtaining a validity token indicative of the validity of the healthcare actions and based on the set of healthcare tokens. The validity token could be obtained as a code from a validity analysis routine where the code could take on binary value (e.g., valid-invalid; agree-disagree, 0-1, etc.), or could take on a range of values. For example, if an expert system is operating as a validator, the validity token could be a score between −1.0 (invalid) and 1.0 (valid), for example, indicating a confidence score with respect to the validity decision; the confidence score could also be between 0 and 10 as another example. In other embodiments, the validity token can be obtained via validator interface. Step 255 suggests the method could further include presenting the validator interface via mobile device where the interface accepts a user selected validity token. As an example, consider a scenario where a hospital has subscribed to the disclosed ecosystem. Each subject matter expert (e.g., surgeons, pediatricians, gastroenterologists, oncologists, etc.) could be provisioned with a tablet computer configured to operate as the validation device or as the validator interface. As healthcare transactions are taking place within the hospital, the corresponding healthcare tokens can be routed to the appropriate subject matter experts. The tablet displays the necessary healthcare tokens or healthcare transaction information and requests input from the subject matter expert with respect to the validity of the transaction. The tablet could present a list of validity options to the expert who then selects one or more of the options. Upon establishing one or more validity tokens representing the opinion of the healthcare transaction, the method continues at step 260 by calculating or otherwise generating a validity block for one or more healthcare transactions according to the validity requirement and as a function of the validity token, historical block identifier, the set of healthcare tokens, the digital signature, or other parameters relevant to the healthcare transactions. Calculating the validity block is consider to comprises generation of a value that depends on the history of the HHBC as well as the current transactions being processed. More specifically, the generated value also depends on the validity token. For example, the function could be a hash function (e.g., SHA, Scrypt, MD5, RIPEMD, WHIRLPOOL, etc.) applied to the concatenation of the various pieces of information in the healthcare transactions, which is then hashed with the validity block's header information. It should be appreciated that step 260 could be iteratively applied until the validity block takes on characteristics that satisfy the validity requirements. For example, in the cases of applying a hash to the healthcare parameters, the hash can also be applied to a nonce and a time-stamp preferably bound within the validity block's header. If the resulting value fails to satisfy the validity requirements, the nonce can be incremented or the time-stamp could be updated and step 260 can be repeated based on the new value. The resulting validity block comprises more than just the resulting hash value. It also includes the various information elements that gave rise to the hash value. Thus, the validity block represents a chronicle or ledger of the healthcare transactions. Such an approach is advantageous as it ensures the validity block retains a link to other blocks in the HHBC as well as provides a searchable or analyzable data object. Additionally, by providing the information other peers in the network, the peer can validate the proof-of-work. FIG. 3 is a flow diagram showing processing steps carried out, in one embodiment, by step 260 of FIG. 2. As will be described further, the disclosed process allows the flexibility to generate validity blocks including one transaction per block or including multiple transactions per block. This flexibility recognizes that, in the healthcare context, in some instances, it might be useful and efficient to process multiple transactions for a single validity block, whereas in other contexts, it might be more useful to process a single transaction. As one example, a patient visit might generate multiple transactions for that patient or might only generate a single transaction for that patient. In the former case, processing all transactions together can be efficient and also provide a basis for linking multiple transactions for a patient to a single visit, thereby providing visit information without necessarily requiring a separate “visit” field in a data structure stored in the HHBC. In the latter case, especially if the patient is not expected to generate additional transactions for a significant time period, it might be useful to process validation of the single transaction and generate a validity block to be added to the HHBC for that patient without waiting for additional transactions to accrue. In another example, as previously mentioned, a doctor or other healthcare provider might be associated with many transactions per day and, therefore, it might be more efficient to generate a validity block each day including multiple transactions to be added to that stakeholder's HHBC. Referring now in detail to FIG. 3, step 301 assembles a candidate validity block including a nonce and the following healthcare parameters: a historical block identifier, one or more healthcare tokens, one or more validity tokens (generated based on a validator reviewing the healthcare tokens), and one or more digital signatures associated with a validator generating the validity tokens. Step 302 applies a first hash to the candidate validity block. Step 303 determines whether the process should only use one hash. If no, then step 306 applies at least a second hash to the result of the first hash before proceeding to step 304. Step 306 allows the method to, if desired, increase the processing required to achieve proof-of-work. If the result of 304 is yes, then the method proceeds directly to step 304. Step 304 determines whether the result of step 302 (if only one hash applied) or step 306 (if multiple hashes applied) has met the validity requirement. One example of a typical proof-of-work validity requirement in this context is that the hash result has a certain number of leading zeros. However, many variations are possible. If the result of step 304 is no, then step 305 increments the nonce in the current candidate validity block and processing returns to step 302 to recalculate a hash using the new nonce value. If the result of step 304 is yes, then step 307 determines whether multiple transactions will be added to a single validity block. If the result of step 307 is no, then step 308 sets the current validity block as the validity block provided for step 270 of FIG. 2. If the result of step 307 is yes, then step 309 adds the current validity block to a multi-transaction validity block and step 310 determines whether there are more transactions to process for the multi-transaction validity block. If yes, then the method returns to step 301 to process another transaction. If the result of step 310 is no, then step 311 sets the current multi-transaction validity block as the validity block to be used by step 270 of FIG. 2. A multi-transaction validity block could be constructed in a variety of ways. In the illustrated example, one or more hash functions are applied to the data for each transaction individually to meet the proof-of-work or other proof requirement (e.g., identifying a nonce that yields the required result), and then multiple validity blocks are concatenated together to form a multiple transaction validity block prior to broadcasting the validity block to peers on the network. However, in another example, multiple proposed validity blocks could be concatenated together prior to applying the hash function. In this scenario, the proof-of-work is carried out for multiple transactions together. Other scenarios are possible. For example, the hashes of each transaction be can concatenated together to arrive at the final hash value for the transactions which can then be concatenated with the information from the validity block header to arrive at the final hash value. It is not required to repeatedly recalculate hashes of all transactions in such cases. Rather the transactions can be organized according to a Merkle tree, which reduces how often hashes of the transactions in the tree require recalculation. Returning to FIG. 2, the method continues at step 270 by the validation device causing the HHBC to be updated with the validity block. For example, the newly completed validity block can be appended to the chain in time stamp order. In peer-to-peer environments, the validation device could broadcast the validity block to peers in the validity network as suggested by step 273. Each of the peers can then append the validity block to a locally stored version of the HHBC. Should multiple peers generate completed validity block for the transactions, then the validity blocks forming the longest chain could be adopted as the foundation for future calculations and could represent confirmation of the block. In view that each of the peers is performing work to render a validity opinion on a transactions, it is possible for the peer to receive compensation for the work. Step 275 could include the validation device receiving a digital redeemable token in exchange for integration of the validity block as part of the HHBC. The digital token could be virtual currency (e.g., a digital coin, BitCoin, Litecoin, Peercoin, Dogecoin, a propriety healthcare coin, etc.), a fiat currency, a coupon, an increase in accreditation score, or even an exchanged service. The disclosed system and methods describe an HHBC for each entity where the HHBC can include information regarding an opinion regarding validity of such transactions. The disclosed systems can also leverage additional features or capabilities that enhance the value of the techniques. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-3, a validator reviews the health care transactions to confirm that the data makes sense, issues a corresponding validity token, and then a peer in the network puts forth processing effort to validate the blocks via proof-of-work or other proof, and circulates a validity block for the transaction, the validity block being for appending to the HHBC of a corresponding stakeholder. However, as previously discussed, other types of proof-of-work can be used, or, instead of using proof-of-work, proof-of-stake or other methods could be used for arriving at an appropriate validity block. In cryptocurrencies, proof-of-stake represents currency that is put up as collateral when mining or validating blocks for coins. In the healthcare context, the proof of stake could include evidence of insurance, a monetary cost, an accreditation score, or other value that is indicative of value to the validator. This approach is considered advantageous on the ground that proof of stake requires less computing resources than proof of work. Still other types of proof that could be leveraged with the disclosed subject matter include proof of trust where others indicate the perceived value of the validators opinion; or proof of evidence where the validator provide evidence on how often they are right with their validation or how often they conform to other validator's opinions. In one alternative, a trusted peer or central authenticator computer can simply confirm that the digital signature or digital signatures associated with the validity tokens belongs to a trusted reviewer, assemble an appropriate validity block, and circulate for appending to the appropriate HHBC. In another example, an entity demonstrates a stake in the transaction, through payment or otherwise, and then generates validity blocks accordingly, perhaps including an appropriate digital signature of the entity generating the validity block. The HHBC essentially represents a healthcare path taken by a patient through their entire life. Each block in the chain can be reviewed, possibly via a browser, to analyze the path taken by the patient. Each patient can be analyzed individually or collectively for longitudinal studies. Such approaches would be of high value with respect to patients that have been prescribed similar, if not the same, drugs. The healthcare transactions after the prescription is fulfilled can be analyzed to establish correlations of healthcare outcomes across patient populations. The disclosed approach could be considered semi-secure in the sense that private information can be encoded within various keys. Still, explicit security can be applied to further secure the HHBC by encrypting the HHBC. Once a peer has established its identity, it can be granted a key to decrypt the HHBC information as needed. The HHBCs are dynamic, living objects that evolve over time by adding validity blocks in response to healthcare interactions. In some embodiments, the nature of the evolution of the HHBC can be analyzed to derive one or more trends. For example, the rate of change in the HHBC (e.g., transactions per month) could be a leading indicator of health issues. Further, such information could be correlated with external factors (e.g., environmental conditions, etc.) across stakeholder populations. Although the disclosed approach relates to healthcare, it should be appreciated that the techniques can also be adapted for other markets beyond healthcare. Such an approach is useful to ensure that those providing service do not take advantage of the stakeholders. Example markets that could leverage such validity information would include the mortgage industry to reduce predatory loans, automotive repairs to reduce unjustified repairs, employee evaluations to ensure those in power are accountable for decisions, credit card expenditures, financial transactions, or other markets. Yet another interesting aspect of the disclosed subject matter is that each validity block in the blockchain includes data representing each healthcare transaction, which could be read by a browser as discussed above. Such healthcare data can take on a broad spectrum of information beyond the time stamps or tokens discussed previously. In addition, each transaction can comprise pointers to EMRs or genomic data that were used within respect to the transactions. The pointers could include human readable pointers, perhaps a file names, file handles, URLs, URIs, or other type of text-based address. In some scenarios, the pointers could comprise document object identifiers (DOIs; see URL www.doi.org), which point to documents. More preferred pointers represent pointers to permanent references that index to supporting evidence, documents, EMRs, or other types of documents throughout time. In some embodiments, the pointers reference an indexing system, which then resolves the pointer address to the actual location for such documents. The advantage of such an approach is that the documents can be moved from one storage location to another has large amounts of time passes. Through inclusion of document pointers, the HHBC is able to link with EMR systems without requiring supporting a specific or proprietary EMR implementation. The pointers could be a priori encrypted according to the stakeholder's key to further secure the information. Should a current or future analyst need access to such documents, they can request authorization from a central authority or from the stakeholder. Thus, the inventive subject matter is considered to include a HHBC Name Service (HNS) that can resolve HHBC pointers or address to specific network locations. This approach is considered advantageous because it allows for indirect referencing of information from one block or blockchain to another regardless of where the actual data is stored. In distributed systems implemented on torrent protocols, the pointers or addresses of a block could conform to the same address space as used by the computers storing the data. It should be appreciated that the disclosed approaches allow for analysis of transactions related to clinical or evidence content in an agnostic manner. In view that transactions in the HHBC have document pointers that leverage standardized addresses, there is no requirement that the validation devices understand the formats used to store the clinical data or evidence data. Still, in some embodiments, the validation devices can be configured with application-specific agents or adapters that are able to incorporate the clinical or evidence data in to validity or transaction processing according to the data's respective formats if desired. For example, the validator could request access to supporting clinical or evidence data. Once authorized, the validation device can obtain the requested data and use a local adapter to convert, if necessary, the data from its format to a presentation format (e.g., HTML5, Flash, etc.) that is consumable by the validator (e.g., a doctor, a nurse, etc.). The validity token can also take on interesting aspects with respect to the inventive subject matter. The examples presented above assume that a peer is operating as a validator of one or more healthcare transaction. It is also possible for the peer to operate as a transaction processing device that obtains the validity token from other validators. Reference back to FIG. 1, peer 120B might process the healthcare transaction from peer 120A while also receiving a corresponding validity token from peer 120D. Peer 120D generates the validity token after receiving the necessary healthcare tokens or references to supporting clinical evidence to render the validity opinion. Such an approach is considered as advantageous because multiple entities, possibly non-affiliated entities, participate in the processing of the healthcare transactions, which further mitigates the risk of fraud. Yet another variant of the disclosed technology could include embodiments that comprise one or more automated veto schemes that operate according to various modes. In some embodiments, the validation device could veto the current healthcare transaction, which would force the healthcare transaction participants to re-evaluate an in-process transaction. Such an approach is useful to pre-adjudicate insurance claims associated with the healthcare transaction. In other embodiments, once the validation device completes its construction of the validity block and submits the block to the peers, the peers could then attempt to verify the validity block from a processing perspective or from a validity perspective. If sufficient peers fail to verify the validity block, perhaps based a vote, the validity block can be vetoed. This approach provides for further peer review and enforcement of treatment care standards. The disclosed techniques centered on the HHBC also give rise to interesting capabilities with respect to the Internet-of-Things (IOT). Clinical evidences generated from devices or services can be routed to preferred medical data custodians, which can permit access to the data upon proper authentication or authorization. Transactions within the HHBC blocks can then reference such clinical data via corresponding pointers referencing the designated medical data custodian site(s). This approach allows the HHBCs to reference data generated across the broad healthcare lifecycle care including data from the IOT (e.g., sensors, personal area networks, ambient data, etc.), primary care stakeholders (e.g., PCP, etc.), second care stakeholders (e.g., specialists, etc.), tertiary care stakeholders (e.g., hospitals, insurance companies, etc.), quaternary care stakeholders (e.g., post-hospitalization, hospice, etc.) no matter the model of care. The models of care (e.g., self-care, retail care, remote care, etc.) are therefore able to drive evidence-based data to the medical data custodians while providing access to the data for analysis through HHBCs. In some embodiments, behavior analytics information as evidenced by HHBC information can be supplied to various market places (e.g., Amazon, Google, etc.). The market places would leverage such personal or demographic information to enable service providers to deliver highly targeted healthcare content to consumers, subject to privacy constraints. For example, medical data custodians can generate one or more healthcare campaigns that are triggered based on features of HHBCs or corresponding behavior metrics. When a consumer interacts with the market places (e.g., purchases products, searches for services, etc.), campaigns can be delivered to the consumer where the campaigns. Such campaigns can be constructed to have attributes or parameters having values that satisfy matching criteria with respect to the consumer's behaviors or their known healthcare transactions as well with respect to the nature of the consumer's interactions with the market place (e.g., non-healthcare related activities, personal preferences, intents, personas, etc.). The medical data custodians can also use HHBCs as a foundation for offering for-fee data services. The custodians can offer access to the HHBCs in a secure, confidential fashion to one or more analyst entities (e.g., researchers, insurance companies, hospitals, etc.). For example, an insurance company could pay for access to a collection of HHBCs filtered based on demographics, location, time, or other factors. The insurance company could then apply actuarial algorithms to build risk tables. For such an analysis, the insurance company does not necessarily require patient identification or other private information. Rather, such an analysis could only use sanitized data. The custodians can charge entities for accessing the HHBCs based on many factors, possibly including number of HHBCs accessed, granularity of transactions information, nature of the data, length of time accessed, or other aspects. As an example, consider a scenario where a pharmaceutical company wishes to conduct a longitudinal study on one of their products in the field. The company can purchase rights to access all HHBCs that having transactions that include references to their products as well as a control group having HHBCs of a similar nature but lacking references to the company's products. The data custodian can grant access to the HHBCs in exchange for a fee while also restricting access private information (e.g., patient names, addresses, phone numbers, etc.) thereby allowing the pharmaceutical company to conduct their desired analysis. Perhaps, the company can filter the HHBCs into demographic groups or age ranges, and attempt to establish correlations between point of prescription and outcomes. The medical data custodian could charge the company based on the level of access according to one or more fee schedules. In some embodiments, the company might be a peer in the HHBC ecosystem and might have copies of the HHBCs. However, they might not be authorized for reviewing the data. In such a case, the medical data custodian could charge the company for a temporary key that unlocks the data within the HHBCs. FIG. 4 shows an example of a computer system 4000 (one or more of which may provide the components of FIG. 1) that may be used to execute instruction code contained in a computer program product 4060 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. Computer program product 4060 comprises executable code in an electronically readable medium that may instruct one or more computers such as computer system 4000 to perform processing that accomplishes the exemplary method steps performed by the embodiments referenced herein. The electronically readable medium may be any non-transitory medium that stores information electronically and may be accessed locally or remotely, for example via a network connection. The medium may include a plurality of geographically dispersed media each configured to store different parts of the executable code at different locations and/or at different times. The executable instruction code in an electronically readable medium directs the illustrated computer system 4000 to carry out various exemplary tasks described herein. The executable code for directing the carrying out of tasks described herein would be typically realized in software. However, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that computers or other electronic devices might utilize code realized in hardware to perform many or all of the identified tasks without departing from the present invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that many variations on executable code may be found that implement exemplary methods within the spirit and the scope of the present invention. The code or a copy of the code contained in computer program product 4060 may reside in one or more storage persistent media (not separately shown) communicatively coupled to system 4000 for loading and storage in persistent storage device 4070 and/or memory 4010 for execution by processor 4020. Computer system 4000 also includes I/O subsystem 4030 and peripheral devices 4040. I/O subsystem 4030, peripheral devices 4040, processor 4020, memory 4010, and persistent storage device 4060 are coupled via bus 4050. Like persistent storage device 4070 and any other persistent storage that might contain computer program product 4060, memory 4010 is a non-transitory media (even if implemented as a typical volatile computer memory device). Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that in addition to storing computer program product 4060 for carrying out processing described herein, memory 4010 and/or persistent storage device 4060 may be configured to store the various data elements referenced and illustrated herein. Those skilled in the art will appreciate computer system 4000 illustrates just one example of a system in which a computer program product in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented. To cite but one example of an alternative embodiment, execution of instructions contained in a computer program product in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention may be distributed over multiple computers, such as, for example, over the computers of a distributed computing network. causing the healthcare historical blockchain to be updated with the validity block. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising creating the historical blockchain from the set of healthcare tokens. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of healthcare tokens comprise a birth token and the historical blockchain depends on the birth token. 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the set of healthcare tokens comprise at least one parent token and the historical blockchain depends on the at least one parent token. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the healthcare stakeholder includes at least one of the following: a patient, a care provider, a technician, a payer, a broker, and a guardian. 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the healthcare tokens comprises standardized codes. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the standardized codes includes at least one of the following: an ICD code, a CPT code, and a DSM code. 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of healthcare tokens comprise a token representative of at least one of the following: a test result, a genetic code, a diagnosis, a prognosis, a patient identifier, a caregiver identifier, a fee, and a payer identifier. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of obtaining the historical block identifier includes obtaining at least a portion of the historical blockchain over a network. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the network comprises a distributed network of peer validation devices. 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the validity requirement comprises a proof-of-work difficulty. 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the validity requirement comprises at least two factors that depend on the validity token. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital signature of the validator comprises at least one of the following: a validator ID, a validator address, a validator public key, and a validator private key. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the validity block includes applying a first hash as the function to the healthcare parameters. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising applying at least a second hash to the results from the first hash. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hash is selected from the group consisting of: SHA, Scrypt, MD5, RIPEMD, and WHIRLPOOL. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the historical block identifier comprises a hash of a header of a previous block in the blockchain. 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the hash of the header of the previous block is of a last block added to the historical blockchain. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of causing the healthcare historical blockchain to be updated includes broadcasting the validity block to peers in a validity network. 20. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring a server to operate as the validation device. 21. The method of claim 20, further comprising configuring the server to operate a peer within a validation network of validation devices. 22. The method of claim 1, further comprising presenting a validator interface via a mobile device, the validator interface configured to accept the validity token. 23. The method of claim 1, wherein the validation device comprises a clinical operating system device. 24. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the validity block for at least the healthcare transaction includes calculating the validity block from multiple healthcare transactions. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising combining the multiple transactions into the validity block. 26. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a digital redeemable token in exchange for confirmation of the validity block as part of the healthcare historical blockchain. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the redeemable token includes at least one of the following: a coupon, a virtual currency, a fiat currency, and a service. wherein the one or more other computers of the plurality of computers on the network are configured to determine acceptance of the first and second validity blocks and to append a first accepted validity block to the historical blockchain of the first transaction participant and to append a second accepted validity block to the historical blockchain of the second transaction participant. 29. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the instructions are executable by the one or more processors to generate to performing proof-of-work processing. 30. The computer program product of claim 29 wherein the proof-of-work processing comprises identifying a nonce to be included in the validity block that, when hashed with at least some other data in the validity block, results in a number meeting pre-determined characteristics. 31. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the instructions are executable by the one or more processors to generate validation data by using one or more medical data requirements to evaluate health care data in a not-previously validated healthcare transaction. 31. The computer program of claim 30 wherein the medical data requirement requires that a test result in the not-previously-validated healthcare transaction is not incompatible with data of a previously validated healthcare transaction in a historical healthcare blockchain of a patient associated with the test result. 32. The computer program product of claim 30 wherein the medical data requirement requires that a test result in the not-previously-validated healthcare transaction is compatible with a diagnosis in the not-previously-validated healthcare transaction. 33. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the validation data is generated in response to user input from a trusted user of the one or more computers. 34. The computer program product of claim 33 wherein the validation data includes a digital signature proof-of-stake of the trusted user. 35. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the validation data include proof-of-stake data. 36. The computer program product of claim 35 wherein the proof-of-stake data comprises a digital signature of a validated stakeholder. 37. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein acceptance of a validity block is based on determining that the validity block has a timestamp earlier than any other validity block generated by the one or more computers comprising transaction data of the same not-previously-validated transaction. 38. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein acceptance of the validity block is based on determining that a majority of the one or more other computers receiving the validity block have communicated data reflecting agreement to accept the validity block. 39. The computer program product of claim 28 wherein the first transaction participant is a healthcare patient in the first not-previously-validated healthcare transaction and the second transaction participant is a health care patient in the second not-previously-validated healthcare transaction. the first transaction participant and the second transaction participant are participants in the same transaction. 41. The computer program product of claim 40 wherein the first transaction participant is a healthcare patient and the second transaction participant is a healthcare provider. WO2017190175A1 (en) * 2016-05-06 2017-11-09 Othera Pty Ltd Methods and systems for blockchain based "segmented risk based securities"

2019-04-18T23:50:45Z

https://patents.google.com/patent/US20150332283A1/en

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2019-04-26T15:49:22Z

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Although network-assisted device-to-device (D2D) communications are known to improve the spectral and energy efficiency of proximal communications, the performance of cooperative D2D schemes in licenced spectrum is less understood when employed to extend the coverage of cellular networks. In this paper, we study the performance of D2D-based range extension in terms of sum rate and power efficiency when a relaying user equipment (UE) helps to improve the coverage for cell edge UEs. In our design, the relaying UE may have own traffic to transmit and receive to/from the cellular base station (BS) and can operate either in amplify-and-forward (AF) or decode-and-forward (DF) modes and can make use of either digital or analogue physical (PHY) layer network coding. In this rather general setting, we propose mode selection, resource allocation and power control schemes and study their performance by means of system simulations. We find that the performance of the DF scheme with network coding is superior both to the traditional cellular and the AF-based relaying schemes, including AF with two-slot or three-slot PHY layer network coding. Univ Fed Ceara, Wireless Telecom Res Grp, BR-60440970 Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil.. KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Automatic Control. Ericsson Res, Radio Dept, S-16480 Stockholm, Sweden. In dynamic time division duplexing (DTDD) systems, the uplink (UL) and downlink (DL) resources can be configured to adapt to changing traffic conditions. Therefiwe, DTDD systems are advantageously deployed in scenarios in which the UL and DL traffic demands are asymmetric and timevarying. Unfortunately, multicell DTDD systems give rise to base station-to-base station and user equipment-to-user equipment interference, that can severely degrade the system performance. Previous works on DTDD either assumed that the UL/DL configurations are given, or they did not take into account the negative impact of multicell DTDD interference. In this letter, we propose a novel cell reconfiguration technique that considers both the prevailing traffic conditions and multicell interference levels. The proposed technique is based on an efficient solution of a mixed integer linear program, whose objective is to maximize the overall system throughput taking into account users' traffic preferences. Realistic system level simulations indicate that the proposed scheme outperforms not only the static TDD system but also other reference schemes, that disregard the DTDD specific interference effects. Univ Fed Ceara, Wireless Telecom Res Grp, BR-60020181 Fortaleza, Ceara, Brazil.. KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Automatic Control. Ericsson Res, SE-16480 Stockholm, Sweden. Hybrid beamfiorming (BF) architectures employing phase shifters or switches reduce the number of required radio frequency chains and the power consumption of base stations that employ a large number of antennas. Due to the inherent tradeoff between the number of radio frequency chains, the complexity of the employed analog and digital BF algorithms and the achieved spectral and energy efficiency, designing hybrid BF architectures is a complex task. To deal with this ormplexity, we propose a unifying design that is applicable to architectures employing either phase shifters or switches. In our design, the analog part (!if the hybrid BF architecture maximizes the capacity of the equivalent channel, while the digital part is updated using the well-known block diagonalizat' approach. We then employ the proposed joint analog-digital beamforming algorithm on lour recently proposed hybrid architectures and compare their performance in terms of spectral and energy efficiency, and find that the proposed analog-digital BF algorithm outperforms previously proposed schemes. We also find that phase shifterbased architectures achieve high spectral efficiency, whereas switching-based architectures can boost energy efficiency with increasing number of base station antennas. As the specification of Release 11 of the LTE standards is approaching its completion, 3GPP is gradually moving its focus toward the next major step in the evolution of LTE. The drivers of the LTE evolution include the increasing demand for mobile broadband services and traffic volumes as well as emerging usage scenarios involving short-range and machine-type communications. In this article we provide an overview of the key technology areas/components that are currently considered by 3GPP for Rel-12, including support for further enhanced local area access by tight interaction between the wide area and local area layers, signaling solutions for wireless local area network integration, multi-antenna enhancements, improved support for massive MTC, and direct device-to-device communications. In this paper we consider an ATM transmission link., to which CBR or VBR and ABR or UBR calls arrive according to independent Poisson processes. CBR/VBR calls (characterized by their equivalent bandwidth) are blocked and leave the system if the available link capacity is less than required at the time of arrival. ABR/UBR calls, however, accept partial blocking, meaning that they may enter service even if the available capacity is less than the specified required peak bandwidth, but greater than the so called minimal accepted bandwidth. Partially blocked ABR/UBR calls instead experience longer service time, since smaller given bandwidth entails proportionally longer time spent in the system, as first suggested in and analyzed in details herein. Throughout the life time of an ABR/UBR connection, its bandwidth consumption fluctuates in accordance with the current load on the link but always at the highest possible value up to their peak bandwidth (greedy sources). Additionally, if this minimal accepted bandwidth is unavailable at the time of arrival, ABR/UBR calls are allowed to wait in a finite queue. This system is modeled by a Continuous Time Markov Chain (CTMC) and the CBR/VBR and ABR/UBR blocking probabilities and the mean ABR/UBR waiting- and service times are derived. KTH, School of Electrical Engineering (EES), Network and Systems engineering. KTH, School of Electrical Engineering (EES), Automatic Control. Ericsson Research. In cellular networks, the three-node full-duplex transmission mode has the po-tential to increase spectral efficiency without requiring full-duplex capability ofusers. Consequently, three-node full-duplex in cellular networks must deal with self-interference and user-to-user interference, which can be managed by power controland user-frequency assignment techniques. This paper investigates the problem ofmaximizing the sum spectral efficiency by jointly determining the transmit powersin a distributed fashion, and assigning users to frequency channels. The problem is for-mulated as a mixed-integer nonlinear problem, which is shown to be non-deterministicpolynomial-time hard. We investigate a close-to-optimal solution approach by dividingthe joint problem into a power control problem and an assignment problem. The powercontrol problem is solved by Fast-Lipschitz optimization, while a greedy solution withguaranteed performance is developed for the assignment problem. Numerical resultsindicate that compared with the half-duplex mode, both spectral and energy efficienciesof the system are increased by the proposed algorithm. Moreover, results show that thepower control and assignment solutions have important, but opposite roles in scenarioswith low or high self-interference cancellation. When the self-interference cancellationis high, user-frequency assignment is more important than power control, while powercontrol is essential at low self-interference cancellation. To increase the spectral efficiency of wireless networks without requiring full-duplex capability of user devices, a potential solution is the recently proposed three-node full-duplex mode. To realize this potential, networks employing three-node full-duplex transmissions must deal with self-interference and user-to-user interference, which can be managed by frequency channel and power allocation techniques. Whereas previous works investigated either spectral efficient or fair mechanisms, a scheme that balances these two metrics among users is investigated in this paper. This balancing scheme is based on a new solution method of the multi-objective optimization problem to maximize the weighted sum of the per-user spectral efficiency and the minimum spectral efficiency among users. The mixed integer non-linear nature of this problem is dealt by Lagrangian duality. Based on the proposed solution approach, a low-complexity centralized algorithm is developed, which relies on large scale fading measurements that can be advantageously implemented at the base station. Numerical results indicate that the proposed algorithm increases the spectral efficiency and fairness among users without the need of weighting the spectral efficiency. An important conclusion is that managing user-to-user interference by resource assignment and power control is crucial for ensuring spectral efficient and fair operation of full-duplex networks. —A promising new transmission mode in cellular networks is the three-node full-duplex mode, which involves a base station with full-duplex capability and two half-duplex user transmissions on the same frequency channel for uplink and downlink. The three-node full-duplex mode can increase spectral efficiency, especially in the low transmit power regime, without requiring full-duplex capability at user devices. However, when a large set of users is scheduled in this mode, self-interference at the base station and user-to-user interference can substantially hinder the potential gains of full-duplex communications. This paper investigates the problem of grouping users to pairs and assigning frequency channels to each pair in a spectral efficient and fair manner. Specifically, the joint problem of user uplink/downlink frequency channel pairing and power allocation is formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear problem that is solved by a novel joint fairness assignment maximization algorithm. Realistic system level simulations indicate that the spectral efficiency of the users having the lowest spectral efficiency is increased by the proposed algorithm, while a high ratio of connected users in different loads and self-interference levels is maintained. To further improve the potential of full-duplex com-munications, networks may employ multiple antennas at thebase station or user equipment. To this end, networks thatemploy current radios usually deal with self-interference andmulti-user interference by beamforming techniques. Althoughprevious works investigated beamforming design to improvespectral efficiency, the fundamental question of how to split theantennas at a base station between uplink and downlink infull-duplex networks has not been investigated rigorously. Thispaper addresses this question by posing antenna splitting as abinary nonlinear optimization problem to minimize the sum meansquared error of the received data symbols. It is shown that thisis an NP-hard problem. This combinatorial problem is dealt withby equivalent formulations, iterative convex approximations, anda binary relaxation. The proposed algorithm is guaranteed toconverge to a stationary solution of the relaxed problem with muchsmaller complexity than exhaustive search. Numerical resultsindicate that the proposed solution is close to the optimal in bothhigh and low self-interference capable scenarios, while the usuallyassumed antenna splitting is far from optimal. For large numberof antennas, a simple antenna splitting is close to the proposedsolution. This reveals that the importance of antenna splittingdiminishes with the number of antennas. KTH, Superseded Departments (pre-2005), Signals, Sensors and Systems. KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Information Science and Engineering. Full-duplex communications have the potential to almost double the spectralefficiency. To realize such a potentiality, the signal separation at base station’s antennasplays an essential role. This paper addresses the fundamentals of such separationby proposing a new smart antenna architecture that allows every antenna to beeither shared or separated between uplink and downlink transmissions. The benefitsof such architecture are investigated by an assignment problem to optimally assignantennas, beamforming and power to maximize the weighted sum spectral efficiency.We propose a near-to-optimal solution using block coordinate descent that divides theproblem into assignment problems, which are NP-hard, a beamforming and powerallocation problems. The optimal solutions for the beamforming and power allocationare established while near-to-optimal solutions to the assignment problems are derivedby semidefinite relaxation. Numerical results indicate that the proposed solution isclose to the optimum, and it maintains a similar performance for high and low residualself-interference powers. With respect to the usually assumed antenna separationtechnique and half-duplex transmission, the sum spectral efficiency gains increase withthe number of antennas. We conclude that our proposed smart antenna assignment forsignal separation is essential to realize the benefits of multiple antenna full-duplexcommunications. Three-node full-duplex is a promising new transmission mode between a full-duplex capable wireless node and two other wireless nodes that use half-duplex transmission and reception respectively. Although three-node full-duplex transmissions can increase the spectral efficiency without requiring full-duplex capability of user devices, inter-node interference - in addition to the inherent self-interference - can severely degrade the performance. Therefore, as methods that provide effective self-interference mitigation evolve, the management of inter-node interference is becoming increasingly important. This paper considers a cellular system in which a full-duplex capable base station serves a set of half-duplex capable users. As the spectral efficiencies achieved by the uplink and downlink transmissions are inherently intertwined, the objective is to device channel assignment and power control algorithms that maximize the weighted sum of the uplink-downlink transmissions. To this end a distributed auction based channel assignment algorithm is proposed, in which the scheduled uplink users and the base station jointly determine the set of downlink users for full-duplex transmission. Realistic system simulations indicate that the spectral efficiency can be up to 89% better than using the traditional half-duplex mode. Furthermore, when the self-interference cancelling level is high, the impact of the user-to-user interference is severe unless properly managed. Binary power control (BPC) is known to maximize the capacity of a two-cell interference limited system and performs near optimally for larger systems. However, when device-to-device (D2D) communication underlaying the cellular layer is supported, an objective function that considers the power consumption is more suitable. We find that BPC remains optimal for D2D communications when the weight of the overall power consumption in the utility function is bounded. Building on this insight, we propose a simple near-optimal extended BPC scheme and compare its performance with a recently proposed utility optimal iterative scheme using a realistic multicell simulator. Our results indicate that a near optimal D2D performance can be achieved without lengthy iterations or complex signaling mechanisms. KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Network and Systems engineering. Royal Inst Technol, KTH, Stockholm, Sweden.. To further improve the potential of full-duplex communications, networks may employ multiple antennas at the base station or user equipment. To this end, networks that employ current radios usually deal with self-interference and multi-user interference by beamforming techniques. Although previous works investigated beamforming design to improve spectral efficiency, the fundamental question of how to split the antennas at a base station between uplink and downlink in full-duplex networks has not been investigated rigorously. This paper addresses this question by posing antenna splitting as a binary nonlinear optimization problem to minimize the sum mean squared error of the received data symbols. It is shown that this is an NP-hard problem. This combinatorial problem is dealt with by equivalent formulations, iterative convex approximations, and a binary relaxation. The proposed algorithm is guaranteed to converge to a stationary solution of the relaxed problem with much smaller complexity than exhaustive search. Numerical results indicate that the proposed solution is close to the optimal in both high and low self-interference capable scenarios, while the usually assumed antenna splitting is far from optimal. For large number of antennas, a simple antenna splitting is close to the proposed solution. This reveals that the importance of antenna splitting diminishes with the number of antennas. Millimeter-wave using large-antenna arrays is a key technological component forthe future cellular systems, where it is expected that hybrid beamforming along withquantized phase shifters will be used due to their implementation and cost efficiency.In this paper, we investigate the efficacy of full-duplex mmWave communicationwith hybrid beamforming using low-resolution phase shifters, without any analogself-interference cancellation. We formulate the problem of joint self-interferencesuppression and downlink beamforming as a mixed-integer nonconvex joint opti-mization problem. We propose LowRes, a near-to-optimal solution using penaltydual decomposition. Numerical results indicate that LowRes using low-resolutionphase shifters perform within 3% of the optimal solution that uses infinite phaseshifter resolution. Moreover, even a single quantization bit outperforms half-duplextransmissions, respectively by 29% and 10% for both low and high residual self-interference scenarios, and for a wide range of practical antenna to radio-chain ratios.Thus, we conclude that 1-bit phase shifters suffice for full-duplex millimeter-wavecommunications, without requiring any additional new analog hardware. Device-to-device (D2D) communications underlaying a cellular infrastructure has recently been proposed as a means of increasing the cellular capacity, improving the user throughput and extending the battery lifetime of user equipments by facilitating the reuse of spectrum resources between D2D and cellular links. In network assisted D2D communications, when two devices are in the proximity of each other, the network can not only help the devices to set the appropriate transmit power and schedule time and frequency resources but also to determine whether communication should take place via the direct D2D link (D2D mode) or via the cellular base station (cellular mode). In this paper we formulate the joint mode selection, scheduling and power control task as an optimization problem that we first solve assuming the availability of a central entity. We also propose a distributed suboptimal joint mode selection and resource allocation scheme that we benchmark with respect to the centralized optimal solution. We find that the distributed scheme performs close to the optimal scheme both in terms of resource efficiency and user fairness. Device-to-device (D2D) communication integrated into cellular networks is an advanced tool to take advantage of the proximity of devices and allow for reusing cellular resources and thereby to increase the user bitrates and the system capacity. However, the introduction of D2D in legacy long term evolution (LTE) cellular spectrum requires to revisit and modify the existing radio resource management and power control (PC) techniques in order to fully realize the potential of the proximity and reuse gains and to limit the interference to the cellular layer. In this paper, we examine the performance of the legacy LTE PC tool box and benchmark it against an utility optimal iterative scheme. We find that the open loop PC scheme of LTE performs well for cellular users both in terms of the used transmit power levels and the achieved signal-to-interference-and-noise-ratio distribution. However, the performance of the D2D users as well as the overall system throughput can be boosted by the utility optimal scheme, by taking better advantage of both the proximity and the reuse gains. Therefore, in this paper we propose a hybrid PC scheme, in which cellular users employ the legacy LTE open loop PC, while D2D users exploits the utility optimizing distributed PC scheme. We also recognize that the hybrid scheme is not only nearly optimal, and can balance between spectral and energy efficiency, but it also allows for a distributed implementation at the D2D users, while preserving the LTE PC scheme for the cellular users. This letter proposes distributed beamforming as a means of reducing interference in dynamic time division duplexing multiple input multiple output networks. Specifically, we formulate an optimization task, whose objective is to minimize the base station (BS) transmit power, while satisfying a predefined signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio threshold for each downlink user equipment and keeping the BS to BS interference power below a tolerable level. An iterative decentralized solution requiring reduced signaling load based on primal decomposition is proposed. This decentralized algorithm is shown to iterate towards the centralized solution, while feasible but suboptimal solutions can be obtained at any iteration. KTH, School of Electrical Engineering (EES). Ericsson Research. Systems and methods are disclosed for selecting resources for direct device to device (D2D) communications in a cellular communication, network. in one embodiment, a downlink resource is selected as a resource tor a direct D2D communication link between a first wireless device and a second wireless device if a base station serving each of the first and second wireless devices is equipped with an interference cancellation receiver and both the first and second wireless devices are less than a predefined threshold radio distance from their serving base station. An uplink resource is selected as a resource for the direct D2D communication link if the base station serving each of the first and second wireless devices is equipped with an interference cancellation receiver and at least one of the first and second wireless devices is more than the predefined threshold radio distance from its serving base station. Embodiments described herein relate generally to wireless communication systems, and more particularly, to intercell interference coordination for radio resource control. A method for controlling flow of data packets sent roaming user on a plane usuariobasado IP, said method comprising the steps of: a. control individual flows of data packets from mobile user sent on plane usuariobasado IP from a plane common control based on IP provided with agents (15) midcom in queel common control plane based on IP is spaced from the plane IP-based user, dichocontrol being provided by: b. each packet flow data mobile users register their identity in each middlebox (13, 14) said flow is along a path from an originating terminal to a dedestino terminal in the user plane IP-based c . in response, each middlebox user plane IP-based registers (16) itself and wings identities of packet flows data roaming user it runs in the plane of usuariobasado IP in an agent ( 15) midcom in the common control plane based on IP with which éstoscomunican using a signaling protocol to support extended midcom delflujo registration and control data packets phones, user d. agent midcom, now aware of the flows of data packets of móvilesregistrados user, which signals (17) control commands to the middleboxes that were recorded, belonging dichasórdenes the management of packet flows mobile data user delplano middleboxes the respective user based on IP. Since the seminal paper by Knopp and Humblet that showed that the system throughput of a single cell system is maximized if only one terminal transmits at a time, there has been a large interest in opportunistic communications and its relation to various fairness measures. On the other hand, in multicell systems there is a need to allocate transmission power such that some overall utility function is maximized typically under fairness constraints. Furthermore, in multicell systems the degree of resource allocation freedom includes the serving cell selection that allows for load balancing and thereby the efficient use of radio resources. In this paper we formulate the joint serving cell selection (link selection) and power allocation problem as an optimization task whose purpose is to maximize either the minimum user throughput or the multicell sum throughput. Both the max-min and the max-throughput problems are non-polynomial hard and we therefore propose heuristic solution approaches. We present numerical results that give new and valuable insights into the trade off between fair and sum throughput optimal joint resource allocation strategies. Device-to-device (D2D) communications underlaying a cellular infrastructure has been proposed as a means of taking advantage of the physical proximity of communicating devices, increasing resource utilization, and improving cellular coverage. Relative to the traditional cellular methods, there is a need to design new peer discovery methods, physical layer procedures, and radio resource management algorithms that help realize the potential advantages of D2D communications. In this article we use the 3GPP Long Term Evolution system as a baseline for D2D design, review some of the key design challenges, and propose solution approaches that allow cellular devices and D2D pairs to share spectrum resources and thereby increase the spectrum and energy efficiency of traditional cellular networks. Simulation results illustrate the viability of the proposed design. A method and apparatus for allocating radio resources to an elastic session in a cell in a CDMA network is presented. The method comprises allocating, to the elastic session, a radio resource share corresponding to a reduced transmission rate wherein the reduction in transmission rate corresponds to a peak transmission rate of the elastic session being slowed down by a first slowdown rate. The first slow down rate is determined in dependency of the transmission rate requirements of the ongoing sessions in the cell in a manner so that the radio resource share allocated is not lower than a radio resource share corresponding to the maximum transmission rate if a total amount of resources available for allocation to ongoing sessions in the cell is sufficient for all ongoing sessions to transmit at a respective peak transmission rate. A method in a first wireless device for adjusting Signal-to-Interference-plus-Noise-Ratio, SINR, target and a transmit rate is provided. The first wireless device is configured to transmit data to a second wireless device over a Device-to-Device, D2D, link. The first wireless device receives a report on a control channel from the second wireless device. The report comprises a measurement of SINR on said control channel and/or a data channel transmitted by the first device. The first wireless device adjusts a transmit power for the control channel and/or the data channel based on the reported measurement of the SINR on said control channel and/or data channel transmitted by the first device. The first wireless device then adjusts a SINR target and a transmit rate based on the adjusted transmit power. The SINR target and transmit rate are to be used when transmitting on the data channel over the D2D link to the second wireless device. A first user terminal and method of operating the first user terminal so as to provide location information associated with the first user terminal to a second user terminal are disclosed. The first user terminal and the second user terminal are comprised within a wireless communication system, which wireless communication system further comprises a plurality of radio base stations of which a first one of the plurality of radio base stations is serving the first user terminal. A signal is received from one of the radio base stations comprising the absolute geographical coordinates corresponding to the location of that radio base station. Pilot signal measurements are performed on the received signal. The absolute geographical coordinates corresponding to the location of the first user terminal are determined based on the performed pilot signal measurements and the received absolute geographical coordinates of the radio base station. The determined absolute geographical coordinates are transmitted to the second user terminal. KTH, School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS), Automatic Control. Ericsson Res, Stockholm, Swede. Device-to-device (D2D) communication in a cellular spectrum increases the spectral and energy efficiency of local communication sessions, while also taking advantage of accessing licensed spectrum and higher transmit power levels than when using unlicensed bands. To realize the potential benefits of D2D communications, appropriate mode selection algorithms that select between the cellular and D2D communication modes must be designed. On the other hand, physical-layer network coding (NWC) at a cellular base stationwhich can be used without D2D capabilitycan also improve the spectral efficiency of a cellular network that carries local traffic. In this paper, we ask whether cellular networks should support D2D communications, physical-layer NWC, or both. To this end, we study the performance of mode selection algorithms that can be used in cellular networks that use physical-layer NWC and support D2D communications. We find that the joint application of D2D communication and NWC scheme yields additional gains compared with a network that implements only one of these schemes, provided that the network implements proper mode selection and resource allocation algorithms. We propose 2 mode selection schemes that aim to achieve high signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio and spectral efficiency, respectively, and take into account the NWC and D2D capabilities of the network. Device-to-device (D2D) communications in cellular spectrum have the potential of increasing the spectral and energy efficiency by taking advantage of the proximity and reuse gains. Although several resource allocation (RA) and power control (PC) schemes have been proposed in the literature, a comparison of the performance of such algorithms as a function of the available channel state information has not been reported. In this paper, we examine which large scale channel gain knowledge is needed by practically viable RA and PC schemes for network assisted D2D communications. To this end, we propose a novel near-optimal and low-complexity RA scheme that can be advantageously used in tandem with the optimal binary power control scheme and compare its performance with three heuristics-based RA schemes that are combined either with the well-known 3GPP Long-Term Evolution open-loop path loss compensating PC or with an iterative utility optimal PC scheme. When channel gain knowledge about the useful as well as interfering (cross) channels is available at the cellular base station, the near-optimal RA scheme, termedMatching, combined with the binary PC scheme is superior. Ultimately, we find that the proposed low-complexity RA + PC tandem that uses some cross-channel gain knowledge provides superior performance. A network node assigns resources for use in wireless communication based on priority. The network node receives, from a wireless communication device, a service request message that requests connection of a communication session. The network node determines a priority level for the requested communication session. The priority level comprises a cellular layer admission priority of whether the network node can preempt cellular resources of an existing communication session in order to admit the requested communication session on the cellular layer, and a device-to-device (D2D) layer admission priority of whether the network node can preempt D2D resources of an existing communication session in order to admit the requested communication session on the D2D layer. The network node assigns resources based at least in part on the priority level. The resources are used for D2D communication or cellular communication. According to a first aspect of embodiments herein, a method in a first network node for handling device discovery of second user equipments in a second network for Device-to-Device (D2D) communication is provided. The network node is comprised in a first network. The first network node obtains information from a second network node within the second network. The information relates to resources for sending device discovery beacon signals in a second network. The first network node sends the obtained information to a first user equipment served by the first network node. The obtained information relates to said resources for sending device discovery beacon signals in the second network. The information enables the first user equipment to discover beacon signals from the second user equipments in the second network and/or to send beacon signals to be discovered by the second user equipments in the second network. The embodiments herein relate to network nodes, devices and methods therein. In particular, embodiments herein relate to enabling device to device communication in a radio communications network. KTH, School of Electrical Engineering (EES), Automatic Control. Ericsson Research, Sweden. We consider the uplink of a single cell single input multiple output (SIMO) system, in which the mobile stations use intra-cell orthogonal pilots to facilitate uplink channel estimation. In such systems, the problem of transmission power balancing between pilot and data is known to have a large impact on the mean square error (MSE) for the received signal and, consequently, on the achievable uplink data rate. In this paper, we derive a closed form expression of the MSE for the received signal as a function of the pilot and data power levels under a per-user sum pilot-data power constraint. As a major contribution, our model is developed for arbitrary channel covariance matrices and it enables us to study the impact of the number of antennas and antenna correlation structures, including the popular 3GPP spatial channel model. Numerical results suggest that the effect of the antenna spacing is limited, but the angle of arrival and angular spread have a strong and articulated impact on the MSE performance. Moreover, as the number of antennas at the base station grows large, we show that a higher percentage of the power budget should be allocated to pilot signals than with a lower number of antennas.

2019-04-21T22:55:41Z

http://kth.diva-portal.org/smash/resultList.jsf?af=%5B%5D&aq=%5B%5B%7B%22personId%22%3A%22u1cec4wg+OR+0000-0002-2289-3159%22%7D%5D%5D&aqe=%5B%5D&aq2=%5B%5B%5D%5D&language=en&query=

Corrupted gradient directions (GD) in diffusion weighted images may seriously affect reliability of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-based comparisons at the group level. In the present study we employed a quality control (QC) algorithm to eliminate corrupted gradient directions from DTI data. We then assessed effects of this procedure on comparisons between Huntington disease (HD) subjects and controls at the group level. Sixty-one HD patients in early stages and forty matched healthy controls were studied in a longitudinal design (baseline and two follow-ups at three time points over 15 months), in a multicenter setting with similar acquisition protocols on four different MR scanners at four European study sites. A QC algorithm was used to identify corrupted GD in DTI data sets. Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA) maps at the group level with and without elimination of corrupted GD were analyzed. The elimination of corrupted GD had an impact on individual FA maps as well as on cross-sectional group comparisons between HD subjects and controls. Following application of the QC algorithm, less small clusters of FA changes were observed, compared to the analysis without QC. However, the main pattern of regional reductions and increases in FA values with and without QC-based elimination of corrupted GD was unchanged. An impact on the result patterns of the comparison of FA maps between HD subjects and controls was observed depending on whether QC-based elimination of corrupted GD was performed. QC-based elimination of corrupted GD in DTI scans reduces the risk of type I and type II errors in cross-sectional group comparison of FA maps contributing to an increase in reliability and stability of group comparisons. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) has become increasingly accepted in magnetic resonance (MR) neuroimaging [1, 2]. As with other MR modalities, the quality of diffusion weighted images (DWI) can be affected by a variety of factors, such as acquisition sequence, homogeneity of the magnetic field, stability of the gradient amplitude, slew rate variations, as well as by differences in multichannel radio-frequency coils and parallel imaging parameters . The acquisition time for DTI is longer than for conventional MR imaging due to the large number of recorded gradient directions (GD) that are required. Artifacts in GD may originate from both the acquisition system (such as eddy-current and vibration artifacts) and the subject scanned, such as cardiac pulsation and particularly head motion [2, 3]. Signal changes produced by these artifacts can be severe and may eventually result in erroneous diffusion tensor values . In order to detect artifacts in DTI, quality control (QC) assessment was suggested in previous studies with a variety of methods [2, 4–7]. In 2007, quality assessment was performed by Hasan using isotropic tensor scans of water phantoms providing a useful framework for QC and parameter optimization in DTI. In vivo DTI QC was performed by the software tool DTIprep which provides a framework for automatic QC by slicewise correlation check. Most recent studies introduced a sophisticated QC method for detecting bias of Fractional Anisotropy (FA) and the principal direction by a Rician noise model or suggested an integrative tool for an automatic DTI analysis and quality assurance pipeline . However, the effect of corrupted volumes within DTI data sets on the results of comparisons at the group level has not been investigated yet. The aim of this study was therefore to examine if the application of QC to DTI data, in combination with strict elimination of corrupted GD, results in differences in group comparisons of DTI-based metrics compared to using no QC. To this end, we used data from patients with Huntington disease (HD) who are prone to involuntary movement during a DTI scan. We used data from the PADDINGTON study (Pharmacodynamic Approaches to Demonstration of Disease-modification in Huntington’s disease by SEN0014196), a multi-centre study with a total sample size of initially 101 data sets. In addition, participants underwent MRI three times 6 months apart, which allows validation of the results, i.e., results clusters for comparisons at the group level. HD is a monogenetic, autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder of high penetrance characterized by a progressive dysfunction of the basal ganglia, clinically resulting in cognitive decline, typically hyperkinetic movement disorder and behavioural alterations (e.g. apathy, perseveration and irritability). Demonstrating biological alterations during the pre-clinical phase in HD mutation carriers may permit the identification of biomarkers, and any modulation of such potential biomarkers by interventions with therapeutic intent may point to the possible efficacy of experimental therapies. Therefore, neuroimaging techniques investigating structural and functional properties of the HD brain may have biomarker potential (for reviews see [8, 9]): given the pathophysiology of HD and its effects on white matter integrity an outstanding representative of these potential technical biomarkers is DTI. In the present study, those structures were of particular interest that had been identified in previous DTI studies in HD: an increase of FA values in the basal ganglia, and FA reductions in the external and internal capsule, in parts of the thalamus, and in subcortical white matter [10–12]. The present study addresses the investigation of the impact of QC on DTI data with the exemplary application to HD. We investigated whether identification and elimination of corrupted GD from cross-sectional data sets would lead to changes in cross-sectional result patterns. Therefore, the novelty of this study is to examine if and to which extent disturbances during DTI acquisition had an effect on DTI-based metrics at the group level. The main question was whether between-group differences are reliable with or without application of QC, i.e. does the application of QC have any effect on the results of between-group differences. While previous studies had investigated the impact of QC on single subject data, we extended this concept to a study at the group level. Hence, this study is a continuation of previous QC-studies in DTI [2, 4–7] and complements those studies for aspects of QC on the reliability of between-group statistics. Data in this study were collected in the framework of the European PADDINGTON project at four study sites in Europe (Leiden, the Netherlands; London, UK; Paris, France; Ulm, Germany) . The PADDINGTON study is an international initiative that aims to provide pharmacodynamic approaches for disease-modifying clinical trials. Work package 2 of this project entails the collection of 3.0 Tesla MRI (volumetric and DTI) scans acquired using similar acquisition protocols from patients with HD in an early disease stage and from healthy control participants, with the objective of identifying biomarkers of disease progression. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and the International Conference on Harmonisation guideline on Good Clinical Practices and applicable local regulatory requirements and laws. All participants were ambulatory and agreed to volunteer for MRI scanning after giving written informed consent. All HD patients had a genetically confirmed diagnosis with a trinucleotide (cytosine-adenine-guanine) repeat length of 36 or higher, and had clinical features of mild HD at stage I based on the Unified Huntington’s Disease Rating Scale (UHDRS) with a Total Functional Capacity (TFC) score of 11–13. In total, 61 HD and 40 control subjects were scanned at visit 1, 56 HD and 39 control subjects were scanned at visit 2 (6 months after baseline), and 55 HD and 37 control subjects were scanned at visit 3 (15 months after baseline). Acquisition parameters for the different sites were similar with slight variations of the standardized acquisition protocol. DTI was performed with echo planar sequences, where each data volume consisted of 52 to 76 axial slices of 2.0 mm or 2.2 mm thickness (depending on the scanner of the different sites, whole brain coverage was guaranteed), with no inter-slice gaps, and an acquisition matrix of between 112 ×112 to 128 × 128 with in-plane resolution of 2.0 × 2.0 mm2, or 2.2 × 2.2 mm2, respectively. TR ranged between 8 s and 13 s, and TE ranged between 56 ms and 86 ms. Each DTI data set consisted of more than 40 b = 1000 s/mm2, and one or more b = 0 scans. More detailed acquisition parameters for the different sites have already been reported previously . A DTI scan consists of a number of gradient encoding volumes, e.g. some b = 0 scans as well as a number of scans with different diffusion encoding gradients . Diffusion tensor calculation results in an over-determined equation system and further parameterization for quantification of the diffusion anisotropy is the fractional anisotropy (FA) . FA, a dimensionless scalar measuring the diffusion directionality in a single voxel, was used as the DTI-based metric for this study. In a general simplification, any measured MR signal is a combination of the true quantity, acquisition system noise, environmental noise, and subject specific noise. Ideally, the quality of the measured signal (i.e. the signal to noise ratio: SNR) can be improved by signal accumulation . If applied to DTI data, the repeated recording of diffusion encoding volumes should lead to an improvement of the accurateness of the diffusion tensor and the FA value in each voxel [17, 18]. Thus, if some of those repeated gradient direction (GD) images were corrupted by subject movement or by other sources of noise, the integration of these corrupted GD images into the tensor calculation (or FA values, respectively) would bias the results. Contrariwise, the removal of noisy or corrupted volumes from tensor calculation (or FA values, respectively) could reduce this bias . The in-house DTI analysis software Tensor Imaging and Fibre Tracking (TIFT; [19, 20]) was used for post-processing and statistical analysis. Figure 1 shows a schematic overview of data processing and analysis, divided into the iterative template-specific normalization to the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) stereotactic frame – with and without QC, respectively (Figure 1A), and the scheme for statistical analysis (Figure 1B). Whole brain-based spatial statistical analysis is a voxel-based DTI analysis approach in which unbiased results at whole brain basis are obtained, as previously reported [20, 22]. FA-maps were calculated from MNI-normalized DTI data, and a Gaussian smoothing filter of 8 mm FWHM was applied to the individual normalized FA-maps. In a consecutive step, voxelwise statistical comparison between the patient groups and the corresponding control group was performed by Student’s t-test. FA values below 0.2 were not considered for calculation as cortical grey matter shows FA values up to 0.2 . Next steps were correction for multiple comparisons using the false-discovery-rate (FDR) algorithm at p < 0.05, and a clustering procedure for further reduction of type I and type II errors. In general, a threshold cluster size of 512 voxels is to be considered a good choice . However, a lower threshold cluster size of 64 voxels (corresponding to a sphere with radius of approximately 1 acquisition voxel) was applied in this study in order to elucidate also small-size differences. Analysis schemes for cross-sectional comparison. (A) Schematic example for an iterative template-specific MNI-normalization: after a 1st normalization step based on landmarks, first templates T1 ((b = 0) template and FA-template) were obtained by arithmetic averaging of DTI-data I0. Analyses were performed with or without quality control (QC) and subsequent gradient direction elimination. Subsequently, in an iterative procedure, normalized DTI-data I1 were obtained by non-linear normalization to the previously defined templates (T1). From these newly normalized DTI-data I1, new templates (T2) were derived which again could be used for normalization. This iterative process is stopped when a predefined coincidence (measure by correlation) between DTI-data and templates was reached. (B) Scheme for whole brain-based spatial statistics: FA-maps are calculated from normalized DTI data and a smoothing filter to the individual normalized FA-maps is applied. In a consecutive step, voxelwise statistical comparison between the patient groups and the corresponding control group is performed. Final steps are correction for multiple comparisons using the false-discovery-rate (FDR) algorithm and a clustering procedure for further reduction of type I and type II errors. 〈a j,n 〉 denotes the arithmetic average intensity of the slice n under observation of GD j and 〈a i,n 〉 slice n for comparison of GD i. reflecting the deviation of a single slice n of GD j to the respective slices of all other GD. Q j reflects the minimum of slicewise comparisons of all slices for GD j. If Q j falls below a certain threshold, the whole GD was eliminated for analysis. The procedure is not iterative, and Q j values of different GD are influenced by each other. Thus, in the case of a series of corrupted GD (with hypointense slices), the global level of Q j decreases. As a solution, the Q-level could be lowered, or as an alternative, an iterative approach (e.g. ) could be performed, eliminating the GD with lowest Q j in a first step and then perform QC again with the remaining GD. In , a threshold of 0.8 was suggested. Lower thresholds could lead to unidentified corrupted GD and by a higher threshold, the Q-level of the whole data set will be lowered in data sets with more corrupted GD since Q-values of all volumes are influenced by each other. That way, an artefact correction was performed by detecting GD with at least one slice showing intensity changes, i.e. artefacts caused by spontaneous subject movement or other sources of distortion. The possible impact of corrupted GD on FA-maps was analysed by ROI analysis in FA maps prior to MNI normalization for a single visit with and without QC based elimination of GD. ROIs at the identical anatomical position of other visits could act as a reference. This analysis was performed by the following procedure: (i) DTI data of a single HD subject were selected in which two visits showed no corrupted GD and one visit showed a series of corrupted GD. (ii) A difference map was calculated from FA maps of the visit with corrupted GD by simple subtraction of the FA maps with and without GD elimination. (iii) In a data-driven approach, a ROI was placed in a brain region where differences in FA were detected by the difference map. (iv) An experienced operator identified the anatomical ROI position in the FA maps of the other visits without the knowledge of FA values. (v) Mean FA values of all visits in the respective ROIs were compared in the contrast with vs. without QC-based GD elimination.2) Using cross-sectional whole brain comparison the impact of corrupted GDs on FA maps was assessed in HD participants and controls. Corrupted GDs may impact FA maps in two ways. (i) FA values differ (Figure 1A and Figure 2) and (ii) MNI Registration of the subject’s FA image to the study-specific group template (which are based on study specific FA templates calculated from single subject FA maps) also could show differences, i.e. the MNI normalization process of all DTI data sets might also be influenced by differences in the FA maps of individual participants (Figure 1B). Corrupted slices in DTI volumes. DTI data (volumes number 29 to 31) of an HD subject (subject 589). Upper panel: reconstructed central sagittal slice where axial slices affected by noise are visible (volume number 30). Lower panel: With a QC-threshold of Q = 0.8, nine gradient directions (GD) were detected as corrupted by noise. Furthermore, between-group differences in cross-sectional data were investigated. The result patterns were compared to cross-sectional comparisons of DTI data sets from two further visits. Thus, each time point of the longitudinal data has been used as a single cross-sectional test point. This way, longitudinal data per-subject was used as a scan-rescan reproducibility test with the inherent assumption that the effect of progression of the disease over the time scale of the study on the diffusion images is negligible in first order, and hence the group-wise differences should only slightly proceed for the three time points. Hypointense slices indicating corruption in single volumes of an individual DTI data set (Figure 2, upper panel) were identified by reduced Q-values (Q < 0.8) within the respective volume (Figure 2, lower panel).In more than 50% of the HD patients’ DTI data, a constellation could be found where GD elimination led to an adjustment of ROI-based mean FA values. Figure 3 illustrates an example for a ROI analysis (HD subject 589). Here, visits 1 and 3 had no GD eliminations while nine corrupted GD were found in visit 2. A ROI was placed in the position where the difference matrix of visit 2 (with vs. without GD elimination) showed its local maximum in FA differences. Mean FA values in the ROI were compared to mean FA values of visits 1 and 3 at the identical ROI positions. Thus, without QC, FA values in the selected ROI in FA maps from visit 2 data were lower compared with FA values from visits 1 or 3. After elimination of the nine corrupted volumes, FA values of visit 2 data in the selected anatomical ROI were identical to FA values of visits 1 and 3. Region of interest analysis of FA maps from three longitudinal DTI scans. Region of interest (ROI) analysis of visit 1 and visit 3 were without gradient direction (GD) elimination by quality control (QC) since no corruption was evident. During visit 2, 9 GD (compare Figure 1) had to be eliminated. ROI based mean FA values changed with and without QC, respectively. Although ROI localization was identical for the three visits the respective slices look apparently different due to different slice orientation during acquisition. In the next step, the impact of QC-based GD elimination on the cross-sectional comparisons between FA maps from HD participants against controls was investigated: results clusters, i.e. patterns of significant FA reductions and increases, from cross-sectional differences between HD subjects and controls were compared with or without QC-based GD elimination for the three visits.The application of the QC algorithm resulted in specific QC characteristics for each DTI data set with identified volumes to be eliminated for FA calculation. The statistics for the number of eliminated volumes for all DTI data sets are summarized in Figure 4 as GD elimination statistics. The numbers of GDs excluded during the QC process for each participant are displayed separately for each visit. The removed GD were tested on systematic distribution concerning (i) the frequency of a specific GD and (ii) the frequency of spatial orientation. A random frequency and spatial distribution of removed GD was found without clustering in a particular orientation, that way vibration-induced artifacts (e.g. ) could be excluded. Quality control statistics. Gradient direction (GD) elimination statistics per each visit displays the number of gradient directions excluded in the QC process separately for each subject and for each of the diagnostic groups. Four data sets showed more than 10 corrupted GD. An intrinsic property of the QC algorithm is that it shows a general reduction of the Q value for a greater number of corrupted GD. For these four scans the Q level was lowered to 0.7. Consequently, in each of the four scans more than 20 GD could be used for tensor calculations. Since this number is still sufficient due to the results of , the affected scans were not entirely eliminated from the study. All remaining scans showed less than 10 QC eliminations, i.e. less than 20% of GDs were eliminated in DTI data sets due to QC so that no (substantial) single data set FA changes could be expected according to . Cross-sectional result patterns differ if QC-based GD elimination was applied (see for example Figure 5, left panel – visit 1). The QC-based GD elimination influences the FA maps and thus, as a consequence, appearance of result clusters of smaller extent from cross-sectional group comparisons. For example, in visit 1 the group comparison without QC-based GD elimination showed a cluster with FA decrease in the hippocampal region (no. 21 – Table 1) which does not appear under QC-based GD elimination (type I error). On the other hand, a cluster in the frontal lobe (no. 14 – Table 1) appears for visit 1 with QC-based GD elimination which is not present without QC-based GD elimination (type II error). The hippocampal cluster (no. 21) was not confirmed by longitudinal data, i.e. cross-sectional group comparisons at visits 2 and 3, whereas the frontal lobe cluster (no. 14) appears also at visit 2 and visit 3 cross-sectional comparisons. Results of cross-sectional group comparison. Clusters of significant FA differences between HD subjects and controls for the three visits. Hot colors indicate FA reductions in the comparison controls vs. HD subjects, cold colors indicate FA increases in this comparison. (A) Representative slices of identical MNI coordinates (0/-29/0) for visits 1 to 3 with and without quality control (QC), respectively. Red circles indicate additional clusters depending if QC based gradient direction elimination was performed, or not. (B) Examples of clusters that are only present in one visit, depending if QC based gradient direction elimination was performed or not. An example is shown for each visit 1 to 3; for clarity of presentation, the respective slices of the other visits for which no clusters could be detected are not displayed. Clusters (cl.) of the FA map group comparison between HD subjects and controls (cl. size/voxels and MNI coordinates of the area with highest significance). All clusters listed in this table show a p-value of p < 0.001. Basically, several cluster groups that are interconnected in different analyses were found. Clusters 1,2 (FA increase): clusters located in the basal ganglia. Clusters 3-17 (FA reduction): clusters covering the thalamic area, external and internal capsule, and corpus callosum (CC); additional clusters in the occipital, frontal, parietal lobe, and limbic regions. Clusters 18-21 (FA reduction): small clusters in the temporal and parietal lobe, the internal capsule, and the hippocampus. Figure 5 and Table 1 summarize results of cross-sectional group comparisons of HD participants and controls for the three visits with or without QC-based GD elimination. The overall patterns of FA reductions or increases were consistent for all visits, i.e. regional FA increases in the basal ganglia and FA reductions in the internal and external capsule, thalamic regions and corpus callosum (CC). This result was achieved although the number of contributors differed during each visit. For the three visits, cross-sectional FA comparisons showed result patterns sharing common clusters. This effect also appeared irrespective of the analysis being performed with or without QC-based GD elimination; as a consequence cluster locations and sizes in Table 1 could not be directly compared. FA reduction clusters covered the internal and external capsule, the thalamic region, and the CC. In addition, clusters were found in the occipital, frontal, parietal lobe, and limbic areas. Clusters with FA increase involved the basal ganglia. Depending on the performance of QC-based GD elimination, additional small clusters appeared in the temporal and parietal lobe, the internal capsule, and in the hippocampus. Cluster 18 is an example of a cluster that does not show up in visit 2 (cross-sectional comparison) without QC (type II error). Clusters 20 and 21 are examples of clusters that appear only in visit 1 without QC (type I error). Movement associated image corruptions are a matter of concern in neuroimaging research. These artefacts may reduce the potential of DTI as a biomarker in HD. Algorithms are therefore needed that compensate for corrupted volumes in a DTI scan. In this study, we used an algorithm for automatic and objective detection of volumes that contain corrupted slices. Identified volumes with corrupted GD were then excluded from further calculations of DTI metrics. The question to what extent GD could be removed from a DTI data set without relevant changes to FA maps had previously been addressed . The present study is a continuation of QC-based studies of our group as well as of other groups [2, 4, 5, 7]. It could be demonstrated in the present study that corrupted volumes in DTI acquisitions have impact on the results of cross-sectional group comparisons of FA maps. The effects of corrupted volumes on cross-sectional result patterns were two-fold: first, corrupted volumes influenced FA values alone, and secondly, as a consequence, they could have impact on registration of the subject’s FA image to the study-specific group template (which is based on study specific FA templates calculated from single subject FA maps). This means that the MNI normalization process of all DTI data sets was also influenced by differences in the FA maps of individual participants. In this study, no entire scans had to be eliminated although the first QC showed some scans with a greater number of corrupted GD. For these cases, a Q threshold reduction could detect the most corrupted volumes and the number of remaining GD was considered still sufficient for accurate tensor detection. In cases where Q threshold reduction detects so many GD that only few non-corrupted GD would survive correction, we suggest that such a data set should be entirely eliminated from the study. The results of our analysis demonstrate that the voxelwise pattern of cross-sectional FA group differences between HD subjects and controls showed high consistency with previous reports of other research groups (e.g. [10, 11]). In addition, the repeated cross-sectional group comparisons showed rather constant result patterns. Differences between results with and without QC-based GD elimination in terms of cluster size and location originate from interconnections between clusters. Importantly, the presence or absence of clusters in FA maps of visit 2 relative to visits 1 and 3 most likely reflect type I or type II errors, respectively, since their localisation does not match with brain regions typically affected in HD whose FA changes could be explained by the course of the disease per se. Since some of the cross-sectional FA changes of visits 1 and 3 are consistent, differences in FA changes for visit 2 cannot be reasonably attributed to disease progression, due to the temporal relationships between the data. In a single cross-sectional test point, the inconsistency of clusters between the group-wise results with and without corrupt GD removal is not technically adequate to label the differential presence or absence of clusters as type I or type II errors: however, the consistency of these results across three separate cross-sectional tests provides additional evidence for classification. This study is based on a general approach how the incorporation of corrupted GD could affect tensor calculations and group differences at whole brain level and at the group level. However, if the gradient directions removed are isotropically distributed both within and between subjects, the influence will be akin to SNR reduction. If gradients in a particular direction are more likely to lead to artefact and hence volume removal (as it is the case in vibration-induced artefact in diffusion imaging), this could cause a bias in tensor estimation, and therefore non-stationarity in statistical power depending on the underlying fibre orientations. It is open to discussion whether the whole volume should be eliminated when only a few slices show corruptions. If only single slices were omitted for FA calculation, the remaining voxels (with no slice in any volume being corrupted) would show less bias. On the other hand, FA maps would then be calculated where the voxel FA values in one FA map would originate from a different number of GDs. In order to keep the number of GD constant from which FA values of an individual FA map are calculated, we suggest that each FA map should be calculated with the number of GD contributing to the diffusion tensors in the voxels should be kept constant for individual FA maps if repeatedly measured across time. Nevertheless, FA maps of different subjects could still originate from different sets of GD. A different situation emerges regarding intraindividual longitudinal data comparisons. Here, case one would require the number of GDs to be identical across repeated measurements for single subjects to reliably estimate longitudinal changes in FA maps. For the aim of this study, longitudinal data were only used for validation of cross-sectional result patterns while we did not compare FA maps within HD subjects, or controls, longitudinally. Therefore, further research is needed how to apply QC on GD for longitudinal FA analysis. With respect to the validation of cross-sectional result patterns by longitudinal data itself, it might be considered that the consistency of these clusters between the three time points (or lack thereof) does not in all cases provide evidence for the labelling of these inconsistent clusters as errors. In fact, if a cluster is present without GD rejection and disappears with GD rejection, this suggests but is not full evidence to label this cluster as a type I error, as the ‘actual’ difference in unknown; it is the absence of this cluster in the statistical tests at other time points that makes it probable that the cluster is in fact a statistical error. The QC-based GD elimination described in this study is a global tool to eliminate corrupted GD. However, if slice dropout is caused by subject movement, the probability of the subject moving back to the precise location they were in before the movement is rather unlikely. Therefore, even explicit inter-volume motion correction may not be adequate to fully recover these volumes, as non-linear volume components will be present in the movement regression. This depends on factors like slice timing and order. Therefore, the ultimate justification for rejection of GD is grounded in the mechanism by which diffusion images are acquired. In summary, QC of DTI data clearly impacted upon the results pattern of FA reductions and increases at the group level when comparing HD subjects and controls. We could show that some small clusters were observed in cross-sectional results without QC-based GD elimination, suggesting that corrupted GDs may increase the risk of type I errors and should consequently be eliminated during a QC process. Furthermore, QC-based GD elimination was associated with emergence of otherwise undetected clusters of group differences indicating that QC-based GD elimination may also protect against type II errors at the level of group comparisons. Hans-Peter Müller, Jan Kassubek contributed equally to this work. This work was supported by the European Union under the Seventh Framework programme– PADDINGTON Project, Grant Agreement No. 261358, and the European Huntington’s Disease Network (EHDN), project 070 – PADDINGTON. We thank all the participants, HD patients and volunteers, and their families for their participation. HPM: conception and design, collection of data, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript drafting. JK: conception and design, collection of data, data analysis and interpretation, manuscript drafting. GG: collection of data, critical revision of manuscript. RS: data interpretation, critical revision of manuscript. ACL: data interpretation, critical revision of manuscript. SK: methodological development. NZH: collection of data, critical revision of manuscript. RACR: collection of data, critical revision of manuscript. AD: collection of data, critical revision of manuscript. SJT: collection of data, critical revision of manuscript. MO: collection of data, critical revision of manuscript. SDS: conception and design. GBL:collection of data, conception and design. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

2019-04-20T03:06:44Z

https://biomedical-engineering-online.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-925X-13-128

Even though Pan American World Airways ceased operations on 4 December 1991, those of the flying staff who remained to the end continued flying in whatever assignment they could get. Some flew on Hajj charters; some went overseas to teach Korean pilots and others took any job so long as it involved flying. The possibility of ever joining together again as a team seemed like a remote possibility. However, the “Pan American Spirit” remained in the hearts of many Pan Amers and manifested itself in late 1993. With the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1990 was the breakup of its national airline, Aeroflot. The once behemoth was divided up among the newly independent republics who immediately set out to form their own national airlines. One airline was formed in the new Republic of Tajikistan, “Tajik Air”. Its fleet consisted largely of old Soviet TU-154s that were operated to points within the old Soviet Union. The idea of operating long-haul intercontinental flights was nothing more than a dream. Then something profound happened. A group of businessmen in London, England saw the potential of doing business in Tajikistan and formed the Tajikistan Development Agency, headquartered in London. The group came to a quick realization that there was a serious lack of air transportation between the UK (or anywhere in Europe) and Tajikistan. Then came an idea: Why not expand the operations of Tajik Air so that it can offer flights between London and Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan? Starting a new service in any market requires a great deal of research and planning. There must be a suitable aircraft. Government approvals must be in place. Airport access, slots (if required), ground handling services and airport facilities (check-in desks, etc) must be obtained. On the commercial side, the new service needs to be marketed, publicized and tickets sold. Other details include setting up the ticket and operations offices, arranging catering, publishing an In-Flight magazine and printing safety information cards, timetables, paper tickets, baggage tickets, promotional materials and stationary. For Tajik Air, however, there was one very important requirement missing: an operating base in London and sufficient infrastructure to crew and maintain an aircraft operating the long-haul route between Dushanbe and London. That presented a huge problem as the civil aviation structure of Tajikistan was completely inexperienced in intercontinental operations. Setting up a London base would seem impossible to achieve given the limited resources of Tajikistan. However, through the foresight and creativeness of a few airline experts in London, a unique solution to the problem was hatched: Establish a third-party UK management company to operate the route. After much discussion with Tajikistan’s civil aviation authority, a contract was signed and Tajik Air Limited was formed. It would build the the necessary infrastructure and operate flights to/from London on behalf of Tajik Air. The company would obtain and maintain the aircraft and crew, organize the marketing and selling of the flights and essentially operate the flights. This would be accomplished using Tajikistan’s Air Operator’s Certificate and Tajik Air’s call-sign and airline code. Tajikistan committed to funding the new service and also obtaining the required government permissions for the operation. How would this operation be viable and profitable? The route of primary interest to Tajik Air was the London (Heathrow) (“LHR”)-Dushanbe (“DYU”) sector. Operating that sector as an Origin-Destination route presented problems in that there was little, if any, traffic between the two points. The question was how to fill the aircraft? The answer: Offer service between LHR and points beyond DYU. The beyond points selected were Delhi, India (“DEL”) and Karachi, Pakistan (“KHI”). This was to be accomplished using rights under the Sixth Freedom of the Air, made possible by Tajik Air using Tajikistan’s Third and Fourth Freedom rights under agreements with the UK, India and Pakistan. DYU would be the “hub” for traffic between LHR and DEL/KHI. The schedule would work like this: Tajik Air departs from LHR with a planeload of passengers on a Fourth Freedom flight to DYU. Upon arrival in DYU, those few passengers destined for DYU disembark and the rest stay on board. The flight then departs DYU with a new flight number on a Third Freedom flight for DEL or KHI. Upon turning around in DEL/KHI, with a new planeload of passengers, the flight becomes a Fourth Freedom to DYU and from DYU, with another flight number, Third Freedom to LHR. By operating this schedule, Tajik Air could fill the seats of the aircraft, and compete in a highly competitive market by offering good service with low fares. The next question was what type of aircraft and this is where the spirit of Pan American first came on the scene: The selection of the Boeing 747SP for the operation. The aircraft acquired was first delivered to Pan American on May 11, 1979 registered as N540PA and named Clipper White Falcon. It was renamed Clipper Flying Arrow on August 1, 1979 and later renamed Clipper Star of the Union on January 1, 1980. One year later, on January 1, 1981, the aircraft became China Clipper. Once the 747SP was secured, a call went out for crews to operate it. This was the second instance of the Pan American spirit in the new operation: The selection of former Pan Am crews to operate the service. Because of the aircraft choice and their availability, it was decided to hire former pilots of Pan American. The decision was perfectly logical in that Pan Am pilots had many hours of experience in the 747SP – some had actually flown the aircraft when it was with Pan Am – had experience operating in the geographic area of the intended operation, and had the savvy and know-how in dealing with unexpected circumstances or conditions inherent in such an operation. It was the same for all the pilots who received “the call”. A chance to be an aviation pioneer was too great an opportunity to turn down. Once the group was assembled, refresher training began at the Pan Am International Flight Academy in Miami, Florida. Most of the Pan American pilots were over 60 years of age. While that would present a problem in the United States, it did not for Tajikistan. And as is well known, pilots over the age of 60 have a near zero accident rate. At the academy was a 747SP simulator and the pilots were put through training that brought them up to speed on changes to the aircraft, flight rules and also fined-tuned their instrument piloting skills. At the same time, flight attendants from Tajik Air were undergoing training for the 747SP. These flight attendants were supposedly the “cream of the crop” from Tajik Air but with experience limited to smaller aircraft such as the TU-154. While the pilots were progressing well in the refresher training, it was not the case for the flight attendants. “I had created a training program for the Tajik flight attendants and we started with the 747SP aircraft: the doors, how to arm, disarm, open and close in normal and emergency mode. The first day was spent studying the manual; the second day in the mock- up; the third day back in the classroom. But I soon realized it would take five days to learn the doors and it would take months to teach procedures. A flight academy employee who spoke Russian eventually acted as an interpreter, but it became painfully clear that this group would not be able to staff a 747SP. Although kind, interested and friendly, they were overwhelmed by the size of the 747SP. This problem was not only a concern to Crawford, but also to the pilots who were undergoing refresher training and who had observed the Tajik flight attendants first hand. A solution to the problem was needed, and after consultations with Tajik officials present, it was decided to hire some “real” flight attendants from the former Pan Am. Crawford, was in contact with a group of “experienced and adventurous” former colleagues, and very soon a lot of familiar faces began appearing at the Flight Academy. Training went into full swing for all concerned and soon it was finished. For the cabin crew, it was decided that two or three experienced Pan Am flight attendants would be assigned to each flight. The remaining cabin crew positions would be filled by the Tajik Air flight attendants as “trainees”. The goal, under the supervision and direction of the Pan Am crew, was the Tajik crew to become qualified on a 747SP. “Being on a flight crew is a wonderful thing. It is a team effort. Pan Am had always encouraged working as a team. That teamwork was designed to save lives. Although the duties of the cabin staff is the care of passengers, their real job is to save lives in an emergency. They operate the emergency equipment and are trained to get people out of the aircraft as quickly as possible. Good communication is essential. As a pilot, I always appreciated the job the flight attendants do and made sure they knew it”. “[At] almost any cookout in America, guests would pitch in to help with the food and drinks and have a party. Not so with the Tajiks. It became apparent that the concept of initiative did not exist in their culture. They would smile and do anything we asked of them but took no initiative. In an airplane emergency, this can be deadly so we proceeded to see what we could do about it. This was the first chance the pilots and cabin staff had the opportunity to talk in an informal setting. We encouraged them to help themselves and to pass things along to their fellow crew members. “We also found out why they didn’t talk to each other. They were all from Tajikistan but some were from various mountain tribes that were at odds with each other. Others were Russian, or Iranian or Tajik valley people. Apparently they had been chosen not because of their good English or flying experience but because they were related to government officials. This was also meant to be a representative group of the Tajik population. While I thought this was a very democratic move, I later learned this diversity was meant to make it less likely that a jealous faction would [cause problems with the operation]. With the training finished and the Tajiks fresh from their team-building experience, everyone began leaving Miami for London to start the operation. Captain Carr was asked to make the “acceptance flight” of Tajik Air’s Boeing 747SP. He accepted. Stay tuned for Part Two: The acceptance flight and applying the “Pan Am Experience” to the first flights of Tajik Air. Some new photographs have emerged about Tajik Air’s Boeing 747SP operation told in “The Story of Snow Leopard” previously posted on this blog site. The images illustrate the spirit of cooperation between the Tajiks and the ex-Pan Am crew who were enthusiastically and selflessly working to give Tajik Air a name for itself in Central Asia. Many thanks to Purser Gunilla Crawford for providing the photographs. The next series of images shows the level of meal service enjoyed by the First Class passengers on Snow Leopard. As the cabin crew were former Pan American World Airways pursers, the service replicated Pan Am’s iconic “Seven Cart” gourmet meals. This short-lived Boeing 747SP operation gave Tajik Civil Aviation an all too brief “shining moment” that for two short months gave Central Asia a glimpse of what could be done in commercial flight. It is gone for now, but the memories remain, thanks to the ex-Pan Am cabin crew and pilots who shared their photographs and memories to make “The Story of Snow Leopard” possible. The Story of Snow Leopard from the beginning was the story of a revolutionary idea that should have been hugely successful. Unfortunately the fates would not allow that and countless hours of devotion to a noble project went to waste. If there is blame, it is not worth dwelling on. Everyone wanted the right outcome. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Nevertheless, the London staff, pilots and cabin crew worked their mightiest to make this project work, using initiative and self-sacrifice to get over what eventually became an insurmountable problem. Once the regular schedule was established and operating, the flights still presented a challenge to everyone involved and it goes without saying they were up to it. The Pan Am culture in which the pilots and flight attendants grew up lent itself to innovation and decisiveness in dealing with the everyday issues they confronted while operating Snow Leopard. A case in point is the first trip of Captain Sherman Carr, who encountered his share of challenges during his first trip as Pilot-in-Command on Snow Leopard. Captain Carr, who flew the acceptance flight, arrived in London for his first revenue trip and met with the rest of the flight crews at his hotel who briefed him on the operation. He also learned that the flights for the next two months were full, “which was a relief to me as I was anxious for my new employers to succeed”. That evening, he reported with his crew to London’s Heathrow Airport for his trip to Delhi with a short stop in Dushanbe. While completing pre-flight, which included verifying the flight plan, the weather, the fuel load, the passenger load, weight and balance and reviewing the current Notice to Airmen, he learned that the flight was being handled by United Airlines Dispatch in Chicago. “I reported to the aircraft with my crew and was greeted warmly by the Tajik Air Station Manager and his wife. I briefed the flight service team about our flight time (6 1/2 hours to Dushanbe; 2 1/2 hours to Delhi) and conducted a review of emergency procedures. I checked with catering and baggage handling to ensure things were progressing for an on time departure. All was well. So far. The flight was finally cleared and took off for Dushanbe. For Captain Carr, it was “great to be flying again”. The route took Snow Leopard over Belgium, Germany, and Czechoslovakia and across the former Soviet Union. In the flight deck, the pilots were busy with position reports, weather updates and programming the way-points on the route into the Inertial Navigation Systems (INS) on the aircraft. This system directs the flight as it moves along its route. Connected to autopilot, it makes piloting the flight effortless. Except in the former Soviet Union. The flight, however, made good progress and was on its way for an on-time arrival. Then there was a problem: Fluid loss in one of the hydraulic systems that required an alternative procedure to lower the landing gear and made the nose wheel steering inoperative. This was “no big whoop” to Captain Carr. These were things pilots were trained to deal with. The landing in Dushanbe was routine and Captain Carr requested a tug to tow the aircraft to the gate. After examining the landing gear, the source of the leak was identified and capped. Repairs would be done in Delhi. The crew determined that the aircraft could continue to Delhi with the landing gear locked down adding about 45 minutes to the flight plan, arriving in Delhi a little late. Communications in Dushanbe, however, was quite primitive, and after several unsuccessful attempts by the operations office to contact London and Chicago, Captain Carr finally reached Chicago by HF frequency from the aircraft. He explained the situation and got his first taste of United Corporate Culture. “‘You can’t do that,’ said the United dispatcher in Chicago. ‘We don’t have any such procedure for gear down flights with passengers.’ I explained we had such procedures and that our operating certificate was based on using Pan Am manuals, flight procedures and techniques and the manuals permitted safe operation with the gear down. We had been doing it since the introduction of the first 747. I asked him: ‘Don’t you realize that every flight operates with the gear down at the beginning and end? We were just going to have it down longer.’ He said he didn’t care, he had checked with his bosses and if we attempted to fly with the gear down, they would repossess the aircraft. I had to give the bad news to the local Tajik Air people and two managers from London who were with us. We had to come up with plan B”. The next problem for Captain Carr was dealing with the passengers still on board going to Delhi. There were no hotels available to put them up overnight. Also, the aircraft heating and electricity was being powered by an on-board auxiliary power unit (APU) that used up fuel and there was no fuel available in Dushanbe. If the APU was kept running, there would not be enough fuel for the flight to Delhi. In addition, the airport was closing and airport personnel were going home. “The local Tajik Air managers came up with the idea of using one of their Tupolev 154s, which could carry our passengers but not their luggage. The Tupolev crew was called to the airport, their airplane readied, and I was told all we had to do was transfer our passengers to the other aircraft. I learned that wasn’t going to be so easy. “In London, the BBC had been reporting on the theft of airline baggage. Most of the passengers were Indian Nationals, many of whom carrying as many VCRs, portable TVs and other small appliances as their luggage would bear. When I told them that they would be continuing to Delhi on the Tupolev, but could not take their luggage, there was a near riot. A few began wagging their fingers in my face. I asked the Hindi speaking members of our crew to translate for me so there would be no misunderstanding. I explained there were no hotel rooms, that we had to shut down our aircraft and if they tried to stay, they would freeze to death. I told them we had made arrangements to get them to their destination and their luggage would be arriving the next morning. Their response was underwhelming. To emphasize our security arrangements, I had our guards come aboard the airplane and hold their Kalishnikov machine guns over their heads to show our passengers that their luggage would be well protected. These were not ordinary airport security guards but members of the élite Russian Spetsnaz. I was very glad to see them providing security. And having them behind me to back up my promise to protect the passengers luggage worked very well. Also, no one else wagged a finger in my face. After spending the night at a hotel in Dushanbe, Captain Carr and his crew returned to Dushanbe Airport to find a “pile of papers that truly impressed me” and that “United in Chicago. . .had come to the conclusion” that he was right and released the aircraft for a ferry flight to Delhi with gear down. “We boarded the airplane and took off. It was a beautiful day and even with the gear down the SP climbed easily to cross the Hindu Kush and surrounding peaks that rose to about 24,000 feet. We were enjoying the scenery as we cruised at 29,000 feet entering Pakistan. We made our position report to the Pakistan air controller who asked us to confirm our country of registration. No one could believe that Tajikistan had a 747. He asked us for our overflight permit number. Before take-off we had received our en-route clearance but no one had said anything about an overflight permit number. I hadn’t heard of this before and in my years of flying with Pan Am, had never been asked for one. The three of us in the cockpit began searching through the paper work. I began reading the controller numbers we found but they were not the number he wanted. He sounded very unhappy and eventually his supervisor radioed: ‘Tajik Air 801, you have entered Pakistani airspace illegally and are directed to land at Lahore Airport immediately.’ I explained that we were a ferry flight because of a mechanical difficulty and that it would be dangerous to divert and could not comply. He said: ‘You must land immediately.’ I again explained that I am using my authority as Captain for the safety of my aircraft and crew to proceed. We only had about 5 more minutes until we were out of Pakistan Airspace. I pushed the throttles up as much as I dared and we kept looking out both sides and hoped that if they scrambled fighters, that they would at least do one fly-by before shooting at us. We reached the Indian/Pakistan border and I thanked the Pakistan air controller for his ‘cooperation’. Pamir Mountains as seen from Snow Leopard. Captain Carr and his crew stayed in Delhi for a three day layover, during which Snow Leopard made a London-Karachi rotation through Dushanbe. When Snow Leopard returned to Delhi, he and his crew would take it back to London. At Delhi Airport, he learned that the weather in Dushanbe was “iffy”, adding the requirement of planning a fuel load so that they would be light enough to land in Dushanbe yet have enough to make it to London if they had to bypass Tajikistan. This was resolved by using a “re-dispatch” flight plan that provided for a fuel stop at an alternative airport if necessary. “We took off on schedule with a full load of passengers, fortunately none bound for Tajikistan, because as we approached Dushanbe, we learned that it was snowing heavily and the runway could not be cleared. We were then informed that we had to deviate north of Azerbaijan due to ‘military activities’. All I could think of was, ‘uh-oh, there goes our fuel and our on-time arrival in London’. The distance from Delhi to London is normally not a problem for a 747SP, but, because we had to limit the amount of fuel we could carry, we had the minimum amount to make it to London and now had to worry about using up our reserves. However, our calculations indicated that we would still have the proper amount of reserve fuel. “As we progressed west, the weather reports for London kept getting worse. We were advised by Maastricht Control,(Netherlands), that there were delays for aircraft inbound to Heathrow. We had now been airborne for almost nine hours and were getting close to the minimum fuel that would let us safely proceed to our alternate airport. We were told to enter the holding pattern at Lamborne, less than 20 miles from London’s Heathrow Airport. I knew it could take up to an hour or more to cover those last 20 miles. We were flying in ovals on a specific flight path at a specific altitude separated by 1000 feet from the aircraft above and below. We were still at 16,000 feet and since the approach normally is not begun until we have worked our way down through the “stack” to 8,000 feet I knew we were going to be doing this for a while and it was quite possible that we would reach our “bingo” fuel, the minimum amount left for us to proceed to our alternate airport. I excused myself and went aft for a stretch and briefed the senior purser that we might have to divert to Stansted Airport. “When I returned to the cockpit I was glad to see we had worked our way down to 12,000 feet. We had also been in continuous contact with our Flight Ops to check on Stansted weather. It was okay and the winds were favorable to get there. Nevertheless, I had to tell London Control that we could only make two more turns in the pattern and would then have to divert. At the very last moment, we had worked our way down and were cleared for an approach. The weather had gotten worse and we were faced with zero ceiling and zero visibility, called a ‘zero-zero landing’. “A 747 can make zero-zero landing if the aircraft and airport are properly equipped, which they were. We committed to making a zero-zero landing, requiring an instrument approach. The aircraft flies where you want it to go with just a caress of the controls. For this landing I decided to make a ‘coupled approach’, on the auto pilot. Even though the autopilot is flying the airplane, the pilot still must follow all the instruments as though flying manually and keep hands on the controls to override just in case. I let the autopilot make the actual touch down and apply the brakes. “One strange thing about a zero-zero landing is that after you land is when it gets dicey. The trick is to slow the aircraft and keep it on the runway that still can’t be seen. Fortunately, on the runway are ‘center line lights’ embedded in the concrete. But though they are very bright, in low visibility, one can only see a couple at a time and the trick is to run over them with the nose wheel. Otherwise, if one loses sight of the lights, there is no way to tell if the aircraft is to the right or left, other than instinct, until it runs off the runway. The flight attendants also had interesting experiences. Vince Rossi recalls making “care” packages from the inbound catering overages for the pilots laying over in Dushanbe. The flight attendants would also set up a buffet for the ground staff and soldiers there. It was a big event whenever Snow Leopard arrived at Dushanbe. According to Rossi, “in spite of the bitter winter cold, there were often people watching from the terminal and nearby the airport”. Soon, a cherry-picker appeared to take care of the tail, and it, too, was a small business that was paid directly for its services. One of the attractions of working for an international airline is the opportunity to visit countries all over the world and explore them during layovers. Layovers are necessary to ensure flight crew members are not “timed out” and are well rested for their next segment. Dushanbe was not considered a layover city, but there were times that a layover was necessary due to operational circumstances. For the most part, due to the political situation in Tajikistan, the flight attendants kindly declined the opportunity to sample Dushanbe. The pilots, however, did. Captain Carr’s first layover was the over-nighter, caused by the landing gear problem. This was his first experience in a former Soviet Republic. The next time Captain Carr visited Dushanbe, he had a chance to have a better view of Dushanbe. This was a city that was affected by the then ongoing civil war and things were quite unstable. The country was struggling and its economy was to say the least, precarious. “My next layover in Dushanbe gave me another jolt of realism. We made arrangements with the Station Manager to take a tour of the Dushanbe area. He was able to provide the same bus that took us to and from the hotel. We drove through some areas with some very grand government buildings with surprisingly attractive architecture. We stopped at a beautiful park with some magnificent statuary. It didn’t take us too long to realize though that something was wrong. No people on the streets. No cars on the roads. The only other humans we saw on our drive were local policemen who stopped our bus, asked for our identification, and extracted a small ‘toll’ for passing through their section of road. I don’t believe they received much else in the way of pay. We headed back to the area of our hotel and stopped at a ‘super market.’ It was quite a large store, larger than most in the U.S. but dramatically different. The shelves were all bare except for one corner of the store where a man dispensed potatoes into burlap bags with a shovel. This was the government store. We did finally find a ‘people’s market’ with fresh vegetables and other marketable foods and goods. We were able to buy some tasty snacks and food to carry us through the evening curfew. I also made my one big purchase of a local item that is my one souvenir of my Tajikistan experience. (left to right) Jim Lank, Sherman Carr and Earl Speirs. “On flights, we were all wearing our old Pan Am uniforms without the Pan Am insignia or hats. I thought it would be nice to have a hat with an emblem indicative of Tajikistan. I found the perfect thing on a peddlers cart. It was a pin-on gold medallion of a beautifully crafted snow leopard. I happily purchased it, stuck it on my beret, and it was my contribution to uniform design and a personal trademark thereafter. I took a little kidding at first but then all the other crew-members wanted one as well. “The next day, the Engineer, First Officer and I decided to walk over to explore another hotel that we had noticed not too far away. The hotel seemed very attractive from the outside. The lobby was very dark and deserted but after we rang a little bell on the main desk, a clerk eventually appeared. I asked if we could look around and see their rooms. ‘Da’. He pointed to a doorway with a flight of stairs. We went up and came to what appeared to be an airport style security check point with a walk-through metal detector and guards with Kalishnikov machine guns. After we got through we ran into a fellow on the upper landing that seemed to be an American. He asked if he could help us and I explained that we were looking for a better hotel and were hoping to see what the rooms were like here. He said: ‘Sure.’ He told us his name was Stan and we followed him into what appeared to be a suite of 10 or 12 rooms that had its own pantry and kitchen. He invited us to the suite’s lounge and offered chips, dip, and sodas. We explained that we were the crew for the new Tajik airline’s 747. As we were sitting in the lounge, I finally noticed a big emblem on the wall that read ‘U.S. Embassy’. I asked,’Is this the U. S. Embassy?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Do you work here?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘What do you do?’ ‘I’m the Ambassador.’ Stan, the Ambassador, and his charming wife entertained us for the next hour or so as we swapped stories and local intelligence. I asked him about the information I had gotten about local war lords and border positions. He confirmed most of it. The border fighting that was supposedly 150 miles away was now only 80 miles from the city. He explained that he kept a C-130 Hercules airplane on standby 24 hours a day in case it became necessary to evacuate the embassy staff. The hotel where the U.S. Embassy was located. “That night, the aircraft we were scheduled to fly to Karachi and back overflew Dushanbe because of bad weather. The weather stayed bad and it overflew us again on the way back to London. We were stuck here for another 48 hours. My most immediate concern was to call my wife Mary because she was going to meet me in London. Since I obviously wasn’t going to be back in London in time to meet her, I put in the two-hour-to-wait call through Moscow and was relieved when I finally got through and told her to wait two days and come on the next Tajik Air flight out of London. She would then spend one day with me in Dushanbe and we would continue together to New Delhi, Agra and the Taj Mahal. As the flights continued it was quickly becoming clear that the operation was encountering some severe financial problems and getting the flight successfully off was becoming a day-to-day affair. In addition, there was a mechanical problem with one of the aircraft’s engines and it was taken out of service. Eventually Snow Leopard was repossessed by United Airlines. Gunilla Crawford and her crew were on the last rotation. They were in Delhi when the aircraft was repossessed. “We arrived in New Delhi on a regular flight, and checked in at the Sheraton where we stayed as Pan Am crew. A couple of days later as we are getting ready to take the inbound flight back to London, our Captain informed us that there is a delay. I believe the message read ‘buy more beer’ or something to that effect. “We sat by the pool and eventually it became clear that the plane had been impounded and our adventure probably over. It had lasted a little over 4 months. Our Station Manager was stuck with some 500-700 hundred passengers who had booked flights to London. He counted on the crew as pawns for money from London, as we could not leave and our crew visas would run out. We knew how to quietly go to the authorities and extend the visas without his knowledge. The Station Manager’s assistant was helpful. We did not want the hotel to know the dilemma, after all the company was to pay for our rooms. We asked Vince who was in London to fax an explanation to our situation, in Spanish, so the hotel would not find out. They didn’t and we got the information we wanted. Time to plan our ‘escape’. The crew wai ting in Delhi. Vince Rossi was in London at the time of the repossession of Snow Leopard. He wanted to provide as much information as possible to the Delhi crew without compromising them given the financial situation. He did this by sending information by fax, written in Spanish. In addition, there were Tajik flight attendants laying over in London. They were faced with a different problem. Who would have thought that a remote country in the former Soviet Union would have a Boeing 747 operation linking it with the West? It actually happened – and it could have continued but for fate. The timing was just not perfect for starting such an operation. The infrastructure within Tajikistan’s Civil Aviation Authority had not matured enough to take on the financial and political burden of a complex Sixth Freedom operation, requiring bilateral agreements not only with the United Kingdom, but with India and Pakistan as well. Thanks to the London management, the UK agreement and slots at Heathrow were secured. Unfortunately, the negotiations to secure the agreements with India were still incomplete when the operation started and that presented barriers and resultant revenue losses. Had the start of the operation been delayed until the negotiations were completed there might have been a different result. That will never be known. However, the Snow Leopard operation proved that it could be done, and for four short months, Snow Leopard proudly flew the skies between London, Dushanbe and Delhi/Karachi. The gold Snow Leopard medallion is still proudly mounted on Captain Carr’s beret. Writing this story would not have been possible without the contributions of those Pan Am pilots and flight attendants who were so willing to share their experiences. I would like to personally thank former Pan Am Captain Sherman Carr whose story about his experiences with Snow Leopard played a major part in this story (and the operation) and also former Pan Am Pursers Gunilla Crawford and Vince Rossi. I would also like to thank Ben Daneshmand with whom I worked in London and also for his recollections of the story he shared with me. Part Two: Crew Training and Acceptance Flight. The next step in getting Snow Leopard into operation was getting a crew together to fly the Boeing 747SP. Because of the aircraft selection and their availability, it was decided to hire former pilots of Pan American World Airways. The decision was perfectly logical in that Pan Am pilots had many hours of experience in the 747SP – some had actually flown the aircraft when it was with Pan Am – had experience operating in the geographic area of the intended operation, and had the savvy and know-how in dealing with unexpected circumstances or conditions that would be inherent in such an operation. Once the group was assembled, refresher training was arranged at the Pan Am International Flight Academy in Miami, Florida. The pilots were former Pan Amers and most were over 60 years of age. While that would present a problem in the United States, it did not for Tajikistan. And as is well known, pilots over the age of 60 have a near zero accident rate. At the academy was a 747SP simulator and the pilots were put through a rigorous training program that brought them up to speed on changes to the aircraft, flight rules and also fined-tuned their instrument piloting skills. At the same time, flight attendants from Tajik Air were undergoing training for the 747SP. These flight attendants were supposedly the “cream of the crop” from Tajik Air but with experience limited to smaller aircraft such as the TU-154 (an old 3-engine aircraft that looked remarkably like at Boeing 727). This problem was not only a concern to Purser Crawford, but also to the pilots who were undergoing refresher training at the same time and who had observed the Tajik flight attendants first hand. A solution to the problem was needed, and according to Captain Carr, after meeting with aviation officials from Tajikistan who were present, it was decided to hire some “real” flight attendants from the former Pan Am. Purser Crawford, was in contact with a group of “experienced and adventurous” former cabin crew colleagues, and very soon thereafter, a lot of familiar faces began appearing at the Pan Am Flight Academy. Training went into full swing for all concerned and soon it was finished. For the cabin crew, it was decided that two or three experienced Pan Am flight attendants would be assigned to each flight. The remaining cabin crew positions would be filled by the Tajik Air flight attendants as “trainees”. The goal, under the supervision and direction of the Pan Am crew, was the Tajik crew to become qualified to “staff and run” a 747SP flight. “Being on a flight crew is a wonderful thing. It is a team effort. Pan Am had always encouraged working as a team. That teamwork was designed to save lives. Although the duties of the cabin staff are the care and feeding of passengers, their real job is to save lives in an emergency. They operate the emergency equipment and are trained to get people out of the aircraft as quickly as possible. Good communication is essential. As a pilot, I have always appreciated and respected the job the flight attendants do and made sure they knew it”. “[At] almost any cookout in America, guests would pitch in to help with the food and drinks and have a party. Not so with the Tajiks. It became apparent that the concept of initiative did not exist in their culture. They would smile and do anything we asked of them but took no initiative. In an airplane emergency, this can be deadly so we proceeded to see what we could do about it. This was the first chance the pilots and cabin staff had the opportunity to talk in an informal setting. We encouraged them to help themselves and to pass things along to their fellow crewmembers. “We also started to find out why they didn’t talk to each other. They were all from Tajikistan but some were from various mountain tribes that were at odds with each other. Others were Russian, or Iranian or Tajik valley people. Apparently they had been chosen not because of their good English or flying experience but because they were related to government officials. This was also meant to be a representative group of the Tajik population. While I thought this was a very democratic move, I later learned this diversity was meant to make it less likely that a jealous faction would [cause problems with the operation]. With the training finished and the Tajiks fresh from their team-building experience, everyone began leaving Miami for London to start the operation. Captain Carr was asked to make the “acceptance flight” of Snow Leopard. He accepted. The acceptance flight is a critical part of the delivery process of an aircraft to an airline. Once the aircraft is accepted and delivered, anything that is discovered wrong with the aircraft becomes the responsibility of the airline. Inspections and the acceptance flight should ensure that this does not happen. Snow Leopard was flown to London by a United Airlines supervisory pilot and crew. Upon arrival, Captain Carr and his crew met the aircraft and began the task of inspecting the aircraft and its logs and maintenance records and carrying out the acceptance flight. The aircraft looked great with a fresh paint job with Tajik Air livery. Once everything was signed off, and the walk-around inspection complete, the aircraft was pronounced airworthy and Captain Carr and his crew boarded the aircraft to begin the flight. “I climbed into my seat in the cockpit. The United pilot looked really nervous and seemed a few shades deeper red than normal. He indicated his concern about all these people on board, and I said ‘kharasho’, took the clip board from him and signed as Pilot in Command. He looked relieved. I reminded him that United was still responsible for any maintenance items until I signed the aircraft acceptance form. The flight went smoothly, the aircraft was perfect and everyone enjoyed the tour of the English countryside as we put the airplane through its paces. We returned to Heathrow and I made my first landing in a real 747 in about a year and a half. As we came in on final approach, I realized that we had almost all the top brass aboard, the new crewmembers and a whole planeload of people who had never been on a 747 before. “If you’re are flying a 747 correctly, on speed and according to ‘the book’, it normally makes a very nice landing. Once in a while, when conditions are just right and you are very lucky, the touch down is so smooth that you don’t realize you are on the ground until the speedbrake handle comes up as it automatically reacts to a microswitch on the landing gear as the wheels touch ground. This was one of those landings. It was now time to get ready for operations. Ticket sales and crew scheduling were at the top of the agenda. This and stories about some memorable flights by Snow Leopard will be coming in Part Three of the Story of Snow Leopard. This is the story about an aircraft named Snow Leopard, which was a Boeing 747SP that was leased by Tajik Air, the national airline of the Republic of Tajikistan, then a newly independent former Soviet Republic located in Central Asia. The aircraft was operated exclusively on the international routes of Tajik Air and gave that airline a presence in London, UK, Delhi, India and Karachi, Pakistan. The operation was controlled and managed by a management company in London, Tajik Air Limited. This is what made this operation unique. What also made it unique was that Snow Leopard was crewed by former pilots and flight attendants of Pan American World Airways, the former great airline that ceased operations in December, 1991. The operation started with Snow Leopard’s departure from London for Dushanbe, Tajikistan in December 1993. It ended in February 1994 when the aircraft was repossessed by United Airlines, the aircraft’s owner and lessor. What happened during these three months are stories of adventure, bravery, comedy, intrigue, loyalty and teamwork. And they will be told in the following posts by those who were there, the pilots, flight attendants and the London management staff. As background, the Boeing 747SP is a modified version of the Boeing 747 which was designed for ultra-long-range flights. The “SP” stands for “Special Performance”. Compared with its predecessor, the 747-100, the 747SP retains its wide-body four-engine layout, along with its double-deck design, but has a shortened fuselage, larger vertical stabilizer, and simplified trailing edge flaps. The weight saved by the shortened fuselage permits longer range and increased speed relative to other 747 configurations. Known during development as the short-body 747SB, the 747SP was designed to meet a 1973 joint request from Pan Am and Iran Air, who were looking for a high-capacity airliner with sufficient range to cover Pan Am’s New York–Middle Eastern routes and Iran Air’s planned Tehran–New York route. The aircraft also was intended to provide Boeing with a mid-size wide-body airliner to compete with the DC-10 and L-1011. The 747SP first entered service with Pan Am in 1976. The aircraft was later acquired by VIP and government customers, but sales did not meet the expected 200 units, and production ultimately totaled 45 aircraft. While in service, the 747SP set several aeronautical performance records, including three record-setting round-the-world flights, two operated by Pan Am and the third by United. Snow Leopard, Manufacturer’s Serial Number 21649, Serial 373 was first delivered to Pan American World Airways on May 11, 1979 registered as N540PA and named Clipper White Falcon. It was renamed Clipper Flying Arrow on August 1, 1979 and later renamed Clipper Star of the Union on January 1, 1980. One year later, on January 1, 1981, the aircraft became China Clipper. After the aircraft was repossessed by United Airlines, it was bought by the Brunei Government and re-registered as V8-JBB. It was then bought by the Government of Bahrain on December 24, 1998 and registered as A9C-HMH (below, left). Today Snow Leopard is owned by the Las Vegas Sands Corporation, registered as VQ-BMS (below, right, photo by Wong Chi Lam). She is still in operation. For Tajik Air, however, there was one very important requirement missing: an operating base in London and sufficient infrastructure to crew and maintain a Boeing 747SP aircraft. That presented a huge problem as the civil aviation structure of Tajkistan was completely inexperienced in intercontinental operations. In fact, Tajik Air was created by the breaking-up of the Soviet Union and the then national carrier Aeroflot’s leaving of some old Russian-built aircraft (mostly TU-154s) for use by Tajik Air as the new national air carrier of Tajikistan. Setting up a London base would seem impossible to achieve given the limited resources of Tajikistan. However, through the foresight and creativeness of a few airline experts in London, the requirement was met. To establish the necessary infrastructure so that Tajik Air could operate flights to/from London, a third-party UK management company, Tajik Air Limited, was formed. Its purpose was to operate international flights on behalf of Tajik Air. The company would obtain and maintain the aircraft and crew, organize the marketing and selling of the flights and essentially operate the flights. This would be accomplished using Tajikistan’s Air Operator’s Certificate and Tajik Air’s call-sign and airline code. Tajikistan committed to funding the new service and also obtaining the required government permissions for the operation. How would this operation be viable and profitable? The route of primary interest to Tajik Air was the London (Heathrow) (“LHR”)-Dushanbe (“DYU”) sector. Operating that sector as an Origin-Destination route presented problems in that there was little, if any, traffic between the two points. The question was how to fill an aircraft with 260 seats? The answer: Offer service between LHR and points beyond DYU. This was to be accomplished using rights under the Sixth Freedom of the Air. In the case of Tajik Air, the Third and Fourth Freedoms were the operative. The former gives the “Home” (Tajikistan) country the rights to carry commercial traffic (passengers/cargo/mail, etc) to another country; the latter gives the “Home” country the rights to carry commercial traffic from that other country to home. These rights are generally agreed-to between the “Home” country and the other country in the form of a Bilateral Agreement or an Air Services Agreement. By using Third and Fourth Freedom rights, a Sixth Freedom operation can be created. It is similar to a hub operation with the home country being in the middle of the operation between two different countries. For Tajik Air, the beyond points selected were Delhi, India (“DEL”) and Karachi, Pakistan (“KHI”) due to the large number of Indians and Pakistanis living in the UK. The schedule would work like this: Tajik Air departs from LHR with a planeload of passengers on a Fourth Freedom flight to DYU. Upon arrival in DYU, those few passengers destined for DYU disembark and the rest stay on board. The flight then departs DYU with a new flight number on a Third Freedom flight for DEL or KHI. Upon turning around in DEL/KHI, with a new planeload of passengers, the flight becomes a Fourth Freedom to DYU and from DYU, with another flight number, Third Freedom to LHR. By operating this schedule, Tajik Air could fill the seats of Snow Leopard, and compete in a highly competitive market by offering good service with low fares. In order to operate this schedule, Bilateral or Air Services agreements were required for scheduled traffic between Tajikistan and India/Pakistan in addition to the UK. The published timetable shown below illustrates this operation. Baggage tags are also shown. The next steps in the launch of Tajik Air’s new service to London involved recruiting and training flight crews and taking delivery of the aircraft. This will be coming in Part Two of the Story of Snow Leopard.

2019-04-23T11:59:33Z

https://jpbtransconsulting.com/tag/dushanbe/

Dr JaneMaree Maher has degrees in Law and Arts (Hons) (University of Melbourne 1991) and gained her PhD in 1999 (La Trobe University). She is Senior Lecturer and Director of the Centre for Women’s Studies and Gender Research at Monash University. Her current research is focused on women’s employment, family life and work and new models of motherhood. She has recently published in these areas in Australian Feminist Studies, Work Employment and Society, and Journal of Sociology. Having a baby now goes well beyond the selection of a mate. Listen to a group of thirty-something would-be mothers and the conversation is far removed from the old notion of “falling pregnant”. These women don’t fall anywhere, they make informed decisions, there are supplements to take, tests to be had, results to be analysed (2004: 9). [Elizabeth Rourke] was not afraid of the pain. Having seen how too many deliveries had gone, she was mainly afraid of losing her ability to control what was done to her (Gawande, 2006: 59). Yet, pain is integral to childbirth, fear of childbirth pain is widespread if not universal and women’s experiences of pain have been central to the processes of childbirth medicalisation. In this article, I am interested to focus on the experience of pain in childbirth, and to explore how this pain might be re-articulated through feminist theories of embodiment and pain. I am drawn to this task by a sense that the persistent invocation of rational choice in childbirth discussions depends on forms of subjectivity that have been critiqued and challenged by feminist theorists as deeply inadequate. I am interested to consider whether an underlying fear that pain cannot easily co-exist with subjectivity underpins and shapes the focus on choice and control in childbirth discourses. Feminist scholars have long contested versions of subjectivity grounded in assumptions of the instrumentality of the body, where the mind is given preeminence and understood to act as sovereign over the body. They have argued that these hierarchised accounts of mind and body privilege models of masculine disembodied subjectivity and locate women as somehow lesser subjects due to their closer and more intricate relationship with matters of the flesh (Diprose 1994; Shildrick 1997). The birthing woman presents a particularly embedded version of this ‘feminine subjectivity’ since she materially challenges the concept of a distinct and disembodied subject. Her individuality cannot be easily established in the two-in-one corporeal entity of the birthing body, control over the body is problematic in the physical, medical and social terrains of birth and importantly here, questions of pain and consequent loss of ‘control’ haunt childbirth. In this article, I examine contemporary feminist thinking about pain beginning with Elaine Scarry’s (1985) account of pain as disassembling the self and moving towards Sara Ahmed’s (2002) argument that pain establishes boundaries of self and other. I consider Wendy Lee’s (2006) proposition that many of our accounts of pain rehearse the hierarchised Cartesian self and that this rehearsal shapes and delimits our understandings of subjectivity and pain. From these theorizations and intersections, I argue that rather than reducing subjectivity on the basis of ‘diminished’ access to rationality, pain can be understood as potentially constituitive of more complex forms of subjectivity. Relocating pain in birth may offer a way to rethink and resituate women’s subjectivity in relation to birthing. Elaine Scarry’s (1985) important examination of pain, The Body in Pain, locates pain as a crucial element of thinking embodiment. Scarry’s account of the impact of pain, of its unknowable and incommunicable character, its capacity to disassemble and destroy subjectivity, as well as its potential to remake, to which I return later, established new critical articulations of the relation between subjectivity and the experience of pain. Scarry argues that pain isolates the experiencing subject, since pain is radically private, creating distance between self and all others. Another’s pain cannot be felt or understood: it can only be expressed in metaphors such as ‘it cuts like a knife’. As well as isolating the self, Scarry argues that pain works to destroy subjectivity and capacity to communicate; pain ‘actively destroys [language], bringing about an immediate reversion to a state anterior to language, to the sounds and cries a human being makes before language is learned’ (1985: 4). Scarry’s account invokes the unknowable nature and the destroying power of pain and points to a reversion or retreat to a place before subjectivity, before language where sensation, unmediated, comprises the whole of the world. More recently, Valerie Fournier (2002) has suggested a crucial role for pain in the production of gendered embodiment. She draws on the array of social, cultural and religious discourses that link women to pain, including the pain of childbirth, and argues that these critical symbolic connections reveal the processes of gendering women as innately painful and violent. For Fournier, pain threatens the possibility of ‘making ... a self’ (Fournier 2002: 60). The production of female bodies and female subjectivities is through pain inflicted and inscribed on women’s bodies, through effacement and evisceration. Both Fournier and Scarry are suggesting that subjectivity may be reduced by the ‘ensnaring’ capacity of pain; pain engulfs and empties subjectivities; we become ‘nothing but a mass of hurting flesh’ (Fournier 2002: 63). These accounts of the disassembling and destroying effects of pain are helpful in understanding how pain, if it is integral to childbirth, might be understood as threatening women’s subjectivity in childbirth. Fournier goes further, specifically linking pain and agency, as she argues that the infliction of pain is crucial to the destruction of agency and subjectivity. In the infliction of pain, agency shifts, Fournier suggests, from the experiencing body to the weapon: ‘the process of making pain visible, of re-presenting pain, lifts pain away from the human and attaches its totality, certainty and incontestable reality to something else, to the weapon that inflicts the pain’ (2002: 67). In this formulation, not only is ‘pain … utterly private and subjective … and … [the ground for] a divide between sufferer and observer’ (Whelan, 2003: 464), it acts to remove power and agency from the experiencing subject. Lee concurs with Fournier that feminist attention must be focused on pain, gender and power as ‘women, especially women marginalized on account of account of ethnicity, culture or economy, remain exceptionally vulnerable to violent actions’ (2006: 277). But Lee is interested in reframing pain beyond the destruction of subjectivity and asks whether there might be applications of pain that work to produce rather than erase subjectivity. This possibility depends on eschewing the constraints of ‘a faint but nevertheless delimiting pulse … [of Cartesian dualism]’ (Lee 2006: 279) which undermines efforts to think beyond mind/body hierarchies and their associated political and social hierarchies. Lee argues that the infliction of pain does not involve erasure or the necessary transfer of agency – rather, pain inflicted in pursuit of power requires recognition, interpretation and understanding from the subjected body in order to take effect. Subjects are ‘not rendered mindless through the experience of pain, but rather quite mindful’ (Lee 2006: 282). Lee’s account has connections to Scarry’s iteration of pain as an embodied experience which draws out, rather than dissolves or destroys, consciousness and sentience; pain requires imagination and intention as the experience brings the body to mind in its ‘aversiveness and deprivation’ (Scarry, 1985: 165). This sense of necessary interpretation and engagement is present too in Rosalyn Diprose’s (1994) careful analysis of pain and its meaning for the biomedical body. Pain ‘tears … the fabric … of being-in-the-world’ (1994: 108) and introduces a ‘split between the self and the body, the self and the world, the self and the other’ (1994: 108). Rather than sundering mind and body, pain calls the body to consciousness, back from an ‘habitual engagement’ (1994: 108), where the body seems absent and instrumental. Lee and Diprose are proposing a more complex relationship between pain and subjectivity, where consciousness and attentiveness may be intensified rather than diminished through the experience of pain. While experiences of pain clearly disrupt conventional Cartesian forms of subjectivity (the mind understood as sovereign over the body) since the body is clearly present and potentially out of control, pain should not necessarily be understood as diminishing or destroying subjectivity. Instead, these accounts point to new possibilities for thinking subjectivity as emerging in and through the body in pain. The potential of pain as potentially constitutive rather than destructive of subjectivity is addressed by Sara Ahmed (2002), who argues pain shapes both the subjective and the social realms. Ahmed suggests that ‘pain involves the violation or transgression of the border between inside and outside, and it is through this transgression that I feel the border in the first place’ (2002: 21, emphasis in original). Although Ahmed recognizes the isolation and unknowability in pain, she argues ‘the affectivity of pain is crucial to the forming of the body as both a material and lived entity’ (2002: 19); pain is one of the experiences that allows and informs our relation to others and the world. It has potential to connect us to others as well as isolate us from them, to produce sociality as well as isolation, so ‘while the experience of pain may be solitary, it is never truly private’ (Ahmed 2002: 23) since pain invites the witness of others and draws on complex individual and social histories. Ahmed suggests that ‘the amount and quality of pain we feel is … determined by our previous experiences and how well we remember them, by our ability to understand the cause of pain and to grasp its consequences’ (2002: 18). Pain is not before or outside subjectivity as it requires the active ‘re-constitution of bodily space’ (2002: 19, emphasis in original) and involves ‘the transformation of sensation into judgment’ (2002: 19). Ahmed redraws the relation of pain and the material body and offers a different ground for thinking about pain and subjectivity. Like Lee, she pushes towards an account of pain that does not erase the experiencing subject, or the relational aspects of subjectivity. Ahmed argues for the potential pain has to draw us to our bodies and to others. The way we usually think about birth pain draws heavily, in my view, on the reductive, isolating and erasing power of pain; on the fear that pain will make us less than human by obliterating or dissolving subjectivity. Ahmed’s account offers a useful counterpoint as she draws out the ways in which pain establishes, rather than reduces, experience and subjectivity; she focuses on the communicative and connecting potential of pain. As Scarry suggests in the ‘making’ section of The Body in Pain, the experience of pain is a critical ground for generation, for imagining and transforming, for ‘modest acts of authoring, self-alteration and self-artifice’ (1985: 167). In the next section, I ask whether the productive potential of pain, as articulated in these feminist theorizations, can be usefully introduced to conceptions of subjectivity and pain in childbirth. Pain seizes me back to my body (Ahmed 2002: 21). The oft-quoted axiom that ‘women forget childbirth pain or they’d never do it again’ points to the unknowability and incommunicability of birthing pain. But childbirth pain, and the fear of it, is central to birthing. Pain certainly haunts birthing preparation especially in Western societies; as Jacqueline Wolf observes there is a ‘terror’ of ‘unbearable pain during labour’ (2002: 366), despite likely available reductions of unbearable pain due to analgesia and some forms of intervention. Birth pain has also, as Katherine Beckett carefully records (2005), has been central to medicalisation, changes in birth practices and to feminist activism dedicated to women’s birthing autonomy, since efforts to manage and control pain have generated many interventions and changed procedures. Most research into birthing suggests that women are afraid of the pain of childbirth (Fisher et al, 2006; Simkin, 2000; Wall, 2000), even with the opportunities for analgesia that currently exist. Patrick Wall presents results from pain questionnaires and says ‘evidently, the average reported pain of childbirth ranks high in human experience’ (2000: 84, see also Niven & Murphy-Black, 2000). In some ways, the ubiquity of childbirth pain may diminish attention to its meaning and salience. But, from Diprose (1994), this point of ‘callback’ when comfortable distinctions between body and mind are challenged though the experience of pain offers an important opportunity to consider the inadequacies of conventional accounts of subjectivity and embodiment, especially for women in childbirth. I consider that pain might be more fully explored and resituated as a ground for subjectivity, knowledge and authority in childbirth. Investigating the intersections of subjectivity, rationality and embodiment in childbirth has always presented significant challenges for feminists. Many of the discussions of control in birth focus on the movement of decision-making and authority between women, their partners and birth assistants of all types, often with adverse consequences for women (Beckett, 2005; Reiger and Dempsey, 2007). As Fox and Worts (1999) show, the critique of the medicalisation of childbirth by feminist scholars and activitists has been ‘compelling’ (1999: 327). Critical observers of contemporary childbirth (reflecting on the growth of medical technologies, interventions and socio-cultural expectations of safety and control) suggest that as women’s autonomy is compromised by medicalisation, possibilities of blaming and making women responsibility have intensified (see Crossley, 2007; Fox & Worts, 1999). There is a prevailing sense that modern forms of surveillance and technology produce decisions taken on the basis of information gathered independently of the birthing woman and that women’s subject status is consequently lessened in this context. Martin (2003) says ‘culturally, birth has become more real for those with the outsider gaze than those with the lived bodily experience of it’ (2003: 64). In this framing, women are no longer authoritative in their own births (Martin 2003, Akrich & Pasveer 2004; see also Wolf 2002 who suggests this shifting authority has a much longer history).The proposition that ‘women must wrest back control of their bodies from physicians, especially during pregnancy and birth reinforces the notion that positive birth outcomes are something women can control’ (Layne, 2003: 1888). This desire for control and authority is vitally important in birth choice, as feminist scholars and activists contend, but has implications for how we understand the relationship between subjectivity and birthing. Childbirth conflicts between medical practitioners, or social institutions more generally, and birthing women, who, as Layne (2003) observed, are bound to try to ‘take back’ their bodies seem to centre on who is in charge of this unruly entity. An emphasis on claims for control and choice invokes a particular form of Cartesian subjectivity where the instrumentality of the body is assumed. But feminist scholars have worked to undo this Cartesian myth of embodied subjectivity and many have suggested that in childbirth any lingering assumptions about the instrumentality of the body must be finally put aside. Does this collapse of sovereignty over the body in childbirth take us towards a place where subjectivity is dissolved, as is often assumed, or does it invite attention to new and complex subjectivities that may be produced in birthing? In my view attention to the particular embodied contexts of childbirth and women’s experiences point toward the latter option. Akrich and Pasveer (2004) examine the birthing narratives of seventy women and argue that embodiment in birthing emerges as a continuing process of negotiating and re-negotiating the relationship between embodied experience and a sense of self as “I”. As the body cannot be silenced or controlled in childbirth, birthing is an event that requires the continuous assembling, disassembling and reassembling of subject position and embodied experience. Akrich and Pasveer (2004) do not focus on one type of birth (vaginal, for example) but argue that all births (whether ‘natural’, ‘medicalised’, satisfactory or not) require on-going mediation by the birthing woman to construct and reconstruct her subjectivity in the intensely demanding physicality of birthing. Akrich and Pasveer argue that the ‘body-in-labour’ is an ‘emerging entity’ (2004: 66) which requires the attention and concentration of the birthing woman to produce. This study suggests that Diprose’s account of the ‘callback’ can be usefully applied here; birthing is a time when habitual assumptions about the mind/body relation cannot readily be maintained. Rather than producing a diminution in subjectivity, the findings of Akrich and Pasveer suggest that all birthing women need to respond, interpret and constitute the changing embodied experiences of childbirth, whatever the course of their labours and deliveries. Relationships between subject and other, subject and world, and understandings of the body as the locus of subjectivity are all emphasized and clearly in need of attention as women deliver. How might we think and understand the specific role and meaning of pain in the context of this need to actively produce subjectivity in birthing? The pain of childbirth often evokes ideas of reversion, of return to a primal place where the ‘natural’ order reasserts itself and pushes women back into the body, where sentience and sensation come to dominate the embodied subject. The intensity of childbirth pain is often located as the reason for the loss of subjectivity in the birthing woman as agency, intelligibility and authority are threatened. The pain of childbirth pushes a birthing woman into a non-rational space where she becomes other; ‘screaming, yelling, self-centered and demanding drugs’ (Martin, 2003: 54), not ‘feminine’ as Martin suggests but also somehow less than human. The fear of childbirth pain is the fear of the bifurcating and unruly body, which threatens to engulf and dissolve subjectivity. Reasserting choice and control is an important strategy for feminist scholars and activists, but it is a strategy that may accept the premise of the birthing body as a troubling materialization of a ‘less than’ subject, as pain seems to dissolve the woman’s hold on rationality. Scarry’s idea of pain as disassembling the self is particularly useful then for thinking about cultural meanings of pain in birth and the potential threats to subjectivity. For birthing women, this Cartesian model of subjectivity with an emphasis on self-possession and the instrumentality of the body is deeply problematic, since pain, occurring, expected, feared, will always render authority in birthing as provisional and open to collapse into the ensnaring and enslaving, labouring body. If pain threatens subjectivity, then turning away from pain offers a promise of holding onto subject status against the painful materiality of the birthing experience. As Rivera-Fuentes and Birke (2001) suggest in their dialogic account of pain and torture, linking ‘emotion and rationality inevitably gives rise to dissonance’ (2001: 654), since these states/affects are understood as distinct and as emerging from different hierarchically ordered locations. Femininity, emotion and embodiment, which childbirth pain intensifies, are always already at the base of such hierarchies. It is here that the productive constitution of pain suggested by feminist theorists such as Scarry and Ahmed can be usefully connected to the argument of Akrich and Pasveer that birthing, including pain as a defining element, requires active and ongoing reconstitution of embodied subjectivity. The intersection of these two ideas pushes us towards Scarry’s (1985) articulation of the dual important roles of pain. Pain can disassemble the subject, but pain drives experiencing subjects towards imagination and interpretation. In isolation, pain “intends” nothing; … it is suffered rather than willed or directed… Pain only becomes an intentional state once it is brought into relation with the objectifying power of the imagination; … pain will be transformed from a wholly passive and helpless occurrence into a self-modifying and, when most successful, self-eliminating one (Scarry, 1985: 164). Scarry argues for the transformative potential of pain as it is assumed/experienced by the subject. The integrity of the human subject is violated when the ‘body at work [is] separated from the objects of its work’ (1985: 170), when the opportunity to direct effort and exertion in pain is interrupted or disavowed. In this context, childbirth pain could only operate to violate the experiencing subject when it is not owned and authorized by that experiencing subject. This formulation of the constitutive potential of pain as it transformed through ‘work’ or labour of the experiencing subject brings together what Ahmed (2002) suggests about the meaning and impact of pain on the boundaries of self and other and what Akrich and Pasveer (2004) identify as one of the labours of birthing women as they reformulate their “I” throughout birthing. Pain here emerges as an experience which requires interpretation, imagination and transformation to produce and ground the embodied subject. Pain in childbirth may produce, rather than diminish subjectivity. It is through this movement out into the world that the extreme privacy of the occurrence (both pain and imagining are invisible to anyone outside the boundaries of the person’s body) begins to be shareable, that sentience becomes social and thus acquires its distinctly human form’ (Scarry, 1985: 170). Rather the acceding to the premise that pain cannot co-exist with subjectivity, that pain threatens subject status, and debating levels and forms of control over the birthing body in pain, Scarry’s account of pain as intrinsic to subjectivity reinforces the active production of self, subjectivity and experience in pain. For the birthing woman, the pain that is assumed, experienced and engaged, even when it is inflicted by medicalisation or in failures of care (Layne, 2003), is an integral part of her presence, experience and authority as the subject. This resituation of pain offers the opportunity to recognize the specificity of childbirth pain as a crucial aspect of women’s diverse birthing subjectivities. Scarry’s argument that pain is experienced in the mobilization of imagination offers a definition of ‘pain’ beyond the physical sensations of labour (contracting uterus, pressures on the spinal column). It allows us to understand the fear of pain, the experiences of complex and difficult decisions and the management of competing expectations as aspects of the ‘pain of childbirth’. It has long been recognized that ‘labour involves intense pain’ (Niven and Murphy-Black, 2000: 244), but as Ahmed (2002) and Lee (2006) suggest, the intensity and experience of any pain is variable, shaped by context and interpretation and the embodied history of the experiencing subject. The ‘pain of childbirth’ will be shaped by context of the individual birth, each woman’s experience of care and her embodied history; it will include labour pains, but also fears, conflict over decisions and associated social and cultural experiences. Every birthing woman is likely to experience some type of pain in childbirth, whatever type of delivery she has and that pain, its intensity, its elements and its meaning, will be fully known only to that woman. Pain is inherently subjective, as it emerges in the subject, in and through her specific experience of childbirth. A claim for a refigured form of subjectivity that engages childbirth pain and redraws the relation between pain, the body and the subject as necessarily productive might offer more opportunity for women to speak as authorities in their own birthing. As Ahmed (2002) suggested, pain is crucial in the constitution of the self, of the boundaries between self and others; pain can, as Scarry (1985) finally argues, make the self and the world as well as destroy it. Arguing that subjectivity can and should encompass pain moves us towards a fuller understanding of embodied subjectivity in general and it certainly produces a deeper understanding of agency, embodiment and subjectivity in childbirth. It offers potential for reclaiming women’s authority over their own birthing, since rather than a threat to the subject seeking control over the birthing body, pain may be a ground for claiming authority in that very birth process. I am not suggesting that ‘real labour’ must be painful in order that women can gain power through experiencing it (see Beckett (2005) for a critical evaluation of this notion). Nor am I suggesting that this is a privileged form of subjectivity for women. I am asking whether, if we understand the ‘pain of childbirth’ as encompassing the process of entering into birth, the fear of childbirth, the difficulty of decisions about birth as well as labour pains, we can then locate each woman as the authority, the authoring and knowing subject of her own birth, the only one that can know the extent and meaning of her pain, the only one that can speak in, and for, her birthing body. If pain is relocated as constituitive of birth experience, if pain is understood as encompassing all the complex, troubling and challenging aspects of birthing and asserted as an active process of interpretation and transformation, as the work of birthing, pain becomes a vital ground for knowledge and agency, rather than a potential threat. Rather than seeking control over the birthing body, as Scarry suggested, we look for ‘modest acts of self-authoring’ (1965: 187). And birthing women are the only possible authoring subjects in childbirth. The body of terror, the body in pain is never sealed off from the rest of the world [even though we might when terrorized or in pain, wish that it were] (Rivera-Fuentes & Birke 2002: 654). ..a precondition for agency and critical consciousness is a lived body open to an undetermined future (Diprose, 2009: 158). Pain, as Scarry suggested, can make and unmake the world; it simultaneously undoes the social and drives us toward the other; it can’t be truly communicated yet evokes visceral responses in others that demand action, response and engagement. Pain inflects expectations about and experiences of childbirth and pain is integral to the materialization of birthing body. It holds a central place in social, cultural and medical contests over childbirth. It is an ineluctable element of what Ruth Fletcher, following Mary O’Brien, describes as the ‘necessary sociality [of reproductive labour] and ... its integration of rational negotiation and biological process’ (2006: 31). Fletcher suggests that ‘most feminist analysis seeks to chart the various and changing ways in which reproductive practices are organized and limit or enhance women’s … and men’s … opportunities’ (2006: 28) and these opportunities are important to explore, enhance and support. Contemporary debates over childbirth ‘choices’, however, set the boundaries of the debate in the realm of the rational as the locus of power and agency, and the birthing body inevitably materialises as an entity over which control is sought. But these debates and discussions seem to disavow the affect of pain, and its meaning; they fail to acknowledge that all ‘choices’ and decisions are embedded in the pain of childbirth, and they assume a subject in pain as less than a subject. Childbirth pain emerges in the physical pain of labour, in the pain aroused through fear, in the pain that arises in making complex and difficult decisions; it is integral to all births, whatever their particular course. If we take seriously the place of pain in constituting subjects proposed by Scarry, Diprose, Ahmed and Lee, childbirth pain might be understood as producing a very different form of embodied subjectivity in birthing, where each woman is called back to re-negotiate embodiment and subjectivity anew. And in this re-negotiation, only she can have the authority to speak in and of the pain, the fear and the tumult, to produce the particular embodied subjectivity of her childbirth. Rather than viewing pain, as the potential diminishment of subjectivity, we valorize subjectivity in pain and resituate authority with the birthing woman alone. This will not resolve questions of control and conflict in childbirth, but it would allow pain to be a productive part of these conversations and contests. Ahmed, S. (2002) ‘The Contingency of Pain’, parallax 8 (1): 17-34. Akrich, M. & Pasveer, B. (2004) ‘Embodiment and Disembodiment in Childbirth Narratives’, Body & Society 10 (2-3): 63-84. Beckett, K. (2005) ‘Choosing Caesarean: Feminism and the politics of childbirth in the United States’, Feminist Theory 6(3): 251-275. Crossley, M. (2007) ‘Childbirth, complications and the Illusion of ‘Choice’’, Feminism and Psychology 17 (4): 543-563. Diprose, R. (1994) the bodies of women: ethics, embodiment and sexual difference. London & New York: Routledge. Fisher, C., Hauck, Y., & Fenwick, J. (2006) ‘How Social Context Impacts on Women's Fears of Childbirth: A Western Australian Example’, Social Science & Medicine 63(1): 64-75. Fournier, V. (2002) ‘Fleshing out Gender: Crafting Gender Identity on Women's Bodies’, Body & Society 8 (2): 55-77. Fox, B & Worts, D. (1999) ‘Revisiting the Critique of Medicalised Childbirth: A Contribution to the Sociology of Birth’, Gender & Society 13(3): 326-346. Gawande, A. (2006) ‘The Score: How childbirth went industrial’. The New Yorker, October 9: 59-67. Layne, L. (2003) ‘Unhappy endings: a feminist reappraisal of the women’s health movement from the vantage of pregnancy loss’, Social Science & Medicine 56: 1881-1891. Lee, W. (2006) ‘On the (im)materiality of violence: Subjects, bodies, and the experience of pain’, Feminist Theory 8(3): 277-295. Martin, K. (2003) ‘Giving Birth Like a Girl’, Gender & Society 17(1): 54-72. Niven, C. & Murphy-Black, T. (2000) ‘Memory for Labor Pain: A Review of the Literature’, Birth 27 (4): 244-253. Reiger, K. & Dempsey, R. (2006) ‘Performing birth in a culture of fear: an embodied crisis of late modernity’, Health Sociology Review 15: 364-373. Rivera-Fuentes, C. & Birke, L. (2001) ‘ Talking with/in pain Reflections on bodies under torture’, Women's Studies International Forum 24 (6): 653-668. Scarry, E. (1985). The Body in Pain: The Making and Unmaking of the World. Oxford University Press: New York & London. Searle, J. (1996) ‘Fearing the Worst-Why do pregnant women feel ‘at risk’?’,Australian & New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics 36(3): 279-286. Shildrick, M. (1997) Leaky Bodies and Boundaries: Feminism, postmodernism and (bio)ethics. London & New York: Routledge. Simkin, P. (2000) ‘Commentary: The Meaning of Labor Pain’, Birth 27 (4): 254-255. Wall, P. (2000) Pain: The Science of Suffering. New York: Columbia University Press. Whelan, E. (2003) ‘Putting Pain to Paper: Endometriosis and the Documentation of Suffering’, Health 7(4): 463-482. Wolf, J. (2002) ' “Mighty Glad to Gasp in the Gas”: Perceptions of Pain and the Traditional Timing of Obstetric Anaesthesia’, Health 6(3): 365-387.

2019-04-22T01:05:11Z

http://www.outskirts.arts.uwa.edu.au/volumes/volume-22/maher

Here is a list of recent changes to benefits which you may need to be aware of. If you need any help or support with any of these changes, please contact us. 2018 (Awaiting date) Universal Credit Full Service – Severe Disability Premium – New Gateway Condition Following the government’s announcement that they intend to protect those who have already lost out, and will lose out financially due to the loss of the Severe Disability Premium, the government are introducing a new 'Gateway Condition' into the Universal Credit. December 2018 Tax Credits replaced - Moving on to Universal Credit Will be replaced by Universal Credit for working age. November 2018 State Pension Age Increase Women’s State Pension age to reach 65 by November 2018, will then increase for both men and women to reach 66 by 2020 i.e. entitlement to pension credit for both men and women is linked to the minimum qualifying age at which a women can receive state retirement pension. April 2018 Funeral expenses Changes made, to increase time limit for a claim to six months; shorten claim form for a childs funeral; disregard contributions from charitable funds and relatives. The claimant has been referred for a further Work Capability Assessment - in which case the work coach can suspend or reduce any work related requirements. The last decision on fitness for work was regarding a decision about Income-Related ESA or 'Old-Style' Contributory ESA^. And the work coach does have the discretion to suspend conditionality if it would be unreasonable to expect the claimant to comply with their work related requirements. ^The new rules will apply to those found fit or treated as fit for work under the UC Regulations or under the ESA Regulations 2013 ie for New-Style ESA, but not under ESA Regulations 2008 ie for Old-Style Contributory ESA or Income-Related ESA. Could cause some residents to receive a sanction if they fail to comply with their claimant commitment, and therefore causing them financial hardship. April 2018 New Time Limit For Providing Evidence Following Beneficial Change From 11 April 2018 where a claimant has a change in circumstances that would mean their UC will increase ie a beneficial change, they only have 14 days (rather than a month) to provide any required evidence. However as with the previous rules, the DWP can use their discretion to extend to a longer period if necessary. April 2018 Universal Credit Full Service - Surplus Earnings Rules The 'surplus earnings' rules - that apply only for claimants on UC under the Full / Digital service - were first set to take effect from 2016 but were delayed. The date these rules will come into effect has now been confirmed as 11 April 2018. - The Universal Credit ‘surplus earnings’ rules due to come into force from 11 April 2018 for certain high earners are both complex and confusing. - They only affect those claimants on the Full / Digital UC service. - From April 11th 2018, a Full / Digital UC claimant whose earnings are too high to entitle them to UC in a Monthly Assessment Period, will, in certain circumstances, have some of those earnings taken into account when they make a rapid reclaim for UC within six months. - Where more than six months pass after the Monthly Assessment Period where UC ended, then these regulations will not apply. - The level at which a claimant will be deemed to have 'Surplus Earnings' has been deliberately set at a high figure in order to limit the number of cases affected and to enable the DWP to test and learn from the new arrangements. However this will be reviewed in March 2019. - Any 'Surplus Earnings' a claimant is deemed to have is added to any other earning when working out whether or not they are entitled to UC when they make a rapid reclaim, and how much they are entitled to. - Those few claimants that are affected can only 'erode' their 'Surplus Earnings' by making repeated monthly claims until an award of UC is made - or six months is reached. But where the claimant's earnings remain high, they may be better deferring making a Rapid Reclaim to the first Monthly Assessment Period in which their earnings drop. - Only a small number of UC claimants will be affected during 2018/19. April 2018 Support Mortgage Interest New Regulations will take effect from 6th April 2018 that replace the existing support for mortgage/loan interest for owner-occupier housing and replace it with a system of loans. - Help for home owners with other housing costs (such as service charge and ground rent) will continue to be made as now. - The new rules affect both new and existing* claimants. - And they affect both working age and Pension Credit age claimants. The new loan system will apply to those claimants on the qualifying benefits that provide help with mortgage/loan interest ie Income Support, Income Based JSA, Income Related ESA, Universal Credit and Pension Credit who need and are entitled to help with their home ownership costs. - The loan can cover some loans for essential repairs and improvements as well as mortgages. - The loans are secured on the claimant's property as a 'second charge' (effectively a secured loan on top of the existing mortgage). - Loans are repayable on the sale (or transfer) of the property or on the claimant's death (or when the last member of a couple dies). - If there is insufficient equity when the loan is due to be repaid, whatever is available from the sale will be used to repay it and the rest is written off. - There is no 2 year limit for Income Based JSA claimants to receive help, as there is with the current support for home ownership costs. - And help with Sharia compliant mortgages will be extended (ie available to Universal Credit claimants) to Pension Credit claimants. - The amount the claimant is entitled to to help them pay their mortgage/loan interest will no longer be added to their applicable amount. Instead claimants on Income Support, Income Based JSA, Income Related ESA, Universal Credit and Pension Credit who have interest to pay on a mortgage/secured loan will be offered a loan. - Because of the different way the help is assessed some claimants may not be entitled to an income related top up (eg some claimants on Contributory JSA / ESA) and therefore passported onto help such as free prescriptions - although they may be entitled through a different route. What is the DWP loan? - The loan replaces the current system of help with home ownership mortgage interest/loan payments - often referred to as Support for Mortgage Interest (or SMI). - Instead the DWP will make an offer of a loan that will make ongoing payments to the relevant lender towards the qualifying interest on the claimant's mortgage and eligible home improvement loans. April 2018 Changes to DHP Rules For Claimants Living In 'Specified Accommodation and Temporary Accommodation From 11 April 2018, the Discretionary Financial Assistance Regulations 2001 are amended to allow a Local Authority to award a Discretionary Housing Payment to a Universal Credit claimant for any Monthly Assessment Period when the claimant would have been entitled to a Universal Credit Housing Costs Element, were it not for the fact that they were living in 'specified accommodation' or 'temporary accommodation', as defined by the Regulations. This means that even where for part of a Monthly Assessment Period the claimant might not have been getting Housing Benefit or a Housing Costs Element in their Universal Credit, so long as they require further financial assistance with their housing costs then they will be eligible throughout the period of that Monthly Assessment Period if they have been living in 'specified accommodation' or 'temporary accommodation', as defined by the Regulations. April 2018 Discretion For Extending And Shorten Assessment Period Where Claim Backdated - Universal Credit Full Service From 11 April 2018 the DWP will have the discretion to lengthen a Universal Credit claimant's first assessment period to more than one month, but they also have the discretion to allow a first assessment period that can be shorter than one month, to incorporate a backdate. This will only apply where the DWP consider that not doing so would be an administrative burden. At the moment if a request for backdating on a new claim for the Full Service of Universal Credit and the claim has not been decided within one month of the claim being made, the claim itself cannot be decided, and the claimant either has the 'choice' of waiting for the payment or withdrawing the backdate request. April 2018 Universal Credit - State Retirement Pension State retirement pension income is to be taken into account, net of any deductions, applied under overlapping benefit rules. April 2018 Universal Credit - Unearned income From 11th April 2018 Foreign State Pension Income and Pension Protection Fund periodic payments will be taken into account as unearned income in calculating the UC award. April 2018 Housing costs for 18 - 21 year olds (armed forces independent payment) Armed Forces Independent Payment has been added to the list of benefits that would exclude a claimant from the 'no housing costs element' rules under Full or Digital Universal Credit. April 2018 Universal Credit: Work Allowance From 9 April 2018 the work allowances will increase by 3% to £198 (for lower rate) and £409 (higher rate). April 2018 Housing Benefit From April 2018, claimants who were previously receiving Housing Benefit will receive a transitional payment (an extra two weeks support) when they move on to Universal Credit. This will be unrecoverable, is automatic, and received early in the first assessment period. April 2018 Universal Credit The Live Service Gateway conditions for new claims for families with more than two children will be extended until January 2019. April 2018 State Pension The basic State Pension will increase by 3% in April 2018 to £3.65 per week. The full State Pension will increase to £4.80 per week. £7.83 for those aged 25 and over. £7.38 for those aged 21 - 24. £5.90 for those aged 18 - 20. £4.20 for those under the age of 18. April 2018 Personal Allowance From April 2018, the Income Tax Personal Allowance will increase to £11,850. March 2018 Payment Exception Service Simple Payment Service will be replaced by Payment Exception Service on 29 March 2018. This is the new way for people who don't have a bank account to collect benefit or pension payments. It will still be paid via PayPoint but there are differences in the way the system will operate. February 2018 Universal Credit Abolishing waiting days - from February 2018, the DWP are removing the seven day waiting for new Universal Credit claimants. This will reduce the length of time that claimants might wait to receive their full payment. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) will be going through all existing cases to identify anyone who may be entitled to a higher rate of Personal Independence Payments (PIP) as a result of the judgement, which was handed down on 9 March 2017. It comes after the DWP decided not to challenge a court ruling, that said changes to PIP were unfair to people with mental health conditions. Ministers made changes to PIP in 2017, which limited the amount of support people with mental health conditions could receive. Anyone who is affected will be contacted by the DWP, and their payments will be backdates to the judgement. Changes to the criteria for activity 1 under the mobility component of PIP to reflect the challenges that may be faced by people with sensory difficulties if they experience disruptions to a journey. From 1 January 2018, the only people who will be able to make a new claim for Universal Credit will be those living in a Full Service area. Up until your area is transferred on to the Full Service of Universal Credit. January 2018 Universal Credit Increasing advances - From January 2018, Universal Credit claimants will be offered an advance of their payments of up to 100%, which is recoverable over 12 months (previously, claimants were entitled to an advance of up to 50% of their first month's payment and repayable over six months). December 2017 EEA Nationals protection The UK government reached an agreement with the EU to protect EU citizen's rights, which will enable them to continue to live as they do now after Brexit. It also covers family members. To secure their right, EU citizens will need to go through a simple digital application process which will confirm their status in the UK. December 2017 Universal Credit The Live Service of Universal Credit will no longer take new claims. If you are not in a Full Service area, claimants will be asked to claim legacy benefits and tax credits instead. We are waiting for the specific date, but we expect this to be in December 2017/January 2018. November 2017 Universal Credit The timetable for Universal Credit Full Service rollout has changed. Please see Universal Credit for more details. October 2017 Hardship payments Claimants who are homeless or have a long term mental impairment able to receive hardship payments (when sanctioned) without a waiting period. The government wants mixed age couples – where one person is of Pension Credit age and the other is younger – to claim Universal Credit. If living in a ‘Full’/Service area: can choose between claiming Universal Credit and claiming Pension Credit instead. This is because the government have not yet closed off Pension Credit to mixed aged couples. In August 2017, the DWP announce that there would be changed to the Regulations, which would come in to force September 2019. This means that, from September 2019, mixed aged couples will no longer be able to claim Pension Credit, and will have to claim Universal Credit. If either you or your partner are both under the qualifying age for Pension Credit, you will be expected to claim Universal Credit. July 2017 Pension Credit Minimum 2% Gilt rates removed - from Government Actuaries Department (GAD) tables for annuities. This sets the minimum notional income for untaken pension pots - as the Gilt rates have been below 2% for some time, this reduces the amount of notional income from untaken pensions for those over state pension age. April - September 2017 Childcare support The current entitlement of 15 hours of free childcare per week for working parents of three or four year olds will be doubled to 30 hours per week. April 2017 Jobseekers Allowance new ‘Youth Obligation’ to be introduced Unemployed 18-21 year olds who have been claiming Jobseekers Allowance for six months will have to either apply for training/ apprenticeships or attend a work placement, unless they are exempt (considered to be vulnerable). April 2017 Under occupation charge From April 2017, an extra bedroom can be awarded to disabled couples who cannot share a bedroom and to disabled children or non-dependents who need an overnight carer. April 2017 Carers allowance A carer can now earn up to £116 per week before their Carers Allowance is affected (it was previously £110 per week). April 2017 Universal Credit Families with three or more children will not be able to make a new claim for Universal Credit. They will be directed to claim Legacy Benefits instead, unless they have been in receipt of Universal Credit within the previous six months. A tax free lump sum of £2,500 if there are no children, or £3,500 if there are dependent children. Monthly tax free payment (Bereavement Support Allowance) for 18 months of £100 if there are no dependent children, or £350 per month if there are dependent children. April 2017 Parents to seek work Parents to seek work when the youngest child is three years old (it is currently five years old). April 2017 Universal Credit 'Youth Obligation' 18-21 year olds who have been claiming Universal Credit for six months will have to either apply for training or apprenticeships, or attend a work placement (unless they are exempt). April 2017 Pensions People planning their retirement will be able to withdraw up to £1,500 from their pension pots tax free to pay for financial advice. April 2017 Tax allowance Personal tax allowance has increased to £11,500 for 2017/18. £7.50 for those aged 25 and over. £7.05 for those aged 21 - 24. £5.60 for those aged 18 - 20. £4.05 for those under the age of 18. April 2017 Local Welfare Provision Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans for living expenses ended March 2013. A new scheme called Local Welfare Provision (LWP) is now in place, and will meet short term emergency support needs of vulnerable people. April 2017 Universal Credit The automatic entitlement to housing costs in Universal Credit for 18-21 year olds ends on 1 April 2017. April 2017 ESA New claimants placed in the work related activity group will receive the same rate of benefit as people on JSA, a cut of just over £29/week. Existing ESA claimants already getting the work related activity component included in an ESA award will continue to do so until they are found fit for work. April 2017 ESA Claimants making a new claim for ESA will no longer receive an extra component if they are found to have a limited capacity for work. Those who are in the Support Group will continue to receive the support component. Those on income-related ESA will still be 'passported' to their maximum Housing Benefit. April 2017 Universal Credit The Universal Credit taper will reduce from 65% to 63%. For every £1 earned after tax above an income threshold, a person receiving Universal Credit has their benefit award reduced by 63p and keeps 37p. April 2017 Universal Credit Universal Credit has removed the limited capability for work element. There is no new limited capacity for work element for claimants from April 2017, which is currently £126.11/month. April 2017 Universal Credit For new claimants, there will be no Higher Child Element for the first child if they are born after 6 April 2017 (the first child element is currently £277.08/month compared to subsequent child element of £231.67/month). April 2017 Housing Benefit When making a claim for Housing Benefit, only two child premiums will be included in the assessment where the claimant has a new child born after 1 April 2017 if there are already two child premiums included in the assessment. For families making a new claim for Housing Benefit after 1 April 2017, the number of child premiums is limited to two, regardless of how many dependent children are in the family, or where they were born. April 2017 Child support You will no longer receive support for a third or subsequent child - there will be no addition in Child Tax Credit, Universal Credit or Housing Benefit for a third child born after 5 April 2017. April 2017 ESA ESA claimants who work and earn between £20 and £120 per week will not have to relinquish their ESA claim or finish work after 52 weeks. Their work can continue. 2016 Universal Credit If you move homes, under current housing legislation you can potentially receive housing benefit for your new home and for the notice period for your previous home for up to four weeks. This does not exist when you're on Universal Credit. 2016 DLA Adults who are receiving Disability Living Allowance will continue to be reassessed for personal independence payments. 2016 Tax credits With the roll out of Universal Credit, it is intended that new claims for tax credits will be phased out. November 2016 Benefit cap Please see Benefits Cap for further details. July 2016 Universal Credit DWP has issued details of the rollout of Universal Credit Full Service. Please see Universal Credit for further details. July 2016 Pension Credit The time allowed to be abroad and still claim Pension Credit has been reduced to four weeks (it was 13 weeks). July 2016 Housing Benefit DWP have reduced the time period that someone can be claiming Housing Benefit whilst abroad to four weeks (it was 13 weeks). May 2016 Family Premium The government has removed Family Premium, which was an extra £17.45 given to people with children. April 2016 Jobseekers Allowance & Universal Credit Jobseeker support and conditionality; increased Jobcentre Plus support, weekly attendance at jobcentres in the first three months, Help to Work Programme, a new Work and Health Programme, spending on Access to Work will rise. April 2016 Freeze on Benefit Rates The rate of certain working age benefits, certain elements of tax credits and child benefits will be frozen at their 2015/16 levels for four years. April 2016 Pension Credit There will be no new claims for Saving Pension Credit, unless you've reached State Pension age before 6 April 2016. To qualify for the extra Savings Credit, you or your partner must be aged 65 or over. April 2016 State Pension State Pension age for women will match State Pension age for men (65) by November 2018. State Pension age will then increase to 66 from December 2018 to October 2020. State Pension age is due to rise to 67 between April 2034 and April 2026, and to 68 between April 2044 and April 2046. April 2016 State Pension State Pension is now a single payment. This will affect you if you reach State Pension age from 6 April 2016. You will receive the full State Pension (£155.65/week) if you have 35 years of National Insurance contributions. You will receive a pro rata amount if you have a minimum of 10 years of NI contributions. April 2016 Tax Credit The rate of debt recovery from Tax Credit overpayments will increase from 25% to 50% for households with an income of over £20,000 a year. HMRC can recover tax credit debts directly from a claimant's bank accounts. Only debts of £1,000 or more will be eligible for direct recovery action. April 2016 Universal Credit work allowance The work allowance in Universal Credit (the amount you can earn without your benefit being affected, has been reduced from April 2016. For disabled people and people with children, it is reduced to £192/month if you have housing costs and £397/month if you don't have housing costs. The work allowance has been completely removed for non-disabled, childless claimants, meaning your benefit is removed as soon as you start earning. April 2016 Housing Benefit Housing Benefit backdating will be reduced to a maximum of one month (it was previously six months). April 2016 Rent Housing associations will have to cut social housing rents by 1% each year for the next four years. April 2016 Universal Credit childcare support This has been increased. You can now claim up to 85% of your childcare costs, up to a monthly limit of £646 for one child or £1,108 for two or more children (it was 70%). April 2016 Tax Credit The disregard for increases in income is set at £2,500. The income disregard is a buffer zone, for when a family's income increases during the course of a year (without affecting their tax credit entitlement). April 2016 Personal tax allowance The personal tax allowance, which is the amount you can earn before paying income tax, will be increased from £10,600 to £11,000. It will be increased further to £12,500 by 2020. From thereafter it will automatically be set at the same level as 30 times the National Living Wage. April 2016 Mortgage interest waiting time From 1 April 2016, the waiting period for when you receive any payment will increase from 13 to 39 weeks for new claims. This means that, if you have a mortgage, you may financially struggle if your employment ceases to exist. October 2015 Personal Indepdence Payments (PIP) From October 2015, a managed switch of remaining working age Disability Living Allowance claimants who were under 65 as at 8 April 2015, begins across Great Britain. August 2015 Universal credit - waiting days Seven day waiting period on new claims, although there are exceptions. April 2015 Benefit cap New overall cap to be placed on Housing Benefit. October 2014 Jobseekers Allowance and Employment and Support Allowance waiting days From 27 October 2014, an extended waiting period at the start of a claim for Employment and Support Allowance or Jobseekers Allowance is being introduced. The new law will mean that no Employment and Support Allowance or Jobseekers Allowance would be paid for the first seven 'waiting days' instead of the present three days. June 2014 Child Maintenance Services The statutory child maintenance services work out child maintenance payments using a standard formula. The Government introduced application fees, collection fees and enforcement charges in 2014 for parents who use the Child Maintenance Service to collect and pass on payments. If you need to use the Child Maintenance Service, Child Maintenance Options can give you information and support that may help you avoid some fees or charges. The best way to avoid charging is to set up a family-based arrangement and not use the Child Maintenance Service at all. But if you and your child’s other parent can’t agree an arrangement between yourselves you may still be able to avoid having to pay any charges by choosing Direct Pay. May 2014 Carers Allowance Earnings limit increased to £102. April 2014 Working & child tax credit Required to make a Mandatory Reconsideration before any appeal can be lodged. April 2014 Jobseekers Allowance - new conditionality New conditionally includes, day one work search, English language requirement, quarterley work search interviews, weekly job search reviews/signing on. April 2014 Child tax credit Need to inform HMRC by the 31 August if a qualifying young person stays in education or comes off claim. April 2014 Income support - lone parents Increased conditionality once child reaches three years old. April 2014 Removal of access to Housing Benefit for EEA jobseekers If you have a right to reside as an European Economic Area (EEA) Jobseeker, you satisfy the right to reside requirement for Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance, however you must have some other right to reside to be entitled to receive Housing Benefit. March 2014 Minimum Earnings Threshold for EEA Nationals Migrants from the European Economic Area (EEA) who claim to have been in work or self-employed in order to gain access to a wider range of benefits will face a more robust test from 1 March 2014. Although guidance to decision makers advises that someone who is an EEA National is automatically a worker if s/he has been earning, on average, a threshold income for three months i.e. This is £150 a week – equivalent to working 24 hours a week at National Minimum Wage i.e. the figure is currently £157 per week. January 2014 Jobseekers eligibility From January 2014 there is a requirement to have been living for the past three months in the common travel area (the UK, Ireland, Channel Islands and the Isle of Man) in order to satisfy the habitual residence test for Income-Based Jobseekers Allowance. The Claimant Commitment outlines what job seeking actions a claimant must carry out while receiving Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA). It emphasises the claimants’ responsibility to do all they can to look for work in return for the support they receive from the state. When someone makes a new claim for JSA or returns to JSA from the Work Programme they will attend an interview with a work coach. At the interview they will agree a personal plan outlining what the claimant will do as part of their Claimant Commitment to give themselves the best chance of finding work. This could include regular specific tasks and training opportunities. The Claimant Commitment is already in place for Universal Credit. April 2013 Council Tax reduction (Council Tax Support) Council Tax Reduction (Council Tax Support) replaced Council Tax Benefit in April 2013 i.e. help towards your Council Tax bill, most residents will now have to make a contribution towards their Council Tax bill, even those on means-tested benefits, the Council Tax Contribution varies from Council to Council from 8.5% to 25%, although most Councils exempt some pensioners from having to pay a contribution towards there Council Tax. April 2013 Universal Credit - minimum income floor Where someone who is gainfully self-employed, has been trading for 12 months and has a low income from that self-employment, the Universal Credit assessment will assume a minimum income for them - referred to as the minimum income floor. They will be treated as earning at least the minimum wage / living wage for someone of their age, for the number of hours the DWP expects them to work. April 2013 Penalties as alternatives to prosecution The Welfare Reform Act 2012 introduced tougher penalties for people who commit benefit fraud. Benefits can be reduced or stopped if a claimant, their partner or a family member is convicted of a benefit fraud offence or accepts an administrative penalty for such an offence. An administrative penalty is a financial penalty offered by DWP as an alternative to prosecution. The amount of penalty is 50% of the amount of the overpayment, subject to a minimum amount of £350 and a maximum amount of £2000 although can be admendments overpayment is below £350. April 2013 Measures to deal with fraud The government established a Fraud, Error and Debt Taskforce in 2010. This was to coordinate cross-government efforts to reduce the unacceptable losses to the taxpayer caused by fraud, error and non-payment of debt. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are working together to progressively reduce error, and ensure that the honest majority do not lose out at the hands of those who defraud the system. April -September 2013 The benefit cap Housing Benefit reduced if your applicable benefit income exceeds £350 singles and £500 for couples. April 2013 Housing Benefit - Under occupancy charge (Bedroom tax) Housing Benefit restricted to the number of bedrooms you are required based on your family composition. January 2013 Employment and Support Allowance Tightening up of some descriptors to make them more restrictive i.e. hospital stay, substantial, chemotherapy and radiotherapy all amended. January 2013 Child Benefit Tapered withdrawal of Child Benefit where an earner over £50,000 i.e. stops completely at £60,000. 3 December 2012 Employment & Support Allowance - Sanction Changes From the 3 December 2012 there will be a three-tier sanction for those in the Work-Related Activity Group, the sanction is open ended until the claimant re-engages followed by a 1, 2 or 4 benefit sanction. The weekly amount of the sanction also increases from the Work-Related Activity component of £28.15 a week to the standard allowance of £71.00 a week. October 2012 In-Work Credits & Job Grant Abolished for those moving from out of work benefits to in work benefits. October 2012 Jobseekers Allowance - Sanction Changes From 22 October 2012, there will be a three-tier fixed penalty sanction: Higher Level 13, 26 and 152 week sanction for 1, 2 and 3 offence within 52 weeks, Intermediate Level 4 and 13 weeks sanction, Lower Level 4 and 13 weeks sanction. October 2012 Civil Penalties Sometimes a person who has been overpaid a benefit, will have to pay an extra penalty on top of the overpaid amount, if the overpayment has not been caused by proven fraud a Civil Penalty of £50 can be added to an overpayment. HMRC continues to operate its own enforcement policy (from September 2012) in respect of Tax Credits, where residents unreasonably fail to report a change in their circumstances within the required period, a fixed penalty of £300 will be applied. May 2012 Abolition of Youth Contribution-Based Employment and Support Allowance At present, special arrangements apply which allow certain young people to qualify for contributory Employment and Support Allowance under the Employment and Support Allowance ‘youth’ provision, without having to satisfy the National Insurance contribution conditions which apply to all other claimants. Abolishing this concession from May 2012 puts those previously eligible for Employment and Support Allowance ‘youth’ on an equal footing with others who have to satisfy the relevant National Insurance conditions before they qualify for contributory Employment and Support Allowance, which will create a simpler system. Government intervention is necessary to ensure entitlement to contributory Employment and Support Allowance applies consistently to all customers. From May 2012, if your youngest child is aged five or over, or will become five that year, your Income Support may stop during that year. April 2012 Pension Credit Savings Credit reduced and frozen for four years to £18.54 (single) and £27.73 (couple), also threshold for qualifying increased by 8.4%. April 2012 Working Tax & Child Tax Credit New rule of disregarding an income drop of £2,500 and time limit for notifying changes of circumstances cut from three months to one month. April 2012 Child Tax Credit Family Element income threshold abolished, so will start to taper off straight after Child Tax Credit individual elements. April 2012 Working Tax Credit Couples with children must work at least 24 hours combined to qualify, with one working at least 16 hours. March 2012 Introduction of entitlement to work The introduction of entitlement to work as a condition of entitlement, for contributory Employment and Support Allowance, contribution based Jobseeker’s Allowance, Maternity Allowance and all Statutory Payments. The introduction of this condition of entitlement will ensure that people who have no entitlement to work in the UK have no legal entitlement to contributory based benefits and statutory payments. Removal of requirements for claimants to engage in certain activities and also provisions in relation to voluntary and mandatory rehabilitation plans where they are claiming Jobseekers Allowance or Employment and Support Allowance and are dependent on, or have a propensity to misuse, drugs. A new Additional Support programme which, on a voluntary basis, will provide integrated and personalised support for JSA and ESA claimants who are undergoing drug treatment. A Treatment Allowance, in place of their ESA or JSA, payable on a voluntary basis to the individual as long as they maintain their treatment and engage with the Additional Support programme. In addition, the Regulations will remove some of the normal conditions of entitlement for benefit in order to allow drug users the time and space to focus on their recovery. For example, this will mean that those on JSA will not be required to sign on or show that they are actively seeking work. Mandatory referral to Substance Related Assessments (SRAs) and a Treatment Awareness Programme with a specialist drug treatment provider for PDUs on JSA and ESA who are not already in treatment. The power for the criminal justice system to supply data to aid both the identification of PDUs not in treatment, and the take-up of in-treatment support for those who are. The power to refer to the mandatory SRAs where a Jobcentre Plus adviser has ‘reasonable grounds for suspicion that problem drug use is a barrier to work’. Should claimants in this group refuse to attend two successive SRAs they can be required to take one or more drugs tests. March 2012 State Pension Credit The Government has also announced that it is simplifying the process for claiming the carer addition in Pension Credit. Carers in receipt of a State Retirement Pension will be able to claim Pension Credit - and receive the additional Carers Premium in Pension Credit - without making a claim for Carer’s Allowance. March 2012 Industrial Injuries Benefit The Industrial Injuries Scheme provides non-contributory no-fault benefits for disablement because of an accident at work, or because of one of over 70 prescribed diseases known to be a risk from certain jobs. The scheme also covers people working on approved employment training schemes or courses. The benefits payable under the scheme are known as Industrial Injuries Scheme Benefits (IISB) i.e. there has been simplification changes under the Welfare Reform Act 2012. March 2012 Recovery of fines from benefits Magistrates courts can apply to the DWP for a fine, costs or compensation order to be deducted from your Income Support, Jobseekers Allowance, Employment and Support Allowance, Pension Credit or Universal Credit. September 2011 Educational Maintenance Allowance Abolished in England. April 2011 Guarantee Pension Credit Government has increased Guarantee Pension Credit to match the cash rises in basic State Retirement Pension. April 2011 State Retirement Pension 2007 legislation provided for the basic State Retirement Pension to be increased at least in line with average earnings i.e. from 2012 onwards the highest of the Consumer Price Index, average earnings or 2.5%. April 2011 State Pension age Accelerate speed of equalisation of pension age, with equal pension age to be achieved by November 2018. April 2011 Housing Benefit Local Housing Allowance maximum caps for 1 bed (£250), 2 bed (£290), 3 bed (£340) and 4 bed (£400), separate rate for 5 bedrooms (at any moment) scrapped. Non-Dependant Deductions large increase over next 3 years to make up ground since last increase 10 years ago. Local Housing Allowance rates will be set at 30th precentile of local private rent prices, not the 50th. Additional room in Local Housing Allowance if you require a Carer to come in and an additional room for a disabled child. April 2011 Tax credits Taper on income moves from 39% to 41% and disregarded increases in income falls from £25,000 to £10,000 basic and 30 hour element frozen for three years and a new category for workers aged 60+, childcare element reduced from 80% to 70%, income threshold for the family element reduced from £50,000 to £40,000 a year. April 2011 Maternity grant Restricted to the first child only. April 2011 Child Benefit Rates frozen for three years. April 2011 Working Age benefits Increases will be set by the Consumer Price Index instead of the Retail Price Index. March 2011 Employment and Support allowance Migration of existing claimants of Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Income Support (through sickness) begins. January 2011 Old 'sickness route' benefits No new linked claims for Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance or Income Support for sickness from 31 January 2011. Claimants no longer return to old rate but claim basic Employment and Support Allowance and face Work Capacility Assessment. Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance claimants can still claim Income Support and vice versa if they become eligible. Between October 2010 and Spring 2014, customers who receive Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disability Allowance and Income Support, paid on the grounds of illness or disability, will be assessed for Employment and Support Allowance. This will not affect people due to reach state pension age by 6 April 2014. It will not affect people already receiving Employment and Support Allowance.

2019-04-22T04:02:13Z

https://www.regenda.org.uk/benefit-changes

The Hagerstown Suns are a Minor League Baseball team based in Hagerstown, Maryland, United States. The team, which plays in the South Atlantic League, is a Class A affiliate of the Washington Nationals. They play in Municipal Stadium, which was opened in 1930 and seats 4,600 fans. The team mascot is "Woolie", a giant Woolly Bear Caterpillar. Professional baseball has been played in Hagerstown since the late nineteenth century. The Hagerstown Lions played for one season in the independent Cumberland Valley League during 1896. The league began on June 19 and lasted until August 9, when it disbanded due to the disbandment of one of the teams, the Chambersburg Maroons, on August 7. The Lions finished the season in first place with a record of 26-12, three games ahead of Chambersburg. The Lions also dominated statistically, having the league leaders in runs (40 by Natty Nattress), hits (52 by William Graffius), wins by a pitcher (10 by Thomas Lipp), and winning percentage by a pitcher (.833 by Thomas Lipp, with a 10-2 record). Lipp and another Lion, John Gochnaur, were the first Hagerstown players to make it to the major leagues. In 1915, the class D Blue Ridge League was formed with its headquarters in Hagerstown. Hagerstown fielded a team for the next 16 seasons. Throughout this time, they won five pennants and donned four different names: the Blues, the Terriers, the Champs and the Hubs. Before the beginning of the 1931 season, the Blue Ridge League disbanded. The club was then affiliated with the class C Middle Atlantic League, but on June 28, 1931, the club moved to Parkersburg, West Virginia. The Hagerstown players with the most major league experience during this era were Mike Mowrey (13 major league seasons), Frankie Pytlak (12 major league seasons), and Babe Phelps (11 major league seasons). Professional baseball returned to Hagerstown in 1941 when Oren E. Sterling moved his Sunbury Indians franchise to town and became a Detroit Tigers affiliate. The newly named Hagerstown Owls (Oren, Win, Luck and Sterling) joined the Class B Interstate League. Gene Raney purchased the team from Sterling in 1950, and the renamed Hagerstown Braves became an affiliate of the Boston Braves. The team moved to the Piedmont League in 1953 and once again had a name and affiliation change. The new Washington Senators affiliate, the Hagerstown Packets, competed until the league disbanded after the 1955 season. Hagerstown was without a professional team until 1981 when Lou Eliopulos purchased the Rocky Mount Pines Class A Carolina League franchise and moved them north to Hagerstown. The team was a co-op affiliate during 1981, with coaches supplied by the Baltimore Orioles and players supplied by several major league clubs to include the Orioles, Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and Pittsburgh Pirates. The newly named Hagerstown Suns proceeded to win the Carolina League championship in their inaugural season by defeating the Peninsula Pilots. In 1982, the Suns began a long-term affiliation with the Baltimore Orioles. The 1982 Suns had a better record than the 1981 team, but did not reach the playoffs. For 1983, despite winning 84 games, the Suns finished 10.5 games behind the North Division champion Lynchburg Mets. The winner of the South Division was the Winston-Salem Red Sox, who won 10 games less than the Suns. Hagerstown also led the Carolina League in attendance during 1983 with 153,660 fans as compared to Durham's 142,370. They experienced their first losing season in franchise history in 1984, finishing 30 games behind the first place Lynchburg Mets. One reason may have been the fact the team had three different managers (John Hart, Len Johnston and Grady Little) during the season. In 1985, the Suns played an exhibition game with the parent club Baltimore Orioles. The Suns’ best overall record in franchise history and a return to the Carolina League Championship Series came in 1986. However, the Suns would lose the league championship to the Winston-Salem Spirits. The Suns would also make the playoffs in 1987, only to be eliminated in the first round by the eventual league champion Salem Buccaneers. Despite having the best overall record in the Carolina League North Division in 1988, the Suns did not make the playoffs. This occurred because the Suns did not win either the first or second half. The team that won the North Division Championship was the Lynchburg Red Sox, whose overall record was 11 games worse than the Suns. The Suns still hold several Carolina League one game individual and team records. Jim Palmer, shown here in 2009, is the Suns' only Hall of Fame member. In addition to the Carolina League records, the Suns also had many other individual distinctions during the Carolina League period. Matt Tyner and Ken Gerhart set the club record for season home runs with 31 in 1981 and 1983 respectively. 1983 was also the year Hall of Fame member Jim Palmer made a rehabilitation start for Hagerstown. Craig Worthington and Pete Stanicek were the standouts in 1986. Worthington set a Suns record with 105 runs batted in (RBIs) and would hit 15 home runs. He did this while maintaining a .300 batting average. Meanwhile, Stanicek batted .317 and set a Suns' record (later tied by Don Buford in 1988) by stealing 77 bases, only getting caught 17 times. One other noteworthy player for Suns' fans in 1986 was Mick Billmeyer, a local product from nearby Funkstown. He would play the entire 1986 season as the primary back-up to Suns catcher Jeff Tackett. The 1987 offense was led by Leo Gómez. He batted a league leading .326 with 19 home runs and 110 RBIs. Gomez also led the Carolina League in doubles with 38. The ace of the Suns' rotation in 1987 was Blaine Beatty. Beatty went 11-1 with a 2.52 earned run average (ERA) in 13 starts with the Suns before being promoted to AA Charlotte. He completed 4 of his starts and allowed just 81 hits in 100 innings. Beatty was also named the 1987 Carolina League Pitcher of the Year. In 1989, Hagerstown moved up to the Double-A Eastern League, taking over the Williamsport Bills franchise and again affiliating with the Orioles. (The Carolina League franchise would relocate just down Interstate 70 as the Frederick Keys, maintaining the Orioles' Class A affiliation.) Suns' fans would see some familiar faces as past players such as Leo Gómez, Pete Stanicek, Dave Bettendorf, Ken Dixon, and Brian Dubois returned. On offense, David Segui batted .324 with 1 homerun and 27 RBI's in 44 games in his second stint with Hagerstown after being promoted from Frederick. Leo Gómez would hit 18 home runs, a team leading total. Suns fans also saw the return of Steve Finley, who came back to Hagerstown via a rehabilitation assignment. In 11 games, Finley would bat .417 with 7 RBI's and 4 stolen bases. On the pitching side, Mike Linskey was the ace of the starting staff with 10 wins and a 2.81 ERA in 18 starts. Despite his dominance with the Suns, Linskey would never pitch in the major leagues. The Suns finished their first season in Double A 5 games under .500, and would finish fifth in the then eight team Eastern League. They narrowly missed the playoffs by 3 games and were 24.5 games back of the 1st place, and eventual league champion, Albany-Colonie Yankees. George H. W. Bush attended a Suns game as a sitting U.S. President in 1990. The Suns failed to make the Eastern League playoffs in 1990. While they fell short of that quest, the Suns still had one of their more interesting years. Jack Voigt would contribute mightily to the offense as he batted .256 with a team leading 12 homeruns and 70 RBI's. Scott Meadows led the team with 75 RBI's. Luis Mercedes batted a league leading .334. He also stole a team leading 38 bases. Three prominent Baltimore Orioles, Sam Horn, Brady Anderson, and Mike Devereaux, would make rehabilitation appearances. Anderson stood out the most among the group as he hit .382 in 9 games. The pitching staff was led by Anthony Telford, who went 10-2 with a 1.97 ERA in 13 starts for the Suns, completing 4 games. Another milestone in 1990 was the visit of George H. W. Bush to Municipal Stadium to attend a Hagerstown Suns baseball game. This visit was the first time a sitting President of the United States attended a minor league baseball game. After back to back losing seasons, the Suns returned to their winning ways in 1991, making their only Eastern League playoff appearance. They would finish in second place, only to lose to the eventual league champion Albany-Colonie Yankees in the first round. The offense got power from Paul Carey, who hit a team leading 12 home runs. The Sun's best all around hitter may have been first basemen Ken Shamberg, who hit .275 with 10 homeruns and a team best 82 RBI's in 114 games. Top prospect Arthur Rhodes led the pitching staff. Over the course of 19 starts, Rhodes would go 7-4 with a 2.70 ERA and strikeout 115 batters in 106.2 innings, while walking just 47. Rhodes also won the Eastern League Most Valuable Pitcher Award. He also made his Major League debut with the Orioles after being promoted directly from Hagerstown. Stacy Burdick was the leader in pitching wins 11, yet it was the last professional season that he pitched. Burdick went 29-17 combined between 3 stints with Hagerstown including time with the Carolina League franchise as well. Todd Stephen would lead the team in saves out of the bullpen with 17 and had a 2.12 ERA in 89 innings pitched. Much like the year before, Suns fans saw multiple rehabilitation assignments pass through as Kevin Hickey, Dave Johnson, Bob Milacki, Billy Ripken, and Glenn Davis each had stops in Hagerstown. All of this would add to what was by far the Suns best season in the AA Eastern League. The Suns also had their all-time highest attendance record, with 193,753 fans passing through the gate. The team fell short of its quest for the Eastern League playoffs in 1992. Mel Wearing led the team with only 5 homeruns. Scott Meadows would hit .317 in 45 games with the Suns; this would prove to be his final year with the Orioles organization. Manny Alexander, the Suns' shortstop, hit .259 and stole a team-leading 43 bases. He did this at the age of 21, young for AA baseball. The 1992 season would also complete a unique trifecta for the Suns. In this season, Don Buford would manage his son Damon. His other son, Don Jr., had played for the Suns in 1988 and 1989. Don Jr. tied the Suns record for stolen bases by a Suns with 77 in 1988 and would come back in 1989 to steal 30 more. Damon meanwhile, stole 41 bases in 1992 with the Suns. Damon would be the only one of the two sons to follow in his father's footsteps by playing in the major leagues. Finally, 1992 may be remembered because of the uncertainty that hung over the season. The Suns' and Keys' owners failed to claim an Eastern League expansion franchise for Bowie in 1993 (coinciding with the Florida Marlins' and Colorado Rockies' addition to the majors), they instead chose to move their existing franchise there as the Bowie BaySox. It also ended Hagerstown's relationship with the Baltimore Orioles, which dated back to 1981. Unlike when the Carolina League team had left a few years earlier, there was no guarantee that another team would return to Hagerstown. Hagerstown would not go without, though. Winston Blenckstone immediately relocated his Myrtle Beach Hurricanes franchise in the South Atlantic League to Hagerstown after the 1992 season and promptly renamed them the Suns. All of the changes would bring a competitive team to Hagerstown for the 1993 season. The offense got steady power production from Mike Coolbaugh, who led the team with 16 home runs. The best all-around hitter on the team proved to be D.J. Boston. Boston would hit .315 with 13 home runs and 93 runs batted in (RBI's). Those numbers were good enough to earn him league Most Valuable Player (MVP) honors. Two outfielders, Rickey Cradle and Jose Herrera, put together solid seasons at the plate for the Suns. Herrera hit .317 in 95 games, while Cradle belted 13 home runs. Brad Cornett led the team in earned run average (ERA), with a 2.40 mark, and also innings pitched, with 172.1. Silva went 12-4 with a 2.52 ERA in 142.2 innings. In that time frame, Silva struck out 161 batters. Overall, the Suns had a winning season in 1993. In 1994, the Suns reached the playoffs for the first time since 1991. On offense, the team was led by former first round draft choice Shannon Stewart. Stewart hit .324 with 4 home runs and 25 RBI's in an injury-shortened season. Tom Evans would return from the 1993 squad, hitting .273 with 13 home runs and 48 RBI's in 95 games. The power was supplied by Lorenzo Delacruz and Ryan Jones, who hit 19 and 18 home runs, respectively. Jones also had a team leading 72 RBI's. Edwin Hurtado went 11-2 with a 2.95 ERA in 33 games, 16 of which were starts. The bullpen was headlined by Steve Sinclair and Dave Sinnes. Sinclair appeared in 37 games out of the bullpen and picked up a total of 9 wins with 105 innings pitched. Sinclair only made one start for the Suns all year. Closer Sinnes tied for the South Atlantic League (SAL) lead with 37 saves. The Suns advanced to the league championship. However, the Savannah Cardinals beat the Suns to win their second straight championship. In 1995, veteran Jeff Ladd led was the home run leader on the team. Ladd hit 19 home runs in 95 games before a promotion to AA level Knoxville. This would turn out to be Ladd's last professional season. Bobby Llanos hit 17 home runs and produced a team leading 63 RBI's. The Suns got stable production behind the plate from Julio Mosquera. Mosquera hit .291 in 108 games for the team. Brian Smith would pitch his way to a 9-1 record in 47 games out of the bullpen and pick up 21 saves along the way. He also had 101 strikeouts in 104 innings. Doug Meiners proved to be the Suns' best starter of the season, as he went 8-4 with a 2.99 ERA in 18 starts. Another highlight from the starting staff was Tom Davey, who went 4-1 with a 3.38 ERA in 8 starts. 1996 was the Suns first losing year in the SAL. First basemen Mike Whitlock led the team in home runs (20) and RBIs (91) with a .252 batting average while drawing a franchise record 108 walks. He did this in 131 games at the age of 19, yet never played a game in the major leagues. Another player who displayed power was Craig Wilson. Wilson hit 11 home runs with 70 RBIs while maintaining a .261 batting average. Craig Stone returned from the 1995 squad, batting .310 with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs in 56 games. Mike Johnson won a staff leading 11 games and also had a team-leading total of 162.2 innings pitched. He made his major league debut a season later with the Baltimore Orioles. Tom Davey won 10 games and had a 3.87 ERA in 26 starts. In 1997 the offense was led by Luis Lopez, who put together one of the best individual years by a Sun ever. Lopez batted .358 with 11 home runs and 99 RBI's. These numbers would give him SAL MVP honors. The pitching staff was led by Clint Lawrence, who won a team-leading 13 games in 26 starts. One pitcher who had a bizarre season was starter Gary Glover. Glover posted a 3.73 ERA and threw a team leading 173.2 innings. He, along with John Bale, tied for the team lead in strikeouts with 155. Despite these advantages, his overall record was 6-17. Those 17 losses set a franchise record. The Suns finished in last place, 11 games behind first place Charleston (WV). In 1998 the offense got power from catcher-first basemen Bobby Cripps. Cripps hit 29 home runs and also led the Suns with 88 RBIs and threw out 47 percent of would be base stealers in 56 games behind the plate. Mike Young batted .282 with 16 home runs and 86 RBI's at second base. Two other future Major League All Stars on the Suns that year were Vernon Wells and César Izturis. Wells batted .285 with 11 home runs and 65 RBI's. Izturis meanwhile had a .262 average with a team leading 20 stolen bases. John Sneed would have one of the best seasons ever by a Suns pitcher, as he won a franchise record 16 games, while losing just 2, with a 2.56 ERA in 27 starts. He also collected 200 strikeouts in 161.1 innings pitched. Clayton Andrews returned from the 1997 squad and nearly matched Sneed's dominance. He went 10-7 with a 2.28 ERA and had 193 strikeouts in 162 innings pitched. The Suns closer was Jaron Seabury, who had a dominating 1.65 ERA in 45 games with 17 saves. The Suns won the first half division title and finished with the best record in the Northern Division. They made the playoffs and won in the first round, but did not advance to the championship because the league now had a three round playoff format featuring 8 out of 14 teams. In the second round, the Suns would lose to the eventual league champion Capital City Bombers. In 1999 Jay Gibbons was the best all-around hitter. In 71 games, Gibbons batted .305 with 16 home runs and 69 RBI's. Second basemen Jorge Nunez batted .268 with 14 home runs and 61 RBI's, while leading the team with 51 stolen bases. Outfielder Ryan Fleming hit an impressive .335 in 61 games. Tyler Thompson led the team with 17 homeruns and RBI's with 81. Pasqual Coco went 9-1 in 14 starts with a 2.21 ERA. Scott Cassidy would win a team leading 13 games in 27 starts in 170.2 innings. He struck out 178 batters, leading the team. The Suns bullpen got a strong season from closer Jarrod Kingrey. Kingrey had 27 saves and 69 strikeouts in 61 innings. The Suns made the playoffs by winning the first half division title and wound up with the best overall record in the SAL. They would be knocked out of the first round by their division rival, the Cape Fear Crocs. This was the last season that the SAL used a three division (North, Central, and South) format. The Suns had a losing season and did not make the playoffs in 2000. Reed Johnson hit .290 with 8 home runs and 70 RBIs in 95 games. Kevin Cash led the team in home runs with 10, while also contributing 27 RBIs in 59 games. He displayed great defense by throwing out 55 percent of potential base stealers. Shortstop Brandon Jackson led the team with a .312 batting average, while outfielder Shannon Carter stole a team leading 33 bases. Marcos Sandoval led the Suns with 163.2 innings pitched, while Travis Hubbel posted a 3.89 ERA in 19 starts. Matt Ford, a 19-year-old left-hander, went 5-3 with a 3.87 ERA in 18 games, 14 of which were starts. He struck out 86 batters in 83 innings with the team. Rob Hamman picked up 8 wins while pitching in 34 games, but only one of them was a start. The most unusual aspect of the season was the bench clearing brawl that occurred in July against the Columbus Red Stixx at Municipal Stadium. The Suns were losing when Reed Johnson was hit by a pitch that caused outfielder Auntwan Riggins to charge the pitcher from the dugout. The brawl led to so many ejections that Columbus was unable to field a full team and had to forfeit the game to the Suns. Officially, Hagerstown was declared the game's winner by a 9-1 score. 2001 brought on a lot of changes for the Hagerstown Suns. After eight seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays, the team switched its parent club to the San Francisco Giants. The team was also sold to Andy Rayburn. On the field, the Suns returned to their winning ways. The offense got power from Dan Trumble, who led the team with 26 home runs. Outfielder Jason Ellison put together a good season, as he batted .291 with a team leading 19 stolen bases in 130 games. Adam Shabala would post a solid .313 batting average in a span of 70 games. The pitching staff was the best that the Suns had since joining the South Atlantic League, as two pitchers won over 10 games. Boof Bonser tied the Suns' record for wins in a season with 16, while losing just 4 games. He also struck out 178 batters in 134 innings, earning him the South Atlantic League Pitcher of the Year. Another player with 10 plus wins was Jeff Clark. Clark would go 14-9 while posting a solid 3.65 Earned Run Average (ERA) in 27 games. The most impressive season for the Suns may have come out of the bullpen, as closer Jackson Markert put together a memorable year. Markert broke the Suns' save record by picking up 39 saves and posting a strong 2.82 ERA. His success was a big reason why the Suns advanced to the playoffs. After winning the Northern Division second half title, the Suns entered the playoffs, but come up short as Lexington swept them in two games. The Suns missed the playoffs in 2002, suffering a losing record. Tyler Von Schell led the Suns in home runs with 14. Julian Benavidez led the way in RBIs. Brandon Florence may have been the best all around hitter on the team with an batting average of .303, with 11 home runs and 63 RBIs in 109 games. On the pitching side, Anthony Pannone led the Suns with nine wins and led innings pitched with 168.2. Ryan Hannaman put together a nice season with a 2.80 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 131.2 innings. Suns' fans also saw a glimpse of what was to come with Francisco Liriano. Liriano would go 3-6, but had a 3.59 ERA and struck out 85 batters in 80 innings as an 18-year-old. The Suns finished 20.5 games back of the first place, and eventual league champions Hickory Crawdads. Mandalay Entertainment Group purchased the team from Andy Rayburn in 2002. While the team did not make the playoffs in 2003, they still managed to scrape together a winning season. The Suns' best power hitter in 2003 was Carlos Sosa, who led the team in both homeruns and RBI's with 10 and 63. Derin McMains hit a solid .289 in 54 games before he was promoted to High A San Jose. Brian Buscher would come to the Suns in the 2nd half and hit .275 in 54 games. The strength of the Suns in 2003 lied in their pitching staff, in which several pitchers had great seasons. Merkin Valdez went 9-5 with a 2.25 ERA in 26 starts. He also led the Suns in innings pitched with 156, and strikeouts with 166. Josh Habel led the team with 11 wins in 36 games, 16 of which were starts. Habel also managed to accumulate 127 strikeouts in 122 innings. Brian Stirm was also solid, as he went 8-5 with a 2.86 ERA in 17 games. Other noteworthy starters for the Suns in 2003 were Clay Hensley and Matt Cain. Hensley went 4-3 with 3.18 ERA in 12 starts before he was promoted to High A San Jose, but one start in particular was noteworthy. On May 3, 2003, Hensley threw the Suns’ only perfect game. He did this by retiring 21 consecutive batters in the second game of a double header against the Kannapolis Intimidators. Meanwhile, Matt Cain went 4-4 in 14 starts with the Suns, while posting a strong 2.55 ERA. He managed to strikeout 90 batters in just 74 innings. In the bullpen, Matt Palmer would have a great season as he went 5-0 with a 1.20 ERA and 25 saves. The Suns pitching staff in 2003 stands out among the best in franchise history. 2004 turned out to be one of the worst seasons for the Suns ever as they finished in last place in the South Atlantic League North Division, 34.5 games behind the eventual league champion Hickory Crawdads. In his short stay with the team, Nate Schierholtz proved to be the best hitter. He would bat .289 with 15 homeruns and 54 RBI's in just 59 games. Another productive hitter on the team that year was Travis Ishikawa. Ishikawa had exactly the same home run and RBI total as Schierholtz, with a .257 average in 97 games. Both players would be promoted to High A San Jose before the season's end. Designated hitter Jason Columbus led the team in RBI's with 87. The Suns' leader in wins was Juan Serrato, who compiled 8 wins in 26 games, 21 of which were starts. The Suns' best all around pitcher in 2004 was reliever Joe Bateman. Bateman went 7-5 with a 2.14 ERA in 36 games. He picked up 81 strikeouts in just 70 innings of work before he was promoted to AA Norwich. One pitcher of note in the Suns bullpen was Brian Wilson. Wilson's numbers in Hagerstown were not impressive, 2-5 with a 5.34 ERA in 23 games and 3 starts. However, Wilson's later major league performances earned him a spot in the Hagerstown Suns Hall of Fame. Hagerstown once again changed affiliates in 2005, a two-year stint with the New York Mets. Minor league baseball teams are known for their promotions, and the Suns had one consistent with the cold weather that Hagerstown has early in the baseball season. The Suns unveiled their "Eskimo Day" promotion including giving every fan a free ice cube and granting free admission to fans indigenous to Alaska, Canada or any place where Eskimos are part of the culture. There was also a special contest for fans at the ballpark: guessing how long it would take a bucket of ice to melt. On the field, the season began with seven game winning streak. On May 8, Hagerstown and Asheville combined for 35 runs in the Suns' 19–16 victory. Hagerstown broke a 16–16 tie with three runs in the 12th inning. The clubs set a South Atlantic League record with 20 extra-base hits, while the 41 hits–23 for Hagerstown—matched a league mark. Also in May, Hagerstown committed seven errors in a game against Delmarva. In June, the Suns qualified for the playoffs in dramatic fashion. Pitcher Gaby Hernandez's 115-pitch no-hitter in a 1–0 win over the West Virginia Power on June 19 set up a one-game playoff between the Suns and Lexington Legends on June 25 for the first-half crown. Both teams completed the first half regular schedule with 42–28 records. In the one game playoff, the Suns defeated the Legends, 9–4, with Hernandez again taking the mound and the win. The Suns slumped badly during the second half of the season, finishing last in the Northern Division. In September however, Hagerstown did manage to win the Northern Division by defeating the second half Northern Division champion Delmarva Shorebirds two games to one. The Suns were ultimately unsuccessful in their quest for the South Atlantic League championship, losing to the Kannapolis Intimidators three games to one. Overall, the Suns had a losing season in 2006, with a 58–82 record. The Suns' prowess in promotions was recognized with the award of the "Veeckie" Award from ESPN The Magazine for their "They even gave away the Kitchen Sink" kitchen sink giveaway promotion. The award, named after famous baseball promoter Bill Veeck, is given annually by the magazine to recognize the industry's top promotions each season. The Suns have received a "Veeckie" in three of the past five years. Previous winning promotions included the Guinness World Record for the Youngest Broadcaster ever (2002) and the Free Funeral Giveaway (2003), which was also selected as the Promotion of the Year by ESPN the Magazine and was named as one of the top five baseball promotions of all time by Sports Illustrated. The most noteworthy event on the field was an 8–7 loss at Lakewood, a 22-inning marathon that took nearly a week and a half to complete. The game began on April 26, but was called in the 17th due to league rules that state an inning cannot be started after 12:30 a.m. It was finally completed on May 6, taking 7 hours and 47 minutes. The 22 innings bested the previous 21 inning South Atlantic League record. In 2007 the Suns became a member of the Washington Nationals farm system. The Suns won few games as the talent-poor Nationals organization rapidly promoted Suns players with potential. Of four players selected for the South Atlantic League (SAL) All-Star Game (Leonard Davis, Cory VanAllen, Mike Daniel and Chris Marrero), none actually played because they had been promoted to the Advanced-A Potomac Nationals by the time the actual game occurred. In the promotions area, romance novelist Nora Roberts was honored with a Nora Roberts bobblehead on July 6. Roberts is a resident of Washington County, Maryland, where Hagerstown is located and has been honored by the Suns several times. There were two significant milestones for the Suns organization in 2008. The first occurred on May 30, when the number 50 was retired in honor of in honor of SAL President Emeritus John Henry Moss. Along with the number-retiring ceremony, the Suns honored Moss with a bronze plaque placed in Municipal Stadium, highlighting his 50 years of service to the SAL. 50 is only the third number retired by the Suns, the other two being 42 for Jackie Robinson and 24 for Willie Mays, who played his first minor league game in Hagerstown. The second milestone occurred on November 13 when Hagerstown native and Suns Director of Business Operations Carol Gehr was selected as the Rawlings Woman Executive of the Year. The Rawlings Award honors an outstanding woman executive from either Major League or Minor League Baseball. Gehr was with the club in many capacities over a 25-year career spanning six different ownership groups. A bright spot to an otherwise dismal season in 2009 was the performance of catcher Derek Norris. He led the SAL with a .413 on-base percentage and 90 walks while being named the SAL's Most Outstanding Major League Prospect. He also finished among the top five in the SAL in homers (23), extra-base hits (53), RBIs (84), runs (78) and slugging percentage (.513). He was selected as the designated hitter to the Class A Topps/MiLB All-Star Team, which includes both Advanced-A and A level leagues. On July 15, 2010, Hagerstown players Steve Souza and J.R. Higley were suspended for using performance-enhancing drugs. Each received 50-game suspensions after testing positive for methylphenidate and ritalinic acid, performance-enhancing substances in violation of the Minor League Drug Prevention and Treatment Program. Souza was a 2010 SAL All-Star. On the field, Eury Perez's four stolen bases in seven innings against Delmarva on August 19 was nominated as one of the Class A games of the year for 2010. Finally, a new ownership group with local ties, Hagerstown Baseball, LLC, purchased the Suns in September 2010 for a reported 6.7 million dollars from Mandalay Sports Entertainment. Mandalay used proceeds of the sale to purchase the Oklahoma City Redhawks AAA franchise. The new ownership group is led by Florida businessman and general manager of Polo Trace Country Club Bruce Quinn; Tony Dahbura, corporate vice president of Hub Labels in Hagerstown; Dr. Mitesh Kothari of Hagerstown; and Quinn's sister, Sheri. Bryce Harper playing for the South Atlantic League Suns in 2011. Two number one draft picks dominated the news for the Hagerstown Suns in 2011. Bryce Harper, the overall first pick in the 2010 Major League Baseball Rule 4 first year player draft, started the season with the Suns. Before he moved to the Double A Harrisburg Senators in mid-season, he played well enough to be selected for the SAL All-Star Game. Later in the season, the 2009 overall first pick, Stephen Strasburg, pitched at Hagerstown on a rehabilitation assignment. 2012 had a tragic beginning when Mitchell Akers, an 18-year-old high school senior who was working with the team, died on April 11. Sources within the league said he fell off the back of a John Deere Gator at Municipal Stadium and later died from his injuries. On the field, 2012 proved to be a banner year for Suns third baseman Matt Skole. He led the SAL in home runs (27), bases on balls (94), on base percentage (.438) and slugging percentage (.574). In addition, Skole was also elected as the Nationals Minor League Player of the Year and the SAL Player of the Year. The Suns made the divisional playoffs; however, they were swept by the defending SAL champion Greensboro Grasshoppers two games to none. In 2013, Hagerstown led the SAL in the offensive categories of runs scored (692), runs batted in (608) and on base percentage (.341). The Suns had several players named to the SAL Northern Division All-Star roster (Pedro Severino, Tony Renda, Brandon Miller, Dixon Anderson, Robert Benincasa, and Pedro Encarnacion), as well as coach Franklin Bravo and manager Tripp Keister. The Suns again qualified for the divisional playoffs as the SAL first half Northern Division champions. Improving over 2012, the Suns won the SAL Northern Division championship, defeating the West Virginia Power two games to one. However, in the league championship, the Suns fell to the Savannah Sand Gnats three games to one. Tony Renda was selected as the initial recipient of the Bob Boone award, granted to the Washington Nationals' minor league player "who best demonstrates the professionalism, leadership, loyalty, passion, selflessness, durability, determination and work ethic required to play the game the Washington Nationals way." Hagerstown began the 2014 season with a record of 31 wins and 8 losses, which was the highest winning percentage in the minor leagues. However, the team then went 13–18, finishing with a first half season record of 44–26. The Greensboro Grasshoppers shared the 44–26 record. However, because Greensboro defeated Hagerstown in three out of four games during the first half season, Greensboro was awarded the SAL Northern Division first half title. The second half season proved to be a repeat of the first half season. Once again, Greensboro and Hagerstown finished in a tie for first, this time with identical 43-27 records. The tie breaker system worked in the Suns' favor this time, because Hagerstown won five of seven games against Greensboro in the second half. Shining brightest among the Suns' everyday players in 2014 was SAL Most Valuable Player Wilmer Difo. The middle infielder led the SAL with 176 hits, placed second in the SAL with 49 stolen bases and was fourth in the SAL with 90 runs batted in. In addition, Difo was the recipient of the 2014 Bob Boone Award. Fellow SAL End of Season All-Star Rafael Bautista led the league with 69 steals. The pitching was also a team strength, led by Lucas Giolito who was honored as the league's top pitcher and top major league prospect. The Suns improved their playoff performance in 2014 over 2013, but it was still not enough to claim the John Henry Moss Cup, symbolic of the SAL championship. The Suns swept the Northern Division championship series two games to none over the Greensboro Grasshoppers, but lost the SAL championship series three games to two to the Asheville Tourists. The most unusual game of 2015 occurred on April 15 when the Suns won a 1-0 game against the West Virginia Power despite having no hits. The lone run in the game crossed the plate in the top of the first inning. The Suns loaded the bases after being issued two walks and one batter getting hit. With two outs, left fielder Jeff Gardner drew a walk to force home right fielder Narciso Mesa from third to score the only run of the game. This was the first Minor League no-hitter resulting in defeat in a full-season league since 2008. Overall, 2015 was a disappointing season for the Suns. They finished with an overall losing record, missing the playoffs for the first time since 2011. However, 2015 was good for first baseman Jose Marmolejos. He led the SAL in hits, doubles, runs batted in, and total bases in addition to being selected for the SAL End of Season All-Star Team. 2016 saw a return to postseason play for Hagerstown as the Suns won the first half Northern Division title by one half game over the Delmarva Shorebirds. In the Northern Division championship the Suns were swept 2-0 by the Lakewood Blueclaws. The Suns SAL End of Season All-Stars were Kevin Gutierrez (third base), Ian Sagdall (utility infielder) and Patrick Anderson (manager). In addition, Brandon Groomes was selected as the SAL Bat Person of the Year for the second year in a row. Discussions concerning the relocation of the Hagerstown Suns to Virginia began circulating in 2012. That year a letter from the Washington Nationals was sent to Suns majority owner Bruce Quinn stating that Hagerstown's 80-year-old Municipal Stadium was no longer up to Major League Baseball standards. This prompted the owner to begin looking for other options. Initially, Quinn began discussions with the Winchester Economic Development Authority to relocate the team to Winchester, Virginia, to begin play in 2014. The negotiations failed in part because of the refusal of the community to provide public funding for a new stadium. Not coincidentally, Suns fan attendance at home games fell to its lowest point in Suns history to that point, despite the team qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in seven years. In October 2013, the Suns formally applied to Minor League Baseball to relocate to Fredericksburg, Virginia for the 2015 season. The Suns and their partners, New Jersey-based Diamond Nation and a Fredericksburg-area automotive company, agreed to purchase a 38-acre stadium site inside the Fredericksburg city limits. The facility was initially planned to be ready for the start of the 2015 season at a cost of $29 million. However, in November 2014 Diamond Nation announced that it was terminating its option to purchase the Suns. A contributing factor in this decision was the increase in estimated cost to build the facility to $53 million. In 2015, Quinn entered into negotiations with Spotsylvania County, Virginia officials to move the Suns. Quinn proposed a 5,000-seat, $30 million stadium, with $28 million borrowed by the county and $2 million paid by the Suns, who would pay a rent of $175,000 annually. Minor league baseball had given Quinn until July 31 to complete the deal. With the deadline passed, the Suns will be in Hagerstown for the foreseeable future. The Hagerstown Suns Municipal Stadium boasts the honor of being one of the three oldest Minor League baseball stadiums in the country. From 1915–1929, Hagerstown's minor league teams played at Willow Lane Park, where Bester Elementary School is now located. When the city made the decision to build the school, the need for a new stadium was urgent. The Field and Athletic Association was created to find land and build a stadium. The organization struck a deal with the city, leasing a tract of land for 99 years at $1 per year. Municipal Stadium was quickly built on the land in a mere six weeks, just in time for the first home game on May 8, 1930. Since then, the stadium has undergone two major renovations. The first took place in 1981, when Minor League baseball returned to Hagerstown after a 26-year absence from the city. About $546,000 was put into the stadium overhaul, which included the installation of a public address system, stadium lights, underground electricity, and new seats and bleachers. In 1995, $500,000 worth of improvements to the stadium were made, such as the installation of new seats, and upgrading the VIP section to include cup holders. The Sunset Grille and bar area was also added at this time. The playing surface was renovated following the 2010 season. In addition, seating improvements and the installation of a state-of-the-art video board enhanced fans' experiences in 2011. In April 2014, Hagerstown and the Suns agreed to a two-season lease extension on Municipal Stadium for 2015 and 2016 which can be voided by mutual agreement. The Suns have an in-state rivalry with the Delmarva Shorebirds, an affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. This particular rivalry is also fueled by the regional rivalry between the two parent clubs. Hagerstown Suns home games are broadcast online via streaming audio on the team's website. The voice of the Hagerstown Suns for home games in 2016 is Jordan Nicewarner. Away games are handled through the other team's media outlet. ↑ "30 Teams in 30 Days 1989". ↑ "30 Teams in 30 Days 1988". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved August 25, 2012. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 170. ↑ "Hagerstown Suns History". milb.com. Retrieved February 24, 2011. ↑ "Hagerstown Formally Voted Berth in Inter-State (Class B) League". The Morning Herald. Hagerstown, Maryland. February 7, 1941. ↑ "1981 Hagerstown Suns Statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 14 November 2014. ↑ Spadden, Zach. "Year of the Suns". Hagerstown Magazine: The Best of Life in Washington County and Beyond. RidgeRunner Publishing, LLC. Retrieved November 11, 2014. 1 2 3 "2016 Carolina League Media Guide and Record Book". ↑ "Hagerstown Suns 35: Honoring Your Tradition". Retrieved November 11, 2014. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 620. ↑ "1988 Carolina League Review". The Baseball Cube. Retrieved 13 November 2014. ↑ Wulf, Steve (August 15, 1983). "Biggest Bird In The Bushes". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved May 30, 2014. ↑ Spedden, Zach (September 5, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1986". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 13, 2014. ↑ "30 Teams in 30 Days 1989". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved September 14, 2014. ↑ Goldberg, Stan (June 5, 2011). "History Lesson: Memories of Bush's visit to Grove Stadium". Frederick News-Post. Frederick, Maryland. Retrieved September 13, 2014. ↑ Morgan, Jon (June 24, 1992). "Bowie, Wilmington to get teams in minors shuffle". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 4, 2014. ↑ Baker, Kent (September 16, 1992). "Single-A team moves to Hagerstown; Blue Jays affiliate fills city's void". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved May 4, 2014. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 650. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 656. ↑ Spedden, Zach (September 15, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1995". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 11, 2014. ↑ Spedden, Zach (September 16, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1996". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 11, 2014. ↑ Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball. Baseball America. 2007. p. 673. ↑ Spedden, Zach (September 18, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1998". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 11, 2014. ↑ Spedden, Zach (September 19, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1999". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 11, 2014. ↑ Spedden, Zach (September 20, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1999". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved November 11, 2014. ↑ Greene, Julie (January 13, 2001). "New Suns owner has passion for baseball". The Herald-Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. Retrieved September 25, 2014. ↑ Spedden, Zach (September 22, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1981". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved September 25, 2014. ↑ Spedden, Zach (September 22, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 1982". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved September 25, 2014. ↑ Butki, Scott (December 6, 2002). "New Suns owner has passion for baseball". The Herald-Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. Retrieved September 26, 2014. ↑ "Hensley Achieves Perfection". Baseball America. September 23, 2010. Retrieved September 25, 2014. ↑ Spedden, Zach (September 22, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 2003". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved September 25, 2014. ↑ Spedden, Zach (September 22, 2010). "30 Teams in 30 Days: 2004". Hagerstown Suns Fan Club. Retrieved September 25, 2014. ↑ Justic, Eric (September 28, 2005). "Flashback: April in the South Atlantic League". mlb.com. Retrieved May 6, 2014. ↑ Justic, Eric (September 29, 2005). "Flashback: May in the South Atlantic League". mlb.com. Retrieved May 6, 2014. ↑ "South Atlantic League Notebook for June 22, 2005". ↑ "Suns cap season with ESPN 'Veeckie' award". milb.com. September 19, 2006. Retrieved May 9, 2014. ↑ Storm, Stephanie (May 8, 2006). "South Atlantic League Notebook for the week ending May 6". milb.com. Retrieved May 9, 2014. ↑ "Davis joins Sally All-Stars". milb.com. June 26, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2014. ↑ "Hagerstown celebrates Nora Roberts". milb.com. May 26, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2014. ↑ "Suns release 2007 promotional schedule". milb.com. April 2, 2007. Retrieved May 17, 2014. ↑ "Suns to honor John Henry Moss". milb.com. May 29, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2014. ↑ "Suns' Gehr is top Woman Executive of 2008". milb.com. November 13, 2008. Retrieved May 17, 2014. ↑ "Topps, MiLB name Class A All-Stars". milb.com. November 25, 2009. Retrieved May 18, 2014. ↑ "All-Star Souza banned for 50 games". milb.com. July 15, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2014. ↑ "Cast your ballot for MiLB's Top Games". milb.com. October 25, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2014. ↑ "Hagerstown Suns baseball team reportedly sold to investor group". Cumberland Times-News. Cumberland, Maryland. September 18, 2010. Retrieved May 18, 2014. ↑ Driver, David (June 21, 2011). "Duvall leads way at Sally All-Star Game". milb.com. Retrieved May 18, 2014. ↑ Marshall, Ashley (August 23, 2011). "Lamb outduels Strasburg for Hickory". milb.com. Retrieved May 18, 2014. ↑ Byler, Billy (April 14, 2012). "Hagerstown Suns worker dies in accident". The Augusta Chronicle. Augusta, Georgia. Retrieved May 22, 2014. ↑ "South Atlantic League 2012 Batting Leaders". ↑ Wagner, James (September 7, 2012). "Nationals minor leaguers of the year, Matt Skole and Nathan Karns, honored". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 19, 2014. ↑ "South Atlantic League 2012 Playoffs". Retrieved May 20, 2014. ↑ "South Atlantic League 2013 Team Batting". ↑ "It's Power vs. Contact for SAL All-Stars". ↑ "Nationals name OF Billy Burns & RHP Taylor Jordan Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year". ↑ Emery, Mark (September 25, 2014). "Nats' top prospect Giolito visits Washington". milb.com. Retrieved September 27, 2014. ↑ Ballew, Bill (September 2, 2014). "South Atlantic League Playoff Preview". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved September 2, 2014. ↑ "2014 Playoffs". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved September 14, 2014. ↑ Pearlstein, Eli (April 15, 2015). "Suns split wild series with West Virginia". milb.com. Retrieved September 6, 2015. ↑ Baggerman, Mike (April 15, 2015). "Say what?: Power no-hit Suns and lose". milb.com. Retrieved September 6, 2015. ↑ Dykstra, Sam (September 1, 2015). "Moncada, Guillorme among SAL All-Stars". milb.com. Retrieved September 6, 2015. ↑ Wild, Danny (August 30, 2016). "Mundell, Keller take home top SAL honors". milb.com. Retrieved October 27, 2016. ↑ "SAL announces 2016 award winners". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved October 28, 2016. ↑ Lovelace, C.J. (August 9, 2012). "Looking doubtful Suns will move to Winchester". The Herald-Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. Retrieved April 27, 2014. ↑ "South Atlantic League Attendance". MiLB.com. Minor League Baseball. ↑ Freehling, Bill (October 1, 2013). "Hagerstown Suns apply to relocate to Fredericksburg". Business Insider. Fredericksburg.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013. ↑ Shok, Holly (November 6, 2013). "Hagerstown City Council agrees to pay for upgrades to Municipal Stadium". The Herald-Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. Retrieved April 6, 2014. ↑ Freehling, Bill (October 21, 2013). "Slavery museum gives up city land; stadium backers reach deal on Celebrate Virginia site". The News Desk. Fredericksburg.com. Retrieved October 23, 2013. ↑ Freehling, Bill (January 3, 2014). "Stadium groundbreaking planned for spring". The News Desk. Fredericksburg.com. Retrieved January 5, 2014. 1 2 Shok, Holly (April 23, 2014). "Hagerstown Suns agree to city's terms on two-year lease extension". The Herald-Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. Retrieved April 26, 2014. ↑ Gould, Pamela (November 25, 2014). "Baseball deal out in city". Fredericksburg.com. Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Retrieved January 12, 2015. ↑ Gould, Pamela (December 2, 2014). "Fredericksburg moving on tax sale of stadium site". Fredericksburg.com. Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. Retrieved January 17, 2015. ↑ Lovelace, C.J. (August 11, 2015). "Hagerstown Suns strike out again in proposed Virginia move". The Herald-Mail. Hagerstown, Maryland. Retrieved September 7, 2015. ↑ "History of Municipal Stadium". ↑ Pearlstein, Eli (April 4, 2013). "Suns lose opener to Delmarva 4-3". milb.com. Retrieved September 6, 2015.

2019-04-25T22:55:01Z

https://ipfs.io/ipfs/QmXoypizjW3WknFiJnKLwHCnL72vedxjQkDDP1mXWo6uco/wiki/Hagerstown_Suns.html

Even consumer-focused apps are used by people in business and education. See how minor changes can fine tune your app to meet the needs of these large organizations. Learn best practices for synching user-specific content on Shared iPad and how to add deep-link support for Classroom app, authentication integration via Touch ID, AppConfig driven customization, and much more. [ Music ] Good afternoon. My name is David O'Rourke. Thank you I think we're at the midpoint of the conference this week. How's it going for everyone? Been worth your time? I was told something just before coming on stage so that there was no pressure. But apparently you've all hit favorite on this presentation a bit too much. And so thank you for that, I hope it's worth your time, and I think it is because we put a lot of work putting this together. I want to set some expectations for this presentation. We will be going over best practices. This is going to be an easy session for you guys to listen to. You can put your laptops down, there's not going to be a lot of sample code. This session is to inspire you as to where to invest in your future app so that you can improve the marketability and approachability of your application for as many markets as possible. The two markets we're focusing on for this presentation will be business and education. So spoiler, there's going to be a lot of us going over Shared iPad. So let's get started, we'll go into the agenda. We're going to talk about modern app design practices, what some sorts of things customers can be looking for. We're then going to branch out to a quick overview of the Shared iPad. How does it work behind the scenes? What affect does this have on your app? What technologies do you need to adopt? That's my third bullet. And there are some specific technologies that we'll be recommending, and fortunately for you many of those technologies have been gone over after this session or later in the week, so you can come out of this talk and go directly in to hearing the gory details if you're inspired to modify your app. And there's some new opportunities to enhance your app, one that I'm particularly excited about at the end of the presentation, and I think you will be too because it will again, offer you a greater opportunity for your app to be used in ways you never anticipated. So let's talk about modernizing your application. This is kind of a bedrock expectation for customers. We talked to a lot of customers, they give us a lot of feedback. It's really strange when they come up to us and say why doesn't such and such an app use this Apple technology? So I just want, this is not a deep insight, but I just want to remind you guys, you need to stay current, you need to stay fresh because the customers are downloading other apps from other developers that have that technology and then it kind of provides a discontinuity or a bad comparison if your app isn't using the latest and greatest that Apple offer. I don't think I need to speak to any of the developers in the room, that's why you're all here a WWDC to find out what's new, but as a general ecosystem issue, staying current has benefits for you and your customers and is an expectation of your customers. So some example technologies, by no means the complete list of technologies that you could adopt. Auto Layout, this is still a relatively new technology it's been in several iOS releases now. But this really helps you produce a universal app binary that can work on an iPhone and an iPad and it helps with a lot of layout rotation just a whole bunch of things get taken care of for you by Auto Layout if you invest the time. It even helps with left to right. I used to manage contacts for the desktop and we moved to Auto Layout and we got left to right to free, which was a longstanding, or right to left, or the different language directions for free, which was a longstanding request for the desktop contacts app. So, auto layout has helped us, it's helped us internally, it will help you guys. Accessibility. I was actually talking with a former co-worker just before lunch, make sure you have accessibility in your application. This helps people that couldn't otherwise use your application. And they get quite emotional when they can see that they can finally use an app because you're offering apps to a person that may not have been able to do anything with it prior to doing this. There's some excellent accessibility labs later this week if you'd like to look into it. Swift. This is the newest most secure, fastest runtime. If you aren't looking at Swift, looking how to adopt Swift, go to the Swift labs this week. I think you'll be impressed. I'm impressed with the language, it's truly stunning. I shouldn't have to tell this audience to adopt Swift, but it's again another newer technology that you should really be looking at investing in. AirPlay, particularly in the education and business environment, conference rooms, big screens behind the presenter. People want to share content. If there's room for your application to directly adopt AirPlay, do so. If you can just make your app look more interesting when it's on AirPlay, maybe being able to hide certain onscreen elements when you're sharing to a conference room. Thinking about AirPlay as, or a big screen as a destination for your application, you might want to modify the UI a little bit or have a mode that the user can put something into. Or you just directly project AirPlay. And finally 3D Touch. This is perhaps the newest technology, newest hardware. A lot of opportunity to accelerate. I use my 3D Touch on a daily basis. It really has made the OS quicker, snappier. And whenever I run into an app, I push hard, and there isn't you know anything happening when I push hard it's a bit of a discontinuity and it kind of throws me off my rhythm. So look into that. Again, I want to emphasize, these are not the complete set of technologies, these are just some examples of some of the newest technologies that some apps may be lagging behind and this will impact your ability to market and sell your app into business and education. So let's talk about a feature that I have a lot to do with and actually was able to with a fabulous team putting it together iOS 9.3 introduced the Shared iPad. This is a huge game changer for you as developers and for education in that we can deploy iPad, the best mobile platform, into schools and they can now have multiple students share and iPad throughout the day and for different classes. This offers a huge market for the developers in the audience, because if you can make your app work better in a Shared iPad environment, you're going to have schools licensing your app in quantities that had previously been inconceivable to you. So let's talk about Shared iPad. It's introduced with iOS 9.3, it obviously continues to be supported with iOS 10. And the major goals was to allow schools to buy a cart, how many people have seen iPad cart? They're kind of cool. I saw one for the first time about 18 months ago. They load 60 iPads into a little cart, they roll it into a room and the students pull the iPad out, they use it, they put it back and then the cart rolls to a different room. A feature that was missing until iOS 9.3 was the ability for the students to have a personalized experience on each one of those iPads. With Shared iPad they can now have that and that makes the cart much more effective. Lots of schools buy fewer pieces of hardware and spend more money on the software. I want to repeat that they can spend more money on your software because they're buying fewer pieces of hardware from us [applause]. So, the way you log in is using a new Apple ID called a managed ID. This is Managed by the school. They set their own user list, they bind devices to their organizations. And only their accounts can log onto the iPads. It's really cool. If you didn't go to Todd's session before my session, I recommend you review it with the video source. He talks a lot more about Managed Apple IDs. And finally, and probably the thrust of this presentation is a Shared iPad use environment requires the data be a Cloud. So we've got the cart, everyone understand the cart? Student rolls the cart in on Monday, pulls out an iPad, they use it. Well Tuesday when the cart pulls in they may not pull out the same iPad. If their data's not been pushed to the Cloud by your application, they won't have the experience they had on Monday. They'll have a new iPad experience on Tuesday and that will depress them. So we're going to talk a lot about what technologies Apple offers and how Shared iPad works. So first of all let me give you a quick overview. Again, I recommend you review Todd's session. There was a live demo of this. I have some static slides showing what a login looks like. So a student pulls an iPad out of the cart, they see their grade, the student that I'm going to be demonstrating is Mia, she's a fourth over, fourth row down on the bottom. Spent a lot of time with Mia the past few weeks putting these slides together. So Mia taps on her picture, Mia provides her passcode. After she's satisfied that she entered the correct passcode, the iPad gets ready for her. If she's used this iPad before this screen is up there for a far shorter period of time. If she's going to use the iPad for the first time, this might take a little longer as it downloads data from the cloud to get her ready. When it's done downloading data form the Cloud, or the initial setup data, Mia uses the iPad for the entire class session. She uses Pages, she uses Garage Band, and she works with it as her iPad for the entire session. When Mia's done, Mia logs out. This is the opportunity that the iPad has to push the data up to the Cloud for any data that wasn't being pushed to the Cloud during the session. And so we're going to talk a little bit about what technologies Apple offers to do that. So, all of Mia's data has to be in the Cloud for this to work. Mia's using a different iPad possibly from class to class. My kids have six periods a day. They might start in science then go to math. There might be a different cart in each one of those classes and so therefore their data has to be in the cloud for each of those iPads to be useful. Even if they use the same iPad throughout the course of the day, or throughout the course of a week, the data may be purged by the iPad because it may need to expunge users from the iPad to make room for new users to log in throughout the course of the week. So, iOS provides four core technologies that I'll be going over later that you can adopt, and be telling you about a fifth technology that you should be adopting if you don't use any of the iOS Cloud technologies. But let's go over first a review of the iPad expectations. So, I get a lot of questions about this from engineers, both internally and here at the conference, we've been talking to people. So what is Shared iPad? Plain and simple, it's a user switching. So we are not allowing multiple users to be logged onto the iPad simultaneously. There's only one active user session at any given time. For user to log into the iPad another user has to log out of the iPad. So it's really user switching. What do you as an app developer see? You see a single use device. You do not know you're in a Shared iPad environment, you don't need to know you're in a Shared iPad environment. Nothing has really changed for you as an application developer. You don't need to participate in this, you don't need to do anything custom, other than move your data into the Cloud. Signing out is the moral equivalent of powering the iPad down. So your app has shut down, it's not running in the foreground. It's just like a non-shared use iPad when the user turns the iPad off. So if your app works well between power cycles, your app will work well in a Shared iPad environment as users log in and log out. User data is cached on the device. Internally we started educating people, it's like volatile cache, it's not volatile when the user's logged in, it's volatile after the user's logged out. So the data may be expunged off the iPad at any given time, but while you're logged in it's a single use iPad. The data's not going to disappear out from underneath you. And caching has some obvious benefits for performance. It works for offline, these iPads we expect to be taken on field trips. And the data will be purged by iOS when iOS deems it necessary. So we want you to move your data to the Cloud so that Mia as she's visiting different iPads throughout the course of the day and different iPads during the course of the week and the school year has a consistent experience on all the different devices. The iCloud technologies that we make available, or some of the four key technologies we make available are CloudKit, iCloud Drive NSUbiquitousKeyStore, KeyChain. And as an adjunct NSURLSession. We'll talk about why that's on the list here later in the presentation. So, you're convinced, there's a huge market for Shared iPad, when should I flush my data, when should I do the, well the goal is for you to flush the data to the Cloud while your app is still in the foreground. So as Mia's making changes, you're writing changes to the CloudKit, okay you're updating your Cloud document, you're doing whatever's appropriate for that. You can sync data during log out, and you should sync data before you receive the application will resign active event. But, generally we don't want to put all the data syncing up on the logout, it will take the logout too long. So you should be syncing while your app's up to date. You shouldn't be batching this up to do it later because you may not get later if Mia logs out. There is, if you adopt the iOS technologies for CloudKit, Cloud Drive, NSUbiquitousKeyStore, KeyChain, Mia's data can be synced even when Mia's not logged in. But, we prefer her to exit clean with no dirty data. So let's talk a little bit about CloudKit. CloudKit was introduced in I believe iOS 8, correct me if I'm wrong. You can sync data, it's taken care of automatically and something that's very important that you adopt, if you adopt CloudKit is LongLivedOperations. These are a subclass of CKOperation Classes. The link to the developer documentation is on screen. This is important if you want CloudKit to sync your data while the app is not in foreground. Now, we 've had this feature and this wasn't unique to Shared iPad, but we've leveraged this feature to also be the mechanism by which we sync data when Mia's no longer logged onto the device. So if you most your CloudKit documents onto LongLivedOperations, you can get your data to sync using CloudKit even when your app's not running, or in the foreground, or even when Mia's no longer logged in. So, if you're going to adopt CloudKit and you're going to use CloudKit, I highly recommend you invest and work with the CloudKit engineers while you're here this week, to understand LongLivedOperations, adopt LongLivedOperations, and make your application compatible with LongLivedOperations. Cloud Documents is perhaps the easiest API to adopt, for document-based applications like Keynote or Pages. There's very little you need to do, every managed IP has an iCloud drive. iCloud drives automatically sync. If you are already a document based application, you're good to go for education, you've done everything you need to do. And Mia will have all of your documents for your app available on every device that she visits. So it's simple and easy. If you're a document-based application this is the preferred way to go. Both of these texts are sync on demand. And this is really, really important. Mia could have several gigabytes worth of data stored in CloudKit, but she will only page the data onto the device that she accesses. So the device does not have to download all 2 gigabytes of Mia's Cloud data in order for her to use your app, if your app's only accessing a few megabytes' worth of data that you stored in Cloud data, only your app data would be pulled onto the device when your app is launched on that device for the first time. So it's very efficient, and if you think about this at scale, average US classroom has 30 to 40 students in it, you've got 30 iPads all fetching data. If they all fetch the full 2 gigabytes when they logged on, it would be relatively hard for most schools' network connections to handle that. So these are the best [inaudible] technologies, they only cache the data you use, the data stored locally. They're really, really world-class Cloud technologies that you can integrate into your app and get your app into these important markets. And CloudKit is suitable for large datasets. I don't know what the definition of large is, I would recommend you work with the CloudKit folks to find out if your dataset's too large. I don't think they recommend it for use of iMovie, but maybe. Maybe for smaller datasets it would be fine. I specifically got this quote from the CloudKit lead engineer, this is in contrast to the next technology that's on the next slide, which is NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore, which is meant for smaller datasets. So I don't think you need to, unless you're doing a video editing application, I don't think you need to worry about the size of the dataset you're putting in the CloudKit. That doesn't mean that you can run amuck and do really silly things for performance, but most applications that are going to store data that are reasonable, CloudKits are perfectly suitable for that. Let's talk about NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore. To use this requires an entitlement. It's a drop-in replacement for NSUser default. So if you're already using NSUser defaults, you're already good to go, it should be fairly easy for you to transition to NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore. And NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore the data is stored in the Cloud, so your app launches, it stores key values pairs in the NSUbiquitousKeyStore, your app quits, it relaunches, it gets the data back from Cloud. Your app on a different device will get the same, essentially NSUser default package when it launches on the other device. It's modelled on NSDictionary and again talking to the CloudKit engineering team, who originally did NSUbiquitousKeyStore, moved on to CloudKit, smaller payload only please. This data is not fetch on demand, it is fetched during log in. And we just really anticipate this for some lighter weight datasets used within your application that are more appropriate for an NSDictionary. If you put it in a NSDisctionary, put it in an NSUbiquitousKeyStore, if it's too big to put it into an NSDictionary, you might want to put it into CloudKit. So, as I mentioned data fetch is part of the account sign on. There is a side effect of this, and we're going to be talking about later in the presentation, which is this also prepares your app to be managed by application management, which is the simplest summary is to talk about deploying applications in scale. If I'm an IT administrator about to deploy 1000 iPads at a major Fortune 500 company, and I want to have your app set up under default circumstance for the day 1 that I deploy it, they do it through application management. And we'll be talking about that later in the presentation. Essentially you can get an initial application state distributed to all of the iPads via NSUbiquitousKeyValueStores. So, I want to think of a couple use cases for NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore value or NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore, that is a mouthful. The biggest thing is is let's think about Mia visiting an iPad, day 1 of a new school year. She launches your app, your app has some setup data. You want to pick her favorite color, maybe have her pick a picture for her Avatar. You don't want her encountering that on every iPad that she uses throughout the year. So an idea use case for NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore is to story your app's initial setup data. That way as your app is run on different iPads, Mia's initial preferences for your app have been saved in NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore and she does not see the application setup every time she encounters a new iPad. An example of places where we use internal of Apple is, I'm told by the Stocks team and the Weather team, we use NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore to store the ticker, list and we use it to save all the locations for where you save in Weather. Keychain. How many people are using the Keychain in their application? Quite a few. I have excellent news for you, you're done. You need do nothing, you can tune out for the next couple of minutes and check email. You don't need to do anything else. You're already good to go. Every Managed Apple ID has a Keychain and that Keychain is synced to every device that they log into. Obviously the Keychain is there for secure user data. And so it's the same API, same user conventions, in fact you as an app cannot tell the difference between a Shared iPad Keychain and a normal iCloud Keychain. Same API, same usage pattern. A couple of minor things. Some people do some rare application store device only data on the Keychain. There is no such thing as device only data on a Shared iPad Keychain and we recommend you only store per user. And you must set the exportable flag or the share flag, otherwise your data will not be shared up to the thing. But you should be storing user credentials, or user sensitive information in the Keychain, you should not be using the Keychain to store bulk data. It's kind of the same rules as NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore. Don't use it to store bulk data. If you want to store secure bulk data, come to the labs, we can suggest some different approaches that will solve that problem. But yeah, if you're already using the Keychain, good. If your app has user sensitive data that should probably be behind a password, or a little more secure than just putting it in a data store like CloudKit or NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore, start putting it in the Keychain, it's easy to adopt. It makes the data secure and makes it highly portable. Finally, on the Cloud technologies to adopt, how many of you already have your own Cloud technologies that you're using rather than CloudKit. I see quite a few. Very good. You need to make sure that either your code or the code that you're using uses NSURLsession. NSURLsession is the preferred option for doing all networking on iOS. And it should be using it because it does so much for you. I've been at Apple quite a while. I don't want to say how long, I think a little longer than Todd has from the previous session. It does so many things for you that you don't even know that it does. It does IPv6, it does all the metricing, and controlling, and accounting, it does data throttling, seamless network transitions. And, I didn't even know about this until I was putting this slide together, Cisco Fast Lane support. How many people know what that is? Yeah it's a quality of service thing that allows network administrators to prioritize network traffic. And if your app is not using NSURLsession you have to do that all yourself. That's time you're going to spend learning something where NSURLsession's already done that. So, if you're not going to use CloudKit, you're not going to use iCloud Drive, you're not going to use the Keychain, and you're not going to use NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore, but you're motivated to move your app into the Cloud, make sure that the frameworks you're using, or the frameworks that you're writing are using NSURLsession for all of the networking. And you will pick a best of breed network behaviors, robustness, and resiliency. So, like the LongLivedOperations in CloudKit, another advantage of moving to NSURLsession is let's go back to user switching, your app's not in the foreground. Your NSURLsession pass are not running unless you've marked them as background, or adopted background configuration. So, you have your own Cloud technology, you're not yet on NSURLsession, but you're going to move onto NSURLsession. When you do so you can review the developer documentation that talks about how to make your NSURLsession data run in the background. And this has two advantages to you as an app developer. Advantage number one, your data can continue to sync to your proprietary Cloud store when your app is not in the foreground. And advantage number two, your data will sync when Mia's logged out and isn't even active on your platform. So if you're not using NSURLsession, start. And when you do start using NSURLsession, review for background usage and make sure that your app can sync data when it's not in the foreground or the user isn't even active. So, let's review. By now I think I should have convinced you Cloud based data is essential for your app in the new Shared iPad environment, which we introduced with iOS 9.3. This is a huge market worldwide. We know that it's being used in Australia. We know it's being used it he US. It's rolling out to Europe. This allows Managed Apple IDs to move between devices, and we want that to be as seamless an experience as possible, and you as the app developers have a role to play there in getting your app data into the Cloud. Apple feels, and I believe we provide a complete solution. If you don't have any of this working yet, there's nothing you need to wait for. iOS has all the baseline technologies you need to move your data into the Cloud. If you don't feel that way, come to the lab we'll try to help you out. If you're doing your own networking of any kind, Cloud based or otherwise, please use NSURLsession. A huge amount of advantages for you in adopting those technologies. And you pick up a whole bunch of functionality. And again we don't talk about future features, like Pod in this session, but we're not done with NSURLsession. As we need more networking, it's all going to get rolled into there, and apps that are already on it are just going to ride that wave onto the next round of feature improvements to NSURLsession. So, in addition to the Cloud, there's some additional considerations for Shared iPad that you need to do. And this is more about changing your thinking and less about specific technologies you need to adopt. First of all, there's data separation between user accounts. Now that should seem obvious, or some people might be going duh, but I want to talk about that, because some apps, iOS 9.3 is the first release of iOS' for shared users, and well that's 9 versions of iOS prior to that that didn't, and so some apps needed to support shared users. And they kind of wrote their own little user picker within their app. So the first thing is, is we have true data separation. Mia cannot see Liam's data and Liam cannot see Mia's data while they are active on the device. Therefore, this is now a tool you can use as an app developer, to where you no longer need to have your own app or multi-user picker. There are some applications out there than when you launch it, it says are you Mia or are you Liam, and you can set multiple user data. I think the time has passed for that. So if you are doing a multi-user application, your app should just run on a single device, it should run within the shared user mode and you'll get data separation for free and you can retire the code that's doing that sort of multi-user management. And that avoids comingling data between Liam and Mia, which is sometimes a potential privacy issue if two different students could see each other's data. Shared iPads have quotas. Todd had an excellent animation, I forgot to rip it off for my presentation, my apologies. iPads will enforce quota. Now there are two types of quotas on an iPad. There's the number of accounts that can be on a Shared iPad. That's like six, eight or ten. And there's the amount of data that can be stored per account. Why does this affect you, as you developers, well you will be getting new errors out of any file system operations you do. There's the EDQUOT error, treat it the same as ENOSPC. So, instead of getting this full, you'll get quota errors. If your app has recovery mechanisms you have to do when you're out of disk space, treat them the same. But this is a new error code that you might see more frequently when running in a Shared iPad environment. Another technology that's really, really interesting in the case of Shared iPad is On-Demand Resources. If your app has On-Demand Resources, or has assets that you haven't moved into Apple's On-Demand Resources but that you download On-Demand. If you're downloading them into the user directory, and you're on an iPad with eight users, you've now duplicated that app resource eight times. Not only that, you've downloaded the resource eight times and that's burdened the school's network, multiply that times 30 iPads, you've now downloaded that 240 times. So you really should consider moving to using On-Demand Resources. If your app moves to On-Demand Resources, you will only download an On-Demand Resource once per device. It will be downloaded for all users, current and future on that device. And more importantly it will not be deleted or purged when a particular user's account is purged by the operating system to make room for new users. So if you have large resources, or you have just in time resources, or you thinned out your app, and you're downloading those resources later, adopt ODR and you will get the resources you need onto the iPad just when you need them and you will minimize the amount of impact you've had on that iPad both local storage, the user's quota, and the school or institution's network. So this is again a screenshot form the developer documentation, talking about On-Demand Resources. I have it at the end of the slide, but I'm going to give you a preview. I think Thursday is On-Demand Resources In-Depth. Highly recommend you attend that session if you have large assets that you want to get out of your app bundle and not download it into a user directory. Remote notifications. Again, the iPad story and the shared environment is a little different here than it has been previously, but not much. Notifications work the same as a single user iPad. So how does the Shared iPad work? It works like a single-user iPad, but logging in is like powering up the iPad and logging out is like powering down the iPad. You won't get notifications until an iPad's logged in. And you won't get notifications if an iPad's logged out or powered down. Same exists for log in and log out. So this is very much like your app being turned on and off on the device when the device is powered up or powered down. Remote notifications will not be primed if your app runs at least once per device. So if Mia has only encountered the device for the first time, and your app relies on push notifications working, or remote notifications working, unless she's run that app least once on that device, she will not see the notifications. This is just like a non-Shared iPad, but I think it's going to come up more often because changing devices is now so much more easy for Mia. And signing out is like powering off as I said earlier. You will not receive remote notifications. Why did we include a whole slide about this? I think there's some apps out there that may not work as fluidly or as smoothly as you might want without push notifications. So if you have work flows or use cases in your app that really rely on remote notifications to trigger something, something like that. Think it through evaluate your app, and see what changes you can make. Because as Mia's moving from device to device, she may not get the push notifications until she thinks to run your app for the first time. And if there's something you can do to help her with that, or even just document for the administrators making deployment decisions about your app, this will be very helpful. So review your usage of remote notifications and think about how well your app would work if Mia's been working on an iPad on it for say a whole week. And then she suddenly gets a new iPad, will your app work as well until she launches it the first time. Managed Apple ID's. So this is a new type of Apple ID. It's set up by the institution. The institution controls the names, the institution controls the password, but there's also a set of different capabilities associated with the managed iPad. The most important that it has is there are no commerce features. There are very few schools, very few schools that want the students purchasing music on their credit card when they deploy their application. So we've turned off the commerce application, the commerce and stuff like that. The impact for some developers is I have seen some applications put functionality behind a pay wall or put functionality behind an in-app purchase. Schools aren't going to want to license an application like that. They're going to be deployed into an environment where the individual Apple IDs don't have any commerce. There's no credit card bound to the account, your app cannot function in that environment. Now, I'm not saying that you should do this for your general app, you may need to do a different app for schools that you license that don't require in-app purchases just for it to be fully functional. And you should adjust your licensing and pricing appropriately. But the app itself that the school deploys should be fully functional. So don't want for commerce activity to happen before your app is fully functional. Also check for specific frameworks and features that you need. Just don't assume that because they have an iCloud identity that they have everything. We've combed through the operating system and where things are disabled, those frameworks will return appropriate errors. A concrete example is StoreKit. If you use StoreKit and you try to use it while logged on as a Managed Apple ID, you will get an appropriate error telling you StoreKit's offline or unavailable. So, don't assume it's all or nothing, if I have this then I have all these other services. Start checking for individual frameworks to be present that you need. If those frameworks were to return an error, how would your app behave and thank that through for this type of use case. Generally, you can follow the existing practices you've been following if you're already compatible with VPP, which is Volume Purchase Plan, and device based licensing. If your app conforms to VPP licensing and device based deployment, you're already most of the way there, if not all of the way there. But for developers that don't know about VPP and don't know about device based licensing, work with us in the labs, we can bring you up to speed. This will make your app more approachable and open up new markets for you. And finally a quick shout out to web developers. We gave this a lot of thought. So there is a Keychain. I love the Safari AutoFill feature that saves passwords and syncs them in the iCloud Keychain, it made it just hugely useful when we deployed that. But we're thinking Mia logging on to a Shared iPad, and then logging on to a personal account, we may not want that password saved in the keychain where it's stored. So we've given schools the ability to list what particular websites they want to save passwords for in the Keychain. Now, consider moving it to a native app. This is overwhelmingly the best solution. And the solution that our customers expect and your customers expect. If, however, you remain a web-based developer and web-based content, at a minimum there's some documentation update you might want to remind your customers to add your domain name to the Safari domain whitelist so that as the students set up your site for the first time, Safari will prompt them to save their password, and it will get saved into their Managed Apple ID Keychain. And then the next time they visit a different iPad and log onto your website, they won't have to provide their credentials a second time. If you do not list your website or your domain on this domain whitelist, Mia would be forced to log in every time she encounters a new iPad and that would be a frustrating experience for Mia and the school. At a minimum there's a documentation update. At most, maybe use this as a notice that it might be time to consider moving your app to be native on the platform. I've been talking about Shared iPad. I've been talking about business. I've been talking about the new markets that this opens up. But I'm also going to point out, there's nothing here that's unique to Shared iPad. My assertion is is that while Cloud based data is required for Shared iPad to work functionally, all of your users will benefit from moving your app to the Cloud. My wife, just two weeks ago face planted her iPad. We took it to the Genius Bar, they fixed it. She got a new iPad, she started setting up her apps. The apps that didn't get Cloud data, didn't get reinstalled on her app. She just didn't have time. And it makes it easy for them to change devices. So these changes that you're going to invest in are not just investing for Shared iPad. This will make it better for all of your users. All of your users have Cloud data. All of your users have iCloud documents. All of your users have Keychains. All of your users have NSUbiquitousKeyStore. Moving your application data into the Cloud is going to make it better for your entire ecosystem. And in addition to that make it more suitable for education and business use. So business also favors the Cloud. They change devices, they change employees, they hand new devices to a different employee on Monday than was using it on Tuesday. If you can make it more rapid to set up your account and have that employee's data online and accessible on that iPad sooner rather than later, businesses are going to consider your app a favorite choice for them to deploy. So, my argument is the Cloud's a long term trend. If you haven't considered moving your data to the Cloud, this might be the year that that's finally no longer a tenable position. If you're already on the Cloud, review your usage and make sure that everything is working well, because we just opened up a huge new market for you with Shared iPads. So you've done all this, you've moved your user secure data into the Keychain, you've used CloudKit to store the bulk data, because you're not using NSUbiquitousKeyStore for that. You've used NSUbiquitousKeyStore to store your apps initial settings. And you took all your custom networking you moved it up onto NSURLsession. You moved up background tasks for it so that it runs when your app's not in the foreground. Now you need to test it. Make sure that it all actually works. So here's some high-level recommendations on how to test for the app. And there are basically three methods of testing that all boil down to the same method, but we'll go through them one by. Two devices. iPad a, iPad b. You install your app on iPad a, set up an iCloud identity. Run your app. Go through the cycle of storing your data. Maybe your stock app, you store your ticker information, you do all of that sort of stuff. Wait for it to sync. Launch iPad b, log onto the same account, launch your application and see if your data shows up on iCloud b. If not commence the debugging cycle. If it does work, great, you're done. And that will allow you, so basically two different devices with the same iCloud identity is all you need to test to verify that your app's working in a Shared iPad environment. If you don't have two devices, or you just don't want to bother with two devices, you can do the same sort of testing by adding your app, setting up all the data, waiting for the app to sync the data, delete the app and add the app back to the device. That will pull all of the data back. That will pull the NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore, the CloudKit, the Cloud documents. All of that data will come back. If all of that data comes back, again you can check off the box that says you've moved your data to the Cloud. In an extrema case, and most of you in the audience realize this is just a variation on these things. If you really want to know that you've really nailed this, you can erase the iPad between testing sessions. I don't think that's necessary, but I just put it here for completeness. That's really kind of the acid test. Set up your iPad get a whole bunch of data in it. Trust that your Cloud is working, trust that Apple stored the data for you, blow the device away, set it up from scratch again. Does all your data come back? You're in great shape. If your app can pass that sort of test, you have nailed the Shared iPad case and made things better for your consumer users. So verify all of your app's functionality. Verify there's no data loss. Verify offline works. So put the iPad into airplane mode and verify that your user CloudKit, that all the data syncs later when you take it out of airplane mode. Verify your app never asks you for the setup screen again. A very simple test. Install your app, run through the setup screen, delete your app, relaunch your app. Do you get the setup screen? Not done yet. So testing's important. Moving into the Cloud's a very big deal. Once it's there I think you'll be very satisfied with the results and here's some help. If you want more help or more assistance, again there's a lab right after this. We'll all be there to answer questions for you. This was a plea, we had a lot of this from the internal developers. Log out actually tries to do an orderly shutdown of everybody's app. If you're leaking UI background tasks, logout can't complete. And this is upsetting to people. Liam can't log in until Mia's logout session is finished. If you're leaking UI background tasks, your app cannot be terminated. It will eventually time out. It will eventually be killed. But that's not good for anybody. So make sure you're not leaking UI background tasks, because those will block logout. So, that's the technologies you need to adopt and the changes you need to make. And all of these changes make it better for Shared iPad and business use case, but they're kind of the bare minimum changes you need to be useful in those environments. The work that you're going to do is also useful for even your consumer use case. So the good news is is this sort of investment is not just for education and business, it's also for your consumer use case. And it will become baseline for your application. Now there's opportunities to go beyond the minimum requirements of putting your data in the Cloud and you can really, really have your app be world class and be a preferred choice for potential licensers. Like going beyond just adopting the Cloud and adopting some of the newer technologies this year. The first and most exciting technology, how many people were in the session before this with Todd? Oh, good. A good number, the classroom app, one of the most exciting apps. It's kind of silly but it's really kind of cool to be God and sit up there with the Classroom app and control an entire lab form an iPad is really, really kind of very powerful. And one of the key technologies that Classroom app leverages is Universal Links. Universal Links is not new with iOS 9.3, it was introduced with iOS 9. And it provides a feature that allows you to share external links back to your application off the device. It also enables sharing and searching inside your app on the device. It's a huge advantage for you to adopt Universal Links. What's new this year is we've built on Universal Links as a basic understanding that a lot of apps support this. And universal links is one of the key features that Classroom leverages to guide your app, or control your app while in a classroom situation. So if your app supports Universal Links, a teacher anywhere in the world can decide your app is the coolest app in the world, and she can integrate your app into her course curriculum. And she will then use that with the Classroom app to use your app during the session. This will make your app world class and the most desirable app in the App Store for the school to license. If you can't use Universal Links, it will make it harder for a teachers to integrate your app into their curriculum and harder for them to use it with the Classroom app. And therefore this is an opportunity for you to surprise and delight your customers in that your app will work really well in a classroom situation. But the key to this is Universal Links. And just like the Cloud stuff this is beneficial for your app in or out of a shared use case environment, but this is more evidence that we're piling on these core technologies to make your app as useful as possible. Another new feature with iOS 9.3.2, some app developers do automatic assessment apps, these are apps that do standardized testing or assessment of a student. They put it in full screen mode, they lock it down. We've made some changes to make this more accessible. The biggest change is you can now be in automatic assessment app without being on a supervised iPad. You get an entitlement for this, you can request it. And in particular you can now call an API to request different keyboard features. Like you may not want a spelling app allowing auto correction happening while the student is being assessed for their spelling test. So apps can now drive this. They can request an entitlement for this and more importantly it's no longer restricted to just shared, or supervised iPads it can run on any iPad. And so if you're an assessment-based application or were considering being an assessment-based application, iOS 9.3.2 has opened up more opportunities for you. Again come to the lab, we can give you more details. But that's part of iOS 9.3.2. Managed App Configuration. This was introduced with iOS 7 and basically what this does is allows administrator to blast initial app settings out to thousands, or hundreds, or tens of thousands of iPads so that every app starts in an initial configuration. It's really simple to adopt. There's just an additional key in your NSUser defaults. If you see that key, the key points to an app specific dictionary that you, as the developer, control. And the administrator who set up those things will provide the default dictionary for your app. The problem was is there was different ways that MDM vendors chose to send this information, configuration this information on how to package it. So new for this year is there's a community, not affiliated with Apple, but we're a participant, where all the various MDM, Mobile Device Management server vendors are standardizing the payloads. The standardization efforts documented at the URL you see here on the website. The biggest advantage is you can now have a single app that supports multiple MDM vendors. And as I was researching this presentation and I'm new to the device management realm within the past 18 months. I was surprised to find out that this was the case. So right now there's an app in the App Store, today, we're not making this up, that has this many SKU's. Now what I can tell you is they're not using auto layout so that's why they have a different screen on iPhone and an iPad app. But the six that you see, and you see each one of these six icons represents a different MDM server that they have to support. So, as you can imagine this is a bit of a nightmare for them to maintain. So by moving onto the new app, the managed application consortium, they should be able to turn their apps from this into this. They can have one version for the phone that supports all the MDM vendors and they can have one version for the iPad that supports all the MDMs. So that would be a huge advantage alone. If they move onto Auto Layout and use all of Apple's latest technologies, they should be able to do this. That would be one SKU in the App Store that supports all the different screen sizes and also can be managed from all of the major MDM server vendors. So if you're going to go into this market and you want your app to be managed through application management, look into the new consortium, work with them and learn to adopt what they've got. So, in conclusion, along with Shared iPad, I hope to leave you with a message that regards to what market you're selling into the iOS ecosystem is rich, it's vibrant, it's profitable, it's open to everybody. But it's also very demanding in that customers expect a lot. They expect Auto Layout, they expect the flexibility, they expect you to be on Swift, they want AirPlay, they want 3D touch. And this year, new right over here, SiriKit. So that's another technology. What can your app do with Siri that could be revolutionary in an educational business environment for you to adopt SiriKit? So keep your app fresh. Keep your app vibrant. Adopt the cloud technologies. And what you're doing is making your app better for your consumers and better for business use and institutional use, and in particular, education. So, I appreciate your time. I've really enjoyed speaking to you. I'll be happy to answer questions in the lab later if you have any. I have co-workers there and I have some guidance for you. So there will be links, any links found in this session will be at this link. And here's a little roadmap of either stuff to review on video if you've already missed it, or stuff that's upcoming. So we've got What's New in Apple Device Management, you're going to have to review that on video if you didn't see it. Improving Existing Apps with Modern Best Practices. This is at 3 p.m. immediately following this session. So this will be a more in-depth view of the best modern implementation techniques for apps. Optimizing the use of On-Demand Resources is happening Thursday. Extending your App with SiriKit is happening on Thursday. What's New in CloudKit, Thursday. CloudKit Best Practices. If you're going to move your app into the Cloud these are the engineers that are going to tell you in gory detail how to do it. Again, thank you for your time, and I appreciate you attending.

2019-04-25T00:17:36Z

https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2016/304

ABSTRACT: Diatonic keyboard tunings in equal temperament, just intonation, meantone and well tempered scales are derived from Pythagorean tuning using algorithms whose operations involve combinations of pure fifths and syntonic commas. Graphic diagrams of the line of fifths are used to show the harmonic and mathematical relationships between common tunings and temperaments. Four modes of just intonation are derived from Pythagorean tuning by an algorithm that narrows each major third by one syntonic comma. Equal temperament is approximated with imperceptible error by algorithms that narrow Pythagorean and justly tuned enharmonic intervals by one or more syntonic commas. [1.1] This article describes algorithms that map the traditional harmonic tunings and temperaments for the keyboard: Pythagorean tuning, equal temperament, just intonation, and historical variations on meantone temperaments. Keyboard tuning is used because it has been worked out in detail over hundreds of years and is understood to give a reasonable approximation of the pitch choices made by performers on instruments without fixed pitches. I have excluded analysis of multiple divisions of the octave into more than twelve notes because they were not commonly used temperaments. Working from the chain of fifths, we will demonstrate how the intervals in any tuning or temperament can be mapped from Pythagorean tuning by algorithms that combine pure fifths and syntonic commas.(1) The algorithms that map the tunings and temperaments into one another are not purely mathematical, but are derived from the harmonic structure of the chain of fifths and enharmonic relationships between notes. [1.2] This article is not concerned with generating diatonic scale tuning from prime numbers or otherwise deriving its form from physical or mathematical principles. We will use the historic definition of a diatonic scale as two tetrachords plus one additional tone that completes the octave. The diatonic octave is divided into five whole tones and two semitones in all tunings and temperaments. The convention of assigning letter names to notes in a 12-note chromatic keyboard for diatonic scales will be observed. The chain of fifths will be introduced and used as the defining feature common to all scales without initially assuming any particular tuning. [1.3] Several modern theorists, including Mark Lindley(2) and Easley Blackwood(3) have applied algebraic techniques in describing the tonal relationships which form traditional diatonic scales. Others have developed diagrams to compare the differences in pitch for a note in various tunings.(4) Although such techniques have their uses, I did not personally find them particularly helpful in visualizing the overall difference between one tuning system or temperament and another. For my own analysis, I prefer to diagram the chain of fifths and use rational fractions to express the size of the intervals.(5) Differences between tuning systems are indicated by placing commas or fractional commas between adjacent fifths. This provides a visual comparison between the separate diatonic tunings and temperaments of a complete scale and makes it easier to demonstrate the mathematical and musical relationships between them. [1.4] Theorists classify tuning systems as either cyclic, generated by a reiterative sequence of fifths, or divisive, tunings that subdivide the octave.(6) Historically, this division is somewhat arbitrary. Euclid and Boethius derived the Pythagorean tuning that we now associate with a sequence of fifths by dividing a monochord into two octaves.(7) Methods based upon the overtone series or other systems which attempt to derive just intonation from acoustic phenomena are often considered to be divisive in nature. The typographical diagrams utilized in this article interpret tunings and temperaments in terms of the line of fifths. [2.1] It is well known that every diatonic scale can be reordered into a sequence of fifths. For the C-major scale, the sequence of fifths is F–C–G–D–A–E–B, renumbering the notes of the scale in the order 4–1–5–2–6–3-7. This is the sequence of notes produced when one starts with C and then tunes a keyboard alternately down a fourth and up a fifth until the last note of the scale is reached. For consistency of metaphor, I call the sequence of fifths a “chain” in which the fifths are “links,” without assuming any specific tuning system. [2.2] The chain of fifths has its origin at C and extends to the sharp notes on the right and the flat notes on the left. The chain is theoretically endless, neither closing nor repeating, so that each note in the chain is musically unique.(8) Figure 1 shows the central 21 links in the chain, with C at the origin. All the notes in the chain are considered to be within a single octave bounded by two C’s. Since fifths and fourths are inversions, each note is a fifth above the note to its left and a fourth above the note to its right. As a matter of convention, it is useful to consider the links to the right of C to be ascending fifths and the those to the left to be ascending fourths. The same seven letter names repeat themselves over and over in the same invariant sequence of the C-major scale—F–C–G–D–A–E–B—with each repetition augmented by sharps to the right and flats to the left. Any group of six adjacent links defines a major diatonic scale whose tonic note is one link from the left end of the group, and a natural minor scale which starts two links from the right end. Horizontal movement of any six-link group is the equivalent of transposition of the scale into a new key as exemplified by Figure 2. A twelve-note chromatic keyboard commonly contained the notes from E to G , before the acceptance of equal temperament. When all the fifths were pure, the keyboard would be suitable for the diatonic major and minor scales in the keys depicted in Figure 2. Other keys would be unavailable because the required sharp or flat notes would be outside the range of the chain of fifths. [2.3] The chain of fifths can be used to rationally order the harmonic structure of the diatonic scale. Figure 3 lists the harmonic intervals available on a twelve-note chromatic keyboard for each pairing of links in the chain of fifths. The pairs of notes listed are examples that start with C. Any interval can be horizontally transposed along the chain of fifths. Figure 3 classifies harmonic intervals by the number of links and their direction on the chain of fifths. Each pair of intervals are inversions of one another. Chromatic intervals have more than six links, diatonic intervals have six or fewer. Generally speaking, major intervals and augmented intervals ascend from left to right, while minor intervals and diminished intervals ascend from right to left. The perfect fourth is the only consonant interval that ascends from right to left, which may reflect its harmonic ambiguity. Intervals that ascend to the right from a flat to a natural are always major, such as B –D, a four link ascending major third transposed from C–E. In the same manner, intervals that ascend to the right from a flat to a sharp are considered “augmented,” as in B –D , an 11-link augmented third transposed from C–E . In the opposite direction, intervals that ascend to the left from a sharp to a natural are always minor, as in C –E, a three link minor third transposed from C–E . Intervals that ascend to the left from a sharp to a flat are diminished, as in C –E , a ten-link diminished third transposed from C–E . Each pair of enharmonically equivalent notes is separated by twelve links. It is also well known that the progressions of diatonic harmony correspond to the chain of fifths, but this is a topic which will not be further detailed. [3.1] Tuning the diatonic scale with pure fifths, now known as Pythagorean tuning, was the norm for nearly 2,000 years. The Pythagorean tuning of twelve notes in a standard E –G keyboard is shown in Figure 4. The links are a sequence of powers of 3/2 to the right of C and powers of 4/3 to the left of C. Whenever necessary, the fraction is divided by two to keep the pitch within the compass of a single 2/1 octave. Thus, 3/2 x 3/2 = 9/4. 9/4 is divided by 2, making D = 9/8. Logarithms allow the sequence to be calculated by addition instead of multiplication. In logarithmic measure, each perfect fifth is approximately 702 cents. The tuning of D is equal to 204 cents, obtained by subtracting a an octave of 1200 cents from 702 + 702 = 1404. Since all the links are the same size, the harmonic intervals can be transposed freely. All major seconds are 9/8, all major thirds, 81/64, and etc. The dashes between the letter names of the notes in Figure 4 indicate that the fifths are pure. [3.3] A wolf fifth, “w,” occurs at the end of the line when E has to be used enharmonically because D is unavailable; the “fifth,” which is more precisely a diminished sixth, from G to E (D ) will be too narrow by a Pythagorean comma. Blackwood describes such a narrow fifth as discordant and sounding badly out of place in a scale whose other fifths are pure.(11) It was known as the wolf fifth, because of the howling sound that it made on an organ. [4.1] Equal temperament has been commonly used for the past 150 years to tune pianos and organs and, before that, was used for fretted instruments such as guitars and lutes. Equal temperament flattens the fifths (and sharpens the fourths) by 1/12 of a Pythagorean comma, “p,” as shown in Figure 5. This is just enough to give a true octave from a chain of 12 links. In musical terms, the 12 fifths in the chromatic line are made exactly equal to 7 octaves. As can be seen from Figure 5, the term “equal temperament” only applies to the fifths. The other intervals are not tempered equally with respect to Pythagorean tuning. In Figure 5, the Pythagorean comma is indicated by the upper-case “P” and 1/12 of the Pythagorean comma by the lower-case “p.” The direction of the arrow indicates the ascending harmonic interval. Reversing the arrow would invert the interval and change the sign of the fraction, as illustrated by the fifth (-1/4p) and the fourth (+1/4p). [4.3] We can easily demonstrate from the chain of fifths that equal temperament makes both the tuning and the musical function of each pair of enharmonically equivalent notes equal, using the 12 links from C to B . After subtracting the Pythagorean comma, B becomes the same musical note as C. C can be substituted for B , which is indicated by placing it vertically below B in Figure 6. E is a fifth below B , but since B has been replaced by C, F must be placed below E since F is a fifth below C. The substitutions continue to the left along the top row from B to C until the bottom row is complete from C on the right to D on the left. Figure 6 shows that the two rows created by these substitutions are the same as if the chain of fifths was split into two rows, with the sharp notes above the flat notes. The substitutions derived from equal temperament have made the tuning of the top row identical to that of the bottom row. Equal temperament combines each vertical pair of enharmonically equivalent notes into one single note.(13) This process can be extended out to infinity by vertically stacking each group of 12 notes in rows below D –C and above C–B . Each vertical stack of enharmonic notes will be identical. The profound consequence of equal temperament is that the chain of twelve tempered links absorbs the infinite chain into a single row of 12 chromatic notes that corresponds exactly to the 12 notes-to-the- octave (7 diatonic and 5 chromatic) equally-tempered keyboard. [4.4] Calculating the tuning of an equally tempered scale generates irrational numbers,(14) because the rational fraction that measures the Pythagorean comma must be divided into twelve roots. One equally tempered semitone equals the twelfth root of 2, an irrational number whose value is normally given in a decimal approximation as 1.05946 (100 cents.) The tuning of the chain of equal tempered fifths in six place decimals is given in Figure 7. Using the diagram in Figure 5, the 700-cent logarithmic tuning of an equally tempered fifth is narrower than a 702 cent perfect fifth by 2 cents, 1/12 of the 24-cent Pythagorean comma. The last column in Figure 7 displays this pattern; the pitch of each note in the vertical chain is 700 cents above the note below it before subtracting out the octave. [5.1] In Pythagorean tuning, only the fifths and fourths are tuned as consonant intervals. The thirds and sixths generated by a sequence of perfect fifths are not generally considered consonant by comparison to the most consonant major third which is 5/4, a minor third of 5/6 and their inversions, a major sixth of 5/3 and a minor sixth of 8/5. The diatonic tuning that includes both consonant thirds and pure fifths is known as just intonation. One traditional method of forming a C-major scale in just intonation is to combine consonant tonic, dominant and subdominant triads, F–A–C, C–E–G and G–B–D. This tunes the just diatonic scale shown in Figure 8. The D–A link is narrowed by a syntonic comma indicated by the “k.” Since the other links are pure, the pitch of A, E and B will also be lower than Pythagorean by a syntonic comma. Even though each note has its optimum tuning relative to C, just intonation is a theoretical scale which is unsatisfactory for tuning an instrument with fixed pitch because the narrow D–A results in the unjust intervals shown in Figure 8. The narrow D–A sounds much the same as a Pythagorean wolf fifth. The Pythagorean minor third and its inversion, the major sixth between D and F also sound badly out of place in an otherwise just scale. [5.2] Tuning a chromatic octave in just intonation creates further difficulties since alternate tunings are required for each note. A theoretical scale of just intonation can be calculated for four diatonic major scales in the chromatic octave by replicating the procedure used to form the scale of C-major. A scale of B -major would have triads in which E –G, B –D and F–A were pure major thirds. The pure thirds would be B –D, F–A, C–E in F-major and C–E, G–B and D–F in G-major. Figure 9 shows the two alternative tunings for G, D and A that are required for these four scales. The multiplicity of alternate tunings makes just intonation even more impractical for the normal keyboard with twelve keys to the octave. It can also be seen from Figure 9 that the absolute location of the syntonic comma moves but that its relative location is always on the fourth link of the scale. Each just scale could be considered to be virtually a separate entity whose tuning is fixed by the tuning of the triads that it contains. C is tuned to an arbitrary unit pitch of 1. from the notes immediately adjacent to it. pitch by 2 to keep it within the same octave. Stop after the 12 notes from E to G have been tuned. The equal temperament algorithm is the same as the Pythagorean algorithm except that the interval in step 2 is 1/12 of a Pythagorean comma narrower than a pure fifth. Although justly tuned scales often have been considered to represent a different species from the Pythagorean or the equally tempered scale, we will show in Figure 10 how an algorithm can be derived that maps Pythagorean tuning into just chromatic scales. [5.4] The scale in Figure 10 has a syntonic comma at every fourth link. This produces a chromatic scale in which the diatonic scale of C-major is just and the maximum number of major thirds are a consonant 5/4. This scale is generated by an algorithm in which (1) the fourth link of a Pythagorean C-major scale is narrowed by a syntonic comma and (2) every fourth link above and below that link is also narrowed by a syntonic comma. The tuning of the just chromatic scale from E to G depicted in Figure 10 corresponds to the tuning given by Rossing for these same 12 chromatic notes within a larger chromatic scale of just intonation from F to B .(15) We can use the graphic diagram in Figure 10 to evaluate the difference between the just and Pythagorean pitch of each note without having to multiply out the 81/80 syntonic comma. In this just chromatic scale, B and E are each a syntonic comma higher in pitch while justly tuned A, E, B and F are each a syntonic comma lower in pitch. Just C and G are lower than Pythagorean by two syntonic commas. Examining Figure 10 demonstrates still more reasons why a chromatic scale of just intonation is unusable on a standard keyboard. Narrowing every fourth link by a comma does not leave all the thirds and fifths consonant. The fifths that are narrowed (which means that the fourths are inversely broadened) by a full syntonic comma are obviously dissonant. Thus, the just chromatic scale has two more dissonant links than a Pythagorean chromatic scale. The wolf fifth from enharmonic D (E ) to G will be narrowed by three syntonic commas. Any group of three adjacent links that does not include a comma will form a Pythagorean minor third and a Pythagorean major sixth. Whole tones in this scale that include a syntonic comma are 10/9, while the other whole tones are in the just and Pythagorean proportion of 9/8. To assess the severe impact of these tuning discrepancies we summarize the most significant consequences when a keyboard tuned in just intonation as in Figure 10 is used to play the six diatonic major scales listed in Figure 2. B -major: fifth of tonic triad narrowed by a syntonic comma. F-major: major fourth broadened by a syntonic comma. C-major: fifth of the II chord narrowed by a syntonic comma. G-major: fifth of the dominant triad narrowed by a comma. D-major: fifth of tonic triad narrowed by a syntonic comma. A-major: major fourth broadened by a syntonic comma. It is, thus, amply clear that just scales with consonant thirds cannot be meaningfully used on a chromatic keyboard. [5.5] Since the scale in Figure 10 was created by an algorithm that narrowed every fourth link by one syntonic comma, one can generate four chromatic modes of just intonation, one for each of the scales shown in Figure 9. These are the only just chromatic scales that are possible when C has the relative tuning of 1, since the pattern of the algorithm repeats after the fourth link.(16) Figure 11 presents the tuning of the four modes of just intonation along a chromatic scale from D to B for a vertical chain of fifths in Pythagorean tuning and the four just chromatic modes in B , F, C, and G. The number of syntonic commas by which each note has been altered from Pythagorean tuning is indicated in parentheses, the pitch of the notes above C being lowered by the number of syntonic commas indicated and the ones below C being raised. The remaining notes are Pythagorean. Figure 11 provides an insight on the relationship between Pythagorean and just tuning.(17) Instead of presenting just intonation as a series of pitches that are independently derived, Figure 11 shows that the pitch of the sharp and flat notes are modified in a regular progression as syntonic commas are sequentially added to or subtracted from Pythagorean tuning. The logarithmic tuning of each note can be easily calculated using the fact that a pure fifth is 702 cents, a pure fourth, its inversion, is 498 cents, and a syntonic comma is 22 cents. As an example, 27/25, the tuning of D in the just G-major mode is 5 links plus 2 syntonic commas left of C: 5 x 498 = 2490 + 44 = 2534. After subtracting 2400, D + 2k = 134 cents. [5.6] F. Murray Barbour listed 22 historical scales of just intonation dating from 1482 to 1776 in his historical survey of tuning and temperament.(18) Barbour defined just intonation more broadly than we have done, including within the concept any 12-note chromatic scale that possessed some pure fifths and at least one pure third. Barbour described a late 18th-century tuning by Marpurg which is the same as Figure 10 as “the model form of just intonation.”(19) Two scales which correspond to the F-major mode shown in Figure 11 were described by Barbour as “the most symmetric arrangement of all.” The first was an early 17th century scale by Salomon de Caus which started with B ; the second was by Mersenne and started on G .(20) An even earlier tuning by Fogliano in the F-major mode starting with E was also included.(21) None of the other tunings are precisely in the form of Figure 11. A complete listing of these historical just tunings is given in Appendix I. [5.7] It is also interesting to compare the actual tuning of notes in Figure 11 with Ellis’s “Table of Intervals not exceeding One Octave” in his appendix to Helmholtz.(22) Figure 11 gives new significance to intervals whose names as given by Ellis imply a diatonic origin. Thus Ellis’s list includes the following varieties of fourths: “acute,” 27/20, a “superfluous,” 25/18 and another “superfluous,” 125/96. Figure 11 shows that the “acute” fourth is the just fourth in the G-major mode, the first “superfluous” fourth is an augmented fourth, F in the F-major and B -major modes, and the second “superfluous” fourth is an augmented third, E , in the C, F and B modes. In all, Ellis lists 33 intervals obtained by combining one or more perfect fifths with one or more just thirds, only 3 less than the 36 tunings in Figure 11 that are altered by one or more Pythagorean commas. All but two of Ellis’s 33 intervals are included in Figure 11; one is a well-tempered interval and the other is not part of a chromatic scale in which C is tuned to 1. The complete list of Ellis’s intervals and their notation in terms of Pythagorean tuning and syntonic commas is contained in Appendix II. [5.8] We can now appreciate why the chain of fifths is useful for evaluating the harmonic consequences of alternate tunings of a diatonic scale embedded in a chromatic keyboard. It is not possible to arbitrarily change the pitch of one note without altering its relationship with all other notes in the chromatic space. The interdependence of tuning is not limited to instruments with fixed pitch. For example, a string quartet could not play passages containing a sequence of triads in just intonation without altering the melodic intervals and, possibly the overall level of pitch.(23) The problems of tuning harmonic intervals can only be solved by dynamic ad hoc adjustments of pitch to obtain optimum consonance while preserving the melodic line and stability of pitch.(24) This is one of the reasons why it is so difficult for inexperienced musicians to achieve good ensemble intonation. [5.9] The syntonic comma is not an independent variable; the independent variables are the tuning ratios for the consonant fifth and major third as determined by psychoacoustic measurements, which are 3/2 and 5/4. The syntonic comma, even though it has been known and separately named for two thousand years is merely derived from the difference between the consonant or just major third and the Pythagorean major third generated by four consecutive fifths. However, one would not intuitively expect that this single dependent variable could be used to measure all the differences in tuning between Pythagorean and just scales, including intervals that are not generated by major thirds.(25) The just intonation algorithms provide a coherent framework for this ancient and well respected dependent variable known as the syntonic comma. As was noted above, just intonation and Pythagorean tuning are commonly thought of as different species of tuning. The just intonation algorithms demonstrate that just intonation can more completely be understood in terms of the chain of fifths and syntonic commas than if considered independently. [6.2] The quarter-comma (4q = 1k) narrowing of each link in the chain of fifths is shown in Figure 12, which also depicts the resulting alteration of other intervals from Pythagorean tuning. Compared to Pythagorean tuning, it is evident that the fifths to the right of C are all tuned a quarter-comma flat, while the fourths to the left of C become a quarter-comma sharp. As before, Figures 10 and 12 allow us to measure the difference between the just and meantone scales without using arithmetic. As an example, a mean-tone chromatic semitone is narrowed by 7/4 syntonic commas compared to Pythagorean tuning and 3/4 of a syntonic comma compared to just intonation. For a time, organs were built with more than twelve keys per octave in order to utilize more of the extended chromatic scale. The keys could be split or other devices used to enable the performer to play either note of an enharmonic pair such as A /G or D /C .(29) There was a practice, apparently, of raising or lowering the location of the wolf in the tuning of harpsichords to fit the composition being played at the moment.(30) However, manufacturers refrained from constructing instruments with more than 12 keys per octave and performers refrained from learning how to play such instruments, probably because the standard keyboard was suitable for most uses. As musical development led to the use of more keys outside its central compass, meantone temperament became increasingly impractical. Rational fractions approximating each of the other meantone intervals may be calculated in a similar manner, using the other fractions in the expansion. A chromatic meantone tuning for a keyboard is shown in Figure 13 for a chain of fifths tempered by a quarter-comma (q).(31) Logarithmic values for a meantone scale can be easily calculated by subtracting one-fourth of a syntonic comma (22/4 = 5.5 cents) from every pure fifth. Thus each meantone fifth will be 696.5 cents. [7.1] The term well temperament includes a family of temperaments that modified meantone temperament to eliminate wolves and to expand the range of playable keys by taking advantage of the small difference between the Pythagorean comma and the syntonic comma. The difference between the two commas is an interval of 32805/32786 (2 cents), which is called the schisma. If only four links of a chromatic keyboard scale are tempered by a quarter-comma, with the remainder being tuned pure, the chromatic scale will exceed an acoustic octave by only a schisma and the wolf fifth will be thereby minimized to the point of nonexistence. [7.2] Figure 14 illustrates a simplified form of well temperament in which all but the central four links are Pythagorean and the major thirds vary from just (C–E) to fully Pythagorean (A –C and E–G ). No major triad will be exactly consonant. The wolf fifth between A (G ) and E has been essentially eliminated, and notes which are enharmonic to E , B , F , C and G will differ in pitch only by a schisma. Therefore, use of these notes enharmonically increases the number of available scales from 6 to 11. The tuning for this version of well temperament are given in Figure 15. A number of historical well temperaments were devised that separated the quarter commas by one or more links to improve playability in desired keys. Other temperaments subdivided the syntonic even further into 2/7 and 1/6 commas. The more that the commas were divided and dispersed, the more that well temperament approached equal temperament. [8.1] We will develop and expand upon the method advocated by Kirnberger in the eighteenth century for deriving a scale of equal temperament from Pythagorean intonation.(32) A scale obtained by the first procedure is schismatic equal temperament and a scale obtained by the second procedure is syntonic equal temperament. The tuning of schismatic ET is exactly equal to the tuning for syntonic ET, the only difference being in their algorithms. Both match the tuning of equal temperament to several decimal places as shown in Figure 16. [8.2] Schismatic and syntonic equal temperament is derived by extending a well-tempered scale eleven links to the left and right of C. When the eleventh note to the left of C is raised by one syntonic comma and the eleventh note to the right of C is lowered by one syntonic comma the results are tunings for E and for A that are almost exactly the same as the equally tempered tunings for F and G respectively. E -k ~ F+P-k ~ F+sk ~ F+p. As shown in Figure 5, F+p is the pitch of F in equal temperament. Since the precise value of a schisma is 1.954 cents and 1/12 of a Pythagorean comma is 1.955 cents, the error is only 1/1000 of a cent. One can then obtain decimal tunings for equal temperament by reiterating the proportions for E -1k to a full chromatic chain of 12 links that would exceed an exact octave by a ratio of only 2.000018/2 or 0.012 cents. [8.3] We will now derive and apply two algorithms which map Pythagorean tuning into equal temperament. The algorithm based upon the schisma produces schismatic ET. As with ordinary equal temperament, this procedure equates the tuning of enharmonic pairs, substituting G for A + k, D for E + k + 1sk, and so on. Every 10th link to the left of A + k and to the right of E -1k is tempered by one schisma. The five schismatic notes tuned to the right of A +k are enharmonically equivalent to the notes normally located to the right of G, while the five schismatic notes tuned to the left of E -k are enharmonically equivalent to the notes normally located to the left of F. The steps of the algorithm are as follows. Starting with C, move 10 links to the left to A +1k. Substitute G enharmonically for A +1k. Move 1 link to the right 5 times, adding 1 schisma to the width of each interval. Rename each note enharmonically. Returning to C, move 10 links to the right to E -1k. Substitute F enharmonically for E -1k. Move 1 link to the left 4 times, subtracting 1 schisma from the width from each interval. Rename each note enharmonically. [8.4] The algorithm that produces syntonic equal temperament also starts with the intervals C–A , ten links to the left of C, and C–E , ten links to the right of C. Substituting G, which is enharmonic to A +1k in syntonic ET, and reiterating the process, D in Syntonic ET would be 10 more links to the left of A plus one more syntonic comma, giving D enharmonically equivalent to F +2k. At the other end of the chain, enharmonic B in syntonic ET would be 10 links minus one syntonic comma to the right of E -1k(F), written as B = G -2k. Syntonic ET is based upon substitution of enharmonic pairs just as is equal temperament. The tuning of each note is exactly the same in both syntonic and schismatic ET. The notation and tuning for schismatic and syntonic ET are given in Figure 16. The algorithm for syntonic ET is as follows. Starting with C, move 10 links to the left to A + k. Substitute G enharmonically for A +1k. Reiterate the action 5 more times, adding 1 syntonic comma to the width of each 10-link interval. Rename each note enharmonically. Returning to C, move 10 links to the right of C to E -1k. Substitute F enharmonically for E -1k. Reiterate the action 4 more times, subtracting 1 syntonic comma for each 10-link interval. Rename each note enharmonically. [8.5] We can now go a step further and derive the algorithm that maps just intonation into syntonic ET from the algorithms previously used to map Pythagorean tuning into just intonation. For example, E in the just mode of C-major is equal to Pythagorean E -3k. Adding back the three syntonic commas, E -1k in schismatic and syntonic ET is enharmonically equivalent to E + 2k in the just C-major mode. The algorithm for just schismatic ET parallels the algorithm given in section 8.3, adding back to each interval the number of commas listed in Figure 11. In syntonic ET, B is enharmonically equivalent to G -2k. If the C-mode just scale were extended to G , the Pythagorean tuning would be narrowed by 5 syntonic commas. Replacing the 5 commas, G +3k maps just G into B in just syntonic ET. We have not set out the full just chromatic scale for the 121 links necessary in Figure 11, but it can be done simply by adding 1 syntonic comma for every four links to the left and subtracting 1 syntonic comma for every four links to the right as many times as is necessary. Applying these algorithms in Figure 17 gives scales of just schismatic and just syntonic ET for the C-major scale. [8.6] Of course, neither syntonic nor schismatic ET are precisely equal. They do not merge all enharmonically equivalent notes, as shown by the outer sections of Figure 16 which contains notes from G to F in schismatic ET. The enharmonic value for D is not exactly equal to the value of C as it is in equal temperament and C is not exactly equal to D and B . Therefore, the number of possible notes is still endless and does not collapse to twelve. The divergences between the tunings produced by the two equal temperaments are of no audible or acoustic significance either to the tuning of individual notes or to the overall sound of the temperament. A keyboard instrument tuned to syntonic ET would not sound distinguishable from one tuned with unlikely mathematical perfection to traditional equal temperament. The twelve chromatic links tuned to syntonic ET would have to be replicated nearly 163 times before the divergence in tuning C would exceed even one schisma. [9.1] This article has explored the relations between keyboard tunings based upon the chain of fifths. We began by accepting the historical definition of a diatonic scale embedded in a 12-note chromatic keyboard. We demonstrated that the terms used to name diatonic and chromatic intervals can be rationally ordered according to the number of links between the intervals on the chain of fifths. We then derived algorithms that map Pythagorean tuning into just intonation and equal temperament and map just intonation into equal temperament. Pythagorean tuning and just intonation have traditionally been classified as distinct tuning strategies, while Pythagorean tuning and equal temperament have been related only by the Pythagorean comma. This article has shown that the three tunings can be related using algorithms that utilize combinations of pure fifths and syntonic commas. The numbers in the left hand margin correspond to the number used by Barbour. The table lists the author of the temperament, the date of its publication, the chromatic compass of the tuning on the chain of fifths, and the number of intervals which are pure or are altered by one or more commas, starting at the left end of the chain. 81. Ramis, 1482. Ab-F# Ab-G, 8=0, 4=-1k. 82. Erlangen, 15c. Ebb, Bbb, Gb-B, 2=+1k, 8=0, 2=-1. 83. Erlangen revised, Eb-G#, 7=0, 3=-1k. 84. Fogliano 1529 Eb-G#, 1=+1k, 4=0, 4=-1k, 3=-2k. 85. Fogliano 1529 Eb-G#, 2=+1k, 4=0, 3=-1k, 3=-2k. This chart lists the intervals identified by Ellis as being formed from pure fifths and major thirds. It provides the inverted proportions used by Ellis and his name for the interval along with the Pythagorean equivalent of the interval from Figure 11. F -1k was not part of Figure 11 because it is not included in a scale in which C = 0. G -1k is a well-tempered interval from Figure 14. The remainder of the intervals are from Figure 11. 1. The syntonic comma is defined as the difference between the Pythagorean tuning and just tuning of the major third. The difference between the just third (5/4) and the Pythagorean third (81/64) is 81/80, calculated as follows: 81/64 x 4/5 = 81/16 x 1/5 = 81/80. The syntonic comma is also the difference between the Pythagorean and just tunings for all diatonic intervals other than the fourth and fifth, which are the same in both tunings. The reason for the repeated appearance of the syntonic comma will be apparent from the discussion of the four modes of just intonation in section 5. 2. Mark Lindley and Ronald Turner-Smith, “An Algebraic Approach to Mathematical Models of Scales,” Music Theory Online 0.3 (1993), which is a commentary based upon their book, Mathematical Models of Musical Scales (Bonn: Verlag fuer Systematische Musikwissenschaft, 1993). 3. Blackwood, The Structure of Recognizable Diatonic Tunings, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985). 5. Intervals measured by rational fractions can be converted into cents using the following approximate values: octave = 1200 cents, perfect fifth = 702 cents; Pythagorean comma = 24 cents; syntonic comma = 22 cents. 6. See Lindley and Turner-Smith, “An Algebraic Approach,” paragraph 4. 7. In modern terminology, dividing the string in half gives two octaves, in thirds gives a fifth and an eleventh, and in fourths gives a fourth, octave and double octave. The other diatonic notes are then determined by calculating intervals of a fifth from these intervals. This produces two diatonic octaves in Pythagorean tuning. 8. Perfect fifths do not combine to produce a perfect octave. The nth fifth in a sequence of n fifths is defined mathematically by the expression (3/2)(n), which can never be an exact multiple of 2 since every power of 3 is an odd number. The mathematical proof that no sequence of fourths can ever produce an octave is less obvious since every even number can be expressed as a fraction with an odd denominator, and every power of 3 can be associated with an infinite sequence of even numbers, such as 18/9, 36/9, . . . ; 162/81, . . . , etc. However, an intuitive musical proof can be deduced from the fact that fourths and fifths are inversions of one another. No sequence of fourths can generate an octave because the inverse sequence of fifths can never do so. 9. In logarithmic measure, a perfect fifth is 702 cents. Therefore twelve perfect fifths equals 8424 cents while seven octaves is 8400 cents. The difference, the Pythagorean comma, is therefore equal to 24 cents. 10. Euclid (attrib.), Section of the Canon, in Barker, Greek Musical Writings, vol. 2 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), 199. Twelve links on the chain of fifths can be interpreted as 12 fifths, 6 whole tones, 4 minor thirds and 3 major thirds. Thus, the Pythagorean comma is also equal to the difference between three major thirds or four minor thirds and an octave. In Pythagorean tuning, a Pythagorean comma is the interval between any two notes separated by 12 links on the chain of fifths. 11. Blackwood, Recognizable Diatonic Tunings, 58. 12. The development of the 12-tone school of composition was a logical consequence of accepting the 12-semitone model of equal temperament in place of a chain of harmonic fifths. 13. These stacked rows appear in Helmholtz’s On the Sensations of Tone (London: Longman, 1885; New York: Dover, 1954; orig., 4th ed., Braunshweig: Verlag von Fr. Vieweg u. Sohn, 1877), 312, where it is used to illustrate the enharmonic relation between notes in Pythagorean intonation. 14. An irrational number, such as pi or the square root of two, is one that cannot be expressed as the ratio of two integers. An irrational number includes a nonterminating decimal written to the number of decimals needed for practical accuracy. 15. Rossing, The Science of Sound (Reading, Mass: Addison Wesley, 1982), 161. This is a general textbook on acoustics. Rossing’s chart lists the equally-tempered, just and Pythagorean tunings for a 22-note chromatic scale in cents and decimals. The just scale corresponds to the “C” scale in Figure 10. 17. The algorithm used to construct just chromatic scales can be used to illustrate why intervals generated by the prime 7 cannot be systematically included in diatonic keyboard tunings. Pleasant sounding intervals can include sevens. Examples which are commonly cited are a 7/4 minor seventh, a 7/5 diminished fifth, both of which are part of a diminished seventh chord in which the notes C, E, G, B are in the proportion of 4:5:6:7, or 1:5/4:3/2:7/4. A single scale in which these intervals are used can be contrived. However, temperaments based on 7’s or factors of 7 do not produce a usable family of chromatic keyboard scales from the chain of fifths, which would have the desired ratios for the diminished seventh chord. The “septimal” comma which produces a 7/4 minor seventh and an 8/7 major second on the second link of the chain of fifths is 64/63 (27 cents). Therefore, reiteration of the septimal comma, “s”, in an algorithm which tunes every minor seventh to 7/4 produces two modes of septimal chromatic scales in which E is 64/49, not the desired 5/4. These septimal modes are worse than the just modes because the septimal comma is broader than the syntonic comma by five cents. The deviation from just intonation is further aggravated because septimal commas increase the pitch of notes to the right of C and decrease the pitch of notes to the left of C, contrary to the action of the syntonic comma. Thus, compared to just intonation, the pitch of notes to the right of C will be painfully sharp and notes to the left will be dismally flat. For example, the major third necessary for the diminished seventh chord will be 2s+1k (76 cents) broader than in a just scale while the minor sixth will be 2s + 1k (49 cents) narrower. 18. Barbour, Tuning and Temperament: A Historical Survey (East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State College Press, 1953), 90–102. 22. Helmholtz, On the Sensations of Tone, 453. A similar list of “Extended Just Tuning” is found in Blackwood, Recognizable Diatonic Tunings, 116–119. 23. Blackwood, Recognizable Diatonic Tunings, 74, demonstrates that in a common progression of C-major triads from II to V, just intonation would require that D as the root of the II chord be one syntonic comma lower in pitch than D as the fifth of the V chord. In The Science of Musical Sound (Scientific American Books, 1983, 67), John Pierce shows a five chord progression, I, IV, II, V, I, in which the just tuning of C drops by a syntonic comma from the first chord to the last. 24. It is for this reason that Lloyd in his article on Just Intonation in the 1954 Grove Dictionary adopted the position that instruments without fixed pitch and vocalists use a flexible scale in which the size of the intervals vary according to the context and part of the reason that Lindley and Turner-Smith introduced the concept of “leeway” into their algebraic tuning theory. 25. Inspection of the chain of fifths tells us that a major third can only generate one-quarter of the infinite series of chromatic notes that are generated by the fifth. This is why the tuning of the major third is a subsidiary factor in the generation of diatonic scales. 26. Barbour, Tuning and Temperament, 26. 27. Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1954), “Temperaments” (380). 28. Dart, The Interpretation of Music (New York: Harper & Row, 1963), 47. 29. Barbour, Tuning and Temperament, 108–9. Since the first reference to split keys found by Barbour goes back to 1484, this device must have been used for both Pythagorean and meantone tunings. 30. Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, “Temperaments” (379). Barbour states that these approximations “check closely with numbers obtained by taking roots,” with the G being off by 0.000003. Barbour, Tuning and Temperament, 29. 32. Barbour, Tuning and Temperament, 64. The syntonic comma is defined as the difference between the Pythagorean tuning and just tuning of the major third. The difference between the just third (5/4) and the Pythagorean third (81/64) is 81/80, calculated as follows: 81/64 x 4/5 = 81/16 x 1/5 = 81/80. The syntonic comma is also the difference between the Pythagorean and just tunings for all diatonic intervals other than the fourth and fifth, which are the same in both tunings. The reason for the repeated appearance of the syntonic comma will be apparent from the discussion of the four modes of just intonation in section 5. Mark Lindley and Ronald Turner-Smith, “An Algebraic Approach to Mathematical Models of Scales,” Music Theory Online 0.3 (1993), which is a commentary based upon their book, Mathematical Models of Musical Scales (Bonn: Verlag fuer Systematische Musikwissenschaft, 1993). Blackwood, The Structure of Recognizable Diatonic Tunings, (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985). Intervals measured by rational fractions can be converted into cents using the following approximate values: octave = 1200 cents, perfect fifth = 702 cents; Pythagorean comma = 24 cents; syntonic comma = 22 cents. See Lindley and Turner-Smith, “An Algebraic Approach,” paragraph 4. In modern terminology, dividing the string in half gives two octaves, in thirds gives a fifth and an eleventh, and in fourths gives a fourth, octave and double octave. The other diatonic notes are then determined by calculating intervals of a fifth from these intervals. This produces two diatonic octaves in Pythagorean tuning. Perfect fifths do not combine to produce a perfect octave. The nth fifth in a sequence of n fifths is defined mathematically by the expression (3/2)(n), which can never be an exact multiple of 2 since every power of 3 is an odd number. The mathematical proof that no sequence of fourths can ever produce an octave is less obvious since every even number can be expressed as a fraction with an odd denominator, and every power of 3 can be associated with an infinite sequence of even numbers, such as 18/9, 36/9, . . . ; 162/81, . . . , etc. However, an intuitive musical proof can be deduced from the fact that fourths and fifths are inversions of one another. No sequence of fourths can generate an octave because the inverse sequence of fifths can never do so. In logarithmic measure, a perfect fifth is 702 cents. Therefore twelve perfect fifths equals 8424 cents while seven octaves is 8400 cents. The difference, the Pythagorean comma, is therefore equal to 24 cents. Euclid (attrib.), Section of the Canon, in Barker, Greek Musical Writings, vol. 2 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), 199. Twelve links on the chain of fifths can be interpreted as 12 fifths, 6 whole tones, 4 minor thirds and 3 major thirds. Thus, the Pythagorean comma is also equal to the difference between three major thirds or four minor thirds and an octave. In Pythagorean tuning, a Pythagorean comma is the interval between any two notes separated by 12 links on the chain of fifths. Blackwood, Recognizable Diatonic Tunings, 58. The development of the 12-tone school of composition was a logical consequence of accepting the 12-semitone model of equal temperament in place of a chain of harmonic fifths. These stacked rows appear in Helmholtz’s On the Sensations of Tone (London: Longman, 1885; New York: Dover, 1954; orig., 4th ed., Braunshweig: Verlag von Fr. Vieweg u. Sohn, 1877), 312, where it is used to illustrate the enharmonic relation between notes in Pythagorean intonation. An irrational number, such as pi or the square root of two, is one that cannot be expressed as the ratio of two integers. An irrational number includes a nonterminating decimal written to the number of decimals needed for practical accuracy. Rossing, The Science of Sound (Reading, Mass: Addison Wesley, 1982), 161. This is a general textbook on acoustics. Rossing’s chart lists the equally-tempered, just and Pythagorean tunings for a 22-note chromatic scale in cents and decimals. The just scale corresponds to the “C” scale in Figure 10. The algorithm used to construct just chromatic scales can be used to illustrate why intervals generated by the prime 7 cannot be systematically included in diatonic keyboard tunings. Pleasant sounding intervals can include sevens. Examples which are commonly cited are a 7/4 minor seventh, a 7/5 diminished fifth, both of which are part of a diminished seventh chord in which the notes C, E, G, B are in the proportion of 4:5:6:7, or 1:5/4:3/2:7/4. A single scale in which these intervals are used can be contrived. Barbour, Tuning and Temperament: A Historical Survey (East Lansing, Michigan: Michigan State College Press, 1953), 90–102. Helmholtz, On the Sensations of Tone, 453. A similar list of “Extended Just Tuning” is found in Blackwood, Recognizable Diatonic Tunings, 116–119. Blackwood, Recognizable Diatonic Tunings, 74, demonstrates that in a common progression of C-major triads from II to V, just intonation would require that D as the root of the II chord be one syntonic comma lower in pitch than D as the fifth of the V chord. In The Science of Musical Sound (Scientific American Books, 1983, 67), John Pierce shows a five chord progression, I, IV, II, V, I, in which the just tuning of C drops by a syntonic comma from the first chord to the last. It is for this reason that Lloyd in his article on Just Intonation in the 1954 Grove Dictionary adopted the position that instruments without fixed pitch and vocalists use a flexible scale in which the size of the intervals vary according to the context and part of the reason that Lindley and Turner-Smith introduced the concept of “leeway” into their algebraic tuning theory. Inspection of the chain of fifths tells us that a major third can only generate one-quarter of the infinite series of chromatic notes that are generated by the fifth. This is why the tuning of the major third is a subsidiary factor in the generation of diatonic scales. Barbour, Tuning and Temperament, 26. Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians (1954), “Temperaments” (380). Dart, The Interpretation of Music (New York: Harper & Row, 1963), 47. Barbour, Tuning and Temperament, 108–9. Since the first reference to split keys found by Barbour goes back to 1484, this device must have been used for both Pythagorean and meantone tunings. Grove’s Dictionary of Music and Musicians, “Temperaments” (379). Barbour, Tuning and Temperament, 64.

2019-04-20T04:21:09Z

http://www.mtosmt.org/issues/mto.98.4.4/mto.98.4.4.scholtz.html

This translates the Hebrew noun berîth. The verbal root means either “to fetter” or “to eat with,” which would signify mutual obligation, or “to allot” (1Sam.17.8), which would signify a gracious disposition. Compare this with the Hittite “suzerainty covenant,” in which a vassal swore fealty to his king out of gratitude for favors received. The LXX avoided the usual Greek term for covenant, synthēkē (meaning a thing mutually “put together”), as unsuitable for the activity of the sovereign God. Instead, it used diathēkē (a thing, literally, “put through”), the primary meaning of which is “a disposition of property by a will.” The LXX even used diathēkē, “will” (kjv “testament”) for the human-agreement type of berîth. New Testament revelation, however, makes clear the wonderful appropriateness of diathēkē, “testament,” for describing the instrument of God’s redemptive love (see Heb.9.16-Heb.9.18). Indeed, “will,” or “testament,” signifies a specific form of covenant, the bequest; and it well describes God’s Old Testament berîth, because apart from the death of Christ the Old Testament saints “should not be made perfect” (Heb.11.40 kjv). M. G. Kline, The Treaty of the Great King, 1963, and The Structure of Biblical Authority, 1975. COVENANT (in the NEW TESTAMENT) (διαθήκη, G1347, testament). A legal disposition, esp. of God for man’s redemption. At the same time, there existed in classical Gr., from the time of Aristophanes (427 b.c.; Birds, 440ff.) a secondary and limited usage by which διαθήκη, G1347, also signified an ordinance or even a dipleuric, treaty-like “convention or arrangement between two parties, a covenant,” to which definition the 8th ed. of Liddell and Scott added, “and so in later writers” (p. 346; cf. TWNT, II:127, 128). More recent lexicographers have, however, insisted that by Hel. times the term’s signification was “exclusively last will and testament” (AG, p. 182), which was the “ordinary and invariable contemporary [1st Christian cent.] meaning,” employed with “absolute unanimity” in the papyri and inscrs. (MM, pp. 148, 149). The thirty-three NT occurrences of diathēkē break down into three general groupings, determined by the subject or initiator of the “covenant” concerned: whether the subject be man, variously involved (three times); Christ, acting on the behalf of His Church (fourteen times); or Jehovah, accomplishing redemption for Israel (sixteen times, including Gal 4:24 which makes reference to the Church as well). The last mentioned group consists primarily of quotations from the OT. Christ’s covenant with God the Father. The problem of such relatively slight utilization of the covenant concept, outside of Hebrews, to describe the work of Jesus Christ, esp. when one compares the dominant position that it occupies in the OT, has led to no small discussion. Because of an assumed deterioration within the covenant idea during later OT days, G. E. Mendenhall proposes that “the covenant patterns were not really useful as a means of communication” (IDB, I:723). His assertion appears to be based upon negative critical assumptions about the externalized character of the Pentateuchal law and about its initial identification with the covenant only in the time of Ezra. This then leads to his disparaging conclusion that “the NT experience of Christ was one which could not be contained within the framework of a quasi-legal terminology or pattern of thought and action” (ibid.). This same writer later states, with greater plausibility, that it was an overemphasis upon law among the intertestamental Qumran sectarians and the NT Pharisees that worked in combination with the imperial government’s opposition to covenanting (anti-Rom.) secret societies, so as to “make it nearly impossible for early Christianity to use the term meaningfully” (ibid., I:722). As suggested by the above quotations, Christ’s diathēkē is, moreover, definitely testamentary in character. The implications of the Lord’s words, “This is my blood of the diathēkē, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matt 26:28), have been analyzed by A. R. Fausset as follows: “These requisites of a testament occur—1. A testator; 2. heir; 3. goods; 4. the testator’s death; 5. the fact of the death brought forward; 6. witnesses; 7. a seal, the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, the sign of His blood....The heir is ordinarily the successor of him who dies and so ceases to have possession. But Christ comes to life again, and is Himself (including all that He had), in the power of His now endless life, His people’s inheritance” (A Commentary, Critical, Experimental and Practical on the Old and New Testaments, VI: 556). Shortly thereafter the Lord affirms, “I διατίθεμαι, G1415, bequeath unto you a kingdom” (Luke 22:29), though this literal meaning cannot always be insisted upon since His next words require a broader, non-testamentary usage: “as my Father appointed, διέθετο, unto me” (cf. Vos, PTR, 13 , 608). Vos notes a trend, “moving away from the rendering ‘covenant’ to the other tr.” (ibid., p. 593); and, as he later states, “There are passages...for instance, those recording the institution of the Lord’s Supper, where a further return to ‘testament’ may seem advisable” (Biblical Theology, p. 35). The emphasis of the communion supper upon Christ’s sacrificial death, not simply upon a mealtime fellowship, with other characteristics of Christ’s diathēkē, are developed further under The New Covenant (q.v.); but this much does appear, that, just as in the case of the diathēkēs betw een men, so in the case of Christ’s diathēkē with God the Father, “covenant” in the NT warrants more precise definition as one’s last will and testament. Finally, Romans 11:26, 27 quotes Isaiah 59:20, 21, in its anticipation of God’s still future covenant with Israel: “My covenant with them when I take away their sins.” The point of the reference seems to go beyond that of Jeremiah’s new testament (Jer 31:31-34), which was fulfilled in Christ’s sacrificial first coming (see THE NEW COVENANT, IV), and to imply Ezekiel’s testament of peace (Ezek 37:25-28), which will some day transform not only the Jewish nation, but also all the nations of the world, at His victorious Second Coming. The progressive revelations of the diathēkē will thus have achieved that same goal of final salvation which the prophets anticipated. In fact, the Apostle John closes out human history in the first half of his Apocalypse with an OT covenant-object, “In heaven...there was seen in his temple the ark of his covenant” (Rev 11:19). God’s NT revelation provides His own normative explanation about the nature of the old diathēkē: it not only confirms the validity of the OT’s affirmations; it also establishes the ultimate character of those aspects of divine redemption that had, perforce, to remain unclarified prior to the incarnation of Jesus Christ (see COVENANT IN THE OT). Within the context of the NT the most crucial passage is Hebrews 9:15-22, esp. vv. 16 and 17. The former reads, “For where a diathēkē is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator” (KJV). These words indicate a last will. Marcus Dodds, B. F. Westcott, and a few others have argued that the “death” signifies only a self-imprecation of dismemberment for non-fulfillment (cf. Jer 34:18-20), which was “brought out” by the ratifying ceremonies of a covenant. Such an explanation appears unlikely, for it is not the threat of death but the death itself that is brought out or adduced. Furthermore, the threat of death does not seem always to have been a necessary element in covenantal, as opposed to testamental, thought; cf. David and Jonathan. Verse 17 is decisive: “For a diathēkē is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (KJV). As Dean Alford stated: “It is quite vain to deny the testamentary sense of diathēkē in this v....I believe it will be found that we must at all hazards accept the meaning of testament, as being the only one which will in any way meet the plain requirement of the verse” (The Greek Testament, IV:173, 174; cf. the renderings of ASV, RSV). From this point it follows naturally to conclude with E. Riggenbach (Der Begriff Διαθήκη im Hebräerbrief) that in Hebrews as a whole the term likewise connotes “testament” (contrast Vos, PTR, 3 , 617, 618). The same conclusion may, however, be applied to all the NT’s references to the older testament. Vos favors a true testamentalism in Acts 3:25 (following Deissmann, op. cit., p. 175; cf. MM, p. 148), where Luke states that the diathēkē that God made with the Israelite fathers has been realized in Jesus Christ; Paul’s stress rests upon legal terminology and the fact of inheritance (Gal 4:24-30). The testamentary significance of the NT term diathēkē when used for Christ’s newer covenant with the Father and for covenants between men has already been noted (see above, II, iii). Concerning the latter, Vos contends: “That Paul (Gal 3:15)...gives this specific turn to the idea...cannot, of course, give plausibility to the assumption that the LXX associated God with the idea of a ‘last will’” (op. cit., pp. 601, 602; vs. Deissmann, loc. cit.). Furthermore, the fact that the NT uses diathēkē for God’s covenant with Israel and that it specifies the meaning “testament” does not prove what the LXX trs. may have had in mind either. It does show that the divine author of the OT intended the saving bequest of His Son Jesus Christ from the very inception of His revelations. Patristic writers even went so far as to say that, since Israel had from the beginning forfeited the covenant by their idolatry, there really was no “new covenant” at all, but just the one testament in the death of Jesus, for Christians only (Barnabas, 4:8-18; 13-14:5). B. F. Westcott, The Epistle to the Hebrews (1889), esp. 298-302; G. B. Stevens, The Theology of the NT (1906), 490-514; E. Riggenbach, Der Begriff Διαθήκη im Hebräerbrief (1908); A. Carr, “Covenant or Testament? A note on Heb 9:16f.,” EXP, VII: 7 (1909), 347ff.; L. G. da Fonseca, “Διαθήκη—foedus an testamentum?” Biblica, 8 (1927), 9 (1928); MM, 148, 149; J. Behm, “διατίθημι, διαθήκη,” TWNT (1935), II: 105-137; G. Vos, Biblical Theology (1948), esp. 32-36; R. Bultmann, Theology of the NT (1951), esp. I: 97, 98, 110, 340; R. Campbell, Israel and the New Covenant (1954); J. Murray, The Covenant of Grace (1954), esp. 25-30; J. B. Payne, Theology of the Older Testament (1962), 82-85. COVENANT (in the OLD TESTAMENT) (בְּרִית, H1382, LXX διαθήκη, G1347, agreement, testament). A legally binding obligation, esp. of God for man’s redemption. Basically, however, the meaning of the b’rith must be sought not in its etymology or significance as found in the pagan cultures that surrounded Israel. Only in the transformed usage of the term, as it appears in God’s own historical revelation, is its ultimate import disclosed. Three usages of b’rith appear in the OT. Most such divine suzerainty covenants also involve redemptive, promissory elements (see below, C); but there do exist two minor passages and one major situation that are specifically divine disposition-b’riths. For the former, Jeremiah 33:20, 25 refers to God’s covenanted “ordering of day and night”; and Zechariah 11:10 speaks of God’s breaking His b’rith which He “had made with all the people”; the contextually suggested meaning is that, while God used to order world history in favor of Israel (cf. Deut 32:8), now He has freed all peoples from this “covenant” obligation. The latter situation concerns God’s preredemptive arrangement with Adam. Scripture refers to it as a b’rith (Hos 6:7), and it is not inaptly styled the “covenant” of works. For though Eden exhibits no partnership of equals, and no voluntary mutual agreement was reached prior to God’s sovereign disposition, there yet existed a certain balance of obligations and benefits that were equally binding upon the two parties concerned. Never again has history witnessed such a situation, with the exception of the life of the man Christ Jesus, who was the representative last Adam and who fulfilled all righteousness (1 Cor 15:45). Promissory covenants, or suzerainty testaments. The legally binding nature of a promise could be enforced by a covenant, e.g., to support a new king (2 Kings 11:4) or to release slaves (Jer 34:8). The recipient of the promise might be God Himself, e.g., Ezra 10:3, to “make a covenant with our God to put away all these [foreign] wives.” This is the case in 2 Kings 23:3a, where Josiah made a covenant to confirm the words of God’s b’rith that were written in the rediscovered Book; cf. 2 Chronicles 29:10, “It is in my heart to make a [not the] covenant with the Lord that his fierce anger may turn away from us.” More frequently, however, it is God who makes this b’rith, and thereby assures men of His promises (cf. Gen 15:18). Kline summarizes it by stating that when men swear to a binding obligation there arises a b’rith of law, but that when God does there arises a b’rith of grace (WTJ, 27). Specifically, when the parties concerned are God in His grace and man in his sin, on whose behalf God acts, the b’rith becomes God’s self-imposed obligation for the deliverance of sinners, an instrument of inheritance for effectuating God’s elective love (Deut 7:6-8; Ps 89:3, 4). Through it He accomplishes the gracious promise that is found throughout Scripture, “I will be their God; they shall be my people.” John Murray thus defines this third divine b’rith as “a sovereign administration of grace and promise. It is not a ‘compact’ or ‘contract’ or ‘agreement’ that provides the constitutive or governing idea but that of ‘dispensation’ in the sense of disposition” (The Covenant of Grace, p. 31; cf. pp. 10-12, 14-16). The inheritance was not automatic. Though essentially monergistic, effectuated by “one worker” (God, not man and God), the b’rith required that men qualify for it; and, concretely, God’s holiness demanded a removal of sin. This removal, in turn, came about by atonement, the covering of sin’s guilt (q.v.). Atonement, then, demanded blood sacrifice, a substitutionary surrender of life (Lev 17:11). Furthermore, only God or His representative could make such atonement (Exod 15:13; cf. A. B. Davidson, The Theology of the OT, p. 321). As Genesis 15:17, 18 dramatically puts it, God committed Himself to the covenantal threat of self-dismemberment; and thus God saves “because of the blood of my b’rith” (Zech 9:11). Ultimately then the b’rith is, as the NT declares (Heb 9:15-17), a testament: the last will of the dying God, bequeathing an inheritance of righteousness to Israel. The OT, per force, never verbalizes this conclusion, and for two reasons. (a) While the idea of an inheritance was familiar to the OT (Gen 27; Num 36), and while the practice of Hitt. kings, guaranteeing testamentary protection to those vassals who remained faithful to their successors, was evidently familiar to Moses, the concept of a personal will remained relatively foreign to Heb. thought until the days of the Herods (Jos. Antiq., 17. 3.2; War, 2.2.3). (b) The fact that God’s only Son would some day constitute the sufficient sacrificial ransom was not yet clearly revealed. It remained incomprehensible to OT saints that, to satisfy God, God’s Son must die, that men might inherit His divine life, and so be with God. Its knowledge was far too seminal, both of the Trinity and of the incarnation, and of the crucifixion followed by the resurrection (though cf. Isa 53:10, 11). Neither does the OT deny to God’s promissory b’rith the possibility of this testamentary interpretation, and actually all of its essential factors are present. The OT simply assigns to God’s legally binding, monergistic declaration of redemption the title b’rith; and for its subsequent theological explication, through the LXX and the Qumran community, into the Apostolic Church, see Covenant (in the New Testament). In the light, however, of NT explanations, the testamentary significance of b’rith in the OT comes into clear focus. When referring to God’s promissory instrument for the reconciliation of men with Himself, this becomes apparent both by analogy and by the nature of the b’rith itself. For the former, since Hebrews 9:15 reads, “He is the mediator of a new covenant,” then by analogy v. 18 must read, “Wherefore even the first testament hath not been dedicated without blood” (ASV). The old, that is, must be in the same category as the new. For the latter, Franz Delitzsch has remarked concerning the inherent nature of God’s instrument: “The old covenant was...a testamentary disposition, insofar as God bound Himself by promise to bestow, on Israel continuing faithful, an ‘eternal inheritance.’...Being thus a testament, it is also not without such a death as a testament requires, albeit an inadequate foreshadowing of the death of the true διαθέμενος [testator]” Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews, II:109, 110. The OT declares that God saves “because of the blood of the b’rith” (Zech 9:11); and, as Hebrews 9:15 explains, Christ “is the mediator of a new covenant, that a death having taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first covenant” (ASV, cf. John 14:6). Though men’s faith in His death had to be anticipatory and veiled, yet from the first it was known that for the serpent’s head to be crushed the heel of the seed of woman would have to be bruised (Gen 3:15). Even in the case of most of the OT’s statutory b’riths, or dispositions, of God with men (Part B, above) the designation suzerainty “testament” appears preferable to suzerainty “covenant” (KJV). This follows as a natural development from the concept of b’rith as a redemptive bequest. A last will carries requirements: an heir may break his testamental obligation, but by so doing he forfeits his inheritance; cf. Eichrodt’s stress upon the b’rith as being at once both grace and precept (Theology of the OT, I:37). Though the testament is truly a bestowal, it is, as Delitzsch noted, a bestowal “on Israel continuing faithful.” Here apply such vv. as Leviticus 24:8, where the preparation of the presence-bread, “shewbread,” is styled a perpetual b’rith; for the b’rith was more than a simple statute: the “shewbread” in this case stood as a symbol of God’s graciously redeeming presence; so that to make provision for it was to carry out an ordinance that contributed to man’s participation in divine salvation. Minor as it was, it expressed Israel’s faith in the gracious Testator. “To keep His b’rith” means, therefore, “to satisfy His testament” in its conditions for inheritance. Similar in nature are 2 Kings 11:17, “Jehoiada made [executed] the testament [not a covenant] that they should be the Lord’s people,” and 2 Chronicles 15:12, which speaks of entering into the testament. Indeed, all of God’s sovereignly imposed suzerainty b’riths are “testaments,” requirements for redemption that He graciously reveals to His own, so as to enable their reconciliation to Himself. On the basis of Hebrews 9’s applicability to both OT and NT, one may define b’rith as a “legal disposition by which qualified heirs are bequeathed an inheritance through the death of the testator.” Five major aspects to the testamental arrangement appear: the testator, who gives and is styled “the mediator” (Heb 9:15); the heirs, who receive and are also referred to as “the called” (9:15); the method of effectuation, namely, by a gracious bequest that is executed upon the death of the testator (9:16); the conditions, by which the heir qualifies for the gift, for as Hebrews 9:28 KJV puts it, the testament is “to them that look for him” (cf. its being “commanded,” 9:20 RSV); and the inheritance which is given, namely, “eternal inheritance” (9:15, 28). (3) It is the inheritance aspect of the testament that suggests its third objective feature: the promise that is made, namely, salvation, in terms of reconciliation with God. From the first book of the Bible to the last, moreover, one statement in particular is employed to characterize the reconciled heirs of the b’rith (cf. Gen 17:7; Rev 21:3). As John Murray states, “Its constant refrain is the assurance, ‘I will be your God, and you shall be My people’” (The Covenant of Grace, p. 32); “This is the promise of grace upon which rests the communion of the people of God in all ages” (Christian Baptism, p. 47). Out of zeal to guard against an anthropocentric religion and to safeguard the ultimate sovereignty of God, some evangelicals tend currently to minimize this promissory element. On the one hand, certain covenant theologians have defined b’rith as simply “a sovereign administration of the Kingdom of God...an administration of God’s lordship, consecrating a people to himself under the sanctions of divine law” (M. Kline, “Law Covenant,” WTJ, 27 , 17). While rightly stressing the priority of law and obedience in God’s original covenant of works with Adam (see conclusion of II-B, above), they have neglected the fact that in every subsequent b’rith, it is the redemption by divine grace that becomes central. On the other hand, certain dispensational theologians, while rightly subordinating man’s redemption to God’s final glory, have tended to minimize the pervasiveness of the salvation theme in Scripture (cf. J. Walvoord, BS, 103 , 3) and gone on to assume a replacement of God’s unconditional promise, e.g., to Abraham, by subsequent law, e.g., the Mosaic (cf. D. Pentecost, Things to Come, p. 68). As Eichrodt has well pointed out, “The Hebrew berīt has to cover two lines of thought:...‘legal system’...and ‘decree of salvation’...which can yet only in conjunction render the whole content of that divine activity covered by the term berīt” (Theology of the OT, I:66; cf. Gal 3:17). (4) Another objective feature, which likewise relates to the aspect of heirship, is the eternity of the inheritance (John 3:16; 10:27-29). Leviticus 2:13 speaks pictorially of “the salt [eternal preservation] of the b’rith of thy God”; 1 Chronicles 16:15 and Psalm 105:8-10 talk directly of the fact that God “is mindful of his covenant forever.” Then the prophecy of Daniel 7 climaxes in the universal and everlasting dominion that is to be received by the saints (vv. 14, 27). (5) Finally, along with these four, is the always present feature of the confirmatory sign, some visible demonstration of God’s ability to perform what He has promised. The ultimate such sign is Christ’s victory over the grave, which serves as a pledge of His deity (Rom 1:4), of justification (4:25), and of immortality and resurrection (1 Cor 15:20-22). Other signs, however, have been introduced with each historical revelation of the b’rith (see IV chart, below). Certain of these were somewhat modified at Christ’s first coming, but God has never repealed His earlier signs. The above-listed eight features (III, B-C) of God’s OT promissory covenant, or testament, stand in marked contrast with those of His suzerainty covenant of works with Adam (see above, II, conclusion of B) which preceded it. Certain of its features appear also in the Adamic covenant: e.g., both arangements reflect the same fundamental situation of divine justice—that man’s chief end is to glorify God (Isa 43:7; Rom 11:36); and that as it was originally in Genesis 2, so at the final judgment, all men will be judged on the basis of works (Gen 3:11; Rev 20:12). Under the promissory testament, however, it is Christ who provides the justifying works, not man himself (Phil 3:9; cf. Isa 45:24, 25). In the summer of 1446 b.c., following its miraculous exodus from Egypt, Israel was granted the fourth of God’s testamentary revelations in history; cf. an increasing modern recognition of Mosaic historicity (IDB, I:719). The particularism of the Sinaitic b’rith now embraced their entire nation rather than a mere family (Exod 19:5, 6, vv. that affect all subsequent formulations of the b’rith, J. Muilenburg, VT, 9 , 352). The large group involved, over two million people, thus accounts for the detailed Mosaic legislation that follows: both the moral requirements of the testament (Neh 9:13, 14) and the forms of ceremonial obedience that make up the ritual of the Tabernacle, which became the testamental sanctuary. Deuteronomy 7:7, 8 and 9:4-6 base the b’rith on God’s love, His free grace. This graciousness of the testament was unique to the faith of Israel, preserving humility on the part of the inheritors and checking tendencies toward legalistic distortions or toward any necessary equating of God with the national interests (cf. G. E. Wright, The OT Against Its Environment, ch. 11). Sinai therefore was not essentially a conditional covenant of works (cf. Murray, NBD, p. 266; or, The Covenant of Grace, pp. 20-22), despite the objection of Mendenhall (IDB, I:718), who would view Sinai as opposed to the other b’riths in this regard. Anticipated in Numbers 18:19, when Aaron and his family were granted certain offerings as “a covenant of salt,” the Levitical testament arose out of the heroic action of Phinehas, grandson of Aaron, against national apostasy and immorality (Num 25:8). The promise of the Levitical b’rith lay specifically in God’s bestowal of the priestly office on this particular group of Levites (v. 13) and in the resultant reconciliation that they experienced with God (cf. Mal 2:6). It possessed also a broader redemptive significance, for it was through the priesthood that God’s wrath was turned away from Israel as a whole (Num 25:11). It was ultimately anticipatory of Christ’s testamental work of divine propitiation (Heb 7:11, 19). F. Korosec, Hethitische Staatsvertrage (1931); J. Behm and G. Quell, διατίθημι, ειαθήκη, TWNT (1935), II:105-137; G. Vos, Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments (1948); J. Murray, The Covenant of Grace (1954); G. E. Mendenhall, Law and Covenant in Israel and the Ancient Near East (1955); J. A. Fitsmyer, “The Aramaic Suzerainty Treaty from Sefire in the Museum of Beirut,” CBQ, 20 (1958), 111-176; D. J. Wiseman, “The Vassal Treaties of Esarhaddon,” Iraq, 20 (1958), 1-100; E. J. Young, The Study of OT Theology Today (1958); J. Muilenberg, “The Form and Structure of the Covenantal Formulations,” VT, 9 (1959), 347-365; J. A. Thompson, “Covenant Patterns in the Ancient Near East and their Significance for Biblical Studies,” The Reformed Theological Review, 18 (1959), 65-75; K. Baltzer, Das Bundesformular (1960); M. G. Kline, “The Two Tables of the Covenant,” “Dynastic Covenant,” and “Law Covenant,” WTJ, 22 (1960), 123-146, 23 (1960), 1-15, 27 (1964), 1-20; J. A. Fitsmyer, “The Aramaic Inscriptions of Sefire I and Sefire II,” JAOS, 81 (1961), 178-222; J. B. Payne, Theology of the Older Testament (1962); F. C. Fensham, “Malediction and Benediction in Ancient Near Eastern Vassal-Treaties and the OT,” ZAW, 74 (1962), 1-9, and “Clauses of Protection in Hittite Vassal Treaties and the OT,” VT 13 (1963), 133-143; D. J. McCarthy, Treaty and Covenant (1963); J. A. Thompson, “The Significance of the Ancient Near Eastern Treaty Pattern,” The Tyndale House Bulletin, 13 (1963), 1-6, and The Ancient Near Eastern Treaties and the OT (1964); W. Brueggemann, “Amos IV, 4-13 and Israel’s Covenant Worship,” VT, 15 (1965), 1-15; R. E. Clemens, Prophecy and Covenant (1965); E. Gerstenberger, “Covenant and Commandment,” JBL, 84 (1965), 38-51; D. J. McCarthy, “Covenant in the OT: the Present State of Inquiry,” CBQ, 27 (1965), 217-240; C. C. Ryrie, Dispensationalism Today (1965); G. M. Tucker, “Covenant Forms and Contract Forms,” VT, 15 (1965), 487-503; P. B. Harner, “Exodus, Sinai, and Hittite Prologues,” JBL, 85 (1966), 233-236; K. A. Kitchen, Ancient Orient and OT (1967), 90-102. We consider first a covenant in which both contracting parties are men. In essence a covenant is an agreement, but an agreement of a solemn and binding force. The early Semitic idea of a covenant was doubtless that which prevailed among the Arabs (see especially W. Robertson Smith, Religion of the Semites, 2nd edition, passim). This was primarily blood-brotherhood, in which two men became brothers by drinking each other’s blood. Ordinarily this meant that one was adopted into the clan of the other. Hence, this act involved the clan of one of the contracting parties, and also brought the other party into relation with the god of this clan, by bringing him into the community life of the clan, which included its god. In this early idea, then, "primarily the covenant is not a special engagement to this or that particular effect, but bond of troth and life- fellowship to all the effects for which kinsmen are permanently bound together" (W. Robertson Smith, op. cit., 315 f). In this early ceremonial the religious idea was necessarily present, because the god was kindred to the clan; and the god had a special interest in the covenant because he especially protects the kindred blood, of which the stranger thus becomes a part. This religious side always persisted, although the original idea was much modified. In later usage there were various substitutes for the drinking of each other’s blood, namely, drinking together the sacrificial blood, sprinkling it upon the parties, eating together the sacrificial meal, etc.; but the same idea found expression in all, the community of life resulting from the covenant. (1) A statement of the terms agreed upon (Ge 26:29; 31:50,52). This was a modification of the earlier idea, which has been noted, in which a covenant was all-inclusive. (2) An oath by each party to observe the terms, God being witness of the oath (Ge 26:31; 31:48-53). The oath was such a characteristic feature that sometimes the term "oath" is used as the equivalent of covenant (see Eze 17:13). (3) A curse invoked by each one upon himself in case disregard of the agreement. In a sense this may be considered a part of the oath, adding emphasis to it. This curse is not explicitly stated in the case of human covenants, but may be inferred from the covenant with God (De 27:15-26). (4) The formal ratification of the covenant by some solemn external act. The different ceremonies for this purpose, such as have already been mentioned, are to be regarded as the later equivalents of the early act of drinking each other’s blood. In the Old Testament accounts it is not certain that such formal act is expressly mentioned in relation to covenants between men. It seems probable, however, that the sacrificial meal of Ge 31:54 included Laban, in which case it was a covenant sacrifice. In any case, both sacrificial meal and sprinkling of blood upon the two parties, the altar representing Yahweh, are mentioned in Ex 24:4-8, with allusions elsewhere, in ratification of the covenant at Sinai between Yahweh and Israel. In the covenant of God with Abraham is another ceremony, quite certainly with the same purpose. This is a peculiar observance, namely, the cutting of animals into two parts and passing between the severed portions (Ge 15:9-18), a custom also referred to in Jer 34:18. Here it is to be noted that it is a smoking furnace and a flaming torch, representing God, not Abraham, which passed between the pieces. Such an act, it would seem, should be shared by both parties, but in this case it is doubtless to be explained by the fact that the covenant is principally a promise by Yahweh. He is the one who binds Himself. Concerning the significance of this act there is difference of opinion. A common view is that it is in effect a formal expression of the curse, imprecating upon oneself the same, i.e. cutting in pieces, if one breaks the terms of the covenant. But, as W. R. Smith has pointed out (op. cit., 481), this does not explain the passing between the pieces, which is the characteristic feature of the ceremony. It seems rather to be a symbol that the two parties "were taken within the mystical life of the victim." (Compare the interpretation of Heb 9:15-17 in COVENANT, IN THE NEW TESTAMENT.) It would then be an inheritance from the early times, in which the victim was regarded as kindred with the tribe, and hence, also an equivalent of the drinking of each other’s blood. Other features beyond those mentioned cannot be considered as fundamental. This is the case with the setting up of a stone, or raising a heap of stones (Ge 31:45,46). This is doubtless simply an ancient custom, which has no direct connection with the covenant, but comes from the ancient Semitic idea of the sacredness of single stones or heaps of stones. Striking hands is a general expression of an agreement made (Ezr 10:19; Eze 17:18, etc.). 1. Essential Idea: As already noted, the idea of covenants between God and men doubtless arose from the idea of covenants between men. Hence, the general thought is similar. It cannot in this case, however, be an agreement between contracting parties who stand on an equality, but God, the superior, always takes the initiative. To some extent, however, varying in different cases, is regarded as a mutual agreement; God with His commands makes certain promises, and men agree to keep the commands, or, at any rate, the promises are conditioned on human obedience. In general, the covenant of God with men is a Divine ordinance, with signs and pledges on God’s part, and with promises for human obedience and penalties for disobedience, which ordinance is accepted by men. In one passage (Ps 25:14), it is used in a more general way of an alliance of friendship between God and man. Various phrases are used of the making of a covenant between God and men. The verb ordinarily used of making covenants between men, karath, is often used here as well. The following verbs are also used: heqim, "to establish" or "confirm"; nathan, "to give"; sim, "to place"; tsiwwah, "to command"; `abhar, "to pass over," followed by be, "into"; bo, "to enter," followed by be; and the phrase nasa’ berith `al pi, "to take up a covenant upon the mouth of someone." The history of the covenant idea in Israel, as between God and man, is not altogether easy to trace. This applies especially to the great covenants between God and Israel, namely, the one with Abraham, and the one made at Sinai. The earliest references to this relation of Israel to Yahweh under the term "covenant" are in Ho 6:7; 8:1. The interpretation of the former passage is doubtful in details, but the reference to such a covenant seems clear. The latter is considered by many a later addition, but largely because of this mention of the covenant. No other references to such a covenant are made in the prophets before Jeremiah. Jeremiah and Ezekiel speak of it, and it is implied in Second-Isaiah. It is a curious fact, however, that most of the later prophets do not use the term, which suggests that the omission in the earlier prophets is not very significant concerning a knowledge of the idea in early times. In this connection it should be noted that there is some variation among the Hexateuchal codes in their treatment of the covenants. Only one point, however, needs special mention. The Priestly Code (P) gives no explicit account of the covenant at Sinai, and puts large emphasis upon the covenant with Abraham. There are, however, apparent allusions to the Sinaitic covenant (Le 2:13; 24:8; 26:9,15,25,44,45). The facts indicate, therefore, principally a difference of emphasis. In the light partly of the facts already noted, however, it is held by many that the covenant idea between God and man is comparatively late. This view is that there were no covenants with Abraham and at Sinai, but that in Israel’s early conceptions of the relation to Yahweh He was their tribal God, bound by natural ties, not ethical as the covenant implies. This is a larger question than at first appears. Really the whole problem of the relation of Israel to Yahweh throughout Old Testament history is involved, in particular the question at what time a comprehensive conception of the ethical character of God was developed. The subject will therefore naturally receive a fuller treatment in other articles. It is perhaps sufficient here to express the conviction that there was a very considerable conception of the ethical character of Yahweh in the early history of Israel, and that consequently there is no sufficient reason for doubting the fact of the covenants with Abraham and at Sinai. The statement of W. Robertson Smith expresses the essence of the matter (op. cit., 319): "That Yahweh’s relation is not natural but ethical is the doctrine of the prophets, and is emphasized, in dependence on their teaching, in the Book of Deuteronomy. But the passages cited show that the idea had its foundation in pre prophetic times; and indeed the prophets, though they give it fresh and powerful application, plainly do not regard the conception as an innovation." A little further consideration should be given to the new covenant of the prophets. The general teaching is that the covenant was broken by the sins of the people which led to the exile. Hence, during the exile the people had been cast off, the covenant was no longer in force. This is stated, using other terminology, in Ho 3:3 f; 1:9; 2:2. The prophets speak, however, in anticipation, of the making of a covenant again after the return from the exile. For the most part, in the passages already cited, this covenant is spoken of as if it were the old one renewed. Special emphasis is put, however, upon its being an everlasting covenant, as the old one did not prove to be, implying that it will not be broken as was that one. Jeremiah’s teaching, however, has a little different emphasis. He speaks of the old covenant as passed away (31:32). Accordingly he speaks of a new covenant (31:31,33). This new covenant in its provisions, however, is much like the old. But there is a new emphasis upon individuality in approach to God. In the old covenant, as already noted, it was the nation as a whole that entered into the relation; here it is the individual, and the law is to be written upon the individual heart.

2019-04-25T08:25:45Z

https://www.biblicaltraining.org/library/covenant

Background: Qat (also known as Khat, Kat and Miraa) is a green-leaved plant (Catha edulis). It is a shrub indigenous to Yemen and certain parts of eastern Africa. Chewing the leaves, which have sympathomimetic and euphoric effects, has been documented in many countries and increased with worldwide migration. The effect of long-term chewing Qat on the oral cavity is unknown. Objective: A systematic review was performed to identify any associations between Qat chewing and the occurrence of potentially malignant and malignant oral disorders. Methods: Medline and the Web of Science were searched for articles published before May 2014 without limits with regard to publication date and language. Results: From a total of 890 papers identified, 17 English papers reported potentially malignant or malignant oral disorders and Qat chewing. One additional paper in Arabic language was identified from reviewing the list of references of eligible papers. It was found that exposure to Qat may be associated with potentially malignant and malignant oral disorders, but methodological issues, such as inadequate study design, sample size, selection of study subjects, clinical evaluations of outcome and limited adjustment for confounders, limit the strength of the evidence base in this area. Conclusion: The association between Qat chewing and potentially malignant and malignant oral disorders remains debatable and requires further investigations. Figure 2: Blue area shows areas where Qat has been reported grown and/or consumed. Qat contains a number of chemicals including cathine and cathinone.7,8 These chemicals are similar in structure to but less potent than amphetamine. However, they cause similar psychomotor stimulant effects.7 Cathinone is considered the main active ingredient in the fresh leaves of Qat and has sympathomimetic effects that have been shown to increase heart rate and blood pressure.1 In 1980, the World Health Organization (WHO) classified Qat as a drug of abuse that can produce mild to moderate degrees of psychological dependence, but to a lesser extent than tobacco and alcohol.8 Furthermore, Qat has been reviewed several times by a WHO Expert Committee on Drug Dependence, and it was concluded that the level of abuse and threat to public health is not significant enough to warrant international control.8,9 Nevertheless, some countries including Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, France, Norway, Denmark, Canada, USA,10 UK,11 and Saudi Arabia,12 have prohibited Qat consumption. Even though Qat import into these countries is illegal, certain quantities are believed to be smuggled into them. Based on the Family Health Survey carried in 2003 in Yemen, it was estimated that 58% of males and 29% of females aged 10 years and older chewed Qat during their life time.18 More recently, a national household survey conducted in 2006 showed that 78% of males and 53% of females contacted in Sana&apos;a reported current Qat use.19 Among a random sample of 1200 adults of a rural community in Ethiopia, Belew, et al,20 reported that 18% of women and 40% of men currently chew Qat. In the UK, among the Somali communities, approximately one-third chewed Qat on regular basis,21 with Qat chewing reported also an emerging problem in Australia22 and among Somali immigrants in Norway23. The half-life of the active compound of Qat is about four hours, depending on the amount of chewed Qat.24 Once the acute effects disappear, chewers experience feelings of anxiety, irritability, emotionlessness, depression, lack of energy, and mental fatigue.25 Chronic use of Qat has been shown to be associated with cardiovascular effects (eg, acute coronary vasospasm and myocardial infarction), gastrointestinal tract problems (eg, chronic constipation), cytotoxic effects on liver and kidney,26 reproductive effects (eg, low fetal birth weight, infant mortality),16 and mental illness (eg, psychosis)27. Several effects of Qat chewing on the oral cavity have been reported. They are included periodontal pocket formation, gingival recession,28,29 discoloration of teeth, xerostomia,29 and pain in the temporo-mandibular joint30. It has been estimated that about 90% of the alkaloid content of Qat is extracted into saliva during chewing and most of it is absorbed through the oral mucosa.24 Therefore, oral tissues might be exposed to high doses of Qat constituents during Qat chewing rendering them susceptible to its potential toxic effects. In addition, chewing Qat causes mechanical and/or chemical irritation, leading to thickening and keratinization of the mucosa that might cause oral lesions associated with Qat chewing. In experimental studies, a higher rate of genetic damage in buccal mucosa cells has been observed among Qat chewers compared to non-chewers. Qat consumption lead to an 8-fold increase in the formation of micronuclei in human oral cells in one study, suggesting genotoxic effects of Qat consumption.31 An organic Qat extract was shown to induce tumor suppressor proteins and G1 cell cycle arrest in normal oral fibroblast and keratinocytes in vitro.32 Furthermore, the study showed that Qat induced premature differentiation and keratinization in oral keratinocytes grown in co-cultures with normal fibroblasts, possibly through signaling of p38 MAP kinase.32 When exposed to a higher concentration of Qat the oral fibroblasts and keratinocytes underwent programmed cell death in a process involving reactive oxygen species.33 Moreover, the study also found that oxidative stress can occur in oral cells exposed to Qat. If this occurs in vivo, it could lead to a host of cellular and tissue responses such as increased or decreased proliferation, increased keratotic differentiation and damage to macromolecules like DNA. Considering that the oral cavity is the first place directly exposed to Qat in those who chew it and that there are few studies on whether chewing Qat causes potentially malignant and malignant oral disorders,40,41 we conducted this systematic review to summarize the available scientific literature on the association between chewing Qat and developing potentially malignant and malignant oral disorders. Medline and Web of Science were searched for articles published before May 2014 without any limits for the publication date or language. We carried out a title/abstract search in the PubMed, abstract search in Medline and topic search in Web of Science, using the following terms: khat OR qat OR miraa OR Catha edulis. We did not limit the search to a particular health outcome to make sure not to miss any relevant papers. In addition, to the electronic database search, we reviewed the list of references of all eligible studies included in this systemic review. All search results were combined in a bibliographic management tool, EndNote®, with duplicate record removed. Studies on potentially malignant oral disorders, based on the WHO definition,39 or oral cancer were included in our review, if they met the following criteria: 1) published in English or Arabic, and 2) reported as case-series, case report, and cross-sectional, cohort and case-control studies. Because Qat is most frequently used in Yemen, some studies were expected to be published in Arabic. Therefore, we included Arabic articles in our review too. To identify eligible studies we reviewed abstracts of all papers identified by the above-mentioned search strategy. When it was unclear from the abstract of the article if it is matched our criteria, the full text of the paper was reviewed. The search generated 2083 citations. After removing duplicates, 890 abstracts were reviewed for eligibility based on the above-mentioned criteria. Full text articles were reviewed for 45 studies published in English, with 18 reporting on potentially malignant or malignant oral disorders and Qat chewing, of which two papers reported the same study results. One additional paper was identified from reviewing the list of references of the 18 eligible papers, which was in Arabic. Therefore, in total, 18 distinct studies were identified for inclusion in this review. There were one retrospective cohort, two case-control, and seven cross-sectional studies, and six case-series and two case-reports (Table 1). 31%, 48%, and 21% started chewing at 10-20, 20-30, and 30-40 years of age, respectively. 15%, 29%, 9% and 62% chewed Qat for 1-2, 3-5, 6-7 days/week, respectively. Average period of chewing Qat was >6 h/day. 73%, 20%, 7% chewed Qat every day, 1-2 and 3-5 days per week, respectively. 77%, 15%, 8% chewed Qat for 3-5, >6, 1-2 hours per session, respectively. In overall 200 voluntary Yemeni Shamma users (smokeless chewing tobacco), the association between oral lesions with Shamma chewing was examined, based on 58 non-diseased controls and 142 cases with oral lesions. Scheifele, et al,42 reported that 31% of the examined persons presented with mucosal burns, 27% with oral leukoplakia, and 13% with other potentially malignant oral disorders (frictional keratosis, oral lichenoid reaction, pseudomembraneous candidiasis, oral squamous cell carcinoma, morsicatio buccarum, oral lichen planus, and white sponge nevus). Of the 200 Shamma chewers, 184 chewed Qat. Shamma chewers who chewed Qat for more than six hours a day were at increased risk of oral leukoplakia (OR 4.2; 95% CI 1.4 to 12.4) and mucosal burns (OR 3.0; 95% CI 1.1 to 8.4) compared with Shamma chewers who chewed Qat for less than three hours a day. A case-control study of 85 cases and 141 controls was conducted in Kenya to determine the role of tobacco, alcohol and Qat chewing in the development of oral leukoplakia.43 The study did not find a significant association between Qat chewing and developing oral leukoplakia (OR 1.8; 95% CI 0.7 to 5.0). However, the study was not able to disentangle the influence of Qat from that of tobacco smoking (OR 8.4; 95% CI 4.1 to 17.4). Furthermore, the study had a very low frequency of chewers (10 cases and 10 controls) possibly due to the banning of cultivation, sale and chewing of Qat by the local administration in the study area. Therefore, it was likely that some persons did not dare to report this habit. In a cross-sectional study in Yemen, 162 female participants, of whom 67% were Qat chewers, were studied. Leukoplakia appeared in 75% of participants at the chewing site.44 The lesion was found on the opposite side in only 5.5% of subjects. The study also reported a positive correlation between cigarette or water pipe smoking and presence of oral leukoplakia. However, the duration of smoking was not significantly correlated with the presence of the lesion. In another cross-sectional study 490 (75.4%) of 515 males and 135 females from Yemen were Qat chewers. White patches on buccal or gingival mucosa were observed in 94.7% of Qat chewers at the chewing sites and in 8% of non-chewers (p<0.001); red patches on the buccal and gingival mucosa were observed in 3.8% of Qat chewers and none of the non-chewers.45 Sixty percent of the chewers also smoked either cigarette or water pipe. The authors reported that when the study was stratified by tobacco use, the risk remained among Qat chewers showing that white lesions on the oral mucosa might be exclusively caused by Qat chewing. Furthermore, if the lesions were attributed to any types of smoking, they would have been present anywhere in the oral cavity and not just at the site of Qat chewing. In another cross-sectional study aimed at assessing the association between habitual Qat chewing and development of oral leukoplakia among Yemeni Jewish men,29,46 47 Qat chewers who chewed Qat at least twice a week for over three years and 55 controls who did not chew Qat were compared. Leukoplakia was found in 39 (83%) Qat chewers and 9 (16%) non-chewers. A significantly higher rate of occurrence of leukoplakia was observed on the chewing side (n=37 [95%]) compared to the non-chewing side (n=3 [8%]). Although it was expected that more lesions would occur among those who were also smokers, the prevalence of leukoplakia in Qat chewers who also smoked (84%) was not significantly different with that in those who did not smoke (80%); this also supports a possible direct association between development of leukoplakia and Qat chewing. In a cross-sectional study of 1818 male and 682 female Yemeni citizens,48 1538 (61.5%) were Qat chewers.48 Of the Qat chewers 342 (22.2%) had oral keratotic white lesions at the chewing side; only 6 (0.6%) of non-chewers had similar lesions. While most of the Qat chewers smoked tobacco, the lesions appeared at the chewing side and did not extend to other parts of the oral cavity. Of those with keratotic white lesions, 26% were only Qat chewers, an observation supporting the possibility of association between Qat chewing and development of the lesion.48 The study showed that these lesions were increased in number and severity as the duration and frequency of Qat chewing increased. For example, 2.6% of chewers who chewed Qat one day per week and 37% of daily chewers had oral white lesions; similarly, 11% of those who had chewed Qat for less than five years and 48% of persons who had chewed Qat for more than 10 years had oral white lesions. Moreover, most of the grade III white lesions occurred in those who had chewed Qat daily for at least 10 years. To investigate the effects of Qat and Shamma on oral mucosa, a study was conducted in Saudi Arabia University Hospital between 1981 and 1983.51 In a 2-year period, 64 cancer patients (56 men and 8 women with a median age of 46 years) were reported to the hospital. From the 64 cancer patients, 38 had oral cancer of whom 16 had used Shamma alone; 22 had used both Qat and Shamma. The other 14 of 64 cases developed pharyngeal and laryngeal cancers, none of whom reported Qat chewing. The median duration of use for Shamma was 15 and for Qat was 12 years. Alcohol was not consumed by studied patients. Only 14% of the patients were cigarette smokers. In a 2-year review of cancer patients registered at the Asir Central Hospital, Saudi Arabia, Soufi, et al,40 reported head and neck cancers among 28 patients who lived in border areas of Yemen and Saudi Arabia. Ten of these cancer patients presented with a history of Qat chewing. Of 28 cancer patients, eight had oral cancer all of whom reported habitual Qat chewing; some of them reported keeping a Qat bolus on the same side as the lesion. The other two cases had parotid tumor with metastases to cervical lymph nodes. All were non-smoking and had chewed Qat for 25 years or more. Another study identified 36 Yemeni patients with cancer (23 males and 13 females, median age of 50 years) diagnosed between 1997 and 1998 at the Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic and Dermatology Clinic of the Saudi Hospital, Hajjaj, Yemen, of whom 30 patients were habitual Qat chewers.52 Seventeen patients had oral cancer and all were Qat chewers; 10 were also Shamma users and five were tobacco smokers. However, the authors suggested that the findings were inconclusive. An examination of all primary solid tumors recorded in the surgical pathology files at Al-Thawara Hospital in Sana&apos;a in 200453 revealed that oral cancer was the most frequent (18% of 649) malignancies in both males (17.2% of 348) and females (19.6% of 301). Among those with chewing and smoking information (92 of 119), 76% were tobacco chewers, 59.8% were Qat chewers, and 23.9% were cigarette smokers; 26% of men and 13% of women chewed both tobacco and Qat. In 2002–2003, Ali, et al,54 studied the histopathological changes in 50 Yemeni patients (43 males and seven females, mean age of 38 years), of whom 40 were Qat chewers (17 cigarette smokers) registered in the Department of Oral Pathology and Medicine in Yemen. Biopsy was taken from the chewing side of the 40 Qat chewers, from the non-chewing side of 20 Qat chewers (11 cigarette smokers), and from the oral cavity of 10 participants who neither chewed Qat nor smoked cigarette. Mild orthokeratosis, parakeratosis, and epithelial dysplasia of the oral mucosa were found on the chewing side in 39, 10, and 10 individuals, respectively. The frequencies of the histopathological changes were lower on the non-chewing side with 10, 2, and none of the individuals presented with orthokeratosis, parakeratosis, and epithelial dysplasia, respectively. All biopsies taken from the oral mucosa of non-chewing individuals were normal. No differences were demonstrated in the histopathological changes between the biopsies of Qat chewers, whether they smoked or not. In a study sample of 79 Yemeni males, whitening with mild corrugation, frictional keratosis or keratosis with mild or sever corrugation were present in 100% (n=54) of the Qat chewers on the chewing side and in 4% (n=1) of non-chewers.55 The types of the clinical findings on the chewing sides varied according to the duration of Qat chewing habit with more lesions among those with longer duration of chewing Qat. There was no statistical difference when comparing the clinical findings between the right and left side of the non-chewers, smokers and non-smokers, while the difference was statistically significant between chewing and non-chewing sides of the Qat chewers. Furthermore, the authors reported there was statistical difference when comparing chewing sides of Qat chewers with both sides of non-chewers, smokers and non-smokers. On the other hand, no statistical difference was found between non-chewing sides of Qat chewers and both sides of non-chewers whatever the smoking habit was. The authors concluded that Qat chewing causes oral white lesions on the chewing side and that smoking, clinically, does not exacerbate such lesions. Based on the retrospective cohort study, the two case-control studies, the seven cross-sectional studies, the six case series and the two case reports studied, it is suggested that potentially malignant or malignant oral disorders would occur more likely in the mucosal tissue of the buccal side where Qat is chewed and stored. However, in the majority of these studies, tobacco use (smokeless and smoking) was also reported among Qat users. Smoking and smokeless tobacco are known to be associated with pre-malignant oral lesions58,59 and thus, proper adjustment for tobacco use is essential for the examination of Qat use and the occurrence of potentially malignant lesions in the oral cavity. The harmful effect of Qat use could be due to the mechanical friction during chewing over many years of inducing irritation and inflammation as well as cytotoxic effects of Qat on oral mucosal cells. It is noteworthy to acknowledge that the results of the above reviewed literature of Qat chewing should be interpreted cautiously. Important limitations were identified that limit the conclusions that can be drawn from these studies: a) limitations in the study design, such as poorly implemented retrospective studies that do not fully comply with a typical case-control study design or historical cohort study design, definitions with scant descriptions of periods of observations, temporal sequence between health outcome and exposure detection being questionable, and sample selection of study participants potentially having an impact on estimates derived from the studies; b) lack of controlling for known risk factors of pre-malignant oral cancerous lesions that are highly correlated with Qat use, such as tobacco use (smokeless and non- smokeless) or alcohol consumption, which are established causes of pre-cancerous oral lesions and oral cancer; c) not clear for most of the case series whether they included consecutive patients or a selection of patients; d) some studies were from Saudi Arabia where Qat use is prohibited so reporting of Qat chewing might not have been accurate; e) in several studies, the diagnosis was solely based on clinical evaluations and the histopathological examination was not performed or not reported. In addition, most of the studies were conducted in Yemen and there is a lack of data from other countries where Qat is chewed. Chewing behavior could be different in those countries as well as the Qat variety chewed. In summary, despite of being very popular in some parts of the world, there are relatively few sound epidemiological studies on Qat use and its association with potentially malignant or malignant oral disorders. Considering the limitations identified in the few studies conducted so far, it is not possible to draw firm conclusions. To the best of our knowledge, no reliable research has studied the acute and chronic effects of cathinone-nicotine combination with potentially malignant oral disorders and oral cancer. Therefore, future studies are needed to study if Qat is associated with excess risk of cancer in the oral cavity, if this effect is independent of tobacco smoking and whether there is a synergistic effect on the cancer risk when both products are concomitantly used. Due to the acute stimulating effects of Qat and its effects on mood and sleep, Qat users may also use alcohol as a method to calm down. One study in Kenya reported that among 100 randomly selected outpatients at the Meru District Hospital, 29 were Qat chewers including 20 who were also heavy alcohol consumers.65 Similarly, a study in Ethiopia showed that 43.3% of 427 Qat chewing students also drank alcohol.62 However, alcohol drinking is not common among the Yemeni population as most of them are Muslim where their religion prohibits drinking and hence reporting alcohol use. Nevertheless, it should be investigated if alcohol exacerbates the effects of Qat chewing on the oral mucosa. Furthermore, it has been reported that Qat farmers do not follow the safety instructions. For example, a substantial proportion of Qat farmers in Yemen ignored the required period to harvest after the last spraying. Al-Haja, et al,72 reported that 50% of farmers interviewed stated that a period of 7–10 days was required between harvesting Qat and the last spraying, and that half of the farmers said that the period should be 10–20 days. A field study among six Qat farmers in Addwan village in Yemen found that farmers harvested Qat between 3 and 52 days from the last spraying, with an average of 30 days.70 A field study by Al-Mola found that 39% of Qat farmers harvested Qat after 3–6 days, 41% after 7–10 days, and 5% did so after 11–15 days from the last spraying.73 A study by Abdulaziz in Ethiopia indicated that some Qat farmers harvested a recently sprayed Qat for sale and self-consumption,71 potentially putting themselves and their consumers at higher risk of oral exposure to and ingestion of pesticides. Another study conducted in 2009 investigated the presence and level of pesticide residues in Qat samples collected from various parts of Ethiopia.74 The Qat samples had pp&apos;-DDT concentrations ranging from 141.2 to 973.0 µg/kg. Maximum concentrations were found between 240 and 1200 times the European Union maximum recommended levels for DDT in food (vegetables 10 µg/kg, and cereals 50 µg/kg). The high levels of DDT in the Qat samples instead of DDE suggested that DDT is currently in use as a pest control agent in the study region. In another study in Ethiopia, 60 of 70 Qat farmers surveyed mentioned the use of DDT and other pesticides for Qat cultivation.75 It is therefore of utmost importance that information on the source of Qat and if it is cultivated, is collected in any future study on Qat use and health effects. From the literature reviewed in this publication, dominated by studies from a single country, namely Yemen, it is still not clear whether Qat use is a risk factor in the development of potentially malignant or malignant oral disorders. This is due to the limitations of studies conducted so far, which are small in number anyway. Additionally, evidence in the reviewed literature is conflicting about whether Qat may play a tobacco-independent direct role in the development of potentially malignant oral disorders and oral cancer in populations. 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Survey on identification of pesticides used on qat grown around Sana&apos;a. Republic of Yemen, Ministry of Agriculture and Water Resources. General Department of Plant Protection. Yemen-German Plant Protection Project, 1993. Daba D, Hymete A, Bekhit AA, et al. Multi residue analysis of pesticides in wheat and khat collected from different regions of Ethiopia. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 2011;86:336-41. Abdulahi AM. An assessemt of possible health risk of using and Farmers&apos;s perception towards toxicity of pesticides used on Khat (Catha edulis): In Haromaya Woreda, Ethiopia: Addis Ababa University, 2010. Qat chewing is common in the Horn of Africa and in Yemen. Chewing Qat has health hazards. Chewing Qat may be associated with potentially malignant oral disorders at the site of the chewing. Cite this article as: El-Zaemey S, Schüz J, Roux ML. Qat chewing and risk of potentially malignant and malignant oral disorders: A systematic review. Int J Occup Environ Med 2015;6:-143.

2019-04-22T04:34:56Z

http://www.theijoem.com/ijoem/index.php/ijoem/article/view/537/621

1Biozentrum, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland. 3Department of Surgery, St. Claraspital, Basel, Switzerland. Address correspondence to: Mitsugu Shimobayashi or Michael N. Hall, Klingelbergstrasse 50/70, Basel 4056, Switzerland. Phone: 41.61.207.2171; Email: [email protected] (MS). Phone: 41.61.207.2150; Email: [email protected] (MNH). J Clin Invest. 2018;128(4):1538–1550. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI96139. Obesity-induced insulin resistance is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular disease, and some types of cancer (1–3). Although the mechanism by which obesity causes insulin resistance is unclear, inflammation has been linked to the development of local and systemic insulin resistance, especially when the inflammation occurs in white adipose tissue (WAT) (4, 5). WAT consists of adipocytes and stromal vascular cells (SVCs) including endothelial cells, preadipocytes, and immune cells (6). Among the immune cells, macrophages play a particularly important role in obesity-induced adipose tissue inflammation. Macrophages are classified into 2 types: proinflammatory M1 and antiinflammatory M2 macrophages. M1 macrophages express the surface marker CD11c (7, 8) and produce proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α (9, 10). M2 macrophages express the surface marker CD301 and produce antiinflammatory cytokines such as IL-10 (7). The relative and absolute number of M1 macrophages increases in WAT upon obesity, thereby promoting adipose tissue inflammation (7–11). Studies in rodents have suggested that adipose tissue inflammation causes local and systemic insulin resistance (9, 11–13). However, it has been demonstrated that immunocompromised mice are not protected from systemic insulin resistance induced by a short-term high-fat diet (HFD) (14). Furthermore, Tian et al. have shown that adipose tissue inflammation is dispensable for local and systemic insulin resistance (15). Another study has shown that inhibition of adipose tissue inflammation results in glucose intolerance, suggesting that inflammation may even be a mechanism to counter insulin resistance (16). In humans, expression of the macrophage markers CD68 and TNF-α in WAT correlates with BMI, suggesting that obesity may induce the accumulation of adipose tissue macrophages and inflammation in humans (9, 17). However, clinical trials targeting TNF-α have shown little or no beneficial effect on systemic insulin sensitivity (18–21). Thus, the causal relationship between adipose tissue inflammation and insulin resistance is unclear. Two models have been proposed to explain the increase in the number of M1 macrophages in WAT upon obesity. The first is that circulating monocytes are recruited to WAT, where they differentiate into M1 macrophages (7, 22). The second is that obesity induces the proliferation of resident macrophages in WAT (23). The monocyte chemoattractant protein 1/C-C chemokine ligand 2 (MCP1/CCL2), presumably produced by adipocytes, is required to increase the number of macrophages in WAT (12, 23, 24). However, the mechanism(s) controlling MCP1 expression in adipocytes upon obesity are poorly understood. The target of rapamycin complex 2 (TORC2) is an evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine protein kinase complex that controls growth and metabolism (reviewed in ref. 25). In mammals, mTORC2 consists of mTOR, rapamycin-insensitive companion of mTOR (RICTOR), mammalian stress-activated protein kinase–interacting protein 1 (mSIN1), and mammalian lethal with SEC thirteen 8 (mLST8) (26–31). Insulin stimulates mTORC2 to promote glucose uptake in adipose tissue (32–34), liver (35–37), and skeletal muscle (38, 39). Previously, we and others have shown that adipose-specific Rictor knockout (AdRiKO) exacerbates obesity-related complications in mice, such as systemic insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis (32–34). Here, we used mTORC2-deficient and therefore insulin-resistant AdRiKO mice to investigate the causal relationship between insulin resistance and inflammation. We found that inhibition of the insulin/mTORC2 pathway resulted in enhanced Mcp1 transcription in mouse and human adipocytes and thereby promoted inflammation in visceral WAT. Furthermore, obesity-induced insulin resistance developed before the accumulation of proinflammatory M1 macrophages in visceral WAT of WT mice. Thus, insulin resistance precedes and causes inflammation in adipose tissue. Insulin/mTORC2 signaling in WAT negatively controls inflammation. AdRiKO exacerbates systemic insulin resistance upon obesity, as evidenced by impaired glucose clearance in response to insulin treatment (Figure 1A and refs. 32–34). Thus, the AdRiKO mouse is a good model to investigate the causal relationship between insulin resistance and inflammation upon obesity. To determine whether insulin resistance due to impaired insulin/mTORC2 signaling in WAT affects adipose inflammation, we performed quantitative proteomics on epididymal WAT (eWAT) from HFD-fed (for 10 weeks) AdRiKO (aP2-Cre, Rictorfl/fl) and control (Rictorfl/fl) mice. As previously reported (32–34), HFD-fed AdRiKO mice had an increased body size with no change in adiposity (Supplemental Figure 1, A–C; supplemental material available online with this article; https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI96139DS1). Furthermore, we confirmed that RICTOR expression, AKT (Ser473) phosphorylation, and PKC expression, readouts for mTORC2 signaling, were decreased, while S6K (Thr389) phosphorylation, a readout for mTORC1 signaling, was not affected in eWAT (Figure 1B; see complete unedited blots in the supplemental material). Among approximately 3,000 proteins identified in the proteome, 61 and 16 were up- and downregulated, respectively, in AdRiKO mice compared with controls (Figure 1C and Supplemental Table 1). Gene Ontology (GO) analysis of the regulated proteins revealed enrichment of immune response–related biological processes (Figure 1D), suggesting that insulin resistance due to loss of mTORC2 signaling may cause inflammation upon obesity. Quantitative proteome analysis reveals insulin/mTORC2 signaling functions in adipose tissue inflammation. (A) ITT for AdRiKO and control mice fed a HFD for 10 weeks. Mice were fasted for 5 hours prior to the ITT. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, and ****P < 0.0001, by 2-way ANOVA. n = 10 (control) and n = 5 (AdRiKO). (B) Immunoblots of eWAT from HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. eWAT samples were collected from ad libitum–fed mice. The same lysates were used for proteome analysis. (C) Regulated proteome with 3 biological replicates. See also Supplemental Table 1. (D) GO term analysis of the regulated proteome. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. To examine further whether mTORC2 in WAT controls inflammation, we quantified immune cells in eWAT of HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice by flow cytometry. While the numbers of B and T cells did not differ (Supplemental Figure 1D), the number of macrophages (F4/80+CD11b+) increased in AdRiKO eWAT at 10 weeks of HFD feeding (Figure 2, A and B, and Supplemental Figure 2A). The increase in macrophages correlated with increased macrophage gene expression (Cd68 and F4/80) and F4/80 staining (Figure 2, C and D). Next, we determined whether the increase in the number of macrophages in AdRiKO eWAT was due to an increase in proinflammatory M1 (F4/80+CD11b+CD11c+) and/or antiinflammatory M2 (F4/80+CD11b+CD301+) macrophages. The numbers of both M1 and M2 macrophages increased in both AdRiKO and control mice during the HFD time course (Figure 2, E–G). AdRiKO eWAT showed a disproportionately large increase in M1 macrophages, starting at 6 weeks of HFD feeding (Figure 2, E and F). Quantification of proinflammatory cytokine TNF-α mRNA in SVCs and macrophages isolated from HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice confirmed the disproportionate increase in M1 macrophages in AdRiKO eWAT (Figure 2, H and I, and Supplemental Figure 2, B and C). These observations indicate that AdRiKO leads to the accumulation of M1 macrophages, confirming that genetically induced insulin resistance due to loss of mTORC2 signaling in WAT promotes inflammation. We note that there was no difference in macrophage numbers between AdRiKO and control mice on a normal diet (ND) (Supplemental Figure 3, A–E), indicating that AdRiKO potentiates inflammation only in response to obesity. AdRiKO eWAT accumulates M1 macrophages. (A and B) Numbers of macrophages (CD45+F4/80+CD11b+) in SVCs isolated from eWAT of HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. Representative FACS profiles are shown in A, and quantification is shown in B. **P < 0.01, by multiple Student’s t test. n = 6–15. (C) Gene expression of macrophage markers in eWAT from HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. **P < 0.01, by multiple Student’s t test. n = 7–8. (D) Representative F4/80 staining of eWAT from HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. n = 4. Scale bar: 100 μm. (E–G) Numbers of M1 macrophages (CD45+F4/80+CD11b+CD11c+) and M2 macrophages (CD45+F4/80+CD11b+CD301+) in SVCs from eWAT of HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. Representative FACS profiles are shown in E, and quantification is shown in F and G. ****P < 0.0001 and P = 0.053, by multiple Student’s t test. n = 6–15. (H and I) Tnfa gene expression in SVCs (H) (n = 9) and isolated macrophages (I) (n = 6–8) from eWAT of HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. *P < 0.05, by unpaired Student’s t test. (J) Immunoblots of eWAT from i-AdRiKO and control mice. Mice were treated with tamoxifen for 5 days. After 4 weeks, mice were fasted for 5 hours and then treated with PBS or insulin. (K) ITT for i-AdRiKO and control mice 4 weeks after induction of Rictor knockout. Mice were fasted for 5 hours prior to the ITT. **P < 0.01, ***P < 0.001, and ****P < 0.0001, by 2-way ANOVA. n = 5 (control) and n = 6 (i-AdRiKO). (L and M) Numbers of M1 macrophages (CD45+F4/80+CD11b+CD11c+) (L) and M2 macrophages (CD45+F4/80+CD11b+CD301+) (M) in SVCs from eWAT of HFD-fed i-AdRiKO and control mice. *P < 0.05, by unpaired Student’s t test. n = 7. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. Our AdRiKO model relies on the adipose-specific promoter aP2 to drive Cre expression and thereby knock out Rictor. However, aP2-Cre can be expressed in cell types other than adipocytes including macrophages (40, 41). Three lines of evidence suggest that our findings are not due to confounding effects of ectopic knockout of Rictor in macrophages. First, Rictor expression was unchanged in macrophages isolated from the HFD-fed AdRiKO mice compared with those from control mice (Supplemental Figure 4, A and B). Second, adipose-specific deletion of Rictor via expression of Cre from the Adipoq promoter (i-AdRiKO: Adipoq-CreERT2, Rictorfl/fl) (40, 42) also showed an increase in M1 macrophages in eWAT upon obesity, as observed in aP2-Cre AdRiKO mice (Figure 2, J–M, and Supplemental Figure 4, C and D). Third, macrophage-specific knockout of Rictor, due to expression of Cre from the LysM promoter (LysM-Cre Rictorfl/fl), had no effect on macrophages in WAT of mice fed a HFD (43). HFD-induced insulin resistance precedes the accumulation of adipose tissue M1 macrophages. Our findings indicate that genetically induced local insulin resistance causes the accumulation of M1 macrophages and thus inflammation in WAT upon obesity. This predicts that HFD-induced insulin resistance precedes inflammation in WT mice. To test this prediction, we performed a longitudinal study with HFD-fed WT mice (Supplemental Figure 5A). WT mice developed eWAT and systemic insulin resistance by week 4 of HFD feeding, as measured by insulin-stimulated glucose uptake and an insulin tolerance test (ITT) (Figure 3, A and B, and Supplemental Figure 5B), respectively. Mice fed a HFD for 10 weeks remained insulin resistant compared with mice on a ND (Figure 3C and Supplemental Figure 5C). The M1 macrophage population in eWAT mildly increased in mice by week 10 of a HFD, but not by 4 or 8 weeks (Figure 3D). Tnfa expression did not increase in mice at 4 or 10 weeks of a HFD (Supplemental Figure 5D). These findings are consistent with previous reports showing that mice develop adipose and systemic insulin resistance within several days to 4 weeks of a HFD (44, 45), whereas the number of M1 macrophages in WAT increases only within 8 to 10 weeks of a HFD (10, 15, 45, 46). The finding that HFD-induced insulin resistance precedes the accumulation of M1 macrophages is consistent with our above conclusion that insulin resistance leads to inflammation. HFD-induced insulin resistance precedes the accumulation of M1 macrophages. (A) Insulin-stimulated 2DGP accumulation in eWAT and muscle from WT mice fed a ND or HFD for 4 weeks. Mice were fasted for 5 hours, injected with insulin at 0 minutes and 2DG at 10 minutes, and sacrificed at 30 minutes. ***P < 0.001, by unpaired Student’s t test. n = 7–8. (B and C) ITT for WT mice fed a ND or HFD for 4 weeks (B) or 10 weeks (C). Mice were fasted for 5 hours prior to the ITT. ****P < 0.0001, by 2-way ANOVA. n = 15 (4 wk ND), n = 17 (4 wk HFD), n = 3 (10 wk ND), and n = 4 (10 wk HFD). (D) Numbers of M1 macrophages (CD45+F4/80+CD11b+CD11c+) and M2 macrophages (CD45+F4/80+CD11b+CD301+) in eWAT of WT mice fed a HFD for 4, 8, or 10 weeks. **P < 0.01, by multiple Student’s t test. n = 5–17. Rictorfl/fl mice were used as WT controls. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. Insulin resistance–induced inflammation is specific to visceral WAT. Adipose-specific loss of mTORC2 signaling directly causes insulin resistance in all WAT depots and indirectly leads to systemic insulin resistance (32–34). To test whether AdRiKO causes inflammation in liver or in fat depots other than eWAT (see above), we examined macrophage numbers in peri-renal WAT (prWAT), subcutaneous WAT (sWAT), and liver of HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. AdRiKO prWAT, but not sWAT or liver, had increased numbers of M1 macrophages, (Supplemental Figure 6, A–C). Thus, AdRiKO promotes inflammation specifically in visceral WAT (eWAT and prWAT). To test whether local insulin resistance causes inflammation in the liver, we examined hepatic macrophages in liver-specific Rictor-knockout mice (LiRiKO: Alb-Cre, Rictorfl/fl), which have hepatic insulin resistance due to loss of insulin/mTORC2 signaling in liver (35–37). HFD-fed LiRiKO mice had a moderate but nonsignificant increase in the number of hepatic macrophages compared with HFD-fed control mice (Supplemental Figure 6D). Furthermore, the numbers of M1 and M2 macrophages in eWAT were identical in LiRiKO and control mice (Supplemental Figure 6E). Thus, the ability of local insulin resistance to promote inflammation is specific to visceral WAT. Rictor knockout in adipocytes increases expression of the chemokine MCP1. How does insulin resistance in visceral WAT cause local accumulation of M1 macrophages and inflammation? Amano et al. have suggested that a HFD induces local proliferation of macrophages (23). Alternatively, others have proposed that WAT recruits circulating monocytes, which then differentiate into M1 macrophages (7, 22). To distinguish between these 2 models, we used flow cytometry to measure the proliferation marker Ki-67 in macrophages in eWAT of HFD-fed mice. The percentage of Ki-67+ M1 macrophages in AdRiKO mice was similar to that in control mice (Supplemental Figure 7A), suggesting that the increase in M1 macrophages in AdRiKO eWAT is not due to local proliferation. To investigate the possibility that WAT recruits monocytes, we examined the expression of WAT-derived chemokines in eWAT from HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. A chemokine array and ELISA revealed increased expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP1, also known as C-C motif ligand 2 [CCL2]) in AdRiKO eWAT (Figure 4, A and B). Increased levels of MCP1 were also detected in the plasma of HFD-fed AdRiKO mice (Figure 4C). Furthermore, in SVCs isolated from AdRiKO eWAT, we observed significantly increased expression of C-C chemokine receptor type 2 (Ccr2), encoding an MCP1 receptor, as a result of increased numbers of Ccr2-expressing cells such as monocytes and macrophages (Figure 4D). These findings suggest that insulin-resistant visceral WAT, via MCP1 expression, recruits monocytes, which then differentiate into M1 macrophages. Insulin/mTORC2 signaling inhibits Mcp1 transcription and M1 macrophage accumulation in vivo. (A) Adipokine array of eWAT from HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. Immunoblots show the reduction of RICTOR expression and mTORC2 signaling. n = 8 (data from 8 mice were pooled). (B) MCP1 protein levels in eWAT from HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. *P < 0.05, by unpaired Student’s t test. n = 8. (C) MCP1 protein levels in plasma from HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. **P < 0.01, by unpaired Student’s t test. n = 8. (D) Ccr2 mRNA levels in SVCs isolated from eWAT of HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. *P < 0.05, by unpaired Student’s t test. n = 12. (E) Numbers of M1 macrophages (CD45+F4/80+CD11b+CD11c+) and M2 macrophages (CD45+F4/80+CD11b+CD301+) in eWAT. Mice were fed a HFD for 8 weeks and treated with a control or MCP1-neutralizing antibody for 2 weeks with ongoing HFD feeding. *P < 0.05 and ***P < 0.001, by 1-way ANOVA. n = 5–8. (F) Percentage of inflammatory monocytes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Mice were treated as in E. **P < 0.01, by 1-way ANOVA. n = 4–7. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. We next tested whether the increase in MCP1 is responsible for M1 macrophage accumulation in AdRiKO eWAT. Mice were fed a HFD for 8 weeks and then treated with an MCP1-neutralizing or control antibody for 2 weeks along with ongoing HFD feeding. The antibody treatments had no impact on body weight (Supplemental Figure 7B). The MCP1-neutralizing antibody inhibited the accumulation of M1 macrophages in AdRiKO eWAT by 50%, with no impact on M2 macrophages (Figure 4E). The MCP1-neutralizing antibody also caused a 2-fold increase in monocytes (Ly-6ChiCD11b+) in the blood of AdRiKO mice (Figure 4F). Thus, MCP1 appears to mediate the increase in M1 macrophages in AdRiKO eWAT. Altogether, our data suggest that mTORC2 inhibition in WAT results in Mcp1 expression, followed by infiltration of monocytes in an MCP1-CCR2–dependent manner. Insulin/mTORC2 signaling inhibits Mcp1 transcription in adipocytes. Expression of the Mcp1 gene was increased in the eWAT of HFD-fed AdRiKO and i-AdRiKO mice compared with expression levels in control eWAT (Figure 5, A and B), suggesting that MCP1 is upregulated in AdRiKO WAT at the transcriptional level. Furthermore, we note that the increase in Mcp1 expression (Figure 5A) coincided with an increase in the number of M1 macrophages in AdRiKO eWAT (Figure 2F). The number of macrophages and expression levels of Mcp1 were unchanged in AdRiKO and control eWAT in ND-fed mice (Supplemental Figure 3 and Supplemental Figure 8A). To identify the cells in which Mcp1 expression was induced, we measured Mcp1 mRNA levels in adipocytes and SVCs isolated from eWAT of HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice (Supplemental Figure 2B). AdRiKO adipocytes, but not SVCs, showed increased Mcp1 expression (Figure 5, C and D). To determine whether the regulation of Mcp1 transcription by mTORC2 is cell autonomous, we first treated 3T3-L1 adipocytes with the mTOR inhibitor torin 1 (47). 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with torin 1 had increased Mcp1 expression (Figure 5E). Next, we generated 2 Rictor-knockout 3T3-L1 adipocyte cell lines (Figure 5F and Supplemental Figure 8B) using the genome-editing CRISPR-Cas9 system (48). Rictor-knockout 3T3-L1 adipocytes were able to differentiate, albeit at a slower rate compared with control cells (Supplemental Figure 8C). Consistent with our in vivo data, Mcp1 expression was increased in the Rictor-knockout 3T3-L1 adipocytes (Figure 5G and Supplemental Figure 8B). Serum and insulin treatment suppressed Mcp1 expression in control but not Rictor-knockout 3T3-L1 adipocytes (Figure 5H and Supplemental Figure 8D). In WT mice, Mcp1 expression increased by 10 weeks, but not 4 weeks, of HFD feeding (Supplemental Figure 8E). These data support the notion that insulin resistance precedes and promotes Mcp1 transcription in adipocytes. We note that Rictor knockout in liver (LiRiKO) did not result in hepatic Mcp1 expression (Supplemental Figure 8F), consistent with our above finding that LiRiKO failed to stimulate inflammation in liver. Insulin/mTORC2 signaling inhibits Mcp1 transcription in adipocytes. (A) Mcp1 mRNA levels in eWAT from AdRiKO and control mice during the HFD time course. *P < 0.05 and ***P < 0.001, by multiple Student’s t test. n = 5–10. (B) Mcp1 mRNA levels in eWAT from HFD-fed i-AdRiKO and control mice. **P < 0.01, by unpaired Student’s t test. n = 4–6. (C and D) Mcp1 mRNA levels in adipocytes (C) and SVCs (D) isolated from eWAT of HFD-fed AdRiKO and control mice. ***P < 0.001, by unpaired Student’s t test. n = 13–14. (E) Mcp1 mRNA levels in 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with DMSO or 250 nM torin 1 for 6 hours. **P < 0.01, by unpaired Student’s t test. N >3. (F) 2DGP accumulation in insulin-stimulated Rictor-knockout or control 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with DMSO or the JNK inhibitor SP600125 (20 μM). N = 3. (G) Mcp1 mRNA levels in Rictor-knockout and control 3T3-L1 adipocytes. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01, by unpaired Student’s t test. N = 3. (H) Mcp1 mRNA levels in Rictor-knockout and control 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with or without serum and insulin. *P < 0.05, by unpaired Student’s t test. N = 3. (I) Mcp1 mRNA levels in Rictor-knockout and control 3T3-L1 cells treated with DMSO or the JNK inhibitor SP600125 (20 μM) for 6 hours. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01, by 1-way ANOVA. N = 3. (J) Immunoblots of Rictor-knockout and control 3T3-L1 adipocytes treated with DMSO or the JNK inhibitor SP600125 (20 μM) for 6 hours. N = 3. (K) In vitro JNK kinase assay. Active JNK was immunoprecipitated from Rictor-knockout or control 3T3-L1 adipocytes, and JNK activity was assessed toward its substrate cJUN. SP600125 treatment served as a negative control. N = 3. Data are presented as the mean ± SEM. How does mTORC2 loss lead to Mcp1 transcription? It has been suggested that JNK is required for MCP1 expression and secretion in cultured 3T3-L1 adipocytes (49). Consistent with that report, treatment with the JNK inhibitor SP600125 reduced Mcp1 expression in Rictor-knockout 3T3-L1 cells (Figure 5I). Inhibition of JNK was confirmed by loss of cJUN (Ser73) phosphorylation (Figure 5J). SP600125 did not restore AKT (Ser 473) phosphorylation (Figure 5J) or insulin-stimulated glucose uptake (Figure 5F) in the Rictor-knockout 3T3-L1 cells, indicating that the effect of the drug was independent of mTORC2 and insulin resistance. Furthermore, JNK activity was unaffected by Rictor knockout (Figure 5, J and K). Thus, mTORC2 and JNK control Mcp1 expression independently. Impaired insulin/mTORC2 signaling and increased MCP1 expression in omental WAT of obese patients. MCP1 mRNA levels in omental WAT (oWAT) correlate with BMI in obese human subjects (9, 50). However, how MCP1 transcription is regulated in human adipose tissue is unknown. Our finding that insulin/mTORC2 signaling negatively controls Mcp1 transcription and adipose tissue inflammation in mice prompted us to examine insulin/mTORC2 signaling, MCP1 expression, and macrophage accumulation in human visceral WAT, i.e., oWAT. To this end, oWAT samples were collected from 20 lean and 30 obese human patients who were under general anesthesia (Figure 6A and Supplemental Table 2). The obese patients were insulin resistant as determined by high homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) (Figure 6B and Supplemental Figure 9A). We note that oWAT was collected from patients who, because of standard procedure before undergoing general anesthesia, had fasted overnight, a condition that might not be optimal for the evaluation of insulin/mTORC2 signaling. Nevertheless, in oWAT, AKT2 (Ser474) phosphorylation, a readout for mTORC2 signaling, was lower in obese patients than in lean patients (Figure 6, C and D). AKT2 (Ser474) phosphorylation negatively correlated with BMI (Figure 6E). These data suggest that insulin/mTORC2 signaling is impaired in oWAT of obese and insulin-resistant patients and validate AdRiKO mice as a model for human insulin resistance. MCP1 expression was higher in obese subjects and positively correlated with BMI (Figure 6, F and G, and Supplemental Figure 9B). CD68 expression was also higher in the obese subjects and positively correlated with BMI (Figure 6, H and I, and Supplemental Figure 9C). MCP1 and CD68 expression levels also correlated (Figure 6J). AKT2 (Ser474) phosphorylation did not correlate with MCP1 and CD68 expression (Supplemental Figure 9, D and E) when comparing the entire cohort of 50 patients, consistent with our above observation in mice that inhibition of insulin/mTORC2 signaling alone was not sufficient to promote adipose tissue inflammation (Supplemental Figure 3). However, approximately one-third of the obese patients (9 of 30) had low AKT (Ser474) phosphorylation and high HOMA-IR, MCP1, and CD68 (Figure 6K), suggesting that AdRiKO mice may phenocopy this subgroup of patients. Finally, torin 1 treatment led to an increase in MCP1 expression in human primary adipocytes, suggesting that insulin/mTOR signaling inhibits MCP1 expression also in humans (Figure 6, L and M). Impaired insulin/mTORC2 signaling and increased MCP1 expression in oWAT of insulin-resistant obese patients. (A and B) BMI and HOMA-IR of lean and obese patients. ***P < 0.001 and ****P < 0.0001, by Mann-Whitney U test. See also Supplemental Table 2. (C) Representative immunoblots for p-AKT2 (Ser474) and AKT2 in human oWAT. (D) Quantification of p-AKT2 (Ser474) normalized to total AKT2. ***P < 0.001, by Mann-Whitney U test. (E) p-AKT2 (Ser474)/AKT2 negatively correlated with BMI. Significance was determined by Pearson’s correlation analysis. (F) MCP1 mRNA levels in human oWAT. **P < 0.01, by Mann-Whitney U test. (G) MCP1 positively correlated with BMI. Significance was determined by Pearson’s correlation analysis. (H) CD68 mRNA levels in human oWAT. **P < 0.01, by Mann-Whitney U test. (I and J) CD68 positively correlated with BMI (I) and MCP1 levels (J). Significance in I and J was determined by Pearson’s correlation analysis. (K) Cluster analysis of BMI, HOMA-IR, p-AKT2 (Ser474)/AKT2, MCP1, and CD68 levels. (L and M) Effect of torin 1 on insulin/mTORC2 signaling (L) and MCP1 mRNA levels (M) in human primary adipocytes. Differentiated human primary adipocytes were treated with DMSO or 250 nM torin 1 for 6 hours. We provide 2 lines of evidence that insulin resistance promotes the accumulation of M1 macrophages and thereby fosters inflammation (Figure 7). First, we show that knockout of mTORC2, i.e., genetically induced insulin resistance, in mouse adipocytes derepressed Mcp1 expression. As a consequence, monocytes were recruited to visceral WAT, where they differentiated into M1 macrophages and caused inflammation. Second, HFD-induced insulin resistance in WT mice preceded the accumulation of proinflammatory M1 macrophages. We also show that oWAT from obese, insulin-resistant patients had low mTORC2 signaling, high MCP1 expression, and high macrophage content, suggesting that our findings in mice have human relevance (Figure 6). Insulin resistance causes inflammation in adipose tissue. Insulin resistance, due to obesity and loss of insulin/mTORC2 signaling, results in enhanced production of MCP1 in adipocytes. MCP1 in turn recruits monocytes and activates proinflammatory M1 macrophages. Our findings are consistent with observations made in mice genetically modified in other components of the insulin signaling pathway. Two studies demonstrated that deletion of PTEN or PIK3R1, negative regulators of insulin signaling, causes enhanced insulin sensitivity and a reduced number of macrophages in adipose tissue (51, 52). More recently, Shearin et al. (53) showed that adipose-specific Akt1- and Akt2-knockout mice exhibit insulin resistance and increased macrophage infiltration in adipose tissue. The above studies altogether may disentangle the “chicken-and-egg” relationship (see Introduction) of insulin resistance and inflammation, at least in adipose tissue. Obesity induces insulin resistance, via a yet-to-be defined mechanism, which in turn promotes inflammation. As suggested previously (16), this inflammation may contribute to adipose tissue remodeling and expansion to maintain glucose hemostasis. It has been suggested that activated M1 macrophages undergo metabolic reprogramming from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis (54, 55). Thus, a physiological role of M1 macrophages could be to clear excess local glucose. Our finding that insulin resistance precedes inflammation may account for the observation that inhibition of TNF-α is ineffective in the treatment of obesity-induced insulin resistance (18–21). HFD-fed AdRiKO mice showed reduced AKT (Ser473) phosphorylation (Figure 1B), decreased glucose uptake (Figure 1A), and extensive inflammation (Figure 2) in eWAT. HFD-fed WT mice also displayed decreased glucose uptake (Figure 3, A–C), which was followed by mild inflammation (Figure 3D). Unexpectedly, AKT (Ser473) phosphorylation was not reduced in WT mice fed a HFD for 4 or 10 weeks (Supplemental Figure 5, E and F) (56), although we still observed mild inflammation in eWAT by week 10 of HFD feeding. We note that the number of M1 macrophages in AdRiKO eWAT was much higher than that in control eWAT by week 10 of the HFD (Figure 2F). These findings suggest that obesity-induced insulin resistance promotes mild inflammation downstream or independently of mTORC2, whereas chronic insulin resistance leads to mTORC2 inhibition and therefore extensive inflammation, as observed in AdRiKO mice and obese patients. Our experiments reveal that loss of mTORC2 leads to increased Mcp1 expression in adipocytes (Figure 5). What is the downstream effector through which mTORC2 controls Mcp1 transcription? One candidate is the phosphatidic acid phosphatase LIPIN1, whose knockdown results in Mcp1 expression in 3T3-L1 adipocytes (57). LIPIN1, independently of its phosphatase activity, also functions as a transcriptional repressor (58). We found that Lipin1 expression was reduced in Rictor-knockout eWAT and adipocytes (Supplemental Figure 10, A and B), suggesting that mTORC2 may negatively control Mcp1 transcription via LIPIN1. An adipose-specific transcription factor is another candidate through which mTORC2 may control Mcp1 expression. Rictor knockout increased Mcp1 expression in adipocytes, but not in liver or fibroblasts (Supplemental Figure 8F and Supplemental Figure 10C), indicating that the regulation of Mcp1 transcription by mTORC2 is specific to adipocytes. Why does AdRiKO eWAT accumulate a disproportionately high number of M1 macrophages only in response to obesity? The increase in Mcp1 transcription in mTORC2-knockout adipocytes required JNK activity (Figure 5I), which is high only in WAT from obese mice (59, 60). Thus, obesity might be a prerequisite for JNK activation, which in turn stimulates Mcp1 expression in conjunction with loss of mTORC2. We note that mTORC2 did not control JNK (Figure 5, J and K). In summary, we propose that obesity-mediated insulin resistance is a cause of inflammation in visceral WAT. Although our findings do not rule out the possibility that inflammation promotes insulin resistance in other tissues or conditions, they bring into question whether antiinflammation therapy in adipose tissue is an effective strategy in the prevention of type 2 diabetes. Mice. Adipose tissue–specific Rictor-knockout (AdRiKO) and liver-specific Rictor-knockout (LiRiKO) mice were described previously (32, 35, 61). Since AdRiKO mice are infertile, we bred Rictorfl/+ aP2-Cre mice with Rictorfl/fl mice to generate mice for our experiments. For experiments with AdRiKO mice, age-matched Cre-negative males were used as controls. To generate LiRiKO mice for experiments, Rictorfl/fl Alb-Cre mice were crossed with Rictorfl/fl mice. To generate an i-AdRiKO mouse line, Rictorfl/fl mice were bred with adipoq-CreERT2 mice, provided by Stefan Offermanns (Max Planck Institute for Heart and Lung Research [MPI-HLR], Bad Nauheim, Germany) (42). Once the i-AdRiKO mouse line (Rictorfl/fl adipoq-CreERT2) was generated, these mice were bred with Rictorfl/fl mice to produce mice for experiments. For experiments with LiRiKO and i-AdRiKO mice, Cre-negative littermate male mice were used as controls. All mice used in this study were on a C57BL/6 background. For i-AdRiKO mice, Rictor knockout was induced by i.p. injection of 1 mg/mouse tamoxifen (Sigma-Aldrich) resuspended in corn oil daily for 5 days. Mice were housed at 22°C in a conventional facility under a 12-hour light/12-hour dark cycle with unlimited access to water and were fed a ND or a HFD (60% kcal from fat NAFAG 2127, KLIBA). The HFD-feeding experiment was conducted for 10 weeks unless otherwise specified. Cre-negative animals were used as a control. For i-AdRiKO mouse experiments, control mice were also treated with tamoxifen. Mice were randomly assigned for each experiment. Only male, 6- to 16-week-old mice were used for experiments. Cell culture. 3T3-L1 cells were cultured and differentiated as described previously (62). In brief, 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cells were maintained in M1 medium (DMEM supplemented with 4 mM glutamine, 1 mM sodium pyruvate, 1× penicillin and streptomycin, and 10% FBS) at 37°C in an incubator with 5% CO2. For differentiation, cells were maintained in M1 medium for 2 days after reaching confluence. The medium was replaced with M2 medium (M1 medium supplemented with 1.5 μg/ml insulin, 0.5 mM IBMX, 1 μM dexamethasone, and 2 μM rosiglitazone), defined as day 0 of differentiation. After 2 days, the medium was replaced with M3 medium (M1 with 1.5 μg/ml insulin). The medium was replaced with M2 on day 4 of differentiation. From day 6, cells were maintained in M3 with a medium change every 2 days. For all experiments, cells differentiated for 10 to 14 days were used. Torin 1 was purchased from Tocris Bioscience and dissolved in DMSO. Human oWAT biopsies. oWAT biopsies were obtained from lean subjects with a BMI below 27 kg/m2 and from obese subjects with a BMI above 35 kg/m2 (Supplemental Table 2). Patients were fasted overnight and then underwent general anesthesia. All oWAT samples were obtained between 8:30 and 12:00, snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen, and stored at –80°C. Human primary adipocytes. Human primary visceral preadipocytes (from a 56-year-oldwoman with a BMI of 23) were obtained from Lonza. Cells were cultured and differentiated according to the manufacturer’s instructions. After 14 days of differentiation, cells were treated with DMSO or 250 nM torin1 for 6 hours. Generation of Rictor-knockout cells by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing. Rictor-knockout 3T3-L1 cells (Hall laboratory stock) were generated using the CRISPR/Cas9 system. Oligonucleotides containing single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) (Rictor.1, forward: CACCGGAAGATACTGATCCCGCTTG, sgRNA Rictor.1, reverse: AAACCAAGCGGGATCAGTATCTTCC; sgRNA Rictor.2, forward: CACCGTGCCTCCTAGGGCTTGGTCG, sgRNA Rictor.1, reverse: AAACCGACCAAGCCCTAGGAGGCAC) were cloned into lentiCRISPRv2 (Addgene plasmid 52961) (48), a gift of Feng Zhang (MIT, Cambridge Massachusetts, USA). Plasmids were amplified by bacterial transformation and isolated by Miniprep (Zymo Research). LentiCRISPRv2 plasmids were cotransfected with psPAX2 (Addgene plasmid 12260; a gift of Didier Trono, EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland) and pCMV-VSV-G (63) (Addgene plasmid 8454; a gift of Robert Weinberg, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA) into HEK293T cells (Hall laboratory stock). Supernatants containing lentiviruses were collected 1 day after transfection and used to transduce undifferentiated 3T3-L1 cells. Transduced cells were selected by puromycin. 2-Deoxyglucose uptake assay. Mice were fed a ND or HFD for 4 weeks, fasted for 5 hours, and given Humalog insulin i.p. (Lilly; 0.75 U/kg body weight). After 10 minutes, 2-deoxyglucose (2DG) (Sigma-Aldrich) was given i.p. (32.8 μg/g body weight), and tissues (eWAT, muscle) were collected 20 minutes later. For in vitro 2DG uptake, differentiated adipocytes were cultured in serum-free M1 medium, washed 3 times with HKRP buffer (1.2 mM KH2PO4, 1.2 mM MgSO4, 1.3 mM CaCl2, 118 mM NaCl, 5 mM KCl, and 30 mM HEPES, pH7.5), and cultured in HKRP buffer with 1% BSA for 30 minutes. Cells were stimulated with 100 nM insulin for 20 minutes and subsequently cultured with 1 mM 2DG for 20 minutes. Tissues or cells were lysed in 10 mM Tris-HCL, pH 8.0, by boiling for 15 minutes. 2-Deoxyglucose-6-phosphate (2DGP) was measured using a Glucose Uptake-Glo Assay Kit (Promega) following the manufacturer’s instructions. MCP1 ELISA and adipokine array. Mice were fed a HFD for 10 weeks, and MCP1 levels in eWAT and plasma were measured using a commercial ELISA kit (R&D Systems) following the manufacturer’s instructions. Adipokine array (R&D Systems) was performed according to the manufacturer’s instructions. MCP1-neutralizing antibody treatment. Mice were fed a HFD for 8 weeks. Mice were given i.p. 1 mg/kg body weight isotype control IgG (BD Biosciences; catalog 553968, lot 4113848) or anti–MCP1 IgG (BD Biosciences; catalog 554440, lot 5203535) every 2 days for 2 weeks. ITT. Mice were fasted for 5 hours, Humalog insulin (Lilly) was given i.p. (0.75U/kg body weight), and blood glucose levels were measured with an Accu-Chek blood glucose meter. In vivo insulin stimulation. Mice were fasted for 5 hours, Humalog insulin (Lilly) was administered i.p. (0.75U/kg body weight), and tissues were collected. Isolation of adipocytes and SVCs and flow cytometric analysis. SVCs were isolated and stained with antibody as previously described (64). In brief, fat pads were excised and minced in HBSS++ supplemented with 0.5% BSA and digested with 1 mg/ml type II collagenase (Sigma-Aldrich) at 37°C for 40 minutes with vigorous shaking. After digestion, final 10 mM EDTA was added and incubated for 10 minutes to dissociate SVCs. The resulting suspension was filtered through a 100-μm cell strainer (Corning) and centrifuged at 500 g for 10 minutes. After centrifugation, floating adipocytes were collected, and SVC-containing pellets were subjected to red blood cell lysis in 1× Red Blood Cell Lysis Buffer (eBioscience). SVCs were blocked with Fc-block (BD Biosciences) and stained with the following antibodies and reagents: F4/80-PE (eBioscience; catalog 12-4801-80); CD11b-APC eFluor 780 (eBioscience; catalog 47-0112-80); CD11c-PE-Cy7 (eBioscience; catalog 25-0114-81); CD45.2-PerCP (eBioscience; catalog 45-0454-80); CD301–Alexa Fluor 647 (AbD Serotec; catalog MCA2392A647T); CD4-FITC (eBioscience; catalog 11-0041-81); CD8a-PE (eBioscience; catalog 12-0081-81); CD3-APC (eBioscience; catalog 17-0032-80); CD45R (B220) PerCP-Cyanine 5.5 (eBioscience; catalog 45-0452-80); CD25 APC-eFluor 780 (eBioscience; catalog 47-0251-80); and Ki-67–Alexa Fluor 488 (BD Pharmingen; catalog 561165), along with a FOXP3 Flow Kit (BioLegend, catalog 320021) and a Live/Dead Fixable Dead Cell Kit (Thermo Fisher; catalog L34955). Stained SVCs were analyzed using the FACSCanto II (BD Biosciences) or sorted with a FACSAria IIIu (BD Biosciences). Immunohistochemistry. WATs were fixed overnight in 4% formalin at room temperature, dehydrated, embedded in paraffin, and cut into 5-μm-thick sections. Adipose tissue macrophages were stained with anti-F4/80 antibody (Abcam; catalog ab6640) and a secondary antibody conjugated with HRP (VECTOR Laboratories), followed by incubation in ImmPACT DAB peroxidase substrate solution (VECTOR Laboratories) and subsequent counterstaining with hematoxylin (VECTOR Laboratories). Images were obtained using DM600B (Leica) and analyzed with Fiji software (ImageJ; NIH) (65). RNA isolation and quantitative real-time PCR. Total RNA was isolated with TRIzol Reagent (Sigma-Aldrich) and an RNeasy Kit (QIAGEN). For RNA isolation from sorted macrophages, an RNeasy Micro Kit (QIAGEN) was used. RNA was reverse transcribed to cDNA using an iScript cDNA Synthesis Kit (Bio-Rad). Semiquantitative real-time PCR analysis was performed using Fast SYBR Green (Applied Biosystems). Relative expression levels were determined by normalizing each Ct value to either Polr2a, Tbp, or Rpl7 expression for mice and RNA18S5 for human samples using the ΔΔCt method. The primer sequences used in this study are shown in Table 1. Protein isolation and immunoblots. Tissues were homogenized in lysis buffer containing 100 mM Tris-HCl, pH7.5, 2 mM EDTA, 2 mM EGTA, 150 mM NaCl, 1% Triton X-100, cOmplete Inhibitor Cocktail (Roche), and PhosSTOP (Roche). The protein concentration was determined by the Bradford assay, and equal amounts of protein were separated by SDS-PAGE and transferred onto nitrocellulose membranes (GE Healthcare). The following antibodies were used in this study and were purchased from Cell Signaling Technology: AKT (catalog 4685); phosphorylated AKT (p-AKT) (Ser473) (catalog 4060), RICTOR (catalog 2140), PKC (catalog 2056), p-S6K (Thr389) (catalog 9234), S6K (catalog 2708), p-JNK (Thr183/Tyr185) (catalog 4668), JNK (catalog 9252), p-cJUN (Ser73) (catalog 3270), cJUN (catalog 9165). Actin monoclonal antibody was purchased from Sigma-Aldrich (catalog MAB1501). JNK kinase assay. JNK activity was measured using a SAPK/JNK Kinase Assay Kit (Nonradioactive) (Cell Signaling Technology; catalog 8794). Proteome analysis. eWAT was homogenized in urea lysis buffer containing 50 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.2, 8 M urea, 75 mM NaCl, cOmplete inhibitor cocktail (Roche), and PhosSTOP (Roche). The extracts were incubated for 30 minutes at 4°C and centrifuged for 15 minutes at 14,000 g. Protein concentration was measured with the Bradford assay. Proteins were reduced with 2.5 mM DTT for 40 minutes at 56°C and alkylated with 7.5 mM iodoacetamide for 40 minutes at room temperature in the dark with gentle shaking. The urea concentration was lowered to 4 M with 25 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8. The lysates were digested with 2 rounds of endoproteinase LysC (Wako) at an enzyme/protein ratio of 1:100 (w/w) at 37°C for 2 hours. After the LysC digestion, the urea concentration was lowered to 1 M with 25 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0. The lysates were digested with 2 rounds of trypsin (Worthington) at an enzyme/protein ratio of 1:100 (w/w) for 2 hours, followed by overnight digestion at 37°C. Digestion was stopped by adding trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) to reach a final concentration of 0.4%. The digests were centrifuged for 5 minutes at 3,000 g and desalted on a C18 SepPak cartridge (Waters) that had been equilibrated with 0.1% TFA. The peptides were applied onto the cartridge, washed with 0.1% TFA, and subsequently eluted with 0.5% AcOH/80% AcCN. The peptide concentration was estimated by measuring the UV absorbance at 280 nm (66). The desalted peptides were dried in a SpeedVac (Thermo Fisher Scientific). For strong cation separation, the dried peptides were dissolved in 1.5 ml 7 mM KH2PO4, pH 2.65, and 30% AcCN (v/v) (SCX buffer A) and centrifuged at 10,600 × g. The peptides were applied onto a HiTrap SP cartridge (GE Healthcare) that had been equilibrated with 3 ml SCX buffer A, and the cartridge was washed with 3 ml SCX buffer A. Bound peptides were stepwise eluted with 1.5 ml each of SCX buffer A containing 50 mM, 100 mM, 150 mM, 250 mM, and 350 mM KCl, and each fraction was collected manually. The peptide concentration was estimated by absorbance at 280 nm. The fractions were dried in a SpeedVac and desalted on either micro or macro spin C18 columns (The Nest Group). The peptides were desalted with 0.1% TFA and subsequently eluted with 0.5% AcOH/80% AcCN. The dried peptides (20 μg) were dissolved in 20 μl of 0.1% formic acid and 0.005% TFA and analyzed on an Orbitrap Elite FT Hybrid Instrument (Thermo Fisher Scientific). The peptides from the SCX step-off fractions were analyzed by capillary liquid chromatography tandem MS (LC-MS/MS) using a home-packed separating column (0.075 mm × 15 cm) packed with Reprosil C18 reverse-phase material (2.4 m particle size; provided by Albin Maisch, Ammerbuch-Entringen, Germany). The column was connected online to an Orbitrap Elite FT Hybrid Instrument. The solvents used for peptide separation were 0.1% formic acid in water/0.005% TFA (solvent A) and 0.1% formic acid/0.005% TFA and 80% acetonitrile in water (solvent B). Peptide digest (2 μl) was injected with a Proxeon nLC Capillary Pump (Thermo Fisher Scientific) set to 0.3 μl/min. A linear gradient from 0% to 40% of solvent B in solvent A in 95 minutes was delivered with the nano pump at a flow rate of 0.3 μl/min. After 95 minutes, the percentage of solvent B was increased to 75% in 10 minutes. The eluting peptides were ionized at 2.5 kV. The mass spectrometer was operated in data-dependent mode. The precursor scan was done in the Orbitrap, set to 60,000 resolution, while the fragment ions were mass analyzed in the LTQ Orbitrap Instrument. A top-10 method was run so that the 10 most intense precursors were selected for fragmentation. Each biological replicate was measured in 3 technical replicates. The LC-MS/MS data were searched with Proteome Discoverer 1.4 (Thermo Fisher Scientific), set to Mascot and Sequest HT against a mouse UniProtKB databank (67). The precursor tolerance was set to 10 ppm, while the fragment ion tolerance was set to 0.5 Da. The following variable modifications were used during the search: carbamidomethyl-cystein, oxidized methionine, and N-terminal protein acetylation. The peptide search matches were set at “high confidence” (1% FDR). All LC-MS/MS runs were aligned with Progenesis software (Waters). For identification of the aligned features, the corresponding Proteome Discoverer 1.4 results files were imported into the aligned Progenesis data file. The data aligned in Progenesis were exported as .txt files to the R-based Perseus program (68). Volcano plots and ANOVA 2-sample t tests were performed with a FDR of 5%. Proteins were considered regulated when the ANOVA 2-sample t test was below 0.05 in each technical replicate and the Student’s t test P value was below 0.05 in at least 2 of 3 biological replicates. GO process analysis was performed according to the framework provided by the Gene Ontology Consortium (69, 70). Statistics. Immunoblots for p-AKT2 (Ser474) and AKT2 on human oWAT were quantified in Fiji (65). Samples for which we failed to detect AKT2 were excluded from further analysis. Sample size was chosen according to our previous studies and published reports in which similar experimental procedures were described. The investigators were not blinded to the treatment groups. All data are shown as the mean ± SEM. Sample numbers are indicated in each figure legend. For mouse experiments, n represents the number of animals, and for cell culture experiments, N indicates the number of independent experiments. To determine the statistical significance between 2 groups, an unpaired 2-tailed Student’s t test was performed. For more than 3 groups, 1-way ANOVA was performed. For ITT data, 2-way ANOVA was performed. For human samples, statistical outliers were excluded in Figure 6 according to the robust regression and outlier removal test (ROUT) (Q = 1%) but are included in Supplemental Figure 9. In all cases, a Mann-Whitney U test was performed to determine statistical significance. All statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism 7 (GraphPad Software). Cluster analysis was performed using ClustVis (71). A P value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Study approval. All animal experiments were performed in accordance with federal guidelines for animal experimentation and approved by the Kantonales Veterinäramt of the Kanton Basel-Stadt (Basel, Switzerland). For human biopsies, the study protocol was approved by the Ethikkomission Nordwest-und Zentralschweiz (EKNZ) (Basel, Switzerland). All patients provided informed consent to provide adipose tissue samples. MS and MNH designed and directed the research. MS, VA, RP, ICF, DW, ACMG, NC, SM, MC, JAM, MMS, and PJ performed experiments and analyzed data. MS, RP, BW, and CB designed the protocol for the collection of human adipose tissue biopsies. MS and MNH wrote the manuscript. We thank Didier Trono (EPFL, Switzerland), Robert Weinberg (MIT, USA), and Feng Zhang (MIT, USA), Stefan Offermanns (MPI-HLR, Germany), the Imaging Core Facility (Biozentrum), and the FACS Core Facility (Biozentrum) for reagents, a mouse strain, equipment, or technical support. We acknowledge support from the Swiss National Science Foundation (to MS and MNH), the Louis Jeantet Foundation (to MNH), and the Canton of Basel (to MNH). Reference information: J Clin Invest. 2018;128(4):1538–1550.https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI96139. Rocha VZ, Libby P. Obesity, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Nat Rev Cardiol. 2009;6(6):399–409. Park J, Morley TS, Kim M, Clegg DJ, Scherer PE. Obesity and cancer — mechanisms underlying tumour progression and recurrence. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2014;10(8):455–465. Tian XY, et al. Thermoneutral housing accelerates metabolic inflammation to potentiate atherosclerosis but not insulin resistance. Cell Metab. 2016;23(1):165–178. 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https://www.jci.org/articles/view/96139

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These product details as well as expressly agreed features or application purposes shall not relieve the customer from the obligation to test the product for the intended purpose and to take the respective measures for careful storage. In particular, but without limitation, it is acknowledged by the customer that no technical schedule, shall be deemed to constitute or contain any representation, warranty or condition relating to the deliveries. FURTHERMORE, UNLESS SPECIFICALLY AGREED OTHERWISE IN WRITING, DELIVERABLES ARE MERELY MADE TO CUSTOMERS REQUIREMENTS AND GENERALLY NOT VERIFIED; TESTED OR WARRANTED BY US TO BE BIOCOMPATIBLE, IMPLANTABLE OR IN COMPLIANCE WITH RELATED REGULATORY REQUIREMENTS ("BIOCOMPATIBLITY REQUIREMENTS"); THE CUSTOMER IS THEREFORE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE APPROPRIATE DEFINITIONS OF THE RESPECTIVE BIOCOMPATIBILITY REQUIREMENTS AND WILL FULLY HOLD HARMLESS AND INDEMNIFY US FROM COSTS AND CLAIMS RELATED TO THE IMPROPER USE OF DELIVERIES OR PRODUCTS CONTAINING DELIVERIES INSIDE THE HUMAN BODY. THE WARRANTIES AND ANY ASSOCIATED REMEDIES SET OUT OR REFERENCED HEREIN ARE EXCLUSIVE. NO OTHER WARRANTY, WRITTEN OR ORAL, IS EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED BY US OR MAY BE INFERRED FROM A COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE. TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY LOCAL LAW WE DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS INCLUDING ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND WARRANTIES OF NON-INFRINGEMENT. Details of quality, durability and possible uses of our products do not include any guarantees, in particular as stipulated in Sec. 443 German Civil Code (BGB), unless such details are explicitly specified as guarantee in writing. Lead times are provided for information purposes only and shall be non-binding, unless it is explicitly agreed that the delivery date shall be fixed, i.e. it is put in writing that the customer has no further interest in the delivery after the agreed date. Confirmed delivery dates are subject to the correct, complete and timely receipt of supplies by us. Delivery deadlines shall be considered as met if prior to deadline expiry the delivery item has left our facility or if we have informed the customer that the order is ready for shipment. Delivery periods shall not start to run until the customer has properly fulfilled its respective obligations and contractual duties, such as furnishing technical data, product acceptance notifications in accordance with the agreed initial sampling processes and documents, approvals, making a down payment or providing a payment guarantee. Events of force majeure or other circumstances beyond our control that render the timely execution of accepted orders impossible shall relieve us from our delivery commitment as long as these events continue to exist. This means we do not assume the risk of procurement. Furthermore, we reserve the right to withdraw from the contract in case we do not receive the relevant products ourselves in spite of a respective prior procurement contract with our supplier; our responsibility for damages caused intentionally or negligently according to clause 8 remains unaffected. We will inform the customer without undue delay that the delivery item will not be available in time, and in case we withdraw from the contract we will return any consideration already received without undue delay. It is generally not possible to return any sold and non-defective products. In case the customer becomes subject to insolvency proceedings, or comparable proceedings under foreign law, provides a formal information of financial status (Vermögensauskunft) according to Sec. 807 German Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO), experiences payment difficulties or in case we become aware of a significant deterioration of the customer’s financial situation, we shall be entitled to suspend deliveries immediately and to refuse the fulfilment of current contracts unless the customer provides the respective consideration in advance or, upon our request, provides appropriate securities. In case the customer is in default of acceptance or payment or does culpable breach of any primary or accessory obligations, the customer shall indemnify us for any damages caused and any additional costs related thereto. Further claims and rights shall remain unaffected. In case of the customer’s default of acceptance or payment, the risk of accidental loss and damage of the products shall pass to the customer. In case the products are sent to the customer or a third party at the customer’s request, the risk of accidental loss or accidental damage of the products shall pass to the customer once the products have left our facility/warehouse at the latest, irrespective of the agreed dispatch place and irrespective of which party bears the transport costs. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any use of Incoterms shall be deemed as a reference to the INCOTERMS 2010 as published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). Unless agreed otherwise, the information we provide under export law is limited to the non-preferential origin under Art. 59 et seq. of the European Union Customs Code Regulation (EU) 952/2013. We reserve title to all delivered products until all our existing claims, including conditional and accessory claims against the customer resulting from our business relation have been satisfied; for this purpose, all deliveries shall be considered as one single delivery transaction. In case of a current account, the reservation of title shall serve as security for our outstanding balance claim. All aforementioned provisions shall also apply to future claims. In case of a material breach of contractual obligations by the customer, we may immediately retrieve the products without further notice, reasonably taking into account the legitimate interests of the customer; the customer hereby consents in advance to return the products in such instances. Retrieving the products shall only be deemed a withdrawal from the contract if explicitly so stated by us. All costs resulting from retrieving the products (in particular transport costs) shall be borne by the customer. To the extent we do not explicitly declare our withdrawal from the contract the customer may request delivery of the products only once the purchase price and all costs have been paid in full. The customer may resell or process the delivered products or mix or combine it with other items in the course of ordinary business only; however, the customer hereby assigns to us in advance all claims resulting from the resale, processing, mixing, combining or other legal grounds related to the delivered product (in particular from insurance contracts or unlawful acts) in the amount of the agreed final invoice total (incl. VAT). The same applies if a product is not resold but used by the customer for purposes of a contract for work and services or a contract for work and materials (Werk- oder Werklieferungsvertrag). The reservation of title shall also apply to new products resulting from the processing of the initially delivered items, or their mixing or combining with other items, in each case at the full value of the respective new product. These processes shall be performed on our behalf so that we shall be deemed to be the manufacturer. If third-party ownership rights remain after processing of our products or their mixing or combining with third party products, we shall acquire joint ownership in the new product at the ratio of the objective value of the processed, mixed or combined products. If our ownership ceases as a result of the processing, combining or mixing, the customer hereby already transfers to us his title and any expectant rights in the new product in the amount of the invoice value of the products delivered by us, and shall store it on our behalf free of charge. The customer shall be authorised to collect debt claims from the resale assigned to us under clause 5.2 as long as we have not revoked this authorisation. We will not collect such debt claims ourselves, as long as the customer properly fulfils its payment obligations towards us. Upon our first written demand the customer shall inform us about the debtors of the assigned claims and shall notify the debtors of the assignment. We may revoke the customer’s authorisation under clauses 5.2 and 5.4 to resell the products and to collect the debt claims assigned to us with immediate effect if the customer is in default of payment to us, experiences payment difficulties due to a significant deterioration of its financial situation or does not fulfil other material contractual obligations properly. In case the customer becomes subject to insolvency proceedings, or comparable proceedings under foreign law, discontinues payments, provides formal information of its financial status (Vermögensauskunft) according to Sec. 807 German Code of Civil Procedure (ZPO), or if a change of ownership occurs in the customer’s business due to payment difficulties, the authorisation to resell products and to collect the debt claims assigned to us shall cease automatically. The customer shall store our (jointly) owned materials on our behalf free of charge and with the due care and diligence of a prudent businessman and shall insure them against fire, burglary and other usual risks. Any required maintenance and inspection services have to be timely performed at the customer’s expense. The customer must not pledge or assign as security any products delivered under reservation of title or any products processed or manufactured on our behalf. The customer shall notify us immediately of any pledge or any other interference with our ownership rights by third parties and shall confirm our title in the respective product in writing, both to us and the third party. Any costs arising from resulting legal action shall be borne by the customer. In case the actual value of the securities exceeds the nominal amount of the secured claims by more than 10%, we will release selected securities upon the customer’s request. In case the reservation of title under clause 5.1 needs to be publicly registered or requires any other kind of cooperation by the customer in order to be valid, the customer hereby irrevocably consents to such registration and agrees to take all necessary actions at its own cost. Our prices are in EUR and are valid for delivery FCA (agreed place of delivery); statutory VAT, transport and packing costs are not included. Unforeseen changes in costs beyond our control, such as costs for raw materials, wages, energy and other costs shall entitle us to adjust prices accordingly. For partial deliveries each delivery may be invoiced separately. If no specific prices have been agreed in the contract, our prices valid at the respective delivery date shall apply. Our invoices are due immediately and payable without discount. Any discount has to be specifically agreed in writing. We are not obliged to accept bills, cheques or other promises to pay, their acceptance shall not be considered a replacement of the underlying obligation (Leistung an Erfüllungs statt) but only as an additional possibility for us to receive payment (Leistung erfüllungshalber). The date of receipt of payment shall be the day on which the amount is in our possession or has been credited to our bank account. In case the customer is in default of payment we may charge interest at the rate of 9 percentage points above the base interest rate published by the Federal Bank of Germany (Bundesbank) for the duration of the default, plus a lump sum of EUR 40. This shall not restrict our right to claim additional damages or costs. In addition, in case the customer is in default of payment, we may choose to call due any outstanding purchase price instalments or other existing claims against the customer as well as to make future deliveries under this or other contracts subject to provision of a security in advance or simultaneous (Zug-um-Zug) payment against delivery. No interest will be paid on advance or partial payments. The customer may set off or withhold payments only if his counterclaim is undisputed or res judicata. This restriction shall not apply to claims of the customer for corrective measures in relation to a defective product or completion of an unfinished product. Upon request, the customer shall provide us with any documentary evidence for tax purposes (i. a. entry certificates (Gelangensbestätigung)), which we consider necessary under the applicable statutory provisions to prove our exemption from VAT for cross-border deliveries. In case of non-compliance the customer shall, after receipt of a corrected invoice, cover any VAT claims and interest imposed on us by the tax authorities. The customer shall inform us about the invalidity or any changes in its VAT identification number without undue delay. In case the purchase price is paid by way of the credit note procedure for VAT purposes, the customer shall be solely responsible for compliance with the VAT related provisions on invoices. We shall not be liable for damages resulting from the credit note procedure, e.g. any refunds of input tax and payment of interest by the customer to the competent tax authorities. The customer shall properly fulfil its duties regarding inspection and lodging complaints under Sec. 377 German Commercial Code (HGB), i.e. the customer shall inspect the products without undue delay and shall notify us of any defects without undue delay, and, if a defect is discovered later in the ordinary course of business, shall notify us of such defect without undue delay after discovery. If defective products are delivered, we shall be given the opportunity, prior to the start of manufacturing (processing or installing), to sort out such products and to remedy the defect or to make a substitute delivery, unless this cannot reasonably be expected from the customer. In case we are unable to accomplish this or fail to comply in due course, the customer may withdraw from the contract to this extent and may return the products at our risk. In case of urgency, the customer may, following consultation with us, remedy the defects himself or instruct a third party to do so. Expenses incurred by such remedial activities shall be reimbursed by us according to clause 8. If the defect is discovered only after the start of manufacturing or initial operation, despite the fulfilment of all duties according to clause 7.2, the customer may demand subsequent performance (rework or substitute delivery at our discretion). The delivery of defective products results in a right of retention only insofar as it is in due proportion to the respective defect and the expected costs of the subsequent performance, and provided that the customer’s counterclaim is based on the same contractual relationship. Any claims for damages for defective products shall be subject to two useless attempts of subsequent performance. In case of substitute delivery the customer is obliged to return the defective products upon request. A withdrawal from the contract or a claim for reduction of purchase price shall be granted only if the defect cannot be remedied within an appropriate period, if subsequent performance will incur disproportionate costs, is unreasonable or must be considered as failed for other reasons. The customer shall, however, have no right to withdraw from the contract in case of minor defects. The customer shall allow us to inspect any rejected products without undue delay; in particular these products shall be made available to us upon request and at our cost. If complaints are unfounded, we may charge the transport costs and inspection expenses to the customer. No claims for defects may be raised in case of merely insubstantial deviations from the agreed quality, insubstantial impairment of serviceability, or if the defect can be put down to a violation of operating, maintenance or installation instructions, unsuitable or improper use or storage. This shall also apply in case of faulty or negligent handling or assembly, normal wear and tear or tampering with the delivery item by the customer or a third party. No costs may be claimed regarding the subsequent performance, the withdrawal from the contract or damage-repair because of defective products, in particular costs for de- and reinstallation, testing, validation, shipment, transportation, labour and material, insofar as: (i) these claims and costs result from the fact that the products have been transferred to a place different from the agreed place of performance after passing of risk, or (ii) at the time the costs were incurred, which means generally at the time of deliver but at latest during installation or processing, the customer knew or reasonably should have known of the defect. However, this does not apply in case such transfer corresponds with the normal use of the products known to us. Damages and reimbursement of expenses may only be claimed according to clause 8. The customer may not make the aforementioned claims for any products, which, according to mutual agreement, we do not deliver as new products. Costs regarding the subsequent performance, the withdrawal from the contract or damage-repair because of defective products, in particular costs for de- and reinstallation, testing, validation, shipment, transportation, labour and material shall not exceed the total value of the respective order. We shall be liable for any damages, in particular resulting from a breach of duty of care when entering into a contract (culpa in contrahendo), from a breach of obligations or from unlawful acts (Sec. 823 et seq. German Civil Code (BGB)), only to the extent that we, our employees or vicarious agents (Erfüllungsgehilfen) have acted intentionally or grossly negligent. For damages resulting from death or bodily harm or a violation of material contractual obligations, we shall also be liable for ordinary negligence. Contractual obligations shall be deemed as "material" if their fulfilment is a prerequisite for proper performance of the contract and the customer regularly trusts in their fulfilment and also may do so. In case of a violation of a material contractual obligation our liability shall be limited to the direct average damage, predictable and typical for the respective type of product. This shall also apply to a breach of obligations by our employees or vicarious agents (Verrichtungsgehilfen or Erfüllungsgehilfen). We shall be liable for the infringement of third parties’ industrial property rights in connection with the sale of our products under the foregoing provisions only if the infringement results from the proper use of our product, and only to the extent such third parties’ industrial property rights are valid in the Federal Republic of Germany and have been published at the time of delivery. This shall not apply if we have manufactured the product according to designs, drawings, models, or other descriptions or data provided by the customer or based on active pharmaceutical ingredients or parts and components selected or provided by customer or sterilized by a third party selected by customer and/or if we did not know or did not have to know of any infringement of industrial property rights in connection with the developed product. In this case our customer is liable for any current or future infringement of third parties’ industrial property rights. The customer undertakes to inform us without undue delay of any potential and alleged cases of infringement of third parties’ industrial property rights he may become aware of, and to indemnify us from any third parties’ claims, costs and expenses incurred. Claims for defects of delivered products, including any damages relating to such defects – irrespective of the legal grounds – shall become time-barred one (1) year after delivery. Claims for price reduction and rights to withdraw from the contract shall be excluded insofar as the primary claim for performance or the secondary claim for subsequent performance has become time-barred. Our mandatory liability pursuant to the provisions of the German Product Liability Act (Produkthaftungsgesetz) towards harmed third parties and mandatory elements of Sec. 478, 479 German Civil Code (Letztverkäuferregress) shall remain unaffected by the foregoing provisions. We shall only be liable for claims of recourse by the customer if and to the extent the customer has not accepted obligations towards his own customer beyond the mandatory statutory provisions on remedies for defects and liability. Unless agreed otherwise in writing, clauses 7 and 8 shall apply accordingly to any claims of recourse raised by the customer. WE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES OF ANY KIND ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE OBLIGATIONS UNDER THIS CONTRACT. THE TERM "CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES" INCLUDES, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO, PATIENT’S MEDICAL EXPENSES, LOSS OF USE, LOSS OF INCOME, REVENUE AND COST OF CAPITAL OR PAIN AND SUFFERING. EXCEPT FOR PERSONAL INJURY OR DEATH DUE TO OUR GROSS NEGLIGENCE OR WILLFUL MISCONDUCT, OUR AGGREGATE LIABILITY RELATING TO OUR OBLIGATIONS UNDER THIS CONTRACT (WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT OR OTHERWISE SHALL IN NO EVENT EXCEED: (I) ON AN AGGREGATED CLAIM BASIS, THE AMOUNT PAID TO US UNDER THIS CONTRACT DURING THE TWELVE (12) MONTH PERIOD IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE EVENT GIVING RISE TO SUCH LIABILITY ("THE COMBINED TOTAL"), OR (II) 10% OF THE COMBINED TOTAL ON A PER CLAIM BASIS. WE DO NOT ACCEPT ANY FURTHER LIABILITY. Customer shall keep any knowledge and information of a technical or economical nature it has received from us in connection with the business relationship ("Confidential Information") strictly confidential towards third parties at any time, even after the end of the business relationship, unless the customer proves that the Confidential Information is (i) already known to the customer or in the public domain at the time of disclosure or subsequently becomes public knowledge other than through a fault of the customer, (ii) subsequently developed by the customer completely independent from the Confidential Information, or (iii) received by the customer from a third party without breach of a confidentiality obligation. We remain the sole owner of any documents, in particular drawings, containing Confidential Information, which are disclosed in the course of the business relationship. Any such documents must be returned to us upon our request but at the latest at the end of the business relationship. The customer has no right of retention regarding Confidential Information or documents or materials containing Confidential Information. The disclosure of Confidential Information does not establish any industrial property rights, rights to knowhow or copyrights of the customer and does not constitute a prior publication or right of prior use according to the applicable patent, design and utility model laws. Any kind of license is subject to a written agreement. The customer shall comply with foreign trade law provisions, in particular with any applicable export control regulations under German, EU and US law and hereby agrees that we can reasonably review, save, process and reasonably share with professional service providers customer data, including personal data, for compliance purposes in each case subject to the applicable data privacy laws and limited in extent and scope to the extent necessary to ensure legal and regulatory compliance. The customer will not engage in any business related to ABC weapons or military application, and he undertakes not to deal with or otherwise cooperate, neither directly nor indirectly, with any terrorist or terrorist organizations or any other criminal or anti-constitutional organizations. The customer will in particular establish reasonable organizational measures to implement applicable embargoes, the European regulations against terroristic and criminal acts and the respective requirements under US law or any other law applicable to the business relationship, in particular by implementing adequate software systems. Once a product has left our facilities, the customer shall be solely responsible for compliance with the abovementioned provisions and shall indemnify us from any and all claims or related costs resulting from the violation of the respective laws or regulations by the customer, its affiliates, employees, representatives or any of its vicarious agents (Erfüllungsgehilfen), including reasonable attorney or consultant fees, administrative fees and penalties. We will reasonably comply with the obligations resulting from the European Chemicals Regulation No. 1907/2006 ("REACH") that are directly applicable to us and will be liable for breaches according to clause 8. The customer shall, however, be solely liable for any negative consequences resulting from the provision of insufficient information by the customer, including any incorrect or incomplete information relating to the use of products within the supply chain. Outside of Europe, solely the customer is responsible for regulatory chemical compliance. In the event in the reasonable opinion of one party a voluntary or government-mandated recall, field correction, market withdrawal, stock recovery, or other similar action with respect to the deliveries ("Recall") is required the customer will consult with us without delay, however the final decision for handling any Recall shall rest with us. Customer will immediately (i.e., within 24 hours or less) notify us if the customer learns that a potential Recall implicates the deliveries, and if a complaint alleges that a death or serious deterioration in the state of health has occurred. In other cases, the customer will notify us of complaints within two (2) calendar days without any delay that could not be justified. Customer will provide all reasonable assistance requested by us in the conduct of a Recall, and will: (a) provide us with available performance evaluations, accident reports, engineering investigations, and other data relating to the potential Recall; (b) provide us a reasonable opportunity to participate in inquiries and discussions among customer, its end-customer and governmental agencies regarding the need for and scope of the Recall; and (c) consult with us about the most cost-effective method of modifying or replacing systems or component parts, including the deliveries, in order to remedy the alleged defect or non-compliance. Unless agreed otherwise on a case by case basis, we shall be solely responsible for notifying governmental or regulatory authorities regarding any such matters specifically related to our deliveries, and customer will cooperate with us in reporting any requirements or other follow-up activities (including but not limited to, corrective action) relating thereto. Each party will designate a representative responsible for the exchange of such information and for all other regulatory information. In the event of a Recall, customer will not make any statement to the press or public concerning the Recall without first notifying us and obtaining our prior approval of any such statement. If a Recall arises from any other reason, including customer’s design, specifications, or mandated suppliers, active pharmaceutical ingredient or parts provided or selected by customer, customer mandated sterilizers, customer acts or omissions in the marketing, distribution, storage, or handling of the deliveries or a product containing the deliveries, the costs and responsibilities of the Recall will be borne by the customer. The parties will maintain records of all sales of deliveries and products containing deliveries sufficient to adequately administer a Recall for the period required by applicable law. For all claims resulting from our business relationship with the customer, in particular regarding our deliveries, the site from which the delivery originates shall be deemed the place of performance. The customer may assign its claims arising from the contractual relationship only with our prior written approval. For all claims resulting from our business relationship with the customer, in particular regarding our deliveries, the exclusive place of jurisdiction shall be Weinheim/Bergstraße, Germany. This shall also apply to disputes concerning the formation and validity of a contractual relationship. We shall, however, also have the option to sue the customer in the courts competent for the customer’s place of business. If a customer’s place of business is located outside of Germany, we shall be entitled to have all disputes arising out of or in connection with our business relationship with the customer, including disputes about the validity of contracts, finally settled in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the German Institution of Arbitration (DIS) without recourse to the ordinary courts of law. The place of arbitration shall be Frankfurt a. M., Germany. Upon request, we shall exercise our right to choose arbitration before proceedings are initiated. The arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in German, unless the customer requests them to be held in English. The business relationship with the customer shall be exclusively governed by the laws of Germany, excluding its rules of private international law, the UN Convention on the International Sale of Goods (C.I.S.G.) and other bilateral or multilateral conventions on the harmonisation of law regarding the international sale of goods. This is a convenience translation of our German Conditions of Delivery and Payment (Allgemeine Liefer- und Zahlungsbedingungen). In case of discrepancies between the German and the English version, the German version shall prevail. These Conditions of Purchase shall apply exclusively to all of our or our affiliated companies’ orders and contracts (hereinafter “order”) governing the purchase of goods, services and work performance (hereinafter “delivery”) from entrepreneurs, legal persons under public law or special funds under public law within the meaning of Sec. 310 para.1 German Civil Code. We hereby explicitly object to any deviating or supplementary conditions set by our suppliers, they shall not be binding for us. Our Conditions of Purchase shall also apply exclusively if we do not object to the incorporation of our supplier’s conditions in individual cases or if, although being aware of contrary or supplementary terms and conditions of the supplier, we accept a delivery without reservation. These Conditions of Purchase also apply to all future business relations with the supplier, even if they are not explicitly agreed upon again. Should any provision of these Conditions of Purchase be invalid or unenforceable, this shall not affect the validity of the remaining provisions. The invalid provision shall be replaced by a lawful provision coming as close as possible to the commercial purpose of the invalid provision. Any agreement with the supplier and all orders shall be considered binding for us only if they are put down in writing or in text form. Any modification, addition or subsidiary agreement before, at or after the contract formation also requires our consent in writing or text form. This form requirement may only be waived in writing or in text form. If the supplier does not accept our order in writing or in text form within two (2) weeks of receipt, we shall be entitled to revoke the order. Delivery calls shall be binding unless the supplier objects within three (3) working days of receipt. Any deviation from, modification of or supplement to our orders shall only be effective if explicitly and separately indicated as deviation, modification or supplement and expressly approved by us. Prices specified in the order are firm. Prices are valid for “delivery at place” (DAP), as well as any packaging, adequate transport insurance to be taken out by supplier, and all other costs of delivery, unless explicitly agreed otherwise in writing. VAT is not included in the price. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, any use of Incoterms shall be deemed as a reference to the INCOTERMS 2010 as published by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC). In cases where the supplier is responsible for erection, assembly or commissioning, and the parties have not agreed otherwise in writing, the supplier shall bear all necessary incidental costs, such as travel expenses and costs for provision of tools. Invoices will be processed only if we receive them by separate mail. Each order must be invoiced separately. Invoices must state the order number specified in our order, the order date, the company name of supplier and our item number, all clearly highlighted. Invoices must be made out in EUR, payments will be made in EUR only, unless agreed otherwise. For each bank account, the supplier shall provide the correct IBAN and BIC codes, as well as its VAT identification number. Payments will be made, at our option, by bank transfer or cheque or bill of exchange after taking delivery and receipt of a verifiable invoice and all documents pertaining to the delivery. Accounts may also be settled by us in line with the credit note procedure (self-billing procedure) according to the applicable tax laws, if agreed upon in advance. Unless otherwise agreed upon in writing, we shall pay within 30 days without discount. The supplier shall not be entitled to assign or otherwise dispose of its claims wholly or partly against us without our prior written consent. We shall be entitled to exercise statutory setoff and retention rights. Delivery dates specified in the order or otherwise agreed upon are binding and must be strictly met. The supplier shall promptly notify us in writing of any potential delays or non-compliance with delivery dates and deadlines, explaining the reasons for the delay and specifying how long they are expected to prevail. Deliveries by instalments and premature deliveries shall be allowed only with our written consent. Payment claims, however, shall be due no earlier than on the delivery date originally agreed upon. Unless otherwise agreed upon, deliveries must be accompanied by a delivery note and a works test certificate according to EN 10204:2005-01 or any other equivalent internationally recognized test certificate specifying the characteristics agreed upon with the supplier. Initial supplies must be accompanied by an initial sampling. On-site deliveries are only possible at the time stated in the order or as otherwise agreed upon. Unless otherwise agreed upon, when entering a Freudenberg site all occupants of vehicles must be registered. It is generally prohibited to take children or animals along to a Freudenberg site. Wearing safety boots is mandatory at loading and unloading facilities. Any instructions by the safety staff must be complied with. In case of delays in delivery we shall be entitled to impose a contractual penalty of 1% for each commenced week of delay, but no more than a total of 10% of the order value; the supplier shall however have the right to prove that no damage was caused or the damage is materially lower. We reserve the right to claim further damages. We shall reserve the contractual penalty no later than upon payment of the invoice, following receipt of the delayed delivery. Events of force majeure that render a delivery by our supplier or the acceptance or use of the delivery in our or at our customer’s business impossible or substantially more difficult shall postpone our acceptance duty for an appropriate period of time, considering our actual demand. In cases of force majeure concerning us or our supplier we shall also have the right, at our discretion, to wholly or partially withdraw from the contract. The place of performance shall be the location to which, according to the order, the goods have to be delivered or where the service is to be performed. The place of performance shall be our registered office. The delivery shall be properly packed and made DAP to the address designated by us or performed there for the supplier’s account and at supplier’s risk. The risk of accidental perishing or deterioration of delivery will pass to us only with receipt of delivery by us or by a forwarding agent appointed by us at the agreed place of performance or after final acceptance of the delivery, whichever is later, even if we have agreed to pay the freight charges. With the passage of risk at the place of performance or with delivery to a forwarding agent specifically appointed by us we shall acquire ownership of the goods without reservation of any rights for the supplier. In case of delivery of machinery or plants, the risk shall pass only after their final acceptance at the place of performance. We will inspect the delivered goods based on the accompanying documents for identity and quantity as well as for visible transport damage. Defects in the delivery will be notified to the supplier once we discover them in the ordinary course of our business, within an appropriate time of at least five (5) working days following the detection. Under these circumstances, the supplier hereby waives its right to object to claims in relation to defects on grounds that they have been raised too late (Sec. 377 German Commercial Code (HGB)). Unless stipulated otherwise in this clause 6, the supplier shall be liable according to the applicable statutory provisions, in particular for defects of the delivery and the fitness for the agreed use or such fitness for a particular purpose or use by us or our customers which is known or should have been known to supplier, and this liability shall not be limited or excluded, neither in cause nor amount, and shall also indemnify and hold us harmless from and against any third party‘s claims to the same extent. Furthermore, the supplier hereby assigns to us any and all transferrable warranty and guarantee rights related to the deliveries or parts thereof which have been provided or granted to supplier by its sub-suppliers. In principle we shall be entitled to choose the type of subsequent performance. The supplier may however refuse the type of subsequent subsequent performance were unreasonably high. If the supplier fails to remedy the defect promptly upon our request, we shall - in urgent cases, in particular to avert imminent danger or to mitigate damages - have the right to remedy the defect ourselves at the supplier’s cost or have this done by a third party without having to grant a period of grace in advance. Claims for defects shall become time-barred 24 months after the sale of the final product to the consumer, but no later than 30 months after receipt of the delivery by us, unless agreed otherwise or unless mandatory statutory provisions provide for extended limitation periods. In case of claims resulting from contracts for services and works, claims for defects shall become time-barred 30 months after the written final acceptance. This shall not apply to deliveries that, consistent with their common application, are used in buildings and have caused the building’s defectiveness, in that case claims will lapse after 5 years. Our additional statutory rights under the applicable law shall remain unaffected by this provision. In addition, the supplier shall indemnify us from any third-party claims related to deficiencies in title. For deficiencies in title, including indemnification claims pursuant to sentence 1, a limitation period of 10 years shall apply. If a defective delivery necessitates extra work in the incoming inspection process, the supplier shall bear the resulting costs. The supplier shall indemnify us from any third party claims, costs and expenses (including legal fees) arising out of defects or other breaches of this contract, the death of or injury to any person or damage to property, if and to the extent the causes for the respective claim lie in the supplier’s domain. Under these circumstances the supplier shall also reimburse us for all costs and expenses related to this contract as well as according to the statutory provisions on the administration of others’ affairs that we or our customers incur as a result of or in connection with a recall action or any other measure. The supplier shall maintain a product liability insurance (including coverage for extended public- and product liability and recall costs) with a coverage of at least EUR 5,000,000.00 (EUR five million) in total per claim for personal, property or product-related damages; however, our claims shall not be limited to the covered amount. Supplier shall immediately provide a certificate of insurance documenting such coverage. The supplier shall ensure that neither the delivery nor its use infringe upon industrial property rights or other rights of third parties and do not violate statutory provisions or official regulations of any kind. Unless otherwise agreed upon, the supplier must comply with our guideline „Avoidance of particularly hazardous substances“ (FSS 7), which we will provide upon request, and the environmental standard ISO 14001. Upon our request, the supplier shall provide all relevant IMD system data, REACH data, GHS data and any other data relevant under export law free of charge. The supplier shall indemnify us from all claims raised against us by third parties for reasons of or in connection with the delivery or its use. Clause 6.6, sentence 2 shall apply to such claims. The supplier’s obligation of indemnification shall also cover all costs and expenses (including legal fees) arising from or in connection with claims raised by a third party. For the supply of machinery and plants falling under the EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG or under any other laws and regulations issued on the basis of this Directive, the supplier shall also provide a risk analysis or risk assessment in conformity with DIN EN ISO 12100:2011 in accordance with the EU Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG free of charge and together with the products. 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2019-04-20T04:27:35Z

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Transshipment at sea, the offloading of catch from a fishing vessel to a refrigerated vessel far from port, can obscure the actual source of the catch, complicating sustainable fisheries management, and may allow illegally caught fish to enter the legitimate seafood market. Transshipment activities often occur in regions of unclear jurisdiction where policymakers or enforcement agencies may be slow to act against a challenge they cannot see. To address this limitation, we processed 32 billion Automatic Identification System (AIS) messages from ocean-going vessels from 2012 to the end of 2017 and identified and tracked 694 cargo vessels capable of transshipping at sea and transporting fish (referred to as transshipment vessels). We mapped 46,570 instances where these vessels loitered at sea long enough to receive a transshipment and 10,233 instances where we see a fishing vessel near a loitering transshipment vessel long enough to engage in transshipment. We found transshipment behaviors associated with regions and flag states exhibiting limited oversight; roughly 47% of the events occur on the high seas and 42% involve vessels flying flags of convenience. Transshipment behavior in the high seas is relatively common, with vessels responsible for 40% of the fishing in the high seas having at least one encounter with a transshipment vessel in this time period. Our analysis reveals that addressing the sustainability and human rights challenges (slavery, trafficking, bonded labor) associated with transshipment at sea will require a global perspective and transnational cooperation. A transshipment occurs when two vessels meet to exchange cargo, supplies, or personnel, often between vessels at sea and far from a home port. By allowing fishing vessels to offload catch at sea and remain on the fishing grounds, transshipment consolidates fuel costs within a fleet and moves product to market more efficiently. However, transshipment also introduces concerns over traceability and transparency in the seafood industry. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations estimates over 15% of annual global catch is illegal, unreported, or unregulated (IUU) (Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2016). Transshipment has also been linked to human trafficking and can allow captains to keep their crew at sea indefinitely, resulting in de facto slavery (McDowell et al., 2015). Through transshipment, players in the industry can access reputable markets by mixing illegally caught fish with legal product during transshipments (Environmental Justice Foundation, 2013). The practice obscures supply chains and prevents an accurate measurement of the amount of marine life being taken from the sea, thus limiting our ability to fish the ocean sustainably. Policies on transshipment vary by Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), flag state, and region (McCoy, 2012), making it difficult to characterize global and regional patterns of transshipment. Even in regions that have adopted regulations on transshipment activities, these regulations may be relatively opaque. For example, in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) convention area, which has implemented relatively robust management plans (Ewell et al., 2017), the measures regarding transshipment simultaneously restrict transshipment and provide opportunities to circumvent the restrictions. In this region, reporting is the responsibility of each vessel's flag state, which may be a flag of convenience exercising little oversight (WCPFC, 2009). In comparison, The Forum Fisheries Agency (FFA) and Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR) have a comprehensive monitoring scheme, independent verification of catch and transshipment, capacity to monitor and enforce conservation measures, and the opportunity to investigate transnational criminal activities (CCAMLR, 2011, 2016; FFA, 2016). The South East Atlantic Fisheries Organization (SEAFO) has gone even further by prohibiting all transshipment at sea by convention members operating within the convention area (SEAFO, 2017). However, even in the regions that have adopted transshipment regulations, data on transshipments is tightly held and often viewed as sensitive business information. In other regions, transshipments appear to occur with little to no independent observer coverage, verification of transshipped catch, or monitoring of potential transnational criminal activities. In both West African waters (INTERPOL, 2014; Daniels et al., 2016) and the squid fishery in the northwest Indian Ocean (Greenpeace, 2016; Stop Illegal Fishing et al., 2017), weak regulation and enforcement raise severe concerns regarding transshipment given its links to IUU fishing and criminal activities (UNDOC, 2016). While regulations and policies may not provide a clear understanding of transshipment practices, new vessel tracking technologies can reveal the actual behavior of transshipment vessels. The Automatic Identification System (AIS), originally developed as a ship-to-ship transmission to prevent at-sea collisions, transmits a vessel's position every 2 s to 3 min via VHF radio (International Telecommunication Union (ITU), 2014). The International Maritime Organization (IMO) stipulates that all vessels larger than 300 gross tons on international voyages carry and operate an AIS device (IMO, 2002). For fishing vessels, this generally means that vessels over 37 m are required to carry AIS (Kroodsma et al., 2018). Some jurisdictions such as the EU and United States have enacted stricter requirements, with vessels over 15 and 19 m, respectively being required to carry AIS (McCauley et al., 2016). AIS messages can be received by satellites or a network of terrestrial antennas, which in turn allow for global tracking of vessels at sea. There are limitations to AIS, including the inability of satellites to resolve AIS messages in crowded regions of the ocean and the ability for operators to turn off the AIS device or broadcast incorrect identity information (Daniels et al., 2016; Kroodsma et al., 2018). In general, larger, less maneuverable vessels such as cargo vessels will be less prone to turning off AIS as they may be at greater risk of collision, a fact that may influence the consistency with which vessels are observed via AIS. Despite these limitations AIS provides an unprecedented view of fishing vessels and fishing activity (Kroodsma et al., 2018) and as an open-source tool represents a valuable means of promoting fisheries transparency. In this paper, we present two methodologies for tracking transshipment behavior. The first detects where fishing vessels encounter transshipment cargo vessels at sea (hereafter referred to as “transshipment vessels”), with both vessels consistently broadcasting their positions via AIS. The second methodology identifies every occurrence where a transshipment vessel loitered at sea long enough to receive a transshipment. Many fishing vessels may be too small to broadcast AIS, or they may have intentionally disabled their devices, resulting in instances where only the transshipment vessel is visible in AIS (INTERPOL, 2014). These loitering events provide instances where transshipment could have occurred. Although there are significant limitations in tracking vessels with AIS, these data provide a valuable global, publicly accessible view of the scale of transshipment behavior, its regional prevalence, and the primary participants. We discuss the implications of this new, global understanding of transshipment and how it can provide the first steps toward establishing a coherent and transparent approach to measuring and managing this activity. All positional and identity AIS messages available from two AIS providers (Orbcomm, Spire) for the period from 2012 to 2017 were compiled and processed as described in Kroodsma et al. (2018). Briefly, raw NMEA encoded AIS messages, more than 40 million per day, are parsed using the Python library libais (Schwehr, 2015). To generate vessel track segments from positional messages, for each MMSI (the unique identifier for vessels in AIS) the distance and time between consecutive points was calculated. If the distance/time combination implied an unrealistic speed between positions, or the time between points was >24 h, a new “segment,” was generated. Each segment represented a physically possible track of a vessel with no gaps in time greater than 24 h. Such segment analysis eliminated incorrect positions, which result from noise in the GPS or incomplete transmission of AIS. All analyses used a fishing vessel database developed following the methods of Kroodsma et al. (2018). Briefly, the database includes vessels transmitting via AIS and identified as fishing vessel in one of two ways: (1) vessels listed as fishing vessels on vessel registries such as the European Union's vessel registry or the Consolidated List of Authorized Vessels; and (2) Vessels were identified as fishing vessels based on analyzing their movement patterns using a convolutional neural network (network described in Kroodsma et al., 2018). A database of refrigerated cargo vessels capable of receiving catch was compiled using three complementary methods. First, vessels classified as “refrigerated cargo” vessels, “fish carriers,” and “fish tender” vessels–vessels we collectively refer to as “transshipment vessels”–were identified using lists from the International Telecommunications Union and major Regional Fisheries Management Organizations (RFMOs) (see Table S1). Second, if we found a vessel participated in multiple encounters with fishing vessels, we conducted a web search and reviewed RFMO registries using information from the vessel's AIS to determine if the vessel was a transshipment vessel. Finally, we used a convolutional neural network, which predicts vessel class from vessel movement patterns (network described in Kroodsma et al., 2018), to identify possible transshipment vessels. Vessels that were identified as likely transshipment vessels by the neural network were manually validated through web searches and RFMO registries. Vessel identities were further corroborated via the IMO as nearly all vessels could be matched to an IMO registry number. Transshipment behaviors were identified using two complementary, rules-based methods which sought to balance the detection of events given the limitations of the AIS system discussed above. Possible transshipments were classified as either “two-vessel encounter” or “single-vessel loitering” events. Encounters were identified from AIS data as locations where a fishing vessel and a transshipment vessel were continuously within 500 m for at least 2 h and traveling at < 2 knots, while at least 10 km from a coastal anchorage. These parameters balance the need to detect vessel pairs in close proximity for extended periods of time while recognizing incomplete satellite coverage and inconsistent AIS transmission rates may limit our ability to identify long periods in which vessels are in immediate contact. We assessed the robustness of these parameter choices through a sensitivity analysis (Figure S3). Our analysis excludes encounters that occur in port or commonly used anchorages, because (1) transshipment at port is generally better regulated than at sea (McCoy, 2012) and thus beyond the scope of this study, and (2) it would be challenging to determine if vessels were meeting at a commonly used anchorage, or if they were both simply using the same anchorage. Anchorages were identified by dividing the world into a grid with cells roughly 0.5 degrees on a side, and identifying every cell where at least 20 unique vessels with AIS (fishing and non-fishing) remained stationary for at least 12 h over the study period (2012–2017). The identification of anchorage locations was restricted to be no more than 10 km inland from the coastline, eliminating false positives which might result from slow moving vessels in inland waterways. This exercise produced a global database of 102,974 anchorages, all of which are available on globalfishingwatch.io. Loitering events were identified as locations where a transshipment vessel traveled at speeds of < 2 knots for at least 8 h, while at least 20 nautical miles from shore (Figure S4). To avoid false-positives that arise from vessels waiting in crowded nearshore or port locations (McCoy, 2012), loitering events were restricted to offshore regions using a distance from shore limit, as this was considered more restrictive than a distance from anchorage filter. Loitering events by their nature are more speculative (vessels may loiter for a number of reasons, especially nearshore) and consequently we only considered events where the vessels were at sea. To determine the extent to which encounters and loitering events are a consequence of rules we used to define them, we performed sensitivity analyses for each event type. For encounters, we created 48 encounters datasets by using combinations of three parameters, maximum encounter speed (1, 2, 4, 6 knots), minimum encounter duration (2, 6, 10, 12 h) and maximum intervessel distance (250, 500, 1,000 m). For each dataset we calculated the total number of hours of encounters detected. A similar analysis was performed for the loitering transshipment vessel events. We generated 30 datasets using combinations of two parameters, maximum loitering speed (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 knots) and minimum loitering duration (2, 4, 6, 8, 10 h) and total loitering hours was used as the response metric to assess sensitivity. For example, in comparing two datasets, one created using a maximum encounter speed of 2 knots and a second created with a maximum encounter speed of 1 knot, we divided the percentage change in parameter values (50% change) by the percent change in response metric (difference in the total hours of encounters between these two datasets), to calculate a response ratio. This ratio provided a measure of sensitivity with values near 0 suggesting the response (encounter or loitering hours) was less sensitive to particular parameter change and values approaching 1 (or −1) suggesting complete sensitivity. Ratios greater than 1 (or < -1) suggest the response is disproportionately sensitive to a given parameter change. To estimate the importance of transshipment in high seas fishing (i.e., fishing activity occurring outside any nation's 200 nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone), we identified all fishing vessels that fished for at least 24 h on the high seas in the time period of 2012–2017 using the Global Fishing Watch database, and then compared this number to the number of vessels that transshipped and fished in the high seas. The database of fishing vessels contained 73,009 Marine Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) numbers (the unique identifier assigned to an AIS transceiver). For details on its creation see Kroodsma et al. (2018). Unlike fishing vessels, it is relatively common for transshipment vessels to swap flag registration over time, and each time the vessel changes flag registration it acquires a new MMSI. This complicates attempts to count vessels as the same vessel can possess several MMSI-based identities over time. Although a global, unique vessel identifier does not exist, for large vessels, an IMO number can often be used as a unique hull identifier, and all but 20 vessels in our transshipment vessel dataset possess IMO numbers. Using IMO to define unique vessels, we identified 694 unique transshipment vessels, the majority of which were specialized reefers that have refrigerated holds capable of receiving catch at sea. Of the unique transshipment vessels, 97% were larger than 300 gross tonnage, required to carry AIS on international voyages, and expected to have good coverage in our dataset. In fact, we estimate that transshipment vessels in our dataset have gaps in AIS transmission of longer than 24 h only about 2 percent of their time while at sea, suggesting that their AIS is almost always broadcasting. From 2012 to 2017, these 694 vessels had 1007 distinct MMSI numbers because of changes in vessel registration and flag state. The first three digits of an MMSI number correspond to the vessel's flag state. Using MMSI we found just under half (43%) of the transshipment vessels were operating under flags of convenience (FoC, as defined by ITF, http://www.itfglobal.org/en/transport-sectors/seafarers/in-focus/flags-of-convenience-campaign/), with 33% of the remaining transshipment vessels flying Russian flags (Figure 1A). Figure 1. Flag state patterns. (A) top flag states transshipment vessels, identifying nearly 43% flying Flags of Convenience (FoC), (B) top flag states of fishing vessels involved in encounters, illustrating that nearly 45% of these events involved Russian fishing vessels, (C) Top flag states of cargo vessels involved in loitering events, illustrating the overrepresentation of Russian vessels (~19% of the transshipment vessels involved in ~27% of these events) and the prevalence of vessels flying FoCs. This list likely includes the majority of the world's specialized transshipment vessels. Given the size of these vessels, and the fact that they often conduct international voyages, most transshipment vessels are required to carry AIS. Ninety-seven percent of the transshipment vessels in our dataset were larger than 300 gross tonnage (GT) and thus are mandated to carry AIS when on international voyages. Our total number (694 unique vessels) compares favorably with an estimate of refrigerated cargo vessels reported to be active in 2010 by the CIA World Fact Book (882 vessels, Central Intelligence Agency, 2013). Similarly, a search of the International Maritime Organization website for “Refrigerated Cargo Vessel” gives about 1,000 vessels that have been active since 1981, and many of these vessels have been decommissioned since then. Our dataset is likely missing smaller transshipment vessels that operate exclusively near shore (such as some fish tenders or smaller fish carriers), but these are likely to be vessels with limited capacity or vessels that do not make international voyages. Most likely, the vast majority of large, internationally traveling transshipment vessels are on our list. One notable exception is Japanese transshipment vessels. Of the 80 Japanese-flagged fish carriers listed as active on the WCPFC registry (WCPFC, 2018), only 26 appear in our data. We identified 10,233 encounters between fishing vessels (1,869 unique MMSI) and transshipment vessels (501 unique MMSI) from 2012 to 2017, with nearly half of the events (44.7%) involving Russian-flagged fishing vessels (Figure 1B). Encounters involving fishing vessels flagged to China, USA, and Taiwan were next most common. Between 2012 and 2017 we observed roughly four times more loitering transshipment vessel events (46,570) than encounters, involving 824 unique transshipment vessel MMSI. These events predominantly featured transshipment vessels flying flags of convenience, with Russian-flagged vessels representing the most common non-FoC (Figure 1C). The global footprint of encounters and loitering events is extensive (Figure 2). Over half of these events occur in the high seas beyond national jurisdictions (51.8%, Figure 3). Within the high seas, transshipment behaviors are common in the equatorial regions of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and in the southern Indian Ocean. There are also clear regional patterns of transshipment behaviors in international waters near the EEZs of Peru, Argentina, and Japan/Russia, regions known for large squid fleets. In international waters around the African continent, transshipment clusters at the edge of the East African EEZs. For events that occur within national jurisdictions, the majority (51.4%) occur within the Russian EEZ, with transshipment behavior also common within the EEZs of African nations (Figure 3). Figure 2. Global patterns of transshipment behavior illustrating encounters (red) and loitering events (black). Highest densities appear in the Russian Far East and the Barents Sea, outside the Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) of South America, within the EEZs of African nations, and across the Equatorial Pacific. Figure 3. Geographic distribution of loitering events and encounters (combined). Roughly 52% of the events occur in the high seas. *Note that Russia is presented separately. While Russia appears to play a disproportionate role in our dataset, 96% of the encounters involving a Russian-flagged fishing vessel were with a Russian-flagged transshipment vessel (Figure 4). Ninety-eight percent of the events involving a Russian fishing vessel occurred within the Russian EEZ. In fact, in 90% of the events within the EEZ, both vessels were Russian flagged. A similar pattern is seen for USA-flagged fishing vessels, which met USA-flagged transshipment vessels in 83% of encounters. In contrast, China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan (the next most common fishing vessel flag states involved in encounters) associated with transshipment vessels flying an array of flags including several FoCs (Panama, Liberia, Vanuatu). For example, Panamanian-flagged transshipment vessels account for 79, 59, 40, and 81% of the encounters involving fishing vessels from China, Taiwan, South Korea and Japan, respectively. Figure 4. Flag pairings for fishing and transshipment vessels involved in encounters, for the fishing vessel flags with greatest number of encounters. Russian- and US-flagged fishing vessels predominantly associate with common-flagged transshipment vessels, whereas Asian-flagged fishing vessels associate with diversely flagged transshipment vessels. Values identify number of events involving each flag pair. Between 2012 and 2017, 6,003 vessels fished for more than 24 h on the high seas, and 20% of those vessels (1,181) had at least one encounter with a transshipment vessel in the high seas at some point. This cohort of vessels accounted for a disproportionate share (43%) of the high seas fishing activity during that time period. It is unlikely this entire share of the high seas catch was transshipped, but it does show that a major fraction of fishing on the high seas is by vessels that meet up with transshipment vessels. To assess the influence of the parameters used to define loitering events and encounters we compared the percent change in total hours of loitering or encounters with a percent change in each parameter. We found that encounters were most sensitive to changes in minimum encounter duration from 6 to 10 and 10 to 12 h (Table 1, Figure S1), with 30.2 and 15.4% decreases in total encounter hours and response ratios of −0.46 and −0.77, respectively. Encounters and loitering were both sensitive to decreases in the maximum encounters speed from 2 to 1 knots, with a response ratio of 0.33 for encounters (Table 1) and 0.84 for loitering (Table 2, Figure S2). Both total encounters and total loitering hours were considerably less sensitive to other parameter changes (all response ratios < 0.3). This suggests that if transshipments occur at median speeds greater than 2 knots, our results are likely conservative. If transshipment events only occur at median speeds < 1 knot, (and do not occur at median speeds between 1 and 2 knots) we are likely overestimating the number of events and potentially by 15–20%. Given that our encounters algorithm incorporates short periods of maneuvering before and after the vessels are in close proximity, it would not be unusual to assign an encounter a median speed between 1 and 2 knots, even while the vessels traveled more slowly during the actual exchange of goods. Table 1. Sensitivity analysis for encounters, identifying the sensitivity of total encounter hours to changes in three parameters (minimum encounter duration, maximum encounter speed, and maximum intervessel distance) used to detect encounters. Table 2. Sensitivity analysis of loitering events, identifying the sensitivity of total loitering hours to changes in two parameters (maximum loitering speed and minimum loitering duration) used to detect loitering. Transshipment of catch at sea obscures supply chains, complicates sustainable management practices, and provides IUU operators access to reputable markets (Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, 2002). Transshipment also enables human rights abuses such as slavery, trafficking, bonded labor, emotional, and physical abuse (Environmental Justice Foundation, 2015; Greenpeace, 2016). Despite growing concerns regarding the sustainability of transshipment (Ewell et al., 2017), the fact that the activity typically occurs far from port, with varying degrees of observer coverage, and limited transparency from fisheries management agencies has prevented a coherent conversation. Here we utilize AIS vessel position data to provide a global view of potential transshipment, identifying the scale at which at-sea transshipment may be occurring, the primary participants, and the broad spatial patterns. While AIS data provide a valuable transparency tool for identifying high seas transshipment activity, there are several important limitations. AIS use varies globally and among fleets, which may skew the fraction of encounters observed by fleet. For example, the WCPFC Record of Fishing Vessels lists 80 Japanese fish carriers; however, we have only identified MMSI for 26 of these vessels and only 5 engage in encounters. Our database of encounters likely underestimates actual transshipments both because of limits in AIS coverage as well as that fact that our transshipment vessel database is incomplete. On the other hand, the loitering events likely overestimate transshipments, as refrigerated cargo vessels may loiter at sea while waiting for their next job or to minimize time spent within dangerous regions. However, these events may bracket the true set of actual transshipments and in those regions where they exhibit spatial agreement bolster one another. One major shortcoming is our inability to compare the loitering events and encounters events to accurate vessel-specific information about transshipment activity. Regional databases are not publically available, and the few that we obtained were either of low quality or incomplete in ways that prevented us from using them to train or test models. As a result, we are limited to reporting the number of events we see from our rules-based heuristics. Fortunately, we find that our results are relatively robust and change only modestly if we change the parameters (Tables 1, 2). One of the most striking features of our analysis is the high density of transshipment behavior in the Russian Far East, the Sea of Okhotsk, and the Russian Barents Sea, which are known for their pollock and crab fisheries. Much of this activity likely represents standard modes of operation driven in part by the vast distances between the fishing grounds and the primary ports of Vladivostok and Murmansk. Nearly all (96%) of the events we identified involved Russian-flagged fishing vessels meeting Russian-flagged transshipment vessels, 90% of these meetings occurred within the Russian EEZ, and 46% involved Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) certified pollock fishing vessels within the Sea of Okhotsk (MSC certification F-ACO-0058/FCI-F-0040). Thus, while we are not able to determine legality, a large proportion of the events in this region are under Russian jurisdiction and some level of MSC scrutiny. For example, Russian regulations require that all vessels receiving catch within the Russian EEZ must report to a Russian port for customs declarations before traveling on to a foreign port. However, concern has been expressed that this requirement is not being met (Pramod et al., 2014). While the possibility remains, we found that following encounters within the Russian EEZ, transshipment vessels consistently entered a Russian port prior to continuing on to a foreign port, such as Busan, Korea. A second striking feature of our analysis is the global scale of transshipment activities, which occur in all ocean basins and involve vessels responsible for 43% of the fishing within the high seas. While transshipment activity occurs at a global in scale, nearly 47% of encounters occur on the high seas, and a similar proportion are by transshipment vessels flying flags of convenience. Such findings raise transparency concerns as a large proportion of transshipments occur within waters beyond national jurisdiction, or are undertaken by vessels registered to countries with lax oversight and limited connection to the vessel. Transshipment on the high seas appears largely associated with longline fisheries targeting migratory species, such as tunas, billfishes and sharks. Such fisheries are known for their utilization of transshipment, as it moves the catch to market quickly, while maximizing time on the fishing grounds (McCoy, 2012; Greenpeace, 2013). While transshipment activity involving highly migratory species is regulated by the relevant RFMO, there are transparency concerns as these events take place far from port and with varying levels of observer coverage, where even strict regulations may be difficult to enforce. With this in mind, the transshipment behaviors we've identified in the southern Atlantic are of interest as they occur within the SEAFO convention area, an RFMO that banned at-sea transshipments in 2006 (Ewell et al., 2017; SEAFO, 2017). While we cannot be certain if these encounters and loitering events represent the transshipment of catch, they raise the possibility of unregulated transshipment occurring in regions where transshipment is purportedly regulated. Within the high seas, transshipment of catch that is not under specific RFMO jurisdiction also represents a critical loophole. Also readily apparent in our data is a cluster of transshipment activity in the northwest Indian Ocean, a region recently reported to host a growing, unregulated fleet of Chinese squid vessels, a fleet whose fishing is made possible by transshipment with reefers flying FoCs (Stop Illegal Fishing et al., 2017). Another pattern of transshipment activity is its regional prevalence just beyond EEZ boundaries, such as that seen near Peru and Argentina. In both cases the transshipment activity occurs within the high seas in the vicinity of productive squid fisheries. In the case of Peru the squid vessels are regulated by the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organization (SPRFMO), but no such organization exists to manage the the high seas off Argentina. The congregation of transshipment activity near the EEZ boundary raises two transparency concerns. The first is simply that this activity is once again occurring within a vast region, which is potentially less well regulated than the neighboring national waters. The second concern is the proximity of the transshipment activity to the EEZ boundary. This could enable a “dark fleet” of vessels that are not broadcasting AIS to fish without authorization within the EEZ and then transship that catch to vessels outside the EEZ, thereby avoiding the need to make port calls with illegally caught fish. By comparison, encounters and loitering events off western Africa occur well within the national waters, quite close to the coast. For much of western Africa the current regulatory and enforcement infrastructure is ineffective, with an estimated loss of 2.3 billion USD annually to IUU fishing and recovery of only 13 million USD through Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (Doumbouya et al., 2017). Consequently, transshipment, which maximizes profit and resource exploitation in the region, may be supporting fishing that reduces sustainability, harms local livelihoods, threatens food security and exposes communities to broader criminal activities (Environmental Justice Foundation, 2013; INTERPOL, 2014). Our results demonstrate that inasmuch as the encounters and loitering events represent transshipments, they are most prevalent in regions with less-effective fisheries management and enforcement (Melnychuk et al., 2016). While incomplete, our data illustrate the prevalence and transnational nature of transshipment. We show that transshipment behavior clusters along EEZ boundaries in the high seas, is common in regions of challenging or limited regulation and oversight, and often involves vessels registered to flags of convenience. Given the potential association of transshipment with IUU fishing and other illicit exchanges (Phelps Bondaroff et al., 2015; Haenlein, 2017), these patterns of transshipment raise questions that could be addressed by increased transparency and information from RFMOs and other governing bodies. We are publishing our identified loitering events and encounters, along with vessel details, on http://globalfishingwatch.org/datasets-and-code/, to assist with comparing these data to official records. While more data and transparency are needed fully reveal the global patterns of transshipment, our data highlight the transnational challenge of transshipment at sea and make clear that effectively addressing the accompanying sustainability and human rights challenges of slavery, trafficking, and bonded labor will require a global perspective and international cooperation. NM, AR, and DK contributed to conception and design of the study and JA provided critical intellectual content. TH, AR, and NM developed the transshipment detection algorithms, TH implemented the algorithms as applied to AIS. NM, AR, and DK wrote sections of the manuscript. All authors contributed to manuscript revision, read and approved the submitted version. We gratefully acknowledge the Walton Family Foundation for direct support of our transshipment research. We additionally thank Adessium Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation, Marisla Foundation, The Waterloo Foundation, and Wyss Foundation for supporting Global Fishing Watch which provided data and analyses critical to conducting the transshipment research. Google generously provided cloud computing resources and technical guidance. P. Woods, E. Tuya, A. Arana, E. Mueller, and K. Wurster assisted with engineering for the AIS data pipeline. A. Wilson, C. Bacon, and K. Schwehr assisted with data processing, machine learning, and data labeling. K. Boerder, K. Seto, and B. Bergman provided valuable insights into regional transshipment activities. We also wish to thank SkyTruth, Oceana and Google as Founding Partners of Global Fishing Watch. Our global AIS dataset is provided by ORBCOMM and Spire Global Inc. Central Intelligence Agency, CIA. (2013). The World Factbook 2013-14. Washington, DC. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO. (2002). Implementation of the International Plan of Action to Deter, Prevent and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing. FAO Technical Guidelines for Responsible Fisheries No. 9. pp.1–141. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, FAO. (2016). The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture. Contributing to Food Security and Nutrition for all. Rome. 200 pp. Haenlein, C. (2017). Below the surface: How illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing Threatens Our Security. Occasional Paper, Royal United Services Institute. IMO (2002) Safety of Life at Sea Conventions (SOLAS) Title 33, Code of Federal Regulations, Section164.46 Automatic Identification System (AIS). (amended 07/01/03). McCoy, M. (2012). A Survey of Tuna Transshipment in Pacific Island Countries: Opportunities for Increasing Benefits and Improving Monitoring. Forum Fisheries Agency, Honiara. Phelps Bondaroff, T. D., van der Werf, W., and Reitano, T. (2015). “The illegal fishing and organized crime nexus: Illegal fishing as transnational organized crime,” in Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime and The Black Fish (Geneva), 1–83. WCPFC (2009). Conservation and Management Measure on the Regulation of Transshipment. Conservation and Management Measure 2009-06. Copyright © 2018 Miller, Roan, Hochberg, Amos and Kroodsma. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

2019-04-19T00:32:35Z

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2018.00240/full

l-Histidine biosynthesis is embedded in an intertwined metabolic network which renders microbial overproduction of this amino acid challenging. This is reflected in the few available examples of histidine producers in literature. Since knowledge about the metabolic interplay is limited, we systematically perturbed the metabolism of Corynebacterium glutamicum to gain a holistic understanding in the metabolic limitations for l-histidine production. We, therefore, constructed C. glutamicum strains in a modularized metabolic engineering approach and analyzed them with LC/MS-QToF-based systems metabolic profiling (SMP) supported by flux balance analysis (FBA). The engineered strains produced l-histidine, equimolar amounts of glycine, and possessed heavily decreased intracellular adenylate concentrations, despite a stable adenylate energy charge. FBA identified regeneration of ATP from 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) as crucial step for l-histidine production and SMP identified strong intracellular accumulation of inosine monophosphate (IMP) in the engineered strains. Energy engineering readjusted the intracellular IMP and ATP levels to wild-type niveau and reinforced the intrinsic low ATP regeneration capacity to maintain a balanced energy state of the cell. SMP further indicated limitations in the C1 supply which was overcome by expression of the glycine cleavage system from C. jeikeium. Finally, we rerouted the carbon flux towards the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway thereby further increasing product yield to 0.093 ± 0.003 mol l-histidine per mol glucose. By applying the modularized metabolic engineering approach combined with SMP and FBA, we identified an intrinsically low ATP regeneration capacity, which prevents to maintain a balanced energy state of the cell in an l-histidine overproduction scenario and an insufficient supply of C1 units. To overcome these limitations, we provide a metabolic engineering strategy which constitutes a general approach to improve the production of ATP and/or C1 intensive products. l-Histidine (further referred to as histidine) was discovered in the late nineteenth century by Kossel and Hedin simultaneously and the l-enantiomer is nowadays categorized as an essential amino acid for human infants and adults, belonging to the 20 standard proteinogenic amino acids . Histidine has the ability to switch between the protonated and unprotonated states due to the pKa of about 6 of its imidazole group . Thus, histidine is a common ligand of metalloproteins and part of the catalytic triad in several enzymes, underlining its physiologically prominent role [57, 70, 72]. Exceeding physiological levels of histidine in humans has shown to be connected with mutations in histidase and was named histidinemia, a benign inborn error of metabolism [6, 49]. Furthermore, histidine is a precursor for histamine, which is known to play an important role in regulating human immune response, and thus is linked to several allergic disorders [67, 69]. Beyond this, histidine is available as feed supplement and has been reported to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which makes it attractive for applications in the medical industry [25, 33, 34, 87, 90, 91]. Corynebacterium glutamicum is a Gram-positive, facultatively anaerobic bacterium which can grow on a wide range of sugars, alcohols, and organic acids [58, 65] and is known as a workhorse for the production of l-glutamate and l-lysine [8, 23, 83]. Moreover, metabolic engineering approaches expanded the product portfolio to other amino acids such as l-methionine, l-valine, l-arginine, and l-tryptophan [8, 42, 66, 68, 71], organic acids [17, 53, 94, 95], alcohols [13, 43, 46, 80], vitamins , carotenoids [35, 36], fatty acids , polymers , terpenes [26, 48], and others. Most relevant, C. glutamicum possesses an intrinsic histidine synthesis pathway but, in contrast to other industrially relevant bacteria such as Pseudomonas and several Bacillus genera, lacks a histidine utilization system (reviewed in ). This renders C. glutamicum as an attractive platform for histidine production. Biosynthesis of histidine has been extensively studied, mainly in Escherichia coli and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium and several profound reviews are available [1, 28, 96]. Nowadays, histidine biosynthesis is considered fundamentally the same in all living organisms . From a physiological point of view, the biosynthetic pathway of histidine is unique for an amino acid as it is closely entwined with other pathways, such as purine biosynthesis and C1 metabolism (Fig. 1). Both the purine and the histidine pathways have the same precursor, phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) (Fig. 1). The second precursor for histidine synthesis is ATP, which is commonly known as energy donor. However, in this unique reaction, the backbone of the ATP molecule is incorporated to give the first intermediate of the histidine pathway. In this reaction catalyzed by ATP phosphoribosyltransferase (HisG), PRPP and ATP are utilized to form phosphoribosyl-ATP, which is further converted in nine enzymatic reactions into histidine (Fig. 1). In the fifth step of the histidine pathway, 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide ribonucleotide (AICAR) is formed and rerouted to the purine biosynthesis, and thus is available to regenerate ATP (Fig. 1). Besides histidine biosynthesis, PRPP is also a precursor for the biosynthetic pathways of pyrimidines, tryptophan, and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotides . The linkage with the C1 metabolism manifests in de novo synthesis of purines, where two molecules of 10-formyltetrahydrofolate (fTHF) are required as cofactors (Fig. 1). The major metabolic source for the generation of loaded THF molecules in C. glutamicum is the reaction of serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT, encoded by glyA) that converts l-serine into glycine and simultaneously generates 5,10-methylene-THF (mTHF) from THF [60, 78, 79]. The biosynthesis of histidine in C. glutamicum consists of ten consecutive enzymatic reactions that are catalyzed by nine enzymes with histidinol dehydrogenase (HisD) being bifunctional . The histidine genes are organized in four operons, comprising hisD–hisC–hisB–cg2302–cg2301, hisH–hisA–impA–hisF–hisI–cg2294, cg0911–hisN, and hisE–hisG (Fig. 7; [47, 56]) and eight of the corresponding histidine genes were described as essential . Besides the feedback inhibition of HisG by histidine [2, 97], transcriptional control of histidine biosynthesis has been shown for the hisD operon of C. glutamicum AS019 to function via a T-box-mediated attenuation mechanism [47, 56]. Analysis of the 5′untranslated region (UTR) of hisD in C. glutamicum ATCC 13032, however, revealed a 103 base pair shorter 5′UTR region and it has been speculated that control of this operon occurs on translational rather than transcriptional level in C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 . Concerning histidine production, the efforts that have been made with C. glutamicum are limited to a few examples and classically focused on mutagenesis approaches to increase resistance against histidine analogs and to free HisG from its feedback inhibition [2, 3, 63, 77, 97]. Rational approaches for strain engineering were done by promoter exchange of the hisD operon, overexpression of the hisEG genes , and elimination of feedback inhibition by deleting the C-terminal regulatory domain and mutating the catalytic domain of HisG, combined with hisEG overexpression . In addition to modifications in the histidine biosynthesis, decreasing transketolase activity has been shown to improve precursor availability and histidine production . However, a systems metabolic engineering approach to engineer histidine production strains has not yet been conducted. Due to the metabolic complexity of histidine synthesis, we combined rational strain engineering with systems metabolic profiling (SMP) and flux balance analysis (FBA) to identify bottlenecks in the intertwined pathways, and to finally engineer histidine producers with balanced metabolite pools for efficient production. In the first step, we chromosomally introduced the nucleotide exchanges ggc to cat and acg to cag in hisG of C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 (Fig. 7) to relieve HisG from feedback inhibition, yielding variant HisGG233H−T235Q . The resulting strain C. glutamicum HIS1 already secreted histidine into the culture supernatant with a product yield per unit substrate (Y P/S his ) of 0.015 ± 0.003 mol histidine per mol glucose (Fig. 2). Compared to the WT strain, the maximum growth rate µmax of C. glutamicum HIS1 decreased from 0.38 ± 0.01 h−1 to 0.32 ± 0.01 h−1 and the biomass yield per unit substrate (YX/S) remained stable with 0.45 ± 0.01 and 0.46 ± 0.02 g biomass per g substrate, respectively. Beyond this, C. glutamicum HIS1 produced glycine as main byproduct besides histidine with a Y P/S gly of 0.020 ± 0.003 mol glycine per mol glucose (Fig. 2). To gain a deeper insight into the metabolic state of C. glutamicum HIS1, systems metabolic profiling (SMP) was performed. Intracellular peak intensities of d-erythro-1-(imidazole-4-yl)glycerol 3-phosphate (IGP) and l-histidinol were 18 and 275 times higher compared to the WT (Fig. 3), respectively. To debottleneck histidine synthesis, we systematically exchanged the native promoters of all four canonical operons containing all histidine biosynthesis genes to stronger ones (Fig. 7), resulting in strains C. glutamicum HIS2–HIS6. Firstly, the native promoter of the hisD–hisC–hisB–cg2302–cg2301 operon in C. glutamicum HIS1 was replaced by the promoter of elongation factor TU (Ptuf) and in parallel the 5′UTR region of the hisD gene was deleted to eliminate suspected regulatory elements (Fig. 7), which resulted in strain C. glutamicum HIS2. C. glutamicum HIS2 showed similar Y P/S his (0.013 ± 0.001 mol histidine per mol glucose), µmax (0.32 ± 0.01 h−1), YX/S (0.48 ± 0.01 g biomass per g glucose), and Y P/S gly (0.018 mol glycine per mol glucose), compared to C. glutamicum HIS1. C. glutamicum HIS3 and HIS4 were generated, by additionally replacing the native promoters of the operons hisH–hisA–impA–hisF–hisI–cg2294 and cg0911–hisN in C. glutamicum HIS2 with Ptuf (Fig. 7), respectively. However, the performance of the resulting strains HIS3 and HIS4 remained constant, with Y P/S his of 0.013 ± 0.002 and 0.012 ± 0.001 mol histidine per mol glucose, µmax of 0.33 ± 0.01 and 0.31 ± 0.01 h−1, YX/S of 0.50 ± 0.02 and 0.45 ± 0.01 g biomass per g glucose, and Y P/S gly of 0.019 ± 0.001 and 0.017 ± 0.001 mol glycine per mol glucose, respectively (Fig. 2). Since we did not succeed in replacing the native promoter of the hisEG operon with Ptuf or the promoter of manganese superoxide dismutase PsodA in C. glutamicum HIS4, we used PdapA–A16, a mutated variant of the promoter of dihydrodipicolinate synthase (encoded by dapA; ). Simultaneously, we replaced the native translational start codon GTG of hisE by ATG to improve translation efficiency (Fig. 7), which resulted in C. glutamicum HIS6. The introduced modifications significantly increased histidine production and strain C. glutamicum HIS6 showed a Y P/S his of 0.065 ± 0.004 mol histidine per mol glucose, which is about 5 times higher compared to the parental strain C. glutamicum HIS4. Accordingly, the Y P/S gly increased to 0.072 ± 0.004 mol glycine per mol glucose and we observed reduction of 20% and 10% of µmax and YX/S, respectively (Fig. 2). To evaluate the cumulative effects of the applied modifications, we constructed strain C. glutamicum HIS5, which carries the HisGG233H−T235Q variant, the exchange of the translational start codon from GTG to ATG of hisE, and the replaced native promoter of hisE by PdapA–A16 (Fig. 7). Although, strain C. glutamicum HIS5 does not possess Ptuf in front of the remaining three histidine operons, it showed an intermediate Y P/S his of 0.039 ± 0.001 mol histidine per mol glucose which is 160% higher compared to C. glutamicum HIS1 and 40% lower compared to C. glutamicum HIS6 (Fig. 2). Thus, the applied modifications in C. glutamicum HIS6 are cumulatively beneficial for histidine production. Since the hisH–hisA–impA–hisF–hisI–cg2294 has a length of > 4000 bps, we finally replaced the internal promoter in front of hisF by PsodA downstream of an artificial stop codon (Fig. 7). The resulting strain C. glutamicum HIS7 showed similar characteristics like C. glutamicum HIS6 (Fig. 2), however the intracellular peak intensities of IGP and l-histidinol were reduced by a factor of 3 and 2, respectively (Fig. 3). In summary, using SMP, the applied genetic modifications were evaluated and allowed a stepwise increase to a Y P/S his of 0.065 ± 0.004 mol histidine per mol glucose, and readjusted the intracellular concentrations of IGP and l-histidinol to C. glutamicum WT-like levels (Fig. 3). Since histidine and purine biosynthesis are closely interlinked (Fig. 1), we determined the intracellular adenylate concentrations in strains C. glutamicum HIS1–HIS7 and calculated adenylate energy charges (ECs), as a measure for the energetic state of the strains. Interestingly, we found relatively stable ECs in all engineered strains with values between 0.88 and 0.92, which are comparable to the WT strain, with an EC of 0.89 ± 0.04 (Fig. 4). Despite the stable ECs, the absolute concentrations of ATP, ADP, and AMP were strongly affected (Fig. 4). The WT strain showed intracellular purine concentrations of 15.7 ± 0.4 µmol ATP g CDW −1 , 6.0 ± 0.6 µmol ADP g CDW −1 , and 2.1 ± 0.8 µmol AMP g CDW −1 during exponential growth phase (AMP not shown). According to their intracellular ATP and ADP concentrations, strains C. glutamicum HIS1–HIS7 can be clustered into two groups. The first group (C. glutamicum HIS1–HIS4) exhibited solely diminished ADP levels, showing about half of the concentration of the WT strain; whereas ATP concentrations remained stable. The second group (C. glutamicum HIS5–HIS7) exhibited diminished ADP and also diminished ATP concentrations with values ranging from 6.6 to 9.7 µmol ATP g CDW −1 and 1.8–2.5 µmol ADP g CDW −1 . Strikingly, ATP concentrations were only affected in strains where the native promoter of the hisEG operon was exchanged by PdapA–A16. As described in the materials and methods part, intracellular AMP concentrations in the modified strains were below the detection limit of the applied method, and it, thus, can be concluded that AMP concentrations in strains C. glutamicum HIS1–HIS7 were significantly below the concentrations of the WT strain. After optimizing the histidine biosynthesis and investigating intracellular adenylate concentrations, we performed flux balance analysis (FBA) to gain a holistic overview and further indications to improve histidine production with C. glutamicum (Fig. 5). Two different FBAs resembling WT-like growth and growth-coupled histidine production were performed, which showed that in addition to an increased flux through the histidine biosynthesis pathway, an equimolar supply of ATP is a prerequisite for efficient histidine production. Therefore, an unphysiologically high flux from AICAR to ATP has to be accomplished (Fig. 5). To identify bottlenecks in this ATP regeneration cascade, we performed further SMP, and found that in C. glutamicum, HIS7 strongly increased intracellular peak intensities of inosine monophosphate (IMP) and adenylosuccinate, which were 43- and twofold higher compared to the WT (Fig. 3). The strongly increased IMP level indicated a limitation on the level of adenylosuccinate synthetase (PurA) and/or adenylosuccinate lyase (PurB), which catalyze the subsequent reactions from IMP over adenylosuccinate to AMP, respectively. To improve the ATP regeneration capacity (designated as energy engineering), we overexpressed the native purA and purB genes from the plasmid pJC4 under control of Ptuf in C. glutamicum HIS7. Compared to the parental strain C. glutamicum HIS7, the plasmid-carrying derivative C. glutamicum HIS8 had a 17% lower Y P/S his of 0.054 ± 0.002 mol histidine per mol glucose. The growth rate remained stable with 0.29 ± 0.01 h−1 and the YX/S increased slightly to 0.46 ± 0.02 g biomass per g glucose. Concomitant with the reduced histidine yield, the glycine yield decreased to 0.056 ± 0.001 mol glycine per mol glucose (Fig. 2). However, SMP of C. glutamicum HIS8 showed that upon introduction of pJC4purApurB, the intracellular levels of IMP and adenylosuccinate were readjusted to WT-like levels. Additionally, intracellular peak intensities of ATP and ADP were restored from 64 and 63% (C. glutamicum HIS7) to 111% and 96% of the WT level in C. glutamicum HIS8 (Fig. 3). Taken together, the applied energy engineering approach identified the requirement of an unphysiologically high ATP regeneration capacity for histidine production which can be accounted for by overexpression of purA and purB. Although this modification readjusted the intracellular purine pool, the Y P/S his was not improved indicating further obstacles that must be overcome. For incorporation of the two carbonyl groups into the carbon skeleton of purines, the de novo biosynthesis requires two molecules of fTHF, which are provided as mTHF by the conversion of l-serine into glycine catalyzed by serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT; Fig. 1). This is reflected in the conducted FBAs, yielding an equimolar flux into C1 metabolism and histidine synthesis (Fig. 5). Since the surplus of glycine cannot be further degraded or rerouted to the central metabolism of C. glutamicum, all strains of the so far engineered strain genealogy produced glycine as the main byproduct being inevitably present in equimolar amounts to histidine (Fig. 6). Although, overexpression of purA and purB reduced the intracellular peak intensities of IMP and adenylosuccinate to WT levels, we observed that the intracellular AICAR peak intensity was not reduced but even increased (2.6-fold) in C. glutamicum HIS8 compared to C. glutamicum HIS7 (Fig. 3). This result pointed to a fTHF limitation of the bifunctional AICAR formyltransferase/IMP cyclohydrolase (PurH, Fig. 1), which might negatively affect the flux in the upper part of histidine synthesis. Since the glycine cleavage (GCV) system converts glycine into CO2, ammonia, and simultaneously generates mTHF from THF (Fig. 1), we heterologously expressed the GCV system from C. jeikeium on plasmid pEC-XT99A_gcv_OP1-Cjk in strain C. glutamicum HIS8, resulting in C. glutamicum HIS9. This modification was expected to reduce glycine accumulation accompanied by an improvement of the supply with loaded THF molecules. C. glutamicum HIS9 showed a µmax of 0.22 ± 0.01 h−1, a YX/S of 0.35 ± 0.01 g biomass per g glucose and in contrast to C. glutamicum HIS8 did not secret glycine into the supernatant (Fig. 2). Furthermore, the Y P/S his in C. glutamicum HIS9 increased by 59% to 0.086 ± 0.001 mol histidine per mol glucose and the peak intensities of AICAR decreased by 73% compared to C. glutamicum HIS8 (Figs. 2, 3). In summary, the expression of a functional GCV system eliminated glycine as byproduct, increased the fTHF availability and, in combination with purA and purB overexpression, improved histidine production with C. glutamicum. To achieve an optimal flux distribution for histidine production with C. glutamicum, the FBA predicted to increase the carbon flux towards the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) by 74% compared to the WT flux (Fig. 5). Thus, C. glutamicum HIS9 with optimized energy metabolism and enhanced C1 supply was further modified to reroute carbon from glycolysis to the PPP by changing the native translational start codon ATG of the pgi gene, encoding the glucose 6-phosphate isomerase (Pgi), to the weaker GTG. The constructed strain C. glutamicum HIS10 showed a similar µmax and YX/S, however, a Y P/S his of 0.093 ± 0.001 mol histidine per mol glucose which is 8% higher compared to C. glutamicum HIS9 (Fig. 2). Histidine is an attractive amino acid for various applications in the feed and medical sector [25, 87, 90, 93] and in 2003, the production by fermentation was estimated to be 400 t histidine per year . Most efficient producer strains described in literature have been obtained by classical mutagenesis and show maximal Y P/S his values of about 0.15–0.20 g histidine per g substrate [9, 63], which is about 2.5-fold lower than the maximum theoretical product yield of 0.44 g per g achieved at μmax = 0.1 h−1 in growth-coupled manner (Fig. 5). Associated with the applied modifications in the histidine biosynthesis and connected pathways, µmax strongly decreased to a minimum of 0.22 ± 0.01 h−1 in C. glutamicum HIS9 and HIS10 (equals about 58% of WT µmax) which mostly can be attributed to the overexpression of the modified hisEG genes (Fig. 2). Both µ and Y P/S his , which is about 18% of the theoretical maximum, are crucial factors for industrial-scale application and therefore have to be optimized in further studies. So far, few studies provided knowledge for the targeted optimization of C. glutamicum as a histidine overproducer. As such, the deregulation of the biosynthesis and the improved precursor availability [41, 55, 63, 97] have been investigated. The moderate success to develop efficient production strains might be attributed to the demanding biosynthesis of histidine reflected by its tight connection to energy metabolism (Fig. 1). Therefore, to gain a more holistic understanding of the metabolic limitations for histidine production, we performed a modularized metabolic engineering approach, including flux balance analysis and LC/MS QToF-based systems metabolic profiling (SMP). Especially, the applied untargeted metabolomics workflow proofed an effective tool to monitor intracellular peak intensities of key metabolites in the engineered strain genealogy. The introduced modifications in the histidine biosynthesis enabled histidine overproduction (Fig. 2) and were shown for C. glutamicum HIS7 to maintain WT-like levels of the intermediates IGP and l-histidinol (Fig. 3). In contrast, the intracellular peak intensities of histidine increased stepwise with C. glutamicum HIS8 showing a 33 times higher level compared to the WT, indicating an export limitation. However, to our knowledge, no export system for histidine has been identified so far in C. glutamicum, whereas the gene product of cg1305 was proposed to be involved in histidine import . If the prevention of re-import might be beneficial for histidine production has to be verified in future experiments. The quantification of intracellular ATP and ADP concentrations in strains C. glutamicum HIS1–HIS7 (Fig. 4) showed that particularly the overexpression of hisEG (presumably the mutated hisG, since it encodes the first enzyme in the biosynthesis pathway, which catalyzes the covalent binding of ATP to PRPP) in strain C. glutamicum HIS5 drained ATP efficiently into histidine biosynthesis and led to strongly diminished purine concentrations. Interestingly, the perturbation of the energy metabolism did not manifest in an altered energy charge itself but was disclosed by consistent reduction of the ATP and ADP pools (Fig. 4), which underpins the relevance of a balanced energy state in the regulatory hierarchy of the cell [4, 92]. The applied FBA already pointed to the requirement of a high ATP regeneration capacity of the cell for efficient histidine production (Fig. 5) and SMP finally hinted to PurA and/or PurB as the limiting step(s) by the observed strong increase of the IMP and adenylosuccinate levels in C. glutamicum HIS 6 and HIS7, compared to the WT (Fig. 3). Indeed, overexpression of purA and purB not only reduced the intracellular peak intensities of IMP and adenylosuccinate but also readjusted the ADP and ATP levels to WT level demonstrating that the natural capacity of the cell is not suited to regenerate ATP on top of the growth demands. Recently, E. coli has also been engineered for histidine production and the observed intracellular accumulation of AICAR was overcome by introduction of an additional copy of purA into the chromosome . Interestingly, although overexpression of purA and purB in our strains almost readjusted the levels of IMP, adenylosuccinate, ADP, and ATP, SMP revealed still increased peak intensities for AICAR in all histidine producing strains compared to the WT (Fig. 3) indicating a different regulatory pattern in C. glutamicum compared to E. coli. Since overexpression of purA and purB positively impacted the energy state of the cell but did not improve the histidine yield, we speculated that the increased intracellular AICAR levels feedback on the upper part of the histidine synthesis pathway and indicate another bottleneck in the metabolism of C. glutamicum. In accordance, Malykh et al. recently suggested in E. coli a competitive inhibitory influence of AICAR on HisG. Furthermore, it has been shown for E. coli that upon folate limitation, AICAR accumulates and binds to a specific riboswitch, which negatively controls expression of purine genes . Likewise, in C. glutamicum, the conversion of AICAR by PurH is fTHF dependent (Fig. 1), and consequently we speculated about a C1 limitation for histidine production, which was supported by the results of FBA, proposing a required high flux into the C1 metabolism (Fig. 5). Furthermore, strains C. glutamicum HIS1–HIS8 secreted glycine as inevitable equimolar byproduct to histidine, which has also been observed for other histidine producing mutants of C. glutamicum and Brevibacterium flavum [19, 44]. The required fTHF for purine biosynthesis is supplied by the reaction of the SHMT, converting l-serine into glycine, thereby generating mTHF, which might be further converted into fTHF [29, 39, 78, 79]. Unfortunately, the various THF species of the C1 metabolism are not accessible with the applied analytical system, due to low pool sizes caused by interconversion, polyglutamylation, and degradation . However, the C1 cycle is a complex network of several oxidized/reduced forms of C1 units with THF as carrier molecule and has been investigated before for l-methionine- and l-serine-overproducing C. glutamicum strains [15, 32, 54, 81]. To overcome the proposed C1 limitation, we expressed the GCV system from C. jeikeium in C. glutamicum HIS8, which already overexpresses the purA and purB genes, and in fact observed the disappearance of glycine as byproduct (Fig. 2), a significant reduction of the AICAR pool (Fig. 3), and a significantly increased Y P/S his (Fig. 2). In a recent approach, a GCV system from E. coli has been heterologously produced in C. glutamicum, where it enabled increased l-serine accumulation in a glyA attenuated strain, by generating improved amounts of C1 units for incorporation in the purine biosynthesis . Consistent with these data, the GCV system from C. jeikeium seems to be able to (partly) satisfy the need for loaded THF molecules in histidine-producing C. glutamicum. However, the remaining elevated AICAR levels in C. glutamicum HIS9 and HIS10 (Fig. 3) either indicate an even higher demand for fTHF or point to limiting AICAR formyltransferase/IMP cyclohydrolase activity, which might be overcome by overexpression of purH. Taken together, the applied interplay of strain engineering, systems metabolic profiling, and flux balance analysis yielded a comprehensive view on the complex metabolic network of histidine biosynthesis. Energy engineering identified and reinforced the intrinsically low ATP regeneration capacity to maintain the balanced energy state of the cell. However, to utilize the readjusted ATP levels for histidine production, it is essential to provide sufficient C1 units avoiding the accumulation of AICAR, which seems to be a potent effector molecule to control the entry flux into histidine biosynthesis. All strains and plasmids used in this study are listed in Table 1. Oligonucleotides are given in Table 2. Escherichia coli DH5α was used as cloning host and was grown aerobically in 2 × YT complex medium in a 5-mL glass test tube culture at 37 °C on a rotary shaker at 120 rpm. Precultures of C. glutamicum strains were prepared by thawing a glycerol stock (30% w v−1 glycerol) and streaking cell solution on a 2 × YT agar plate which was incubated at 30 °C for 2 days. A single colony of the respective strain was then used to inoculate 5 mL of 2 × YT complex medium in a glass test tube, which was incubated at 30 °C on a rotary shaker at 120 rpm for 6–8 h. The complete suspension of the glass test tube was transferred into 50 mL of 2 × YT medium in a 500-mL baffled shaking flask, which was incubated at 30 °C on a rotary shaker at 120 rpm overnight. To inoculate the main culture, cells were harvested by centrifugation (4500×g, 10 min, 4 °C), the pellet was resuspended in 0.9% w v−1 NaCl solution and used to inoculate CGXII minimal medium to an optical density at 600 nm (OD600) of about 2.5. The CGXII minimal medium is composed of 20 g (NH4)2SO4 L−1, 5 g urea L−1, 21 g 3-morpholinopropanesulfonic acid (MOPS) L−1, 1 g K2HPO4 L−1, 1 g KH2PO4 L−1, 0.25 g MgSO4 L−1, 0.01 g CaCl2 L−1. The pH value of the medium was adjusted to 7.4 with 5 M KOH before autoclaving. Then, 16.4 mg FeSO4 × 7 H2O L−1, 10 mg MnSO4 × H2O L−1, 0.2 mg CuSO4 L−1, 1 mg ZnSO4 × 7 H2O L−1, 0.02 mg NiCl2 × 6 H2O L−1, 0.2 mg biotin L−1 were added sterilely. Standard cultivations in shaking flasks contained 10 g glucose L−1 as carbon source. For cultivations of strains bearing plasmid pJC4, 50-µg kanamycin mL−1 was added. For strains harboring plasmid pJC4 and pEC-XT99A, the kanamycin concentration was decreased to 12.5 µg mL−1 and 2.5-µg tetracycline mL−1 was added. The expression from Ptrc in pEC-XT99A_gcv_OP1-Cjk was induced by adding 1 mM isopropyl β-d-1-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) at the cultivation start. OD600 was measured with a photometer (Ultrospec 10 Cell Density Meter, GE Healthcare Company, Little Chalfont, UK). The cell dry weight (CDW in g L−1) was calculated using the correlation CDW = OD600 × 0.21 g L−1. The maximal growth rate µmax was determined by linear regression of ln(OD600), which was plotted against the cultivation time in h during the exponential growth phase of the respective strain. The biomass yield per unit substrate YX/S in g g−1 was determined by linear regression of the biomass concentration in g L−1, which was plotted against the corresponding glucose concentration in g L−1. The product yields per unit substrate for histidine (Y P/S his ) and glycine (Y P/S gly ) in mol mol−1 were determined by dividing the product concentration (histidine) in mol L−1 and byproduct concentration (glycine) in mol L−1 after 24 h by the corresponding initial substrate concentration in mol L−1 at 0 h, respectively. Molecular cloning methods, such as PCR and DNA restriction, were carried out according to . Plasmids were isolated with E.Z.N.A. Plasmid Mini Kit I (Omega Bio-tek Inc., Norcross, USA) and PCR fragments were purified with NucleoSpin Gel and PCR Clean-up Kit (Macherey–Nagel GmbH & Co. KG, Düren, Germany) according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Electrocompetent cells of E. coli and C. glutamicum were prepared as described before [22, 85]. Constructed plasmids were transformed into E. coli according to , and into C. glutamicum with a subsequent heat shock after transformation for 6 min at 46 °C according to Rest et al. . Plasmids were transformed into electrocompetent E. coli and C. glutamicum strains with an Eporator (Eppendorf AG, Hamburg, Germany) at 2.5 kV with 600 Ω resistance. Enzymes for recombinant DNA work were obtained from Thermo Scientific Inc. (Darmstadt, Germany) and oligonucleotides were synthesized by biomers.net GmbH (Ulm, Germany, listed in Table 2). Promoter exchanges and nucleotide substitutions were performed via a two-step homologous recombination by applying the respective pK19mobsacB derivative . The plasmid to exchange the native HisG variant with the feedback-released HisGG233H–T235Q was implemented into C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 by amplifying the flanking genomic regions of hisG up- and downstream of the mutations with primer pairs hisG1/hisG2 and hisG3/hisG4 (hisG2 and hisG3 harbor the exchanges). Both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products were used as templates in a SOEing PCR with primer pair hisG1/hisG4. The SOEing product and pK19mobsacB were digested with BamHI and fused together in a ligation reaction to give pK19mobsacB hisGFB. This plasmid was then transformed into E. coli DH5α, isolated, and its sequence integrity was verified by DNA sequencing with primers pK19-fw and pK19-rev (GATC Biotech AG, Constance, Germany). The verified plasmid was then transformed into C. glutamicum ATCC 13032. Applying the method described by Schäfer et al. , the native hisG sequence was replaced via homologous recombination (double crossover) by the mutated hisG sequence leading to amino acid exchanges G233H and T235Q. The screening of the C. glutamicum HIS1 mutants was done on 2 × YT agar plates containing 10% (w v−1) sucrose. For verification of the nucleotide exchanges, a PCR with primer pair hisG1/hisG4 was performed and sent for sequencing with primer hisGseq. To construct plasmids for the promoter exchanges in front of the operons containing histidine biosynthesis genes (C. glutamicum HIS2, HIS3, HIS4, and HIS6), the flanking regions of the respective promoter were amplified. For the exchange of the native promoter of the operon hisD–hisC–hisB–cg2302–cg2301 with the strong promoter of the gene tuf, encoding the elongation factor TU, the flanking regions were amplified with primer pairs hisD1/hisD2 and hisD3/hisD4. The products of both PCRs were used as templates in a SOEing PCR with primer pair hisD1/hisD4, and the SOEing product and the plasmid pK19mobsacB were digested with BamHI and HindIII and ligated together to give an intermediate plasmid. This plasmid was transformed into E. coli DH5α, isolated and sent for sequencing with primers pK19-fw and pK19-rev. In the next step, Ptuf was amplified with primer pair tuf1/tuf2, and the product and the intermediate plasmid were digested with NdeI and NsiI. Both were ligated to give plasmid pK19mobsacB hisD-Ptuf, which was transformed into E. coli DH5α, isolated and sent for sequencing with primers pK19-fw and pK19-rev. The verified pK19mobsacB hisD-Ptuf was transformed into C. glutamicum HIS1 and exchange of the native promoter region with the Ptuf promoter was performed as has been described above yielding C. glutamicum HIS2. The respective region was amplified with primer pair hisD1/Ptuf2 and sequenced with primer hisD1. The plasmids for exchanging the native promoter with Ptuf for operons hisH–hisA–impA–hisF–hisI–cg2294 and cg0911–hisN were constructed accordingly. Primer pairs hisH1/hisH2 and hisH3/hisH4 and hisN1/hisN2 and hisN3/hisN4 were used to amplify the flanking regions, respectively. After SOEing PCR, digestion, and ligation, plasmids were transformed into E. coli DH5α and prepared. In further steps, the mentioned plasmids were digested with NdeI and NsiI and fused with the Ptuf region. After sequencing, pK19mobsacB hisH–Ptuf was implemented in C. glutamicum HIS2 to yield C. glutamicum HIS3. The sequence was verified with primers hisH1, hisH4, tuf1, and tuf2. C. glutamicum HIS3 served as basis for implementing Ptuf in front of cg0911–hisN using pK19mobsacB hisN–Ptuf to yield C. glutamicum HIS4. This strain was verified with primers hisN1, hisN4, tuf1, and tuf2. Since we were not able to implement Ptuf in front of the hisE–hisG operon in C. glutamicum HIS4, we instead used PdapA–A16 , a modified version of the promoter of dihydrodipicolinate synthase, which was amplified with primer pair dapA1/dapA2 from pK18mobsacB PaceE dapA-A16 . The flanking regions of the hisE–hisG promoter were amplified with primer pairs hisE1/hisE2 and hisE3/hisE4, a SOEing PCR was prepared with primer pair hisE1/hisE4. This product and pK19mobsacB were digested with BamHI and HindIII and ligated. PdapA-A16 and this plasmid were digested with NdeI and NsiI and ligated. Hence, on the basis of C. glutamicum HIS4, C. glutamicum HIS6 was created and verified with primers hisE1, hisE4, dapA1, and dapA2. C. glutamicum HIS5 was created by implementing PdapA–A16 in C. glutamicum HIS1. To exchange the internal promoter of hisF in the operon hisH–hisA–impA–hisF–hisI–cg2294 with the promoter of manganese superoxide dismutase (encoded by sodA), flanking regions and the promoter were amplified with primer pairs hisF1/hisF2, sodA1/sodA2, and hisF3/hisF4 and an additional stop codon (TAA) was integrated upstream of hisF. The SOEing PCR (with all three products as template and primer pair hisF1/hisF4) and pK19mobsacB were cut with HindIII and BamHI and ligated together. Integration of PsodA in front of hisF in strain C. glutamicum HIS6 yielded C. glutamicum HIS7, which was verified with primers hisF4 and hisFseq. On the basis of plasmid pJC4 , we constructed pJC4 purA purB by amplifying Ptuf, purA, and purB with primer pairs tuf2_1/tuf2_2, purA1/purA2, and purB1/purB2 from the C. glutamicum genome. Furthermore, primer pair rrnB1/rrnB2 was used to amplify the TrrnB terminator region of the rrnB operon from the E. coli K-12 MG1655 genome. Isothermal plasmid assembly was prepared with these four DNA fragments and pJC4, which had been digested with XbaI and NotI before. The sequence integrity was verified by sequencing with primers ABseq 1–5. Plasmid pEC-XT99A served as basis for the GCV system overproduction plasmid and was digested with Ecl136II and XbaI. The gene cluster gcvPTH was amplified from the C. jeikeium K411 genome with primer pair gcv_Cjk_start_EcoRV/gcv_Cjk_MluI_XbaI and the resulting PCR product was digested with EcoRV and XbaI and ligated into the cut pEC-XT99A. After verification by sequencing, this intermediate plasmid served as basis for the second cloning step. The gene cluster lipAB was amplified from the C. jeikeium K411 genome with primer pair lipB-Cjk_start-EcoRV/lipA-Cjk_stop-XbaI and the PCR product was digested with SspI und EcoRV, and ligated into the XmnI cut intermediate plasmid to give pEC-XT99A_gcv_OP1-Cjk, which was verified by sequencing. Plasmid pEC-XT99A_gcv_OP1-Cjk was transformed into strain C. glutamicum HIS8 resulting in C. glutamicum HIS9. The exchange of the translational start codon ATG of gene pgi to GTG in C. glutamicum HIS9 was done with pK19mobsacB pgiGTG. For the construction, the flanking regions were amplified with primer pairs pgi1/pgi2 and pgi3/pgi4, containing the nucleotide exchange. The PCR products were used in a SOEing PCR with primer pair pgi1/pgi4. Then, the SOEing PCR and the vector were digested with HindIII and BamHI and ligated together. After sequence verification, the plasmid was introduced into C. glutamicum HIS9; the base exchange was done as described above, and verified by sequencing with primer pgiseq. Substrates and products were quantified by harvesting 1 mL of cell suspension via centrifugation (12,100×g, 5 min, RT) at given time points. The supernatants were used for further analysis. The glucose concentration was determined with a test kit from Roche (Roche Diagnostics, Mannheim, Germany). Quantification of amino acids was performed with an Agilent 1200 series apparatus (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) equipped with an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm) protected by an Agilent Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 guard column (12.5 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm). Automatic precolumn derivatization with ortho-phthaldialdehyde was followed by fluorometric detection (excitation at 230 nm and emission at 450 nm). The elution buffer consisted of a polar phase (10 mM Na2HPO4, 10 mM Na2B4O7, 0.5 mM NaN3, pH 8.2) and a nonpolar phase (45% [v v−1] methanol, 45% [v v−1] acetonitrile). Protocol details were described earlier . Analytes were quantified using 200 µM l-ornithine as the internal standard to correct variabilities in analytes and a seven-point calibration curve for each component as an external reference standard. Metabolic fluxes of C. glutamicum ATCC 13032 were investigated by flux balance analysis (FBA), applying different objective functions and constraints . All computations were carried out with MATLAB 2015b (The MathWorks, Natick, MA, USA) and the COBRA Toolbox v3.0 with glpk solvers , using the genome-scale metabolic model (GEM) of C. glutamicum ATCC 13032, iCW773 . The glucose uptake rate was set to 3.94 mmol g CDW −1 h−1 for all simulations ; however, objective functions and constraints were changed as follows: (a) Maximizing growth rate with no further constraints results in μ = 0.36 h−1 and (b) maximizing l-histidine yield with a fixed μ of 0.1 h−1 resulted in a maximum yield of 0.51 mol l-histidine mol−1 glucose. Corynebacterium glutamicum strains HIS1, HIS6, HIS7, HIS8, HIS9, and HIS10 were cultivated as described above. Sampling was performed at a CDW of approximately 1.8 g L−1 during the exponential growth phase. 2 mL of cell suspension was sampled by centrifugation (12,100×g, 20 s, 30 °C) and washed with 1.5 mL of 0.9% (w v−1) NaCl solution followed by centrifugation. Cells were quenched immediately with liquid nitrogen and temporarily stored at − 70 °C. Defined amounts of 250 μM l-norvaline solution (internal standard) were added to the cell pellets to obtain an extraction concentration of 20 gCDW L−1. Immediately after addition, suspensions were pre-incubated for 30 s at 100 °C in a water bath and homogenized by vortexing (20 s). Subsequently, samples were incubated for 3 min at 100 °C, chilled on ice and centrifuged (20,800×g, 10 min, 4 °C). Supernatants were stored at − 70 °C . Differential metabolite analysis was performed on an Agilent 1260 bio-inert HPLC coupled to an Agilent 6540 Accurate-Mass LC–MS/MS Q-TOF system with ESI Jet Stream Technology (Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). Two different hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) systems were used to get high metabolite coverage. The first method was ammonium acetate based (10 mM, pH 9.2) utilizing a Sequant ZIC-pHILIC column (150 × 2.1 mm, 5 μm) with guard column (Sequant ZIC-pHILIC, 20 × 2.1 mm, 5 μm) at 40 °C, 0.2 mL min−1, and 5 μL injection volume. For details see . Additionally, an acidic HILIC method was established using ammonium formate buffer (10 mM, pH 2.8) and a Waters XBridge BEH Amide column (150 × 2.1 mm, 3.5 μm) coupled to a Waters XBridge BEH Amide VanGuard Cartridge (5 × 2.1 mm, 3.5 μm) at 35 °C, 0.2 mL min−1, and 5 μL injection volume. Mobile phases were composed as follows: Mobile phase A: 90% acetonitrile/10% water, 10 mM ammonium formate and mobile phase B: 10% acetonitrile/90% water, 10 mM ammonium formate. Both adjusted to pH 2.8 with formic acid. Gradient elution was carried out by the following program: Isocratic hold 0% B for 1 min, linear gradient to 62.5% B for 15 min, linear gradient to 100% B for 4 min, column wash at 100% B for 5 min, linear gradient to 0% B for 5 min and column equilibration at 0% B for 15 min. Samples were prepared in 60% (v v−1) acetonitrile and 10 mM ammonium acetate (pH 9.2) or ammonium formate (pH 2.8). All metabolite samples were separated with both HILIC methods in positive and negative MS mode (tuned in extended dynamic range) with following conditions: drying gas flow rate of 8 L min−1 with a gas temperature of 325 °C, nebulizer with 40 lb per square inch gauge, sheath gas flow rate of 12 L min−1 and sheath gas temperature of 350 °C, capillary voltage of 4000 V and fragmentor voltage of 100 V. Additionally, fragmentation experiments in the targeted MS/MS mode were carried out to investigate and verify structure integrity of IGP, adenylosuccinate, SAICAR, and FGAR. For this, precursor ions [M+H] or [M−H], verified by accurate mass, were selected and fragmented at their characteristic retention times via collision-induced dissociation (CID) at 10, 20, and 30 V. Since analytical standards of those compounds were not commercially available or only by custom synthesis, fragmentation patterns were computationally evaluated with MassHunter Molecular Structure Correlator (B05.00, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). By combining accurate mass and plausible fragmentation patterns IGP, adenylosuccinate, SAICAR, and FGAR could be identified. System control and acquisition were performed using MassHunter Data Acquisition (B06.01, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). As first step, an untargeted differential analysis was carried out to generate hypothesis free data. Peak picking and integration were done in MassHunter ProFinder (B08.00, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA) using “batch recursive feature extraction”. Subsequently, statistical analysis was performed in Mass Profiler Professional (13.1.1, Agilent Technologies, Santa Clara, CA, USA). Significance testing was done by one-way ANOVA and p values were filtered (p < 0.05). Peaks were identified by accurate mass and with a personal compound data library, containing retention times of authentic standards. Unidentified significant features were searched against the METLIN and MassBank database. After identification, peak integration was manually curated via “batch targeted feature extraction”. The following metabolites of the de novo purine and l-histidine biosynthesis could be identified and analyzed with the applied method: fGAR, phosphoribosyl-N-formylglycineamide; SAICAR, phosphoribosyl-aminoimidazolesuccinocarboxamide; AICAR, 1-(5-phosphoribosyl)-5-amino-4-imidazolecarboxamide; IMP, inosine monophosphate; AdSucc, adenylosuccinate; ADP, adenosine diphosphate; ATP, adenosine triphosphate; IGP, imidazole-glycerol phosphate; l-histidinol and l-histidine. AS, AF, RT, and BB conceived and designed the experiments; AS, AF, AH and EM performed the experiments and were supported by JS, IL, LF, and CM; AS, AF, and BB analyzed the data and were supported by JS, IL, and LF; AS, AF, JÖ, BG, RT, and BB wrote the paper. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. This research was funded by the Fachagentur Nachwachsende Rohstoffe e.V. with the Grant Number 22008014. See Table 2 and Fig. 7.

2019-04-25T02:29:32Z

https://rd.springer.com/article/10.1186%2Fs13068-019-1410-2

… that a single, integrated border agency, to be known as Border Control Australia, be established through the merger of the border control functions of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service. 2. On 9 May 2014, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection announced that the government would carry out this recommendation and integrate Australia’s immigration and customs functions into a single entity—the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP—the department). The Australian Border Force (ABF), headed by a Commissioner, would be established within the department as the ‘frontline operational border agency’. The new department and the ABF came into existence on 1 July 2015, and operated under this nomenclature through to 2017. 3. On 18 July 2017, while this audit was in progress, the Prime Minister announced that the government had decided to establish a Home Affairs portfolio. From 20 December 2017, the Department of Home Affairs has assumed all of the department’s functions (including the ABF) in addition to functions from each of the Departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet; Social Services; Infrastructure and Regional Development and the Attorney-General’s department. the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation. 5. This audit principally focusses on the period May 2014 to December 2017, while the department was known as DIBP. However, some of the department’s responses to ANAO inquiries occurred after it became the Department of Home Affairs. For simplicity, this report refers to ‘the department’ to signify both the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Department of Home Affairs (except where the context requires a distinct reference). 6. Effective immigration and border control are essential to Australia’s national security. The possibility of combining both functions within one entity have been considered on a number of occasions historically. The emergence of threats such as people smuggling and transnational crime led the government to decide in 2014 that integration of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) would more effectively address the emerging threats and deliver efficiencies. 7. Both DIBP and ACBPS are sizeable entities from a geographical and functional perspective, and have a history of publicised administrative issues. The ANAO has previously audited both entities on numerous occasions, and this audit presented an opportunity to provide assurance that risks associated with the integration process were being properly managed. 8. The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of the integration of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (the department) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS). Did the department establish sound governance arrangements for implementation of the integration and capability reform process? Did the department manage the integration and capability reform process in accordance with government decisions and relevant plans? Can the department demonstrate that the intended outcomes of integration and the capability reform process are being achieved, including financial outcomes? 10. The Department of Immigration and Border Protection achieved the integration of DIBP and ACBPS and the creation of the Australian Border Force in a structural sense and is also progressing with the implementation of a suite of reform projects. However, it is not achieving commitments made to government in relation to additional revenue, and is not in a position to provide the government with assurance that the claimed benefits of integration have been achieved. 11. The department established largely effective governance arrangements which were revised over time in response to emerging issues. 12. The department’s record keeping continues to be poor. 13. The department is effectively managing a suite of 38 capability reform projects and has developed sound monitoring arrangements, although the Executive Committee does not have visibility of the overall status of individual projects. 14. The efficiency savings committed to by the department were removed from its forward estimates and have thus been incorporated in the budget. However, the department has not verified whether efficiencies have been delivered in the specific areas which were nominated in the Integration Business Case. 15. Based on progress to the end of December 2017, if collections continue at the current rate the department will only collect 31.6 per cent of the additional customs duty revenue to which it committed in the Integration Business Case. 16. In the Integration Business Case, the department committed to a detailed Benefits Realisation Plan. The plan was not implemented despite several reviews identifying this omission. As a result, the department cannot demonstrate to the government that the claimed benefits of integration have been achieved. 17. The department moved quickly to establish a sound governance framework for the integration. The framework was revised on a number of occasions in response to emerging issues, particularly with respect to the capability reform projects. The abolition of the Reform and Integration Task Force resulted in a loss of momentum in the reform process and a drop-off in internal communication with staff. The department recognised this and re-established a similar coordination mechanism. More recently, the department has engaged a consultant to review the framework. 18. Reporting to the Executive focused primarily on integration and organisational reform, with minimal coverage of progress in delivery of the suite of 38 capability reform projects. Following the identification of this as a gap in the 2017 Gateway Review, an Enterprise Transformation Blueprint was established to provide the Executive Committee with greater visibility over the progress of activity across the department. 19. There was no evidence identified to indicate that written briefings were provided to the Minister on progress throughout the implementation process. 20. Detailed communication plans were established and implemented to support the integration process. ‘Pulse Check’ surveys were regularly taken to evaluate staff satisfaction and engagement with the process. 21. The audit found that the department did not maintain adequate records of the integration process. This finding repeats the outcomes of a substantial number of audits and reviews going back to 2005. The department’s own assessment is that its records and information management is in a critically poor state. The problems and their solutions are known to the department, and it has an action plan to address them, although numerous previous attempts to do so have not been successful. 22. The department also experienced a loss of corporate memory due to the level of turn-over of SES staff, with almost half of SES officers present in July 2015 no longer in the department at July 2017. 23. The department initially identified possible risks to effective integration. However, regular reporting against those risks ceased when the Reform and Integration Task Force was disbanded. 24. The department made extensive use of consultants to assist it with the integration process. Despite a requirement to evaluate contracts upon completion, this did not occur in 31 out of 33 (94 per cent) of contracts with a value of more than $1 million examined by the ANAO, and therefore it is unclear whether these services represented value for money. 25. Following a series of governance changes in October 2015, the department established an effective Project and Program Management Framework which was broadly consistent with the intended future governance state described in the Integration Business Case. While some projects are facing challenges, it is too early to form a view about whether all will be delivered on time and within budget. 26. The department has been subject to budgetary reductions equal to the efficiency savings required by government. It has not verified whether efficiencies were achieved in the specific areas identified in the Integration Business Case. 27. By the end of December 2017, the department had only delivered 42.2 per cent of the additional revenue to which it committed in the Integration Business Case, and if collections continue at the current rate, it will only collect 31.6 per cent of the additional revenue. 28. The department cannot demonstrate that the claimed benefits of integration have been achieved because it did not implement the Benefits Realisation Plan which formed part of the Integration Business Case. The Department of Home Affairs give priority to addressing its records and information management deficiencies including by implementing the Records and Information Management Action Plan 2016–20. The Department of Home Affairs develop a business assurance approach to enforce its requirement in the Contract Management Manual that contracts be evaluated on completion. The Department of Home Affairs implement the Benefits Realisation Plan which was included in the Integration Business Case to allow the government to assess whether the claimed benefits of integration have been realised. 29. The Department of Home Affairs (Home Affairs) recognises and appreciates the efforts of the Australian National Audit Office staff who conducted the audit. 30. Overall the report concludes that the then Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) successfully achieved integration and continues with the implementation of reform projects. With integration achieved through the establishment of a sound Governance Framework and an effective Project and Program Management Framework, that was supported by detailed communication plans and ‘pulse check’ surveys. Having in place these frameworks enabled flexible and timely responses to the management of emerging issues. 31. Home Affairs does acknowledge that record-keeping at that time was not in line with best practice and has undertaken significant steps to rectify the situation. Additionally continual improvements are being made in contract management with an automated solution being put in place that will facilitate the assessment of contract performance. 32. Home Affairs disputes in some instances the financial conclusions drawn within the report, and whether or not certain elements were outside the scope of the audit, as well as statements made in regards to project management and the overall visibility of the Executive in relation to the integration project. 33. With the inception of Home Affairs the ongoing development and review of new organisational priorities and strategies, to ensure that governance arrangements are robust, remains a primary focus. Below is a summary of key learnings identified in this audit report that may be considered by other Commonwealth entities when managing large scale organisational change. coordinate internal communications to ensure all staff are engaged with, and feel part of, the process. provide project management oversight, support and reporting of the business led integration and reform activity. An effective governance framework with clearly assigned responsibilities and scopes of authority is essential. Entities should be prepared to revise the framework in response to experience or changing circumstances. Benefits Realisation Plans should clearly identify intended strategic benefits. When drafting such plans, entities should think carefully about whether indicators designed to demonstrate benefits are ‘real’, measurable and reportable (as opposed to simply aspirational). Implementation work on plans needs to commence from the outset, not left until after the change (or project) is completed. In operating an Electronic Data Records Management System, entities should mandate its use and provide relevant training to all staff in order to ensure the full benefits are obtained through the consolidation of fragmented systems and manual records. During major organisational change, regular and effective internal communication is critical to fostering staff engagement. Both content and the choice of ‘channel’ (for example, emails, blogs, FAQs and staff meetings) are important and communication should continue until change has been completed and embedded. Entities should consider introducing an internal requirement to conduct end-of-contract evaluations of consultancies and other contracts (possibly with a value above a set amount). This would help to ensure that value for money is being achieved from contracts and to identify providers who have not performed satisfactorily. 1.2 On 9 May 2014, the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection announced that the government would carry out this recommendation and integrate Australia’s immigration and customs functions into a single entity—the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP – the department). The Australian Border Force (ABF), headed by a Commissioner, would be established within the department as the ‘frontline operational border agency’.2 The new department and the ABF came into existence on 1 July 2015, and operated under this nomenclature through to 2017. 1.4 The Department of Home Affairs has assumed all of the department’s functions (including the ABF) in addition to functions from each of the Departments of Prime Minister and Cabinet; Social Services; Infrastructure and Regional Development and the Attorney-General’s department. 1.6 The new entity formally came into existence on 20 December 2017. Fieldwork for this audit was undertaken between June and December 2017. This audit principally focusses on the period May 2014 to December 2017, while the department was known as DIBP, however some of the department’s responses to ANAO inquiries occurred after it became the Department of Home Affairs. For simplicity, this report refers to ‘the department’ to signify both the Department of Immigration and Border Protection and the Department of Home Affairs (except where the context requires a distinct reference). 1.7 The objective of this audit was to examine the effectiveness of the integration of the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (the department) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS). 1.9 The ANAO examined the department’s high-level arrangements for tracking the progress and financial status of the reform program, but did not examine the administration of individual projects within the program. 1.10 The announcement of the creation of the Home Affairs portfolio occurred after the audit had commenced and is not within the scope of the audit. 1.11 The audit was conducted in accordance with ANAO Auditing Standards at a cost to the ANAO of approximately $530,000. 1.12 Team members for this audit were Julian Mallett, Bradley Medina, Anne Kent, David Lacy and Paul Bryant. 1.13 There have been a number of internal and external reviews of aspects of the department’s administration of the integration and reform process. These are shown in Table 1.1. The ANAO has drawn upon these reviews during the audit and, where appropriate, referred to them throughout this report. Gateway reviews are required for major government-funded projects and programs.a They are conducted at key stages of eligible projects or programs. Prepared by Boston Consulting Group. Prepared by a DIBP’s contracted provider of internal audit services (Ernst and Young). Prepared by the RAND Corporation. Functional and efficiency reviews aim to comprehensively assess the efficiency and effectiveness of all aspects of an entity’s operations, programs and administration. Prepared by DIBP’s contracted provider of internal audit services (Ernst and Young). Note a: This includes projects with an estimated cost of more than $30 million or programs with a total estimated cost of more than $50 million. Review teams are appointed by the Department of Finance in consultation with the relevant entity. Source: ANAO from DIBP data. This chapter examines the high-level governance arrangements adopted by the department for the process of integrating the department with the ACBPS. The department established largely effective governance arrangements which were revised over time in response to emerging issues. The department’s record keeping continues to be poor and there was no evidence that the Minister was provided with written briefing on the progress of integration. The ANAO recommended that the department develop a strategy to enforce its requirement for contract evaluations. 2.1 The government made the decision to integrate the department and ACBPS in May 2014. Full implementation required the passage of legislation, and it was decided that the effective date for the formal creation of the new department, the creation of the ABF and the abolition of the ACBPS would be 1 July 2015. There was consequently a period of over 12 months in which the department had time to commence structural reorganisation and to prepare the staff from the respective entities for the change. 2.3 The overall program, known at the time as the Portfolio Reform Program, included two implementation plans: one for the period from the Minister’s announcement in May 2014 to June 2015 and the other for the period from 1 July 2015 onwards. The initial allocation of funds for the Portfolio Reform Program in the 2014–15 budget was $710.4 million.5 Additional funds were approved in successive budgets which brought the total funding for the Program to $977.8 million. Further detail about the funding arrangements is included in Chapter 3. 2.4 The conceptual structure of the Portfolio Reform Program is shown in Figure 2.1. the management of 38 major capability reform projects with a total value of $977.8 million. 2.7 The Integration Business Case was the key document detailing the overarching plan for the integration of the department and ACBPS. It also represented the department’s commitment to the government on what was to be achieved, by when, and the expected benefits of integration. Objective 1: Consolidate the Department of Immigration and Border Protection (DIBP) and the Australian Customs and Border Protection Service (ACBPS) as a single border organisation. Objective 2: Establish the Australian Border Force as part of the single organisation. Objective 3: Implement reform measures to strengthen Australia’s borders, tackle crime, and support economic growth and productivity by supporting legitimate trade and travel by reducing the burden of compliance. Objective 4: Bring forward submissions to Government to secure funding and establish the authority to continue the integration and reforms in the out years. 2.9 The Integration Business Case also outlined the benefits expected to accrue from integration. This is discussed further in Chapter 4. Did the department establish a sound governance framework? The department moved quickly to establish a sound governance framework for the integration. The framework was revised on a number of occasions in response to emerging issues, particularly with respect to the capability reform projects. The abolition of the Reform and Integration Task Force resulted in a loss of momentum in the reform process and a drop-off in internal communication with staff. The department recognised this and re-established a similar coordination mechanism. More recently, the department has engaged a consultant to review the framework. 2.10 Following the Minister’s 9 May 2014 integration announcement, a Portfolio Reform Task Force6 was created on 12 May 2014, a Portfolio Reform Board (PRB) met for the first time on 16 May 2014 and a new Executive Division, combining the most senior executives of the former department and the ACBPS, was ‘stood up’ in August 2014. In October 2014, the Secretary released a Blueprint for Integration which provided staff with details of the department’s mission, the new organisation, the organisational focus and the integration timeline. 2.11 The Integration Business Case outlined a proposed high-level governance framework as shown in Figure 2.2. Note: The Independent Assurance Partner was Third Horizon. 2.12 The role and functions of key parts of the framework are shown in Table 2.1. Provide strategic oversight, prioritisation, direction, and decision-making for integration, establishment of the new ABF and capability reform. Consultant (Third Horizon) engaged to provide an assurance and compliance function over the consolidation approach. management and integration of portfolio costings. Note a: The Assurance Partner was engaged by DIBP as a consultant for the period 19 June 2014 to 18 June 2016 with a contract value of $2 million The total paid to the consultant was $1.6 million. Due to the department’s concerns with the Assurance Partner’s performance, the engagement ended early in August 2015. Note b: The RITF was a division of the department with four branches and comprised approximately 100 people. 2.14 In April 2015, as the date of formal integration approached, the Executive Committee decided to adopt a governance model that ensured that ‘accountability for change outcomes is placed squarely with relevant business owners’ to better align capability delivery and business needs and approved a revised governance framework as shown in Figure 2.3. The approach to implementation did not have a clear sequencing or prioritisation logic. 2.17 Following consideration of the ‘readiness’ review, the Executive Committee decided upon a substantial revision of the governance framework as shown in Figure 2.4. The key change in the framework was the creation of a ‘Deputies’ Committee’ comprising all Deputy Secretaries and Deputy Commissioners to provide high level oversight of capability reform projects. In particular, emphasis was given to the establishment of program boards, each chaired by a Deputy Secretary. As identified internally, and in the 2016 Rand Report, a loss of momentum with Reform occurred following integration, so the SRG [Strategic Reform Group] was established to provide a central area to coordinate and oversight Reform. 2.19 The SRG was established in December 2015. It was disbanded in December 2016 and its functions transferred to the Enterprise Strategy, Reform and Performance division. 2.20 In December 2016, with the structural integration of DIBP and the ACBPS completed, the department engaged Deloitte to review its governance arrangements. The review found that while the various committees which form the governance structure are operating as designed, ‘the committee structure is not operating as effectively as it could to support enterprise-wide decision making.’ Since the review, the Home Affairs portfolio has been created, with consequential changes needed to governance arrangements. The department advised that it has used the review to inform the development of new governance arrangements. Was implementation progress reported to relevant stakeholders? Reporting to the Executive focused primarily on integration and organisational reform, with minimal coverage of progress in delivery of the suite of 38 capability reform projects. Following the identification of this as a gap in the 2017 Gateway Review, an Enterprise Transformation Blueprint was established to provide the Executive Committee with greater visibility over the progress of activity across the department. There was no evidence identified to indicate that written briefings were provided to the Minister on progress throughout the implementation process. 2.21 As noted previously, the Portfolio Reform Board (PRB) and the Reform and Integration Task Force (RITF) were the two key internal bodies managing and coordinating the reform and integration process until they were discontinued in April 2015.10 The ANAO examined the records of both bodies to assess the adequacy of the processes for reporting on progress. legal framework for the department and ACBPS and establishment of the ABF. 2.23 The RITF was a division of the department. In addition to its role in coordinating and managing the integration process, it also provided the secretariat function to the PRB. 2.24 The First Assistant Secretary (Senior Executive Band 2) of the RITF chaired a weekly meeting, known as the Portfolio Programme Management meeting. This body met some 40 times between July 2014 and May 2015. Senior Executive Service Band 1 officers were required to provide the RITF with a two-page weekly report (using a standard template) on ‘matters of significance’ within their areas of responsibility, which the department described as a ‘succinct summary of achievement over the last week and a forecast of planned management focus over the coming week’. 2.25 As noted at paragraph 2.5, the integration of the department and ACBPS comprised the integration of the ‘old’ department and ACBPS, the creation of the ABF as well as a suite of 38 capability reform projects with a value of $977.8 million. While the PRB and RITF documents examined by the ANAO demonstrated that there was routine reporting on organisational change and integration, there appeared to be minimal emphasis on reporting to the Executive about, and consideration of, progress in the suite of 38 capability reform projects. 2.26 While the ANAO located a small number of ‘project dashboard’ reports prepared during 2015, these carried the caveat ‘preliminary’ and were incomplete as they contained no financial status reporting. Ensure that the Executive Committee has visibility of critical project and program performance information through regular reporting. 2.29 In July 2017, the Enterprise Strategy, Reform and Performance division provided the Executive Committee with an Enterprise Transformation Blueprint which had been in development for some months. The purpose of the Blueprint was to provide the Executive Committee with a document which detailed eighteen ‘change initiatives’ across six ‘transformation outcomes’.14 For each initiative15, the Blueprint showed key milestones and whether each was complete, on track, a cause for concern or requiring corrective action. As a high-level document, while the Blueprint did not explicitly show the status of each of the 38 capability reform projects, it provided a consolidated high-level overview of ‘transformation’ activity across the department. Arrangements for monitoring the progress of capability reform projects is discussed in Chapter 3. 2.30 The Integration Business Case stated that one of the responsibilities of the PRB was to ‘report progress to the Minister’. In examining PRB documents and minutes, the ANAO found reference to officials having met with the Minister (or staff in his office) at various times but saw no written briefs to formally advise on progress, despite the commitments the department gave the government in the Integration Business Case that it would provide an assessment of the benefits of integration (see Chapter 4). Did the department establish communication plans? Detailed communication plans were established and implemented to support the integration process. ‘Pulse Check’ surveys were regularly taken to evaluate staff satisfaction and engagement with the process. 2.31 The department recognised that communication of the reform agenda to its staff would be a key to success. In July 2014, it commissioned Nous Group to assess the ‘change readiness’ of the former department and ACBPS and to recommend appropriate strategies. The consultant’s report found that while the workforce recognised that integration could bring future opportunities, change readiness and engagement in both entities was low and there were low levels of confidence in the ability of mid-level and senior leaders to achieve integration and reform. 2.32 Following the Minister’s announcement in May 2014, there was a range of activities to inform the department’s staff about integration. These included launches by the Secretary and Australian Border Force Commissioner, all staff emails, information packs for all staff and more than 200 ‘National Roadshow’ sessions held across Australia. In October 2014, the Secretary and Commissioner released the Blueprint for Integration which provided staff and external stakeholders with information about the department’s mission, organisation and focus as well as an indicative timeline. 2.33 A portfolio integration communication plan was developed in July 2015. 2.35 Surveys of staff engagement have demonstrated mixed results. A ‘Pulse Check’16 survey conducted in April/May 2015 found on the one hand, that ‘communication, when content is informative, timing is appropriate and regular, and feedback opportunities are provided (i.e. all-staff emails and weekly newsletters), has contributed to employee awareness and understanding of integration and reform outcomes’. However, the survey also reported that ‘Communications thus far have failed to provide relevant, targeted detail that is satisfactory to employees… Some of the workforce have felt overwhelmed by too many high-level, untargeted all-staff communications. Key messages in emails are lost in large bodies of text and are not effectively disseminated to employees by their leaders’. 2.36 In 2016, the department engaged the RAND Corporation to undertake an assessment of the ‘consolidation’ of ACBPS and the department. The RAND review report observed that there had been a ‘loss of momentum’ shortly after integration formally began and stated that ‘Several interviewees mentioned that the early road shows used to talk about the integration of the workforce had stopped and had not been replaced with any other engagement efforts. This was mentioned as a shortfall from all levels, from DIBP headquarters to the regional commands’. 2.37 The most recent Pulse Check (conducted in early 2016) showed that there had been increases in the proportions of staff who: will contribute to the department’s objectives where possible; understand their role in achieving the department’s role and mission; and are clear about how the implementation of the department’s objectives will impact them. However, there were significant decreases in the proportions of staff who: felt valued for their contribution; had confidence in the senior leadership to achieve the department’s vision and mission; and believed that communication between senior leaders is open and transparent. Has the department maintained adequate records? The audit found that the department did not maintain adequate records of the integration process. This finding repeats the outcomes of a substantial number of audits and reviews going back to 2005. The department’s own assessment is that its records and information management is in a critically poor state. The problems and their solutions are known to the department, and it has an action plan to address them, although numerous previous attempts to do so have not been successful. The department also experienced a loss of corporate memory due to the level of turn-over of SES staff, with almost half of SES officers present in July 2015 no longer in the department at July 2017. 2.38 In accordance with its usual practice, the ANAO sought the department’s assistance in locating key documents which were referred to in other documents. 2.40 Inadequate record keeping has been a persistent theme in the ANAO’s audits of the department. Since July 2010, seven audit reports of the department have identified issues with record keeping20, with three of the reports having made specific recommendations aimed at improving the department’s record keeping, to which the department agreed. … evidence of a record keeping system that is seriously flawed. It was difficult to pull together all DIMIA23 records on this case because relevant documents were kept in several different locations and as both hard copy and computer records. Throughout its investigations the inquiry found DIMIA file management practices poor, and there seemed to be no unified organisational approach to file establishment, access and control … File discipline was lax. This situation exposes DIMIA to risk. Similarly, an unpublished report found that the unlawful detention in June 2017 of two Australian citizens was caused partially by access to poor data. The Panel experienced considerable challenges in reviewing some of the cases presented by the Secretariat because of poor record keeping by the Department and some service providers. Since 2006 at least 17 reviews of various aspects of records and information management (IM) have been completed, all of which identify significant scope for improvement. An assessment of the collective review recommendations confirms a consistent theme throughout each; a lack of sustained follow through, which in turn has left the Department’s IM in a critically poor state. Failure to deliver on strategic objectives and priorities (risk and crisis management). 2.44 The submission noted that while two projects had been approved totalling $4.29 million26, this represented funding for 2016–17 only, and that an investment of $14.55 million over five years would be required to implement the recommendations of an earlier review. It also stated that should the Executive Committee wish to ‘expedite critical aspects of the Action Plan’, additional resourcing of two staff and $320 000 would be required. In May 2018, the department advised that this additional resourcing had not been provided. Excess exposure to litigation, FOI, investigations, audits and government accountability. 2.46 The Department of Home Affairs give priority to addressing its records and information management deficiencies including by implementing the Records and Information Management Action Plan 2016–20. Department of Home Affairs response: Agreed. 2.47 The Records Management Action Plan 2016–20 commenced in mid-2016 with a number of foundational activities having been completed. This included the introduction of mandatory online training, the development of a Business Classification Scheme and Taxonomy, and completed transition to a single records management System (TRIM RM8). There will be ongoing reviews undertaken to assess record keeping practices in high-risk business areas which will commence in 2018–19. Did the department develop an integration risk management plan and strategy? The department initially identified possible risks to effective integration. However, regular reporting against those risks ceased when the Reform and Integration Task Force was disbanded. 2.48 The Public Governance Performance and Accountability Act 2013 and the Commonwealth Risk Management Policy27require all Commonwealth entities to establish and maintain appropriate systems of risk oversight, management and internal control. 2.49 Prior to integration, both the department and ACBPS had established risk management frameworks in accordance with policy and legislative requirements. After the integration announcement in May 2014, the department recognised that the process of integration would present its own set of risks. The Integration Business Case included a list of these integration risks and noted that once the two entities were integrated, there would be a need for the separate development of an Enterprise Risk Management framework in relation to ‘business as usual’. 2.50 The 16 integration risks that were developed are shown in Table 2.2. Reform and Integration fails to meet its objectives due to complex interdependencies. Industrial disharmony negatively impacts the achievement of portfolio reform and integration outcomes. Insufficient organisational capacity and capability to sustain integration and reform activities. Technology architecture and systems integration does not support the delivery of Portfolio outcomes. Reduction in reform and integration benefits due to divergence between programme objectives and changing organisational priorities. Resistance from external stakeholders and partners prevents or delays the agreed reforms. Design and implementation of the foundation and functions of the ABF fail to meet Government intent. Failure to achieve timely legislative reform. Inadequate change leadership, due to lack of experience or failure to engage with reform & integration. Integrity and fraud exposure arising from reform and integration activities. Deterioration of enterprise information quality and data integrity. Change adversely affects staff morale, productivity and commitment to the organisation. Funding for future reform initiatives not released in a timely manner. Effective portfolio integration is undermined by cultural dissonance. Loss of critical skills and subject matter expertise impact achievement of reform and integration objectives. Reduction in border operations and security during reform and integration activities. 2.51 Each of the risks was assigned to a Risk Lead at the SES officer level. The status of each risk was reported through the RITF to the PRB. As with other aspects of the RITF’s work, integration risk reporting ceased in April 2015 when the RITF was disbanded and the PRB was subsumed into the Executive Committee. 2.52 Project-level risks for capability reform projects were included in the Project Initiation Document (PID) for each project, and are managed in centralised project risk registers. High and extreme risks are extracted into the project monthly status reports for executive reports and governance bodies. What external assistance did the department engage to assist with integration? The department made extensive use of consultants to assist it with the integration process. Despite a requirement to evaluate contracts upon completion, this did not occur in 31 out of 33 (94 per cent) contracts with a value of more than $1 million examined by the ANAO, and therefore it is unclear whether these services represented value for money. 2.54 All entities are required to report details of contracts that they enter into on AusTender, the Australian government’s procurement information system. Consultancy contracts are required to be indicated with a ‘flag’.29 Figure 2.5 shows the value of consultancy contracts entered into by the department since 2007–08. The total value of consultancy contracts entered into by the department between 2007–08 and 2016–17 was $358.9 million. Note: Data for years prior to integration includes ACBPS and the department combined. Source: ANAO analysis of AusTender data. 2.55 Figure 2.5 shows that the value of consultancies entered into by the department increased significantly following the government’s announcement of integration, although the department was not able to identify which consultancy contracts related to integration (as opposed to its ‘business as usual’). It is DIBP policy that an evaluation of the contract and contract outcomes must be undertaken at the end of each contract. The evaluation should encompass the overall performance of both the contractor and DIBP. Has the contract facilitated the achievement of the activity identified in the approach to the market? Did the contract achieve its objectives? Did the contract deliver quality outcomes? How well did the performance regime work? Did the management arrangements established by DIBP facilitate achievement of contract outcomes? 2.58 The CMM requires staff managing contracts to ‘document the lessons learnt’ and ‘keep sufficient records’, which includes providing a report ‘in which conclusions are supported by the data’. had a contract value of $1 million or greater. 2.60 There were 33 consultancies with a total value of $83.3 million which met these criteria. Of these, only two (with a total value of $8.1 million) had been evaluated as required by the CMM. The Department has already commenced a project to implement an end to end Procure to Pay system which will enforce the requirement and more importantly support consideration of past performance as part of the ongoing procurement process. 2.63 The ANAO examined the Project Initiation Documentation (PID) for the Procure to Pay system. While the system is intended to ‘provide improved information and analytic capability for contract management’, the PID is a project planning document and does not refer to the CMM requirement for evaluation of contracts. 2.64 The Department of Home Affairs develop a business assurance approach to enforce its requirement in the Contract Management Manual that contracts be evaluated on completion. 2.65 The Department is currently implementing a Procure to Pay (P2P) solution that will provide an automated process to guide contract managers when commencing and finalising arrangement/contracts. This chapter examines the department’s governance and management of a program of 38 capability reform projects, delivery of efficiency savings and collection of additional revenue in accordance with its commitments to the government. The department is effectively managing a suite of 38 capability reform projects and has developed sound monitoring arrangements, although the Executive Committee does not have visibility of the overall status of individual projects. The efficiency savings committed to by the department were removed from its forward estimates and have thus been incorporated in the budget. However, the department has not verified whether efficiencies have been delivered in the specific areas which were nominated in the Integration Business Case. Based on progress to the end of December 2017, if collections continue at the current rate the department will only collect 31.6 per cent of the additional customs duty revenue to which it committed in the Integration Business Case. Has the department managed capability reform projects effectively? Following a series of governance changes in October 2015, the department established an effective Project and Program Management Framework which was broadly consistent with the intended future governance state described in the Integration Business Case. While some projects are facing challenges, it is too early to form a view about whether all will be delivered on time and within budget. 3.1 Since the governance changes in October 2015 outlined in Chapter 2, the Major Capability Division (MCD) has had carriage of the 38 capability reform projects. Figure 3.1 shows the department’s ‘capability lifecycle’ and the project governance arrangements that the MCD has instituted. 3.2 The functions of the key committees shown in Figure 3.1 are outlined in Table 3.1. oversee capability performance and expenditure. identify and develop strategies to improve project and program delivery. guidance to the CDC on performance issues, support identification, resolution and endorsement of outstanding decisions and risks. Source: DIBP: Programme and Project Delivery at a glance. 3.3 The 38 capability reform projects are grouped together into five programs. Table 3.2 shows the programs and the budget as originally approved by government. Capability to assist with the clearance of travellers, goods and cargo through Australia’s borders. Projects in this stream relate to processing of goods for customs purposes and facilitation of passengers. Capability to assist with the delivery of compliance, monitoring and status resolution activities for Immigration and Customs Operations, including ABF enforcement and operational activities. Capability to assist with the delivery of strategy and provide enabling services across the agency to support the delivery of all functions. Capabilities include property, payroll, procurement services. Capability to assist with the gathering of data and information from all sources so that it can be analysed and assessed. These capabilities support risk assessment, prioritisation, targeting and resource allocation for immigration and cargo processing. Capability within the department related to ICT infrastructure, end user computing, software developments and management, including project management and delivery services. resource management strategy and plan. 3.5 ANAO review confirmed that there is a Project Initiation Document (or project plan) for each project and that the costings were agreed by the Department of Finance in accordance with usual practice. 3.7 The ANAO did not attempt to verify the accuracy of the dashboards but noted that for the purposes of the individual program boards, they provide a comprehensive overview of the status of the capability reform program. two projects have been cancelled, one is under review, one is closed and one is yet to commence. Has the department delivered required efficiency savings and additional revenue? The department has been subject to budgetary reductions equal to the efficiency savings required by government. It has not verified whether efficiencies were achieved in the specific areas identified in the Integration Business Case. By the end of December 2017, the department had only delivered 42.2 per cent of the additional revenue to which it committed in the Integration Business Case, and if collections continue at the current rate, it will only collect 31.6 per cent of the additional revenue. $498.0 million in additional revenue through improved customs duty compliance (known as revenue uplift). Source: ANAO analysis of DIBP data. other contracts: reductions in spending33 on non-ICT contractors and consultants. 3.11 Table 3.4 shows the efficiency savings proposed as a result of the Efficiency Delivery Strategy. 3.12 In the 2015–16 budget, the government reduced the department’s budget funding for existing operations by $270.1 million over 2015–16 to 2018–19.34 This was to partly offset the new expenditure on the capability reform projects. In that sense, the proposed savings were factored into the budget process. The ANAO examined whether the department had taken steps to implement the Efficiency Delivery Strategy as proposed. 3.13 Since 2014–15, the department has not undertaken any detailed analysis to confirm that the efficiency measures which were directly costed and agreed in the Integration Business Case have been completely implemented or achieved at the rate proposed. This is inconsistent with the commitments made to government in relation to the achievement of efficiency savings. undertaken a workforce requirements analysis and functional accountability review that examined, amongst other things, span of control. 3.15 These activities were all agreed actions as part of the original Integration Business Case. 3.16 As the government’s second-largest collector of revenue behind the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), the department collects a range of duties, taxes and other charges. The most substantial of these is Customs duty, which totalled $14.2 billion in 2016–17. Like the ATO, the department has a responsibility to ensure that companies and individuals comply with their payment obligations. ‘Compliance’ covers a range of regulatory activities intended to collect duty that has not been paid, whether inadvertently or as a result of deliberate evasion. Revenue uplift was the term given in the Integration Business Case to a number of initiatives aimed at improving the effectiveness of the department’s compliance efforts. At the time of integration, ACBPS’ compliance activity resulted in additional duty collection of approximately $29 million per year. 3.17 In April 2014, prior to the public announcement of integration, the department had proposed to the government that it would improve revenue collection and compliance and collect an additional $346.6 million over the six years from 2014–15 to 2019–20. 3.19 Table 3.5 details the amount of additional revenue that the department ultimately committed to collecting in each year. 3.20 After the initial revenue uplift commitment in April 2014 (but before the further commitment in April 2015), the Executive Committee had received Monthly Finance Updates in March 2015 and April 2015 which highlighted trends indicating that the initial uplift commitment would not be realised. By May 2015, the Monthly Finance Update advised that ‘the annual revenue uplift will fall well short of the full year forecast’. 3.21 An April 2015 report entitled Revenue Uplift – the way forward noted that targets were not being met and growing shortfalls were developing. The report stated that development of the initiatives had encountered ‘technical design difficulties’, and that the only initiative that had been fully completed to date had raised doubts about how effective it would be in predicting non-compliance that was not already known to ACBPS. delays in implementing the ‘initiatives’. 3.23 In October 2016, revenue uplift was discontinued as a separate capability reform project and the responsibility was transferred into ‘business as usual’ operations in the Customs Compliance branch. An End Project Report completed to close out the process noted that there had been difficulties in developing the proposed fourteen initiatives, and another February 2016 report stated that ‘the predictive analytics models originally planned to be developed by the Task Force were not feasible’. The Customs Compliance branch has continued with revenue compliance work, but work on the originally envisaged advanced analytics approach and the ‘fourteen initiatives’ appears to have ceased. 3.24 In the meantime, revenue uplift collection results have continued to be reported to the executive. Figure 3.2 shows amounts of additional revenue actually identified for collection compared with the commitment given to the government in April 2015. Note a: The peaks shown in February to April 2017 are due to a small number of large value transactions associated with elements such as tobacco product imports. Figures shown are additional to the baseline collection of approximately $29.0 million per year (see paragraph 3.16). 3.25 By the end of 2016–17, the amount of additional revenue collected since July 2014 was $80.3 million compared with a commitment for the same period of $190.2 million (42.2 per cent). If revenue uplift collections continue at the same average monthly rate as to date ($2.2 million per month), the shortfall by the end of 2019–20 will be $340.6 million and the department will have achieved less than a third (31.6 per cent) of its commitment to the government. Figure 3.2 shows that the revenue uplift commitment was met in six of 36 months in the period 2014–15 to 2016–17. As the performance of Customs Duty to budget is in line with expectations (variation of <1%) to the published PAES 2016–17 budget numbers, the department considers we are achieving our revenue targets. 3.27 The department’s advice is inconsistent with both the Integration Business Case and the department’s specific commitment to increase the revenue collected from its customs duty compliance activity, to which the government agreed as part of the offsets to the costs of integration and reform. This chapter assesses the department’s ability to demonstrate the benefits of integration. In the Integration Business Case, the department committed to a detailed Benefits Realisation Plan. The plan was not implemented despite several reviews identifying this omission. As a result, the department cannot demonstrate to the government that the claimed benefits of integration have been achieved. Can the department demonstrate to the government the benefits of integration? The department cannot demonstrate that the claimed benefits of integration have been achieved because it did not implement the Benefits Realisation Plan which formed part of the Integration Business Case. The decision to support and fund the Programme hinges, among other things, on whether or not the investment in this major transformation can be justified. A key question that needs to be considered is whether the envisaged Programme objectives and outcomes will deliver benefits that justify the investment that Government will be asked to make. 4.2 A Benefits Realisation Plan was included as an attachment to the Integration Business Case. Ten key program benefits were specified, forming four overarching benefits. These are shown in Table 4.1. Source: Integration Business Case, Benefits Realisation Plan. 4.3 The Plan also listed 27 ‘proposed measures of benefit’.36 The department advised in March 2018 that it had not collected any data in relation to these measures. 4.4 The Benefits Realisation Plan gave a detailed description of the benefits management framework, including the approach and process, governance and reporting. The Plan required the development of the documents and reports outlined in Table 4.2. Documents expected benefit, including categorisation, quantification and timing of realisation. Documents logical linkage between deliverables, outcomes and benefits. Provides an explanation of the change to expected benefits for a program or project. When a Benefit Profile is updated and as a result the expected realisation value changes by more than the agreed tolerance level. Provides the basis of quarterly reporting of benefits being realised by business-as-usual areas. 4.5 Despite establishing a detailed benefits management framework (including the development of blank templates for each of the components in Table 4.2), this work was not progressed until 2017 and, as at the time of audit, none of the documents or reports outlined in Table 4.2 have been finalised. 4.6 A number of reviews over aspects of the program have stated that there was no evidence a benefits management framework had been implemented as outlined in Table 4.3. … at the program level, the benefits management plan, including arrangements for reporting and monitoring of benefits, is still at the outline stage. The review team understands the pressures on the task force staff, but considers that priority attention will need to be given to this issue relatively soon. (Recommendation: ‘Complete the detail of the overarching program level benefits management plan’). The Benefits Realisation Plan has not been updated to reflect the post-integration organisational environment. A benefits management plan was developed and included in the Business Case. The review team did not see evidence that the Program was actively tracking benefits. Lack of, or inconsistent approach to benefits realisation will make it difficult to reallocate capital requests on an objective basis: a benefits assessment has not been consistently applied or implemented to compare the achievement of benefits put forward in the Cabinet Submissions. There are a number of areas that require early attention. These include benefits realisation, where the identification and measurement of program benefits remains at an early stage. The review team was concerned that if this matter is not addressed in the shorter term, the demonstration of program benefits would become even more difficult at later stages in the Program. Source: ANAO from review reports. While much has been achieved, it is a work in progress and as such I expect that processes will mature over the coming year. At this point, we have established benefits for each of the Programmes and all bar one has provided the detailed Benefit Profile information. 4.8 Notwithstanding this advice, the Benefits Realisation Plan included in the Integration Business Case and approved by government has not been implemented. 4.9 On 22 September 2017, the Department advised the ANAO that it was moving from a benefits realisation model to an ‘outcomes measurement model’ and provided two related documents: the Measures of Success and the Future Operating Model. this in turn will enhance programme prioritisation and decision-making by tying programmes of work to tangible business changes and impacts. The [Gateway] report acknowledges the work done to identify benefits at an individual work package level. A Benefits Management Approach has been released for the integrated DIBP. The Strategic Reform Group has developed an Outcome focussed view of Strategic Reform and have drafted Measures of Success…The Investment Programme is based on integrated delivery and governance structures to focus more on delivering business outcomes and less on original ACBPS Reform structure. In terms of FOM implementation, it was never officially rolled out to the broader Department. Key SROs [Senior Responsible Officers] received a copy however feedback was that the document was too long and difficult to digest. 4.14 The Measures of Success and the Future Operating Model were the ‘deliverables’ of a contract that the department entered into with a consultant (the Boston Consulting Group). The contract value was $4.7 million and the Boston Consulting Group was actually paid $3.7 million. This contract was not evaluated at its completion as required. The current 20 measures of success developed by the Boston Consulting Group—referred to as the “measures of success”—are largely operational metrics, and as such do not consider the full strategy-to-resources continuum… As none of the measures being developed can be considered to be strategic, assessing strategic outcomes will likely be problematic. Furthermore, with such measures, assessing whether the overarching strategy of the DIBP is being achieved will also likely not be possible. 4.16 At the time of the audit, the department has not provided the government with any assessment of the benefits of integration. Additionally (as noted in Chapter 3), while the efficiency savings to which the department committed were delivered through reductions in its base funding, the department cannot identify specifically what efficiencies have been delivered and in what areas. 4.17 The Department of Home Affairs implement the Benefits Realisation Plan which was included in the Integration Business Case to allow the government to assess whether the claimed benefits of integration have been realised. 4.18 The Department acknowledges the need for an enterprise and strategic approach to benefits management, tracking and harvesting that goes beyond project delivery. While project level benefits are still maturing, the Department is working with key internal stakeholders to develop an approach, framework, and accountabilities for the tracking of benefits at an enterprise level. 4.19 The Department proposes to develop the program level benefit plans and profiles incorporating key elements of the Integrated Business Realisation Plan recognising the changed circumstances and responsibilities with the stand-up of the Department of Home Affairs. This will enable effective reporting using baselines and measures that are appropriate and targeted, and enable the Department to report on existing strategic objectives. forecast end date is as revised by the department as at 31 December 2017. 1 The NCOA was established in October 2013 by the newly elected government to ‘review and report on the performance, functions and roles of the Commonwealth government.’ The key objective was to make recommendations to return the budget to a sustainable surplus of 1% of GDP by 2023–24. 2 The Australian Customs and Border Protection Service would be abolished. 3 Subject to the passage of legislation by the Parliament. 4 DIBP defines capability as ‘the capacity and ability to achieve and sustain a desired effect or output in order to meet one or more of the Department’s strategic objectives’. A capability may include the acquisition of capital equipment (such as a boat or a CCTV system) but can also include training, facilities, information and systems, equipment and supplies, support and laws, policy, procedures and administration. 5 All funding approved for reform and integration was offset in accordance with government policy. Funding comprised offsets through increased revenue collection, efficiencies and redirection of existing funding. See Chapter 3 for further information. 6 The Portfolio Reform Task Force was renamed the Reform and Integration Task Force (RITF) in November 2014. 8 Capability Reform Programme Readiness Review, June 2015. 9 The chart shown in Figure 2.4 is the governance framework that existed at the time of the ANAO audit and differs in a few minor respects from the one that was approved in October 2015. 10 The Integration Business Case did not specify at what stage the PRB and RITF should be disbanded. 11 Information and Communications Technology. 13 Program boards form part of the current governance framework: see Figure 2.4. 14 These were immigration, border, trade, intelligence and identity, technology and workforce and corporate. 15 ‘Initiatives’ included the 38 capability reform projects, initiatives being ‘executed through everyday branch activity’, ‘emerging’ initiatives, areas of Ministerial priority and other investment proposals under consideration for internal capital funding. 16 The survey had 3,300 responses from DIBP staff and also included focus groups with over 200 employees in NSW, VIC, QLD, SA, WA and the ACT. 17 The ANAO found numerous non-personal network drives with names which give no indication of their contents such as ‘Random useful stuff’, ‘old stuff’, ‘Ministerial stuff’ and simply ‘stuff’. 18 The website of the National Archives of Australia states that ‘a network drive is not a records management system’ and lists several risks in using it as such: records stored in network drives can be easily altered or deleted by anyone who has access to the drive; it is difficult demonstrate the authenticity, integrity and trustworthiness of uncontrolled records in network drives; metadata is often missing and there are no links between documents and their business context; poor management can result in large volumes of uncontrolled information which is difficult to manage and takes up network space; it can be difficult to find relevant records, posing a reputational risk; and it can be difficult to identify the status or version of information. 19 The ANAO compared the 1 July 2015 and 3 July 2017 SES organisation charts. Of the SES Band 3 (Deputy Secretary) officers shown on the July 2015 chart, 50 per cent had left the organisation by July 2017. At the SES Band 2 (First Assistant Secretary) level, 61 per cent had left and at SES Band 1 (Assistant Secretary), 43 per cent had left. Overall, 47 per cent of SES officers present in July 2015 were no longer in the department in July 2017. Some (but not all) of the consequential vacancies were filled. 20 No.21 2012–13 Individual Management Services Provided to People in Immigration Detention; No.13 2014–-15 Management of the Cape Class Patrol Boat Program; No.47 2014–15 Verifying Identity in the Citizenship Program; No.13 2015–16 Managing Compliance with Visa Conditions; No.16 2016–17 Offshore Processing Centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea: Procurement of Garrison Support and Welfare Services; No.32 2016–17 Offshore Processing Centres in Nauru and Papua New Guinea: Contract Management of Garrison Support and Welfare Services; No.39 2016–17 The Australian Border Force’s Use of Statutory Powers. 21 Inquiry into the circumstances of the immigration detention of Cornelia Rau, M J Palmer, July 2005. 22 Ms Rau was a permanent resident who was detained in March 2004 as a suspected illegal immigrant for about 300 days. 23 At that time, DIBP was the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs. 25 The submission noted that this figure is growing at an estimated 30 per cent year on year and that ‘TRIM is aging technology which the Department is quickly outgrowing’. 26 The department advised in March 2018 that the budget for these projects was now $6.14 million. 27 Commonwealth Risk Management Policy, Department of Finance, July 2014. 29 The ANAO’s examination of AusTender data showed that some contracts which were almost certainly consultancies were not flagged as such. The department accepted that there have been discrepancies in AusTender reporting of consultancy contracts and advised that it has instituted processes to scrutinise contracts more closely to better identify which ones were consultancy contracts. Consequently, in addition to those consultancy contracts which were flagged as such by DIBP, the ANAO has included contracts whose description included ‘consultant’, ‘review’ or ‘evaluation’ (and variants thereof). Equally, however, some contracts flagged as being consultancies are probably not. 30 This was the date of the government’s announcement of the integration of DIBP and Customs. 31 The consultancy worth $17.6 million was ‘terminated for convenience’ on 30 June 2015 at the end of the first year of a two year contract. By that time, $17.1 million (97.1 per cent) of the contract’s value had been paid. With respect to the consultancy worth $2 million, the department’s concerns about its performance caused it to revise the scope of the contract. The department advised that this reduced the cost of the contact by approximately $80,000 (four per cent of the contract’s value). 32 Under DIBP’s project management framework, an exception report must be prepared when there has been a significant change to the project’s scope, milestone/schedule, finance, quality, risk, issues, resource, benefits and dependencies. Exception reports are provided to the Senior Responsible Officer. 33 Expenditure to be reduced by 2.5 per cent in 2016–17 and 5 per cent per annum after that. 34 The $263.6 million shown in Table 3.4 was adjusted to $270.1 million in the budget process. 35 The April 2014 and April 2015 commitments to increased revenue collection were based upon a March 2014 Value Determination Study by a consultant engaged by ACBPS, and a September 2014 report entitled Delivering the Revenue Commitment. These reports examined ACBPS revenue compliance work in earlier years and developed a number of ‘initiatives’ which it believed would deliver the additional revenue proposed. Some of the initiatives required the development of ‘predictive analytic models’. The March 2014 Study proposed ten initiatives and the revised September 2014 report proposed fourteen. 36 Examples of proposed measures of benefit were: number of export and import entries cleared; proportion of cargo found to violate fair trading practices or that exploit Australia’s resources; proportion of asylum-seeker care activities found to meet policy requirements and proportion of workforce effort expended on low value or low priority tasks.

2019-04-21T15:01:19Z

https://www.anao.gov.au/work/performance-audit/integration-department-immigration-and-border-protection-and-australian-customs-and-border

My father-in-law has difficulty walking around, so there was all sorts of new things for us this trip. First, we rented an ECV from Apple Scooter – their prices were very good and they had a lot of good reviews. I had some concerns whether he’d be able to effectively operate it especially in some situations like getting it on or off the bus. But because the ECV was relatively small and could be easily disassembled and reassembled, it would fit in the back of the car, so on some days some would take the bus and I would drive him over to the parks and we’d use the accessible parking area. We were also taking different airlines (the in-laws live in a different part of the country), and they would be taking the Magical Express bus to get to the resort while we rented a car. The added expense of a six-person vehicle was pretty high, so we decided to go with a smaller car, and would use a combination of transportation when necessary to get around, especially with the ECV. Although we planned not to go down so early again, most of direct JetBlue flights from Boston were in the morning – and even though we booked one a little later than before, the schedule changed and we still had a 6am flight. This time, however, we only planned to go to Animal Kingdom, which had Extra Magic Hours which only went until 8pm anyways, so it wouldn’t be a super long day for us. Our flight down was on “A Friend In Blue”, and was uneventful, just a few minutes late. The in-laws were on a different airline, and amazingly not only did they beat us to Orlando (their flight was scheduled to arrive shortly after ours), but they beat us to the resort as well on the Magical Express bus! We had planned to stop on the way and get some groceries, but I thought there was a chance that the room wouldn’t be ready, and I was right. My DMiL had “checked in” (which itself created confusion as she gave her credit card), and not only wasn’t the room ready but they were in the midst of updating the reservations computer system (code named “Lilo” – at least they call it that, but I think “Stitch” will have proven to be a more appropriate name) and nothing was working. They couldn’t even issue the Key To The World cards, and instead gave us a single “blank” card that would open our room when it was ready. They did at least give us a parking permit so we could park for free at the park. Fortunately we already had our park tickets. We met up with the in-laws at Artists Palette for some breakfast/lunch. We had arrived just before the changeover from one to the other, so we waited a few minutes and had lunch. DW had a potato and bacon soup with a chicken cordon bleu panini sandwich, and I had a turkey and brie sandwich. All of it was very tasty. We ended up sitting outside the Turf Club, as some sections of AP were being refurbished and there were a lot of people milling about – possibly waiting for rooms. They had already gotten the ECV from Bell Services, and although there was no manual it was very easy to figure out, although the forward-reverse control could be confusing because it could be used by either hand, but they were the reverse of each other – one hand forward was pull towards you and reverse was push away, and the other hand was backwards. On the few occasions I needed to use it (relocating it, on-off buses, etc.) I’d get it backwards since I couldn’t remember. I went back over to the check-in desk to try and get some stuff straightened out and find out what was going on, and basically I’d have to get it all fixed later in the day when we got back as they really couldn’t do anything at all. If I had tickets in the package or the Dining Plan I’d have been worried – I don’t know how they were handling those situations, but we had our tickets in hand (I had an AP already from the October trip, and the rest were purchased from Undercover Tourist, and a Give-A-Day free ticket voucher), so we just went over to Animal Kingdom, splitting up as planned. Bell Services helped us figure out how to break down the ECV to put in the car (again, no instructions), and from that I figured out that we could take the battery pack out alone at night to charge it (and it survived two full park days without ever indicating it was weak). I drove over to the park and used the accessible lot, but it was pretty full – it was a fair distance to walk/ride to the entrance. We met up there, and I went straight to the Guest Relations booth first to get DW her ticket from her GAD voucher and turn it into a 9-day Park Hopper), get a Tables In Wonderland card, and also get a Guest Assistance Card (GAC) for DFiL, as there may be times he’d need extra time transferring to ride vehicles and such. The woman gave us the card and stamped it so we’d all be able to use the handicapped entrance at all attractions that had it – although we never actually had to produce it as no questions were asked (the ECV generally made it obvious). Side talk: There have been a lot of claims that the GAC is like a “super FASTPASS”, or gives front of the line privileges. This isn’t actually true; it generally alerts Cast Members that the guest may need some special handling. However, from experience in using the handicapped entrance, I can say that with the crowd levels being low at least, we seemed to get onto the attraction slightly faster than if we had gone through the regular line. I believe that if there had been more people in the handicapped lines in front of us, it would have taken longer as they would only take from that line periodically – we just got through relatively quickly because we were often the only ones. Toy Story Mania may have been the biggest exception. Even though we had Fastpasses for it AND used the accessible entrance, they only load from the accessible loading platform every so often – perhaps as little as once per cycle. They actually have a special one-sided car for use with people in wheelchairs, so instead of normally accommodating 8 people in a vehicle it holds 6. The in-laws didn’t go on any of the thrill rides, so I don’t know how it would have worked there, but another difference is that at Haunted Mansion you bypass the stretching room completely, loading at the unload area instead. After getting everything straightened out, we went into AK and I went to get Fastpasses for Expedition Everest and then met up with everyone to see Finding Nemo. After that we rode Everest and then met up with the in-laws by the Dawa Bar for the parade (and a couple drinks). We had a nice talk with Gene, a CM originally from our area while we waited about random things. He recommended that if the in-laws wanted to see Festival Of The Lion King that they still get there early, as they will fill in the accessible seats with regular guests after giving early seating to those that need them. After the parade it dawns on me – Extra Magic Hours starts at 5pm – and we don’t have KTTW cards to say that we are staying on site! So fight the crowd to get back to Guest Relations while the in-laws go to see FOTLK and DW and the kids check out the shops and such. I explain the situation to the CM, who hops out back and then comes in with 6 “Extra Magic Hours” tickets – they were actually printed on Dinosaur Fastpass stock, but said that they were good for Extra Magic Hours access. We hadn’t done an evening Extra Magic Hours since they stopped using the wristbands, but the CMs didn’t bat an eye at these – they even had boards with what they’d accept from guests to get access to the rides. We regrouped for dinner, with some going to Pizzafari and some going to Flame Tree BBQ. It took a while since I needed to be at both locations to get the Tables In Wonderland discount (two of the few non-table service locations that take it), but DFiL and I preferred some BBQ. After that we basically split up for the remainder of the time there, with us riding Expedition Everest twice in a row as near walk-ons, and finally getting the front rows both times! And for the curious, the Yeti was still in “disco” mode, where it is immobile but lit by a strobe to at least give some effect. But I think when it gets darker the effect is lost as the guest’s eyes adjust – you can more plainly see the yeti and that it doesn’t actually move. But the experience in general of Everest in the dark was pretty cool. We did hear that our room was ready, but nobody wrote down the room number so when we went back I went to the front desk to confirm and also get stuff straightened out about room charging. The new system was up, but the CMs weren’t familiar with it and some of the new features, such as the fact that different KTTW cards can now charge to different credit cards. We set that up although it took a while, got all the KTTW cards, and got to our room. We were in the Grandstand section as requested, but at the extreme end – I wasn’t very familiar with the layout and would have preferred we were closer to the pool end, which was also closer to the main buildings, but it wasn’t terrible. Bell Services helped bring all the luggage to the room. Day 2 did not start well. It was an Extra Magic Hour morning (8am) at Magic Kingdom, and we planned to be there at Rope Drop. We got up at 6am despite a messed up alarm clock. Since we had the ECV, to “save time” I figured I would drive DFiL and the ECV over to the TTC and take the monorail over, while the rest took the bus. Unlike the other parks, it would take a little extra time for us, but we wouldn’t have to deal with getting the ECV on and off the bus. On arrival at the TTC, everything seemed fine…they were only running the Resort Monorail at the time, which I thought was strange (perhaps they don’t get many people at the TTC for an EMH morning), but by “running” I mean “keep the monorail parked at the platform for a while”. The ferries did not appear to be running at all. So we waited on the ramp, about halfway down, while nothing moved. The train did not leave for at least 10 minutes, despite having been loaded already. Then the train finally leaves…and there is no sign of another one. After a few more minutes, a CM comes up the ramp, and tells everyone that we needed to go to the bus area and take a bus as the monorail was shutting down (never found out why). By this time there were a couple hundred people behind us, who are now in front of us on the way to the buses, plus plenty that passed us. We get there and get in line. They are already loading one bus, but it would likely be 3 or perhaps 4 before we get one. The first bus pulls away, with 3 more in the lot – which don’t move. Despite needing buses, they were just sitting there, perhaps awaiting their orders and no one was giving them orders while we sat in the cold and waited. We finally arrived at MK at 8:20am. The rest had to watch the Rope Drop ceremony from outside the turnstiles, because guess who had all the tickets? Lesson learned – partially. We pretty much split up after entry, and we take off for Space Mountain, which we haven’t been on since the refurbishment and would be DD#2’s first time. We were able to immediately walk on, which means we breezed by the new interactive queue elements, which were basically a bunch of Asteroids-like video games where each person had a left-shoot-right button set. After we rode, the line was still non-existent, so we walked on again. CAUTION!!! Be careful with your hands when going by the video games. The buttons are set in square metal holders, with VERY SHARP corners! I managed to gash my finger pretty good by running my hand along the railing, and then across the controls when I went by. I meant to speak to a CM afterwards, but forgot about it. DD#2 loved Space Mountain – I believe it is her favorite attraction now! As for the rehab in general – I think it is smoother. I at least did not notice as much jarring of my back (except on the initial latch up on the lift hill), and it certainly seemed darker. Sadly, it seemed to lose some of the ambiance in the loading area where you could make out the ghostly shadows of the cars as they went around along with the screams. I also noticed plenty of infrared cameras staring back at me at various points. I didn’t care too much for the new audio system. Since it is done by fixed speakers along the track, it just came and faded a lot. After that we took a quick spin on Astro Orbiter (DD#2’s first time on that as well), and then met up with the grandparents and did Buzz Lightyear (fortunately DFiL didn’t have trouble getting on the vehicle, although it was close) and Carousel of Progress (more people in there than usual, but certainly not nearly full…maybe it was because of the cold that everyone was trying to stay inside? From there we headed up to Fantasyland. Amazingly, even with the impending doom of Toontown Fair we never went near it. Not entirely sure why, we just had no interest, and even DD#2 didn’t ask about meeting the fairies. We went on the Winnie the Pooh attraction, getting our first look at the new “play area” queue. It’s a kids play area with various things for them to do, jump on, climb through, etc. while waiting in the line. A great idea to keep the kids occupied (and perhaps burn off some energy). Everything seemed to be generally soft, including the spongy flooring. We then headed to the Carrousel…while I sat outside (I didn’t feel like spinning around), the rest got in line, and eventually got on. However, I noticed while moving the ECV that there was a woman on her back on the platform of the carrousel, and a CM was called over. They called for medical assistance, and it appeared as if the woman may have somehow hit her head. They told everyone to get off the ride at that point. The woman looked conscious, but I don’t know the extent of her injury. It hopefully was minor. Instead, we walked in to PhilharMagic since we were right there and another show was starting shortly, followed by a quick lunch at Columbia Harbor House. It was crowded, but thanks to the ECV we were able to get a table in the reserved handicap area. I don’t remember much about the meal – I think most of us had fish and chips, with some clam chowder (which was good). After that we hopped right over to the Haunted Mansion. We were directed to the exit, where we parked the ECV outside, and we had to wait a bit because there was a Backstage Magic tour that was in the process of leaving. After a few minutes wait we were able to board in the exit area and then travel up to the main loading area. The corridor in between is not seen by many, but it was also unremarkable. At this point the in-laws went to take the riverboat for a ride while we wandered around Liberty Square and then we went down to Pirates Of The Caribbean, after which the in-laws caught up with us. It was getting closer to dinner time, so we headed out to the Monorail. Dinner was at ‘Ohana at 5:05pm, and we had plenty of time so we stopped first at the Contemporary Resort to look at all the decorations. After that we reached the Polynesian Resort with plenty of time so we sat and had drinks at the Tambu lounge. Despite sitting right where they handle the people with ADRs for ‘Ohana, I had my back to it. I turned around at around 4:55pm, and there was already a line past the Kona Cafe to the other end of the building, just to check in! So I hopped in line, wondering how long we’d have to wait to be seated. It wasn’t too bad, as we were seated by about 5:10pm. It was our first time having dinner at ‘OHana, but it was highly recommended by friends. Some of the food is served “family style”, in a big bowl that you all serve yourself from, while the servers bring around the meats on long skewers and serve you directly from them. The honey coriander chicken wings were incredible, as were the pork dumplings. Everything else was good as well, including the dessert – bread pudding with bananas and a caramel sauce…yum! During dinner, a singer comes out at various times and plays a ukulele and invites the children to come and join where they will do the hula and also travel around the restaurant, so the kids are kept entertained as well. After dinner we hopped over to the Grand Floridian for more holiday decorations and pictures. From there we split up again…DW, DD#1 and DMiL took a bus over to Downtown Disney for a little shopping, while myself, DD#2 and DFiL were going to drive back to SSR. That itself turned out to be an adventure, as the resort Monorail was quite full, apparently for people heading to the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party that night. It was a few trains before we made it on board, and it was a slow ride around back to the TTC. The other group had a fun bus driver on the way to DTD…she joked around a lot, making the trip better. DD#1 also entered a dance contest and won a free turkey leg – something she really wanted to try. She liked it but couldn’t finish it. After everyone got back to SSR, we decided to start the first load of laundry…the dryer was LOUD! Too loud, in fact. We never used it late again. I was able to muffle it a bit with some weight applied in the right location. Day 3 was unusual for us. The in-laws relaxed and went to Epcot later, but we were heading to Universal’s Islands of Adventure, to spend some time with Harry Potter. I was there just a couple months before for a special exclusive event put on by the folks at Syfy, with the Wizarding World of Harry Potter to ourselves with free food and drinks. It would have been hard to top that, but this was the chance for the rest of the family to experience it – and for me to see it in daylight. We drove up a bit early so we could park and get all the way over to the entrance in time…parking is a distance away, such that they have moving walkways available from the parking structure to the hub. Despite a bathroom break already at the hub, we were still in line at the entrance with about 20 minutes to go – and there were not a ton of people waiting. While waiting for opening, a cast member approached us, checked that we had our tickets, and then asked if we wanted to be the “opening family” for the day! So we got to get in through the gates early, got a special picture taken at the entrance, and made the announcement to open the park. We then also had a head start on everyone else for getting to WWOHP! We walked briskly straight to WWOHP, which is in the back right corner of the park from where you enter. There we just a few people about (Universal Resort guests can enter early), and we went straight up to the headline attraction, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. First we stopped to put our stuff in one of the provided lockers, which are free for up to 45 minutes. Just remember your locker number! Then we went through the queue – parts of which I had not seen before as we were able to bypass some of it during the special party. The queue is incredibly detailed, and deserves close inspection. The paintings move, and some even talk…but you’d have a hard time telling that they aren’t really paintings. The ride is fairly unique. You sit on a bench, four across, which you actually board sideways. The bench is mounted on a ride vehicle by and arm which can lift, tilt, and twist the bench in various directions, and gives you the sensation of flying – similar perhaps to Soarin’, but with a lot more speed and movement. The ride vehicle moves through various areas, some of which are Omnimax-style projections, others are physical sets, as you move from scene to scene, trying to follow Harry on his broom so you can experience what it is like. There are a few scary moments though…it might not be great for young, easily scared children. Since we managed to get on quickly and still had free time with the locker, we went ahead and rode it again, and again it was a walk-on. Unfortunately, DW seemed to be coming down with something like a motion sickness or migraine headache. Riding a second time did not help. Afterwards I went down to the first aid station in the Lost Continent area to get her some Advil to see if it would help. We grabbed some Butterbeer as well, and then we then took a quick ride on Flight of the Hippogriff, which is basically a large kiddie-coaster. At this point DW wanted to sit, and DD#2 was too short so I took DD#1 on Dragon Challenge. We rode the “blue” side (the Hungarian Horntail), as I had ridden the “red” (Chinese Firebolt) in October and I heard the blue was a bit better. We walked all the way to the loading area without pause, but we ended up waiting a bit at the loading area as they added new cars to the ride after we got there. The ride itself was fun…although I preferred it at night. After getting off the ride I was greeted by DW coming up the exit path as she was feeling terrible. We all went back to the first aid station, and the medic recommended she lay down for a while out back where they had some cots. So she went back there for a while, while I took the kids down to the Seuss Landing area, where we rode the High In The Sky Trolley Ride and the Cat In The Hat ride. The former is a pretty simple ride but its up above the guest area providing an interesting view, while the latter was pretty tame and actually fairly boring – there was quite a lot of empty space on walls, etc. that could have been used for more theming. We sat and ate a couple of pretzels, and then continued over to Super Hero Island. With DD#2 in tow we couldn’t ride The Hulk, so we went to the Spider-Man ride – prior to WWOHP, it was the premiere ride in the park. There was a bit of a wait, so we went through the queue which wrapped through some office space of the Daily Bugle, eventually into a larger room with a projection TV of “breaking news” type stories that are filling the guest in on what is going on. Then we reach the loading area…the ride itself is somewhat similar to Forbidden Journey – your ride vehicle moves and tilts while taking you through several theme rooms. But although the movement isn’t as great, it makes up for it by the 3D effects – all the projected bits are in 3D, and you are wearing 3D glasses – so you get a lot of illusion of movement. Plus some pyrotechnics, moving sets, and more makes it a pretty thrilling ride. Just as we were exiting, my phone rang – DW was not only feeling better, she was MUCH better and was already catching up to us. We waited for her outside Spider-Man, and we had a quick lunch at Captain America’s Cafe (nothing to write about), and then we rode Spider-Man again with DW this time. We walked completely through Toon Lagoon (water rides didn’t seem a good idea on a cold day) over to Jurassic Park. We watched people come down the big hill on the Jurassic Park River Adventure and end up completely dry, so we decided we would ride it as well. However, by the time we got to the loading area, there weren’t too many people, and we didn’t have a full boat. No one wanted to sit up front, so we ended up the “front” people in the second row. One thing I remember from the ride – no dinos! I don’t recall seeing a single dinosaur on the ride. Things moved as if there were dinos moving them though…and then it was our turn coming down the big hill. We reached the bottom, splashdown – and a huge wave came back and flooded us! We were VERY soaked! Without the full boat I wonder if the weight distribution was enough to cause the backwash that soaked us, but never happened to the riders we saw. Fortunately the sun was out, so standing in the sun helped. DW took DD#2 on Pteranodon Flyers (it has a strange height requirement – a tall rider can only ride if there is a rider UNDER a certain height…so DD#1 and I couldn’t ride. It looked like and interesting ride over the park though. Instead I just stood in the sun and dried. Continuing around brought us back to WWOHP, which was now FAR more crowded. We got in line for Ollivanders, for which the wait wasn’t too long. Inside they pack a lot of people into a small area that does indeed look like Ollivanders from the first movie. Then they do a wand selection with a guest which includes some (unfortunately not spectacular) special effects, after which everyone proceeds into an equally small wand shop where you can’t really move. My advice if you aren’t actually looking for and buying a wand, get out ASAP. We then got some more butterbeer – it is REALLY good. I prefer the unfrozen myself, but the rest liked the frozen. The topping is what really makes it good. With the crowds we didn’t elect to ride anything again, but we did briefly go through Honeydukes and Zonkos. I’ve said before – they need to make these MUCH bigger. Like Ollivanders, there is no room to move around when it is crowded. We then got some pictures in front of the Hogwarts Express. With DW with us this time, we went back to Seuss Landing, and she rode the CarouSeussel with the kids. We still had some time, so we went back to Super Hero Island and DD#1 and I rode The Hulk (great ride – we didn’t have to wait too long, and the “lift hill” was deceptive), while DW took DD#2 on Storm Force (just a basic teacups ride). After that we were pretty much done, so headed back to meet the in-laws at Epcot for an EMH night. We met up with them at Sunshine Seasons and hopped on Living With The Land for a quick boat ride, and then we headed over to the World Showcase to get some recordings of the holiday storytellers and some dinner before Illuminations. We first stopped at the Rose & Crown to pick up some drinks, and then went to see Father Christmas. DD#2 got selected to ring the bells for him, and received a special bell for her participation. Our next stop was in Morocco. While I went in to Tangerine Cafe to get myself some food (I wanted a lamb shawarma – was decent although I prefer the Falafel King in Downtown Boston), the others watched Tarji, the Moroccan storyteller. We then stopped for the girls food at the Liberty Inn, and then found a good handicapped seating area for Illuminations. We all got some hot cocoa as it was getting very cold, while DW went all the way to Mexico to get chicken tacos (and a margarita of course). We then watched Illuminations for the first time in several trips. Despite it being an EMH night, there was still a huge mass of people exiting the park. I took the in-laws out of the park to the car and back to SSR, while DW kept the kids and hung around for a bit while the crowds subsided before attempting to get to the bus. They tried to go into the new Karamell-Kutche in Germany, but it was pretty crowded. They did manage to buy some of the pre-packaged candies though. They then made their way over to Test Track, but there was a 55 minute wait. Instead they went to Spaceship Earth, which was a walk-on. Then they made their way to the bus and returned to SSR. This day started out with our usual splitting up to get to the park – this time, Hollywood Studios and an Extra Magic Hours morning – and the bus group ended up waiting a LONG time for a bus. A cast member checking on things at the bus stop said that there had just been a bus a short time before – but several people who had been waiting for the bus knew otherwise. Eventually we all regrouped, but it was after rope drop again. Not a big deal though – we were NOT doing the Toy Story Mania dash this time, because we were using DD#1’s Give A Day voucher for the Fastpass Exchange Card option! Instead of heading straight to TSM, we went to Rock’n’roller Coaster, and grabbed the instant Fastpasses and went straight in – even if the standby clock said the wait was short, I don’t trust it – too many times have I watched it increase rapidly before my eyes. It was DD#2’s first time over the height limit, so it was pretty much the last ride at Disney she hasn’t been able to do…and she loved it! We then did the same thing at Tower Of Terror. I don’t remember what the standby wait length was there either, but I think it was around 30 minutes and we could just walk on with the Fastpass, which we did. TOT had some new programming, which I think put a little more thrill back in. We got through it fast, and the in-laws were off doing something else still, so we rode it again via the standby line, and the wait certainly wasn’t 30 minutes. By then we met up with the in-laws and went to Toy Story Mania. The wait time was in the vicinity of 90 minutes, and there were ALREADY OUT of Fastpasses! We still had the GAD cards, and all the kiosks were covered (not unusual at TSM – it stops people from trying to get FPs when they are all gone), so we had to ask a Cast Member, who happily took our cards and uncovered a kiosk temporarily to run them through. One group stopped and asked why we were able to get Fastpasses when no one else could – I explained that we had the Give A Day cards for volunteering, and just that seemed enough to satisfy his question. What I didn’t realize is that we probably didn’t need it. Due to my father-in-law’s ECV, we would have likely entered through the Fastpass entrance anyways, and then get shunted through to the accessible loading area through a door, bypassing the up-and-down stairs to get to the main loading area. And for that, we still had to wait quite a while – it was possible that without the ECV we may have gotten on sooner, as we did have others in front of us waiting to board in that area, and they only periodically bring vehicles over to that side. There is actually a special vehicle that can accommodate a guest in a wheelchair, and there were two groups in front of us that needed it. We just needed a normal vehicle, so we had to wait two full cycles of the ride plus some more. From there we went through One Man’s Dream – the attraction about Walt Disney, checking out a lot of the new models and other changes they made, and stayed for the movie. If you are interested at all in the man, this is a MUST DO attraction. We stopped for lunch at Studio Catering, and the girls played in the Honey I Shrunk The Audience playground for a bit – something I don’t think either have ever done before. We then walked the in-laws over to the Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, and then we went to Muppetvision 3D to check out the updates. The video is much cleaner now with the digital projectors, but it is pretty much the same show. After which we went back over to Indiana Jones and caught the end of the show. We found a spot for the in-laws to see the soon-to-be-replaced Block Party Bash parade, while we chose to to head back over to RNRC as DD#2 wanted to ride again and we still had 4 instant Fastpasses to use – unfortunately there were issued with it at the time and they weren’t letting anyone in, so we rode TOT again instead. When we left there, the parade hadn’t finished yet, so we were blocked for a little while. We finally regrouped, did some Photopass shots on the way out, and then headed back to Saratoga Springs. We got back early and it was one of the warmest days we had, so I took the girls to the Grandstand pool for a little while and the rest went to pick up some food at Artist’s Palette and everyone headed back to the room to rest until DW and I headed for our dinner alone. We tried to set up the DVD player so the in-laws could keep the kids occupied, but it didn’t work – the TV didn’t seem to allow switching to the “video” channel – and it wasn’t a “user issue” – heck, I used to hook up people’s VCRs for them, sold electronics in a past life, done video production – safe to say I know how to operate a TV and a DVD player. We called maintenance to come check it out, but we set them up with the laptop as a backup just in case. Good thing – they didn’t come for three hours! We also asked for a few more washcloths and toiletries – those came within 30 minutes! DW and I then headed over for our reservation at Yachtsmans Steakhouse at the Yacht Club Resort. Had to look around for a parking space for a while and had to walk a fair ways to get there. We didn’t have to wait long before being seated. We started with the lobster bisque, which was delicious, and a charcuterie board consisting of smoked duck sausage, venison terrine, beef tartar, some cheeses and a bit of potato salad, all of which were tasty. We both chose to have the ribeye steak with garlic butter, DW choosing paprika fries with it while I had the duchess potatoes. The steaks were very good, as expected. I did have one disappointment – they were out of the Boston Red Brick beer the server had mentioned. I actually don’t recall what I had to drink instead. Since this was our anniversary dinner, they gave us a small dessert plate, with two small pieces of gourmet chocolate with a sprinkle of sea salt, and two bites of an apricot candy. After dinner we walked it off, checking the decorations at the Yacht Club, then around to the Boardwalk. There was a magician/comedian on the Boardwalk that was quite good. We also went into the Boardwalk Inn lobby for the first time to see the decorations there, and back around to the Yacht Club to get back to our car and head back to the resort. Today was another partial Animal Kingdom day, followed by a return to DHS to see the Osborne Lights, with a special gathering for WDW Radio in between. No bus problems this morning, getting there in time for the small rope drop ceremony, and then we headed straight for Kilimanjaro Safari to get an early run. Of course we lagged somewhat behind the crowd also heading there due to the ECV, but when we got there we didn’t have to wait for the huge line, instead being shunted off to an accessible loading platform. We did have to wait a bit for a vehicle, however. With the exception of the lions, all the animals seemed to be out in full force, with the giraffes and ostriches particularly close up. One ostrich was sitting by the road just watching us, while another did hold us up a bit. After that the in-laws took in the Flights of Wonder show, which they had never seen, while we went on to get Fastpasses for Expedition Everest, and then continued on to the Dinoland USA area so the girls could ride Primeval Whirl, which DD#2 hadn’t ridden before, after which we returned to EE and used our Fastpasses (the return window wasn’t far out when we got them). Then it was about time for our reservations at Tusker House for the first lunch sitting. We didn’t notice any significant change in the menu over three years – everything was good and tasty. Since we had other plans, we slowly made our out of the park, with a little shopping along the way and some pics with Lilo and Stitch, and some pictures at the tree outside the entrance. Lou Mongello of WDW Radio was having a gathering at the Beach Club to celebrate his 200th show, so we headed there before heading to DHS. The girls all took the bus directly to to the Yacht Club and checked the decorations before heading to BC, while I drove my father-in-law over to DHS, and he rode his ECV and I walked up the pathway to the resort. We met up with the rest at BC, and checked out the chocolate carousel holiday decoration. Teena the BC greeter was on hand, so I chatted with her while DD#1 tried to spot all the hidden Mickeys on the carousel. DD#2 would have been bored, except Lou’s daughter invited her over to a table where they colored pictures and stuff, although when Lou was up thanking everybody and such, she was up there behind him clapping and cheering as well. Although at one point she got upset as everyone else seemed to be getting WDW Radio T shirts and she wasn’t – Lou’s wonderful wife gave her one though! Thanks Lou for the party! After the party, we went back to DHS via the Friendship boat, which wasn’t too difficult with the ECV. We got there in plenty of time before the lighting of the Osborne lights, so DW tried to go in to the Photopass store to get some photopass cards combined, but there was a LONG wait so she gave up. We then just headed straight towards the Streets of America to catch the lighting of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights – when we were here in 2007 we saw them after they were already lit. We managed to get space right up front prior to the lighting where they have the big switch. The DHS band of Mulch, Sweat ‘n Shears was there, warming up the crowd (and like the rest of the week, needed warming up!), and then just after dusk the lights were turned on. If you’ve never seen them it is simply amazing – not just the lights, but periodically they are set to music and blink and dance. It’s hard to get good pics without a high quality camera though. We just walked through for a few hours, taking in all the details. We took a short pitstop at the Backlot Express for a snack and hot cocoa. After that, before running back to the resort DW the kids and I headed to Rock’n’roller Coaster to try and get the ride in we didn’t get last time, and it only had a 40 minute wait. DW and DD#1 managed to score the front row as well. Then we met up with the in-laws at the front gate and headed back to the resort. The girls had a good bus driver on their way back as well. This was perhaps the coldest day of the trip. There was a constant breeze which just went through the light clothes we had. Our day started out in Epcot, where we had lunch reservations for Biergarten as well as needing to get more footage of the storytellers. DW and DD#1 ran ahead at rope drop to grab Fastpasses at Soarin’ while the rest of us caught up. We then rode Soarin’ standby, and had our customary breakfast at Sunshine Seasons. We still had time to kill while the kids ate, so the in-laws went to do Living With The Land while DW ran over to Test Track to get FPs. Then we all rode Soarin’ again. We then went to Test Track to use our Fastpasses. We got in through the line pretty quick, and waited for the pre-show doors to open. And waited…and waited…and they just weren’t opening. Eventually they made the dreaded announcement – that the ride was having a problem, and they told everyone to leave. We had already given them our Fastpasses though, so we asked for them back. At first the CM seemed reluctant, but I don’t understand why, and he did reach for the pile of turned-in Fastpasses and handed us four to use later. We never returned to use them, however. At that point we went into Mouse Gear to get the girls sweatshirts due to the breeze, and then we moved on to the World Showcase. We were a bit early for the storyteller in China – the Monkey King, and DD#2 was hanging out in front of the stage alone when a voice spoke out to her, and made her jump and dance and stuff – the Monkey King was on his way out but his microphone was on and he was teasing her from behind. He then took the stage and told his story. We then had our lunch at the Biergarten, which we haven’t eaten at since a group trip in 1999. The food was good and tasty, although it seemed like whenever you went up, something was out in the buffet. There also wasn’t nearly as many choices as there were at Tusker House. The pretzel rolls were especially delicious – but don’t grab too many! They are really filling. For the beer drinkers, back in 1999 there were too choices – Becks and Becks Dark. The latter was tolerable, the former undrinkable to me. Now there is a selection of several types of beers – alas, I don’t remember what I had – it was decent at least. After lunch DW ran off to Japan to see the storyteller there, and then met us in Italy for the storyteller there, la Befana, the good witch. We then managed to catch the Voices of America for some holiday carols, followed by the Hanukkah storyteller. The girls sat with several other kids to play dreidel, but we had to leave to head to the Magic Kingdom. You would think that I would have learned something about the monorail by now – like the fact that we were doomed not to be able to take it. I took my father-in-law by car over to the TTC while the rest did the double monorail hop to get straight to the Magic Kingdom. However, when we arrived, the monorail was shut down yet again. And this time, no buses – we had to take the ferry. Normally, I wouldn’t care – but remember how I told you it was the coldest day? It was a slow, cold ride. I would not take the car to the TTC a third time. The others likewise had to get off the Epcot monorail and take the ferry, and arrived on the next ferry. After the castle lighting, we moved to a different area to see the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade. On the DISboards (at least the podcast forum), they are known as “Bawb’s Benches”. If you are at the hub, head down the path towards Adventureland, and the benches are immediately on the right. They don’t offer a close-up view of the parade, but you can get a mostly unobstructed view by looking over the grassy area behind the benches towards the other path that leads to Liberty Square – no one can stand in front of you there, and few people will actually be there. The Liberty Square bridge is too narrow for guests to stand along during the parade, so although it is a bit of a distance away you have a clear view. I wish it was closer, but we didn’t have people pushing in front of us, or having to stand in one spot for an hour just for a good spot. It was getting far too cold, so the in-laws took the bus back to the resort…and it was getting to me as well. Just before the parade began, we noticed Tiana available for pictures nearby, so I quickly brought the kids over there and managed to be the last ones allowed in before she left. We then went back and watched the parade – also for the first time since 1999, since the parade had left for California for many years, replaced with Spectromagic here. A lot of it was familiar, but there were a number of new floats and changes as well. Immediately after the parade, the cold really was too much for me and we started to head out, but went into the Main Street Emporium and I purchased a light zip-up fleece which really made all the difference for the rest of the trip. I immediately felt warmer. We then managed to catch Wishes from near the entrance of the park, then hopped on the monorail to the TTC and drove back to SSR. Another day at Epcot today. It was an Extra Magic Hours morning, but since we had already done the “Soarin’ Dash”, we decided to sleep in a bit and didn’t get to the park until 8:45am. We went straight to Spaceship Earth this time for a quick ride (my mother-in-law’s favorite, although this was her first ride since the changes). We then went and grabbed Fastpasses for Test Track again (with the hopes of better luck), and then checked out the new attraction inside Innoventions called “The Sum Of All Thrills”. This is a make-your-own-ride type of system, where you design a thrill ride using a plane, roller coaster or bobsled as a base, and then design the track. It takes into account various things like gravity, friction, etc. so you have to design the ride so that you can complete your run, AND get the thrill level you want. It is meant to show how mathematics enter in to ride design. The problem is that you aren’t given very long to actually design your ride, so if you are unfamiliar with it you won’t actually get a sense of what will result in an actually thrilling experience. I’d love to spend a few hours with the simulator to try different things. You design the ride in pairs, and you are given a swipe card you get to keep, with your ride design associated with that card. When a simulator becomes available, you hand over a card and then board the simulator. It looks like a couple chairs from a roller coaster, with over-the-shoulder restraints, except not just the restraints come down, but a whole capsule with video screens to give you a virtual reality image of your ride. The seats are mounted on a Kuka robotic arm system, similar to what is used at Universal for the Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction, except these are stationary mounts. They can lift, twist and tilt the seats allowing several degrees of motion to simulate the ride you designed. It is actually quite a great system – just don’t be stingy on your design if you want some thrills. A couple run throughs may help you learn how to design better, but the waits can get a bit long at times. You are also supposed to be able to use the codes on your card online to get a ride video, but this never worked for us – all four cards were not recognized. I had contacted someone at Raytheon who was going to look in to it, but they never got back to me. After that we signed up for the Kim Possible Adventure for later. DW went with her mother to do some shopping, while I took the kids on Mission: SPACE (green side – waiting until DD#2 is a tad older before doing orange), and then DW rejoined us to ride Test Track – without issue this time. When we were finished we were around the time the next storyteller in Canada would appear, so we headed over there first, then double backed to get our Kimmunicators in Norway and started with the Norway adventure. We then had lunch in China at the Lotus Blossom Cafe, followed by the China adventure, and we did pretty much all the available ones except Japan and UK, as they wre not available on our phone (I believe they may limit the number of active adventurers in a given country to prevent crowding). After that we regrouped with the in-laws and headed back to the resort before their personal dinner out at Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge. I drove them over, and brought them in, showed them around a bit and showed them to the restaurant, then wandered around briefly myself before heading back. They both had the salmon and said it was delicious, and they found their own way back to SSR later. The rest of the family and I went to Downtown Disney and decided to grab dinner at Earl Of Sandwich, which we had never eaten at before. It was pretty crowded and we ended up eating outside (which was pretty cold after sunset), but the sandwiches were really, really good. I had a Thanksgiving special sandwich, which was turkey and the fixings (although I skipped the cranberry sauce), while DW had the “Cannonball” meatball sandwich. We liked it so much, we came back the next night! We had an early morning for our last full day, so we didn’t stay out too late so it was a bit of separate shopping and then back to the resort. Our eighth day was something of a blur…we got the Magic Kingdom early for an early breakfast ADR at Crystal Palace, so we were able to get in ahead of the crowds and stroll slowly down a mostly empty Main St. and grab some pictures. The last time we got in early in 2007, there were a number of Photopass photographers out, but not this time. We took our time at breakfast where the Pooh characters spent plenty of time at the table, and then DW took the kids to Harmony Barber Shop to get their hair done. If your girls want to get their hair dolled up but you don’t want to go for the full expense of Bippity Boppity Boutique, consider this – $7.50 (not including tip) will get gel streaks, sparkles and decorations and it is pretty quick too. While that was going on, I took the in-laws to it’s a small world, which had recently swapped the entrance and exit queues. I had thought this was so to “mainstream” the line – that is, use the same line for both regular guests and those using wheelchairs and ECVs, but that wasn’t the case…we were directed to the exit, where we took the ECV down the ramp halfway, and had him walk the other half, where we were boarded pretty quickly. The line change just seems to have been to have more of the line inside the building, possibly to save on so many switchbacks at the front of the attraction. After regrouping with my newly-coiffed children, the family finally managed to ride the carousel, and we also did Big Thunder Mountain and Space Mountain as we wandered around. As a bit of tradition, before leaving the Magic Kingdom on our last day there, we take the Magic Kingdom Railroad for a complete loop around the park. This was a little different this time, because of the closure of Mickey’s Toontown Fair for the construction of the expanded Fantasyland. Although Disney is generally pretty good at keeping prying eyes out, but even with the trees you can see a fair amount of the area of construction. Although there were some building walls, nothing was really taking shape yet. Just before leaving, I spotted Snow White having a small meet and greet outside the under-renovation Exposition Hall, so while the others took care of a few things I took the kids for a few pictures with Snow White, and then we headed back to the resort. We all decided to go back to Downtown Disney, and this time all six of us ate at Earl Of Sandwich. This time I had the Hawaiian BBQ sandwich, while DW had the “Original 1762”, and DD#1 had the Caribbean Jerk sandwich. I don’t recall what the in-laws had, but it was ALL good. A couple cups of Potato Bacon soup made the rounds as well. The in-laws had a slightly earlier flight and were taking Magical Express, so they left early and took the bus back to SSR, while we went through the World Showcase again, along with a stop at the less-crowded Karamell-Kutche, where we all opted for the chocolate-covered caramel squares – one milk chocolate, one dark chocolate, and one German chocolate. All were delicious and amazingly soft without being too gooey to eat. We just sat out by the lagoon and enjoyed them. Finally it was time to leave, so we drove right from Epcot to the airport. Our trip back was uneventful and on-time, riding aboard “Blue come back now, ya hear?”.

2019-04-20T19:17:30Z

https://wdwuntangled.com/2012/12/09/trip-report-saratoga-springs-holidays-and-harry-potter-december-2010/

Entertaining interview with the sisters of Grace Kelly reminiscing about their growing up in East Falls. N.B. This tape is in poor condition. A large portion of it is inaudible. At times, the interviewees speak over each other and it is difficult to understand what is being said. Also, their voice are quite similar so there is difficulty understanding which sister is speaking. A.F. CS: Ok, well, we can start out by, just, what were the names of your parents and when did they come to East Falls? LL: Peggy, you start with that one. PC: Well, Daddy was born and raised in East Falls. LL: Was he born in East Falls or was he born in New York? LL: Well, now we’re taping and we’re not quite sure about that one… He came when he was little; the family was originally from New York. LL: Yeah, from Vermont. East Falls they came to, settled. PC: But I’m pretty sure Daddy was born here. LL: The earlier ones were born in Vermont. It was a very large family. Ten children. LL: Mother was born in the Strawberry Mansion area. LL: Yes, and then when they were married in 1924, they moved right to the corner of Ridge and Midvale while their house was being built on Henry and Coulter Street. PC: They lived over a store on the corner. LL: Didn’t they live in an apartment over a shop? PC: I don’t believe it was a shop. It was a saloon called the Gunboat. PC: Right on the corner. CS: And how many children were there in the family? CS: Yours. Brothers and sisters. PC: Four. I’m the oldest, then my brother Jack, then Grace, then Lizanne here. LL: No. Peggy was born in 1925, Jack in 1927, Grace in ’29 and I’m 33. PC: You were born in ’33! CS: How did you see East Falls change since you were growing up? In appearance? In makeup? LL: Since the project, the Schuylkill Falls Project, was built there has been a great change. Before that it was just nice and gradual. That changed East Falls completely, in my way of thinking. LL: Late ‘40’s, because I went to school at Ravenhill Academy and I remember when the project was going up and Reverend Mother was rather concerned because our hockey field looked over the project and she was greatly concerned that all these houses and stuff were going up. And that has to be the late ‘40s when that went up. LL: And also the other thing that grew up were the houses across the street – – I don’t know if that’s East Falls – on the other side of School House Lane – there used to be a big forest down there – all the houses across the street from Ravenhill Academy on School House Lane. PC: It still kept a lovely appearance and openness. LL: Another thing, of course the whole area has grown up, we used to go down Henry Avenue and walk for miles and see nothing. There were never all those houses there. Those, I guess, go all the way to Roxborough. I remember when they talked about the Henry Avenue Bridge being opened to go across into Roxborough. CS: How did you get across before then? LL: I would imagine old Ridge Avenue. Down in the Falls. You went through the Wissahickon. There used to be a riding academy not too far from here. LL: And we used to go riding there and down to the Wissahickon. PC: Wasn’t it Dupont Street? Rector Avenue. It’s still there. I saw horses crossing Henry Avenue just this morning from Andorra. They’re still crossing Henry Avenue with all that traffic. They’re crossing with traffic lights now. CS: Did you both go to Ravenhill? LL: Yes. Well I graduated Ravenhill, Peggy graduated from Stevens School. PC: Grace went to Ravenhill but then graduated from Stevens. LL: And our brother went to Penn Charter. So we all went to school right in the neighborhood. We all walked to school. We used to walk down through people’s property and up the hill up to Ravenhill – Roseneath farm was there. CS: Where was that again? CS: Where is that again? PC: The back of the property went all along Warden Drive there at the bottom of the hill but the entrance was up on School House Lane so it went right on through. A very lovely deep property. LL: Oh, yes, it’s there. The original house has been ripped down and Textiles School bought it. And Textiles School has now bought Ravenhill. And they bought Lankanau School. PC: And they bought your old house. PC: And they bought my house. I lived on School House Lane when I was first married. CS: Are they using that building? LL: Yes, the president lives there. RE: They are buying up all over. LL: I don’t know who the Levys sold theirs to – Temple. PC: Probably, but Goldie Paley, I believe, belongs to Textiles. And that’s used as a little museum now; it’s lovely. We went there the other day. But the big – Leon Levy’s house – big house down in sunken hollow – that’s Temple, I think. Or maybe it’s Textile. PC: Textile used to use for soccer practice up front on School Lane, but the actual house; LL: I thought Temple – they gave it to Temple – I think the Leon Levy’s – right on the corner of School House Lane and Henry Avenue – beautiful White Corners – I wouldn’t be surprised if Temple hadn’t given it over to Textiles or University of Pennsylvania. Textiles is getting so big now. PC: They might not need it. LL: They might not need it but it would be lovely to have. RE: CBS; that will identify him. PC: But when they first moved to the neighborhood they were with WCAU and KYW, the radio stations. CS: Were they living here when you were here? LL: Yes, we were here. CS: They had kids your age? CS: What were your most vivid memories of going to Ravenhill? LL: Going to school – the farms. I started when I was two years of age. I was Baby Jesus in the crib. PC: Lizanne was Jesus, I was a wiseman and Grace was a shepherd. PC: We used to cart Lizanne to school. The nuns were sweet. They would take your little sisters at any time you wanted to bring them. LL: On rainy days mother used to ship me off to school. PC: The classes were so small – 6 girls in my class. PC: For one year she was the only one…. LL: So I just walked around to all the different classes. When I graduated our class grew up to a big booming 17. CS: Really? Were there boarders there? PC: In Manila and Nicaragua. LL: People would send their daughters to Ravenhill. CS: When you went to play, did you play mostly at home or go to playgrounds in the area? What did you do? PC: We didn’t go – I didn’t go – to playgrounds. We had most of our athletics after classes at school. LL: We didn’t get home until it was almost dark. When we got home from school after hockey we walked home. We did have a tennis court in the backyard and my brother, when he was young, – I guess dad did it – put a basketball court in. And the neighborhood kids used to always come over, even after Kell stopped playing and was in college. The kids, the McIlvaine kids and their friends, used to come and play basketball in the court. PC: And football in the side lawn. LL: Yeah and a little bit of baseball in McMichael Park. We went over there and if you’d have a baseball game going. I was never much for softball; we watched them really. But McMichael Park was quite the thing in the springtime. That was about it. We didn’t go too far afield. PC: There was a lot of activity in our house. LL: We used to walk over here in early spring, coming to Alden Park and going swimming over here in the swimming pool, when this first opened. PC: Yes, when this pool opened, right here where we are now. RE: When you were little? PC: We had friends that lived here in the apartments and we would visit them and go swimming with them. LL: And it was opened in the summertime. And before we went to the shore, cause you see, we were gone all summer long, and we’d come over here and swim. We’d walk over here and swim. PC: Oh! Down, right down on the Schuylkill Drive? You mean? You mean Gustine Lake? PC: It’s just that we went to school with these girls. CS: And they lived over here? PC: Yes, and we’d walk over here. LL: And our brother, some of them were boys who went to Penn Charter that we knew who lived here. CS: Were you involved in any of the local community organizations? LL: Oh well, Medical College. That is a different story. CS: Go ahead about that ‘cause I know your whole family was involved there. PC: Mother got involved because she taught there before she was married. Mother taught athletics. LL: Athletics at Penn and also Women’s Med – it was Women’s Medical College then, she taught basketball. PC: The students. Athletics. But then they were so busy, they soon dropped their athletic program. LL: Yeah, It wasn’t necessary for the medical students to take athletics. But Mother was teaching at the same time at Penn. LL: And they also had lack of room—they used the gym you know. So Mother was very involved in Medical College for a long, long time. And just kept going. And when we were children… Pause….Do we tell that we stole flowers? LL: Well Mother used to have a fete—there used to be a fete. PC: A Spring fete—gourmet fete. PC: The violets. Stealing Mosie Brown’s – he never even knew they were there in the back of his huge property. He had acres and acres and acres and we climbed the fence and would make-up all the bouquets of little violets. PC: But then all our neighbors in the back of the alley, we used to send Grace and the little ones up to steal all their—the neighbors’ flowers and we set them out at front and as the neighbors would go by in the morning we would sell their own flowers to them. Or we’d send the little ones with a little basket on their arms to go knocking on the doors. And they couldn’t resist these sweet little girls who had just stripped the backs of their gardens. LL: It was for a good cause. PC: I don’t know if they knew or not. LL: Oh I’m sure they did but no one said anything. No. It’s sweet. It’s cute, no one said anything. PC: Do you think she did, Liz? LL: Mother! You did know! RE: I think that your memories of the hospital fete in the front of the hospital when they used to—that would be nice. LL: Well, we used to do that for years. Mother was in charge. PC: Mother was in charge of it. LL: Well, not the whole chairman but she was in charge of the chicken pot pies. PC: Dinner. Well, the dinner came after. I can remember when they had the fete before they even had the dinner Liz. LL: Well, Mother was in charge of the chicken pot pie dinner. PC: And the strawberry shortcake dinner. It was a big success. PC: We fed patients; we were nurse’s aides and all that. CS: So you worked in the hospital? LL: Our new president in the hospital is Morrie Clifford, Maurice Clifford, I should say, I shouldn’t call him by a nickname. He was just inaugurated. He’s a delightful person and I, we had, Mother and I, went to a dinner though for Doctor Fay. Marion Fay has always lived in East Falls who used to be President and a Dean of Medical College. PC: She lived on Queen Lane. LL: They just honored her the other day with dedicating a wing, the Marion Spencer Fay Wing. LL: Yes. She had a lovely reception and Mother and I went and then they had a dinner for her and we went there. And then we just inaugurated a new president, Maurice Clifford. He will now be living in East Falls—he lives in Chestnut Hill now but he’s moving to The Oak Road—is that East Falls? LL: He’s moving there and he is a delightful person, he really is. The first time I met him I was working at Medical College in the pre-natal clinic in 1955, and you were in charge of volunteers. LL: You worked with Marie and you stuck me in the pre-natal clinic (Laughter). LL: I was pregnant too. And you know what? They got better care than I did I think. RE: But she saw life in the raw as far as having a baby because she delivered her baby, I didn’t realize it. LL: Well, I couldn’t believe it! I kept going to my obstetrician, Joannie Roberts, who was also a graduate of Medical College. RE: The clinic patients always got better care than any private patient ever did. The diabetics. The diabetic clinic I worked in for years and I never heard of such marvelous care as they got. Their lectures, and their education, and their testing, and their medication—everything was much better. CS: Was the affair at Women’s Medical that raised money all-day long? RE: Oh it was wonderful! RE: It was like a small town thing which we don’t often get in the big city. And you could go there in the morning with your children and they would be amused, and you could eat, and you could buy, and you could take chances. And you could meet all your neighbors up there and it went on up there all day and dinner by Mrs. Kelly with her chicken pies and then on into the evening. And we had fabulous things at our hospital fair that no other hospital could have had—like a painting, an original painting, by you, of the Prince. CS: And when was this? LL: It was about ’56 because they built the one wing and we couldn’t do it anymore—I mean, space. CS: It was held out on the grounds outdoors? CS: What time of year? PC: May, the end of May. LL: It was fun. And I do know, I know the fair lasted to ’56 because after that it might be ’57. I don’t think it did because I had Gracie. It was May 17th – I had the baby and the fair was going on and she was born in 1956, so I know the fair was going on till 1956. PC: June Fete and Memorial had an affair but we just stopped ours. LL: Well it was really because of the wing and the space. PC: It was very difficult. CS: Now what year was it then that Women’s Medical opened? In the 20’s? LL: Oh, Women’s Medical – It was in town. RE: Not in the Falls though? PC: It came up here about 1935? LL: No—you look in the front of the building, darling. LL: Well, it’s in the 20’s—something in the 20’s babe. Oh gosh, I’m on the board and I should know and I don’t know. PC: When it moved up here. CS: Was your family involved at the time it opened? LL: Mother was almost from the inception. PC: Yes. Well, I think after several of us were born, she really went over there constantly because it was just down the street; it was so nearby. CS: I read somewhere that also a circus that you used to have at your house—is it a tale or true? LL: Mother arranged it. I was too young to remember really — what were you in that circus? PC: I was the ringleader, dear. LL: I was about four and she was three so I don’t know too much about that circus. PC: Grace, I do remember, Grace was a tightrope walker—except the rope was on the ground – it was laid on the ground. LL: But she did a beautiful job—she looked the part. And Fordie’s daughter or something who was—he was the Wild Man from Borneo. CS: Did people pay to get into this? LL: Oh yes. It was all for the hospital. CS: And what year would you say? CS: And it was just your family or did you have friends? PC: No! All our entire neighborhood was in this. It was big! Oh there were hundreds of people there. In the whole big tennis court. Oh it was a big circus! PC: It was a big one. LL: That was only one year however. Should have done that again. CS: Where is the house located? LL: On the corner of Henry Avenue and Coulter Street, yes. CS: And that’s still there? PC: Yes, it has been sold. LL: Mother sold it once and it’s been sold again and I think that’s all. I don’t know who owns it now, I really don’t. CS: And how long did you live there—did the family own the house? PC: Yes. Forty-four years, about 44 years. CS: And it was sold? PC: Daddy died in 1960 and Mother stayed on. She said as long as she had her little man, Fordie, her little helper, she would stay. And stayed there for a number of years alone. And then when Fordie died, she went. LL: Twelve years ago Mother sold it. RE: But you had other help in the house. You had a couple. LL: Yes German help. Mother always had German help. RE: Because I remember I had gotten a day’s worker who had come over from Germany. She was a—she worked in a hospital, not a nurse, and she was a Christmas gift from Doctor Fieldler’s wife’s mother in Germany. Her mother said, “What do you want for Christmas?” She said, “Somebody to help me with the housework.” And she sent her this girl from the hospital. And she was too heavy a worker and she couldn’t have enough work in the house. So, she, Mrs. Fieldler, asked me if I could use her and I said, “Sure.” And she came up and worked for me and she spoke often of my friends the Kelly’s, meaning the couple. She was friends with them. LL: Franz and Theresa, the German couple. Well Franz and Theresa. We had one couple, we had Luchese, Mrs. Luchese, who was German. PC: Was she German or Polish? LL: Polish-Luchese. And her daughter stayed with us and went and became a doctor at—studied at Medical College. LL: And her mother worked for us and the daughter graduated from Medical College and she stayed with us and then we had Franz and Theresa who were German. Because Mother speaks German. PC: But then after the war, it was difficult getting the German girls over that Mother used to have all the time. They would learn English quickly and then get married. RE: So you see Cheri, their life was not like mine. LL: My life was not like mine, then, too—I know that. RE: When she called—well like shopping–where did you shop? I got on the 52 and went to Germantown just like anybody else and did my shopping. PC: We did. We went on the 52 and went to Rowell’s a million times. LL: We went to Rowell’s and Allen’s and you went to the movies at the Alden Theatre. Well, Alden Theatre. What I remember when I was a kid, going to the Alden Theatre it was 11 cents. LL: Eleven cents for a Saturday afternoon matinee you walked down to Alden Theatre, paid 11 cents and Mother used to be magnanimous and give me at least another five cents for a candy bar. (laughter) And so for 15, well, 16 cents you could have a movie, a double feature and a candy bar. PC: Lizanne, you don’t even remember the old Falls Theatre. LL: I don’t remember that. PC: Down below almost to Ridge. RE: At Eveline and Midvale? RE: Eveline is a little street that goes off Midvale and—it’s a gray building now—it’s painted gray but that was the original Falls Theatre and that’s where I went. CS: The Betsy Ross? The Betsy Ross Building? PC: Yes that’s right. The Falls Theatre. CS: It has the Betsy Ross Flag on the front? PC: It’s true. Dear. It’s true. RE: That was the original theatre. PC: Where Ginos is now. RE: Yes, cause my daughter went there, and she and her girlfriend Betty Jane Bennett always sat in the seventh row, seventh seat and god help anybody who sat in them. PC: The whole group was involved in that (laughter). Through our uncle—Mother’s brother, Midge Majer, lived on Queen Lane and he and his wife were interested and we all got started. LL: Well I think Aunt Virginia and Uncle Midge were first things there and we used to watch them and they got us all involved. CS: Do you remember the first play you were in? RE: Grace was in The Women—she got the measles and you took over. CS: Is that the one you took over with one night’s notice or something? PC: She got the measles—well, there were so many women in that show, The Women. It was during the war. Grace had two small parts. She was a hairdresser and a debutante. Because you could just change your clothes—it’d be another body backstage—and here she could just change your clothes and it was only one body for two parts. LL: I think the first one I did was The Philadelphia Story. I was the brat sister and I think my two sisters thought I was very well-cast. PC: YEP! No doubt! Typecasting! (laughter) Very well-cast! Brat! Brat! RE: Well no she was that way. PC: Yes, she was a mess. LL: Well, I must say I guess I was not the most pleasant of children. I don’t know but I’ve been told that I was a brat. RE: She had almost white hair. LL: Well, I just didn’t care for everybody that I saw somehow. But I was a brat. Because Grace used to say to me, “How come you’re not as nice as I was to Peggy? You’re not as nice to me as I was to Peggy?” Grace was sweet to Peggy, and she was Peggy’s lackey really, and I was not cut-out to be a lackey. I was not. In years to come I’ve turned out to be a much better lackey but I was not then. PC: NO! (in unison) No. No way. LL: Well, I’ll never forget one time with Peggy—Peggy was pretty good, you know, Peggy was the matriarch of the kids. My brother used to have a bunk house or a—what would you call it? PC: It was a bunk house. LL: Out in the back of the house and they had what they called the Tomato Men Club. PC: The club was just for boys. CS: Where did the name come from? PC: It was right by our victory garden and Mother grew a great many tomatoes. And the boys would love to pick up those tomatoes and have fights with them, so it was called the Tomato Men. No reason. LL: So one time Grace and a girlfriend wanted to get into the clubhouse, the bunk house. No girls were allowed. ERA had not risen its head at that point. So apparently there was one girl who lived in the Falls or two girls were allowed in—they were not in on a Sunday morning, a Saturday morning or something like that. PC: Two girls were allowed in to see the bunk house. And Grace was not. And Grace came running to me having a fit that these two gals were allowed in and she was not. I took care of that. LL: Kell is not a mad person but he was mad at Peggy that time—flying the two of them. She’s ahead of him and he’s flying with his nose—she gave him a bloody nose. PC: Grace was so meek, you know, that you just wanted to stick up for her and help her. RE: How about the dollhouse—that it was a child’s playhouse? LL: Well it was in the same area in the back where the bunkhouse was. In the back behind the tennis courts. This they really almost built themselves—the dollhouse was rather nice looking. It wasn’t a dollhouse, it was a play house. We had an electric stove in there. Absolutely! LL: A real on. You could cook all the old apples that fell off the trees—I don’t know what we cooked-up on them—you didn’t eat them. It had two burners. It was really a little dangerous and then it was taken out. CS: Was it one room? CS: It’s not there anymore. CS: Where we vote? It’s still there? PC: Yes a teensy little thing. RE: It’s hallowed house. I’ll go in there the next time I vote and think of you all. I’ve heard so many of the senior citizens at the library speak of Gracie, and the call it, Gracie’s dollhouse. And I said, “Dollhouse!” because you know me and the dolls. PC: They moved it. Daddy gave it during the war, gave it to an air raid shelter or whatever. LL: It had shutters on it and a little shingled roof. I sure they propped it up higher and made it a little higher, a little taller. RE: No, no it’s pretty much the same. It’s one room—how about that! PC: Two little pillars out front and then it was a wooden floor. We had darling furniture in there. Yep. LL: We used to call it the playhouse. PC: It was the playhouse. PC: Oh six or seven kids could get in there easily. RE: Because a lot of the East Falls children went up there a played in it, whether you knew it or not. PC: Oh sure. It was never locked. LL: Well it was never locked. RE: Nobody chased us except there was a dog who came around and growled. CS: Was that your dog? PC: No, they weren’t nice. LL: Our dogs were very nice. LL: We had a couple of boxers, actually Mother got a boxer, the first boxer I ever saw. And we had two boxers, Wrinkles and Ziegfried. LL: No, would not bother anybody. LL: We had a pastor at Saint Bridget’s who had an Irish setter, and we had an Irish Setter name Flashy and Mother had a German maid called Barbara. LL: And he was walking his Irish Setter and Barbara Kestle absolutely almost took him down with a knife, calling him, “You got my Flashy! You got our Flashy! You got our Flashy! And we had to practically get this poor woman off this poor pastor who was like… (laughter) “I don’t have your Flashy! I have an Irish Setter! That was Mother’s, one of Mother’s German maids that attacked. PC: Well, it was so easy for Mother to bring German help over because she spoke German. CS: Is she or her family from Germany? PC: Oh yes. Mother’s family was born in Germany. CS: What part of Germany? CS: Did you have any holidays that were special in your family or any special family traditions? PC: They were all special. I mean just—there wasn’t one that stood out. LL: No, every holiday was so big. LL: No, actually every holiday. Probably Christmas with the open house Christmas Eve each year—that was just a tradition. LL: And neighbors and relatives. Anyone. Come one, come all. LL: I would say that Christmas Eve was probably the biggest. The biggest. Easter, there might have been vacations away. But they were…it was all family and just a lot of fun. PC: What was that? At Columbo’s? RE: They were caught in a snowstorm somewhere and were trying to get home for dinner? LL: Oh yes! I remember painting that. I have it at home. Mother had it here. But I don’t recall them not getting home for a party or late for a party. LL: From the Vesper Club? Probably. Could have been. RE: And your father would call and say “We’re stuck here.” It was a terrible snowstorm. PC: Is the 31st or the 30th of January, sure. RE: He would call and say, “We’re this far,” and you would put the steaks away and then get them out again. LL: Well I do remember one—you’re talking about one special party. Speaking of that one special party, Mother was having Thanksgiving. And this was after Grace and Ranier were married. And just about two years later—‘cause Grace and Chrissy have pictures of it and they were tiny. So it was like in ’59. PC: Well I had come from my house. And wasn’t there all afternoon. LL: No. So I’m saying to Peggy—we were all there having cocktails or something—“I don’t smell any turkey.” I said, “Mother!” (Imitating Mother) “Oh! I put the turkey in a long time ago.” And I’m (sniffing sound) (Loud voice) Don’t smell the turkey…! PC: I had just baked a turkey and since the children were home, you know, for vacation, I wanted to have a turkey at home. So mine had just come out of the oven. I went right around the corner to my house yanked—took mother’s – threw it in my oven and brought her mine. LL: That was a re—memorable holiday. CS: Did you ever tell your Mother? LL: Oh yes! Certainly! Mother when did you? When? She said, “I don’t know what happened! I can’t imagine! PC: I’m thinking it was just like half-started or something. LL: Something was turned down because she wouldn’t be that dumb, you know. CS: Were you both married here in the Falls? LL: I was married in Saint Bridget’s. PC: Well Fordie used to take all our, um, he loved to travel all the brides. Fordie was the colored man that we had, you know, that we mentioned before. And when one the Becker girls got married, going down Midvale Avenue to St. Bridget’s, naturally, it was on the right and he stopped there on the right. Well, I guess he wanted to be headed up the other way—but did not go in—he took the bride, delivered the bride in the lovely big car but he thought he—it was a Saturday—and he had a shopping list for Mother. Down, well, at the old Falls Theatre, it was at the point, it was a supermarket. LL: Oh! Is that where Falls Theatre was? The old supermarket. LL: Oh, that’s the Falls Theatre—uh, okay. PC: So Fordie goes in—he figures the wedding, the wedding will take about twenty minutes, fifteen or twenty minutes and he does all the shopping. In the front seat of the car he comes back to pick up the bride and groom to take them to the reception—and a great big stalk of celery out of the top of the big bag on the front seat of the car—and the beautiful bride in the back. CS: With the stalk of celery? PC: With the celery. Didn’t bother Ford. The bride’s mother did not go for that too much. LL: Ford was a classic. Everybody in the Falls knew Ford. He shopped at the hardware store at Ridge and Midvale – southwest corner there – he used to take me when I was a little kid and stand aside and going out with Fordie was the best treat in the world and he used to run around…Everyone knew Fordie. PC: Porkie slept at John Cassidy’s garage. Is Cassidy’s garage still there? LL: Well the garage, but Cassidy isn’t there, but East Falls Garage is there. Right on Ridge Avenue next to the East Falls Tavern it was – the back faces the river. PC: Porkie used to sleep there. Charming Porkie. LL: They would sleep in Cassidy’s wrecks. LL: Well, Daddy knew everyone in East Falls and Kell knew pretty nearly everyone too. He’d go down that street….now there is a little street near – across the street from….I don’t know the name of it – where the photographer lived? What’s his name? CS: He was a photographer? PC: A photographer; a family photographer. And he lived right in a little alley almost across from the church – there’s a little alley that goes up that way and they had a street fair. LL: I don’t know, but they did about seven years ago. RE: Arnold Street, is it? LL: Could be. And they had a street fair there and Don and I went by there and had the best time. And that was recently. RE: Brownworth was about two doors down from Arnold Street….and what a marvelous photographer he was! Everybody went to him. LL: He took my babies pictures, he took my wedding pictures. His father – oh, he was a nut, his father. Well, he’s a nice nut. I don’t think his son would think anything different of him – he was a marvelous nut. I mean, that’s a compliment. RE: And Midge, used to go down regularly and meet with Mucky Brownworth and they would have a bull session all the time and they would have a few drinks and they would talk and that was a regular meeting place. LL: That’s weird. Can you see those three together? CS: Where did the name Mucky come from? LL: I never knew that. His son was Teddy. He’s Theodore and his son is Teddy, but Mucky is probably a local name that I didn’t quite know. RE: Best in the world! They don’t make ‘em like him. PC: And our cousins, the Kruskow’s, used to live next door to St. Bridget’s, right on that side of the street. PC: Just between there and the post office. And we were always there on a Sunday. LL: And then on the other side of the post office was Uncle Charlie’s. LL: Alma Morani has her office in one of them. PC: Is she still there? LL: Yeah, she’s still there. Then where the post office used to be, I don’t know who is there. I think that is closed. I don’t think there’s anything in there. RE: No, it’s been for sale. LL: It’s been for sale for years. PC: And then the church took over. Charles Kelly sold his house to the church. To St. Bridget’s. CS: Were there any nice places to eat in East Falls? LL: I never went to a restaurant in East Falls ever. Oh, pardon me, the Falls Tavern, once or twice, in later years. PC: We always went over to the Bala Golf Club. East Falls had a big tournament at Bala Golf Club each year. LL: They put a great big sign across the street. It was a big tournament. RE: The Falls used to be very, very interested in athletics. They’re no longer that way, as far as I know. LL: All sports; definitely so. In fact they used to call it the East Falls Golf Association, but half the members never played golf, I’m sure. LL: But it was a big, big association. PC: My father played for an East Falls teams when he was a young man. He played professional, but on a rather low level: baseball and mainly football and basketball. He would go upstate, change his name – play under a different name every week. LL: Yes. My mother and her brothers were members there and we used to spend so much time on weekends and loved it, just loved it. But being away in Ocean City in the summers, we missed a great deal of what went on when children were off from school. I’m sure we would have found a million things to do in East Falls but we were away right after we got out of school. On Memorial Day there used to be a parade in McMichael Park and they used to have the raising of the flag and the band and VFW or whatever but then after that we were never around. PC: We weren’t around all summer. RE: Did Fordie ever drive you kids anyplace? PC & LL: Sure, every place. Everywhere we had to go. Except for the gas rationing, we used the 52. He’d drive us to school. LL: We’d walk to school. PC: He drove us also. LL: Well, except in the bad weather, he’d drive us to school but you couldn’t get to the school on the 52. We’d walk to school but Fordie would drive us to other places. But going to the movies or up to Germantown he never would drive us. He would take us places in town and things like that. There used to be little things at the Penn AC on Saturday afternoons. LL: At the Penn Athletic Club. It was a wonderful family club on the corner of 18th and Locust. A wonderful club. PC: Swimming pools. Squash courts. LL: He would drive us down there. Anywhere we needed to go where you couldn’t take the 52. RE: That was the trolley. PC: Don’t they have something like that now? RE: It’s a bus. It’s the K bus. Not a trolley anymore. LL: Cause I know I’ve seen people standing on the corner at McIlvaine’s, sure. CS: When you were teenagers, did you date any local boys? LL: Surely. Our neighborhood was filled with boys and we were never at a loss for a date. And with Penn Charter so close by. And Germantown Academy so nearby. We had no problems. CS: Any particular memorable ones? LL: Oh, Howard Wycoff grew up with me – my boyfriend. Oh certainly. And a few others. PC: And the very good friend of Kell’s that lived on Henry Avenue – the Lukens? That lived on Henry Avenue? There were many people who lived on Henry Avenue. LL: No, Matt lived on Midvale. LL: But then he married….and Tommy Kayon. He married Barbara something who lived on Henry Avenue. PC: She lived on Vaux Street, dear. LL: Dr. Vogel. At the end of Henry Avenue. PC: Across from the Godfreys on Warden Drive. LL: I dated all the guys who lived on Warden Drive. There were an awful lot of kids around there. It was amazing that that street – I guess everybody had children at the same time – they were all the same age. RE: There was a period when all the press and magazine articles said “Have Babies.” Not in those words, but it was pushed that this was the thing to do – have a baby. And it was approved of. And so there was a big baby boom then. LL: I was born in 1933. I was informed later on in life that that was the lowest – until the last couple of years – the lowest birth rate – because that was during the Depression – and that was the lowest birthrate year of anything. PC: And Grace was born in ’29.

2019-04-21T18:51:01Z

http://eastfallshistoricalsociety.org/oral-history-28-kelly-sisters/

Copyright © 2011 Bieby Voijant Tangahu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Heavy metals are among the most important sorts of contaminant in the environment. Several methods already used to clean up the environment from these kinds of contaminants, but most of them are costly and difficult to get optimum results. Currently, phytoremediation is an effective and affordable technological solution used to extract or remove inactive metals and metal pollutants from contaminated soil and water. This technology is environmental friendly and potentially cost effective. This paper aims to compile some information about heavy metals of arsenic, lead, and mercury (As, Pb, and Hg) sources, effects and their treatment. It also reviews deeply about phytoremediation technology, including the heavy metal uptake mechanisms and several research studies associated about the topics. Additionally, it describes several sources and the effects of As, Pb, and Hg on the environment, the advantages of this kind of technology for reducing them, and also heavy metal uptake mechanisms in phytoremediation technology as well as the factors affecting the uptake mechanisms. Some recommended plants which are commonly used in phytoremediation and their capability to reduce the contaminant are also reported. Heavy metals are among the contaminants in the environment. Beside the natural activities, almost all human activities also have potential contribution to produce heavy metals as side effects. Migration of these contaminants into noncontaminated areas as dust or leachates through the soil and spreading of heavy metals containing sewage sludge are a few examples of events contributing towards contamination of the ecosystems . Several methods are already being used to clean up the environment from these kinds of contaminants, but most of them are costly and far away from their optimum performance. The chemical technologies generate large volumetric sludge and increase the costs ; chemical and thermal methods are both technically difficult and expensive that all of these methods can also degrade the valuable component of soils . Conventionally, remediation of heavy-metal-contaminated soils involves either onsite management or excavation and subsequent disposal to a landfill site. This method of disposal solely shifts the contamination problem elsewhere along with the hazards associated with transportation of contaminated soil and migration of contaminants from landfill into an adjacent environment. Soil washing for removing contaminated soil is an alternative way to excavation and disposal to landfill. This method is very costy and produces a residue rich in heavy metals, which will require further treatment. Moreover, these physio-chemical technologies used for soil remediation render the land usage as a medium for plant growth, as they remove all biological activities . Recent concerns regarding the environmental contamination have initiated the development of appropriate technologies to assess the presence and mobility of metals in soil , water, and wastewater. Presently, phytoremediation has become an effective and affordable technological solution used to extract or remove inactive metals and metal pollutants from contaminated soil. Phytoremediation is the use of plants to clean up a contamination from soils, sediments, and water. This technology is environmental friendly and potentially costeffective. Plants with exceptional metal-accumulating capacity are known as hyperaccumulator plants . Phytoremediation takes the advantage of the unique and selective uptake capabilities of plant root systems, together with the translocation, bioaccumulation, and contaminant degradation abilities of the entire plant body . Many species of plants have been successful in absorbing contaminants such as lead, cadmium, chromium, arsenic, and various radionuclides from soils. One of phytoremediation categories, phytoextraction, can be used to remove heavy metals from soil using its ability to uptake metals which are essential for plant growth (Fe, Mn, Zn, Cu, Mg, Mo, and Ni). Some metals with unknown biological function (Cd, Cr, Pb, Co, Ag, Se, Hg) can also be accumulated . The objectives of this paper are to discuss the potential of phytoremediation technique on treating heavy metal-contaminated side, to provide a brief view about heavy metals uptake mechanisms by plant, to give some description about the performance of several types of plants to uptake heavy metals and to describe about the fate of heavy metals in plant tissue, especially on arsenic (As), lead (Pb), and mercury (Hg). This study is related to a research project that aims to identify potential plants in tropical country such as Malaysia which can uptake heavy metal contaminants from petrochemical wastewater. Heavy metals are conventionally defined as elements with metallic properties and an atomic number >20. The most common heavy metal contaminants are Cd, Cr, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn. Metals are natural components in soil . Some of these metals are micronutrients necessary for plant growth, such as Zn, Cu, Mn, Ni, and Co, while others have unknown biological function, such as Cd, Pb, and Hg . Metal pollution has harmful effect on biological systems and does not undergo biodegradation. Toxic heavy metals such as Pb, Co, Cd can be differentiated from other pollutants, since they cannot be biodegraded but can be accumulated in living organisms, thus causing various diseases and disorders even in relatively lower concentrations . Heavy metals, with soil residence times of thousands of years, pose numerous health dangers to higher organisms. They are also known to have effect on plant growth, ground cover and have a negative impact on soil microflora . It is well known that heavy metals cannot be chemically degraded and need to be physically removed or be transformed into nontoxic compounds . Arsenic (atomic number 33) is a silver-grey brittle crystalline solid with atomic weight of 74.9, specific gravity 5.73, melting point 817°C (at 28 atm), boiling point 613°C, and vapor pressure 1 mm Hg at 372°C . Arsenic is a semimetallic element with the chemical symbol “As”. Arsenic is odorless and tasteless. Arsenic can combine with other elements to form inorganic and organic arsenicals . In the environment, arsenic is combined with oxygen, chlorine, and sulfur to form inorganic arsenic compounds. Inorganic arsenic compounds are mainly used to preserve wood. Organic arsenic compounds are used as pesticides, primarily on cotton plants . Arsenic exists in the −3, 0, +3, and +5 valence oxidation states , and in a variety of chemical forms in natural waters and sediments . Environmental forms include arsenious acids (H3AsO3, H3AsO3, ), arsenic acids (H3AsO4, , ), arsenites, arsenates, methylarsenic acid, dimethylarsinic acid, and arsine. Two most common forms in natural waters arsenite ( ) and inorganic arsenate ( ), referred as As3+ and As5+ . From both the biological and the toxicological points of view, arsenic compounds can be classified into three major groups. These groups are inorganic arsenic compounds, organic arsenic compounds, and arsine gas . It is a hard acid and preferentially complexes with oxides and nitrogen. Trivalent arsenites predominate in moderately reducing anaerobic environments such as groundwater . The most common trivalent inorganic arsenic compounds are arsenic trioxide, sodium arsenite, and arsenic trichloride . Trivalent (+3) arsenates include As(OH)3, , AsO2OH2−, and . Arsenite (As(OH)3, As3+) is predominant in reduced redox potential conditions . Arsenic is one of the contaminants found in the environment which is notoriously toxic to man and other living organisms . It is a highly toxic element that exists in various species, and the toxicity of arsenic depends on its species. The pH, redox conditions, surrounding mineral composition, and microbial activities affect the form (inorganic or organic) and the oxidation state of arsenic. It is generally accepted that the inorganic species, arsenite [As3+] and arsenate [As5+], are the predominant species in most environments, although the organic ones might also be present . In general, inorganic compounds of arsenic are regarded as more highly toxic than most organic forms which are less toxic [10, 14, 16, 17]. The trivalent compounds (arsenites) are more toxic than the pentavalent compounds (arsenates) [16, 17]. It has been reported that As3+ is 4 to 10 times more soluble in water than As5+. However, the trivalent methylated arsenic species have been found to be more toxic than inorganic arsenic because they are more efficient at causing DNA breakdown . Although As5+ tends to be less toxic compared to of As3+, it is thermodynamically more stable due to it predominates under normal conditions and becomes the cause of major contaminant in ground water . Arsenate which is in the pentavalent state (As5+) is also considered to be toxic and carcinogenic to human . Lead (Pb), with atomic number 82, atomic weight 207.19, and a specific gravity of 11.34, is a bluish or silvery-grey metal with a melting point of 327.5°C and a boiling point at atmospheric pressure of 1740°C. It has four naturally occurring isotopes with atomic weights 208, 206, 207 and 204 (in decreasing order of abundance). Despite the fact that lead has four electrons on its valence shell, its typical oxidation state is +2 rather than +4, since only two of the four electrons ionize easily. Apart from nitrate, chlorate, and chloride, most of the inorganic salts of lead2+ have poor solubility in water . Lead (Pb) exists in many forms in the natural sources throughout the world and is now one of the most widely and evenly distributed trace metals. Soil and plants can be contaminated by lead from car exhaust, dust, and gases from various industrial sources. Pb2+ was found to be acute toxic to human beings when present in high amounts. Since Pb2+ is not biodegradable, once soil has become contaminated, it remains a long-term source of Pb2+ exposure. Metal pollution has a harmful effect on biological systems and does not undergo biodegradation . Soil can be contaminated with Pb from several other sources such as industrial sites, from leaded fuels, old lead plumbing pipes, or even old orchard sites in production where lead arsenate is used. Lead accumulates in the upper 8 inches of the soil and is highly immobile. Contamination is long-term. Without remedial action, high soil lead levels will never return to normal . In the environment, lead is known to be toxic to plants, animals, and microorganisms. Effects are generally limited to especially contaminated areas . Pb contamination in the environment exists as an insoluble form, and the toxic metals pose serious human health problem, namely, brain damage and retardation . Mercury is a naturally occurring metal that is present in several forms. Metallic mercury is shiny, silver-white, odorless liquid. Mercury combines with other elements, such as chlorine, sulfur, or oxygen, to form inorganic mercury compounds or salts, which are usually white powders or crystals. Mercury also combines with carbon to make organic mercury compounds . Mercury, which has the lowest melting point (−39°C) of all the pure metals, is the only pure metal that is liquid at room temperature. However, due to its several physical and chemical advantages such as its low boiling point (357°C) and easy vaporization, mercury is still an important material in many industrial products . As any other metal, mercury could occur in the soil in various forms. It dissolves as free ion or soluble complex and is nonspecifically adsorbed by binding mainly due to the electrostatic forces, chelated, and precipitated as sulphide, carbonate, hydroxide, and phosphate. There are three soluble forms of Hg in the soil environment. The most reduced is Hg0 metal with the other two forms being ionic of mercurous ion and mercuric ion Hg2+, in oxidizing conditions especially at low pH. Hg+ ion is not stable under environmental conditions since it dismutates into Hg0 and Hg2+. A second potential route for the conversion of mercury in the soil is methylation to methyl or dimethyl mercury by anaerobic bacteria . Mercury is a persistent environmental pollutant with bioaccumulation ability in fish, animals, and human beings . Mercury salts and organomercury compounds are among the most poisonous substances in our environment. The mechanism and extent of toxicity depend strongly on the type of compound and the redox state of mercury . Environmental contamination due to mercury is caused by several industries, petrochemicals, minings, painting, and also by agricultural sources such as fertilizer and fungicidal sprays . Some of the more common sources of mercury found throughout the environment include but may not be limited to the household bleach, acid, and caustic chemicals (e.g., battery acid, household lye, muriatic acid (hydrochloric acid), sodium hydroxide, and sulfuric acid), instrumentation containing mercury (e.g., medical instruments, thermometers, barometers, and manometers), dental amalgam (fillings), latex paint (manufactured prior to 1990), batteries, electric lighting (fluorescent lamps, incandescent wire filaments, mercury vapor lamps, ultraviolet lamps), pesticides, pharmaceuticals (e.g., nasal sprays, cosmetics, contact lens products), household detergents and cleaners, laboratory chemicals, inks and paper coatings, lubrication oils, wiring devices and switches, and textiles. Though mercury use in many of the above items being produced now is restricted or banned, there are still some existing, older products in use . Terrestrial plants are generally insensitive to the harmful effects of mercury compounds; however, mercury is known to affect photosynthesis and oxidative metabolism by interfering with electron transport in chloroplasts and mitochondria. Mercury also inhibits the activity of aquaporins and reduces plant water uptake . Mercury and its compounds are cumulative toxins and in small quantities are hazardous to human health. The major effects of mercury poisoning manifest as neurological and renal disturbances as it can easily pass the blood-brain barrier and has effect on the brain . Phytoremediation techniques have been briefly depicted in many literatures or articles. The generic term “phytoremediation” consists of the Greek prefix phyto (plant), attached to the Latin root remedium (to correct or remove an evil) [28, 29]. Some definitions on phytoremediation that have been described by several researchers are listed in Table 1. Table 1: Definition of phytoremediation. Generally, according to the above researchers, phytoremediation is defined as an emerging technology using selected plants to clean up the contaminated environment from hazardous contaminant to improve the environment quality. Figure 1 depicts the uptake mechanisms of both organics and inorganics contaminants through phytoremediation technology. For organics, it involves phytostabilization, rhizodegradation, rhizofiltration, phytodegradation, and phytovolatilization. These mechanisms related to organic contaminant property are not able to be absorbed into the plant tissue. For inorganics, mechanisms which can be involved are phytostabilization, rhizofiltration, phytoaccumulation and phytovolatilization. Figure 1: Uptake mechanisms on phytoremediation technology. Source: . Based on Figure 1, some certain essential processes involved in phytoremediation technology [29, 31] are phytostabilization and phytoextraction for inorganic contaminants, and phytotransformation/phytodegradation, rhizofiltration, and rhizodegradation for organic contaminants. The root plants exudates to stabilize, demobilize and bind the contaminants in the soil matrix, thereby reducing their bioavailability. These all are called as phytostabilization process. Certain plant species have used to immobilize contaminants in the soil and ground water through absorption and accumulation by roots, adsorption onto roots, or precipitation within the root zone. This process is for organics and metals contaminants in soils, sediments, and sludges medium [29, 31]. Specific plant species can absorb and hyperaccumulate metal contaminants and/or excess nutrients in harvestable root and shoot tissue, from the growth substrate through phytoextraction process. This is for metals, metalloids, radionuclides, nonmetals, and organics contaminants in soils, sediments, and sludges medium [29, 31]. Phytovolatilization process is the plants ability to absorb and subsequently volatilize the contaminant into the atmosphere. This process is for metal contaminants in groundwater, soils, sediments, and sludges medium. Since phytotransformation/phytodegradation process is the breakdown of contaminants taken up by plants through metabolic processes within the plant or the breakdown of contaminants externally to the plant through the effect of compounds produced by the plants. This process is for complex organic molecules that are degraded into simpler molecule contaminants in soils, sediments, sludges, and groundwater medium [29, 31]. Plant roots take up metal contaminants and/or excess nutrients from growth substrates through rhizofiltration (=root) process, the adsorption, or, precipitation onto plant roots or absorption into the roots of contaminants that are in solution surrounding the root zone. This process is for metals, excess nutrients, and radionuclide contaminants in groundwater, surface water, and wastewater medium [29, 31]. The breakdown of contaminants in the soil through microbial activity that is enhanced by the presence of the root zone is called rhizodegradation. This process uses microorganisms to consume and digest organic substances for nutrition and energy. Natural substances released by the plant roots, sugars, alcohols, and acids, contain organic carbon that provides food for soil microorganisms and establish a dense root mass that takes up large quantities of water. This process is for organic substance contaminants in soil medium [29, 31]. Contaminant uptake by plants and its mechanisms have been being explored by several researchers. It could be used to optimize the factors to improve the performance of plant uptake. According to Sinha et al. , the plants act both as “accumulators” and “excluders”. Accumulators survive despite concentrating contaminants in their aerial tissues. They biodegrade or biotransform the contaminants into inert forms in their tissues. The excluders restrict contaminant uptake into their biomass. Plants have evolved highly specific and very efficient mechanisms to obtain essential micronutrients from the environment, even when present at low ppm levels. Plant roots, aided by plant-produced chelating agents and plant-induced pH changes and redox reactions, are able to solubilize and take up micronutrients from very low levels in the soil, even from nearly insoluble precipitates. Plants have also evolved highly specific mechanisms to translocate and store micronutrients. These same mechanisms are also involved in the uptake, translocation, and storage of toxic elements, whose chemical properties simulate those of essential elements. Thus, micronutrient uptake mechanisms are of great interest to phytoremediation . The range of known transport mechanisms or specialized proteins embedded in the plant cell plasma membrane involved in ion uptake and translocation include (1) proton pumps (″-ATPases that consume energy and generate electrochemical gradients), (2) co- and antitransporters (proteins that use the electrochemical gradients generated by ″-ATPases to drive the active uptake of ions), and (3) channels (proteins that facilitate the transport of ions into the cell). Each transport mechanism is likely to take up a range of ions. A basic problem is the interaction of ionic species during uptake of various heavy metal contaminants. After uptake by roots, translocation into shoots is desirable because the harvest of root biomass is generally not feasible. Little is known regarding the forms in which metal ions are transported from the roots to the shoots . Plant uptake-translocation mechanisms are likely to be closely regulated. Plants generally do not accumulate trace elements beyond near-term metabolic needs. And these requirements are small ranging from 10 to 15 ppm of most trace elements suffice for most needs . The exceptions are “hyperaccumulator” plants, which can take up toxic metal ions at levels in the thousands of ppm. Another issue is the form in which toxic metal ions are stored in plants, particularly in hyperaccumulating plants, and how these plants avoid metal toxicity. Multiple mechanisms are involved. Storage in the vacuole appears to be a major one . Water, evaporating from plant leaves, serves as a pump to absorb nutrients and other soil substances into plant roots. This process, termed evapotranspiration, is responsible for moving contamination into the plant shoots as well. Since contamination is translocated from roots to the shoots, which are harvested, contamination is removed while leaving the original soil undisturbed. Some plants that are used in phytoextraction strategies are termed “hyperaccumulators.” They are plants that achieve a shoot-to-root metal-concentration ratio greater than one. Nonaccumulating plants typically have a shoot-to-root ratio considerably less than one. Ideally, hyperaccumulators should thrive in toxic environments, require little maintenance and produce high biomass, although few plants perfectly fulfill these requirements . Metal accumulating plant species can concentrate heavy metals like Cd, Zn, Co, Mn, Ni, and Pb up to 100 or 1000 times those taken up by nonaccumulator (excluder) plants. In most cases, microorganisms bacteria and fungi, living in the rhizosphere closely associated with plants, may contribute to mobilize metal ions, increasing the bioavailable fraction. Their role in eliminating organic contaminants is even more significant than that in case of inorganic compounds [39, 40]. Heavy metal uptake by plant through phytoremediation technologies is using these mechanisms of phytoextraction, phytostabilisation, rhizofiltration, and phytovolatilization as shown in Figure 2. Figure 2: The mechanisms of heavy metals uptake by plant through phytoremediation technology. Phytoextraction is the uptake/absorption and translocation of contaminants by plant roots into the above ground portions of the plants (shoots) that can be harvested and burned gaining energy and recycling the metal from the ash [28, 39–42]. Phytostabilisation is the use of certain plant species to immobilize the contaminants in the soil and groundwater through absorption and accumulation in plant tissues, adsorption onto roots, or precipitation within the root zone preventing their migration in soil, as well as their movement by erosion and deflation [28, 39–42]. Rhizofiltration is the adsorption or precipitation onto plant roots or absorption into and sequesterization in the roots of contaminants that are in solution surrounding the root zone by constructed wetland for cleaning up communal wastewater [28, 39–42]. Phytovolatilization is the uptake and transpiration of a contaminant by a plant, with release of the contaminant or a modified form of the contaminant to the atmosphere from the plant. Phytovolatilization occurs as growing trees and other plants take up water along with the contaminants. Some of these contaminants can pass through the plants to the leaves and volatilize into the atmosphere at comparatively low concentrations [28, 39–42]. Plants also perform an important secondary role in physically stabilizing the soil with their root system, preventing erosion, protecting the soil surface, and reducing the impact of rain. At the same time, plant roots release nutrients that sustain a rich microbial community in the rhizosphere. Bacterial community composition in the rhizosphere is affected by complex interactions between soil type, plant species, and root zone location. Microbial populations are generally higher in the rhizosphere than in the root-free soil. This is due to a symbiotic relationship between soil microorganisms and plants. This symbiotic relationship can enhance some bioremediation processes. Plant roots also may provide surfaces for sorption or precipitation of metal contaminants . In phytoremediation, the root zone is of special interest. The contaminants can be absorbed by the root to be subsequently stored or metabolised by the plant. Degradation of contaminants in the soil by plant enzymes exuded from the roots is another phytoremediation mechanism . For many contaminants, passive uptake via micropores in the root cell walls may be a major route into the root, where degradation can take place . There are several factors which can affect the uptake mechanism of heavy metals, as shown in Figure 3. By having knowledge about these factors, the uptake performance by plant can be greatly improved. Figure 3: Factors which are affecting the uptake mechanisms of heavy metals. Plants species or varieties are screened, and those with superior remediation properties are selected . The uptake of a compound is affected by plant species characteristic . The success of the phytoextraction technique depends upon the identification of suitable plant species that hyperaccumulate heavy metals and produce large amounts of biomass using established crop production and management practices . Agronomical practices are developed to enhance remediation (pH adjustment, addition of chelators, fertilizers) . For example, the amount of lead absorbed by plants is affected by the pH, organic matter, and the phosphorus content of the soil. To reduce lead uptake by plants, the pH of the soil is adjusted with lime to a level of 6.5 to 7.0 . The Root Zone is of special interest in phytoremediation. It can absorb contaminants and store or metabolize it inside the plant tissue. Degradation of contaminants in the soil by plant enzymes exuded from the roots is another phytoremediation mechanism. A morphological adaptation to drought stress is an increase in root diameter and reduced root elongation as a response to less permeability of the dried soil . Vegetative Uptake is affected by the environmental conditions . The temperature affects growth substances and consequently root length. Root structure under field conditions differs from that under greenhouse condition . The success of phytoremediation, more specifically phytoextraction, depends on a contaminant-specific hyperaccumulator . Understanding mass balance analyses and the metabolic fate of pollutants in plants are the keys to proving the applicability of phytoremediation . Metal uptake by plants depends on the bioavailability of the metal in the water phase, which in turn depends on the retention time of the metal, as well as the interaction with other elements and substances in the water. Furthermore, when metals have been bound to the soil, the pH, redox potential, and organic matter content will all affect the tendency of the metal to exist in ionic and plant-available form. Plants will affect the soil through their ability to lower the pH and oxygenate the sediment, which affects the availability of the metals , increasing the bioavailability of heavy metals by the addition of biodegradable physicochemical factors, such as chelating agents and micronutrients . The increase of the uptake of heavy metals by the energy crops can be influenced by increasing the bioavailability of heavy metals through addition of biodegradable physicochemical factors such as chelating agents, and micronutrients, and also by stimulating the heavy-metal-uptake capacity of the microbial community in and around the plant. This faster uptake of heavy metals will result in shorter and, therefore, less expensive remediation periods. However, with the use of synthetic chelating agents, the risk of increased leaching must be taken into account . The use of chelating agents in heavy-metal-contaminated soils could promote leaching of the contaminants into the soil. Since the bioavailability of heavy metals in soils decreases above pH 5.5–6, the use of a chelating agent is warranted, and may be required, in alkaline soils. It was found that exposing plants to EDTA for a longer period (2 weeks) could improve metal translocation in plant tissue as well as the overall phytoextraction performance. The application of a synthetic chelating agent (EDTA) at 5 mmol/kg yielded positive results . Plant roots exude organic acids such as citrate and oxalate, which affect the bioavailability of metals. In chelate-assisted phytoremediation, synthetic chelating agents such as NTA and EDTA are added to enhance the phytoextraction of soil-polluting heavy metals. The presence of a ligand affects the biouptake of heavy metals through the formation of metal-ligand complexes and changes the potential to leach metals below the root zone . Several studies have described the performance of heavy metals uptake by plants. It is reported that phytoremediation technology is an alternative to treat heavy-metal-contaminated side which will be more admitted in order to remediate the environment. Table 2 lists some research done to remediate heavy metals from contaminated soil, while Table 3 lists some research conducted to remediate them from contaminated water and wastewater. Table 2: Phytoremediation study on soil medium. Table 3: Phytoremediation study on water medium (hydroponic). Based on the collected data from the phytoremediation research listed in Tables 2 and 3, the accumulation of heavy metals As, Pb, and Hg in plant tissue is summarized in respective, Figures 4, 5, and 6. Figure 4: As accumulation in plant tissue. Figure 5: Pb accumulation in plant tissue. Figure 6: Hg accumulation in plant tissue. According to Figure 4, the highest accumulation of As in plant tissue (the researchers have not detailed which part it is, but it might be the whole plant) occurs in Pteris vittata L. species. It can reach more than 0.7 mg As/g dry weight of plant. In plant root, the highest accumulation of As is in Populus nigra, which can reach more than 0.2 mg As/g dry weight of plant root. As can be seen in Figure 5, several plants could accumulate Pb in their tissue of more than 50 mg/g dry weight of plant. Among those species are species of Brassica campestris L, Brassica carinata A. Br., Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. and Brassica nigra (L.) Koch that could accumulate more than 100 mg Pb/g dry weight. Figure 6 shows that accumulated Hg in Brassica juncea L. Czern. is much higher than in other species of plants. It could reach more than 1 mg Hg/g dry weight of plant, while the other plants only accumulate less than 0.2 mg Hg/g dry weight. Phytoremediation techniques may also be more publicly acceptable, aesthetically pleasing, and less disruptive than the current techniques of physical and chemical process . Advantages of this technology are its effectiveness in contaminant reduction, low-cost, being applicable for wide range of contaminants, and in overall it is an environmental friendly method. Figure 7 simplifies some advantages of phytoremediation technology. Figure 7: Advantages of phytoremediation technology. The major advantages of the heavy metal adsorption technology by biomass are its effectiveness in reducing the concentration of heavy metal ions to very low levels and the use of inexpensive biosorbent materials . Phytoremediation as possibly the cleanest and cheapest technology can be employed in the remediation of selected hazardous sites . Phytoremediation encompasses a number of different methods that can lead to contaminant degradation . Phytoremediation is a low-cost option and inexpensive approach for remediating environmental media, particularly suited to large sites that have relatively low levels of contamination . This technology has been receiving attention lately as an innovative, cost-effective alternative to the more established treatment methods used at hazardous waste sites . Phytoremediation potentially offers unique, low cost solutions to many currently problems of soil contamination [32, 75]. It is inexpensive (60–80% or even less costly) than conventional physicochemical methods, since it does not require expensive equipment or highly specialized personnel. It is cost-effective for large volumes of water having low concentrations of contaminants and for large areas having low to moderately contaminated surface soils . It is applicable to a wide range of toxic metals and radionuclides and also useful for treating a broad range of environmental contaminants, including organic and inorganic contaminants . Phytoremediation is regarded as a new approach for the cleanup of contaminated soils, water, and ambient air . Phytoremediation research can also contribute to the improvement of poor soils such as those with high aluminum or salt levels . It is applicable to a range of toxic metals and radionuclides, minimal environmental disturbance, elimination of secondary air or water-borne wastes, and public acceptance . Phytoextraction is considered as an environmentaly friendly method to remove metals from contaminated soils in situ. This method can be used in much larger-scale clean-up operations and has been applied for other heavy metals . It is an esthetically pleasing, solar-energy-driven cleanup technology and there is minimal environmental disruption and in situ treatment preserves topsoil. In Situ applications decrease the amount of soil disturbance compared to conventional methods. It can be performed with minimal environmental disturbance with topsoil left in a usable condition and may be reclaimed for agricultural use. The organic pollutants may be degraded to CO2 and H2O, removing environmental toxicity . Phytoremediation can be an alternative to the much harsher remediation technologies of incineration, thermal vaporization, solvent washing, or other soil washing techniques, which essentially destroy the biological component of the soil and can drastically alter its chemical and physical characteristics as well as creating a relatively nonviable solid waste. Phytoremediation actually benefits the soil, leaving an improved, functional soil ecosystem at costs estimated at approximately one-tenth of those currently adopted technologies . It is the most ecological cleanup technology for contaminated soils and is also known as a green technology. Another advantage of phytoremediation is the generation of a recyclable metal-rich plant residue . Phytoremediation could be a viable option to decontaminate heavy-metal-polluted soils, particularly when the biomass produced during the phytoremediation process could be economically valorized in the form of bioenergy. The use of metal-accumulating bioenergy crops might be suitable for this purpose. If soils, contaminated with heavy metals, are phytoremediated with oil crops, biodiesel production from the resulting plant oil could be a viable option to generate bioenergy . In large-scale applications, the potential energy stored can be utilized to generate thermal energy . The success of the phytoextraction technique depends upon the identification of suitable plant species that can hyperaccumulate heavy metals and produce large amounts of biomass using established crop production and management practices . On the other hand, there are certain limitations to phytoremediation system (Figure 8). Among them are being time-consuming method, the amount of produced biomass, the root depth, soil chemistry and the level of contamination, the age of plant, the contaminant concentration, the impacts of contaminated vegetation, and climatic condition. Figure 8: The limitation of phytoremediation technology. Phytoremediation can be a time-consuming process, and it may take at least several growing seasons to clean up a site. The intermediates formed from those organic and inorganic contaminants may be cytotoxic to plants . Phytoremediation is also limited by the growth rate of the plants. More time may be required to phytoremediate a site as compared with other more traditional cleanup technologies. Excavation and disposal or incineration takes weeks to months to accomplish, while phytoextraction or degradation may need several years. Therefore, for sites that pose acute risks for human and other ecological receptors, phytoremediation may not be the remediation technique of choice [29, 46]. Phytoremediation might be best suited for remote areas where human contact is limited or where soil contamination does not require an immediate response . Under the best climatic conditions, with irrigation and fertilization, total biomass productivities can approach 100 t/ha/y. One of the unresolved issues is the tradeoff between toxic element accumulation and productivity. In practice, a maximum harvestable biomass yield of 10 to 20 t/ha/y would be likely, particularly for heavy metal accumulating plants. These values for productivity of biomass and heavy metal content would limit annual toxic element removal capacity between about 10 and 400 kg/ha/y, depending on the pollutant, plant species, climatic and other factors. For a target soil depth of 30 cm (4,000 t/ha), this amounts to an annual reduction from 2.5 to 100 ppm in soil toxic element levels. This is often an acceptable rate of contaminant removal, allowing site remediation over a few years to a couple of decades, particularly where the concentration of the contaminant can be lowered sufficiently to meet regulatory criteria. These values for productivity of biomass and heavy metal content would limit annual toxic element removal capacity between 10 and 400 kg/ha/y, depending on the pollutant, plant species, climatic and other factors . The success of phytoremediation may be limited by factors such as growing time, climate, root depth, soil chemistry, and level of contamination . Root contact is a primary limitation on phytoremediation applicability. Remediation with plants requires that contaminants be in contact with the root zone of the plants. Either the plants must be able to extend roots to the contaminants, or the contaminated media must be moved to be within range of the plants . Restricted to sites with shallow contamination within rooting zone of remediative plants, ground surface at the site may have to be modified to prevent flooding or erosion . Age greatly affects the physiological activity of a plant, especially its roots. Generally, roots of a young plant display greater ability to absorb ions than do those of an old plant when they are similar in size. It is important to use healthy young plants for more efficient plant removal. However, this does not rule out the use of larger older plants whose larger size may compensate for their lower physiological activity as compared to smaller younger plants . High concentrations of contaminants may inhibit plant growth and, thus, may limit application on some sites or some parts of sites. This phytotoxicity could lead to a remedial approach in which high-concentration waste is handled with expensive ex situ techniques that quickly reduce acute risk, while in situ phytoremediation is used over a longer period of time to clean the high volumes of lower contaminant concentrations . A major limitation in the phytoremediation of toxic elements is the maximal level that can be accumulated by plants. Plants with the highest levels of toxic metal contents, known as “hyperaccumulators”, generally exhibit, on a dry weight basis, from about 2000 ppm (0.2%) for more toxic elements (Cd, Pb) to above 2% for the less toxic ones (Zn, Ni, Cu) . Restricted to sites with low contaminant concentrations, the treatment is generally limited to soils at one meter from the surface and groundwater within a few meters of the surface with soil amendments may be required . Some ecological exposure may occur whenever plants are used to interact with contaminants from the soil. The fate of the metals in the biomass is a concern. Although some forms of phytoremediation involve accumulation of metals and require handling of plant material embedded with metals, most plants do not accumulate significant levels of organic contaminants. While metal-accumulating plants will need to be harvested and either recycled or disposed of in compliance with applicable regulations, most phytoremediative plants do not require further treatment or disposal . Harvested plant biomass from phytoextraction may be classified as a hazardous waste, hence, disposal should be proper. Consumption of contaminated plant biomass is a cause of concern; contaminants may still enter the food chain through animals/insects that eat plant material containing contaminants . Climatic or hydrologic conditions may restrict the rate of growth of plants that can be utilized. Introduction of nonnative species may affect biodiversity . Heavy metals uptake, by plants using phytoremediation technology, seems to be a prosperous way to remediate heavy-metals-contaminated environment. It has some advantages compared with other commonly used conventional technologies. Several factors must be considered in order to accomplish a high performance of remediation result. The most important factor is a suitable plant species which can be used to uptake the contaminant. Even the phytoremediation technique seems to be one of the best alternative, it also has some limitations. Prolong research needs to be conducted to minimize this limitation in order to apply this technique effectively. R. R. Hinchman, M. C. Negri, and E. G. Gatliff, “Phytoremediation: using green plants to clean up contaminated soil, groundwater, and wastewater,” Argonne National Laboratory Hinchman, Applied Natural Sciences, Inc, 1995, http://www.treemediation.com/Technical/Phytoremediation_1998.pdf. I. Shtangeeva, J. V.-P. Laiho, H. Kahelin, and G. R. Gobran, “Phytoremediation of metal-contaminated soils. Symposia Papers Presented Before the Division of Environmental Chemistry,” American Chemical Society, Anaheim, Calif, USA, 2004, http://ersdprojects.science.doe.gov/workshop_pdfs/california_2004/p050.pdf. National Ground Water Association, Copyright 2001. Arsenic. What you need to knowhttp://www.ngwa.org/ASSETS/A0DD107452D74B33AE9D5114EE6647ED/Arsenic.pdf. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Division of Toxicology and Environmental Medicine. Arsenic. 2005, http://www.baltimorehealth.org/info/ATSDR%20fact%20sheet.pdf. WHO Regional Office for Europe, Air Quality Guidelines, chapter 6.1, Arsenic, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2nd edition, 2000, http://www.euro.who.int/document/aiq/6_1_arsenic.pdf. WHO Regional Office for Europe, Air Quality Guidelines, chapter 6.7, Lead, Copenhagen, Denmark, 2nd edition, 2001, http://www.euro.who.int/document/aiq/6_7lead.pdf. J. H. Traunfeld and D. L. Clement, “Lead in Garden Soils. Home and Garden,” Maryland Cooperative Extention, University of Maryland, 2001, http://www.hgic.umd.edu/_media/documents/hg18.pdf. European Commission DG ENV. E3. Heavy Metals in Waste, Final Report Project ENV.E.3/ETU/2000/0058, 2002http://ec.europa.eu/environment/waste/studies/pdf/heavy_metalsreport.pdf. J. F. Musselman and QEP, “Sources of Mercury in Wastewater, Pretreatment corner,” http://www.cet-inc.com/cmsdocuments//7%20-%20Sources%20of%20Mercury%20in%20Wastewater%20(0204).pdf. I. Wagner-Döbler, “Microbiological treatment of mercury-loaded waste water—the biological mercury-decontamination-system. German Research Centre for Biotechnology,” http://www.gbf.de/mercury_remediation1/pdf-documents/Information%20leaflet.PDF. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, “Introduction to Phytoremediation,” National Risk Management Research Laboratory, EPA/600/R-99/107, 2000, http://www.clu-in.org/download/remed/introphyto.pdf. Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council, Phytotechnology Technical and Regulatory. Guidance and Decision Trees, 2009, http://www.itrcweb.org/guidancedocument.asp?TID=63. U. S. Department of Energy, “Plume Focus Area, December. Mechanisms of plant uptake, translocation, and storage of toxic elements. Summary Report of a workshop on phytoremediation research needs,” 1994, http://www.osti.gov/bridge/purl.cover.jsp;jsessionid=D72C8DD9003DCF51984EE254A6ED8BCB?purl=/10109412-BckU4U/webviewable/. L. Erdei, G. Mezôsi, I. Mécs, I. Vass, F. Fôglein, and L. Bulik, “Phytoremediation as a program for decontamination of heavy-metal polluted environment,” in Proceedings of the 8th Hungarian Congress on Plant Physiology and the 6th Hungarian Conference on Photosynthesis, 2005. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Use of Field-Scale Phytotechnology, for Chlorinated Solvents, Metals, Explosives, and Propellants, and Pesticides Phytotechnology Mechanisms. Solid Waste and Emergency Response (5102G), EPA 542-R-05-002, 2005, http://www.clu-in.org/download/remed/542-r-05-002.pdf. V. M. Ibeanusi, “Denise Antonia Grab In collaboration with Larry, Jensen Stephen Ostrodka—Environmental Protection Agency. Radionuclide Biological Remediation Resource Guide, U. S. Environmental Protection Agency,” 2004, http://www.clu-in.org/download/remed/905b04001.pdf. A. Murányi and L. Ködöböcz, “Heavy metal uptake by plants in different phytoremediation treatments,” in Proceedings of the 7th Alps-Adria Scientific Workshop, Stara Lesna, Slovakia, 2008, http://www.mokkka.hu/publications/0387.117_MOKKA_AM_LK.pdf. US Department of Energy, “Plume Focus Area. Summary Report of a Workshop on Phytoremediation Research Needs, Office of Technology Development, Office of Environmental Management and Division of Energy Biosciences, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Office of Energy Research,” 1994, http://www.law.csuohio.edu/lawlibrary-oldsite/info_services/acquisitions/acq-0104.html.

2019-04-21T18:51:43Z

https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ijce/2011/939161/

This talk will introduce the central concepts of my account of toxic speech, drawing from both philosophy of language and social epidemiology. A medical conception of toxicity looks at the toxin, the dose, frequency, route of delivery, susceptibility of the individual or population, and more. All these factors can be fruitfully explored in connection to understanding the mechanisms by which speech acts and discursive practices can inflict harm, making sense of claims about harms arising from speech devoid of slurs, epithets, or a narrower class I call ‘deeply derogatory terms.’ By highlighting the role of uptake and susceptibility, and this model suggests a framework for thinking about damage variation. Toxic effects vary depending on one’s epistemic position, access, and authority. An inferentialist account of discursive practice plus a dynamic view of the power of language games offers tools to analyze the toxic power of speech acts. Even a simple account of language games helps track changes in our discursive practices. Identifying patterns contributes to an epidemiology of toxic speech, which might include tracking increasing use of derogatory terms, us/them dichotomization, terms of isolation, new essentialisms, and more. Finally, I will highlight a few ways to respond to toxic speech, some predictable from past theories (Brandom’s challenging, Langton’s blocking) and some perhaps more unexpected. Identity and distinctness facts come in many varieties, but here is an uncontroversial pair: The Eiffel Tower is identical with The Eiffel Tower, and Donald Trump is distinct from Barack Obama. David Lewis claimed that “there is never any problem about what makes something identical to itself.” I disagree: I believe there is a problem of determining what makes objects identical to themselves. We should provide a metaphysical explanation of identity facts. And, ideally, distinctness facts should come along for the ride: we should be able to metaphysically explain them as well. I will argue that many straightforward attempts to explain identity and distinctness facts fail. We cannot explain facts involving object identity and distinctness by appealing to the existence of the objects in question, by appealing to which properties the objects share (at least not along the traditional proposals), nor by appealing to facts about parthood. Instead, I suggest that we identify and distinguish objects on the basis of which facts they are constituents of. And we should identify and distinguish facts on the basis of their position in a network of metaphysical ground. In my talk I begin by introducing the commonsense idea that there appears to be a legitimate question, “What is the state obligated to its people to do?”, that should constitute the focal point of a philosophical sub-discipline, which I call ‘political morality’. I then point out that there appears to be no such philosophical sub-discipline. I argue that we political philosophers should accept these two appearances as veridical and admit that we’ve been dropping the ball; i.e. we’ve been failing to inquire into something that demands our attention. I also begin the task of giving it the attention it deserves. I argue that political morality, given its apparent contours, would have to be entirely artificial. From that conclusion I infer the further conclusion that political morality would have to apply to artificial agency; that is, it would be the morality that applies to certain individuals only insofar as they exercise artificial agency. And from thatconclusion I infer, finally, that political morality must be role morality, since inhabiting a role is the only way of exercising artificial agency. Rarely do we utter 'every F' to talk about absolutely every F, or 'some G' to talk about any G whatsoever. But there's no commonly-accepted account of just how speakers manage to use such phrases to talk about more restricted classes of things. After considering and rejecting some earlier suggestions, I offer a novel account of this phenomenon. On my account, speakers bear a relationship of linguistic authority over quantified statements, such that they can use those statements to express certain kinds of thoughts. But there are limits to such authority: both a practical limit, since speakers' thoughts are typically only so precise, and normative limits, since one's linguistic community will only tolerate a limited range of thoughts being expressible via a particular quantified statement. This talk is about the 19th century Scottish philosopher Mary Shepherd’s response to Hume on induction, and some of her own metaphysics of induction. Causal pluralism is, perhaps not surprisingly, plural. My aim in this talk will be to explore the relationship between two kinds of pluralism that have received attention in recent years. The first pluralism, which we owe chiefly to Ned Hall, argues that some causal claims are concerned with production while others are concerned with dependence or difference making. The second, which we owe chiefly to Elizabeth Anscombe, tells us that the word ‘cause’ is a schema term that stands in for more specific varieties of activities like pushing, wetting or scraping. My hope will be to show how we can understand the differing semantic and explanatory roles of these concepts, while connecting them to a reasonably economical ontology that is grounded in mechanisms. By giving valid consent, we can waive rights that we hold against other people, thereby permitting them to perform actions that they otherwise weren't allowed to perform. However, our consent can fail to grant them permissions when we give it under duress. I examine the questions of how duress invalidates consent, and why it does so. My answers appeal to rights' function of protecting us from interference from others and consent's function of enabling us to share our lives with others. Familiar, popular controversies -- like the one last summer over the memo written by a Google employee -- pit accusations of racism or sexism against competing accusations of political correctness. These disagreements can be fruitfully understood as grounded, at least in part, in a philosophical disagreement about whether moral considerations rightly play a role in what we believe. One side endorses the view that a commitment to nondiscrimination includes epistemic demands and rightfully so. The other side views this stance as both irrational and dangerous. The aim of the paper is to link these debates in our social world to a philosophical debate about whether moral and pragmatic considerations can and do affect beliefs and credences. Michael Silberstein and Mark Stuckey (Elizabethtown College ) • Full of Sound and Fury Signaling Nothing? The quantum pragmatism of Healey will be compared to Bub's information theoretic account of the quantum. Concerns about both views will be raised. It will be argued that the Relational Blockworld account of quantum mechanics, which as we will show has much in common with these two views, provides a realist psi-epistemic take on the quantum that deflates the measurement problem, explains superposition and entanglement without invoking wave-like phenomena or non-locality, and explains the Born rule. The three views will be compared and contrasted for their relative merits. Ultimately, we will conclude that the Relational Blockworld approach has certain advantages. When the attempt is made to determine empirically what it is that makes an individual choose to become involved in terrorist acts, one of the few factors with predictive value is: prior involvement in petty crime. This is in part because terrorist recruiters tend to seek out those who are on the fringes of society. It is connected also with the fact that terrorists often cooperate with criminal organizations in matters of finance and tactics. Terrorist acts and criminal acts differ, however. Very roughly: the former, but not the latter, have as their objective to send a message. We shall explore what this means for an ontology of terrorism, and describe how such an ontology might be useful, for instance in predicting terrorist acts. JL Austin said that existing is not something that things do all the time. Was he right? Under what conditions has something done something anyway? Perhaps surprisingly, I think that the key to answering this and a host of other questions in metaphysics can be found in a distinction from linguistics, the distinction between "stative" and "non-stative" verbs. Other question that this distinction is relevant to include: under what conditions does an event occur? What is the difference between a cause and a background condition? Must a disposition be a disposition to act? What is it to manifest a disposition? What is the most basic kind of causation? Recent challenges in international security posed by two terrorist organizations, Al Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), have highlighted an urgent domestic and foreign policy challenge, namely, how to address the threat posed by violent non-state actors while adhering to the rule of law values that form the core of democratic governance. Despite the vital importance of this topic, the legal framework for conducting operations of this magnitude against non-state actors has never been clearly identified. The Law of Armed Conflict (LOAC) is organized around the assumption that parties to an armed conflict are “combatants,” meaning that they are members of a state military acting in the name of that state. Norms of conduct are unclear with regard to non-state actors, and there are few consistent legal principles to provide guidance. In 2002, the Bush Administration declared members of Al-Qaeda and other violent non-state actors “unlawful combatants,” and as such declared them not subject to the Geneva Conventions. Legal scholars tend to agree, and many have written that LOAC must adapt to fit the new asymmetric nature of armed conflict. Law, however, is generally thought of as a constraint, rather than an instrument for achieving other goals. This article will address the status of unlawful combatants under existing International Humanitarian Law and Just War Theory and ask what the right legal framework is for addressing the threat posed by non-state actors in current asymmetric conflict. It will argue that violent non-state actors are more properly thought of as international criminals than as combatants of any sort. It will also examine the meaning of rule of law reasoning in the context of war. Results oriented legal analysis treats law as failing to provide reasons to individual actors, and privileges form over substance. I argue that this approach must be rejected if war is to be constrained by law. Trendsetters are the "first movers" in social change. To study the dynamics of change, we need to study the interplay between trendsetters' actions and individual thresholds. It is this interplay that explains why change may or may not occur. In this talk I give an overview of a theory of well-being that understands well-being as the fulfillment of an appropriate set of values that can be sustained over time. I then show that when the theory is applied to people who value friendship (that is, most of us), it provides a two-pronged argument for developing the virtue of humility. We have moral ideals to which we aspire. We also routinely and predictably fail to live up to those ideals. Considered as a practical moral problem, this may seem to have a straightforward solution—we should just act better! This answer, while true, is far too simple. Failures to live up to ideals are not all of a kind. Some we cannot or will not acknowledge as failures in the first place. Some failures call for guilt or remorse; others we may think justified in light of conflicting ideals or circumstantial constraints. Even justified failures to live up to ideals may produce moral residue or generate other kinds of moral obligations. In this talk, I explore the concept of a regulative normative ideal and the practical ramifications of such ideals for flawed moral agents. I argue that in a non-ideal world, living by an ideal demands that agents take up a wide range of actions and attitudes related to that ideal. These actions and attitudes are essential to the moral life and our efforts to engage in it well. What is Spinoza's account of the relationship between the human mind and body? I'll argue that Spinoza has two different answers to two different versions of this question, starting from two different sets of premises. First, Spinoza starts with subjective data like felt sensations and our experience of moving our bodies, and from that he concludes that the human mind is united to the human body by representing it. Second, to account for apparent psychophysical interaction in general, Spinoza develops parallelism. While these accounts of the mind-body relationship are often run together (including by Spinoza), I'll show that Spinoza argues for them in relative isolation from one another and does not resolve them. I'll trace this back to Descartes, who also offers two irreconcilable approaches to two different questions about the mind-body relationship, and I'll argue that we can still find a sense of this tension in contemporary philosophy of mind. Kyley Ewing (University of Maryland) • Lives or Headaches? Logan Fletcher (University of Maryland) • Can Visual Diagrams Justify Mathematical Beliefs? A central project in philosophy of language and in linguistics has been to find a systematic relation between the sounds we make and the meanings we manage to convey in making them. The meanings speakers mean appear to depend in various ways on context. On the orthodox view, a syntactically disambiguated sound completely determines what is directly asserted by the speaker (what is said), relative to a context that serves only to fix values for indexicals and deictic expressions. However, there appear to be cases of context-dependence that resist orthodox treatment (Bach 1994). When orthodoxy seems implausible, one of two options has generally been favored. Contextualists depart from orthodoxy and allow a greater role for context, including pragmatic enrichments of what is said (Recanati 2002). Others have attempted to preserve the orthodox account by enriching the symbol with covert syntactic items (Stanley 2000). On at least some accounts, this choice is an empirical one about the psychology of speakers and hearers. I therefore discuss how a series of self-paced reading time experiments, reported in McCourt et al. forthcoming, might inform these debates. I argue that these studies undermine a commonly accepted orthodox treatment of implicit control of reason clauses (The ship was sunk to collect the insurance), and therefore weaken the general motivation for orthodoxy. Many people have expressed hope that with the advent of widespread technology to capture moving images, we will finally be in a position to acknowledge and address the systemic problem of racialized police brutality. When the true details of this violence are visible to all, it is thought, the presence of a serious problem and the need to address it cannot be denied. In this essay, I will give reasons, connected to specific aesthetic phenomena regarding our interpretation and use of images, for skepticism about this hope. I will argue that standard ways of looking at these moving images tend to reinforce racialized forms of perception, and they tend to undermine attention to the systemic phenomena that contribute to racialized police violence. I will suggest that we must engage in forms of resistance to standard ways of looking. We must also attend to the acts of naming that shape what we perceive within these moving images. This talk is about the nature and causal determinants of both reflective thinking and, more generally, the stream of consciousness. I argue that conscious thought is always sensory based, relying on the resources of the working-memory system. This system has been much studied by cognitive scientists. It enables sensory images to be sustained and manipulated through attentional signals directed at midlevel sensory areas of the brain. When abstract conceptual representations are bound into these images, we consciously experience ourselves as making judgments or arriving at decisions. Thus one might hear oneself as judging, in inner speech, that it is time to go home, for example. However, our amodal (non-sensory) propositional attitudes are never actually among the contents of this stream of conscious reflection. Our beliefs, goals, and decisions are only ever active in the background of consciousness, working behind the scenes to select the sensory-based imagery that occurs in working memory. They are never themselves conscious. When you “have an inclination” to do something, prior to having decided whether or not to do it, you regard the inclination as something you can “act on” or not. My focus is on this moment in the story of action. I argue that there is a puzzle about how to form a coherent conception of this “having” relation. To have an inclination is to be influenced by something that simultaneously takes the form of a discursive proposal (“how about doing this?”) and brute pressure (the motivational oomph that is the correlate of ‘will power’). I explain why standard conceptions of desire fail to capture this duality, and I offer an alternative conception of my own. Laura Franklin-Hall (New York University) • Why are some kinds and classifications historical and others not? One important fruit of the scientific project—arguably second only to the formulation of dynamic theories—is the principled organization of our universe’s constituents into categories and kinds. Such groupings come in two principal flavors: historical and synchronic. Historical categories group entities by their relationships to past events, as when an organism’s species is a function of the population from which it descended. By contrast, synchronic categories make group membership depend exclusively on current features of the universe, whether these are intrinsic or extrinsic to the things categorized. This talk explores just why scientists deploy historical categories when they do, and synchronic ones otherwise. After reviewing a number of examples, I formulate a principle designed to both describe and explain this feature of our scientific classificatory practice. According to this proposal, a domain is apt for historical classifications just when the probability of the independent emergence of similar entities (PIES) in that domain is very low. In addition to rationalizing this principle and showing its ability to correctly account for classification practices across the natural and social sciences, I will consider the nature of the probabilities that are at its core. This colloquium talk is part of the Philosophy of Probability Workshop. Sometimes grave harm is an aggregate effect of many actions' consequences. In such cases, each individual contribution may in fact be so tiny that it's effect are imperceptible and, therefore, can't be said to cause harm. This creates a problem: If no agent's contribution causes harm, then s/he may lack sufficient reason not to contribute to the overall harmful effect. Hence, the harmful effect would seem normatively inevitable. In this talk, I discuss and reject two broadly consequentialist answers to the problem and I defend a virtue ethicist solution. According to the former views, a thorough analysis of all relevant cases reveals that there really are no cases of imperceptible contributions to harm. According to (my favored version of) the latter approach, agents should (in part) not partcipate in harmful practices, because a reasonably emphathetic agent would not act in this way. in the first place are far less common in epistemology. I discuss whether there are norms of salience that apply to the mind, and if so, what kinds of norms these might be. Quantum entanglement is real and important. It's also widely believed to be mysterious and spooky. The aim of this talk is twofold: to explain the basics of entanglement in a way that doesn't presuppose any prior knowledge of quantum mechanics, and to probe the question of whether entanglement really is spooky or mysterious. I will argue that it may be, but that if so, this isn't a obvious as is typically assumed. It is generally agreed that novels can be fully appreciated only through an experiential engagement with their well-formed instances. But what sort of entities can play the role of such instances? According to an orthodox view---accepted by Gregory Currie, David Davies, Stephen Davies, Nelson Goodman, Robert Howell, Peter Lamarque, Jerrold Levinson, Guy Rohrbaugh, Richard Wollheim, and Nicholas Wolterstorff, among others---the entities that play this role are primarily inscriptions---concrete sequences of symbol tokens, typically written/printed on something (say, paper, papyrus, or parchment) or displayed on the screen of some device (e.g., a computer or an e-reader). Thus, on this view, well-formed instances of, say, War and Peace include its original manuscript, printed copies (e.g., the copy lying on my table), and electronic text tokens (e.g., the text displayed on Anna's computer screen). My goals in this paper are (a) to show that despite its popularity, the orthodox view is misguided and (b) provide an alternative. I begin, in Section 1, with a clarification of the expression "well-formed instance of an artwork." Next, in Section 2, I explain why inscriptions cannot be regarded as well-formed instances of novels. In particular, I argue that to be a well-formed instance of a novel, an inscription must be capable of manifesting certain sonic properties of this novel; however, no inscription can manifest such properties. Finally, in Section 3, I (a) draw a distinction between non-visual novels, or novels that do not contain any aesthetically relevant graphic elements, and visual novels, or novels that do contain such elements, and (b) argue that well-formed instances of non-visual novels are readings, whereas well-formed instances of visual novels are sums of readings and graphic elements. Jan-Willem Romeijn (Groningen University) • What are the chances? In my talk I offer two answers to the above question. The first is semantical: I show that we can conceive of propositions about chance as empirical, and why this helps to make sense of the determination of chances in statistics. The second answer I give is metaphysical: chances come about because of the interplay between levels of description that cannot be made to mesh. As will be seen, both answers rely on early work about chances done by von Mises. The thesis that the mental supervenes on the physical (that the mental could not have been other than as it is without the physical having been other than as it is) has been much discussed. I will be suggesting three reasons one might doubt that the issue has all the importance it has widely been taken to have. These will illustrate more general reasons for uneasiness about the status of modal metaphysics. Correlation is not causation. As such, there are decision-making contexts (like Newcomb's Problem) where it is entirely reasonable for an agent to believe that the world is likely to be better when she x's, but also believe that x-ing would cause the world to be worse. Should agents x in such contexts? In this paper, I use the interventionist approach to causation to help answer this question. In particular, I argue that whether an agent should x depends on her credence that her decision constitutes an intervention. I also propose and defend a decision rule that takes stock of the exact way in which what an agent should do depends on this credence. Cohen and Callender's (2009, 2010) Better Best System (BBS) analysis of laws of nature is fashioned to accommodate laws in the special sciences by allowing for any set of kinds to be adopted as basic prior to the determination of the laws. Thus, for example, setting biological kinds as basic will yield biological laws as the output of the best system competition. I will argue in this talk that the BBS suffers from two significant problems: (1) it is unable to single out a set of laws as fundamental, and (2) it cannot accommodate cases of interfield interactions that muddy the boundary between the basic kinds of individual fields (e.g. photon talk in biology). I then propose a new Best System style view and argue for its ability to account for special science laws, fundamental laws, and cases of interfield interactions. Social choice theory offers a number of formal models that allow for the aggregation of ordinal and numerical scales. Although it is most often used to model elections and social welfare, it has also been used to model a wide variety of other phenomena, including the selection of scientific theories and the collective judgments of computers. But the skeptical findings of social choice theory have had particular impact within political philosophy and political science. For instance, William Riker famously used Arrow's impossibility theorem, which shows that no voting rule satisfies a number of reasonable conditions on democratic choice, to argue that populist theories of democracy are false. I argue that such skeptical findings are often the result of the context-free nature of orthodox social choice models. The addition of assumptions plausible only within particular theoretical contexts often produces models that avoid many of these skeptical results. I examine three examples of context-specific social choice models that are appropriate within the following theoretical contexts: scientific theory selection, elections, and the measurement of public opinion. I argue that such context-specific models typically represent their respective phenomena better than context-free models, and consequently are better able to determine what problems may or may not exist within their specific contexts. Finally, I suggest that a similar context-specific strategy might also be used in other formal areas of philosophy. Jake Earl (Kennedy Institute of Ethics, Georgetown University) • Why Should You Parent Your Babies? It's completely obvious that people who bring children into the world typically have some responsibility to parent them. Sure, marginal cases involving assisted reproductive technology or coercion, deception, or other extreme circumstances are tough to call, but in everyday cases, it seems like procreators have special moral reasons to look after their children from the moment of birth (at the latest). In this talk, I'm going to try to convince you that, while this moral intuition is fairly clear, an adequate justification for it is sorely lacking, and that this has some troubling implications for philosophical and social debates about parental rights, child support, and the role of the nuclear family. The standard framework of cognitive science-- the computational-representational theory of mind (CRT)-- has it that mental processes are the result of brains implementing computations that range over representations. These representations have standardly been thought of as intentional states-- that is, states that have contents such that they are about or representations of particular things. For example, one standard interpretation of generative linguistics is that the mind performs computations over states that are representations of, inter alia, noun phrases, phonemes, and theta roles. Recently, however, Chomsky (2000), Burge (2010), and others generally supposed to be adherents of the CRT, have argued that at least some of the so-called representations posited under the framework are not intentional: they are not about anything at all. Jones and Love (2011) assert, in particular, that Bayesian accounts of perception rely on computations that range over non-intentional states. This claim is particularly remarkable because Bayesian inference is often construed as a variety of hypothesis testing-- a process notoriously difficult to characterize in non-intentional terms. Thus far, the arguments for these claims have been unsatisfying. To rectify the situation, I’ll examine a particular Bayesian account of color perception given by Allred (2012) and Brainard et al. (2008; 1997). Even though their account is couched in the intentional idiom of hypothesis testing, I’ll argue that we can preserve its explanatory power without attributing intentional states to the early perceptual system it describes. The conclusion of this analysis is not that intentionality can be eliminated wholesale from cognitive science, as Stich, Dennett, and the early behaviorists have advocated. Rather, analysis of why intentional explanation proves unnecessary in this particular case sheds light on the conditions under which intentional explanation does prove explanatorily fruitful. Human beings’ capacity for cooperation vastly outstrips that of other great apes. The shared intentionality hypothesis explains this difference in terms of motivational and representational discontinuities, particularly the capacity to represent joint goals. In this paper, I first present an argument as to why we should reject the shared intentionality hypothesis’ hyper-competitive characterization of chimpanzees’ social cognitive abilities, and provide reasons to be skeptical of the generalizability of experimental findings from captive chimpanzees. Next, I outline an alternative account of the contrast between human and great ape social cognition that emphasizes gradual differences in domain-general reasoning rather than novel domain-specific representational abilities. Lastly, I review further cognitive and motivational factors that might affect human beings’ capacity for cooperation. Contemporary epistemology offers us two very different accounts of our epistemic lives. According to Traditional epistemologists, the decisions that we make are motivated by our desires and guided by our beliefs and these beliefs and desires all come in an all-or-nothing form. In contrast, many Bayesian epistemologists say that these beliefs and desires come in degrees and that they should be understood as subjective probabilities and utilities. What are we to make of these different epistemologies? Are the Tradionalists and the Bayesians in disagreement, or are their views compatible with each other? Some Bayesians have challenged the Traditionalists: Bayesian epistemology is more powerful and more general than the Traditional theory, and so we should abandon the notion of all-or-nothing belief as something worthy of philosophical analysis. The Traditionalists have responded to this challenge in various ways. I shall argue that these responses are inadequate and that the challenge lives on. The past few decades have seen an expansion in the use of cost-benefit analysis as a tool for policy evaluation in the public sector. This slow, steady creep has been a source of consternation to many philosophers and political theorists, who are inclined to view cost-benefit analysis as simply a variant of utilitarianism, and consider utilitarianism to be completely unacceptable as a public philosophy. I will attempt to show that this impression is misleading. Despite the fact that when construed narrowly, cost-benefit analysis does look a lot like utilitarianism, when seen in its broader context, in the way that it is applied, and the type of problems to which it is applied, it is better understood as an attempt by the state to avoid taking sides with respect to various controversial conceptions of the good. A number of seminal figures in the history of probability, including Keynes, de Finetti, Savage, and others, held that comparative probability judgments -- as expressed, e.g., by statements of the form 'E is more likely than F' -- might be, in one way or another, more fundamental than quantitative probabilistic judgments. Such comparative judgments have mostly been studied in relation to quantitative notions, viz. representation theorem. After briefly discussing how this older work on representation theorems relates to contemporary questions in linguistic semantics about what locutions like 'E is more likely than F' mean, I will then argue that we need a better understanding of normative considerations concerning comparative probability that is, at least potentially, independent of quantitative representations. I will present a new result -- analogous to, but weaker than, Dutch book arguments for standard quantitative probability -- characterizing exactly when an agent maintaining given comparative judgments is susceptible to a blatant kind of pragmatic incoherence. It turns out that quantitative representability (or at least 'almost representability') can be motivated in this way, without presupposing quantitative representation on the part of the agent. Finally, I will illustrate how this result might bear on the aforementioned questions in semantics, as well as more general questions about the role of qualitative probability judgments in practical reasoning. Understanding how gene regulatory networks work, and how they evolve, is central to understanding the evolution of complex phenotypes. A common way to model these networks is to represent genes as simple boolean logic switches, and networks as complex circuits of these switches wired together. Such models have been used to explore theoretical issues about adaptation and evolvability, and have successfully captured the key workings of well-studied developmental systems. In this paper, I introduce a model in this same tradition, but one that explicitly incorporates recent philosophical work on signaling systems. The primary work is by Brian Skyrms, who has extended David Lewis’s ideas from “Convention”, placing them in an evolutionary context and connecting them to information theory. Skyrms uses these ideas to show how evolutionary processes can “create information” (and perhaps even proto-meaning). The model thus provides an important bridge between a standard tool for thinking about gene regulatory evolution, and new ideas about evolution of communication, information, and meaning. I discuss two initial results from exploring this model. First, I show that the models provide a clear way to underwrite some “information-talk” in developmental biology that has been previously dismissed by philosophers. Second, I show how one shortcoming of the Lewis/Skyrms model — the inability to distinguish directive and assertive force — connects to recent ideas about evolvability in gene regulatory networks. Philosophers are, of course, much concerned with issues of injustice. Vast literatures address wrongful incursions committed along lines of race, gender, sexual preference, religion and, of course, economic class. Comparatively little attention has been paid to impositions across generational lines, and where such unfairness has been invoked the story is often gotten backwards (“ageism”). This paper argues that during the preceding half century increased burdens have been placed on young cohorts for the direct benefit of the old, that almost every major social policy in recent years has further disadvantaged the young, and that this is not only an American problem but one that pervades the developed world. These injustices can be understood as failures of reciprocity, non-imposition, and democratic accountability. Unlike other perceived injustices, this one shows itself uniquely resistant to redress through liberal democratic institutions. I conclude by speculating that this immunity to melioration is not accidental but rather that the root cause of eating the young is liberal democracy itself. Mark Engelbert (University of Maryland) • Is Racial Science Racist? Self-determination is a cardinal principle of international law. But its meaning is often obscure. While the exact contours of the principle are disputed, international law clearly recognizes decolonization as a central application of self-determination. Most ordinary people also agree that the liberation of colonized peoples was a moral triumph. In the paper, I pursue a particular strategy for theorizing the principle: I start with a case where self-determination is widely considered appropriate—the case of decolonization—and try to get clear on precisely which values justified self-determination in that case. Specifically, I examine three philosophical theories of self-determination’s value: an instrumentalist theory, a democratic theory, and my own associative theory. I argue that our intuitions about decolonization can be fully justified only by invoking an interest on the part of alienated groups in redrawing political boundaries. This interest, I believe, may also justify self-determination in other cases, such as autonomy for indigenous peoples, and greater independence for Scotland or Quebec. Those who strongly support decolonization may have reason to endorse independence for these other minorities as well. In this talk, I will first argue that the Chomsky, Hauser and Fitch (2002) claim that recursion is unique to human language is misleading because they fail to distinguish recursive procedures (I-recursion) from recursive patterns (E-recursion). I contend that in order to explain the emergence of recursive hierarchical structures in human language, as opposed to animal communication systems (bee dances and bird songs), the underlying recursive generative mechanism should be explained. I will compare two such accounts: an evolutionary account by Miyagawa et al. (2013) and the Minimalist syntax by Hornstein (2007), and argue for the latter. John Tomasi (Depts. of Politics and Philosophy, Brown University) • What is Libertarianism? Defenders of “democratic authority” claim that the democratic process in some way confers legitimacy on the state and generates an obligation for citizens to obey democratically made laws. This idea may be based on (a) the value of democratic deliberation, (b) the importance of respecting others’ judgments, or (c) the importance of equality. I argue that all three proposed bases for democratic authority fail, and thus that the democratic process does not confer legitimacy, nor does it create political obligations. In a world where time travel is possible, could there be a closed loop of knowledge? Could a future Dunlap scholar bring me, in his time machine, the contents of my dissertation, so that I don't have to write it myself? In this paper, I address some conceptual issues surrounding Deutsch's solution to this paradox---known as the Knowledge Paradox---which stems from his influential framework for analyzing the behavior of quantum systems in the presence of closed timelike curves (CTCs). I argue that Deutsch's acceptance of the existence of the many worlds of the Everett interpretation in or to ensure that there is always an author of the dissertation (albeit in another world), creates a unique problem. The Many Worlds Interpretation commits Deutsch to believing that any history that is physically possible is actualized in some world. Among those histories, I argue, are ones which are indistinguishable in every way from worlds in which an Knowledge Paradox scenario plays out, wherein the dissertation exists, but was not written by anyone. Furthermore, in these worlds, the existence of the dissertation is not the result of time travel, but merely appears to be. So Deutsch's use of the Many Worlds framework to solve the Knowledge Paradox cuts both ways. It commits him to the existence of worlds in which the dissertation is genuinely a "free lunch"---it exists, but was not the result of the intellectual effort of rational beings---which is exactly the situation Deutsch was trying to avoid. Many of the inferences we draw in our day-to-day reasoning are defeasible—their conclusions can be withdrawn in the light of new evidence. This inferential property, known as non-monotonicity, requires the development of non-standard logics to model our reasoning practices, for, in standard logic, the conclusions drawn from a premise set are never withdrawn when new premises are added to that set. Non-standard logics, however, face a unique challenge. Defeasible inferences have varying strengths and how to model the interaction between such inferences is an outstanding question. In this paper, I provide an answer to this question within the framework of the default logic originally proposed by Reiter (1980) and recently developed by Horty (2012). Focusing on a few sample cases, I show where Horty (2012)’s answer to the above question stands in need of development and how my proposed revisions to his account address these deficiencies. I also consider other developments of Reiter (1980)’s default logic which avoid some of Horty (2012)’s problems and suggest that these accounts face a fundamental difficulty which my account does not. An intentional-historical formalist definition of poetry such as the one offered in Ribeiro (2007) inevitably raises the question of how poetry first emerged, and why. On this view, repetitive linguistic patterning is seen as a historically central feature of poems, and one that has both an aesthetic and a cognitive dimension. Combining the Darwinian idea of a musical protolanguage with analyses of ‘babytalk’, I suggest that this central feature of poetic practices first emerged as a vestige of our musical proto-speech and of our earliest form of communication with our caregivers. Conversely, I suggest that the existence and universality of ‘babytalk’, together with the universality, and antiquity of poetic practices, argue in favor of the musilanguage hypothesis over its competitors, lexical and gestural protolanguage. One consequence of this proposal is a reversal of how we understand poetic repetition: rather than being justified in terms of the mnemonic needs of oral cultures, it is now understood as an aesthetically pleasing exploitation of features already found in speech. In this talk I will argue that musical perdurantism faces a number of serious problems and, hence, cannot be accepted. I argue that lexically primitive proper nouns (PNs) are systematically polysemous in the sense that they can be systematically used in different linguistic contexts to express at least three formally distinct yet analytically related extralinguistic concepts. Given independently plausible assumptions about the nature of these concepts, and of the lexically encoded meanings of primitive PNs, my overarching aim is to show how this framework offers a theoretically attractive way to explain Frege’s puzzle regarding the intersubstitution of so called “coreferential” PNs. In Republic I, Plato makes the following claim about how injustice works in us: “[Injustice] will make [the individual] incapable of acting because of inner faction and not being of one mind with himself; second, it will make him his own enemy as well as the enemy of just people (Republic 352a 1-8).” But what would it mean for an individual's being unjust to (1) cause disharmony within that individual to the point that she is incapable of action and (2) cause that individual to become an enemy of herself? Christine Korsgaard argues that we cannot act at all (in the sense of acting as agents) unless we are acting as a unified person. But if Korsgaard is correct, in what sense could we ever truly act as our own enemies? I will argue that Korsgaard's requirements on what is constitutive of action are too stringent, and that one need not be internally unified in order to act as an agent. (I hold that I need not abandon a constitutional account of the soul/self in order to do this.) I will then present an account of how factionalization in one's soul/self leads an agent to act as her own enemy by obscuring her perception of the good. I will ultimately argue that, consistent with Plato's constitutional model of the soul, there is an order and internal consistency that is necessary for an agent to function justly and correctly, but this order is not necessary in order for an agent to act at all. If you were forced to choose between saving one or ten other strangers in a lifeboat from certain death, which would you choose? Most people believe that one should save the lifeboat with the greater number of lives. However, many moral theorists have argued that the best deontological theory in town, Scanlon’s contractualism, is incapable of justifying this verdict. On Scanlon’s account, a rescuer must decide whether to adopt a principle that favors saving the greater number of lives on the basis of the comparative strength of the sets of objections that we can expect to be posed by each person. However, since each person has an equally forceful complaint against the rescuer adopting a principle that does not save his or her life, no one’s objection is stronger than any other. Scanlon’s account gives us no guidance about what to do in the lifeboat scenario. It seems that we are left with making a decision by flipping a coin or holding a weighted lottery, both of which Scanlon rejects. As an alternative, he offers the “balancing view,” which demands that the person in the one-person lifeboat has her interests balanced against one person on the opposing side; those that are not balanced out in the larger group are used as tiebreakers. The balancing view entails that we must save the lifeboat with the larger group from certain death. I argue that the balancing view is inconsistent with other core tenets of Scanlon’s contractualism and that his account obligates us to use a weighted lottery to figure out who should be saved. Eric Pacuit (University of Maryland) • When is an example a counterexample? In this talk, I will carefully examine purported counterexamples to two postulates of iterated belief revision. I will show that the examples are better seen as a failure to apply the theory of belief revision in sufficient detail rather than a counterexample to the postulates. More generally, I will focus on the observation that it is often unclear whether a specific example is a “genuine” counterexample to an abstract theory or a misapplication of that theory to a concrete case, at what this means for a normative theory of belief revision. This talk is based on joint work with Paul Pedersen (Max Plank Institute) and Jan-Willem Romeijn (Groningen University). A central premise of Chalmers’ anti-materialism argument claims that we can conceive of a possible world where we hold fixed all physical facts but exclude certain phenomenological facts from obtaining. In this paper, I argue that attempting to conceive of such a scenario poses a puzzle: If, in this possible world, Roger lacks any phenomenal properties, this, itself, is a physical fact, in the same way that wood and coal lack phlogiston is a physical fact. But since both worlds share physical facts, this must be true at the actual world. But by hypothesis, Roger has phenomenal properties. Hence, the puzzle. I anticipate resistance to the idea that Roger lacking phenomenal properties is a physical fact, and address some possible (and actual) objections. However, independently of this issue, I argue that the conceivability premise is entirely question-begging. In modern democracies, political representatives often must use several different conflicting considerations when making policy decisions. I focus on two such considerations that are commonly thought to be in direct conflict: responsiveness to the wishes of the public and a commitment to do what is in the best interests of the public. Because the public is often mistaken about the likely outcomes of their preferred policies, if representatives commit themselves to being responsive to the wishes of the public then there will be many cases in which they cannot do what is in the best interests of the public (and vice versa). Additionally, the policy preferences of the public are often unstable or dependent upon the views of political elites. However, many theories of democratic governance (especially those in the American tradition) maintain that political responsiveness is key to political legitimacy. Therefore, it is not satisfactory to simply ignore the policy preferences of the public. I argue that this seeming dilemma can be reconciled if we model the wishes of the public in terms of preferences over possible policies and the interests of the public in terms of preferences over possible outcomes of those policies. Consequently, policy choices can be made taking into account both explicit policy preferences (wishes) and outcome preferences (interests). Although such a model substantially simplifies policy decisions, it requires that preferences over policies and outcomes be describable by interpersonally comparable cardinal utility measures. I hint at what such measures might be like and show that this has important implications for public opinion polling methodology. Lucas Dunlap (University of Maryland) • What can we learn from time-traveling quantum computers? Over the last several decades, a new strategy for attempting to understand quantum mechanics has emerged: analyzing the theory in terms of what quantum mechanical systems can do. This information-theoretic approach to the interpretation of quantum mechanics characterizes the difference between the quantum world and the classical world by delineating what kinds of classically impossible computations and communication protocols can be achieved by exploiting quantum effects. This approach has opened up a potential avenue for synthesizing quantum mechanics with a particular aspect of general relativity: the possible existence of closed timelike curves (CTCs). A CTC is a path through spacetime along which a system can travel, which will lead it to its own past. David Deutsch (1991) developed the first quantum computational model with negative time-delayed information paths, which is intended to give a quantum mechanical analysis of the behavior of CTCs. I will consider an argument by Cavalcanti et al. (2012) which purports to show that the protocol must fail. I will argue that this position is not well justified. The argument the authors explicitly give for their view is based upon a misinterpretation of the special theory of relativity, and the most plausible justifications they would offer instead are weak enough that we should consider the possibility of the instantaneous transmission of information to be an open question. Aidan Lyon (University of Maryland) • The Wisdom of Crowds: Can Collective Credences be Wise? How many words are in this abstract? If you had to guess, without counting, you would probably get pretty close to the true number. However, if you and your friends all made guesses, the average of your guesses would likely be better than your typical guess. This is an example of the so-called Wisdom of Crowds effect. The effect is surprisingly reliable — for example, the "Ask the Audience" lifeline on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? has a 95% success rate. This seems to cry out for an explanation, especially given how irrational collectives can be — think: committee decisions, tulip prices, and rioting football fans. Scott Page (2008) has made some initial progress on this question with what he calls the Diversity Prediction Theorem. Roughly speaking, the theorem shows that if a collective is diverse, then its collective judgements are guaranteed to be better than the typical individual judgements. So it would seem that we have an explanation for the Wisdom of Crowds effect and its reliability: it's a mathematical necessity. Not quite. For the theorem to have any explanatory power, it needs to be supplemented with bridge principles that connect the theorem to the explanandum. I will tease out these principles and show that they have some serious defects. An interesting consequence of these defects is that it appears to be impossible for there to be a Wisdom of Crowds effect for collective credences — i.e., averaged degrees of belief. However, after developing a Bayesian interpretation of Socrates' thoughts on wisdom (from the Apology), I will argue that collective credences are the only collective judgements that can be genuinely wise. Sentences like (1) present familiar puzzles for the familiar idea that declarative sentences of a natural language have truth conditions. The first numbered sentence in 'Framing Event Variables' is false. Action reports like (2) and (3), which might be used to describe a scene in which two chipmunks chased each other, illustrate other (perhaps even harder) puzzles for this idea. Alvin chased Theodore gleefully and athletically but not skillfully. Theodore chased Alvin gleelessly and unathletically but skillfully. I'll argue against various (broadly Davidsonian) attempts to reconcile intuitions regarding (2) and (3) with the claim that these sentences have truth conditions. In my view, the puzzles reflect deep "framing effects"--of the sort that Kahneman and Tversky made famous, though my central example is due to Thomas Schelling. If this is the right of diagnosis of the puzzles regarding sentences like (2) and (3), then I think we need a conception of linguistic meaning according to which sentence meanings *do not* determine truth conditions, not even relative to contexts. And as it happens, I've been peddling such a conception for a while now: it's better to think of meanings as instructions for how to build concepts, which might be used (when conditions allow) to form truth-evaluable judgments in contexts. With commentary from Georges Rey! Theodosius Dobzhansky in his1937 Genetics and the Origin of Species claimed that "the mechanisms of evolution as seen by a geneticist" consist of mechanisms at three levels. This multilevel analysis still captures the key mechanisms of evolutionary change. First, mechanisms produce the variations that are the raw material for change, including mutation mechanisms of imperfect copying of DNA (including repair mechanisms), as well as larger scale chromosomal changes and recombination. The second level includes mechanisms that change populations, genotypically and phenotypically. The most important is the mechanism of natural selection, which is the only known mechanism for producing adaptations. In the natural selection mechanism, the crucial joint activities of variant organisms and a critical environmental factor produce populational changes in subsequent generations. Finally, isolating mechanisms give rise to new species that are reproductively isolated from previous conspecifics. This paper argues that natural selection is, indeed, a mechanism (despite recent claims to the contrary) and places the natural selection mechanism into the context of the multilevel mechanisms of evolutionary change. One of the problems for Russell's quantificational analysis of definite descriptions is that it generates unattested readings in the context of non-doxastic attitude verbs such as want. The Fregean-Strawsonian presuppositional analysis is designed to overcome such shortcomings of Russell’s quantificational analysis while keeping its virtues. Anders J. Schoubye (forthcoming), however, criticizes the Fregean-Strawsonian solution to the problem of non-doxastic attitude verbs as being inadequate by generalizing the problem to indefinite descriptions. Schoubye claims that the generalized problem calls for a radical revision of the semantics of definite and indefinite descriptions, and he attempts to develop a dynamic semantic account of descriptions. In this paper I defend the standard non-dynamic semantics of descriptions by refuting Schoubye’s objections to the Fregean-Strawsonian analysis. I argue that, once we take into account Elizabeth Villalta's (2008) recent analysis of non-doxastic attitude verbs, we can solve Schoubye's generalized problem concerning descriptions. In this paper I examine a well-known articulation of human nature skepticism, a paper by Hull (1986). I then review a recent reply to Hull by Machery (2008), which argues for what he claims is an account of human nature that is both useful and scientifically robust. I show that Machery’s account of human nature, though it successfully avoids Hull’s criticisms, is not very useful and is scientifically suspect. Finally, I introduce an alternative account of human nature—the “life-history trait clusterâ€ù conception of human nature—which I hold is scientifically sound, pragmatically useful, and makes sense of (at least some of) our intuitions about—and desiderata for—human (or, more generally, species) nature. The desiderata that it satisfies are that human nature should (1) be the empirically accessible (and thus not based on occult essences) subject of the human (psychological, anthropological, economic, biological, etc.) sciences, (2) help clarify related concepts like innateness, naturalness, and inevitability, which are associated with human nature, and (3) characterize human uniqueness. This paper concerns the ethics of humor. More specifically, it is concerned with a certain category of jokes that can be labeled immoral jokes. I claim that such jokes exist, and that many of them are funny despite being immoral; that is to say, their immorality does not wholly undermine their humorousness, and may even somehow contribute to it. So a first task of the paper is to say what a joke’s being funny or humorous roughly amounts to. A second and more important task is to say what it is for a joke to be immoral, or what may come to the same thing, pernicious . But a third task will be to decide what attitude or behavior is appropriate to such jokes in light of their immorality, and whether their total proscription is justified, or even humanly possible. This is intended to be a serious talk, in spite of the title. The idea is that quantum mechanics is about probabilistic correlations, i.e., about the structure of information, since a theory of information is essentially a theory of probabilistic correlations. To make this clear, it suffices to consider measurements of two binary-valued observables performed by Alice in a region A and by Bob in a separated region B -- or, to emphasize the banality of the phenomena, two ways of peeling a banana, resulting in one of two tastes. The imagined bananas of Bananaworld are non-standard, with probabilistic correlations for peelings and tastes that cannot be simulated by Alice and Bob if they are restricted to classical resources. The conceptually puzzling features of quantum mechanics are generic features of such nonclassical correlations. As far as the conceptual problems of quantum mechanics are concerned, we might as well talk about bananas. The shared intentionality hypothesis aims to explain the evolution and psychology of human cooperation, but it lacks the means to deal with the free-rider problem. To resolve thisproblem, I propose that the shared intentionality hypothesis can be supplemented with an account of how punitive sentiment in humans evolved as a psychological mechanism for strong reciprocity. Supplementing the shared intentionality hypothesis in this manner affords us additional insight into the normative nature of human cooperation. I begin with the following moral dilemma: we are inclined to say that the harder an agent finds it to act virtuously the more virtue she shows if she does act well, but we are also inclined to say that the harder an agent finds it to act virtuously the more it shows how imperfect in virtue she is. I argue that this dilemma is the result of a deeper conflict between conceiving of morality as a corrective constraint on immoral temptations and conceiving of morality as consisting in being a good human. I am concerned with whether, conceiving of morality as being a good human, we might still accommodate our deep-seated intuition that morality is both “correctiveâ€ù and “constrainingâ€ù. I give Philippa Foot’s account of virtue as a largely successful attempt to do justice to our inclination toward conceiving of morality as both corrective and constraining, but I ultimately find it lacking since it fails to capture the considered belief that morality can be a corrective constraint on one’s individual moral deficiencies. Improving upon Foot’s account of virtue, I posit the existence of intermediate virtues that would not be possessed by the ideally virtuous person, but are nonetheless essential to becoming an ideally virtuous person. Ryan Ogilvie (University of Maryland) • Vision for Action and Perception: Are These Two Functions of Vision So Distinct? David Milner and Melvyn Goodale's (1995, 2006, 2008) influential dual visual systems hypothesis (DVSH) proposes a functional description of the two main cortical visual pathways in the primate brain. The dorsal stream processes fast, accurate, and egocentrically-specified visual information for the fine-grained implementation of skilled, online motor control. The ventral stream is thought to process slow, “inaccurateâ€ù, and allocentrically-specified visual information that supports the recognition and identification of objects and events, and other forms of visual processing associated with conscious visual experience. This functional gloss presupposes that vision for action employs quite different visual information from “vision for perceptionâ€ù. I argue that the type of information employed by motor systems will generally be task sensitive and can, contra Milner and Goodale, recruit “scene-basedâ€ù spatial information. Furthermore, vision for perception is not coded in allocentric and it is, at best, misleading to conceive of the spatial information underlying this type of vision as “inaccurateâ€ù. Here I present a challenge to prioritarianism, which is, in Derek Parfit's words, the view that "we have stronger reasons to benefit people the worse off these people are." We have such reasons simply by virtue of the fact that a person's utility "has diminishing marginal moral importance". In discussions of prioritarianism, it is typically left unspecified what constitutes a greater, lesser, or equal improvement in a person's utility. I shall argue that this view cannot be assessed in such abstraction from an account of the measure of utility. In particular, prioritarianism cannot accommodate the widely accepted and normatively compelling measure of utility that is implied by the axioms of John von Neumann and Oskar Morgenstern's expected utility theory. Nor can it accommodate plausible and elegant generalizations of this theory that have been offered in response to challenges to von Neumann and Morgenstern. This is, I think, a theoretically interesting and unexpected source of difficulty for prioritarianism, which I shall explore in the paper. Natural language exists in different modalities: spoken, written, signed or brailled. Although there is ample evidence showing that languages in different modalities exhibit rather different structures, there is a ‘glottocentric bias’ among theorists, i.e. sound is central, if not essential to language. Speech is usually considered to be the primary linguistic modality, while other modalities are taken to be a surface perceptual differences only occur at the interfaces of the language faculty and the perceptual system (e.g. sign language). Theorists in general think explanations for the facts about linguistic structures in spoken language can be generalized to other modalities. Many linguists (e.g. Chomsky, Bromberger etc.) have utilized the features of spoken language observed to draw inferences about the nature of the human language faculty. The principles that govern spoken language also govern linguistic phenomena in other modalities. In this talk, I will argue that the traditional picture of taking spoken language as the primary modality to understand other modalities of language is probably mistaken. I propose to look at the written and spoken modalities of logographic languages like Chinese (written and spoken), and also compare the syllable structures of speech to sign language. With respect to Chinese language, I will show that there are cases in which meanings cannot be disambiguated only by analyzing the spoken sounds, but rather we need to look at the written words, I argue that there might be different procedures of mapping forms of different modalities to meanings. As for sign language, I argue that the so-called ‘syllable structure’ in sign language exhibit rather different structure from that of spoken language, and the difference might be at the linguistic rather than merely at the perceptual level. I challenge a recent attempt by Antony Eagle to defend the possibility of deterministic chance. Eagle argues that statements of the form '$x$ has a (non-trivial) chance to $\varphi$' are equivalent in common usage (and in their truth-conditions) to those of the form '$x$ can $\varphi$'. The effect of this claim on the debate about the compatibility of (non-trivial) chances with a deterministic world seems to be relatively straightforward. If '$x$ has a chance to $\varphi$' is equivalent to '$x$ can $\varphi$' and statements of the form '$x$ can $\varphi$' are able to be truthfully uttered in a deterministic world, then statements of the form '$x$ has a chance to $\varphi$' are also able to be truthfully uttered in such a world. Drawing upon the work of Angelika Kratzer and David Lewis, Eagle shows how our best semantic theories allow statements of the form '$x$ can $\varphi$' to be truthfully uttered in deterministic worlds. Under the assumption that the truth-makers of statements like '$x$ has a chance to $\varphi$' are objective chances, compatibilism about chance seems to follow. I argue, however, that we have reasons independent of the debate about compatibilism about chance to reject a semantic theory that yields the sort of results Eagle claims for the Kratzer-Lewis account. If we make the necessary modifications to our semantic theory, however, then compatibilism about chance follows only, if at all, with great difficulty. Propensity interpretations of objective probability have been plagued by many serious objections since their origin with Karl Popper (1957). In this talk, I attempt to offer a novel way of understanding propensity such that, in certain contexts, these problems go away. I call this approach, mechanistic propensity. The central claim is this: in cases where stochastic biological phenomena are the result of underlying mechanisms, propensities can be understood as properties of these mechanisms. I suggest that this (localized) account of propensity, if successful, enjoys several benefits that traditional accounts have lacked. Mechanistic propensities (1) aren't deeply mysterious (2) can explain frequencies, (3) are capable of accommodating single-case probabilities, (4) can cohere with determinism (both local and global), (5) avoid being too modal for science, and (6) seem not to face the reference class problem. Prior (1959) and others have argued that the widely shared preference for future wellbeing over past wellbeing (the preference that unpleasant experiences be located in one's past, and pleasant experiences in one's future) provides decisive evidence in favor of the A-theory of time (which holds that time objectively passes). The B-theory, which does away with passage, seems challenged to explain why it is rational to care more about one's future than one's past, if one is not 'moving towards' the future and 'away from' the past. I argue, with the passage theorist, that the stock B-theoretic responses to this problem have been unconvincing. But I then defend two additional claims: first, that the A-theorist's case has in fact been understated, in that the B-theory undermines not just the asymmetric concern for one's future over one's past, but also the belief that one has any genuinely self-interested stake in the wellbeing of one's 'past/future selves' at all; but, second, there is no compelling reason to regard our (albeit enormously strong) A-theoretic intuitions on these questions as veridical, and that the B-theorist can give a plausible deflationary explanation that renders them almost wholly non-evidential. I conclude, therefore, that while the problem of time-asymmetric preferences offers no compelling reason to adopt either theory of time, it does raise the stakes of the debate by showing that the B-theory, if correct, would demand a fundamental reordering of ordinary intuitions regarding the nature of our mental lives and the foundations of prudential rationality. In this talk I begin to draw together, and package into a coherent philosophical position, a number of ideas that in the last 25 years I have alluded to, or sometimes stated explicitly, concerning the properties and the merits of the measure of deductive dependence $q(c | a)$ of one proposition c on another proposition a; that is, the measure to which the (deductive) content of c is included within the content of a. At an intuitive level the function $q$ is not easily distinguished from the logically interpreted probability function p that may, in finite cases, be defined from it by the formula $p(a | c) = q(c' | a')$, where the accent represents negation, and indeed in many applications the numerical values of $p(c | a)$ and $q(c | a)$ may not differ much. But the epistemological value of the function $q$, I shall maintain, far surpasses that of the probability function p, and discussions of empirical confirmation would be much illuminated if $p$ were replaced by $q$. Each of $q(c | a)$ and $p(c | a)$ takes its maximum value 1 when $c$ is a conclusion validly deduced from the assumption $a$, and each provides a generalization of the relation of deducibility. But the conditions under which $q$ and $p$ take their minimum value 0 are quite different. It is well known that if $a$ and $c$ are mutual contraries, then $p(c | a) = 0$, and that this condition is also necessary if $p$ is regular. Equally, if $a$ and $c$ are subcontraries ($a \vee c$ is a logical truth) then $q(c | a) = 0$, and this condition is also necessary if $p$ is regular. It follows that $q(c | a)$ may exceed 0 when $a$ and $c$ are mutually inconsistent. The function $q$ is therefore not a degree of belief (unless a positive degree of belief is possible in a hypothesis that contradicts the evidence). But that does not mean that $q$ may not be a good measure of degree of confirmation. Evidence nearly always contradicts (but not wildly) some of the hypotheses in whose support it is adduced.The falsificationist, unlike the believer in induction, is interested in hypotheses $c$ for which $q(c | a)$ is low; that is, hypotheses whose content extends far beyond the evidence. I shall provide an economic argument (reminiscent of the Dutch Book argument) to demonstrate that $q(c | a)$ measures the rate at which the value of the hypothesis c should be discounted in the presence of the evidence $a$. There has been a lot of interest in how to derive some broadly decision theoretic verdicts concerning deontic modalities and their interactions with conditionals. It is easy to argue that a traditional Kratzer-style premise-semantics needs some revisions in order to get these facts right. The difficulty is how to develop a semantic theory that gets those facts while remaining, as much as possible, 'ethically neutral'. In this talk, I investigate, three ways of going beyond the traditional Kratzer-style premise-semantics. Each successive grade makes more serious use of decision-theoretic machinery.At Grade I, we add sets of mutually exclusive alternatives ('decision problems'). Cariani, Kaufmann and Kaufmann (CKK) developed a version of Kratzer-semantics within the confines of Grade I: I will summarize that proposal, and defend it from some objections, but I will also flag some reasons to go beyond it.At Grade II, we add probabilities to the mix, so that our raw materials are an ordering source, a decision problem, and a probability space (in Yalcin's sense). This is, in my view, the best grade to work at. The core of my talk consists in spelling out the details and benefits of my favorite Grade II semantics.At Grade III, we have decision problems, probabilities and utilities: at this stage we inevitably cross the line and end up with an ethically compromised theory. I will argue we should not go this far. Much of the work in traditional game theory is focused on the analysis of solution concepts (typical examples include the Nash equilibrium and its refinements or the various notions of iterated dominance). A solution concept is intended to represent the "rational" outcome of a strategic interactive situation. That is, it is what (ideally) rational players would do in the situation being modeled. This talk will focus on a key foundational question: How do the (rational or not-so rational) players decide what to do in a strategic situation? This has both a normative component (What are the normative principles that guide the players' decision making?) and a descriptive component (Which psychological phenomena best explain discrepancies between predicted and observed behavior in game situations?). This question directs our analysis to aspects of a strategic interactive situation that are not typically covered by standard game-theoretic models. Much of the work in game theory is focused on identifying the rational outcomes of an game-theoretic situation. This is in line with the standard view of a strategy as "general plan of action" describing what players (should) do when required to move according to the rules of the game. Recent work on epistemic game theory has demonstrated the importance of the "informational context" of a game situation in assessing the rationality of the players' choices. This naturally shifts the focus to the underlying *process* of deliberation that leads (rational) players to adopt certain plans of action.

2019-04-25T04:52:43Z

https://www.philosophy.umd.edu/events/colloquium

The prevalence of impaired cutaneous wound healing is high and treatment is difficult and often ineffective, leading to negative social and economic impacts for our society. Innovative treatments to improve cutaneous wound healing by promoting complete tissue regeneration are therefore urgently needed. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) have been reported to provide paracrine signals that promote wound healing, but (i) how they exert their effects on target cells is unclear and (ii) a suitable delivery system to supply these MSC-derived secreted factors in a controlled and safe way is unavailable. The present study was designed to provide answers to these questions by using the horse as a translational model. Specifically, we aimed to (i) evaluate the in vitro effects of equine MSC-derived conditioned medium (CM), containing all factors secreted by MSCs, on equine dermal fibroblasts, a cell type critical for successful wound healing, and (ii) explore the potential of microencapsulated equine MSCs to deliver CM to wounded cells in vitro. MSCs were isolated from the peripheral blood of healthy horses. Equine dermal fibroblasts from the NBL-6 (horse dermal fibroblast cell) line were wounded in vitro, and cell migration and expression levels of genes involved in wound healing were evaluated after treatment with MSC-CM or NBL-6-CM. These assays were repeated by using the CM collected from MSCs encapsulated in core-shell hydrogel microcapsules. Our salient findings were that equine MSC-derived CM stimulated the migration of equine dermal fibroblasts and increased their expression level of genes that positively contribute to wound healing. In addition, we found that equine MSCs packaged in core-shell hydrogel microcapsules had similar effects on equine dermal fibroblast migration and gene expression, indicating that microencapsulation of MSCs does not interfere with the release of bioactive factors. Our results demonstrate that the use of CM from MSCs might be a promising new therapy for impaired cutaneous wounds and that encapsulation may be a suitable way to effectively deliver CM to wounded cells in vivo. Cutaneous wound healing is comprised of a network of biological processes, collectively restoring the integrity of the skin after injury. Unfortunately, the ideal outcome of cutaneous wound healing, which encompasses complete tissue regeneration, is often sacrificed in favor of quickly closing a wound with formation of fibrotic scar tissue . Fibrotic scar formation is an undesirable result of cutaneous wound healing, not only for cosmetic reasons but because scar tissue has compromised mechanical strength and is more sensitive to pain than healthy skin . Treating cutaneous skin wounds and reducing scar tissue cause a financial burden worldwide, and annual expenditures on products designed to minimize scarring exceed $5 billion . To understand the processes involved in cutaneous wound healing or treat fibrotic scar tissue or both, researchers commonly use laboratory rodents as models. Although relevant information has been obtained from studies using rodents, wound healing in these species does not accurately mimic human tissue regeneration [4-7]. For example, mice heal primarily by contraction due to the presence of the panniculus carnosus in their subcutaneous tissues, whereas humans lack this muscle and instead rely on epithelialization to close cutaneous wounds . Owing to these differences, there is a critical need for an animal wound model that closely mimics the natural processes of healing and scar formation in humans. Horses may prove to be an ideal species in which to study cutaneous wound healing since they also depend on epithelial cell activity to heal skin wounds. In addition, horses and humans both suffer from hypergranulation formation, a pathological process defined as an excess of granulation tissue beyond the amount required to replace the tissue deficit. Hypergranulation tissue is referred to as proud flesh in horses and keloid in humans . These common features make the horse an attractive translational model in which to study the underlying pathogenesis of excessive cutaneous wound healing as well as to evaluate the potential of novel treatments. Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are multipotent stromal progenitor cells with regenerative properties that are present in a variety of tissues and organs . MSCs actively contribute to regenerative processes, as they are involved in the inflammatory , proliferative , and remodeling phases of tissue regeneration. Although MSCs were originally reported to contribute to tissue repair by trans-differentiating into the specific cell types needed to restore injured tissue, recent data indicate paracrine signaling as the primary mechanism for the regenerative effects of MSCs [13,14]. Indeed, we recently identified angiogenic stimulating factors in the conditioned medium (CM) of equine MSCs and showed that these factors could induce proliferation and vessel formation of equine endothelial cells in vitro . Practically, this implies that the CM obtained from MSC cultures, which contains all factors secreted by MSCs, may be used as a ‘stem cell-free’ therapy in regenerative medicine. This type of therapy offers several advantages over cellular MSC remedies, including the absence of inherent toxicity, no risk for tumor formation of engrafted cells, and no concerns about allograft-associated immune rejection [16,17]. Previous reports have demonstrated that CM obtained from human MSC cultures can improve cutaneous wound healing, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear [18,19]. The potential of CM obtained from equine MSC cultures to contribute to wound healing has not been studied to date but is essential in order to take advantage of the horse as a physiologically relevant translational model in which to study cutaneous wound healing. An important aspect to take into consideration when proposing the use of MSC-derived CM in regenerative medicine is the development of a suitable delivery system for these secreted products. Indeed, optimal spatial distribution and continuous release of factors at the site of injury are two key components of MSC treatment that may significantly improve clinical outcome. Cell microencapsulation, which involves immobilization of the cells within a polymeric semi-permeable membrane, provides a supportive microenvironment for the cells in which they can proliferate and release bioactive factors while being shielded from the external environment [20,21]. These microcapsules can be injected at the transplantation bed, localizing the release of therapeutic factors in a controlled way. A recent study by Xu et al. describes the potential use of human MSCs encapsulated in biomaterials for the treatment of cutaneous wounds, and their initial findings were that cells ‘packaged’ in a gelatin/poly(ethylene glycol) biomatrix mediated the early resolution of inflammatory events and facilitated the proliferative phases in wound healing . To the best of our knowledge, however, the use of microencapsulated equine MSCs in equine regenerative medicine has not been explored to date. Therefore, the aims of the present study were (i) to evaluate the in vitro effects of equine MSC-derived CM on equine dermal fibroblasts, a cell type critical for successful wound healing, and (ii) to explore the potential of microencapsulated equine MSCs to deliver the critical components of CM to wounded cells in vitro. Our salient findings were that equine MSC-derived CM stimulated the migration of equine dermal fibroblasts and increased the expression levels of genes that positively contribute to wound healing in these cells. In addition, we found that equine MSCs packaged in core-shell hydrogel microcapsules have similar effects on equine dermal fibroblast migration and gene expression, suggesting MSC encapsulation may be a suitable way to effectively deliver products secreted by MSCs to wounded cells in vivo. Equine MSCs were isolated from the peripheral blood of three healthy warmblood mares between 8 and 12 years old, exactly as described previously [15,23]. The blood collection was approved by the Cornell Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (#2014-0038). Briefly, blood was collected from the vena jugularis of healthy donor horses, and peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated by using density gradient centrifugation on 1.080 g/mL Percoll (GE Healthcare, Little Chalfont, Buckinghamshire, UK) and subsequently seeded at a density of 16 × 104 cells/cm2 in a T75 flask in culture medium consisting of low-glucose Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium (Invitrogen, part of Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA) supplemented with 30% fetal bovine serum (FBS) (Atlanta Biological, Flowery Branch, GA, USA), 10−7 M low dexamethasone (Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA), and 50 μg/mL gentamycin, 1x penicillin-streptomycin, and 2 mM L-glutamine (all from Life Technologies, Grand Island, NY, USA). Cultures were maintained at 37°C with 5% CO2. At 70% confluency, cells were removed from flasks by using 0.25% trypsin-EDTA and further cultured in expansion medium, which is identical to the culture medium but without dexamethasone. Equine MSCs were characterized by immunophenotypical protein profiling by using flow cytometry and their potential for trilineage differentiation, exactly as described previously . In essence, equine MSCs were confirmed to be positive for CD29, CD44, CD90, and CD105 and negative for CD45, CD79α, major histocompatibility complex II (MHC II), and a monocyte/macrophage marker. The successful trilineage differentiation of MSCs toward osteoblasts, chondroblasts, and adipocytes was confirmed by using a range of histochemical stains. The equine dermal fibroblast cell line NBL-6 (American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, VA, USA) was cultured in standard medium consisting of minimal essential medium (Corning) supplemented with 10% FBS (Atlanta Biochemicals) and 1% penicillin/streptomycin (Invitrogen). Cells were maintained at 37°C with 5% CO2. CM was collected from MSCs after 2 days of culture, when cells were 70% confluent. To this end, 6 × 105 MSCs were seeded in a T75 flask in 8 mL of expansion medium. After 48 hours, medium was collected, centrifuged twice for 7 minutes at 300 g to remove any cellular debris, and used for further experiments. CM from NBL-6 cells was used as a control and was collected after 2 days of culture, exactly as described for MSC-derived CM. For pre-treatment experiments, MSCs were seeded in expansion medium supplemented with 10 ng/mL tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) (R&D Systems, Minneapolis, MN, USA), 20 ng/mL interferon-gamma (IFNγ) (R&D Systems), or 150 μM cobalt chloride (CoCl2) (Sigma-Aldrich). After 24 hours of culture, cells were washed twice with phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) and fed with 8 mL of fresh expansion medium. CM was collected 24 hours later, as described above. For experiments using encapsulated MSCs, 6 × 105 MSCs were seeded per T75 flask in 8 mL of expansion medium, and in parallel the same number of cells were encapsulated in double-layer microparticles by using a multi-fluidic electrostatic cell micropackaging technique . Briefly, type I collagen neutralized by 1 N sodium hydroxide was mixed with MSCs in expansion medium for a final concentration of 0.45 mg/mL. Cells supported by collagen were encapsulated in 0.9% (wt/vol) alginate hydrogel (FMC Biopolymers, Philadelphia, PA, USA) at a concentration of about 37 cells per capsule. Microencapsulated MSCs were incubated in a crosslinking bath with 100 mM calcium chloride and 5 mM barium chloride under an electrical field strength of 7 kV. Microencapsulated MSCs were resuspended in 8 mL of expansion medium and maintained at 37°C with 5% CO2. Empty core-shell hydrogel microcapsules, containing no cells, were included as negative control. After 48 hours, supernatants were collected, centrifuged twice for 7 minutes at 300 g to remove cellular debris, and used as CM in experiments. NBL-6 cells were seeded in six-well plates at a density of 6 × 104 cells/cm2. Upon 90% confluency (after approximately 24 hours), cells were washed twice with PBS and serum-starved overnight. A linear defect was inflicted on the monolayer by using a 200-μL pipette tip. Culture medium was immediately removed (along with any dislodged cells) and replaced with freshly collected CM, diluted 1:1 in expansion medium. Similar scratch assays were repeated in the presence of 2 μg/mL mitomycin C, which was added at the time of scratch infliction. Reference marks were made across the bottoms of the wells with an ultrafine marker. Images of scratches were captured by using a Nikon Diaphot-TMD inverted light microscope with an attached Cohu charge-coupled device (CCD) camera (Nikon, Melville, NY, USA), leaving the reference marks outside the capture image field but within the eye-piece field of view for repeatable orientation of scratches. Photographs of scratches were taken at 0, 24, and 48 hours after scratching, and migration distances of cells were calculated in a blinded-manner by using ImageJ . Widths of scratches were taken in two places in each of three wells scratched per treatment, for a total of six measurements per treatment. Scratch width was subtracted from the time 0 scratch widths at the same location to determine cell migration distance. Migration distances within treatments were averaged to determine overall migration. Cell migration was measured by Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing (ECIS) by using the ECIS Model Z instrument with a 96 W array station (ECIS; Applied BioPhysics Inc., Troy, NY, USA). Dermal fibroblasts were seeded at a density of 2 × 105 cells per well in a 96W1E+ PET array chip (Applied BioPhysics Inc.) in standard medium. After 24 hours, medium was removed and replaced with serum-free medium for at least 8 hours prior to wounding. A uniform circular defect was created in the cell monolayer by lethal electroporation (1,200 μA, 40 kHz) for 40 seconds by 350-μm diameter circular electrodes located in each well of the array chip. The defect created in the fibroblast monolayer will be referred to as wound throughout the article, as originally described by Keese et al. . Dead cells were detached from the electrode by gently pipetting medium up and down three times before removal. Control CM or MSC-derived CM was added to appropriate wells, and an alternating current (approximately 1 μA, 32 kHz) was applied to the electrodes to measure impedance (in ohms) and monitor wound closure in real time. As cells migrate to repair the circular wound, they physically re-cover the electrode, causing an increase in impedance. The time required for re-covering the electrode was determined as the number of hours it took for the impedance levels in wells with the 350-μm circular wound to return to the same values as the impedance levels in control wells in which cells were not wounded. Cell migration was also documented by phase-contrast images captured by using an Olympus CCX41 inverted microscope equipped with an Olympus LC20 digital camera (Olympus, Tokyo, Japan). NBL-6 cells were cultured in 15 × 100 mm culture dishes until confluent. Cells were serum-starved overnight and scratches were made. After two washes with PBS, 1:1 diluted CM derived from MSCs (un-stimulated, stimulated, or encapsulated) or control NBL-6 was added to each NBL-6 culture. After 24 hours, CM was removed, monolayers were rinsed with PBS, and cells were further cultured for another 24 hours. Subsequently, mRNA was extracted from the cells by using an RNEasy Plus Kit in accordance with instructions of the manufacturer (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA), followed by a DNase digestion using DNase I (Invitrogen). cDNA was synthesized by using M-MLV Reverse Transcriptase (USB, Cleveland, OH, USA) in accordance with the protocol of the manufacturer. SYBER green-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) assays were carried out on an Applied Biosystems 7500 Fast Real-Time PCR instrument (Applied Biosystems, Carlsbad, CA, USA) to determine fold changes of genes of interest in NBL-6 cells incubated with CM of MSCs compared with NBL-6 incubated with control CM. The comparative threshold cycle (Ct) method (2−ΔΔCt) was used to quantify gene expression levels in which ΔΔCt = ΔCt(sample) – ΔCt(reference). The previously validated reference gene SDHA (succinate dehydrogenase complex, subunit A) was used to normalize samples . Primers to amplify CCL2, CxCL10, IL-8, MMP1, MMP2, TMP1, plasminogen activator urokinase (PLAU), tissue plasminogen activator (PLAT), PAI1, CTSK, annexin A2 (ANXA2), COLIII, COL1, syndecan 2 (SDC2), SDC4, and fibronectin were designed by using Primer3 software, based on horse sequences found in the National Center of Biotechnology Information GenBank, and primer sequences are listed in Table 1. All samples were run in triplicate. To ensure that mitomycin C was not toxic to NBL-6 fibroblasts, cells were seeded at 10,000 per well in 96-well microplates. At 90% confluency, mitomycin C was added to triplicate wells at 0, 2, 20, 200, and 2,000 ng/mL. After 48 hours of culture, an MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) in vitro toxicology assay (Sigma-Aldrich) was carried out in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer and absorbance was measured at 570 nm on a Multiskan EX plate reader (Thermo Fisher Scientific). Optical densities of wells treated with mitomycin C were compared with those of untreated wells to determine cell viability. To test the viability of microencapsulated MSCs, capsules were dissolved on days 2, 7, 12, 17, and 22 after encapsulation by using a solution of 1% EDTA. The released MSCs were washed with culture medium, incubated for 3 minutes with trypsin-EDTA to create a single cell suspension, and washed with culture medium, and the percentage of living cells was determined by using the Trypan blue exclusion (TBE) assay. For determination of population doubling time (PDT), 2 × 105 released MSCs were plated in a T25 tissue culture flask and cultured in expansion medium. The PDT was calculated by using the following link: . PDTs of microencapsulated MSCs were compared with PDTs of non-encapsulated MSCs from the same horse at the same passages. MSCs removed from capsules 2 days after encapsulation were plated in T75 tissue culture flasks containing expansion medium until monolayer was 90% confluent. At that time, cells were collected for flow cytometric analyses and seeded for differentiation assays as described previously . The effect of mitomycin C on the proliferation of NBL-6 was evaluated by using a bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) proliferation assay kit (Abcam, Cambridge, MA, USA). To this end, NBL-6 were seeded on a 96-well plate at a density of 5 × 104 cells per well and incubated with mitomycin C for 48 hours. Regular medium was used to establish baseline proliferation. The BrdU proliferation assay kit was used in accordance with the instructions of the manufacturer, and the resulting absorbance was read at 450 nm on a Multiskan EX microplate reader by using Ascent software (Thermo Scientific, Waltham, MA, USA). Empty wells and wells without BrdU were included as controls. Student’s t test for paired data was used to test for statistically significant differences in cell migration (scratch assays and ECIS), mRNA expression (RT-qPCR), cell viability (TBE and MTT), and BrdU incorporation (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or ELISA) between untreated and CM-stimulated NBL-6. Data given are the mean of three replicates, and the bars show standard deviations (SDs). To compare data from different individuals, statistical analysis was done by means of the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis and Dunn’s mulitiple comparison test (α = 0.05), and significant differences were considered at P value of less than 0.01. Because dermal fibroblasts are critically involved in wound healing , we decided to study the effects of MSC-derived CM on the migration of these cells by using in vitro scratch assays . We found that equine dermal fibroblast cells (NBL-6) migrated significantly faster when cultured in CM obtained from equine MSCs compared with control CM, which was collected from NBL-6 (Figure 1A). Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) conditioned medium (CM) promotes migration of dermal fibroblasts in scratch assays (n = 3). (A) Representative phase-contrast images of wounded NBL-6 cells cultured with MSC-derived CM (lower panels) as compared with control CM (upper panels) over a 48-hour period, and migration distances of NBL-6 cells are expressed as micrometer per hour in 48 hours. **P <0.01. (B) Migration of NBL-6 cells cultured with MSC-derived CM as compared with CM from mitomycin C-treated MSCs (2,000 ng/mL). (C) Viability (dashed line) and proliferation (solid line) of NBL-6 cells cultured in the presence of various concentrations of mitomycin C. NBL-6, horse dermal fibroblast cell; OD, optical density. Given the high incidence of hypergranulation formation in equine and human wounds , it was important to explore whether this increased rate of wound closure was due to enhanced migration or increased proliferation of the fibroblasts or both. Therefore, we repeated the scratch assays in the presence of mitomycin, an inhibitor of proliferation. No differences in migration of NBL-6 cells cultured in MSC-derived CM in the presence or absence of mitomycin were found, indicating that the observed effect in the scratch assays was not due to an increased proliferation of the cells (Figure 1B). To ensure that the mitomycin concentration used for these experiments (that is, 2,000 ng/mL) was effective in inhibiting proliferation without affecting cell viability, we performed a BrdU ELISA as well as an MMT assay, respectively (Figure 1C). To corroborate our findings on the increased migration of fibroblasts when exposed to MSC-derived CM, ECIS experiments were used to measure in vitro wound closure rates . Again, we found that equine dermal fibroblasts migrated significantly faster when cultured in CM obtained from equine MSCs compared with control CM with a wound closure of 11.8 ± 0.35 hours versus 15.3 ± 0.96 hours, respectively (Figure 2A, B). Because the ECIS system creates only a very small wound (350 μm) that normally heals in 12 to 18 hours, cell migration rather than proliferation is the major contributor to closure under these conditions (Figure 2C). Interestingly, the ending impedance value shown in Figure 2A of the MSC CM-treated fibroblasts was higher than that of the control, indicating that the addition of the MSC CM may increase either cell-cell or cell-matrix contacts on the healed fibroblast monolayer leading to a higher final impedance. Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) conditioned medium (CM) promotes wound closure using Electric Cell-substrate Impedance Sensing (n = 3). Wound-healing rates of NBL-6 cells cultured with MSC-derived CM or control CM, as determined by electrical impedance in ohms detected from 0 to 24 hours after wounding (A) and total wound closure time expressed in hours (B). **P <0.01. (C) Phase-contrast images of wounded NBL-6 cells cultured with MSC-derived CM (upper panels) as compared with control CM (lower panels) over a 24-hour period. Scale bars = 100 μm. NBL-6, horse dermal fibroblast cell. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR analyses were performed to investigate the relative mRNA expression levels of selected inflammatory cytokines, remodeling enzymes, extracellular matrix components, and adhesion molecules, all associated with wound repair, in NBL-6 cultured with MSC-derived CM as opposed to control CM. Figure 3A shows the experimental set-up for these studies, and it was observed that culturing dermal fibroblasts in the CM of MSCs differentially regulated mRNA expression of several genes involved in wound healing when compared with gene expression in dermal fibroblasts cultured in control CM (Figure 3B). A significant upregulation of the pro-inflammatory mediator interleukin-8 (IL-8) (P <0.05) and a significant downregulation of the chemokine C-X-C motif chemokine 10 (CxCL10) (P <0.01) were observed in dermal fibroblasts cultured in the presence of MSC-derived CM (Figure 3B). Gene expression levels of extracellular matrix components and adhesion molecules were not significantly different, with the exception of collagenase 3 (COLIII), which was significantly lower in dermal fibroblasts cultured in the presence of MSC-derived CM compared with control CM (P <0.05) (Figure 3B). Finally, the expression of a variety of remodeling enzymes was upregulated when dermal fibroblasts were cultured in CM, with matrix metalloprotease protein 1 (MMP1) showing a significantly higher expression in dermal fibroblasts cultured in the presence of MSC-derived CM compared with control CM (P <0.01) (Figure 3B). Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) conditioned medium (CM) alters gene expression levels in dermal fibroblasts (n = 3). (A) Schematic illustration of NBL-6 treatments for RNA isolation. Fold change of mRNA levels, as detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, in (B) NBL-6 cells cultured with MSC-derived CM as compared with control CM or (C) NBL-6 cells cultured with CM from preconditioned MSCs as compared with CM from non-preconditioned MSCs. Left panel shows genes involved in reduction of hypergranulation or enhancement of wound healing or both, and right panel shows genes that stimulate hypergranulation or delay wound healing or both. *P <0.05; **P <0.01. ANXA2, annexin A2; CCL2, CC chemokine 2; CoCl2, cobalt chloride; COLI, collagen type 1A1; COLIII, collagen type 3; CTSK, cathepsin K; CxCL10, CXC chemokine 10; IFNγ, interferon-gamma; IL-8, interleukin-8; MMP1, metallopeptidase 1; MMP2, metallopeptidase 2; NBL-6, horse dermal fibroblast cell; PAI1, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1; PLAT, tissue plasminogen activator; PLAU, plasminogen activator urokinase; SDC2, syndecan 2; SDC4, syndecan 4; TIMP1, metallopeptidase inhibitor 1; TNFα, tumor necrosis factor-alpha. Since it has been reported previously that pre-stimulation of human MSCs increased their wound-healing properties [32-35], we stimulated our equine MSCs with TNFα, IFNγ, and COCl2 to evaluate the effects on (i) expression of wound healing-related genes in NBL-6 cells and (ii) in vitro scratch assays. It was observed that stimulation of MSCs with TNFα led to a significant increase in MMP1 (P <0.01) and IL-8 (P <0.05) mRNA expression in NBL-6 cells but that stimulation with IFNγ led to a significant increase in CxCL10 expression (P <0.05) compared with culturing NBL-6 cells with CM of non-stimulated MSCs (Figure 3C). In contrast, none of the stimulating agents influenced the expression of COLIII, and stimulation of MSCs with CoCl2 had no effect on the expression of any of the evaluated genes (Figure 3C). During evaluation of these pre-stimulation treatments in scratch assays, no differences in migration rates were observed between fibroblasts exposed to the stimulated MSC-derived CM versus the non-stimulated MSC-derived CM (Additional file 1: Figure S1A, B). When we studied the changes in gene expression in more detail, it became clear that potential significant differences in gene expression levels could be masked because of the rather large SDs we observed for several tested genes. Since we used the CM of MSCs from three different individual horses for our experiments, we reasoned that these large SDs could be caused by natural inter-horse variations. Therefore, we decided to present the results of the gene expression alterations per individual donor horse instead of using the average (Additional file 2: Figure S2A). By presenting the data this way, we made several observations. Firstly, when the non-parametric Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the gene expression data between horses, statistically significant differences between individuals became apparent in the mRNA expression levels of certain genes (Table 2). At a P value of less than 0.01, there were statistically significant differences for two hypergranulation reducers or wound-healing enhancers or both, namely cathepsin K (CTSK) and matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP2) (Table 2A). Likewise, statistically significant differences (P <0.01) between horses were found for four hypergranulation enhancers or wound-healing reducers or both, namely plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI1), collagenase type III (COLIII), fibronectin, and SDC2 (Table 2B). Secondly, with Dunn’s post hoc test, it was observed that culturing NBL-6 cells in the MSC-derived CM of horse B resulted in a significant mean rank difference of at least 6 for the genes CTSK, MMP2, PAI1, and COLIII when compared with NBL-6 cells that were cultured in the CM of either horse A- or horse C-derived MSCs (Additional file 2: Figure S2B). Overall, the increased expression levels of CTSK and MMP2, genes advantageous for wound healing, with a simultaneously decreased expression level of PAI1, a gene disadvantageous for wound healing, would make horse B a better donor for providing MSCs with the capacity to promote wound healing than either horse A or C. Using scratch assays to compare the effects of horse B MSC-derived MSCs on migration of fibroblasts with the other two horse MSC samples revealed no statistically significant differences and all three MSC samples could equally increase NBL-6 migration (P <0.01, Additional file 2: Figure S2C). Taken together, these data indicate that the expression level pattern in CM-treated dermal fibroblast cells is donor horse MSC-specific in our study. a P <0.05; b P <0.01. After clearly demonstrating that the CM of equine MSCs promotes wound healing, we were interested in exploring the potential of microencapsulating MSCs as a way to deliver the critical components of CM to wounded cells in vitro in a controlled manner. In a first set of experiments, we encapsulated equine MSCs and 2 days later removed these MSCs from their capsules to evaluate whether they retained their stem cell characteristics. Overall, the immunophenotypical profile, as detected by flow cytometric analysis using a commonly used set of cell surface markers , did not differ between MSCs removed from capsules and MSCs that were never encapsulated (Figure 4A). There was a significant difference (P <0.05) in the expression of MHC I, but this marker is known to be highly variably expressed by MSCs . In addition, MSCs removed from capsules retained the capacity to differentiate into osteocyte, chondrocyte, and adipocyte lineages (Figure 4B). Moreover, the PDT of MSCs removed from capsules was virtually identical to that of MSCs from the same source, but never encapsulated, from passage 13 to 17 (end of experiment) (Figure 4C). Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) retain stem cell characteristics after microencapsulation (n = 3). (A) Expression of surface markers, as detected by flow cytometry, on MSCs removed from capsules after 2 days post-encapsulation as compared with control MSCs that were never encapsulated. Percentage of total cells positive is shown on the left, and representative histograms are shown on the right. *P <0.05. (B) Representative images of MSCs stained with Alizarin Red, Alcian Blue, and Oil Red O to detect osteocyte, chondrocyte, and adipocyte differentiation, respectively. Left column: undifferentiated MSCs cultured in expansion medium; center column: control MSCs that were never encapsulated cultured in MSC differentiation media; and right column: MSCs removed from capsules after 2 days post-encapsulation cultured in MSC differentiation media. Scale bars = 10 μm. (C) Population doubling times of MSCs removed from capsules after 2 days post-encapsulation as compared with control MSCs that were never encapsulated. MHC, major histocompatibility complex. In a second set of experiments, we cultured MSCs in capsules for over 3 weeks in order to test the potential of long-term encapsulation. MSCs encapsulated for 2 days were used as the short-term encapsulation control time point (day 2) and compared with MSCs encapsulated for successive 5-day intervals (days 7, 12, 17, and 22). At all of these different time points, equine MSCs were removed from equal numbers of capsules and subsequently plated in culture wells (Figure 5A). Before plating, viability was determined by using TBE and the number of live cells was determined. Over the course of the experiment, the viability of long-term encapsulated cells decreased slightly compared with short-term encapsulation but did not fall below 80% and this slight decrease was not statistically significant (Figure 5B). In addition, the number of viable cells present in the capsules for 7 days was significantly increased compared with 2-day encapsulation, indicating that equine MSCs did divide in the capsules, but remained constant thereafter (Figure 5C). After plating and upon confluency of the cells, PDTs were calculated. Cells encapsulated for 7 days showed a PDT similar to that of the short-term, 2-day, encapsulated MSCs. In contrast, cells encapsulated for more than 7 days showed a significantly higher PDT, indicating that it took those cells much longer to form a confluent monolayer (Figure 5D). For the duration of this set of experiments, pictures from confluent monolayers were taken daily to confirm that the stem cell morphology was maintained, indicating that the change in PDT was not due to differentiation of the MSCs which could result in an altered growth pattern (Figure 5E). Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) remain viable after long-term microencapsulation (n = 3). (A) Representative images of MSCs encapsulated (left), immediately after removal of capsules (center), and after several days of culture (right). (B) Viability, as determined by Trypan blue exclusion, of MSCs removed from capsules at 5-day intervals starting at 2 days after encapsulation. (C) Numbers of viable cells removed from equal numbers of capsules at 5-day intervals starting at 2 days after encapsulation. **P <0.01. (D) Population doubling times of MSCs removed from capsules at 5-day intervals starting at 2 days post-encapsulation. **P <0.01. (E) Representative phase-contrast images of cultured MSCs removed from capsules 22 days post-encapsulation as compared with control MSCs that were never encapsulated. Scale bars = 50 μm. After showing that microencapsulated MSCs remain viable and retain general stem cell characteristics, we evaluated the CM from encapsulated MSCs in order to determine potential positive effects on dermal fibroblast migration and expression of genes involved in wound healing. To this end, we repeated the scratch assays and gene expression analyses, as previously described, by using CM from non-encapsulated MSCs (control) and from MSCs that were encapsulated and cultured for 2 days. Using scratch assays, we found that NBL-6 cells had an equally fast migration when cultured in CM obtained from equine MSCs compared with CM obtained from encapsulated equine MSCs (Figure 6A). CM that was collected from 2-day cultured empty capsules was also included as a control and showed a significantly slower migration compared with either MSC-derived CM (data not shown). Next, semi-quantitative RT-PCR analyses were performed on NBL-6 cells cultured in CM obtained from non-encapsulated MSCs (control, set as 1) and compared with gene expression in NBL-6 exposed to CM obtained from encapsulated MSCs. Specifically, the relative mRNA expression levels of a selected set of genes (that is, IL-8, MMP1, ColIII, and CxCL10) involved in wound healing were determined. A significant upregulation of IL-8 and MMP1 gene expression was observed in NBL-6 cells cultured in CM obtained from encapsulated equine MSCs as compared with NBL-6 cells which were cultured in CM of non-encapsulated MSCs (Figure 6B). In contrast, the gene expression levels of COLIII and CxCL10 were indistinguishable between NBL-6 cells cultured in CM from either encapsulated MSCs or non-encapsulated MSCs (Figure 6B). Conditioned medium (CM) from microencapsulated mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) promotes NBL-6 migration and alters gene expression (n = 3). (A) Migration distances of NBL-6 cells cultured in CM from encapsulated MSCs as compared with MSC CM in in vitro scratch assays. Data are expressed as micrometer per hour in 48 hours. (B) Fold change of mRNA, as detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, in NBL-6 cells cultured with encapsulated MSC CM as compared with control MSC CM. Left panel shows genes involved in reduction of hypergranulation or enhancement of wound healing or both, and right panel shows genes that stimulate hypergranulation or delay wound healing or both. *P <0.05. COLIII, collagen type 3; CxCL10, CXC chemokine 10; IL, interleukin; MMP1, metallopeptidase 1; NBL-6, horse dermal fibroblast cell. The present study is the first to evaluate the effects of CM from equine MSCs on wound-healing properties of equine dermal fibroblasts and to explore the potential of encapsulated equine MSCs to deliver these critical components to equine target cells. Our salient findings were that the CM of equine MSCs stimulates the migration of equine dermal fibroblasts in vitro and increases the expression levels of genes that positively contribute to wound healing. Importantly, similar results were obtained by using CM from MSCs that were encapsulated in core-shell hydrogel microcapsules, indicating the potential of microencapsulated MSCs to deliver the bioactive factors present in CM. During our studies on the expression levels of genes involved in wound healing when equine fibroblasts were exposed to MSC-derived CM, two interesting observations were made. First, we found a highly significant, four-fold, increase in the mRNA expression of the MMP1. MMP1, also designated interstitial collagenase or fibroblast collagenase, is a critical remodeling enzyme required for re-epithelialization during wound healing [38,39]. In vitro studies have shown that CM from amnion-derived human MSCs alters the expression of MMP1 in human dermal fibroblasts , which is similar to our present findings with CM from peripheral blood-derived equine MSCs and equine dermal fibroblasts. Interestingly, the CM collected from MSCs that were microencapsulated even further altered the expression of MMP1 as evidenced by a significantly higher MMP1 expression in dermal fibroblasts when exposed to the CM from microencapsulated MSCs compared with CM from non-encapsulated MSCs (Figure 6B). A similar observation was made for IL-8 expression in dermal fibroblasts (Figure 6B), another critical component in cutaneous wound healing known to stimulate migration and proliferation of keratinocytes . Although it is speculative at this point, we hypothesize that the close contact between the MSCs in these capsules or the capsule microenvironment or both changes the secretion pattern of MSCs or, alternatively, that the MSC secretome is influenced by adherent (non-encapsulated) versus non-adherent (encapsulated) culture conditions. An increased expression level of MMP1 and IL-8 in dermal fibroblasts was also observed when equine MSCs were preconditioned by using TNFα. TNFα has been described to stimulate human MSC to secrete elevated levels of IL6 and IL8, resulting in accelerated wound healing . Our study shows that IL8 is also upregulated in equine target cells exposed to CM from TNFα treated equine MSC. For the two other agents that we used to precondition equine MSCs in our present study, however, we did not observe an upregulation of IL-8 or MMP1 in dermal fibroblasts when exposed to CM from these stimulated MSCs. The first agent, CoCl2, is a chemical known to mimic hypoxia, and our results in our equine model reflect results from a previous study in which no significant alterations were found in the expression levels of MMP1 in human dermal fibroblasts incubated with CM from hypoxic human MSCs when compared with CM from normoxic human MSCs . In addition, no significant alterations were found in any of the other genes that were tested (that is, IL-8, COLIII, and CxCL10) when equine fibroblasts were exposed to the CM of CoCl2-treated equine MSCs. The second agent we used to stimulate equine MSCs was IFNγ, a cytokine known to stimulate MSCs to increase wound healing in aged mice but for which the specific effects on the expression of wound-related factors in target cells, like dermal fibroblasts, have not previously been investigated. We found in our present study that equine dermal fibroblasts showed a significant increase in CxCL10 expression when incubated with CM of IFNγ-preconditioned MSCs. CxCL10 is a chemokine known to delay wound healing and to disorganize neovascularization , and although more in-depth studies are needed, we would like to argue that pretreating MSCs with IFNγ might not be beneficial as a regenerative treatment to promote cutaneous wound healing. Secondly, we observed that the expression level pattern in CM-treated dermal fibroblast cells was donor horse MSC-specific. Although our current study is too limited in experimental numbers and is lacking repeated isolations from the same donor horse to draw definite conclusions about donor dependency, our data are the first to indicate a donor-specific effect of MSC-derived CM on skin target cells specifically. This study and other studies describing donor variation in the cytokine expression level and in vitro bone tissue repair potency of human MSCs [42,43] collectively suggest that screening of candidate MSC donors is critical in order to take full advantage of the therapeutic effects of MSCs on cutaneous wound healing. Moreover, it is important to take into account the specific purpose of the regenerative therapy, as the CM of one donor MSC culture might prove more beneficial than the CM of another MSC culture, depending on the desired therapeutic effect. Despite the exciting potential of the MSC-derived CM as an effective cell-free therapeutic treatment in regenerative medicine, a major impediment to its use is the fact that these MSC formulations are not fully optimized in terms of delivery methods. The ability to control secretion of MSC-derived bioactive factors is critical given the limitations of pharmacokinetics and stability of proteins in vivo. To begin exploring the potential of such delivery methods, we microencapsulated our equine MSCs by using core-shell hydrogel microcapsules. Conventional alginate microcapsules have been used successfully to encapsulate human MSCs [44-47]. However, our study demonstrated that this approach is feasible for equine MSCs by using core-shell capsules which were designed to provide a more relevant extracellular environment and to better protect the encapsulated cells . Indeed, we showed that equine MSCs survive and divide within these microcapsules and retain their stem cell characteristics. Importantly, we found that CM collected from these encapsulated equine MSCs equally promotes dermal fibroblast migration when compared with the CM from non-encapsulated MSCs, suggesting that encapsulating of MSCs may be an ideal strategy to control the delivery of secreted products to equine wounds in vivo. Based on data we have collected thus far, future experiments are planned in which we will evaluate the healing-promoting effects of equine MSCs, non-encapsulated as well as microencapsulated, in an in vivo horse model, such as the horse model established by the group of Theoret et al. in which skin wounds are experimentally induced to heal both normally as well as with the formation of exuberant granulation tissue . MSCs have been reported to provide paracrine signals that promote wound healing, but (i) how they exert their effects on target cells is unclear and (ii) a suitable delivery system to supply these MSC-derived secreted factors in a controlled and safe way is unavailable. The present study was designed to provide answers to these questions by using the horse as a translational model. Our results suggest that CM of MSCs might be a promising new therapy for impaired cutaneous wounds and that microencapsulation may be a suitable way to effectively deliver CM to wounded cells in vivo. Moreover, our data showed that the effects of MSC-derived CM appear to be donor-specific, suggesting that a proper screening of candidate MSC donors is critical in order to take full advantage of the therapeutic effects of MSCs on cutaneous wound healing. Leen Bussche and Rebecca M Harman contributed equally to this work. We gratefully acknowledge the Cornell Stem Cell program for providing financial support for this study. LB is a postdoctoral fellow of the Belgian American Education Foundation. Additional file 1: Figure S1. Conditioned medium (CM) from preconditioned mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) does not affect migration of dermal fibroblasts (n = 3). (A) Representative phase-contrast images of wounded NBL-6 cells cultured with CM of MSCs stimulated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), interferon-gamma (IFNγ), or cobalt chloride (CoCl2) as compared with control MSC CM at 0, 24, and 48 hours. (B) Migration distances of NBL-6 cells cultured with CM of MSCs stimulated with TNFα, IFNγ, or CoCl2 as compared with control MSC CM. Data are expressed as micrometers per hour in 48 hours. NBL-6, horse dermal fibroblast cell. Additional file 2: Figure S2. Mesenchymal stromal cell (MSC) conditioned medium (CM) alters horse dermal fibroblast cell (NBL-6) gene expression in a donor-specific manner (n = 3). (A) Fold change of mRNA, as detected by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), in NBL-6 cells cultured with MSC CM from three different donor horses as compared with control NBL-6 CM. Left panel shows genes involved in reduction of hypergranulation or enhancement of wound healing or both, and right panel shows genes that stimulate hypergranulation or delay wound healing or both. (B) Expression levels of cathepsin K (CTSK) and metallopeptidase 2 (MMP2) (genes involved in reduction of hypergranulation or enhancement of wound healing or both) and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI1) and collagen type 3 (ColIII) (genes that stimulate hypergranulation or delay wound healing or both) with a significant mean rank difference of at least 6 upon incubation with horse B MSC-derived CM. (C) Migration distances of NBL-6 cells cultured with CM of MSCs from three different donor horses as compared with control CM. Data are expressed as micrometers per hour in 48 hours. **P <0.01. LB participated in the study design, was a main contributor in drafting the article, and carried out all laboratory procedures with the non-encapsulated MSCs. RH participated in the study design, was a main contributor in drafting the article, and carried out all laboratory procedures with the microencapsulated MSCs. BS assisted with the data analyses. TC was involved in the design and execution of the ECIS assays and helped to critique the final manuscript. EP was involved in the design and execution of the ECIS assays. MM was involved in the design and execution of the microencapsulation of the MSCs and helped to critique the final manuscript. Y-CL was involved in the design and execution of the microencapsulation of the MSCs. GVdW participated in the study design, data analyses, and critical revision of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript. Image J. http://imagej.nih.gov/ij/. Accessed 8 November 2014. Doubling Time. http://www.doubling-time.com/compute.php. Accessed 6 November 2014.

2019-04-24T17:50:45Z

https://stemcellres.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13287-015-0037-x

“why I have to get up so early?” The young woman question herself as she was waking up. Light barely hit the room as the sun has not yet risen up. She slowly risen up as she sat up, while rubbing her eyes with one hand. She let out a shout in frustration as she was not a morning person and look at the time “7:20 AM”. “Great! Even waking up before the alarm hit”. The light peeking between the black curtain, barely shed any light into the room. With a loud a sigh she left her bed and started to get ready for the day ahead. As soon as she was done getting ready the second alarm went off, but it was from her room, it was from the kitchen. Multiple small beeps came from the kitchen and the smell grew stronger. Once ready in the kitchen, she picked a small mug from the cabinet and pour some coffee from the automatic coffee machine. “Thank you, ready brewed coffee.” The woman’s second alarm of the day was a coffee machine that brews at most days at eight in the morning. She added cream and sugar to the coffee and gave it a taste. The hot fresh coffee warmed her up almost immediately and felt that great fresh energy. As she continues to drink her coffee, she looked out the window and looked at the slowly rising sun. “Remember to meet up at the Planetarium at ten o clock okay?”, she remember this was the day of the meet up. A swirl of emotions rounded her up: happiness, anxiety, worry, dread, ecstatic. Meeting a friend from online for the first time, was a roller coaster, you talked to this person for who knows how long and the chance to meet brings up so much anxiousness. It was still an hour and half left till the meet time. It would take half an hour just to get there. “Who could that be?” thought the woman as she approaches the door. It wasn’t unusual to have people knock this early. She opened the door and was confronted by a person hidden in a large coat. Sing Ups are now open. Prep Phase begins at 14:00 EDT on Friday, April 5, 2019. Click the link to see how that applies to you. During the 2 hrs stand-by NO ACTIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Only wills can be updated. This is to promote healthy sleeping behaviours, and so that all players (and GM) will experience a minimal impact on the other aspects of your life (except for how Mafia makes us paranoid and sleepless; even I can't fix that). Yeah hahaha, no. Phase change will be at 14:00 EDT every OTHER day unless something comes up (I'll try to let you know in advance). Actions are due two hours before phase change (12:00 EDT). Anything submitted after that time will not be counted. - Role-handoffs (for BO/Friends/DBs/Lovers only)! If you intend to let another player handle your actions, you must inform the GM. You can let the GM know if it's for only that phase or blanket permission for the duration of the game (which can be revoked any time you choose). If you don't mention it that its for the rest of the game, it will be treated for that phase only. In which you have to send another PM giving permission again. - The gameplay will be facilitated by the use of Discord once the GM figures out how to use it! Discord is an efficient tool for communicating with other players (and joining in the banter), and you are highly encouraged to join Discord for that purpose. Note: It is not required to use Discord to play. Actions, Wills, and phase changes are updated on the forum as per tradition. Details for joining Discord are given to all players during prep phase. The GM will not prioritize Discord unless previously discussed with player. - Failure to send a PM to the GM of whether voting or abstaining during day phase, a random vote will be sent in your place instead. Last edited by Kamite on April 5th, 2019, 5:32 pm, edited 8 times in total. Players are typically split into two: Black Organization vs Town (Police, FBI and Civilians). In general, the ratio of BO to town will be between 1/3 to 1/4 (that means between a third to a quarter of players would be BO). It is at the liberty of the GM to balance the roles as they see fit, however, so this ratio is intended to be a guideline only. Don’t expect the GM to follow this. Though balance between roles is always in the mind, anything can still happen. Players are given their roles and therefore their alignment during the beginning of Prep Phase or Night 1. Each role has its own set of actions that can be performed during phases. It is highly recommended that players check what actions are available to them when they receive their role from the GM. You may provide the GM with a will to be presented at the time of your death (unless you are erased). A typical will usually summarizes a player's actions and intel they have gathered to that point, resulting in something along the lines of: "Will: I interrogated Conia and got Black Org on Night 1. I interrogated PhoenixTears on Night 2 and got Not Black Org." Your will, unless erased, will be provided by the GM after your death is announced (whether it be by lynching, APTX, or just a routine killing). The GM has a right to censor or remove any will if they feel it reveals too much or it is game-breaking. You may always send in a new order/will to replace your old one, assuming the phase has not yet ended. However, sending a PM to the GM to “add ‘this’ to the will” will become the new will. When updating the will to the GM you must send ALL of it at once. Otherwise whatever you send last regarding the will be the new will, whether is complete, an “update”, or an “add ‘this’ to the previous will. Always make sure you are sending your wills to the GM and not to yourself by mistake. This has happened in previous rounds, and it won’t no longer be accepted once you die. Every night phase, The Black Organization and/or Assassin may send a kill for one player. The Black Org is expected and encouraged to consult with one another on who to kill during the night and possible lynch votes during the day. A private channel for the Black Org to discuss strategies is provided in every round by the GM. Every member of the Black Org must kill successfully before a member is allowed a second kill. The exceptions to this is if a member is unable to kill due to being arrested or lynched, in which case they are no longer factored in to the kill cycle. Once the cycle has been completed once, a new order may be decided. In the event the last BO member of the kill cycle becomes discombobulated, Kill cycle will still reset as it was an attempt. Every member of the Black Org may use an APTX assuming there are enough remaining. Unlike with the nightly kills, there is no restriction on how many may participate. Each member is limited to using just one APTX per day phase, however. The Black Org may kill or APTX a fellow member if they so wish. If more BO send an APTX than they are remaining, the last APTX orders, will go through. Everyone is allowed to vote during day phases, whether they be from the town or the Black Org. You may only not vote if you are dead, arrested, or were hindered by an ability (such as Frighten). The player who has the most votes is lynched. Failure to send a ¬¬¬¬¬¬¬PM to the GM of whether voting or abstaining during day phase, a random vote will be sent in your place instead. List of abilities that constitute crimes: Kill (whether it be of the normal, sniping, or APTX variety), Disguise, Slander, Bribe, Discombobulate, Abduct, Erase, Sabotage, Frighten, Steal, Drug via Sleeping Pill. CHOOSING COSTUMES IS NOT A CRIME. If someone is killed, lynched, or arrested, their action for that phase will not go through and will fail. The only exceptions to this are arrests and poisonings with APTX. Arrests can stop APTX. Lynchings, on the other hand, do not. If Kazuha was successfully poisoned and accompanied someone that was about to be lynched over the 1 vote difference, the reduction of that 1 vote fails (aka, the accompany fails) and the target of accompany will be lynched instead. If a face pinch is performed on a player and that player is in disguise (whether they are town or Black Org), the target is automatically arrested. Note: Anokata is not technically in disguise, and thus is unaffected by House Search (unless they have other crimes) or Pinch. Injured: Player is unable to use any abilities and also loses any of their passive abilities (including any actions of disguises they may have been wearing, though they do not lose the disguise itself). The exceptions are the nightly killing for Black Org members (they may still carry out a kill at night), handing out of the suitcase during the day, and Lovey Dovey. Injured players may still participate freely in the game, including casting lynch votes and using items given to them by other players. Any actions (apart from arrest, APTX, suitcase actions, Bowtie/Watch and voting) used during the phase the player gets injured will fail. Suspended: Police that attempt to arrest someone and are unsuccessful will be suspended for two phases following the arrest attempt. While suspended, the police officer in question will lose all abilities apart from voting, Bowtie/Watch, suitcase actions (for BO disguised as police) and Lovey Dovey. Any actions the police uses (apart from arrest, Bowtie/Watch, suitcase actions, Lovey Dovey and voting) on the phase where they become suspended will fail. The Black Org has a leader (assuming he is in the game), referred to as Anokata. If Anokata is not present in the game, the next person in the Black Org list is the leader. The leader may designate the night kill target and give the order as such. The leader may NOT order another BO member to kill themselves. If a member of the BO sends a kill, the leader can only override it with the killing BO's permission. If multiple BO send a kill in the same night, the kill will be selected based on rank order and whether the member is eligible to send a kill. Black Organization wins if the BO outnumbers the Town and there is no foreseeable way for the town to regain control of a day vote. BO/Town lovers win when everyone else is dead or arrested. Whether the game ends is determined at the end of the phase, so if a player is due to be released during that phase they will be factored into the decision. Eg. Irish is supposed to be released from Detention the same phase where Chianti is arrested, and all other BO members are arrested/killed prior, the game will continue with Irish being the last remaining BO member. — This section has been removed because the GM hates it and doesn’t want to deal with it. If you need a general overview of how things go, please see the Order of Actions section in one of the last few games, or the Forum Mafia Topic. If Vermouth or Kid has a disguise of an FBI subordinate, regardless of if they use the disguise during the game, it will be counted in the subordinate list and James will receive a small hint akin to, "You believe something is strange with (#) of your subordinate(s)..." Note: Akai/Jodie/Camel/Rena/Amuro being Anokata will not count toward this notification, because they would not be in disguise. Anokata will be included in the number of FBI agents in the game if he's one of those roles, but there won't be anything strange about him. James can also receive Anokata's results in this case. With concern to Akai, James will receive only one of his investigations. In the case of Rena, James will receive only one of her actions (Betrayal, Investigate, or Special Investigate), chosen at random. James can NOT receive bowtie results. James can NOT find out if Amuro frightened someone. May not befriend any Black Org members and may not befriend a Detective Boy. Detective Boys have a hierarchy: Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, Genta. Roles with status: decided by Yumi during Prep Phase. Cannot befriend Sonoko, and children cannot be lovers. When one lover dies, the other commits suicide that same phase. No amount of healing or protecting may prevent the death of a suicidal lover. A town/town pair wins along with the town. A Black Org/Black Org pair wins with the Black Org. A town/Black Org pair does not win with either the town or the Black Org. To win as such a tandem, all other players must be dead/arrested/otherwise unable to stop them from killing. Lovers may still win while one or both are arrested (assuming Town/Town or BO/BO). Player gets to know how many Black Org members are present in the current game (not their identities). Anokata is included in this count. Last edited by Kamite on March 20th, 2019, 5:08 pm, edited 2 times in total. Note: Rum’s gender observe is random every night, but if more than one observe him/her in the same night, they will receive the same results. Note: If Ran successfully protects (and saves someone), she will become temporarily injured for the following two phases. Note: If Makoto successfully protects (and saves someone), he will become temporarily injured for the following two phases. Note:Night 1, Agasa may choose to use either item for himself. During the day phases, Agasa can choose to give himself one item or to hand out two items to one or two other players. Agasa may not use both items for himself. He may not keep one item for himself and hand out the other to someone else. If he chooses to keep one item for himself, the other item will not be in play at all the following night. Items: car keys + the items of her current disguise. Note: Shadow Man may choose to use one of the following each night: Betrayal, Crime Report, Cross-Examine, Detect, Discombobulate, Fake, Frighten, Heal, Interrogate, Investigate 2, Lawsuit, Observe, Protect, Snipe Guard, Steal/Return Item, Special Investigate 1, Stake-Out, Research. If Shadow Man chooses to use Lawsuit, he may only use it once per game. If he is discombobulated on the night he uses it, or it fails for any other reason, this use will not be used up. If Shadow Man successfully protects (and saves someone), he will become injured for the following two phases. Shadow Man's gender and age observe is random every night, but if more than one observe him/her in the same night, they will receive the same results. Shadow Man can be positively identified as any and all roles. Note: The Traitor is less of a role on its own and more a status combined with another role. This status will be given alongside a randomly picked town role to the chosen player, meaning that a player can be Takagi and also the Traitor. They can be any town role (including Yumi and any one of the Detective Boys), but, for the sake of simplicity, they cannot be a lover nor a BFF. The Traitor will only be in if there are 12+ players. The Traitor is given one other role in the game at the start of Night 1 that they must find and kill. This role can be either BO or Town. If they are successful in killing this role, either by killing at night, successfully lynching them during the day, or APTXing, the Traitor will be considered to have won and will be removed from the game. At this point it will be announced that the Traitor has killed their target and the Traitor’s role and status as Traitor will be revealed. The game will then continue until either Black Org, Town or Lovers win. If the Traitor’s target is killed by the Black Org or lynched without the Traitor’s involvement, then the Traitor will be given a new target one time. If the Traitor fails again, the Traitor will be killed and removed from the game, even if the Traitor is currently in jail when this happens. If this happens, it will not be revealed that they are the Traitor until the end of the game. If the Traitor’s target is arrested, the Traitor will not be given a new target or told their target has been arrested. The Traitor has an investigate to find more info on their target. The Traitor won’t start killing until after Night 2. Last edited by Kamite on March 20th, 2019, 2:04 pm, edited 1 time in total. The player chooses six players. The number of pairs of lovers in the game is up to the GM. Yumi may not choose herself. Sonoko's ability takes precedence over Yumi's ability, meaning Friendship always takes precedence over Lovers. Once Irish/Yukiko have their selected disguises, they can disguise that same phase, meaning they would be disguised Night 1. Once the player's last costume is used, they will be given a new list of disguises to choose from starting the following day (meaning they can be disguised again the next night). For example, if Yukiko is on her last disguise Night 3, Day 3 she will be given a new list and can disguise again immediately on Night 4. The GM will choose a role not in the game and give that disguise to the player on Night 1. So, this isn't really a prep phase ability anymore, but it doesn't make much sense as a status. The player will still be able to use their disguise abilities on Night 1, this is just because having Vermouth/Kid choose disguises amounted to nothing more than getting a random one anyway. Scent won't be taken. So Kid disguised as Akai, for example, won't have a scent. Vermouth will always have a scent, whatever disguise she gets. They can't disguise as: Black Org members, Conan, Haibara, Ayumi, Genta, Mitsuhiko, Sonoko, Shadow Man, Yumi, Kid, Yukiko or Anokata's role. It is possible that KID and Vermouth obtain the same disguise, as their disguises aren’t counted as roles "in the game" when getting the disguise. The player will have items from his original role and from their disguised role. So they can have two guns in case Kid or Vermouth disguises as a police officer. If Vermouth or Kid is injured, they will not lose their disguise. Sonoko names a list of players she would like to befriend (GM determines the exact amount of players to list). Sonoko will then randomly befriend one of those players. Sonoko and her friend will know one another's identities. Detective Boys, Shadow Man and Black Org members (including Vermouth and Anokata) cannot be befriended. Lovers may also not be befriended (but this shouldn’t be the case anyway, since Friendship takes precedence over Amor). Sonoko may use the abilities of her friends, with some exceptions. If Sonoko befriends a police officer, she will not be able to detain, arrest, or house search, or pinch. Sonoko may not steal, even if friends with KID. If Sonoko befriends a role with a "one-off" ability such as Lawsuit or Voice of Reason, either Sonoko or her friend may use the ability, but it can only be used once during the game. Sonoko can have passive abilities. If she befriends Akai however, she will not have vengeance. If she befriends Rena, she'll get the same betrayal results Rena does each night. If she befriends James, she'll get the same FBI results James does each night. If one of them is discombobulated or frightened, the other can still get the benefits of the passive ability. Sonoko status is separate from her friend. If Sonoko's friend is injured, Sonoko will not be injured. Even if Sonoko’s friend is arrested/detained, Sonoko can still use that friend's abilities. Sonoko will not lose her ability if her friend dies. If Sonoko befriends Yukiko, she will be able to use the abilities of Yukiko's disguised roles. If Sonoko befriends Yukiko she will not receive a true in Choosing Costumes on Prep Phase, due to it being her friend's doing. If Sonoko befriends Yukiko and Yukiko dies, Sonoko will be able to choose costumes and use the abilities of the disguises, but she still will not have arrest of any kind. Disguise investigate will still be false in this case. Tequila/Vodka will Abduct one character that is not played in the game by any player. The GM will send him the name of one random town-sided character not in the game. Tequila/Vodka may abduct Vermouth/KID's disguises because they are not considered "in the game." They may not abduct Anokata’s role, as it is considered to be in the game. Rena will be told one action that the Black Org took that night. The result will be randomized based on the actions the Black Org takes. Rena doesn't need to PM the GM to use this action, but it can be discombobulated. Once per game, the Assassin may also "Bribe" the GM to kill a player. The Black Org member doing the kill must hand in the bribe action. The Black Org leader can also order it on behalf of that person. The Black Org and/or Assassin's kill that night cannot be hindered by any means whatsoever, including an arrest on the killing player. Night action, not a crime, can be covered, can be discombobulated. Player may choose a primary target and a secondary target. The primary target's actions for that night will be changed to target the secondary target. Yamamura will be told his action is a success, even if the primary target does not send actions that night. If the primary target sends actions, they'll be informed that things got a little jumbled and their target has been changed. If the primary target gets confused by Yamamura and discombobulated (or drugged) in the same night, then the primary target's actions will fail anyway and they will not know they were confused. Can be used to change the kill target UNLESS Bribe is being used. If Yamamura's primary target is a BO sending Bribe+Kill, Yamamura's action will fail as if discombobulated. Can not be used to confuse an Arrest/House Search. If the Arrest/House Search is successful, any other actions done by that cop will still be confused. If the Arrest/House Search fails and the cop is suspended, the cop will not know they were confused. In either situation, Yamamura will just be told his confuse was successful. CAN confuse Detain / Pinch. If Yamamura confuses a trickster who is targeting him with their discombobulation, then discombobulate will take precedence and Yamamura will be notified that his action failed. If Yamamura confuses a trickster who is targeting someone else but makes the secondary target Yamamura himself, Yamamura's actions will fail. Trickster will still target the original target. Yamamura cannot use himself as the primary target. If Yamamura's Confuse does not cause any of the primary target's actions to change (ex: forcing Eisuke to target Yuriko when Eisuke is already targeting Yuriko), then Yamamura will just be told his actions were successful, and the primary target will be told "actions successful" (or regular results) without being told he was confused. If Yamamura's Confuse causes a trickster to target themselves (ex: Eisuke targets Eisuke), then the trickster will be notified that their action failed. Yamamura will be told that his action succeeded. If the BO tries to kill Yamamura and Yamamura dies, then Yamamura's action fails, UNLESS Yamamura is Confusing the killer and directing the actions to someone besides Yamamura himself. Confuse does not affect abilities that don't have a player target (ex: Detect). The target will still get results for those actions as normal. Yamamura chooses Abs. (Eisuke) as the primary target and Conia (Gin) as the secondary target. As long as Abs. send a discombobulate that night, it will target Conia, regardless of who Abs. tries to discombobulate. Can detect if a specific role is in the game per night. They need to ask for the character name (Conan, Heiji, Ayumi...) and not the role type (Detective, Police...). Vermouth and Kid’s disguises will not count as being in the game. Neither with Yukiko or Irish’s disguises, unless those disguises are a role otherwise present. If Anokata is in the game, both the Detect for "Anokata" and the Detect for his "role" will be True. Vermouth disguised as Ran. Anokata’s role is Makoto. Protection via Agasa’s watch cannot be discombobulated. Discombobulation can prevent the Black Org from killing or sniping someone, unless bribe is in effect. If two tricksters trick each other in the same phase, both tricksters will have all of their actions fail. (Same for if three tricksters trick each other, ex: Yoko tricks Vodka, Vodka tricks Eisuke, Eisuke tricks Yoko.) In this case, none of their trick actions will count as crimes (and will come up false on investigation), because they will not have happened. However, if two tricksters trick each other and a third trickster tricks one of the first two, the first two will fail their actions and the third will get a success. (ex: Yoko and Vodka trick each other. Eisuke tricks Yoko. Yoko and Vodka get “your actions failed” and Eisuke gets “success.”) In this case, only Eisuke’s trick will count as a crime (and can be investigated as true). Vodka and Yoko’s actions will not count as having happened. If the trickster tricks a killer using bribe (ex: Eisuke tricks Gin, who bribe-kills Kamite), the failed trick will not show up on a stake-out of the killer. Yoko discombobulates Vodka. Vodka discombobulates Amuro. Yoko discombobulate Vodka. Vodka discombobulates Eisuke. Eisuke discombobulates Amuro. The eraser has the option of erasing or not erasing a body if he is the one doing the killing himself. The action is not limited to a one-time-use and may be repeated so long as the eraser is the one doing the killing. Once per kill cycle, Pisco/Tequila may opt to erase a victim killed by another Black Org member. He can't, however, erase for another Black Org member if there are only 2 of them left. Erase, like all other individual Black Org actions, may not be ordered by the Black Org leader. If both BO and Assassin kill the same target in the same night and the BO tries to erase the target, but the BO kills fails, the target will still be erased (assuming the Eraser's actions go through). In this case, both the Eraser and the Assassin will get the role of the player and their will. Anokata, Vermouth and Irish cannot arrest people for framed actions. Town who are lovers with Black Org cannot arrest people for framed actions. Protect used on that day can be frightened. Akai's vengeance can be frightened (since his vote won't go through if he's frightened). Similarly, Revenge (Chianti/Korn) can also be frightened if Tequila/Vodka wishes. Only one Black Org member can use frighten per night. - If your target is not about to be killed, Kogoro learns of all actions performed to a player that night. So, "Akonyl guards Kleene" may result in a PM of "Kleene was healed and discombobulated", for example. Only keywords will be used (see Keywords section in Quick Reference). If someone were to use Special Investigate on the staked-out player, the result will only show "Investigate" and not "Special Investigate". Being in the Black Org isn't a crime. So you can't arrest Conia for being Gin. He'll get the result "BO" or "Not BO". Check the roles to see what result they would get under normal circumstances. The player can Investigate a certain number of actions. (For example, Yumi has “Investigate 2,” therefore she may use two investigations.) He can only Investigate the actions that are happening in the same night he's Investigating. He may not Investigate actions from previous nights, or Day actions. Akonyl kills PT. Yurikochan protects PT. PT interrogates Conia. Akonyl kills PT. Yurikochan protects PT. Conia discombobulates Akonyl. One Black Org member per night may choose another player to kill. If the Assassin is present, they may also choose another player to kill. The Black Org member/Assassin doing the kill is discombobulated. If both BO and Assassin kill the same target in the same night and both kills go through, then they will happen at the same time (which means both the Assassin the BO killer can be investigated/arrested for it). If the BO killer and the Assassin target each other in the same night, assuming that their kill has not been stopped (via Discombobulate, Heal, etc), both kills will go through and both the Assassin and the BO killer will die. If Sera is gender observed, the result will be random each night, if more than one player gender observe Sera, all players will receive the same results. Research will come back true if a town member used the ability or if it was Faked through the BS. If it blamed or used by a BO member, it will be false. Pisco/Tequila will choose during the night which player he would like to Sabotage. If, during the following day, that player is tied with another player for most amount of votes, the player who was sabotaged will have their vote count increased by 1. Pisco/Tequila does not need to vote for the person he Sabotages. Player may slander any player at night, whether it's himself, someone from the town, or someone from the Black Org. The holder of the Black Suitcase may slander one target: one Black Org or one town. If Gin is in the game, the BO as a collective may not slander two Black Org members. If more than one Black Org member sends a slander for a BO member, Gin's slander will take precedent. If the slandered target is interrogated that night, the interrogation result will be inverted. A townie that would normally come up as "Not Black Org" on an interrogation would instead become "Black Org" if slandered successfully. Likewise, if a slandered Black Org member is interrogated, any interrogations on them that night would return "Not Black Org" instead of the usual "Black Org". Snipe replaces kill for the specified roles. The BO Leader can therefore order Sniping if the killer is one of the roles with Snipe. If the target was killed in another way than sniping, then the target will die and Akai won't injure anyone. If Akai targets a sniper that is about to snipe someone, nothing will happen to the sniper and the victim will die. The user learns of all actions performed to a player that night. So, "Akonyl stakes out Kleene" may result in a PM of "Kleene was healed and discombobulated", for example. Only keywords will be used (see Keywords section in Quick Reference). Ex: If someone were to use Special Investigate on the staked out player, the result will only show "Investigate" and not "Special Investigate". If Abs. uses the black suitcase to fake "interrogate" Kleene, the PM will simply state that Kleene was interrogated, not that she was interrogated with the Black Suitcase or that it was a fake action. You will not be told how often a particular action was used on the target. So if multiple people investigate Abs., investigate will only show up once. Your own stakeout isn't included in the results list. So if the list says "xpon was observed," that wasn't your stakeout--he was observed by someone else. If the target is killed the night you stake them out, you learn from the GM the gender of the killer. This does not circumvent disguises, however (so Vermouth/Irish will come back with the gender of their disguises and not necessarily their actual ones). If a trickster tricks a killer using bribe (ex: Eisuke tricks Gin, who bribe-kills Kamite), the failed trick will not show up on stake-out of Gin. Return Item: Night action, not a crime. Cannot be investigated/does not show up on stake-out. CAN be discombobulated. Cannot be confused. If the player steals from a disguised player, he can steal from the disguise or from the original role (Kid, Vermouth). The player won't know it it's from the disguise or not. If the disguised player has 2x gun for example, he can steal a gun 2x. The whole BO get capsules with APTX4869 each game - a total of 3 APTX at the start of the game. If the BO tries APTX on Kid disguised as Shinichi, the BO must guess that player is Kid and not Shinichi. Successful APTX: The target was that role (success).The BO will keep the APTX. The actions and the votes of the victim don't count and the target dies. Arrest can't be stopped though. Failed APTX: The APTX will be used up and the BO will lose it. The victim won't know that he was targeted. The BO will get a message that the APTX failed and how many APTX are left. Different BO members can try to poison different targets (or the same target) the same day. Each BO can only start one poison attempt each day. If there are more poisoning attempts than remaining APTX the higher-ranked BO members poisoning attempts takes priority. Gin can poison pofa as Shinichi. But Gin can't poison pofa as Shinichi AND CTU as Ran in the same phase. Gin and Vermouth cannot both poison pofa as Shinichi in the same phase. Gin can poison pofa as Shinichi and Vermouth can poison CTU as Ran in the same phase, provided they have more than one capsule remaining. If the BO member who used APTX was lynched, the APTX is still effective and the target will still die. APTX can't hinder an arrest. Even if the arresting officer is successfully APTXed by another BO member who is not also being arrested, the arrest still happens. The arresting officer will die after the arrest takes place. Arresting the BO member who does the poisoning WILL hinder the poisoning. In this case, the APTX is NOT lost. This is the same with Detain and Pinching. During each day the Leader (also, next highest-ranked BO in case Leader dies or is arrested) can decide to give the "Black Suitcase" to any player (even himself). He can also choose a substitute in case that player is killed/arrested. If the Leader himself is killed/arrested, the action will still go through. Bow-tie: Can lend it to anyone for a night (and it is returned at the end of the night) or use it for himself. Someone in possession of the bow-tie can act if he were Conan and can choose to Investigate 5 OR Interrogate. If he chooses to give himself the Bow-tie, he cannot give out the Watch. Watch: Can also lend the watch to anyone for one night (and it is returned at the end of the night) or use it for himself. Someone in possession of the Watch is protected from the BO as if he were protected by Ran or Makoto, but he needs to fire from the distance so he does not get to see the attacker's face and will therefore not learn his identity. If he chooses to give himself the Watch, he cannot give out the Bow-Tie. Neither the recipient of Watch or Bow-Tie nor Agasa learn each other's identity (so CTU as Agasa will give the Watch to "Conia", and Conia (Ran) will receive it from "Agasa"). If Ran or Makoto gets the watch, they Protect themselves. So when they are targeted, they will be protected by the watch. If they protect someone successfully while holding the Watch themselves, they will still be penalized. If the protected one was sniped while Ran or Makoto had the watch, the watch won't be destroyed, but one of the protectors will still die. The Charm will only be used up, if the person with the charm would have been poisoned otherwise. BO will not be specially notified that the charm was in play and therefore lose that aptx. Kazuha won't know the identity of the one who received the Charm. The one who got the Charm will just know that Kazuha gave it to him/her, not the identity of the player. Disguises will not cause a change in scent. Vermouth and Irish will always have a scent; Kid and Yukiko will never have a scent. Anokata may or may not have a scent depending on which role they are. Example: Takagi stakes out Conia N1 and finds out he was slandered. During the following day, he may use Follow-Up to check "Conia slandered Conia N1" and get a true or false result. Tequila/Vodka can frighten a Detective Boy Identify if he frightens the one handing in the action, if several DB handed in actions, depending on the amount of DB in game, the chance will be 50-66% of failure. Normal lynching (no sniper or Akai powers) is different. If Ayumi is lynched but the others aren't interfered with, the next-highest Detective Boy who handed in an action can still get his results. If the person is disguised, they can't Identify the disguise but have to Identify if the player is Kid or Vermouth. The ranking of the Detective Boys are: Ayumi, Mitsuhiko, Genta. If the GM gets conflicting orders on whom to Identify, the GM will use this ranking. The Day after Irish/Yukiko used his/her last disguise, he/she can re-use Choose Costumes. During the day (and during prep phase), Irish/Yukiko may choose who to disguise as for the following night, out of their chosen 3 costumes, using this ability. Once a costume has been used, they may not re-use it again unless they choose it again with Re-choose Costumes. Needs to accuse a player for a specific crime during a specific past phase: "Arrest Akonyl for Killing Conia on Night 1" or "Arrest Conia for Slandering pofa on Night 2" or "Arrest Sebolains for disguising as Megure on Night 3." MAY NOT arrest someone for helping with a crime: "Akonyl helped Conia in killing pofa" Being in the BO isn't a crime. For the third time, you can't arrest Conia for being Gin. Stop trying. If the BO bribe-kills a target that should be successfully arrested in the same phase, the arrest will still go through, but the target will die. The cop will be notified that their arrest was successful, and they will not be suspended. The BO can't arrest someone for a blamed action in any way. Only one player at a time can be in detention, unless there are multiple people disguised as Satou. The player will be released automatically after 3 phases or if Satou dies. If Detain is used on Day 2, the player will be in jail for Night 3 and Day 3 but released before Night 4 starts. If all BO players are either dead or arrested and the only remaining BO is in detention, the game ends. If a BO player is due to be released at the end of the phase where the only other BO player remaining is arrested/killed, the game will continue with that one BO player remaining. If Satou is discombobulated while after she detained a player, she will not release said player. If Satou is suspended after the phase she had detained, she will not release said player until the normal time. If Satou detains a player with Vengeance or Revenge, she will not get injured. This protect will hinder lynching, killing, sniping and even APTX. Does not hinder Akai's vengeance or Chianti/Korn's Revenge. Nakamori will learn that the player was in disguise and also which disguise it was. If the player was disguised as Akai, Nakamori will auto-arrest the disguiser and be injured. If Yukiko or Irish is pinched and arrested, they do not get a new role automatically if freed. They will receive a new list and will have to Re-choose costumes. Vermouth/KID will automatically get a new disguise, however. May also choose one individual to Protect at night. If said individual is about to be killed by the BO, he again Protects the individual. The target in this case learns that he was Protected. Neither the Protected individual nor the Protector will learn the identity of the attacker. If sniped, the target survives, but the protector dies in their place. If Akai gets lynched, he'll kill the person he voted for too. If Akai is arrested, he will injure the arresting officer, like the snipers. If a player disguised as Akai is pinched, the auto-arrest will occur as normal and so he will injure the person who pinched him and then go to jail. An injured BO will lose all of his abilities, and abilities to kill (like sniping). However, they can still regularly kill at night, APTX and use items like black suitcase and bow-tie/watch. Last edited by Kamite on March 20th, 2019, 5:00 pm, edited 2 times in total. -Kogoro has Guard and Yoko is back with Discombobulated . -Assassin is now Traitor with changes to its abilities. -Yamamura is back with Confuse. Also the time announcer shows march 29th. So, is everybody also waiting for the last day to join? dumytru wrote: So, is everybody also waiting for the last day to join? Game cancelled due to small players . Going to try this again in a month.

2019-04-20T06:44:27Z

http://forums.dctp.ws/viewtopic.php?f=30&p=881437

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A full review of progress to date – both accomplishments and shortcomings – is available here. How we fall short: Our staff is not as diverse as we would like it to be. Steps we took to improve: we have continually strived for a diverse pipeline of candidates when hiring, and we intensified our focus on this issue in 2014. As of mid-2015, we have made significant progress but still feel we have significant room for improvement. How we fell short: In early 2016, we began work on reviewing the evidence base for a large number of programs to determine which of them we should consider to be priority programs. Our 2016 research plan discusses this priority (referred to as "intervention prioritization"). As of the end of 2018, we have completed a significant number of these analyses but have only published approximately 10 interim intervention reports that came out of this work. A significant amount of the work that we've done to prioritize interventions and top charity investigations remains private, in internal documents that we have not shared because we have not put in the time to ensure the work is of publishable quality. In addition, since early 2017, we have had a significant number of conversations with charities about applying for a GiveWell recommendation or have completed a preliminary evaluation of a charity's application. This work also remains private. In some cases, this is because we did not get permission to publish information from those we spoke to. In other cases, this is because we have not put in the time to write up what we have learned in a format that is of publishable quality and seek permission to publish it. While we don't believe that publishing this work would have changed any of the recommendations we make to donors, we see this body of private materials as a substantial failure to be transparent about our work. We believe that transparency is important for explaining our process and allowing others to vet our work. The process of formally writing up our research and seeking internal and external feedback has also on occasion changed our conclusions. Steps we took to improve: As of December 2018, this remains a problem. We believe the cause has been a failure to build and devote staff capacity to publishing as we increased capacity dedicated to conducting intervention and charity investigations. We now are planning to build a larger team, with a focus on building capacity to create reports of publishable quality. We expect this capacity will allow us to publish our backlog of material and maintain our transparency standards going forward. However, we expect that developing this capacity will take some time, and that this issue will remain until we do so. How we fell short: From 2014 to 2016, we produced relatively few intervention reports, a crucial part of our research process. Our low production may be explained by the fact that we tasked relatively junior, inexperienced staff with these reports. We did not prioritize hiring a specialist, likely someone with a PhD in economics or the equivalent, who would have likely been able to complete many more reports during this time. This delayed our research and has potentially led us to recommend fewer top charities than we otherwise might have. Steps we've taken to improve: In September 2016, we began recruiting for a Senior Fellow to fill this role. The role was filled in May 2017. How we fell short: We realized in 2016 that some charities had misconceptions about our criteria, value-added, and research process. For example, some charities told us that they thought charities could only be recommended for three years; others weren't aware that we had recommended million-dollar "incentive grants" to top charities. Steps we've taken to improve: We have assigned a staff member the duties of charity liaison. This person will be responsible for communicating with charities that are considering applying, to help them with our process and correct misconceptions. Since 2009, we've made a practice of publishing notes from conversations with charities and other relevant parties. Our practice is to share the conversation notes we take with the other party before publication so that they can make changes to the text before publication. We only publish a version of the notes that the other party approves and will keep the entire conversation confidential if the party asks us to. In November 2012, a staff member completed an audit of all conversations that we had published. He identified two instances where we had erroneously published the pre-publication (i.e., not-yet-approved) version of the notes. We have emailed both organizations to apologize and inform them of the information that we erroneously shared. In October 2012, we published a blog post titled, "Evaluating people." Though the final version of the post did not discuss specific people or organizations, a draft version of the post had done so. We erroneously published the draft version which discussed individuals. We recognized our error within 5 minutes of posting and replaced the post with the correct version; the draft post was available in Google's cache for several hours and was likely available to people who received the blog via RSS if they had their RSS reader open before we corrected our error (and did not refresh their reader). We immediately emailed all of the organizations and people that we had mentioned to apologize and included the section we had written about them. Note that none of the information we published was confidential; we merely did not intend to publish this information and it had not been fully vetted by GiveWell staff and sent to the organizations for pre-publication comment. Steps we've taken to improve: In November 2012, we instituted a new practice for publishing conversation notes. We now internally store both private and publishable versions of conversation notes in separate folders (we hope that this practice reduces the likelihood that we upload the wrong file) and have assigned a staff member to perform a weekly audit to check whether any confidential materials have been uploaded. As of this writing (December 2012) we have performed 3 audits and found no instances of publishing private material. We take the issue of publishing private materials very seriously because parties that share private materials with us must have confidence that we will protect their privacy. We have therefore reexamined our procedures for uploading files to our website and are planning to institute a full scale audit of files that are currently public as well as an ongoing procedure to audit our uploads. October 2016 Update: We now have a publishing process that clearly separates publishable versions of conversation notes from private versions of notes, and we periodically audit published notes to ensure that all interviewee's suggestions have been incorporated. As of this time, our process requires that explicit approval to publish is given for each file we upload, and we periodically audit these uploads to ensure that private information has not been uploaded to our server. How we fell short: We continue to struggle with an appropriate tone on our blog, one that neither understates nor overstates our confidence in our views (particularly when it comes to charities that we do not recommend). An example of a problematic tone is our December 2009 blog post, Celebrated Charities that we Don't Recommend. Although it is literally true that we don't recommend any of the charities listed in that post, and although we stand by the content of each individual blog post linked, the summaries make it sound as though we are confident that these charities are not doing good work; in fact, it would be more accurate to say that the information we would need to be confident isn't available, and we therefore recommend that donors give elsewhere unless they have information we don't. We wish to be explicit that we are forming best guesses based on limited information, and always open to changing our minds, but readers often misunderstand us and believe we have formed confident (and, in particular, negative) judgments. This leads to unnecessary hostility from, and unnecessary public relations problems for, the groups we discuss. How we fell short: Between July 2009 and November 2010, we assigned zero- to three-star ratings to all charities we examined. We did so in response to feedback from our fans and followers - in particular, arguments that people want easily digested, unambiguous “bottom line” information that can help them make a decision in a hurry and with a clean conscience. Ultimately, however, we decided that the costs of the ratings - in terms of giving people the wrong impression about where we stood on particular charities - outweighed the benefits. Steps we have taken to improve: By December 2010 we will replace our quantitative ratings with more complex and ambiguous bottom lines that link to our full reviews. How we fell short: As part of an effort to gain publicity, GiveWell's staff (Holden and Elie) posted comments on many blogs that did not give adequate disclosure of our identities (we used our first names, but not our full names, and we didn't note that we were associated with GiveWell); in a smaller number of cases, we posted comments and sent emails that deliberately concealed our identities. Our actions were wrong and rightly damaged GiveWell's reputation. More detail is available via the page for the board meeting that we held in response. Given the nature of our work, it is essential that we hold ourselves to the highest standards of transparency in everything we do. Our poor judgment caused many people who had not previously encountered GiveWell to become extremely hostile to it. Steps we have taken to improve: We issued a full public disclosure and apology, and directly notified all existing GiveWell donors of the incident. We held a Board meeting and handed out penalties that were publicly disclosed, along with the audio of the meeting. We increased the Board's degree of oversight over staff, particularly with regard to public communications. How we fell short: For our first year of research, we grouped charities into causes ("Saving lives," "Global poverty," etc.) based on the idea that charities within one cause could be decided on by rough but consistent metrics: for example, we had planned to decide Cause 1 (saving lives in Africa) largely on the basis of estimating the “cost per life saved” for each applicant. The extremely disparate nature of different charities' activities meant that there were major limits to this type of analysis (we had anticipated some limits, but we encountered more). Because of our commitment to make one grant per cause and our overly rigid and narrow definitions of "causes," we feel that we allocated our grant money suboptimally. For example, all Board members agreed that we had high confidence in two of our Cause 1 (saving lives) applicants, but very low confidence in all of our Cause 2 (global poverty) applicants. Yet we had to give equal size grants to the top applicant in each cause (and give nothing to the 2nd-place applicant in Cause 1). Steps we have taken to improve: We have shifted our approach to "causes" so that they are defined more broadly. This gives us more flexibility to grant the organizations that appeal to us most. We now explore broad sets of charities that intersect in terms of the people they serve and the research needed to understand them, rather than narrower causes based on the goal of an “apples to apples” comparison using consistent metrics. For example, our recent research report addresses the broad area of international aid (note that this link goes to the research homepage). October 2016 Update: The process we now use for identifying top charities and priority programs is detailed here. In a sheet that consolidated information from other sheets, we mistakenly included one funding gap twice. This led us to calculate the amount to recommend that Good Ventures grant to Evidence Action's Deworm the World Initiative as &dollar;100,000 higher than we would have without the error (&dollar;10.4 million instead of &dollar;10.3 million). We learned of this error because Deworm the World brought it to our attention. We expect to reduce the amount that we recommend that Good Ventures grant to Evidence Action in a future grant by an offsetting amount. In the same spreadsheet, we increased our estimate of the total amount of additional funding that Malaria Consortium could absorb by &dollar;4.8 million over what we had calculated originally, based on new information we received from Malaria Consortium. We later realized that we had not added in Malaria Consortium's 10% overhead rate, leading us to underestimate the total Malaria Consortium could absorb by &dollar;480,000. This did not affect our recommendation to Good Ventures or other donors because the amount we recommended these donors give was limited by the amount of funding available, rather than by the amount that Malaria Consortium could absorb. Steps we took to improve: 2018 was the first time that we used this spreadsheet format to calculate our recommendations to Good Ventures. While the errors made in 2018 did not, in the end, result in over- or under-funding any top charities, they are indicative of ways spreadsheet errors could lead to mistakes in funding levels. We expect to make updates to the format in 2019 to reduce the risk of error and to build in checks for discrepancies. How we fell short: Each year, GiveWell publishes a metrics report on our money moved and web traffic. These metrics are part of how we evaluate ourselves. We failed to publish a complete metrics report in 2017, only publishing an interim report at the end of September. Steps we took to improve: We misassessed the difficulty involved in completing the metrics report. We reassigned responsibility to another staff member who plans to prioritize and publish our 2016 metrics report as soon as possible and 2017 metrics report as soon as possible in 2018. How we fell short: On November 29th, we released updated charity recommendations. Three of our seven top charities implemented a variety of programs, and our recommendation for them was restricted to a specific program. We did not clearly communicate this fact on our top charities or donate pages, potentially causing donors who gave directly to these three organizations (as opposed to giving via the GiveWell website) to fail to restrict their donations to the programs we recommend. Steps we've taken to improve: We have updated the pages to reflect the fact that our recommendation for these charities is program-specific. How we fell short: In early 2015, we discovered some errors in our cost-effectiveness analysis of DMI. See this blog post for details. Steps we have taken to improve: Going forward, we plan to improve the general transparency and clarity of our cost-effectiveness models, and explicitly prioritize work on cost-effectiveness throughout our research process. See this section of our 2015 annual review for more. How we fell short: We were not highly confident in our cost-effectiveness estimates when we announced our updated charity recommendations at the end of 2014, a fact we noted in the post, because we finalized our cost-effectiveness analyses later in the year than would have been ideal. See this part of our 2014 annual review for more detail. Steps we have taken to improve: We plan to improve these analyses by reworking our cost-effectiveness models to improve the general transparency and clarity of the analyses and explicitly prioritizing work on cost-effectiveness throughout our research process. We are also experimenting with more formal project management to increase the likelihood that we complete all tasks necessary for our year-end recommendations update at the appropriate time. How we fell short: We published fewer intervention reports than we had planned to at the beginning of 2014. We completed two new intervention reports in 2014, but at the beginning of 2014, we wrote that we hoped to publish 9-14 new reports during the year. On reflection, our goal of publishing 9-14 intervention reports was arbitrary and unrealistic given the amount of time that it has typically taken us to complete intervention reports in the past. See this part of our 2014 annual review for more detail. Steps we have taken to improve: We have learned more about how much work is involved in completing an intervention report and hope to make more realistic projections about how many we can complete in the future. How we fell short: In 2014, we erred in our recommendation to Good Ventures about its giving allocation to our top charities. We made this recommendation two weeks before we announced our recommendations publicly so that we could announce their grants as part of our top charities announcement. If we had fully completed our analysis before making a recommendation to Good Ventures, we likely would have recommended relatively more to AMF and relatively less to GiveDirectly. See this part of our 2014 annual review for more detail. Steps we have taken to improve: In the end, we adjusted the public targets we announced based on the grants Good Ventures had committed to, so we don’t believe that donors gave suboptimally overall. In the future we expect to make — and announce — our recommendations to Good Ventures and the general public simultaneously. How we fell short: In our 2014 recommendation cycle, we did not alert our candidate charities of our "Standout Charity" second-tier rating prior to announcing our recommendations publicly. Some of our candidate charities were surprised when they saw their ranking as a "Standout Charity," as they had been assuming that they would either be recommended as a top charity or not recommended at all. Steps we have taken to improve: We will be more cognizant of how we communicate with charities in the future and will continue to solicit feedback from them so we can identify any other ways in which our communication with them is suboptimal. How we fell short: Elie assigned a relatively new Research Analyst to the task of updating the intervention report on cash transfers. The analyst made the specific updates asked for in the task, which led him to change the report’s conclusion on the effect of cash transfers on business expenditures and revenue. A Summer Research Analyst vetted the page, and we published it. After publishing the update, another GiveWell staff member, who had worked on the page previously, noticed that the report’s conclusion on business expenditures and revenue misstated our view. Steps we have taken to improve: When this mistake was identified, we made two changes. First, when passing off ownership of a page from one staff member to another, we involved all staff members who had previously owned the page via an explicit "hand-off" meeting, and by getting their approval before publishing the page. Second, we became more careful to ensure that all changes made by relatively inexperienced staff are reviewed by more experienced staff before publication. October 2016 Update: At the time of this update (October 2016), we still aim to hold an explicit "hand-off" meeting which include staff who previously owned the page, although this meeting does not always include all staff who previously owned the page. We do not require the approval of all staff who previously owned the page prior to publication. How we fell short: On February 4, 2014, we asked our website developer to make a change to the code that generates our homepage. In the process, he inadvertently copied the homepage content from November 2013. This content had two main differences with the up-to-date content. First, it described our top charities as “proven, cost-effective, underfunded and outstanding” rather than “evidence-backed, thoroughly vetted, and underfunded,” wording we changed in late-2013 because we felt it more accurately described our top charities. Second, it listed our top charities as AMF, GiveDirectly, and SCI, rather than GiveDirectly, SCI, and Deworm the World. According to our web analytics, 98 people visited our AMF page directly after visiting the homepage, possibly believing AMF to be a top charity of ours. Note that the top of our AMF review correctly described our position on AMF at this time. Steps we’ve taken to improve: We discovered the problem on February 25 and fixed it immediately. We have added a step to our standard process for checking the website after a developer works on it to look for content that is not up to date. How we fell short: Timothy Telleen-Lawton (GiveWell staff member as of April 2013) has been friends with Paul Niehaus (GiveDirectly President and Director) for many years. When Timothy met Holden Karnofsky (GiveWell's Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director) in April 2011, he suggested that GiveWell look into GiveDirectly and introduced Holden and Paul by email. GiveWell later recommended GiveDirectly as a top charity in November 2012, before Timothy was on GiveWell staff. Starting in January 2013, Holden started living in a shared house with Timothy, around the same time Timothy started a trial to work at GiveWell. Paul has visited and stayed at the shared house several times. We should have publicly disclosed the social connection between Paul and Holden and Timothy. Note that this mistake solely relates to information we should have publicly disclosed to avoid any appearance of impropriety. We do not believe that this relationship had any impact on our charity rankings. Timothy was not the staff member responsible for the evaluation of GiveDirectly, and Holden has had relatively little interaction with Paul (and had relatively little interaction with Timothy prior to moving to San Francisco in 2013). Steps we have taken to improve: We publicly disclosed this fact in December 2013; at that time, we also created a page to disclose conflicts of interest. How we fell short: We aimed to publish regular updates on the Against Malaria Foundation, but we went most of the year (February to September) without any updates. This was caused by our desire to publish comprehensive updates, and we allowed expectations of new information being available shortly to delay publishing brief updates that had meaningful but limited information. Steps we have taken to improve: As of July 2013, we changed our process for completing top-charity updates. We began publishing notes from our conversations with these charities (as we do for many of the conversations we have more generally) which should lead to more timely updates on our top charities. October 2016 Update: We now plan to publish twice-yearly 'refreshes' of all of our top charity recommendations, in addition to publishing conversation notes and relevant updates throughout the year. How we fell short: From May 20 to June 26, private content was intermittently available to the public on the GiveWell website. A change we made on May 20 caused pages set to be visible by staff only to appear, in some browsers, as a page with a login screen and below it, the unpublished content. Unpublished content includes both confidential information and incomplete research. Confidential information on unpublished pages is generally information that we expect to be able to publish, but which we have not yet received approval from an external party to publish. However, there are exceptions to this and it is possible that sensitive information was revealed. We are not aware of any cases of sensitive information being revealed. Steps we have taken to improve: We fixed the problem a few hours after discovering it. We have added monitoring of unpublished pages to our list of regular website checks. How we fell short: During this period, our jobs page invited applicants to apply for our research analyst role. We responded to every applicant by asking them to work on a "charity comparison assignment" in which each applicant compared three charities and discussed which charity they would support and why. This assignment took applicants between 6 and 10 hours to complete. During this period, approximately 50 applicants submitted the assignment, of which we interviewed approximately 8. We now feel that asking all applicants to complete this test assignment likely took more of their time than was necessary at an early stage in the recruiting process and may have led some strong applicants to choose not to apply. Steps we've taken to improve: We no longer ask all applicants to complete this assignment. In December 2012, we changed our jobs page to more clearly communicate about our hiring process. How we fell short: In early GiveWell years, we aimed to release updated recommendations by December 1st in order to post our recommendations before "giving season," the weeks at the end of the year when the vast majority of donations are made. In 2011, we released our recommendations in the last week of November, but then ran into problems related to donation processing. To alleviate those problems in the future, we planned to release our recommendations in 2012 by November 1st to give us sufficient time to deal with problems before the end of the year rush of giving. In 2012, we did not release our recommendations until the last week of November (significantly missing our goal). We continued to publish research about the cost-effectiveness and evidence of effectiveness for the interventions run by our top charities throughout December, which meant that some donors were making their giving decisions before we had published all the relevant information. The primary cause of the delay was that we did not start work on GiveDirectly, the new 2012 top-rated charity until mid-September, which did not give us enough time to finish its full review by the November 1st deadline. Steps we've taken to improve: In 2013, we again aim to release our recommendations by November 1. This year, we plan to explicitly consider possible top-rated charities on July 1st and move forward with any contenders at that point. October 2016 Update: We now aim to publish our top-charity recommendations before U.S. Thanksgiving each year, so as to make them available throughout the year-end giving season. Steps we've taken to improve: GiveWell staff will be more attentive in the future to sharing sensitive public information with the board member responsible for public communication before posting. How we fell short: Throughout GiveWell's history, we have relied on Skype and staff's individual cell phones to make phone calls. This led to instances of poor call quality or dropped calls, but given the fact that GiveWell was a startup, those we spoke with generally understood. In addition, we had not always confirmed with call participants the phone number to use for a particular call or set up and send agendas for the call in advance. Earlier in GiveWell's history, participants likely understood that we were a very new, small organization just getting started and aiming to control costs. But, as we've grown this is no longer a reasonable justification, and both of the problems listed here may have had implications for the professionalism we've projected to those we've spoken with. Steps we have taken to improve: We have continued to be more vigilant about confirming that all participants are aware of the number to use for scheduled calls. In March 2012, we set up dedicated lines and handsets for our calls. While Google covers credit card processing fees for charities enrolled in the Google Grants program (which includes GiveWell, itself, and many of our top charities), many charities are not enrolled and therefore donors who give to them via our website do pay credit card processing fees on their donations. While these fees are small in absolute terms for smaller donors, a 3% fee on a &dollar;10,000 donation is &dollar;300. Some donors may realize this and choose to give via credit card regardless. Some, however, may not have realized this and would have preferred to have mailed a check to save the fee. October 2016 Update: Donors who support GiveWell or our top charities charities through donations to GiveWell are subject to payment processing fees that vary depending on the platform through which they donate; we no longer receive free processing through Google due to the end of that program. We have published a page detailing the options for donating to GiveWell and associated fees, as well as advice for larger donors interested in minimizing such fees. People making large donations very frequently run into problems with their credit card companies (due to the fact that they are spending so much more on a single item than they usually do). In our experience, about half of donations over &dollar;5,000 are declined the first time a donor tries to make the gift and are only cleared after he or she speaks with his card company. This creates confusion and unexpected hassle for donors trying to give to charity. Giving via appreciated stock has beneficial implications for donors allowing them to reduce future capital gains taxes and therefore give more to charity (without giving more "real" money). We did not broadcast this message to donors. October 2016 Update: In addition to our page listing giving options for donors, we also have a page of advice for larger donors, including donating appreciate securities. On December 21, 2011, a representative from Imperial College Foundation (the organization receiving donations for the support of the Schistosomiasis Control Initiative, our #2-rated charity in 2011) emailed us to let us know that its Google Checkout account had been suspended. Donors who wanted to give to SCI via the GiveWell website give via Google Checkout, and though the Google Checkout button is on the GiveWell website, the charity owns the Checkout account and donations go right to it. GiveWell staff therefore did not know there was a problem until the ICF representative informed us of it. We still do not know how long the problem lasted or whether any donors attempted to make donations during the time the account was suspended. (We do not even know how Google communicated to them about the error). ICF contacted Google but has not determined what led to the account suspension. Once we learned of the problem, we reconfigured donations to go through GiveWell. As noted elsewhere on this page, many larger donations made via credit card are initially declined by credit card companies due to the fact that many donors give a larger amount to charity than they spend in a single purchase throughout the year. Because donations go directly to our charities, at times, GiveWell has to coordinate with charities representatives to cancel charges so that donors feel safe resubmitting their donation. This creates confusion, wastes time, and doesn't allow donors to complete the transaction as quickly as they would like. Setting up trackable donation processing for our top charities requires individual communication with each charity. This means that we must spend time communicating with each charity, and each charity must spend time creating its account. Also, in the event that the charity does not have time to set up the account or sets up the account but it has a problem, the required tracking may not be in place. With several charities in 2011, tracking was either not set up at the time we released our recommendations or we needed to create a one-off workaround to track donations to them. We plan to better advise larger donors of their non-credit-card options for donating and potential hassles of donating via credit card. October 2016 Update: We have a page of advice for larger donors that discusses options for making large donations. We also have an information page discussing different donation options. We are now considering switching over donations to all charities to go through GiveWell so that we are immediately aware of any problems. October 2016 Update: We offer donors the option of donating to GiveWell for regranting to our top charities, or donating directly to our top charities and letting us know that they've done so. We aim to complete our recommendations earlier in 2012 than 2011 (to give us additional time to address any problems that come up). How we fell short: Our top-rated charity in 2011 was the Against Malaria Foundation. We made two errors in the way we communicated to donors about the ramifications of donating to AMF. Fees: On our donate to AMF page, we told donors that "no fees are charged on donations to AMF." This was incorrect. Donors who give via AMF's website are charged normal credit card processing fees. We now understand that we miscommunicated with AMF on this issue; AMF did not intend to communicate that there are no processing fees and was unaware that we were communicating this on our site. Fees: We changed the language on our page to clarify that credit card fees are charged on donations via AMF's website. We also provided donors who wished to give for the support of AMF the option to give donations directly to GiveWell. Because GiveWell was enrolled in Google's Grants program, Google paid credit card processing fees for donations. GiveWell then had the ability to regrant these funds to AMF. October 2016 Update: Credit card processing fees are incurred if a donor supports AMF through GiveWell; they are no longer covered by Google. Additional details are available here. Tax deductibility in Australia: We took several actions. (1) We emailed Rob Mather, AMF's CEO. He agreed that the charity status page on AMF's website was misleading. AMF edited the page to clarify its status in Australia, and Rob Mather offered to refund any donations (or parts of donations) made by Australians relying on the fact that they could receive a tax deduction. (2) On our site, we removed Australia from the list of countries in which AMF is registered for individual-donor tax deductibility. (3) We emailed all Australian donors who had given to AMF (and had found AMF via GiveWell) since we had posted that donations to AMF are tax-deductible for Australians to let them know we had erred and we communicated Rob Mather's offer to refund donations. AMF is in the process of applying for tax deductible status for individuals and will inform us if and when that has been granted. AMF has also told us that the two donors that have asked for refunds have both said they will donate the same amount to AMF when the tax deductible status is in place. As of September 2015, gifts from individuals to AMF are tax deductible in Australia. See this blog post for details. How we fell short: When reviewing Village Enterprise (formerly Village Enterprise Fund) in late 2009, we projected that they would spend 41% of total expenses on grants to business groups, because we misinterpreted a document they sent us which projected spending 41% of total expenses on business grants and mentorship expenses. We do not know what mentorship expenses were expected to be so we do not know the magnitude of our error. Village Enterprise ended up spending 20% of total expenses on business grants in FY 2010. We caught this mistake ourselves when we were updating the review in August 2011. Village Enterprise plans to spend 28% of total expenses on business grants in FY 2012. Steps we are taking to improve: We have updated our review of Village Enterprise to reflect the correct distribution of expenses. Going forward, before publishing a page, at least one additional GiveWell employee will check the original source of figures that play a key role in our conclusions about a charity or program. October 2016 Update: We do not always implement this check before publication; sometimes pages are vetted after they are published. How we fell short: Between 8/1/2009-12/31/2009, we accepted applications for &dollar;250,000 in funding for economic empowerment programs in sub-Saharan Africa. We attempted to be extremely clear with charities that we planned on sharing the materials they submitted, and that agreeing to disclosure was a condition of applying, but in a minority of cases, we failed to communicate this. We conceded these cases and gave the charities in question the opportunity to have their materials - and even the mention of the fact that they had applied for funding - withheld. We try to avoid keeping materials confidential unless absolutely necessary, and in this case our unclear communications led to confrontations and to confidentiality situations that could have been avoided. Details at this blog post. We offered the minority of charities with whom we'd been unclear the option not only to have their materials omitted, but to have us not disclose the fact that they applied for funding from us. We added clarificatory language to the top of our charity reviews, in order to clarify what a "0-star rating" means. In the future, we may publicly publish pages on charities we consider before we accept materials from them, in order to make our intentions about disclosure and public discussion absolutely clear. October 2016 Update: Details of our current transparency policy are available here. In this case, we published our post without such a check, reasoning that we were not sharing any substantive materials (only paraphrasing general statements from representatives). Doing so gave the impression that sharing more information can result in more negative coverage. We continue to struggle with the balance between disclosing as much information as possible and avoiding disincentives to share information. We will not find a solution in every case, but feel that we mishandled this one. Steps we have taken to improve: We have let Acumen Fund know that we regret this incident and resolved to be more careful about quoting from representatives and grant applications in the future. How we fell short: In May 2009, we discussed the Millions Saved project with a staff member of the project, Dr. Jessica Gottlieb, and then published a copy of the recording of the conversation to our website. Dr. Gottlieb approved making the recording public on the condition that we remove personal references that she made during the conversation. We partially removed the references, but we failed to remove one person's email address and Dr. Gottlieb's suggestion that we speak with a particular person. We noticed this error in February 2014 while preparing to use this recording as part of a test assignment for potential employees. According to our logs, no one had downloaded the audio file during the previous year. Steps we have taken to improve: We notified Dr. Gottlieb about this mistake and apologized to her. Subsequent to (and unrelated to this error), we had implemented a formal procedure for reviewing uploaded files to confirm that all requested changes to files have been made. How we fell short: At our board meeting in January 2008, we agreed to explore options for professional development and mentoring, in light of the relative youth and inexperience of our staff. GiveWell staff put a lower priority on this than more time-sensitive goals, and while we explored a few options, we made little progress on it between January and September. At the September Board meeting, the Board criticized this lack of progress and reiterated the need for professional development and mentoring. Steps we have taken to improve: As of July 2009, we had two highly regular mentoring relationships, and two more in a "trial phase." We also stepped up Board oversight through a monthly conference call (attendance was optional but generally high) and more regular calls with Board Vice-President Lindy Miller. An update on professional development was presented at our July 2009 Board meeting.

2019-04-24T16:17:38Z

https://www.givewell.org/about/our-mistakes

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2019-04-26T04:49:40Z

http://youcantscriptbaseball.blogspot.com/2011/07/

A Dutch seller, plaintiff, delivered tannery machines "ex works on lorry" to a German buyer, defendant. The seller recovered the tannery machines in order to adjust parts of the equipment, with the promise to return them within an agreed period of time. As the seller did not return the machines within such period of time, the buyer contracted a third party for treating its leather goods. When asked to apply the purchase price, the buyer counterclaimed compensation for its expenses. The seller claimed the right of retention of the machines. The appellate court held that the first instance court had jurisdiction under article 5(1) of the European Communities Convention on Jurisdiction and Enforcement of Judgements in Civil and Commercial Matters, according to which, jurisdiction is determined at the place where the obligation which is the basis of the claim was, or should have been, performed. The court further held that while the parties stipulated "ex works on lorry" in the contract, they had in fact agreed that the buyer's place of business in Germany would be the place of performance, as the seller delivered the machines at the buyer's business address (article 31 CISG). The court partially allowed the counterclaim under article 45 CISG and article 74 CISG. It held that the seller was obliged to return the machines in accordance with its agreement with the buyer, as the seller had no right of retention, neither under the seller's general business conditions nor under article 71 CISG. The seller had engaged itself unconditionally to return the tannery machines after adjustment, which meant that the parties had excluded the right of retention. The court held that article 45 CISG applied to any failure of performance by the seller, including lack of performance of secondary obligations. The court ruled that article 74 CISG included also the buyer's reasonable expenses to mitigate the loss, as it was forced to contract a third party due to the seller's failure to return the machines within the agreed period of time. The [buyer]'s appeal is admissible and partially successful. I. The Court of First Instance, LG [*] Aachen, also possessed the international jurisdiction to decide upon the counterclaim. The matter of jurisdiction needs to be examined by the Appellate Court, as � 512a ZPO [*] (which provides that the affirmation of the local jurisdiction by the Court of First Instance cannot be reviewed by the Court of Appeals), does not apply to the question of international jurisdiction (cf. BGH [*] GSZ 44, 46). However, the Court of First Instance was correct in assuming its jurisdiction. The jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance does not result from Art. 18, sent. 1, Brussels Convention [*], which was ratified by both the Federal Republic of Germany and The Netherlands (cf. Zöller/Geimer, ZPO, 20th ed., Art. 1 Brussels Convention n. 1), and which therefore principally applies to the present dispute. According to this provision, a court of a Contracting State before whom a defendant enters an appearance shall have jurisdiction. Under Art. 18, sent. 2, Brussels Convention, this rule does not apply where appearance was entered solely to contest the jurisdiction. If the defendant appears and contests the jurisdiction, it may at the same time make alternative pleadings regarding the substantive law without losing its objection to the jurisdiction (cf. ECJ [*] NJW [*] 1984, 2760). The party objected to the international jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance during the first instance proceedings and therefore did not lose its right to contest the jurisdiction by making alternative pleadings regarding the substantive law. "Exclusive forum for all disputes arising out of the legal relationship between the parties is for both parties the court to which the district Tilburg [Netherlands] belongs at the time of the delivery. We do, however, reserve the right to bring an action before the court of the other party's domicile or place of business." This clause also excludes the international jurisdiction of German courts over counterclaims against the [seller]. Whether the prorogation of a foreign jurisdiction also encompasses the derogation of the German jurisdiction over a counterclaim needs to be determined through an interpretation of the forum selection agreement (cf. Schumann in Stein/Jonas, ZPO, 20th ed., � 33 n. 41; Zöller/Geimer, Art. 17 Brussels Convention n. 16, 17). The interpretation of a forum selection clause in the present form is controversial. Following one scholarly opinion, it does not correspond to the typical intention of the parties to exclude the possibility of a counterclaim action at the derogated forum, even in the case that the party bringing the counterclaim is being sued at that place. Thus, the possibility of bringing a counterclaim at the derogated forum can only be excluded by explicit stipulation (see Zöller/Geimer, Art. 17 Brussels Convention n. 17). The Appellate Court does not side with this opinion, instead it follows the opposing view held by the Federal Supreme Court of Germany (BGH) [*]. The starting point of the BGH's view is the principle that a derogation may occur by ways of a positive forum selection agreement, if the interpretation of the clause leads to the conclusion that all other jurisdictions - including the one for the counterclaim - are intended to be excluded by the agreement (BGH NJW-RR [*]). The derogation of the counterclaim forum is also not precluded by the fact that the plaintiff [seller] brought its action originally before a court without jurisdictional competence (BGH NJW [*] 1981, 2645; NJW-RR 1987, 229). Thus, even if the plaintiff [seller] had brought its action before a court that did not possess jurisdiction, [seller] would still be entitled to object to the jurisdiction of that very court regarding the [buyer]'s counterclaim. The prorogation of a foreign jurisdiction by way of a contract clause such as no. 17 of the [seller]'s conditions includes the derogation of the German jurisdiction for the counterclaim. If, under the forum selection clause, the [seller]'s customer is only able to bring an action before a foreign court, this includes the counterclaim. A restrictive interpretation of the contract, to the extent that the counterclaim does not fall under that clause, is excluded by a comparison of the parties' interests. A forum selection clause contained in the general conditions of one party is supposed to favor the party who incorporated the standard terms into the contract. An interpretation of the clause which deviates from its wording to that party's disadvantage needs to be justified with important considerations. Such reasons are nonexistent in the present case. The customer is under no circumstances being treated unfairly if [buyer] is precluded from suing the [seller] in the court in which the original claim is pending. The party who relies on the general conditions is acting in its customer's interest by suing [seller] at the customer's place of business. The customer may not benefit further from this concession in the way that the party relying on the general conditions would now also be obliged to have [seller] sued at the customer's place of business (BGH NJW 1969, 1537; see also BGH NJW 1972, 1671; NJW 1981, 2645). Therefore, clause 17 of the [seller]'s standard terms precludes the [buyer]'s possibility to sue the [seller] on a counterclaim before a German court. Nevertheless, the [seller] cannot successfully rely on its general terms and conditions for the matter of international jurisdiction, as the forum selection clause in its standard terms was not validly incorporated into the contract. The requirements for the inclusion of a forum selection clause under Art. 17 para. 1, sent. 2, Brussels Convention are not met in the present case. There is no indication that the parties have established between themselves a form [of practice] for an agreement conferring jurisdiction (Art. 17 para. 1, sent. 2(b), Brussels Convention). Furthermore, it is neither apparent nor submitted by the [seller] that an international trade usage exists which could lead to the validity of the forum selection clause (Art. 17 para.1, sent. 2(c), Brussels Convention). The requirements of Art. 17 para. 1, sent. 2(a), according to which an agreement conferring jurisdiction shall be either in writing or evidenced in writing, are also not met. Admittedly, the two pieces in writing of 10 December 1993, that are described as "confirmation of order" and are signed by both parties, are evidenced in writing. However, the further "confirmation of order" of the same day regarding the delivery of a hide stripping device and a used leather tacking machine was signed solely by the [seller] and constitutes a written confirmation of an oral contractual agreement in the meaning of a document "partially in writing" (cf. BGH [*] NJW [*] 1994, 2700). The requirements of Art. 17 Brussels Convention are met by these order confirmations insofar as the wording of the contract itself explicitly refers to the forum selection clause in the [seller]'s standard terms (cf. ECJ [*] NJW 1977, 494; BGH NJW 1994, 2700). However, this fact alone is not sufficient for an incorporation of the forum selection clause into the contract. It rather needs to be established that the standard terms were in fact available to the other party at the time of the conclusion of the contract (ECJ, op. cit.; BGH op. cit.). The [seller] did not explicitly deny the [buyer]'s objection that the [seller]'s standard terms were not made available to [buyer] with respect to the contracts at issue, and the [seller] offered no proof to that effect. [Seller] relies solely on the contention that the [buyer] had received [seller]'s general terms in the process of an earlier transaction in the year 1990. This, however, would not be sufficient to validly incorporate the forum selection clause into the contracts at issue. An agreement regarding a forum selection clause contained in general conditions is - with regard to the principle of good faith - also assumed to be formed, if the contract was concluded orally in the framework of continuous business relations between the parties and if it is clear that these relations in their entirety underlie certain standard terms which contain a clause conferring jurisdiction (ECJ NJW 1977, 495; BGH NW 1994, 2700). These prerequisites are not met in the case at hand. A "continuous business relationship" can certainly not be assumed if there was only one previous order [OLG [*] Köln, RIW [*] 1988, 557; Zöller/Geimer, Art. 17 Brussels Convention no. 11). The [seller] solely submits one previous order by the [buyer] on 11 June 1990. Admittedly, the [buyer]'s submission that "there have been previous business dealings between the parties, such as in June 1990" leads one to conclude that the earlier relations between the parties were not restricted to a single order. However, the [seller] did not communicate any further details. Furthermore and above all, the Appellate Court cannot assume a "continuous relationship" between the parties with respect to the intervals of time concerned. At the time of the conclusion of the contracts at issue, the previous contract formation in June 1990 - as submitted by the [seller] - would already have been 3 � years ago. It needs to be taken into account that the prerequisites stated in Art. 17 Brussels Convention for the validity of forum selection clauses must be interpreted restrictively (EuGH NJW 1977, 494; BGH NJW 1994, 2699), due to the possible consequences of an agreement conferring jurisdiction over the parties' position during the legal proceedings. It has, moreover, not been established that the [buyer] did indeed receive the [seller]'s standard terms and conditions in connection with the contract concluded in June 1990. The [seller]'s letter of 11 June 1990 contains the remark: "All transactions are subject to our attached General Conditions". However, the onus of proof is on the [seller] to contradict the [buyer]'s objection that [buyer] did not receive the [seller]'s standard terms. It is not sufficient that the [seller]'s letter was made ready for mailing - as the witness S. testified. Admittedly, the [seller] is correct in raising the question whether the [buyer] was not obliged to have informed the [seller] that - contrary to the remark in [seller]'s letter of 11 June 1990 - [seller]'s general conditions had not been attached to the letter, and whether [buyer] is not barred by the principle of good faith from relying on its lack of knowledge of the content of the terms. Then again, the principle of restrictive interpretation of Art. 17 Brussels Convention might make it necessary to deny that question. In the end, this matter does not need to be decided, as there is definitely no continuous relationship between the parties. The international jurisdiction therefore results from the provisions of the Brussels Convention, according to which the Court of First Instance correctly affirmed its competence. Under Art. 6(3) Brussels Convention, a party domiciled in a Contracting State may also be sued on a counterclaim arising "from the same contract or facts on which the original claim was based," in the court in which the original claim is pending. The Appellate Court need not decide the controversy in this context, whether the jurisdiction under Art. 6(3) Brussels Convention only exists if the jurisdiction over the original claim was given under the Brussels Convention (cf. Gottwald, in: Münchener Kommentar zur ZPO, Art. 6 IZPR no. 11), or whether the action on the counterclaim may also be brought if the Brussels Convention was not relevant for the original claim (see for this opinion Schumann in Stein/Joans, � 33 n. 43). The jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance regarding the original claim results from the fact that the [buyer] entered an appearance before the Court of First Instance (Art. 18 Brussels Convention). However, there is also a controversy regarding the question how the requirement "from the same contract or facts on which the original claim was based" is to be interpreted. Some voice the opinion that the preconditions for the counterclaim are intentionally worded restrictively (Schumann, op. cit., n. 42), and that the counterclaim is not admissible to the same extent as it would be under � 33 ZPO [*]. The opposing view interprets the coherence requirement in Art. 6(3) Brussels Convention extensively (cf. Zöller/Geimer, Art. 6 Brussels Convention, n. 4), and argues that the possibility to bring a coherent counterclaim serves the aim of a procedural equality in force (Geimer, NJW [*] 1986, 2993). If one applies the principles of � 33 ZPO, the Court of First Instance without doubt possessed jurisdiction, as a "connection" between the [seller]'s claim and the [buyer]'s counterclaim clearly exists. Such a connection already exists if the different claims result from the same legal relationship; the legal basis for the claims need not be completely identical (Zöller/Vollkommer, � 33 n. 15). The [seller]'s claim is for payment of the remaining purchase price and the [buyer]'s counterclaim is for damages resulting from the same delivery contracts. It is irrelevant that the [seller] bases its claim for the outstanding purchase price on an intermediate settlement reached in the beginning of December 1994; a settlement generally does not modify the initial relation between the obligations in the way that the original debt is extinguished and replaced by a new claim (cf. BGH [*] NJW-RR [*] 1987, 1427). Furthermore, the [buyer]'s counterclaim before the Court of First Instance was also admissible under the more restrictive interpretation of Art. 6(3) Brussels Convention discussed above. This applies independently of the fact that the claim was not really based on the contractual relationship between the parties, but on the intermediate settlement closely connected with that relationship. At least the counterclaim is based on "the same ... facts". All claims raised in the present proceedings are based on the delivery of the machinery in dispute and the unwinding of the underlying sales contracts. These uniform facts of life meet the requirements of Art. 6(3) Brussels Convention and thus lead to the jurisdiction of the Court of First Instance. Apart from the jurisdiction under Art. 6(3) Brussels Convention, the competence of the Court of First Instance results from the legal aspect that a counterclaim is also admissible if the Court of First Instance possessed jurisdiction over the counterclaim under the Brussels Convention in case the action was brought independently (Gottwald, op. cit., Art. 6 IZPR n. 12). In the present case, Art. 5(1) Brussels Convention applies, according to which a person domiciled in a Contracting State may be sued in another Contracting State on matters relating to a contract in the courts for the place of performance of the obligation in question. Decisive for the determination of the international jurisdiction of the court for the place of performance is the performance that is at the issue of the claim If the plaintiff requests damages for breach of contract, the relevant obligation is the one which allegedly has not been correctly performed (cf. ECJ [*], NJW [*] 1977, 491; ECJ NJW 1987, 1132; BGH NJW 1994, 2700). As the defendant-counterclaiming [buyer] basically claims damages for a non-performance or mal-performance of the plaintiff [seller]'s obligation to deliver the goods, the jurisdiction follows the place of performance for the delivery obligation. The place of performance is to be determined following the substantive law. The substantive law, in turn, needs to be determined according to the rules of private international law of the place where the action was brought, that is, according to the German rules of private international law (ECJ NJW 1977, 491; ECJ NJW 1995, 183; BGH NJW 1988, 1467; BGH NJW 1994, 2700; OLG [*] Köln, RIW [*] 1988, 557). Under Art. 27(1) sent. 1 EGBGB [*], the contract is governed by the law chosen by the parties. Clause 17 of the [seller]'s standard terms provides that the legal relationship between the parties is governed by the standard terms and conditions and furthermore by Dutch law. The formation and validity of a choice of law agreement underlie the law chosen by the parties - Art. 27(4), 31(1) EGBGB, which also applies to choice of law clauses in standard terms (cf. BGH NJW 1994, 262; BGH NJW 1994, 2700; Palandt/Heldrich, BGB [*], 55th ed., Art. 27 EGBGB n. 8). The Appellate Court can leave open the question whether the [seller]'s standard terms were validly incorporated into the contract under Dutch law. If the [seller]'s standard terms apply, regard is to be had to the special clause no. 5, according to which the delivery is to be effected at the contractually agreed place of performance. Details regarding the place of performance are specified in the [seller]'s "confirmations of orders." How those specifications are to be interpreted must in any case be assessed under the United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods of 11 April 1980 (CISG), which both the Federal Republic of Germany and The Netherlands have ratified (Palandt/Heldrich, Art. 28 EGBGB [*] n. 7). The application of the CISG was not generally excluded by the [seller]'s standard terms. The [buyer]'s place of business is the place of performance for the [seller]'s delivery obligation. The place of delivery under Art. 31 CISG corresponds to the place of performance under � 269 BGB [*], and therefore may be referred to for the determination of the jurisdiction under Art. 5(1) Brussels Convention (Herber/Czerwenka, Internationales Kaufrecht, Art. 31 n. 2). It must be noted that in the cases cited by Art. 31 CISG, the place of performance is not identical with the [buyer]'s place of business. This is also true for Art. 31(a) CISG, which constitutes an obligation to dispatch the goods (Huber in: v.Caemmerer/Schlechtriem, Kommentar zum einheitlichen UN-Kaufrecht, Art. 31 n. 26). However, the legal consequences of Art. 31 CISG only come into play if the seller is "not bound to deliver the goods at any other particular place." A different "particular place" is specified, i.e., if the parties have agreed on a delivery "free domicile." In such a case, the buyer's place of business is stipulated as the place of delivery and the delivery obligation consists in handing over the goods to the buyer (Huber, op. cit., Art. 31 n. 4, 91, 92). This applies to the [seller]'s confirmations of orders from 10 December 1993 regarding the sale of tanning barrels as well as a hydraulic stretching, smoothing and ironing machine, which specify a delivery "free domicile Selfkant Tüddern, loaded on lorry." The [seller] was also obliged to hand over to the [buyer] at the [buyer]'s place of business the automatic hide skinning device as well as the used leather tacking machine referred to in the further confirmation of order of 10 December 1993. Admittedly, the term "ex works" used in the confirmation generally does not constitute a variation of the delivery place under Art. 31 CISG (Huber, op. cit., Art. 31 n. 4). However, the delivery specifications contain the remark "loaded onto lorry". In the absence of any different indicators, it can be assumed that the [seller] itself conducted the deliveries. This assumption is supported by the fact that the [seller] transported goods on its own lorries in connection with the later complaints of lack of conformity, i.e., the [seller] declared in its fax of 6 December 1994 that its employee would collect the queried leather tacking machine. Under these circumstances, the [buyer]'s place of business is also the place of delivery for the hide skinning device and the used leather tacking machine. In this context, the Appellate Court may leave open the question whether the application of Art. 31 CISG is already excluded because the seller's "own people" are not "carriers" in the meaning of Art. 31 CISG (as is the opinion of Herber/Czerwenka, Art. 31 n. 6) or whether it is irrelevant for the question of carriage of the goods whether the seller undertakes the transport itself or commissions an independent carrier (for this opinion cf. Huber, op. cit., Art. 31 n. 27). Even if one follows the latter opinion, the place where the seller is to deliver the goods is considered "any other particular place" in the meaning of Art. 31 CISG, if it has been contractually stipulated that the seller is to deliver the goods to the buyer's place by its own means (Huber, op. cit., Art. 31 n. 50). Therefore, for all of the [seller]'s delivery obligations, the place of performance in the meaning of Art. 5(1) Brussels Convention is the [buyer]'s place of business. Consequently, the Court of First Instance also possessed jurisdiction under the aspect that the jurisdiction over a counterclaim may result from the jurisdiction given if the counterclaim were raised independently. The [buyer]'s counterclaim is partially justified. The [buyer] is entitled to claim damages from the [seller] in the amount of DM [Deutsche Mark] 16,948 under Arts. 45, 74 CISG. The [seller] must reimburse the [buyer] for the costs incurred by commissioning company S. with the tanning of the hides in the period from 7 November till 2 December 1994. It had become necessary to let the hides be treated by a third party because the [seller] had retained the three tanning barrels originally delivered by it after [seller] had taken them back to convert them. It is disputed between the parties whether the [seller] was obliged to deliver barrels equipped with beams instead of barrels with taps, and whether the [seller] was therefore contractually required to re-equip the tanning barrels accordingly. In the end, the question does not influence the [buyer]'s right to claim damages. Following the parties' concurring submissions, the [seller] at least gave the [buyer] a binding assurance that the taps of the tanning barrels delivered would be exchanged for beams and that the barrels would be returned to the [buyer] after the conversion. The [seller] accordingly undertook - and breached - a contractual obligation. It is irrelevant whether the parties - as the [buyer] alleges - reached an oral agreement regarding the length of time required for the conversion and fixed a period of time for the return of the barrels. A corresponding agreement at least results from the correspondence between the parties before litigation; in the end, the [seller] itself does not deny that it promised the [buyer] to return the barrels that had been collected for conversion. After the [seller] had announced by fax of 18 October 1994 that it would collect the tanning barrels on 24 October, the [buyer] told the [seller] by fax of 21 October 1994 that [seller]'s manager had informed [seller] that the conversion of the tanning barrels would take one and a half days per barrel. The [buyer] further noted that the barrels, which were urgently needed by the [buyer], had to be returned by the end of the 43rd calendar week. Without objecting to that letter, the [seller], picked up the tanning barrels on 24 October 1994 at the [buyer]'s place of business, in accordance with its earlier announcement. [Seller] thus undertook an obligation to return the barrels to the [buyer] by the end of the 43rd calendar week, i.e., by Saturday 29 October 1994. The [seller] did not live up to this contractual agreement. The [seller] is liable for this breach of contract, even if one considers the [seller]'s submissions regarding the further correspondence with the [buyer], which are contained in the [seller]'s brief of 22 November 1996 and were not admitted by the Appellate Court due to delay. This is also true for the [seller]'s contention that the [buyer] demanded an impossible task from the [seller], because the re-equipment of the barrels including the dismantling and reconstruction took at least six and a half days. Apart from the fact that the [seller] did not object to the [buyer]'s confirmation of 21 October 1994, [seller]'s submission could only lead to a prolongation of the fixed period of time regarding the return of the barrels for a couple of days until the beginning of the following 44th calendar week. At least at this point in time, the [seller] was obliged to return to the [buyer] the tanning barrels that had been converted in the meantime. However, it is undisputed that this did not happen. The [seller] unsuccessfully tries to rely on a right of retention. This is quite independent of the question whether the [buyer] was obliged to pay the [seller] for the remainder of the purchase price. It is also irrelevant whether the [seller]'s standard conditions were incorporated into the contract and whether [seller]'s clause 13 applied, according to which the [seller] is entitled to take back the goods as long as its customer has not completely paid the contractually agreed amounts. Neither this clause nor Art. 71 CISG entitled the [seller] to retain the goods. Under Art. 71 CISG, a party may suspend the performance of [seller]'s obligations if, after the conclusion of the contract, it becomes apparent that the other party will not perform a substantial part of its obligations. Regarding the return of the tanning barrels, the parties - at least implicitly - excluded the [seller]'s right of retention by individual agreement. The [seller] committed itself to return the barrels after their conversion within a short period of time, without reserving the right to retain the goods if the purchase price is still outstanding. As the parties had previously already argued about the [buyer]'s remaining obligation to pay the purchase price, the [buyer] was entitled under good faith to trust that the [seller], who had promised the return of the barrels unconditionally, would not refuse the return of the goods by relying on a right of retention. The Appellate Court does not follow the [seller]'s point of view regarding the right of retention under Art. 71(1)(b) CISG, which the [seller] submits in the brief that was not admitted by the Appellate Court due to delay. Contrary to the [seller]'s opinion, the parties' correspondence after the [buyer]'s fax of 21 October 1994 does not allow the conclusion that the [seller] merely announced its right of retention, connected with its willingness to negotiate the matter, and that the [buyer] was unjustified in declaring the avoidance of contract without any further cause before the return of the goods was due. The [seller]'s letter of 27 October 1994 contained [seller]'s unequivocal refusal to return the tanning barrels before payment of the outstanding purchase price had been effected; the last paragraph of that letter clearly expresses this intention. Therefore, the [seller] breached the contract by relying on an unjustified right of retention prior to the [buyer]'s reaction by fax on 29 October 1994. The subsequent settlement negotiations, on which the [seller] relies in its inadmissible brief, could not change the earlier breach of contract and its legal consequences. The examination of whether the requirements of Art. 71 CISG are met fall in the sphere of risk of the party relying on the right of retention. In the absence of those preconditions, the retaining party commits a breach of contract (Leser in v.Caemmerer/Schlechtriem, Art. 71 n. 25). The [seller]'s standard conditions do not provide for the legal consequence of such a breach of contract and do not exclude the provisions of the CISG. Under Art. 45 CISG, the buyer may claim damages as provided in Arts. 74 to 77 if the seller fails to perform any of its obligations under the contract or under the Convention. Inter alia, Art. 45(1) CISG applies if the seller fails to perform any other obligation under the contract or the Convention (Huber in: v.Caemmerer/Schlechtriem, Art. 45 n. 10). Whether the obligation breached is a primary or a secondary obligation is only of importance regarding the question of the existence of a fundamental breach of contract (Herber/Czerwenka, Art. 45 n. 2). Without doubt, the [seller]'s contractual obligation to return the tanning barrels to the [buyer] is fundamental. Under Art. 74 CISG, damages for breach of contract by one party consist of a sum equal to the loss, including loss of profit, suffered by the other party as a consequence of the breach. Costs incurred by reasonable efforts to mitigate the loss resulting from the breach may also be compensated (Leser, op. cit., Art. 74 n. 14). The sum paid by the [buyer] to the company S. constitute such reasonable expenses. According to the invoice of 31 December 1994, company S. tanned 240 hides a day during the period from 7 November till 2 December 1994 at an overall amount of DM 16,946. The [seller] does not expressly dispute that the [buyer] did in fact commission company S. with the tanning of hides to the extent submitted. The [seller]'s defense consists solely of the objection that the [buyer] had claimed in their correspondence before litigation that [buyer] tanned 480 hides daily, whereas the [seller] only estimated half of that amount - and even that estimation was allegedly too high. The [seller] furthermore disputes with ignorance that the prices in the invoice were appropriate and usual. The Appellate Court does not regard these submissions as a clear challenge to the [buyer]'s contention that [buyer] commissioned company S. with the tanning of the hides. Insofar as the [seller] tried to make up for its omission in the brief that was not admitted by the Appellate Court, the Appellate Court does not see sufficient cause to follow this - possibly - new submission by re-opening the oral proceedings. The [seller] does not succeed with its objection that the prices demanded by company S. were neither appropriate nor usual. It is sufficient for the compensation claim under Art. 74 CISG if the breach of contract forces the damaged party to incur expenses, and if these expenses are reasonable (Leser, op. cit., Art. 74 n. 13, 14). Under German law, it is sufficient if a reasonable person in the position of the damaged party was entitled to assume that the expenses were reasonable (BGH [*] NJW [*] 1976, 1198; BGH NJW 1990, 2062). The same is true in the application of Art. 74 CISG. Art. 74 para. 1, sent. 2, CISG only restricts the compensation in the way that damages may not exceed the loss which the party in breach foresaw or ought to have foreseen at the time of the conclusion of the contract, in the light of the facts and matters of which [seller] then knew or ought to have known, as a possible consequence of the breach of contract. It was evident to the [seller] that the [buyer] would have to have the hides tanned by a third company if the [seller] did not return the barrels. This already results from the [buyer]'s explicit request in its fax of 21 October 1994 to keep to the return schedule at any rate, as the [buyer] urgently required the tanning barrels. The losses incurred in the amount of DM 16,948 are not reduced under the aspect that the [buyer] possibly saved its own expenses during the relevant time period. Specific grounds for such savings have neither been submitted by the [seller], who does not rely on this aspect, nor are they self-evident. The statute of limitations invoked by the [seller] during the proceedings before the Court of First Instance does not apply to the [buyer]'s claim for damages for the retention of the tanning barrels. The short period of limitations, which applies to remedies for non-conformity of the goods, does not apply to the damages claim for losses incurred by the retention of the barrels, because the [seller]'s obligation to return the goods is based on a contractual agreement with the [buyer], which, while connected with the sales contract, is separate from that agreement. The [buyer] is not entitled to any further damages. The [buyer] does not conclusively submit compensation claims for non-conformities of the leather tacking machines delivered by the [seller]. The [seller] correctly noted that the [buyer]'s initial submissions regarding the tacking machines were confusing and not comprehensible. Only in [buyer]'s last brief before the oral proceedings did [buyer] clarify which tacking machines its explanations referred to. According to that submission, the [seller] delivered one tacking machine for trial purposes, which was to be connected to a dust removal fan and a die-casting machine. [Seller] sold to the [buyer] a further tacking machine, which was installed behind an ironing machine and was taken back by the [seller] following the [buyer]'s complaints. However, the [buyer] still fails to substantiate its submissions regarding the defects those tacking machines were supposed to have had. The [buyer]'s allegation that the tacking machines were incorrectly adjusted to the extent that they tore the hides does not sufficiently specify the queried lack of conformity in order to form the basis for the taking of evidence. The [buyer]'s claim for damages regarding the leather tacking machines is inconclusive also for other reasons. The [buyer] pleads that it incurred losses in the amount of DM 6,600 because the tacking machine installed behind the die-casting machine did not function properly and that the [buyer]'s production came to a standstill for a period of two days. However, the [buyer] is not entitled to claim damages for defects of the tacking machine connected to the dust removal fan and the die-casting machine. It is undisputed that the [seller] delivered this tacking machine to the [buyer] for trial purposes. Since the [buyer] returned the machine to the [seller], the parties ultimately did not conclude a sales contract regarding this machine. This results from � 495(1) BGB [*], if German substantive law is applied. The matter does not need to be assessed differently with respect to the CISG, as the provisions of the CISG presuppose the formation of a sales contract and do not contain specific rules for a test sale. The [seller] was not obliged to remedy non-conformities of machinery that did not become the subject of a valid sales contract. This is also true if one applies the [seller]'s standard terms and conditions. As the Court of First Instance correctly held, the [seller] also would not be liable for damages incurred under the German rules for lending contracts. A person who hires out goods at no charge is only liable for defects if [seller] maliciously conceals the defect (� 600 BGB [*]. There are no indications of such a willful deceit on the part of the [seller]. It has neither been submitted by the [buyer], nor is it in any way evident that the application of Dutch law would lead to a different result. Regarding the [buyer]'s further claim for damages in the amount of DM 3,190-, it is problematic that - according to the [buyer]'s submissions - those losses were incurred by both tacking machines. In its brief arguing the appeal, the [buyer] explicitly noted that the two tacking machines delivered by the [seller] had torn hides and had made it necessary to repair overall 100 hides at a cost of DM 3,190. For the reasons explained above, the [seller] is not liable for defects of the tacking machine that had been delivered for trial purposes. Therefore, the [buyer] would have had to make more substantiated submissions as to the kind of damage the (used) tacking machine connected to the ironing machine had caused. The [buyer]'s contention, in its brief of 11 December 1996, that only the tacking machine connected to the die-casting machine was defective cannot be considered, because it contains an inexplicable contradiction to [buyer]'s earlier submissions. The [buyer] is also not entitled to damages for the incorrect construction of the Dynavac-machine. The [buyer] claims expenses in the amount of DM 2,170.30 as well as DM 823.60. [Buyer] argues that the [seller] incorrectly welded on the telescope, so that the guide rails broke off. [Buyer] further submits that it had to commission a third party with the repair of the machine after the [seller] had refused to remedy the non-conformity. Again, the Appellate Court can leave open the question whether the [seller]'s standard terms and conditions were validly incorporated into the contract, or whether solely the provisions of the CISG apply. Under clause 8(a) of the [seller]'s standard terms, the [seller] is only liable for a non-conformity of the goods if the confirmation of order expressly provides for a guarantee, which is not the case for the (used) Dynavac-machine. Apart from that, the [seller]'s liability under clause 8(e) of its standard conditions is restricted to the delivery of spare parts free of charge. The [buyer]'s claim for damages is also unfounded if one applies the provisions of the CISG. Under Art. 39(1) CISG, the buyer loses the right to rely on the lack of conformity of the goods if it does not give notice to the seller specifying the nature of the lack of conformity within a reasonable time after buyer has discovered it or ought to have discovered it. Therefore, the [buyer] should have notified the [seller] that the guide rails of the Dynavac-machine had broken off before [buyer] commissioned a third company with the repair. The [seller] denies that the [buyer] gave a timely notice specifying the non-conformity. Despite this submission, the [buyer] solely maintained until the final oral hearing before the Court of First Instance that [buyer] had to have the ironing machine repaired twice during the course of the year 1995, after the [seller] had unequivocally refused to remedy the defect. Regarding the alleged lack of conformity of the guide rails, this submission is not specific enough and no proof has been offered. Therefore, the [buyer] is left with a claim for damages in the amount of DM 16,948. Contrary to the [seller]'s view expressed in its brief not admitted by the Appellate Court, the [buyer]'s claim was not extinguished by [buyer]'s declaration of a set-off in the amount of DM 3,750 during the first instance proceedings. In its brief of 13 December 1995 which, inter alia, contained the declaration of a set-off, the [buyer] claimed damages in an amount that exceeded the sum in dispute during the appellate proceedings by far more than DM 3,750. Furthermore, the [buyer] has by now moved away from the set-off and claims the amounts in question by way of a counterclaim. The [seller] itself has also not declared a set-off against the counterclaim with a claim for an outstanding purchase price, which the [seller] is possibly still entitled to. The [buyer] is entitled to interest granted at a rate of 5% since the time the counterclaim was served, independent of the question whether the interest rate is to be determined under German law (� 352 HGB [*]) or under Dutch law - which provides a higher rate of interest following the [seller]'s own submissions. The decision on costs is based on � 92(1) ZPO [*]; the decision on the provisional enforceability is based on � 708 no. 10 ZPO. * All translations should be verified by cross-checking against the original text. For purposes of this translation, the Plaintiff/Appellee of The Netherlands is referred to as [seller]; the Defendant/Appellant of Germany is referred to as [buyer]. Amounts in German currency (Deutsche Mark) are indicated as [DM]. Translator's notes on other abbreviations: BGB = Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch [German Civil Code]; BGH = Bundesgerichtshof [Federal Court of Justice, the highest German Court in civil and criminal matters]; Brussels Convention = EC Convention of 27 September 1968 on Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters; ECJ = European Court of Justice; EGBGB = Einführungsgesetzbuch zum Bürgerlichen Gesetzbuche [German Code on Private International Law]; HGB = Handelsgesetzbuch [German Commercial Code]; LG = Landgericht [German District Court]; NJW = Neue Juristische Wochenschrift [German law journal]; NJW-RR = Neue Juristische Wochenschrift Rechtsprechungs-Report Zivilrecht [German law journal]; OLG = Oberlandesgericht [German Court of Appeals]; RIW = Recht der Internationalen Wirtschaft [German Law Journal]; ZPO = Zivilprozeßordnung [German Code on Civil Procedure]. ** Ruth M. Janal, LL.M. (UNSW), is a PhD candidate at Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg. The second-iteration redaction of this translation was by Dr. John Felemegas of Australia.

2019-04-19T15:16:10Z

http://cisgw3.law.pace.edu/cases/970108g1.html

THIS AGREEMENT SETS FORTH THE TERMS OF CUSTOMER'S USE OF PRODUCST AND SERVICES (“SERVICES”) PROVIDED BY SOLODEV. BY PURCHASING OR USING SOLODEV PRODUCTS AND / OR SERVICES (SERVICES); BY EXECUTING AN ORDER; OR BY ACCEPTING THIS AGREEMENT; YOU AS THE "CUSTOMER" (“YOU”, “YOUR”, “CUSTOMER”, “CLIENT”, LICENSEE”, OR “SUBSCRIBER”) AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT (THE "AGREEMENT") WITH JUST PROGRAM, LLC DBA DIGITALUS, DBA SOLODEV ("SOLODEV"). IF CUSTOMER IS ENTERING INTO THIS AGREEMENT ON BEHALF OF A COMPANY OR OTHER LEGAL ENTITY, CUSTOMER REPRESENTS THAT HE/SHE HAS THE AUTHORITY TO BIND SUCH ENTITY AND ITS AFFILIATES TO THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, IN WHICH CASE THE TERMS "CUSTOMER" SHALL REFER TO SUCH ENTITY AND ITS AFFILIATES. IF CUSTOMER DOES NOT HAVE SUCH AUTHORITY, OR IF CUSTOMER DOES NOT AGREE WITH THESE TERMS AND CONDITIONS, HE/SHE MUST NOT ACCEPT THIS AGREEMENT AND MAY NOT USE THE SERVICES. 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Except as otherwise specified herein or in an Order, (i) fees are based on Services purchased and not actual usage, (ii) payment obligations are non-cancelable and fees paid are non-refundable, (iii) quantities purchased cannot be decreased during the Contract Period, or (iv) Services purchased cannot be decreased nor downgraded during the Contract Period. For credit card payments, Customer shall provide Solodev valid and updated credit card information. By providing credit card information to Solodev, Customer authorizes Solodev to charge such credit card for all Purchased Services listed in the Order for the Initial Contract Period and any subsequent, renewal Contract Period(s) unless terminated sooner. Such charges shall be made in advance, either annually or in accordance with any different billing frequency stated in the applicable Order. Credit card processing fee of three percent (3%) shall be applied to all credit card payments. 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If the Customer pays by credit card or ACH or EFT, then Solodev will charge the Customer’s credit card or bank account (as applicable) to pay for any charges that may apply to the Customer’s account. The Customer agrees to notify Solodev of any changes to the Customer’s account, the Customer’s billing address, or any information that Solodev may reasonably require in order to process the Customer’s payments in a timely manner. Solodev reserves the right to increase its fees up to 10% year over year with no less than a thirty (30) day notice of such change. Price increases will not affect Customers during their contract term. Solodev may charge the Customer's credit card or bank account to pay for any charges that may apply to the Customer's account. All Services and results thereof remain the sole property of Solodev until a full payment is received. Except where expressly provided in this Agreement, all payments to Solodev are nonrefundable. You must report any overcharges or billing disputes to Solodev within 30 (thirty) days of the time on which the Customer became aware, or should have become aware, of the existence of the overcharge or dispute. Charges that are not disputed within thirty (30) days of the date charged or date bill was received are conclusively deemed accurate. Services can be upgraded to a higher level any time during the contract term but cannot be downgraded to a lower plan. Solodev shall be entitled to modify its fees and any other terms and conditions contained in this Agreement at its sole discretion. If the Customer does not agree to the terms of any modification, the Customer may terminate the Agreement without any further liability by providing written notice to Solodev within 30 days of the posting of any modifications by Solodev. Both parties represent that they have validly entered into this Agreement and have the legal power to do so. Solodev warrants to Customer that during the applicable Contract Term, (i) the Services will be performed in a timely and professional manner; (ii) custom development work will be free from bugs and defects for thirty (30) days after the work is delivered; (iii) Solodev will not materially decrease the overall security of the Services, (iv) the Services will perform materially in accordance with the applicable Documentation. For any breach of a warranty above, Customer’s exclusive remedies are those described in the “Termination” and “Termination Liability or Refunds” sections in this Agreement. Except as set expressly provided in Solodev's Agreement, Solodev is not liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations under this Agreement, where the delay or failure results from any act of God or other cause beyond its reasonable control (including, without limitation, any mechanical, electronic, communications, or third-party supplier failure). EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY SET FORTH IN THIS AGREEMENT, NEITHER PARTY MAKES ANY WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, AND EACH PARTY SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, AND CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND OR NATURE WHATSOEVER, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES RELATED TO ANY COURSE OF DEALING, USAGE OR TRADE PRACTICE, OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES AND CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. THE SERVICES, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, ALL INFORMATION, CONTENT, AND OTHER SERVICES MADE AVAILABLE BY SOLODEV OR ANY THIRD PARTY VENDORS ARE PROVIDED ON AN “AS IS” OR “AS AVAILABLE” BASIS AND NEITHER SOLODEV, ITS PARENT COMPANY, NOR THEIR AFFILIATES AND SUBSIDIARIES MAKE ANY REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES REGARDING THE SERVICES. FREE SERVICES AND BETA SERVICES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS,” EXCLUSIVE OF ANY WARRANTY WHATSOEVER. EACH PARTY DISCLAIMS ALL LIABILITY AND INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATIONS FOR ANY HARM OR DAMAGES CAUSED BY ANY THIRD-PARTY PROVIDERS. Defects should be promptly reported via submitting electronic tickets to [email protected]. Users voluntarily engage in the activity of Internet use and bear the risks associated with that activity. Solodev exercises no control over and expressly disclaims any obligation to monitor its customers and other Users with respect to breaches of this Agreement or any content of the information made available for distribution via the Services. In no event will Solodev, its parent company, and their affiliates and subsidiaries have any liability to Customer or any third party for unauthorized access to, or alteration, theft, or destruction of information distributed or made available for distribution via the Services through accident, or fraudulent means or devices. Neither party will be liable for any failure or delay in performance under this Agreement (other than for delay in the payment of money due and payable hereunder) to the extent such failures or delays are proximately caused by causes beyond that party’s reasonable control and occurring without its fault or negligence, including, without limitation, acts of God, government restrictions (including without limitation the denial or cancellation of any export or other necessary license), wars, insurrections, acts of terrorism, failure of suppliers, subcontractors, and carriers, or third party to substantially meet its performance obligations under this Agreement. Solodev is not liable for any delay or failure to perform its obligations under this Agreement, where the delay or failure results from cause beyond its reasonable control (including, without limitation, mechanical, electronic, communications, or third-party supplier failure). Solodev cannot guarantee that (a) access to the Services will be uninterrupted or error-free, (b) defects will be corrected, or (c) the Services will be secure if outside of Solodev’s reasonable control. EXCEPT FOR A PARTY'S INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATIONS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, NEITHER PARTY WILL BE LIABLE TO THE OTHER PARTY OR ANY USER OR ANY THIRD PARTY FOR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUES OR COST OF REPLACEMENT SERVICES (WHETHER DIRECT OR INDIRECT) NOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR SPECIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND ARISING FROM THE USE OF THE SERVICES, EVEN IF SUCH PARTIES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. EXCEPT FOR SOLODEV'S INDEMNIFICATION OBLIGATIONS UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, SOLODEV'S AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO THE CUSTOMER TOGETHER WITH ALL OF ITS AFFILIATES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY REASON AND UPON ANY CAUSE OF ACTION IS LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THE CUSTOMER ACTUALLY PAID TO SOLODEV UNDER THIS AGREEMENT DURING THE TWO (2) MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE DATE ON WHICH THE CLAIM ACCRUED. THIS LIMITATION APPLIES TO ALL CAUSES OF ACTION IN THE AGGREGATE, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, BREACH OF CONTRACT, BREACH OF WARRANTY, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, MISREPRESENTATIONS, OR OTHER TORTS BUT WILL NOT LIMIT THE CUSTOMER’S AND HIS/HER AFFILIATES’ PAYMENT OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE “FEES & PAYMENTS” SECTION ABOVE. THE FEES FOR THE SERVICES SET BY SOLODEV UNDER THIS AGREEMENT HAVE BEEN AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE BASED UPON THIS ALLOCATION OF RISK. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT IS INTENDED TO EXCLUDE OR LIMIT EITHER PARTY'S LIABILITY WITH RESPECT TO THOSE LIABILITIES THAT CANNOT BE LEGALLY EXCLUDED OR LIMITED EVEN IF ANY OTHER PROVISION MAY SUGGEST OTHERWISE. IN NO EVENT WILL EITHER PARTY OR ITS AFFILIATES HAVE ANY LIABILITY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THIS AGREEMENT FOR ANY LOST PROFITS, REVENUES, GOODWILL, OR INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, COVER, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, WHETHER AN ACTION IS IN CONTRACT OR TORT AND REGARDLESS OF THE THEORY OF LIABILITY, EVEN IF A PARTY OR ITS AFFILIATES HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES OR IF A PARTY’S OR ITS AFFILIATES’ REMEDY OTHERWISE FAILS OF ITS ESSENTIAL PURPOSE. THE FOREGOING DISCLAIMER WILL NOT APPLY TO THE EXTENT PROHIBITED BY LAW. To the extent permitted by law, the Customer agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Solodev, its parent company, and their affiliates and subsidiaries, and all employees, officers, directors, partners, representatives or any such entity, from and against any and all third party claims, demands, damages, losses, liability, causes of action, judgments, costs, or expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees) asserted against or suffered by Solodev arising out of (i) any breach or violation of this Agreement or Order; (ii) unlawful acts or usage (iii) use or application of 3rd Party Products; or (iv) infringement or misappropriation of third party’s intellectual property rights by the Customer, the Customer's Users, or the Customer's customers. Customer will indemnify Solodev from any damages, attorney fees and costs finally awarded against Solodev as a result of, or for any amounts paid by Solodev under a settlement approved by Customer in writing of, a claim against Solodev. Solodev agrees to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Customer from and against any and all third party claims, damages, losses, liability, judgments, costs, or expenses (including, without limitation, reasonable attorney's fees) asserted against or suffered by Customer arising out of any claim alleging that the Services as provided by Solodev infringe any third party's intellectual property rights; provided Customer (a) promptly gives Solodev written notice of the Claim, (b) gives Solodev sole control of the defense and settlement of the Claim, and (c) gives Solodev all reasonable assistance. If Solodev receives information about an infringement or misappropriation claim related to a Service, Solodev may at its own discretion and at no cost to Customer (i) modify the Services so that they are no longer claimed to infringe or misappropriate, without breaching Solodev warranties, (ii) obtain a license for Customer’s continued use of that Service in accordance with this Agreement, or (iii) terminate Customer Services upon 30 days’ written notice and refund Customer any prepaid fees covering the remainder of the term of the terminated Service. The above defense and indemnification obligations do not apply if (1) the allegation does not state with specificity that Solodev Services are the basis of the Claim; (2) a Claim arises from the use or combination of our Services or any part thereof with software, hardware, data, or processes not provided by Solodev, if Solodev Services or use thereof would not infringe without such combination; (3) a Claim arises from Services under an Order for which there is no charge; (4) a Claim arises from Third Party Provider or Customer’s use of the Services in violation of this Agreement or applicable Order. This Agreement will be for the “Initial Contract Period” as further described in the Order. The term of this Agreement shall commence on the Effective Date, as stated in the Order, and shall continue until project completion for one time-services or for a period of twelve (12) months for recurring services, unless a longer term is selected within the Order. If no term is listed in the Order, then the Initial Contract Period will be twelve (12) months. At the end of the Initial Contract Period, the term of the Agreement shall automatically renew for an additional Contract Period equal in length to the Initial Contract Period unless terminated sooner per “Termination” Section of this Agreement. The Service pricing during any renewal term will increase by up to 8% above the applicable pricing in the prior Contract Period, unless Solodev provides Customer notice of different pricing at least 60 days prior to the applicable renewal Contract Period. Except as expressly provided in the applicable Order, renewal of promotional or one-time priced subscriptions will be at Solodev’s applicable list price in effect at the time of the applicable renewal. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, any renewal in which subscription volume for any Services has decreased from the prior term will result in re-pricing at renewal without regard to the prior term’s Service pricing. This Agreement may be terminated in one of the following ways: (i) by the Customer without cause and for convenience by providing the advanced written Cancellation Request as provided in this Agreement; (ii) by Solodev without cause by providing Customer with a written notice at least 30 days prior to the termination date; (iii) by Solodev upon a breach by Customer of its payment obligations; (iv) by Customer or Solodev, if a party commits a material breach of or fails to perform any obligations under this Agreement any other Agreement between the parties and has not cured such breach or failure within fourteen (14) days of receiving written notice from the terminating party specifying such breach or failure; or (v) upon the occurrence of any one or more of the following events of default: (1) the entering into or filing by Customer of a petition, arrangement or proceeding seeking an order for relief under applicable bankruptcy or insolvency laws, an assignment for the benefit of its creditors, readjustment of debt or Customer's dissolution or liquidation; (2) the filing or commencement against Customer of any application, petition, action, or other proceeding seeking any of the relief, actions, or status described in subparagraph (1) hereof and the entering of a judgment, decree or order for relief granting any such relief, action or status which remains undismissed for a period of thirty (30) days or more; or (3) the insolvency of Customer; or (v) as otherwise provided in this Agreement. Upon termination, all rights and obligations of the parties shall immediately terminate, except for Customer's obligation to pay any charges due for the full contract amount and services in progress, pending or completed. In the event the Agreement is terminated before the end of the Contract Period by the Customer for any other reason than Solodev’s breach of this Agreement, the Customer shall be also required to pay the difference between the discounted rates for the Services listed in the Order, and the rate of the Services prior to any promotions and discounts being applied. If this Agreement is terminated by Solodev for convenience or by Customer due Solodev’s breach of this Agreement, Solodev will refund Customer any prepaid fees covering the remainder of the term of all Orders after the effective date of termination. In no event will termination relieve Customer from their obligation to pay any fees payable to Solodev for the period prior to the effective date of termination. The sections titled “Fees & Payments,” “Proprietary Rights and Licenses,” “Refund and Disputes”, “Representations, Warranties, Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability”, “Mutual Indemnification”, “Termination Liability or Refunds”, “Surviving Provisions”, “Data Retention”, “Proprietary Rights”, “Confidentiality,” and “General Provisions” will survive any termination or expiration of this Agreement. Solodev makes no guarantees about retaining any data stored on Solodev’s systems or servers following expiration or termination of the Agreement. Solodev will typically delete such data seven (7) days following termination of subscription by either the Customer or Solodev. You will not have access to the Customer’s data stored on Solodev’s systems or servers during a suspension or following a termination. In the event, Customer requires a copy of all data, the Customer will be responsible for all reasonable labor and material costs associated with the manual process of data transfer. Unless data backup is requested, the Customer will not have access to the Customer’s data stored on Solodev’s systems during a suspension or following a termination. Subject to the limited rights expressly granted hereunder, Solodev and its affiliates and licensors reserve all right, title and interest in and to the Services, including all related intellectual property rights. No rights are granted to Customer hereunder other than as expressly set forth herein. Customer hereby grants Solodev and its affiliates a worldwide, perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use and incorporate into Solodev’s services any suggestion, enhancement request, recommendation, correction or other feedback provided by Customer or Users relating to the operation of Solodev Services. Any Confidential Information disclosed by one party (“Disclosing Party”) to the other party (“Recipient”) in connection with this Agreement that is marked confidential or that due to its character and nature, a reasonable person under like circumstances would treat as confidential will be protected and held in confidence by the Recipient. The Recipient will use the same degree of care that it uses to protect the confidentiality of its own confidential information of like kind (but not less than reasonable care) to (i) not use any Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party for any purpose outside the scope of this Agreement and (ii) except as otherwise authorized by the Disclosing Party in writing, limit access to Confidential Information of the Disclosing Party to those of its and its Affiliates’ employees and contractors who need that access for purposes consistent with this Agreement and who have signed confidentiality agreements with the Recipient containing protections not materially less protective of the Confidential Information than those herein. Disclosure of the Confidential Information will be restricted to the Recipient’s employees, contractors, affiliates, or agents (including outside counsel and consultants) on a “need to know” basis in connection with the services, who are bound by confidentiality obligations no less stringent than these prior to any disclosure. Neither party will disclose the terms of this Agreement or any Order to any third party other than its Affiliates, legal counsel and accountants without the other party’s prior written consent, provided that a party that makes any such disclosure to its Affiliate, legal counsel or accountants will remain responsible for such Affiliate’s, legal counsel’s or accountant’s compliance with this “Confidentiality” section. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Solodev may disclose the terms of this Agreement and any applicable Order to a subcontractor or 3rd Party Provider to the extent necessary to perform Solodev obligations to Customer under this Agreement, under terms of confidentiality materially as protective as set forth herein. Each party may disclose Confidential Information relating to the Services to providers of goods and services for the engagement to the extent such disclosure is necessary and reasonably anticipated. Confidential Information does not include information which: (i) is already known to Recipient at the time of disclosure; (ii) is or becomes publicly known through no wrongful act or failure of the Recipient; (iii) is independently developed by Recipient without benefit of Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information; or (iv) is received from a third party which is not under and does not thereby breach an obligation of confidentiality. Each party agrees to protect the other’s Confidential Information at all times and in the same manner as each protects the confidentiality of its own proprietary and confidential materials, but in no event with less than a reasonable standard of care. A Recipient may disclose Confidential Information to the extent required by law, provided the Recipient gives the Disclosing Party prior notice of the compelled disclosure (to the extent legally permitted) and reasonable assistance, at the Disclosing Party's cost, if the Disclosing Party wishes to contest the disclosure. If the Recipient is compelled by law to disclose the Disclosing Party’s Confidential Information as part of a civil proceeding to which the Disclosing Party is a party, and the Disclosing Party is not contesting the disclosure, the Disclosing Party will reimburse the Recipient for its reasonable cost of compiling and providing secure access to that Confidential Information. This disclosure does not relieve Recipient of its confidentiality obligations with respect to any other party. This Agreement constitutes the entire Agreement between the parties with respect to the transactions contemplated herein. The Customer and Solodev are independent contractors and this Agreement does not establish any relationship of partnership, joint venture, employment, franchise, fiduciary or agency between the parties. The parties agree that any term or condition stated in Customer purchase order or in any other of Customer order documentation (excluding Order(s)) is void. In the event of any conflict or inconsistency among the following documents, the order of precedence shall be: (1) the applicable Order, and (2) this Agreement, and (3) the Documentation. Customer gives Solodev the express right to use Customer’s name in advertising, publicity and other promotional endeavors. Solodev and Customer agree that, except as otherwise expressly provided in this Agreement, the Order, or the terms and conditions of use of any Third Party Products, there will be no third party beneficiaries to this Agreement. To the extent any portion of this Agreement is determined to be invalid, illegal or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity, illegality or unenforceability will not invalidate this Agreement as a whole, but only that specific portion held to be unenforceable, and all other terms and conditions contained in this Agreement will remain in full force and effect. Any provision of this Agreement that, by its nature, is applicable to circumstances arising after the termination or expiration of this Agreement will survive such termination or expiration and remain if full force and effect, and no termination or expiration of this Agreement will relieve either party from any liability arising out of any breach of this Agreement occurring prior to said termination or expiration. The waiver of any breach or default of this Agreement will not constitute a waiver of any subsequent breach or default, and will not act to amend or negate the rights of the waiving party. No failure or delay by either party in exercising any right under this Agreement will constitute a waiver of that right. Neither Party may sell, assign or transfer any rights or obligations hereunder, nor delegate any duties under this Agreement whether by operation of law or otherwise, either in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the other Party, (consent not to be unreasonably withheld); provided, however, either party may assign this Agreement in its entirety (together with all Orders), without the other party’s consent to its Affiliate or in connection with a merger, acquisition, corporate reorganization, or sale of all or substantially all of its assets. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a party is acquired by, sells substantially all of its assets to, or undergoes a change of control in favor of, a direct competitor of the other party, then such other party may terminate this Agreement upon written notice. In the event of such a termination, Solodev will refund to Customer any prepaid fees allocable to the remainder of the term of all Services for the period after the effective date of such termination. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement will bind and inure to the benefit of the parties, their respective successors and permitted assigns. With respect to Services rendered by Solodev, this Agreement will be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the state of Florida and venue for all disputes arising out of or related to this Agreement will be brought exclusively in the Orange County, Florida court, and all parties to this Agreement consent to the jurisdiction of such court. The Services and other technology Solodev makes available, and derivatives thereof may be subject to export laws and regulations of the United States and other jurisdictions. Each party represents that it is not named on any U.S. government denied-party list. You shall not permit Users to access or use any Service in a U.S. embargoed country (currently Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria or Crimea) or in violation of any U.S. export law or regulation. You agree that Customer have not received or been offered any illegal or improper bribe, kickback, payment, gift, or thing of value from any of Solodev’s employees or agents in connection with this Agreement. Reasonable gifts and entertainment provided in the ordinary course of business do not violate the above restriction. If Customer learns of any violation of the above restriction, Customer will use reasonable efforts to promptly notify Solodev at [email protected]. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Customer may not transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of any of the rights and obligations granted or imposed upon it under this Agreement without the prior written consent of Solodev, such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or denied. Customer understands that the current rate reflects a discount for the right to use Customer's name and logo in advertising, promotional endeavors and if applicable for the right to be listed on Customer’s website. Unless otherwise specified herein, all notices, demands, requests or other communications required or permitted under this Agreement will be deemed given when delivered personally, sent by facsimile upon confirmation, sent and received by return receipt email (except for notices of termination or an indemnifiable claim (“Legal Notices”), which shall clearly be identifiable as Legal Notices), the day of sending by email), or upon receipt of delivery of overnight mail and shall be effective as of the date stated on the confirmation of receipt.

2019-04-22T22:51:56Z

https://www.solodev.com/terms/index.stml

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&#1080;&#1079; &#1086;&#1076;&#1085;&#1086;&#1075;&#1086; &#1072;&#1091;&#1076;&#1080;&#1086;&#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1072; &#1074; &#1076;&#1088;&#1091;&#1075;&#1086;&#1081;. &#1042;&#1086;&#1090; &#1086;&#1089;&#1085;&#1086;&#1074;&#1085;&#1099;&#1077; &#1085;&#1072;&#1087;&#1088;&#1072;&#1074;&#1083;&#1077;&#1085;&#1080;&#1103; &#1074; &#1082;&#1086;&#1090;&#1086;&#1088;&#1099;&#1093; &#1084;&#1086;&#1078;&#1085;&#1086; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1080;&#1079;&#1074;&#1086;&#1076;&#1080;&#1090;&#1100; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1080;&#1088;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1077;: AVI &#1074; MP4, AVI aiff &#1074; wav &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;&#1077;&#1088; &#1086;&#1085;&#1083;&#1072;&#1081;&#1085; &#1074; FLV, DIVX &#1074; AC3, WMV &#1074; AAC, MPEG &#1074; WAV, VOB &#1074; MP4, WMV &#1074; MP4 - &#1101;&#1090;&#1086; &#1086;&#1076;&#1085;&#1080; &#1080;&#1079; &#1089;&#1072;&#1084;&#1099;&#1093; &#1087;&#1086;&#1087;&#1091;&#1083;&#1103;&#1088;&#1085;&#1099;&#1093;, &#1085;&#1086; &#1074; &#1094;&#1077;&#1083;&#1086;&#1084; &#1080;&#1089;&#1093;&#1086;&#1076;&#1085;&#1099;&#1081; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090; &#1084;&#1086;&#1078;&#1077;&#1090; &#1073;&#1099;&#1090;&#1100; &#1087;&#1086;&#1095;&#1090;&#1080; &#1083;&#1102;&#1073;&#1099;&#1084;, &#1072; &#1074; &#1082;&#1072;&#1095;&#1077;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074;&#1077; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1077;&#1095;&#1085;&#1099;&#1093; &#1089;&#1083;&#1077;&#1076;&#1091;&#1102;&#1097;&#1080;&#1077;: AC3, AAC, MP3, MP2, MP4, OGG, WAV, AVI, DV, FLV, MPEGTS, MPEGPS, MKV, MOV. &#1059;&#1076;&#1086;&#1073;&#1085;&#1086;&#1077; &#1088;&#1077;&#1096;&#1077;&#1085;&#1080;&#1077; &#1076;&#1083;&#1103; &#1087;&#1088;&#1077;&#1086;&#1073;&#1088;&#1072;&#1079;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1103; &#1074;&#1080;&#1076;&#1077;&#1086;&#1092;&#1072;&#1081;&#1083;&#1086;&#1074; &#1087;&#1086;&#1095;&#1090;&#1080; &#1074;&#1089;&#1077;&#1093; &#1088;&#1072;&#1089;&#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1089;&#1090;&#1088;&#1072;&#1085;&#1105;&#1085;&#1085;&#1099;&#1093; &#1082;&#1086;&#1076;&#1077;&#1082;&#1086;&#1074; &#1074; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1099; AVI, MPG, WMV, MPEG, FLV. &#1044;&#1072;&#1083;&#1077;&#1077; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1089;&#1090;&#1086; &#1089;&#1090;&#1072;&#1088;&#1090;&#1091;&#1077;&#1084; (&#1085;&#1072;&#1078;&#1080;&#1084;&#1072;&#1103; &#1085;&#1072; &#1082;&#1085;&#1086;&#1087;&#1082;&#1091; &#171;Click to Begin&#187;) &#1080; &#1079;&#1072;&#1073;&#1080;&#1088;&#1072;&#1077;&#1084; &#1087;&#1086;&#1083;&#1091;&#1095;&#1080;&#1074;&#1096;&#1080;&#1081;&#1089;&#1103; &#1092;&#1072;&#1081;&#1083; &#1074; &#1089;&#1086;&#1086;&#1090;&#1074;&#1077;&#1090;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074;&#1091;&#1102;&#1097;&#1077;&#1081; &#1087;&#1072;&#1087;&#1082;&#1077;. &#1050;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1080;&#1088;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1077; DVD &#1074; MPEG, AVI, DivX, MP4, PSP, iPod, WMV, ASF, 3GP, H263, MOV, 3GPP, 3GPP2, RM, VCD, SVCD; &#1050;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1080;&#1088;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1077; DVD &#1074; MP3, MP2, M4A, WAV, AAC, OGG &#1080; RA; &#1053;&#1072;&#1088;&#1077;&#1079;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1077; DVD &#1074;&#1080;&#1076;&#1077;&#1086;. &#1054;&#1076;&#1085;&#1080;&#1084; &#1080;&#1079; &#1101;&#1083;&#1077;&#1084;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;&#1086;&#1074; shell-&#1080;&#1085;&#1090;&#1077;&#1075;&#1088;&#1072;&#1094;&#1080;&#1080; &#1103;&#1074;&#1083;&#1103;&#1077;&#1090;&#1089;&#1103; &#1074;&#1086;&#1079;&#1084;&#1086;&#1078;&#1085;&#1086;&#1089;&#1090;&#1100; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1089;&#1084;&#1086;&#1090;&#1088;&#1072; &#1089;&#1074;&#1086;&#1081;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074; &#1079;&#1074;&#1091;&#1082;&#1086;&#1074;&#1099;&#1093; &#1092;&#1072;&#1081;&#1083;&#1086;&#1074; &#1074; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1072;&#1093; Monkey's Audio (&#1080;&#1084;&#1077;&#1102;&#1097;&#1080;&#1093; &#1088;&#1072;&#1089;&#1096;&#1080;&#1088;&#1077;&#1085;&#1080;&#1077;ape &#8212; &#1076;&#1083;&#1103; &#1092;&#1072;&#1081;&#1083;&#1086;&#1074;, &#1089;&#1086;&#1079;&#1076;&#1072;&#1085;&#1085;&#1099;&#1093; &#1087;&#1088;&#1080; &#1087;&#1086;&#1084;&#1086;&#1097;&#1080; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1086;&#1088;&#1072; &#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1089;&#1080;&#1081; 3.x, &#1080;&#1083;&#1080;mac &#8212; &#1076;&#1083;&#1103; &#1092;&#1072;&#1081;&#1083;&#1086;&#1074;, &#1089;&#1086;&#1079;&#1076;&#1072;&#1085;&#1085;&#1099;&#1093; &#1074; &#1073;&#1086;&#1083;&#1077;&#1077; &#1088;&#1072;&#1085;&#1085;&#1080;&#1093; &#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1089;&#1080;&#1103;&#1093; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1075;&#1088;&#1072;&#1084;&#1084;&#1099;) &#1080; Wave &#1087;&#1088;&#1080; &#1087;&#1086;&#1084;&#1086;&#1097;&#1080; &#1089;&#1086;&#1086;&#1090;&#1074;&#1077;&#1090;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074;&#1091;&#1102;&#1097;&#1077;&#1081; &#1082;&#1086;&#1084;&#1072;&#1085;&#1076;&#1099; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1090;&#1077;&#1082;&#1089;&#1090;&#1085;&#1086;&#1075;&#1086; cda &#1074; wav &#1086;&#1085;&#1083;&#1072;&#1081;&#1085; &#1084;&#1077;&#1085;&#1102;, &#1074;&#1099;&#1079;&#1099;&#1074;&#1072;&#1077;&#1084;&#1086;&#1075;&#1086; &#1087;&#1088;&#1080; &#1097;&#1077;&#1083;&#1095;&#1082;&#1077; &#1087;&#1088;&#1072;&#1074;&#1086;&#1081; &#1082;&#1085;&#1086;&#1087;&#1082;&#1086;&#1081; &#1084;&#1099;&#1096;&#1080;. &#1044;&#1072;&#1085;&#1085;&#1099;&#1081; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1077;&#1088; &#1087;&#1086;&#1076;&#1076;&#1077;&#1088;&#1078;&#1080;&#1074;&#1072;&#1077;&#1090; &#1074;&#1089;&#1077; &#1073;&#1086;&#1083;&#1077;&#1077;-&#1084;&#1077;&#1085;&#1077;&#1077; &#1080;&#1079;&#1074;&#1077;&#1089;&#1090;&#1085;&#1099;&#1077; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1099;, &#1074; &#1090;&#1086;&#1084; &#1095;&#1080;&#1089;&#1083;&#1077; &#1084;&#1086;&#1073;&#1080;&#1083;&#1100;&#1085;&#1099;&#1077;. &#1050;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1086;&#1088;, &#1087;&#1086;&#1079;&#1074;&#1086;&#1083;&#1103;&#1077;&#1090; &#1085;&#1077; &#1090;&#1086;&#1083;&#1100;&#1082;&#1086; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1080;&#1088;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100; &#1072;&#1091;&#1076;&#1080;&#1086;&#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1099; &#1084;&#1077;&#1078;&#1076;&#1091; &#1089;&#1086;&#1073;&#1086;&#1081;, &#1085;&#1086; &#1080; &#1080;&#1079;&#1084;&#1077;&#1085;&#1103;&#1090;&#1100; &#1080;&#1093; &#1089;&#1090;&#1088;&#1091;&#1082;&#1090;&#1091;&#1088;&#1091;, &#1089;&#1082;&#1072;&#1078;&#1077;&#1084;, &#1095;&#1072;&#1089;&#1090;&#1086;&#1090;&#1091; &#1076;&#1080;&#1089;&#1082;&#1088;&#1077;&#1090;&#1080;&#1079;&#1072;&#1094;&#1080;&#1080;. &#1054;&#1085; &#1080;&#1084;&#1077;&#1083; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1073;&#1083;&#1077;&#1084;&#1099; &#1089; &#1087;&#1088;&#1077;&#1086;&#1073;&#1088;&#1072;&#1079;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1103; &#1073;&#1086;&#1083;&#1100;&#1096;&#1086;&#1075;&#1086; &#1092;&#1072;&#1081;&#1083;&#1072; MKV &#1074; MP2, &#1103; &#1089;&#1074;&#1103;&#1079;&#1072;&#1083;&#1089;&#1103; &#1089; &#1087;&#1086;&#1076;&#1076;&#1077;&#1088;&#1078;&#1082;&#1086;&#1081;, &#1086;&#1085;&#1080; &#1074;&#1079;&#1103;&#1083;&#1080; three &#1076;&#1085;&#1077;&#1081;, &#1095;&#1090;&#1086;&#1073;&#1099; &#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1085;&#1091;&#1090;&#1100;&#1089;&#1103; &#1082;&#1086; &#1084;&#1085;&#1077; &#1089; reduce &#1080; &#1074;&#1089;&#1090;&#1072;&#1074;&#1080;&#1090;&#1100; &#1086;&#1090;&#1074;&#1077;&#1090; &#1074; &#1086;&#1089;&#1085;&#1086;&#1074;&#1085;&#1086;&#1084; &#1093;&#1086;&#1090;&#1103;&#1090; &#1084;&#1085;&#1077; &#1076;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100; &#1080;&#1084; &#1080;&#1089;&#1093;&#1086;&#1076;&#1085;&#1099;&#1081; &#1092;&#1072;&#1081;&#1083;, &#1090;&#1072;&#1082;&#1080;&#1084; &#1086;&#1073;&#1088;&#1072;&#1079;&#1086;&#1084;, &#1095;&#1090;&#1086;&#1073;&#1099; &#1086;&#1085;&#1080; &#1084;&#1086;&#1075;&#1083;&#1080; &#1085;&#1072;&#1081;&#1090;&#1080; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1073;&#1083;&#1077;&#1084;&#1091;. &#1042;&#1099; &#1084;&#1086;&#1078;&#1077;&#1090;&#1077; &#1079;&#1072;&#1093;&#1074;&#1072;&#1090;&#1080;&#1090;&#1100; &#1083;&#1102;&#1073;&#1099;&#1077; &#1082;&#1072;&#1088;&#1090;&#1080;&#1085;&#1082;&#1080; &#1080;&#1079; &#1074;&#1080;&#1076;&#1077;&#1086; / DVD &#1080; &#1089;&#1086;&#1093;&#1088;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1090;&#1100; &#1077;&#1075;&#1086; &#1074; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1077; JPEG &#1080;&#1083;&#1080; BMP. &#1042; &#1082;&#1072;&#1078;&#1076;&#1086;&#1084; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1082;&#1088;&#1077;&#1090;&#1085;&#1086;&#1084; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1092;&#1080;&#1083;&#1077;, &#1074; &#1085;&#1072;&#1079;&#1074;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1080; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1092;&#1080;&#1083;&#1103; &#1080;&#1083;&#1080; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1072; &#1087;&#1088;&#1080;&#1089;&#1091;&#1090;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074;&#1091;&#1077;&#1090; &#1088;&#1072;&#1079;&#1088;&#1077;&#1096;&#1077;&#1085;&#1080;&#1077; &#1074;&#1080;&#1076;&#1077;&#1086;. &#1057;&#1090;&#1072;&#1088;&#1072;&#1081;&#1090;&#1077;&#1089;&#1100; &#1073;&#1083;&#1086;&#1082;&#1080;&#1088;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100; &#1092;&#1072;&#1077;&#1088;&#1074;&#1086;&#1083;&#1083;&#1086;&#1084; &#1083;&#1102;&#1073;&#1099;&#1077; &#1087;&#1086;&#1087;&#1099;&#1090;&#1082;&#1080; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1075;&#1088;&#1072;&#1084;&#1084;&#1099; &#1080;&#1083;&#1080; &#1077;&#1077; &#1082;&#1086;&#1084;&#1087;&#1086;&#1085;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;&#1086;&#1074; &#1087;&#1086;&#1076;&#1082;&#1083;&#1102;&#1095;&#1080;&#1090;&#1100;&#1089;&#1103; &#1074; &#1080;&#1085;&#1090;&#1077;&#1088;&#1085;&#1077;&#1090;! &#1069;&#1090;&#1080; &#1093;&#1072;&#1088;&#1072;&#1082;&#1090;&#1077;&#1088;&#1080;&#1089;&#1090;&#1080;&#1082;&#1080; &#1075;&#1086;&#1074;&#1086;&#1088;&#1103;&#1090; &#1086;&#1073; &#1091;&#1076;&#1086;&#1073;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074;&#1077; &#1080;&#1089;&#1087;&#1086;&#1083;&#1100;&#1079;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1103; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1072; &#1076;&#1083;&#1103; &#1048;&#1085;&#1090;&#1077;&#1088;&#1085;&#1077;&#1090;-&#1088;&#1072;&#1076;&#1080;&#1086; &#1080; &#1074; &#1091;&#1089;&#1090;&#1088;&#1086;&#1081;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074;&#1072;&#1093; &#1089; &#1085;&#1077;&#1073;&#1086;&#1083;&#1100;&#1096;&#1080;&#1084; &#1086;&#1073;&#1098;&#1077;&#1084;&#1086;&#1084; &#1087;&#1072;&#1084;&#1103;&#1090;&#1080;. &#1041;&#1099;&#1074;&#1072;&#1077;&#1090;, &#1095;&#1090;&#1086; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1075;&#1088;&#1072;&#1084;&#1084;&#1072; &#1085;&#1077; &#1095;&#1080;&#1090;&#1072;&#1077;&#1090; &#1086;&#1087;&#1088;&#1077;&#1076;&#1077;&#1083;&#1077;&#1085;&#1085;&#1099;&#1077; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1099; &#1080; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1077;&#1088; &#1086;&#1095;&#1077;&#1085;&#1100; &#1095;&#1072;&#1089;&#1090;&#1086; &#1074;&#1099;&#1088;&#1091;&#1095;&#1072;&#1077;&#1090;. &#1059;&#1084;&#1077;&#1077;&#1090; &#1090;&#1072;&#1082;&#1078;&#1077; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1080;&#1088;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100; AVI, MPEG &#1080; &#1076;&#1088;&#1091;&#1075;&#1080;&#1077; &#1074;&#1080;&#1076;&#1077;&#1086; &#1080; &#1072;&#1091;&#1076;&#1080;&#1086; &#1092;&#1072;&#1081;&#1083;&#1099; &#1074; AAC, MP3, M4A, MP2 &#1072;&#1091;&#1076;&#1080;&#1086; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1099;. &#1042;&#1089;&#1105; &#1093;&#1086;&#1088;&#1086;&#1096;&#1086; &#1089;&#1090;&#1072;&#1074;&#1080;&#1090;&#1089;&#1103; aiff &#1074; wav &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;&#1077;&#1088; &#1086;&#1085;&#1083;&#1072;&#1081;&#1085; &#1080; &#1085;&#1077; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1092;&#1083;&#1080;&#1082;&#1090;&#1091;&#1077;&#1090; &#1089; &#1072;&#1085;&#1090;&#1080;&#1074;&#1080;&#1088;&#1091;&#1089;&#1086;&#1084;, &#1077;&#1089;&#1083;&#1080; &#1085;&#1077; &#1089;&#1090;&#1072;&#1074;&#1080;&#1090;&#1100; &#1076;&#1086;&#1087;&#1086;&#1083;&#1085;&#1080;&#1090;&#1077;&#1083;&#1100;&#1085;&#1099;&#1077; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1075;&#1088;&#1072;&#1084;&#1084;&#1099; &#1074; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1094;&#1077;&#1089;&#1089;&#1077; &#1091;&#1089;&#1090;&#1072;&#1085;&#1086;&#1074;&#1082;&#1080;. &#1055;&#1088;&#1080;&#1083;&#1086;&#1078;&#1077;&#1085;&#1080;&#1077;, &#1087;&#1086;&#1079;&#1074;&#1086;&#1083;&#1103;&#1102;&#1097;&#1077;&#1077; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1080;&#1088;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100; &#1073;&#1086;&#1083;&#1077;&#1077; 20 &#1088;&#1072;&#1079;&#1083;&#1080;&#1095;&#1085;&#1099;&#1093; &#1072;&#1091;&#1076;&#1080;&#1086; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1086;&#1074;, &#1089;&#1088;&#1077;&#1076;&#1080; &#1082;&#1086;&#1090;&#1086;&#1088;&#1099;&#1093; mp3, wav &#1080; &#1084;&#1085;&#1086;&#1075;&#1080;&#1077; &#1076;&#1088;&#1091;&#1075;&#1080;&#1077;. &#1044;&#1072;&#1083;&#1077;&#1077; &#1074;&#1086;&#1079;&#1074;&#1088;&#1072;&#1097;&#1072;&#1077;&#1084;&#1089;&#1103; &#1074; &#1089;&#1090;&#1072;&#1088;&#1090;&#1086;&#1074;&#1086;&#1077; &#1088;&#1072;&#1073;&#1086;&#1095;&#1077;&#1077; &#1086;&#1082;&#1085;&#1086; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1075;&#1088;&#1072;&#1084;&#1084;&#1099; &#1080; &#1085;&#1072;&#1078;&#1080;&#1084;&#1072;&#1077;&#1084; &#171;&#1057;&#1090;&#1072;&#1088;&#1090;&#187; &#1080;&#1083;&#1080; &#171;Click on to Start&#187; (&#1089;&#1084;. &#1057; &#1087;&#1086;&#1084;&#1086;&#1097;&#1100;&#1102; &#1101;&#1090;&#1086;&#1075;&#1086; &#1079;&#1072;&#1084;&#1077;&#1095;&#1072;&#1090;&#1077;&#1083;&#1100;&#1085;&#1086;&#1075;&#1086; &#1080;&#1085;&#1089;&#1090;&#1088;&#1091;&#1084;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;&#1072; &#1084;&#1086;&#1078;&#1085;&#1086; &#1082;&#1086;&#1085;&#1074;&#1077;&#1088;&#1090;&#1080;&#1088;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100; &#1085;&#1077;&#1089;&#1082;&#1086;&#1083;&#1100;&#1082;&#1086; &#1092;&#1072;&#1081;&#1083;&#1086;&#1074; &#1074; &#1087;&#1072;&#1082;&#1077;&#1090;&#1085;&#1086;&#1084; &#1088;&#1077;&#1078;&#1080;&#1084;&#1077;, &#1085;&#1077;&#1079;&#1072;&#1074;&#1080;&#1089;&#1080;&#1084;&#1086; &#1086;&#1090; &#1080;&#1093; &#1080;&#1089;&#1090;&#1086;&#1095;&#1085;&#1080;&#1082;&#1072; &#1080; &#1090;&#1077;&#1082;&#1091;&#1097;&#1077;&#1075;&#1086; &#1092;&#1086;&#1088;&#1084;&#1072;&#1090;&#1072;. &#1042; &#1085;&#1080;&#1078;&#1085;&#1077;&#1084; &#1087;&#1086;&#1083;&#1077; (2) &#1089;&#1083;&#1077;&#1076;&#1091;&#1077;&#1090; &#1091;&#1082;&#1072;&#1079;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100; &#1072;&#1091;&#1076;&#1080;&#1086;&#1092;&#1072;&#1081;&#1083;, &#1080;&#1079; &#1082;&#1086;&#1090;&#1086;&#1088;&#1086;&#1075;&#1086; &#1073;&#1091;&#1076;&#1077;&#1090; &#1074;&#1079;&#1103;&#1090; &#1072;&#1091;&#1076;&#1080;&#1086;&#1087;&#1086;&#1090;&#1086;&#1082; &#1080; &#1085;&#1072;&#1083;&#1086;&#1078;&#1077;&#1085; &#1085;&#1072; &#1091;&#1082;&#1072;&#1079;&#1072;&#1085;&#1085;&#1099;&#1081; &#1074;&#1099;&#1096;&#1077; &#1074;&#1080;&#1076;&#1077;&#1086;&#1092;&#1088;&#1072;&#1075;&#1084;&#1077;&#1085;&#1090;. &#1054;&#1085;, &#1076;&#1077;&#1081;&#1089;&#1090;&#1074;&#1080;&#1090;&#1077;&#1083;&#1100;&#1085;&#1086;, &#1086;&#1095;&#1077;&#1085;&#1100; &#1087;&#1088;&#1086;&#1089;&#1090;, &#1080; &#1076;&#1072;&#1078;&#1077; &#1077;&#1089;&#1083;&#1080; &#1073;&#1099; &#1086;&#1085; &#1073;&#1099;&#1083; &#1085;&#1072; &#1082;&#1080;&#1090;&#1072;&#1081;&#1089;&#1082;&#1086;&#1084;, &#1090;&#1086; &#1088;&#1072;&#1079;&#1086;&#1073;&#1088;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100;&#1089;&#1103; &#1074; &#1085;&#1077;&#1084; &#1085;&#1077; &#1089;&#1086;&#1089;&#1090;&#1072;&#1074;&#1080;&#1083;&#1086; &#1073;&#1099; &#1090;&#1088;&#1091;&#1076;&#1072;. &#1055;&#1088;&#1086;&#1089;&#1090;&#1086;&#1081; &#1074; &#1080;&#1089;&#1087;&#1086;&#1083;&#1100;&#1079;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1085;&#1080;&#1080; &#1080;&#1085;&#1090;&#1077;&#1088;&#1092;&#1077;&#1081;&#1089;, &#1082;&#1086;&#1090;&#1086;&#1088;&#1099;&#1081; &#1087;&#1086;&#1079;&#1074;&#1086;&#1083;&#1103;&#1077;&#1090; &#1082;&#1086;&#1087;&#1080;&#1088;&#1086;&#1074;&#1072;&#1090;&#1100; &#1090;&#1088;&#1077;&#1082;&#1080; &#1080;&#1079; &#1074;&#1072;&#1096;&#1080;&#1093; &#1072;&#1091;&#1076;&#1080;&#1086; CD &#1076;&#1080;&#1089;&#1082;&#1086;&#1074; &#1085;&#1077;&#1089;&#1082;&#1086;&#1083;&#1100;&#1082;&#1080;&#1084;&#1080; &#1082;&#1083;&#1080;&#1082;&#1072;&#1084;&#1080; &#1084;&#1099;&#1096;&#1082;&#1080;. 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Apart from commonplace MP3 format, MP3 Toolkit helps most of fashionable audio & video formats like WMA, WMV, MP4, WAV, OGG, FLV, MOV, M4P, M4A and more, additionally helps prime quality audio like FLAC and APE. With MP3 Toolkit, you'll be able to convert, cut, merge, rip and file MP3. Merge mp3 files on-line mp3 merge recordsdata mp3 merge online obtain merge mp3 merge mp3 file join mp3 online merge mp3 online free mergemp3 mp3 merger merge music collectively online merge mp3 online join songs collectively online merge two mp3 information online merge mp3 free mp3 merger software program free download merge songs online free merge two songs together online free merge mp3 audacity. An audio file format is a file format for storing digital audio data on a pc system. The bit structure of the audio information is called the audio coding format and may be uncompressed, or compressed to scale back the file measurement, usually utilizing lossy compression. The information can be a raw bitstream in an audio coding format, however it is normally embedded in a container format or an audio knowledge format with defined storage layer. To our approval, MP3 Cutter Joiner Free can be part of a number of audio files which had different bitrates. It worked very fast and the becoming a member of course of was done virtually instantly. It's no drawback to play the newly created audio file by media gamers. We extremely advocate this software program to those who wish to hear to 1 big audio file that incorporates all your favourite songs without pauses. Free Merge MP3 is a trust worthy MP3 merger for mp3 customers to affix multiple recordsdata into a big one. Moreover becoming a member of audio recordsdata with top quality combine mp3 files online, it might probably convert audio information as an audio converter. Thus, we give it 5 stars for its very good efficiency. It lets you record any sound out of your micphone immediately to plain MP3 format, and no size limitation. If your sound card supports analog, you may record the stream audio also. Make Preparation: free download and set up this powerful MP3 Merger in your Home windows, and then comply with the step-by-step information to mix audio recordsdata inside minutes. Right here we take merge mp3 as instance. The app supports more than 300 audio formats, robotically changing them to mp3 for faster and simpler operation. You will be able to merge songs of different formats into one and access them everytime you want. With the help of this mergence, you'll expertise seamless streaming on-line of songs. Ihr möchtet Musik- oder andere Audiodateien professionell schneiden und bearbeiten? Any Audio Converter ist komplett kostenloser Audio Extractor, der Ihnen hilf, Audio, Tonspur oder Hintergrundmusik aus Videos oder CDs zu extrahieren. Mit diesem Free Audio Extractor lassen sich Tonspuren leicht aus AVI, MPEG, MPG, FLV (Flash Video), DAT, WMV, MOV, MP4, 3GP Videodateien extrahieren und als MP3, WAV und AC3 speichern. Darüber hinaus können Sie aus Musikdateien Videos mit Visualisierungen oder statischem Hintergrundbild erstellen. Es stehen hierfür rund 25 elegante Visualisierungen und Animationen - wie etwa der bekannte Matrix-Effekt - zur Auswahl. Die Musikdatei wird dann als AVI, MP4, WMV, 3GP Video gespeichert oder als Video-DVD gebrannt. Wer es noch etwas ausgefeilter magazine, bekommt mit Audacity eine Software program für die tiefgreifende Bearbeitung von Musikstücken und Klangdateien. Hier kannst Du sehr viele Dateiformate lesen und speichern, darunter die beliebten verlustfreien WAV und AIFF. Die Aufnahme von Stimmen und Instrumenten, die Nutzung von Klangeffekten und mehr sind damit möglich. Audacity funktioniert mit Home windows, Mac OS X, Linux und weiteren Betriebssystemen. Und das Beste: Audacity ist ebenfalls kostenlos und bietet wesentlich mehr an, als nur das reine Musik schneiden. Wählen Sie das gewünschte Audioformat aus und klicken Sie auf "Konvertieren". Ein ausgefeiltes Programm, zu dem es eine populäre Various für Windows gibt: mp3DirectCut ist ein weiteres geeignetes Werkzeug, deutschsprachig (auch wenn die Webseite auf Englisch ist) und ebenfalls kostenlos erhältlich. Alle unterstützten Video- und Audioformate lassen sich in MP3 umwandeln. So konvertieren Sie auch exotische Audioformate ins MP3-Format oder erzeugen aus Musikvideos Audiodateien. Die Crossfade-Funktion ermöglicht es Ihnen, Lieder so miteinander zu verbinden, dass sie fließend ineinander übergehen. AudioShell ist eine Freewareerweiterung für das Windows-Kontextmenü. dateien direkt im Explorer. bearbeiten. Die ID3-Tags einer Sounddatei sind eine. wird, wenn man eine MP3-CD im Auto abspielt. AudioShell hat man jederzeit zur Hand, weil es. Merge MP3 unterstützt Batch Mode-Vorgänge, damit ganze Ordner voller Audiodateien mit wenigen Klicks verbunden sind. Um Aufnahmen so bearbeiten zu können, dass Du beispielsweise ein einzelnes darin enthaltenes Instrument passgenau ausschneidest (etwa um später Beats selber machen zu können), mp3 zusammenfügen freeware deutsch findest Du auf delamar einen eigenen Artikel. Hier erfährst Du zudem, wie Knackser und andere unerwünschte Nebeneffekte beim Audio schneiden vermieden werden. Sie haben noch Fragen? Als nächstes legen Sie unter "Gewählte Titel" per Drag&Drop die Reihenfolge der Audiofiles fest. Stellen Sie - falls gewünscht - unter "Optionen" die Länge der Pause ein, die vor dem Abspielen des jeweils nachfolgenden Titels eingehalten werden soll. Im Anschluss daran brauchen Sie nur noch auf der rechten Seite Informationen wie "Titel", "Album" oder "Style" einzugeben und das Ausgabeformat einzustellen. Zum Abschließen des Vorgangs drücken Sie einfach auf den "Dateien vereinen"-Button und wenige Augenblicke später taucht das fertige Werk im Zielordner auf. Der Any Video Converter Free Obtain verschafft euch ein Konvertierungstool, mit dem ihr sehr viele Video- und Audioformate untereinander konvertieren und außerdem Videos von Downloadportalen herunterladen und solche auf DVD brennen könnt. und Output unterstützt werden: MP3, AC3, OGG, AAC. Achtung: Für das reine MP3 schneiden sollte das Programm nicht deine erste Wahl sein, denn beim Speichern des zurechtgeschnittenen Musikstücks als MP3-Datei wird die Datei neu komprimiert, was einen Verlust der Klangqualität zur Folge hat. Kostenlose On-line-App, die Audiotitel für Sie konvertiert. Die App unterstützt alle Formate, verarbeitet Ihre Dateien schnell und erfordert keine Installation. Es ist ein Fehler beim Laden der Kommentare aufgetreten, bitte versuchen sie es spдter erneut. Ausschließlich Sie haben Zugriff auf Ihre Sitzungen. All Ihre Daten und Dateien werden wenige Stunden, nachdem Sie die Bearbeitung abgeschlossen haben, automatisch gelöscht. Als nächstes legen Sie unter "Gewählte Titel" per Drag&Drop die Reihenfolge der Audiofiles fest. Stellen Sie - falls gewünscht - unter "Optionen" die Länge der Pause ein, die vor dem Abspielen des jeweils nachfolgenden Titels eingehalten werden soll. Im Anschluss daran brauchen Sie nur noch auf der rechten Seite Informationen wie "Titel", "Album" oder "Style mp3 zusammenfügen freeware deutsch" einzugeben und das Ausgabeformat einzustellen. Zum Abschließen des Vorgangs drücken Sie einfach auf den "Dateien vereinen"-Button und wenige Augenblicke später taucht das fertige Werk im Zielordner auf. Wie man aus der Überschrift entnehmen kann möchte wma audio dateien in mp3 dateien umwandeln!!! Das erste Fenster, welches sich nach dem Starten öffnet, ist zugleich das Hauptfenster und damit Herzstück des Programms. Im Gegensatz zu den Alternativen WMA und MP3 ist das OGG-Verfahren weder durch Patente geschützt, noch unterliegt es einer geräteübergreifenden Standardisierung. Wir raten bei der Set up des Tools allerdings unbedingt zur Vorsicht, da dieses mitunter versucht zusätzliche Adware zu installieren, die ihr eigentlich gar nicht haben wolltet, sondern lediglich überlesen habt. Wenn Sie auf eine Anzeige für ein Gesponsertes Produkt klicken, werden Sie zu einem Amazon Detailseite gebracht, wo Sie mehr über das Produkt erfahren und es kaufen können. In fast allen Fällen sind WMA Dateien Teil des fortschrittlichen Advanced System Format (ASF), einem proprietären Containerformat für digitale Video und Audiodateien von Microsoft. Bescheissen, wie der Eine oder Andere meint tu ich persönlich keinen, im Gegensatz zu Denen, die Mp3 über die diversen Tauschbörsen ilegal beziehen. Windows Media Audio (WMA) ist ein proprietärer Audio - Codec von Microsoft und Teil der Home windows-Media -Plattform. Nicht ganz, habe mal bei Planetopia on-line gesehen, das das ganz authorized wäre wenn man seine wma Dateien auf CD als Audio CD brennt und dann zum Beispiel mit dem Audiograbber als MP3 rippt. Dies bedeutet, dass Sie einfach konvertieren Sie Ihre Sammlung in WMA, WMV-oder ASF-Format MP3. NoteBurner WMA DRM to MP3 Converter kann iTunes AAC, M4P, M4A oder M4B Musik in MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC, OGG und FLAC Audiodateien konvertieren. Wo hingegen bei der verlustbehafteten Datenkomprimierung eine ungefähre Ausgabe der ursprünglichen wma zu mp3 Daten erfolgt, was zu Lasten der ursprünglichen Klangqualität geht, sich aber in einer besseren Komprimierungsrate auswirkt. Funktionalität - nämlich das Umwandeln von Audiodateien - steht hier klar im Vordergrund. WMA Encoder Decoder is an audio convertor that encodes AudioCD, MP3, OGG and WAV files to WMA files, and decodes WMA information again to WAV files. Mp3 Converter Cutter & RingtoneMaker ist eine von Mp4 To Mp3 delicate entwickelte App. Erstmal schauen bevor man die Festplatte zumüllt mit Programmen die Mac OS X schon integriert hat. Wird eine Audiodatei von einem verlustbehafteten Format in ein anderes konvertiert (z.B. vom MP3 in Vorbis ), wird die Qualität immer durch Generationsverlust verschlechtert. Wenn er keine MP3 abspielt, wird er bestimmt auch keine WMA abspielen, also werden es wohl nur AudioCDs sein die er kann. MP3 verzichtet auf einige der in einem Lied aufgezeichneten akustischen Informationen, die unser Ohr nicht wahrnehmen kann, und wendet dann komplexe Algorithmen an, um die Dateigröße zu verringern. Mit Direct Audio Converter und CD Ripper kann man die ganze Musiksammlung zum anderen Format konvertieren und dabei die Ordnerstruktur beibehalten. Free WMA MP3 Converter helps ID3 tagging; the ID3 tags in the authentic recordsdata will be reserved after conversion. Zudem ist WMA bei geringen Bitraten perfekt (die Anzahl der Bits, welche professional Zeiteinheit verarbeitet werden). Bekannte Vertreter sind z. B. der Windows Media Player umwandlung wma in mp3 , der Quicktime Participant oder Apple iTunes. Deine wma Datei ist mit dem digitalen rechte managment evrsehen und kann weder bearbeitet noch geändert werden. Machen Sie Movies von jeder App, nehmen Sie On-line-Streaming-Movies, Webinare und sogar Skype-Anrufe auf, speichern Sie Clips in allen populären Formaten zum Anschauen auf verschiedenen Geräten. Free WMA to MP3 ChangerConverter unterstützt Batch-Konvertierung von Windows Medien-Dateien in MP3. WMA (Windows Media Audio)-Format, allgemein auf vielen Musik-Obtain-Dienste verwendet, ist mit vielen Home windows-basierten Programmen kompatibel. Die Lizenzierung für die Verwendung des MP3-Dateiformat der Fraunhofer Gesellschaft wurde alleine im Jahr 2005 auf €a hundred,000,000 berechnet (oder über $ a hundred and eighty,000,000 U.S.). Die Thompson Unterhaltungselektronik besteht auch darauf die Lizenzierungsrechte auf dem MP3-Dateiformat in den USA, Japan, Kanada und den EU-Ländern zu halten. Um die Produktentwicklung zu erhalten und Ihnen hochwertige Software program bieten zu können, enthalten DVDVideoSoft Produkte Links zu anderen Webseiten und Installationen der Drittanbieter-Anwendungen (z.B. Toolbar). Dank ihrer Popularität können WMA Dateien sehr oft aus dem Internet downloadet werden. Xilisoft WMA MP3 Converter kann Ihnen helfen, gängige Audioformate in WMA u. MP3 umzuwandeln, wie z.B. WAV in MP3, WMA in MP3 umwandeln. Die neu erzeugte MP3 Datei finden Sie in dem gleichen Ordner, wo sich die WMA Datei befindet. Andererseits können Sie mehrere Video- und Audiodateien zu einer einzigen Audiodatei zusammenfügen. Ich bin Vangelis, der Inhaber und Administrator von Ich bin begeisterter Windows-Fan und habe die letzten Jahre zusammen mit meinem Team aufgebaut.Stetig arbeiten wir daran Lösungsvorschläge für alle möglichen Windows-Probleme zu freue mich sehr, wenn Euch unsere Tipps und Tricks auf helfen. Hatte heute keine Zeit zu experimentieren... werde aber Meldung machen, sollte ich das in diesem Leben nochmal auf die Reihe kriegen. Einige Programme, ändern dies in eine sixty wma zu mp3 four-Bit-Ganzzahl, ohne Vorzeichen, um die Datei-Größenbeschränkung zu umgehen, aber es ist noch nicht die Customary Umsetzung des WAV-Dateiformates. Nach dem Konvertieren lassen sich doppelte Dateien mit wenigen Klicks von dem Programm auf Ihrem Windows PC finden und entfernen. No less than four instances a day I convert one thing - dollars to euro, cm to inches or PDF recordsdata to PPT depending on what I am going about. A: Individuals Convert TTA recordsdata To FLAC format for varied purpose, nonetheless, most of them Convert TTA for the 2 frequent ones, first the TTA information .tta to .flac are too giant, they need to avoid wasting area, second their moveable units do not recognize TTA format in any respect, however these units are capable of taking part in FLAC information without any compatibility issues. Hey all, I'm wondering if there's a software that may reliably break up atta file into particular person tracks (which I'll convert to both mp3 v0 or ogg later for mobile use). I've tried Bigasoft audio converter, however it doesn't do it perfectly all the time and it might add a second at the finish or whatnot. 4.Audio joiner utility lets you join a number of audio recordsdata into one massive audio file. Compress to LossyWav, making a lossy output + correction file. TTA recordsdata will be effortlessly was FLAC by using our TTA to FLAC Converter. Flacon extracts particular person tracks from one big audio file containing the whole album of music and saves them as separate audio files. 4.Audio joiner utility permits you to be a part of a number of FLAC audio files into one big audio file. The TTA lossless audio codec permits for the storage of up to 20 audio CDs value of music on a single DVD-R , specify retaining the unique CD high quality audio, plus detailed info in the ID3 tag format. Choose one or more TTA recordsdata you need to convert after which click Open. WAV PCM, MS-ADPCM, IMA-ADPCM, A-Regulation, u_Law, GSM610, Float-Double and so tta to flac on to WMA, MP3, AAC, M4A, AMR, VQF, OGG, FLAC, APE, WAV codecs. To ensure efficiently break up the TTA audio, thecue file shall be in the same folder with the TTA audio file. TAudioConverter is an advanced, multithreaded audio converter-extractor and CD Ripper. It may convert any audio format to aac, mp3, wav, flac, ac3, ogg, opus, mpc, ape or tta. It might probably additionally, extract audio streams from video recordsdata. It might probably apply numerous results to audio streams. A: TTA ( The True Audio ) is a free lossless audio codec associated with True Audio Software program. TTA can scale audio information down to about 30%-70% of their authentic size, and the compression runs on multichannel eight, 16 and 24-bit data of WAV tracks. 2.Including the TTA files you wish to convert to MP3. Nonetheless, this audio format will not be appropriate with most media players like iTunes, QuickTime, or moveable units like iPod, iPhone, PSP, BlackBerry or MP3 player tta to flac converter. Worse still, if the TTA audio is one big file which comprises multiple tracks, it's tough for us to split them into individual songs. A: TTA ( The True Audio ) is a free lossless audio codec related to True Audio Software program. TTA can scale audio files all the way down to about 30%-70% of their unique size, and the compression runs on multichannel 8, sixteen and 24-bit information of WAV tracks. 4.Audio joiner utility permits you to be part of multiple audio files into one huge audio file. Compress to LossyWav, making a lossy output + correction file. TTA information could be effortlessly was FLAC by using our TTA to FLAC Converter. Flacon extracts individual tracks from one massive audio file containing the whole album of music and saves them as separate audio files. Audio is processed in 64-bit float accuracy for finest outcomes. Helps gapless encoding and decoding. Uses gapless pattern rate conversion. Supported input formats: WAV, FLAC, APE, WavPack, True Audio (TTA). Batch mode for multiple information conversion process, TTA to FLAC Converter can convert hundreds of TTA files directly. Select one or more TTA recordsdata you want to convert and then click Open. WAV PCM, MS-ADPCM, IMA-ADPCM, A-Regulation, u_Law, GSM610, Float-Double and so tta2flac forth to WMA, MP3, AAC, M4A, AMR, VQF, OGG, FLAC, APE, WAV codecs. To ensure efficiently break up the TTA audio, thecue file shall be in the same folder with the TTA audio file. FLAC is a lossless audio format that gives compression in measurement without loss in high quality. This open source codec works just like ZIP archiving, however gives higher compression particularly for sound data (up to 60%). FLAC audio is supported by nearly all of platforms like Windows, Unix, Amiga. This is the one non-proprietary lossless codec with well documented specs and API. Helps 4-32 bps decision, 1-8 channels. In streaming protocol FLAC uses CRC checksums. Unfortunately, the transformations that make up 'mastering' will be fairly elaborate, and for professionally-produced music there may be little incentive to let the general public see their project recordsdata - though they are sometimes made accessible for remixers. C'est maintenant doable avec 2011, et sur PC également (à confirmer également). RM/MP3/WAV/WMA Audio Converter est un utilitaire de conversion qui permet d'encoder des fichiers audio RM, RA, RAM, RMVB, RMJ, WAV, MP3, WMA, OGG, AVI, MP2, AIFF, AU et VOX, aux formats WAV, MP3, OGG, WMA ou RM. Très easy d'utilisation, cette utility supporte le glisser-déposer, supporte le traitement par lot et dispose d'outils de personnalisation de l'interface. La conversion se fait bien, mais lorsque j'essaie de faire jouer le morceau via le cd player de Windows 2000 j'obtiens le message suivant : n'est pas une software win32 valide. Vous pouvez convertir des fichiers WAV, MP3, OGG, WMA, AC3, AMR, 3GP, MP2, RM, RMVB, RAM, VCD, VOB, AVI, MPEG, WMV, ASF, and so forth en format AMR rapidement et facilement. C'est pourquoi, d'une configuration à une autre, une musique MIDI sera interpretée différemment : de bonne qualité avec un synthé professional mp32wav, et de moins bonne qualité avec une carte son de sort AC'ninety seven par exemple. Juste copiez et collez vos fichier MIDI et le reste est fait par Direct MIDI to MP3 Converter automatiquement. C'est inclus dans la plupart d'entre eux (même pour les utilisateurs de PC, pas de jaloux), mais ça te le convertira par défaut en AAC, donc assure toi que tu puisses lire les AAC, sinon change les paramètres pour que la conversion se fasse vers un format MP3. Il assure mp32wav une conversion rapide et efficace de divers codecs audio dont OGG Vorbis, WMA. J'ai donc cherché à convertir un fichier mp3 en Wav, et cela se fait très facilement et rapidement. Il ne nécessite par ailleurs que peu de ressources matérielles lors de la lecture et contient des informations permettant l'application optionnelle d'un Replay Gain (normalisation avec loudness) avec les applications compatibles. Donc en réponse aux questions posés par l'auteur du matter : si tout est en wav et que tu ne t'imagines pas voir tout converti en mp3 320, convertis-y en AIFF pour une meillleure gestion des tags et la prise en cost des artworks et organise ta musique dans iTunes. Vous pouvez obtenir la musique fantastique de sortie MP3 que vous aimez vraiment après l'édition. Chacun peut proposer, télécharger du gratuit, commenter, documenter,.. un logiciel gratuit disponible en telechargement. La procédure expliquée précédement (avec fichierbat) ne fonctionne pas, et je n'arrives pas à lancer (programme pour créer les tags) à la fin de l'encodage. Si tu mets %1/%2/%4, les fichiers seront placés à l'arborescence suivante : auteur/titre_de_l'album/titre, avec création automatique de ces dossiers. Vous pouvez illustrer visuellement cette compression en jouant vos fichiers dans votre DAW avec un plugin EQ graphique sur votre piste (fabfilter pro q, par exemple). MP3 est un format de musique numérique qui permet de compresser les pistes d'un CD à environ un dixième de leur taille normale sans une perte significative de qualité. Glissez-déposez les fichiers MP3 que vous désirez convertir dans la fenêtre du convertisseur. Et les rip YouTube c'est vraiment horrible, c'est pire que du mp3 128 je crois ! With MP3 to WAV Converter we are able to encode multiple recordsdata concurrently and configure the output parameters. Movavi Video Converter supporte plus de one hundred eighty formats audio et vidéo et vous permet d'enregistrer les fichiers pour les lire sur plus de 200 sorts des appareils mobiles. J'ajouterais qu'une grande partie des DJs/producteurs professional qui tournent dans les plus grands golf equipment du monde, jouent du mp3 320. J'ai beaucoup de vidéos VOB que je veux les convertir en fichiers audio avec certains des outils de conversion gratuits sur Internet. On doit avouer avoir un peu douillé pour la rendre la plus claire et easy doable… Un MP3 160kbps est techniquement considéré comme en haute résolution, mais nous, nous te recommandons le 320kbps pour un meilleur résultat. Inutile d'installer un logiciel, tout est fait Téléchargez des MPhaute qualité avec notre Convertisseur vers MP3. A compression égale, un fichier WAV offre une meilleure qualité sonore qu'un fichier MP3. La compression MP3 n'est pas une compression à proprement parler, mais plutôt une suppression d'informations, ce qui réduit naturellment la qualité d'écoute. La mode de la fournée vous aide à convertir plusieurs pistes MIDI à MP3 simultanément. Supporté par Home windows mp32wav eight.1, 8, 7, XP, 2003 et Vista, ce logiciel convertit par lot des fichiers MP3 en WAV. La taille du fichier est considérablement réduite, avec une dégradation relative de la qualité sonore. Waveform Audio File Format (WAVE, or extra generally often called WAV because of its filename extension) is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format customary for storing an audio bitstream on PCs. La compression appliquée lors de la conversion en mp3 consiste principalement à réduire le spectre, sur les extrêmes (very sub-bass et very excessive). Faites une recherche sur internet en écrivant « filtre directshow AAC », téléchargez-le et installez-le sur votre ordinateur. Ce sort mp3 en wav de format suggest un ratio qualité taille du fichier plus performant qu'un fichier MP3. Maintenant, je suis d'accord que si la sono est de piètre qualité, alors mp3 ou wav, personnes n'entendra la différence. Avant tout, le website Le logiciel gratuit est une communauté de personnes qui partagent les logiciels libres et gratuits du net à telecharger. Une compression non destructrice est appliquée (comme pour une archive ZIP en quelque sorte) afin de préserver l'espace disque. J'enregistre en WAVE et utilise NERO Wave Editor pour transformer le WAVE en MP3. Et là, tu n'entendras plus de différence avec pas mal de CDs, dans le domaine de l'électro en tout cas. Merci d'avoir essayé de m'aider (d'autres également automobile pour lier un fichier son avec un diaporama, il faut avoir un fichier de taille réduite. La raison d'être de ce programme est de s'adapter à tout utilisateur (Home windows, Mac OSX). La conversion est des plus simples, en utilisant les icônes situées sur le côté droit. En raison de l'adoption de la dernière technologie d'accélération, il peut vous offrir une vitesse super-rapide lors de la conversion vidéo/audio en MP3. Lancez-le et cliquez sur la flèche de menu déroulant se trouvant dans le coin en haut à gauche de la fenêtre. AIFF (.AIF) (Audio Interchange File Format), un normal défini par Apple (Mac OS). Ne prend pas en cost les fichiers au-delà de 750 MB - celui-ci fait readableSize. Pour éviter la mauvaise surprise des malwares et autres joyeusetés du style, AIMP propose une bonne resolution de conversion sur LAPTOP Dans notre exemple, nous utilisons la model four. Son seul défaut est de ne pas proposer nativement le MP3 en conversion, mais il est doable de l'ajouter manuellement. The results that AV Voice Changer Software Primary gives you can be recorded straight into recordsdata in MP3, WMA, WAV and different sound formats. Il est évident que du MP3 128k c'est de la soupe et qu'il faut au minimum du 192k. WMA-Dateien können in den meisten gängigen Softwareplayern wie Winamp und natürlich dem Home windows Media Player abgespielt werden. Im Media Player 10 klicken Sie in der oberen Menüleiste auf den Eintrag Brennen. Fazit : Einfach zu benutzender und kostenloser Konverter für WMA-Dateien in MP3. Sie können einerseits die Quellvideodatei schneiden, um den gewünschten mp3 zu wma Teil zu konvertieren. Bei der Konvertierung können Sie noch Einstellungen wie Bitrate und Frequenz Ihren Wünschen entsprechend anpassen und dann mit diesen Einstellungen gleich mehrere Dateien in einem Arbeitsgang umwandeln. Es gibt sehr viele Audiokonverter auf dem Markt, aber bis jetzt hatten wie noch keinen gefunden, der diese Aufgabe so einfach und schnell wie Freemake Audio Converter ausführt. Die Erstellung von Bitraten unterhalb 128 kbps nominal (Ratio ]1:10) zum Beispiel mit nominal sixty four kbps geschieht außerhalb aller Spezifikation und Eignungsprofile und logischerweise kommt da nur eine Ansammlung von Artefakten mit Musik drumherum bei raus, für solche Sachen ist mp3 einfach nicht ausgelegt. Es gibt aber auch noch ein weiteres Downside: Grafische Oberflächen gelten zwar gemeinhin als benutzerfreundlicher als Kommandozeilen-Befehle, sind aber oft entweder mit Optionen überfrachtet oder bieten, damit es besonders einfach ist, zu wenig. Power MP3 WMA Converter can burn mp3, wma, wav, ogg, ape, asf(audio part), wmv(udio half) recordsdata to cd immediately. FF Multi Converter ist eine übersichtlich gehaltene grafische Oberfläche, die sich zum Konvertieren von Audio-, Video-, Bild- und Dokument-Dateien eignet und die meisten populären Formate unter einer Anwendung unterstützt. Ja das tut es. Verallgemeinernd kann man nur sagen, daß es gegenüber mp3 unterhalb nominal 128 kbps bessere Alernativen gibt. Dadurch ist es weniger geeignet, um die eigenen Musiksammlung zu verwalten, denn schon bei der Konvertierung zu einem verlustfreien Format wie FLAC spart man große Mengen Speicherplatz ein. Ich kann aber auch nicht am Ende alle auf wma filtern und die löschen, solange noch nicht umgewandelte dazwischen sind. Er unterstützt Batch-Herunterladen der Movies mp3 in wma konverter von YouTube/Google/Metacafe/Vevo/Howcast/Facebook/Nicovide und Batch-Konvertierung zu MP3, WMA, WAV, FLAC, AAC, M4A und OGG. Wenn du da eine Audio CD erstellst und oben Mp3 CD auswählst, dann alle Titel reinziehst (per Drag & Drop) fragt er, ob er konvertieren soll. Dein Hinweis darauf, dass sich mp3 in Atrac wandeln lassen, ist ein Bärendienst und endet in einem minderwertigen drm-behafteten Atrac3plus-Datei, die sich nur auf einem Sonygerät abspielen läßt. Muß ich die Lieder zuerst auf eine CD brennen und dann umwandeln oder geht das direkt ohne die Lieder auf eine CD zubrennen. Windows zu haben bedeutet nicht, dass du auf die Verwendung des Home windows kostenloser mp3 zum wma konverter Media Participant beschränkt bist. Jetzt können Sie ganz einfach die WMA Dateien zu iTunes hinzufügen, entweder per Drag & Drop oder Manuell, auf Ihrem Mac auf Mac OS X. Die App kann gleichzeitig verschiedene Dateien in einem Batch umwandeln und speichert diese dann in einem ZIP-Archiv, um das Herunterladen zu beschleunigen. Ich codire immer in 256 kb/s alles andere ist einfach zu schlecht und mehr unterstützt mein Participant nicht. Si vous aimez un bon livre audio, vous pouvez prendre le iPod au format M4b utilisant MP3 to iPod Audio Ebook Converter. Quand aux pertes de données entre le mp3 et l'AIFF, je me repète, j'ai testé les 2 en soirée sur un DDJ SZ avec des Nexo PS15 + les caissons de basse Nexo....Plusieurs personnes se sont prêtées au check convertisseur mp3 à m4b, not possible de détecter une différence à l'oreille.... certes cela est peut être vrai avec des appareils de mesure, mais à l'oreille même sur du bon matos c'est quasiment indétectable en soirée... alors avec des enceintes moins pêchues que les nexo j'en parle même pas...! Donc pour moi, à l'heure actuelle, Waltr constitue la meilleure solution de transferts de contenus sur un iDevice sans iTunes sur Mac et Windows. Il est connu que la musique achetée sur iTunes en M4P format venir avec DRM, courtroom mp32m4b pour la gestion des droits numériques. Ce programme vous donnera automatiquement les informations kin à la musique. Fonction WavePad avec des fichiers MP3 ou WMA; vous pouvez également ajouter quelques « effets spéciaux » dans le fichier que nous utilisons pour personnaliser les fichiers audio. Mais, étant donné que le m4b est un dérivé de l'AAC, la conversion en mp3 (ou AAC regular convertir mp3 en m4b) est potential en dehors d'iTunes. NoteBurner Audio Converter pour Mac peut graver les musiques protégées par DRM sur un lecteur CD-RW virtuel où vous pouvez obtenir les sortie de non protégés MP3, WMA, WAV. FLAC ist die Abkürzung für Free Lossless Audio Codec, der auch für die verlustfreie Kompression bekannt ist. Flac Converter : mp3 to flac, ape to flac m4a to flac, wav to flac , alac to flac. Der Konverter ist eigentlich sehr einfach zu bedienen und hat die Fähigkeit, DRM-geschützte Audio-Bücher in mp3-Formate zu konvertieren. AIFF (Audio Interchange File Format) ist ein Dateiformat (Containerformat) zum Speichern von LPCM-Audiodaten. Danach prüfte ich den ganzen Signalweg vom Mikrofon über Ableton bis zu den Export-Einstellung. Es ist ideally suited, M4A MP3 Converter die in der Lage ist ,kann es M4A in MP3 als auch MP3 in M4A umwandeln. Ich in schon vor einigen Jahren auf WavPack umgestiegen, da ich mit FLAC immer wieder Schwierigkeiten beim Tagging hatte (dauerte zu lange, produzierte mitunter corrupted information online aiff in m4a konverter) und einfach kleinere Information haben wollte. Über die Untermenüs „Optionen und das Register „Musik kopieren gelangen Sie zu den „Einstellungen zum Kopieren von Medium. Es wurde von Apple entwickelt und ist das Pendant zu Microsofts WAVE-Dateiformat (WAV). Schneiden Sie das Videofenster zurecht und kürzen Sie es. Sie können auch mehrere Videodateien zu einer Videodatei zusammenführen. Um beliebige Movies aiff zu m4a in MP4-Format umwandeln zu können braucht Ihr einen Konverter. 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Drag and drop your CDA file onto your library and click "Create MP3 Version" in the appropriate-click on pop-up menu. It will probably be part cda format to mp3 online converter of CDA information to 1 massive AAC, ALAC, FLAC, WAV, M4A, M4B, MP3, OGG or WMA. Click on on the button on the top of Home windows Media Player that is clearly labeled "Burn." This opens a brand new column in Windows Media Player.

2019-04-25T22:25:02Z

http://www.ceskaastrologie.cz/konference/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=308

Newell Rubbermaid Inc. - Company Profile, Information, Business Description, History, Background Information on Newell Rubbermaid Inc. Each and every day, our products touch millions of people where they work, where they live and where they play. Our portfolio of power brands provides a compelling platform for growth that we are leveraging with breakthrough product innovation, high-impact marketing and attention-grabbing presentation at the point of sale. At the same time, we are aggressively pursuing the type of operating efficiency that characterizes the world's best companies. Our vision is to create a global powerhouse in consumer and commercial products and to provide a superior return to our shareholders. Frankly, we can't think of a more exciting opportunity. History of Newell Rubbermaid Inc. Newell Rubbermaid Inc. is a diversified manufacturer and marketer of a variety of high-volume brand-name consumer products. The firm is organized into four business groups. The Rubbermaid group makes such products as storage containers, waste and recycling containers, closet organization systems, cleaning products, outdoor play systems, high chairs, infant seats, strollers, play yards, and children's toys and furniture; key brands include Rubbermaid, Curver, Little Tikes, Graco, and Century. The Sharpie group produces writing instruments, highlighters, art supplies, office accessories, and hair care accessories; brands include Sanford, Sharpie, Paper Mate, Parker, Waterman, Uni-Ball, Liquid Paper, Eldon, and Goody. The Levolor/Hardware group makes drapery hardware, window blinds and other window treatments, paint applicator products, hand torches, cabinet hardware, hand tools, and power tool accessories; among the brands of this group are Levolor, Kirsch, Newell, Amerock, BernzOmatic, and Vise-Grip. The Calphalon Home group produces cookware, bakeware, glassware, dinnerware, kitchen tools and utensils, ready-made picture frames, and photo albums; brands include Calphalon, WearEver, Regal, Anchor Hocking, Pyrex, and Burnes of Boston. The company's products are sold primarily through mass merchandisers, including discount, variety, chain, and hardware stores, as well as warehouse clubs, hardware and houseware distributors, home improvement centers, office product superstores, and grocery and drugstores. Nearly 75 percent of the company's revenues are generated in the United States, with 18 percent originating in Europe and 4 percent each in Canada and in Central and South America. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is by far the largest of Newell Rubbermaid's customers, accounting for about 15 percent of total sales. The two main strands of Newell Rubbermaid's history came together in March 1999 when Newell Co. acquired Rubbermaid Incorporated. Originally founded soon after the dawn of the 20th century to make brass curtain rods, Newell evolved into a maker of a wide range of brand-name consumer products. The low-profile company grew mainly through acquisition, buying dozens of firms in the late 20th century and then improving their profitability through an integration process known as "Newellization." Rubbermaid was a much better known company when it was acquired by Newell, which subsequently changed its name to Newell Rubbermaid. Originally known as the Wooster Rubber Company (which was founded in 1920) and initially specializing in rubber products, Rubbermaid developed into a top maker of consumer brand-name products--primarily plastic products. Newell Co. traces its roots to the short-lived W.F. Linton Company, an Ogdensburg, New York, firm incorporated in 1902 to make brass curtain rods. The Linton Company received $1,000 to move the company from Providence, Rhode Island, to Ogdensburg from the Ogdensburg Board of Trade, with the board's president, Edgar A. Newell, signing off on the loan. In 1903 the company went bankrupt and Newell took control of its operations, renaming the firm Newell Manufacturing Company, Inc. Although he was familiar with sales, Newell had no understanding of manufacturing and, as a result, hired and subsequently fired several general managers between 1903 and 1907. Edgar Newell then hired his son Allan to run Newell Manufacturing and started a new company, Newell Manufacturing Company Ltd. (Newell Ltd.), in Prescott, Canada. Established to capitalize on Ogdensburg's location, which made shipments south costly and left Canadian distribution channels more financially attractive, Newell Ltd. purchased a small dockside building in Prescott. Newell Manufacturing's initial product line was composed exclusively of brass curtain rods, created through a method of tube making that utilized a waterwheel; Newell's was powered by the nearby Oswegatchie River. In 1908 Newell began producing a greater variety of curtain rod shapes after adopting a new, faster, and more adaptable manufacturing process that used roll forming machines. By the end of the decade the Newell companies were employing about 20 people and generating annual sales of about $50,000. Throughout Newell Manufacturing's second decade, increasing managerial authority was given to Allan Newell, although Edgar Newell retained all voting shares of both Newell companies. In 1912 the domestic company began construction of a new factory, which was completed a year later. Although Ogdensburg operations were sailing smoothly, by 1912 Newell Ltd. found that curtain rods were not enough to keep its operations afloat. A new manager, Lawrence "Ben" Ferguson Cuthbert, was given a chance to bail out the Canadian plant in return for a 20 percent cut of its gross profits. Between 1912 and 1913 Newell Ltd. acquired the factory it had been leasing and expanded its plating department to produce a variety of products, including towel racks, stair nosings, ice picks, and other items requiring a finish of brass, zinc, or nickel. The expanded product line spurred additional sales, and Newell Ltd. soon became profitable. As war spread across the globe, the cost of brass rose, and Newell hired the Baker Varnish Company to devise a new metal-coating method tailored to Newell's roll forming manufacturing process. By 1917 Newell's curtain rods were being coated with a nontarnishable lacquer. Not only were the new rods cheaper to produce than brass rods, but because they would not tarnish, they were better suited to lace and ruffle curtains. With its new curtain rod Newell courted and won the business of Woolworth stores, after agreeing to buy out Woolworth's on-hand stock of curtain rods. Newell's first buyback deal soon paid dividends, boosting sales and helping to establish the company's first long-term relationship with a major national retailer. In 1920 Edgar A. Newell died and, for the first time, stockholder changes were made at the company. Cuthbert called in his profit-stake from running Newell Ltd., and, after some subsequent legal jousting, the company's stock ownership was resolved. Allan Newell received a 64 percent share in Newell Ltd., and Cuthbert received 33 percent of Newell Manufacturing and 20 percent of Newell Ltd. Albert Newell, Edgar's other son, who had been helping with sales, received 66 percent of Newell Manufacturing and 16 percent of Newell Ltd. Allan Newell was named chairman and president of Newell Manufacturing but bowed out of active affairs with the company, opting for a political life that eventually led him to the New York State Assembly. Albert Newell was also reluctant to be involved with the family business, and management of both companies passed to Cuthbert, who moved to Ogdensburg. In 1921 Cuthbert, the Newell brothers, and a former Ogdensburg employee named Harry Barnwell each put up $5,000 to start a new curtain rod factory in Freeport, Illinois. The new business, Western Newell Manufacturing Company, was designed to take advantage of local railroad transportation and serve as a western branch of Newell Manufacturing. Barnwell served a brief stint as Western Newell's president before selling his 25 percent stake in the operations to Cuthbert's cousin, Leonard Ferguson, who was recruited to manage the fledgling company. Like Newell Manufacturing, Western Newell began operations with ten employees and initially produced curtain rods in a red brick factory it rented. The company quickly became profitable, and in 1925 a new factory was erected. By 1928 Western Newell's sales had grown to $485,000, more than twice that of Newell Ltd. and about half that of Newell Manufacturing. At the time of the stock market crash in October 1929, Western Newell was producing a wide variety of drapery hardware, including extension curtain rods, ornamental drapery rods, and pinless curtain stretchers. Despite a dramatic slide in sales that forced the companies to lay off workers and reduce workdays, the Newell companies made it through the Great Depression without dipping into red ink. The bottom of the Depression's well for Newell Manufacturing came in 1933 when that company logged only about one-half of its 1929 level of sales, or $425,000. With a small operational base and modest salaries, Western Newell fared the best of the two American companies during the Depression, and by 1933 the 12-year-old Western Newell, with sales figures 25 percent lower than Newell Manufacturing, had a net income 30 percent greater than the original company. In 1933 Western Newell earned $61,000 on sales of $320,000, whereas Newell Manufacturing earned $47,000 on sales of $425,000. By 1937 Western Newell, under the leadership of Ferguson, had surpassed Newell Manufacturing in both revenues and income, earning $126,000 on sales of $553,000, whereas Newell Manufacturing earned $70,000 on sales of $511,000. At Cuthbert's suggestion, in the late 1930s the Newell brothers agreed to give Ferguson a small stake in Newell Manufacturing, effectively taking the founding company out of the hands of the Newell family, although the brothers retained rights to voting control through the late 1940s. Between 1938 and 1939 Newell Manufacturing established a third domestic factory, this one in Los Angeles, and made its first acquisition--Drapery Hardware Ltd. of Monrovia, California (DRACO), a maker of wooden and heavy iron drapery fixtures that eventually was sold to S.H. Kress and other smaller customers. Before the 1930s drew to a close a number of officer changes were made: Cuthbert was named to succeed Allan Newell as president of Newell Manufacturing and Ferguson was named president of Western Newell, although Allan Newell remained president of Newell Ltd. and chairman of all three companies. During World War II the Freeport factory won a coveted Army/Navy "E" Award for excellence in wartime production, churning out more than 230 million metallic belt links for machine guns within a two-year period. During the postwar decade the Newell companies enjoyed steady growth, although no new manufacturing plants were started or acquired. In 1954 the Newell family ceded further power over its namesake companies as complete operational control was given to Leonard Ferguson, who became president of all three Newell companies. During the early 1960s Newell acquired the rights to additional drapery hardware brands and names, including Angevine and Silent Gliss. In 1963 Ferguson was named chairman and chief executive of the three Newell companies and two years later his son, Daniel C. Ferguson, became president of the companies. Under the leadership of the father-and-son team, in 1966 all Newell companies were consolidated into one Illinois corporation, Newell Manufacturing Company, with headquarters in Freeport. Under the guidance of Daniel Ferguson, the $14 million family business turned its focus from its products to its customers and initiated a multiproduct strategy designed to boost sales to its existing buyers. During the 1970s Newell continued to acquire other companies, greatly expanding its product line in the process. In 1968 Newell purchased a majority interest in Mirra-Cote Industries, a manufacturer of plastic bath accessories. In 1969 Newell acquired Dorfile Manufacturing Company, a maker of household shelving, and E.H. Tate Company, which brought the "Bulldog" line of picture hanging hardware into the Newell line of products. During the late 1960s DRACO began phasing out of manufacturing operations and finally closed its doors in the early 1970s. In 1970 the company was reincorporated in Delaware as Newell Companies, Inc. The following year Newell added sewing and knitting accessories to its product line when it acquired The Boye Needle Company, a Chicago-based world leader in knitting needles and crochet hooks, and Novel Ideas, Inc., another maker of do-it-yourself sewing materials. In April 1972 Newell went public as an over-the-counter stock and that same year initiated an acquisition strategy that would later be replayed in various forms. Newell made an offer to buy EZ Paintr Corporation, a paint and sundries company in which Newell already had a 25 percent stake, and EZ Paintr in turn filed a pair of lawsuits to fight back against a possible takeover. But in February 1973 Newell gained majority control of EZ Paintr after its president and cofounder agreed to sell his family's interest in the paint supply company, a move opposed by EZ Paintr's management. By March 1973 Newell had ousted the EZ Paintr board and Daniel Ferguson had become president of the company, which yielded complete control of its stock to Newell six months later. In 1974 Newell completed another drawn-out acquisition and purchased complete control of Mirra-Cote. In 1975 Leonard Ferguson died and a descendant of Ben Cuthbert, William R. Cuthbert, was later named chairman. Between 1976 and 1978 Newell expanded its shelving, paint, and sundries offerings and acquired Royal Oak Industries, Inc., Baker Brush Company, and Dixon Red Devil Ltd. (later renamed Dixon Applicators). During the same period the company sold some of its knitting products businesses, including Novel Ideas. In May 1978 Newell acquired 24 percent of the financially troubled BernzOmatic Corporation, a manufacturer of propane torches and other do-it-yourself hand tools. In February 1979 Newell gained operational control over BernzOmatic after its president, who had earlier sold convertible debentures to Newell, yielded his position to Ferguson and Newell had taken control of the smaller firm's board. In June 1979, after coming off of its first $100 million sales year, Newell began trading on the New York Stock Exchange. About the same time Newell began targeting a new customer base--the emerging mass merchandisers such as Kmart--in order to piggyback on the increasing popularity of such stores. Newell entered the 1980s riding on the growth of mass merchandisers while continuing to expand and complement its product line through acquisitions. Between 1980 and 1981 Newell acquired the drapery hardware division of The Stanley Works and Brearley Co., a manufacturer of bathroom scales. In April 1982 Newell acquired complete control of BernzOmatic and in December of that year entered into a $60 million financing and stock purchase agreement with Western Savings & Loan Association, with the S&L paying $18.4 million for a 20 percent stake in Newell, which it gradually sold off to private investors during the next five years. Through two separate stock deals worth more than $42 million, in 1983 Newell acquired Mirro Corporation, a maker of aluminum cookware and baking dishes. In May 1984 Newell increased its number of common stock shares from 14 million to 50 million and later that year through a stock swap acquired Foley-ASC, Inc., a maker of cookware and kitchen accessories. In May 1985 the company changed its name to Newell Co. In June 1985 Newell acquired a 20 percent stake in William E. Wright Company from a group dissenting from the majority, including three board members and the grandson of Wright Company's founder. A few months later Newell raised its stake in Wright, a maker of sewing notions, and by the end of the year Newell had obtained majority control of the company and ousted Wright's board and top officers. In January 1986 William P. Sovey, former president of conglomerate AMF Inc., was named president and chief operating officer. Ferguson remained chief executive and was named to the new position of vice-chairman. In October 1986 Newell acquired the assets of Enterprise Aluminum, the aluminum cookware division of Lancaster Colony Corporation. By 1987 Newell had acquired complete control of Wright, which was added to a list of about 30 acquisitions the company had logged since Ferguson had become president. In July 1987 Newell--true to its acquisition formula--paid $330 million to acquire control of Anchor Hocking Corporation and its targeted glassware operations. At the time of the acquisition Anchor, with $758 million in sales, had nearly double the annual revenues of Newell and provided its new parent with brand-name tabletop glassware, decorative cabinet hardware, and microwave cookware, with each product line holding a number one or two position in its respective market. Within a week after the takeover Newell began employing its usual post-acquisition strategy on a large scale, dismissing 110 Anchor employees and closing its West Virginia plant. Through this strategy, which became known as "Newellization," Newell aimed to boost the profitability of acquired companies by improving customer service and partnerships, reducing overhead costs by centralizing administrative functions, abandoning underperforming product lines, and reducing inventory. Acquired companies continued to be "Newellized" into the early 21st century. Between 1988 and 1989 Newell acquired several small companies that made bakeware, paint sundries, metal closures, cabinet hardware, and aluminum cookware, and sold its Carr-Lowrey specialty glass container business and its William E. Wright/Boye Needle home-sewing business. In 1989 Newell unsuccessfully tried to buy a 20-plus percent investment in Vermont American, a maker of consumer and industrial tools that turned to another suitor after suggesting Newell would be a disruptive force in its operations. Newell closed its books on the 1980s having achieved a number of significant financial accomplishments. Between 1987 and 1989 the company's income rose more than $48 million, while during the course of the entire decade sales spiraled from $138 million to $1.12 billion as income ballooned from $7.8 million to $85.3 million. Newell also was listed number 22 on the Forbes list of the best stocks of the 1980s, having provided a total return to stockholders that averaged 39.5 percent per year. Newell entered the 1990s as a market leader in electronic data interchange, a computer-to-computer system that allowed Newell customers to place orders electronically. Attempting to once again piggyback on a growing mass merchandiser market--namely the trend to sell office supplies through mass retailers--in 1991 Newell entered the office products business by acquiring two small firms, Keene Manufacturing, Inc., and W.T. Rogers Company. In 1991 Newell also increased its interests in hardware firms and agreed to invest $150 million in the Black & Decker Corporation in a stock deal giving Newell a 15 percent stake in the hardware company. (The following year Newell backed away from a move to purchase a 15 percent interest in another hardware manufacturer, Stanley Works, which had filed an antitrust suit against Newell.) In 1991 Newell also acquired a 6 percent stake in the Ekco Group Inc., a maker of houseware products, kitchen tools, and bakeware, which was later sold. In 1992 Newell became a major force in the office products market. It acquired both Sanford Corporation, a leading producer of felt-tipped pens, plastic desk accessories, storage boxes, and other office and school supplies, and Stuart Hall Company, Inc., a well-known stationery and school supply business, in two stock swaps totaling more than $600 million. The two businesses combined brought Newell's annual office products sales to $350 million. The year 1992 also saw Newell--in what some perceived as a return to its roots--acquire Intercraft Industries, Inc., the largest supplier of picture frames in the United States. That year Newell sold its closures business for $210 million, and the company's books for the year reflected a record $119 million in earnings on a record $1.45 billion in sales. In a 1992 changing-of-the-guard, Daniel Ferguson bowed out of active management to move up to chairman, replacing the retiring William Cuthbert, and Thomas A. Ferguson (no relation to Daniel and Leonard Ferguson) was named president. Sovey was named to succeed Daniel Ferguson as vice-chairman and chief executive. Although the company had another Ferguson in line to run Newell, by 1992 stock dilution had reduced insider control of the company to 15 percent. Nevertheless, four members of the 11-person board were members of the Ferguson, Cuthbert, or Newell families. Having already completed more than 50 acquisitions from the late 1960s through 1992, Newell completed a dizzying series of deals from 1993 through 1998. The company spent about $1.9 billion on acquisitions during this period, completing 18 major acquisitions that added about $2.6 billion in annual revenues to Newell's coffers. Three key deals were consummated in 1993. In April, Sunnyvale, California-based Levolor Corp. was acquired for $72.5 million, giving Newell a leading maker of window blinds that had 1992 sales of $180 million. Then in September Newell bought Lee/Rowan Co., based in St. Louis, Missouri, for $73.5 million, gaining a leading manufacturer of wire storage and organization products with $100 million in 1992 revenues; Lee/Rowan fit in quite well alongside Newell's Dorfile hardware and shelving brand. Two months later Newell spent $147.1 million for Goody Products Inc., which was based in Kearny, New Jersey. With sales in 1992 of about $218 million, Goody produced hair care accessories, such as brushes, barrettes, and ponytail holders, as well as Ace combs; Goody also produced OptiRay sunglasses, but Newell sold that business to Benson Eyecare Corporation in January 1994. Rounding out its window treatments portfolio, Newell in August 1994 acquired Home Fashions Inc., based in Westminster, California. Achieving revenues of $140 million in 1993, Home Fashions produced window coverings, including vertical blinds and pleated shades, under the Del Mar and LouverDrape brand names. In a similar move, the office products operations were bolstered through the October 1994 purchase of Faber-Castell Corporation, which specialized in pencils and rolling-ball pens under the Eberhard Faber and Uni-Ball names. One month later, Newell spent $86 million to acquire Corning Incorporated's European consumer products business, which had 1993 revenues of $130 million. This deal included manufacturing facilities in England, France, and Germany; the trademark rights and product lines for Corning's Pyrex, Pyroflam, and Visions cookware brands in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa; and Corning's consumer distribution network in these areas. Newell also became the distributor of Corning's U.S.-made cookware and dinnerware products, including the Revere Ware and Corelle brands, in these same regions. This acquisition gave Newell its first major overseas foothold. Newell gained a virtual stranglehold on the picture frame market with the acquisitions of Decorel Incorporated in October 1995 and Holson Burnes Group, Inc. in January 1996. Decorel, which had sales of more than $100 million in 1994, was the third largest U.S. maker of picture frames but also gave Newell entry into the framed-art business. North Smithfield, Rhode Island-based Holson Burnes was acquired for $33.5 million and was the number two frame supplier in the country, behind Newell itself. Its brands included Burnes of Boston photo frames, sold mainly to department stores and specialty stores, and Holson photo albums, which were distributed through mass merchandisers and discounters. Revenues in 1994 for Holson Burnes totaled $130 million. Newell also gained a stronger position in writing instruments by purchasing Berol Corporation in November 1995. Among Berol's products were graphite and coloring pencils, and its 1994 sales exceeded $200 million. Concluding its heaviest one-year spending spree yet, Newell spent $563.5 million to complete four major deals during 1997. Office products were the subject of two of the acquisitions, the March purchase of the Rolodex brand from Insilco Corporation and the June buyout of the office products business of Rubbermaid. Under the Rolodex brand, which generated about $68 million in 1996 revenues, were such products as card files, personal organizers, and paper punches. With 1996 sales of $162 million, the Rubbermaid unit produced desk and computer accessories, chairmats, resin-based office furniture, and storage and organization products under the Eldon and MicroComputer Accessories brands. In May 1997 Newell bought the Kirsch brand from Cooper Industries, Inc., thereby gaining the leading producer of decorative window hardware in the country, with annual sales in excess of $250 million. Then in August 1997 Newell acquired two subsidiaries of American Greetings Corporation: Acme Frame Products, Inc., producer of picture frames, and Wilhold Inc., maker of hair care accessory products. At the end of 1997 Sovey retired from active management, and he became Newell's chairman, replacing Daniel Ferguson. Taking over Sovey's former position of vice-chairman and CEO was John J. McDonough, who had been a senior vice-president of finance at Newell in the early 1980s and had served on the board of directors since 1992. Continuing as president and COO was Thomas Ferguson. With the exception of the May acquisition of gourmet cookware maker Calphalon Corporation, all of the major 1998 acquisitions served to strengthen Newell's position outside the United States. In March Newell acquired Swish Track & Pole from Newmond plc. With 1997 sales of $65 million, Swish was a producer and marketer of decorative and functional window furnishings in the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, and Italy. Another European window treatment maker was brought onboard in August through the purchase of the Gardinia Group, which was based in Isny, Germany, and had 1997 revenues of $160 million. Newell acquired a Brazilian maker of aluminum cookware, Panex S.A. Industria e Comercio, in June. In September the company purchased another German firm, Hamburg-based Rotring Group, which had 1997 sales of $280 million. Rotring produced writing instruments, drawing instruments, and art materials under the Rotring, Koh-I-Noor, Grumbacher, and Accent brands; it also owned a subsidiary called Cosmolab Inc. that specialized in color cosmetic pencils. Newell spent $413.3 million on its 1998 acquisitions; the company also sold off its Stuart Hall business and the plastics division of Anchor Hocking that year. The steady stream of acquisitions paid off for Newell in the form of record earnings of $396.2 million and record revenues of $3.72 billion for 1998. The earnings figure was more than four and a half times the level of 1989, while sales had more than tripled during the same period. For the ten-year period ending in 1998, Newell's compound annual growth rates for sales and earnings per share were 13 percent and 16 percent, respectively. Starting with the 1994 purchase of the European consumer products unit of Corning, Newell had made a concerted overseas push; as a result, sales outside the United States increased from 8 percent of total sales in 1992 to 22 percent in 1998. It was from this position of strength that Newell announced in October 1998 by far its largest acquisition ever: the $6 billion purchase of Rubbermaid that would be consummated in March 1999. The Wooster Rubber Company got its start in May 1920, when nine Wooster, Ohio, investors pooled $26,800 to form a company to manufacture toy balloons, sold under the Sunshine brand name. Wooster Rubber, contained in one building in Wooster (a small town about 50 miles south of Cleveland), was sold to Horatio B. Ebert and Errett M. Grable, two Aluminum Company of America executives, in 1927. Grable and Ebert retained the firm's management. By the late 1920s, a new factory and office building had been constructed to house the prosperous business, but the fortunes of Wooster Rubber fell during the Great Depression. In 1934 Ebert spotted Rubbermaid products in a New England department store, and worked out a merger between the two firms. Rubbermaid got its start in 1933, when a New England man named James R. Caldwell, who had first entered the rubber business as an employee of the Seamless Rubber Company in New Haven, Connecticut, looked around his kitchen during the depths of the Great Depression to see what he could improve. Caldwell and his wife conceived 29 products, among them a red rubber dustpan. Although the rubber dustpan, designed and manufactured by Caldwell and his wife, cost $1.00--much more than the 39-cent metal pans then available in stores--Caldwell "rang ten doorbells and sold nine dustpans," as he recalled in an interview published in the New York Times on May 19, 1974. Convinced there was a market for his products, Caldwell gave his enterprise a name--Rubbermaid--and expanded his line to include a soap dish, a sink plug, and a drainboard mat, selling these products in department stores throughout New England. In July 1934 Caldwell's fledgling enterprise merged with Wooster Rubber. Still called The Wooster Rubber Company, the new group began to produce rubber household goods under the Rubbermaid brand name. With the merger, under Caldwell's leadership, Wooster Rubber had a happy reversal in fortunes, and sales rose from $80,000 in 1935 to $450,000 in 1941. Of the 29 new products Caldwell and his wife had thought up in their kitchen in 1933, the company had marketed 27 of them by 1941. In 1942, however, U.S. involvement in World War II caused the government to cut back civilian use of rubber, so that raw materials would be available for products necessary to the war effort. This eliminated Rubbermaid's housewares business, but the company was able to convert to military manufacturing. Beginning with rubber parts for a self-sealing fuel tank for warplanes, and moving on to other products such as life jackets and rubber tourniquets, the company manufactured military goods through the end of the war, in 1945. In 1944 Wooster Rubber introduced an employee profit-sharing plan. Following the advent of peace, Wooster Rubber picked up its prewar activities where it had left off, and resumed production of rubber housewares. Because wartime shortages had not yet been completely redressed, however, no coloring agents were available, and all Rubbermaid products were manufactured in black for several months. In 1947 the company introduced a line of rubber automotive accessories, including rubber floormats and cupholders. The company's first international operations commenced in 1950, when Wooster Rubber began producing vinyl-coated wire goods at a plant in Ontario, Canada. By 1956 the plant was producing a complete line of Rubbermaid products. In 1955 Wooster Rubber went public, offering stock on the over-the-counter market. This capital infusion allowed the company to branch into plastic products, and in 1956 a plastic dishpan was introduced. This switch required significant retooling from the manufacture of exclusively rubber goods. In 1957 Wooster Rubber changed its name to Rubbermaid Incorporated to increase its association with its well-known brand name. The following year, the company began its first expansion beyond its traditional focus on household goods by broadening its targeted market to include restaurants, hotels, and other institutions. Rubbermaid initially produced bathtub mats and doormats for these customers. By 1974 industrial and commercial products provided 25 percent of the company's sales. After James Caldwell's retirement and a one-year stint as president by Forrest B. Shaw, the company presidency was taken over by Donald E. Noble in 1959. Noble had joined Wooster Rubber as a "temporary" associate in 1941. Also during 1959, Rubbermaid stock was sold for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange. The following year, Rubbermaid's management set a goal of doubling the company's earnings every six years, a goal that was consistently met throughout Noble's tenure. Noble also placed a heavy emphasis on new product development, evidenced by the objective he set in 1968 that aimed to have 30 percent of total annual sales come from products introduced over the preceding five years. In 1965 Rubbermaid made its first move outside North America, purchasing Dupol, a West German manufacturer of plastic housewares, whose products and operations were similar to Rubbermaid's U.S. operations. "Our plan is to grow from within except when an acquisition can lead us into a market we already have an interest in," Noble told the Wall Street Journal on August 2, 1965, explaining the company's growth policy during this period. In 1969 Rubbermaid added the sales party to its traditional marketing efforts, a sales technique first popularized by Tupperware. The party division had its own line of slightly more elaborate merchandise, accounting for around 10 percent of Rubbermaid's sales within five years. Nevertheless, the party plan was not profitable until 1976. In the early 1970s Rubbermaid marketed a line of recreational goods such as motorboats and snow sleds, but the company lacked the necessary distribution to support the products and abandoned the effort. "We bombed," the company's vice-president of marketing told a Wall Street Journal reporter on June 9, 1982. Rubbermaid continued to grow in the early 1970s, but the combination of government controls on prices and the shortage of petrochemical raw materials caused by the energy crisis of the early 1970s kept a lid on earnings. In 1971 Rubbermaid began to market its products through direct supermarket retail distribution. Although initially profitable, this practice resulted in the company running afoul of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in 1973. The FTC challenged the company's pricing policies in connection with its role as distributor, charging Rubbermaid with illegal price-fixing and violations of antitrust laws. The complaint alleged that Rubbermaid engaged in price-fixing between wholesalers because it sold its products directly to some retailers--acting as its own wholesaler--and also allowed other wholesalers to sell its products, while stipulating the price for the products. Rubbermaid discontinued its minimum price agreements with wholesalers and retailers in 1975, citing pending legislation and negative public opinion. In 1976 the FTC ruled unanimously that Rubbermaid had violated antitrust laws and issued a cease-and-desist order to prevent the company from renewing these practices. As part of its continued growth, Rubbermaid opened a new plant in La Grange, Georgia, in 1974, to relieve demand on its main Ohio plant and to supply the automotive products division. Despite rising earnings since 1968, a sharp increase in the price of raw materials, combined with a change in accounting practices, caused a large drop in Rubbermaid profits in 1974. By this time, Rubbermaid was selling 240 different items, of which about one-tenth were products introduced that year. The company continued to place strong emphasis on innovation and the introduction of new products, generated by a research-and-development staff of designers, engineers, and craftsmen. This staff built prototypes to be used and critiqued by thousands of consumers, resulting in an eight-month process from drawing board to store. The company experienced labor unrest in 1976, when 1,100 members of the United Rubber Workers called a strike at Rubbermaid's only unionized plant, in Wooster, Ohio, after rejecting a proposed contract. Although the strike eventually was settled amicably, traditionally the company had sought to minimize union activity by building plants outside union strongholds, in places such as Arizona, where it began construction of a plant near Phoenix in 1987 to serve its western markets. In 1985 the company successfully negotiated a contract with its Ohio workers, providing a three-year wage freeze in return for guarantees against massive layoffs. Noble retired in 1980, and Stanley C. Gault took over as chairman. Gault, a former General Electric Company (GE) executive and a son of one of Wooster Rubber's founders, had grown up in Wooster and worked his way through college in a Rubbermaid plant. Despite the company's record of steady growth throughout the 1970s, caused in part by Rubbermaid's expansion from old-line department stores into discount and grocery stores, Gault felt that the company had become somewhat stodgy and complacent. In 1980 he set out to quadruple its sales (about $350 million in 1981) and earnings (about $25.6 million in 1982) by 1990. Anticipating a recession, Gault streamlined operations and introduced bold new products, such as the "Fun Functional" line of brightly colored containers. Gault's stress on growth through the introduction of new products was exemplified by his continuance of the company's campaign to reap 30 percent of each year's sales from products introduced during the last five years. By 1983 Gault had eliminated four of Rubbermaid's eight divisions: the unstable party-plan business and the automotive division were each sold at a loss, and the European industrial operations centered in The Netherlands and the manufacture of containers for large-scale garbage hauling also were eliminated. The remaining divisions were combined into two areas: home products (accounting for about 70 percent of the company's sales) and commercial products. The home products division was further restructured into seven product groups: bathware, food preparation and "gadgets," containers, organizers, sinkware, shelf coverings, and bird feeders and home horticulture. Rubbermaid continued to advertise heavily in both magazines and on television, emphasizing consumer promotions to get customers into the store and offering rebates and coupons for its products for the first time. In tandem with the product reorganization, about half of Rubbermaid's middle management was eliminated, and 11 percent of the company's management was fired. Many top spots were filled by former GE employees. In 1981 Rubbermaid had made its first outright acquisition, buying privately held Carlan, owner of the Con-Tact plastic coverings brand name. In the 1980s Rubbermaid was able to move successfully beyond housewares and institutional customers, entering new industries through the strategic purchase of other companies. The company entered the toy industry in 1984 by buying the Little Tikes Company; went into the booming computer field in 1986, with MicroComputer Accessories; into floor care products with Seco Industries in the same year; and into the brush industry with a Canadian company, Viking Brush, in 1987. Following these and other acquisitions, Rubbermaid created additional divisions to accommodate its new product lines. In 1987 a seasonal products division was formed to produce and sell lawn and garden products, sporting goods, and automotive accessories. A year later the company created an office products division, which included MicroComputer Accessories and--eventually--Eldon Industries, acquired in 1990. Little Tikes became the core of a juvenile products division. The three new divisions gave the company five divisions, with the preexisting home products and commercial products divisions. Rubbermaid formed a joint venture with a French company, Allibert, to manufacture plastic outdoor furniture in North Carolina in 1989. In addition, the company expanded its capacity in plastic and rubber products in 1985 with its purchase of the Gott Corporation, maker of insulated coolers and beverage holders. Rubbermaid formed a second joint venture--with the Curver Group, owned by Dutch chemical maker DSM N.V.--in 1990 to make and sell housewares and resin furniture in European, Middle Eastern, and north African markets through Curver-Rubbermaid. This diversification resulted in continued growth throughout the 1980s, despite the rising price of petrochemical resins, the raw materials for plastics. Rubbermaid ended the 1980s with 1989 sales of $1.45 billion. Throughout the early and mid-1990s Rubbermaid continued to pump out new products at an amazing rate--about 400 annually--which along with several major acquisitions pushed sales higher every year. Net earnings grew as well, until a major restructuring in 1995-97 cut company profits. Management changes marked the early years of this period as Gault retired in 1991 and was succeeded by Walter W. Williams, who soon retired at the end of 1992. After a brief transition period during which Gault was brought back to the company, Wolfgang R. Schmitt, who had joined Rubbermaid in 1966 as a product manager, became chairman in 1993 after having attained the CEO spot the previous year and having served as cochairman with Gault during the transition period. In 1992 the company acquired Iron Mountain Forge Corporation, an American maker of commercial playground systems. Two years later Ausplay, the leader in commercial play structures in Australia, was purchased. Both Iron Mountain and Ausplay became part of the juvenile products division. Also brought into the Rubbermaid fold in 1994 were Empire Brushes, a leading U.S. maker of brooms, mops, and brushes; and Carex Inc., which made products for the burgeoning home healthcare market. Carex was placed in the company's commercial products division. As of 1993, Rubbermaid generated only 11 percent of its sales outside the United States, and almost all of that went to Canada. Schmitt aimed to increase nondomestic sales to 25 percent by 2000 (later, this goal was boosted to 30 percent) and began to seek out acquisition and joint venture opportunities to help reach this goal. In 1994 the company entered into a joint venture with Richell Corporation, a leader of housewares in Japan, to form Rubbermaid Japan Inc. After abandoning its stake in Curver-Rubbermaid, a partnership that ended up being noncompatible, Rubbermaid reentered the European housewares market in 1995 when it bought Injectaplastic S.A., a French plastics manufacturer of such items as home and food storage products, camping articles, bathroom accessories, and garden products. Also in 1995 the company bought 75 percent of Dom-Plast S.A., the leading maker of plastic household products in Poland. By 1996 foreign sales were up to 16 percent of overall sales, a rate of increase that, if continued, would mean the company would fall well short of its 30 percent goal. Nevertheless, in early 1997 Rubbermaid announced that it had entered into a strategic alliance with Amway Corporation to develop and market in Japan a line of cobranded premium Rubbermaid products. In addition to slow overseas growth, a number of other factors forced Rubbermaid to embark in the mid-1990s on its first major restructuring. In the spring of 1994 the prices of resins, used in nearly all of the company's products, began to rise and eventually doubled, increasing manufacturing costs. Rubbermaid also faced increasing competition in the 1990s as other housewares makers improved their products but kept their prices lower than Rubbermaid's premium prices, leading to customer defections and retailer dissatisfaction with the company's pricing policies. In response to these difficulties, Rubbermaid began a two-year restructuring effort in late 1995. A charge of $158 million was taken in 1995 to cover such cost-cutting moves as closing nine factories and eliminating 1,170 jobs (the charge was the company's first ever). An earlier effort to achieve $335 million in productivity savings reached fruition in 1996. That year also saw Rubbermaid streamline its product lines, by eliminating 45 percent of its stock-keeping units (SKUs), which when combined generated only 10 percent of overall sales. The company also added a new infant product division to its organizational chart with its 1996 acquisition of Graco Children's Products Inc., maker of strollers, play yards, and infant swings, for $320 million. But Rubbermaid also divested its office products division by selling it to Newell for $246.5 million in May 1997. At the same time the company merged its seasonal products division into its home products division, combining these operations because they had similar distribution channels. As a result of these moves, Rubbermaid was left with four divisions: home products, commercial products, juvenile products, and infant products. The company significantly increased its overseas sales in January 1998 when it acquired its onetime partner, the Curver Group, for $143 million. Curver was the leading maker of plastic housewares in Europe, with 1996 sales of about $222 million. Meantime, despite the major restructuring launched in late 1995, Rubbermaid was still struggling. As a result, yet another restructuring was announced in January 1998. The company aimed to achieve $200 million in annual cost savings by shutting down inefficient plants, shifting production to lower-cost locations, centralizing purchasing, and cutting the workforce. By the fall of 1998 Rubbermaid also had divested three of its businesses, including its decorative coverings unit, which included the Con-Tact brand, and had launched the largest consumer advertising campaign in company history. Rubbermaid also completed one more acquisition in 1998--its last as an independent company--purchasing Century Products Company from Wingate Partners for $77.5 million. Fitting in nicely alongside the Graco line, Century produced car seats, strollers, and infant carriers. For the year, Rubbermaid achieved revenues of $2.55 billion, a slight increase over the preceding year, while net income declined 42 percent, standing at $82.9 million. Millennial Formation of Newell Rubbermaid Inc. Newell and Rubbermaid had discussed a merger in mid-1997, but the talks broke down when the two sides could not agree on who would run the company and where it would be headquartered. By late 1998, however, Rubbermaid's position had deteriorated to the point where it gave in on these points and agreed to be bought by Newell for $6 billion in stock. To the credit of the Rubbermaid managers, the price represented a hefty 49 percent premium over the company's stock price. John McDonough, Newell's vice-chairman and CEO, continued in these same positions for the newly named Newell Rubbermaid Inc. Upon completion of the deal in March 1999, Rubbermaid Chairman and CEO Schmitt became vice-chairman of the company, and William Sovey remained chairman. McDonough was hoping that the usual Newellization process could revitalize Rubbermaid, and he also anticipated that Rubbermaid's renowned ability to develop new products might be spread to the Newell product lines. One of the biggest challenges for McDonough was in improving Rubbermaid's abysmal customer service and its troubled distribution system. Restructuring costs totaled $241.6 million in 1999, dragging profits down to $95.4 million; revenues for the first year of the new Newell Rubbermaid amounted to $6.41 billion. While the Rubbermaid operations were being overhauled--a process that proved more difficult than anticipated--Newell Rubbermaid continued making acquisitions, with a particular emphasis on Europe. In April 1999 the company bought Ateliers 28, a French maker of drapery hardware. In October of that same year the company acquired Reynolds S.A., a manufacturer of writing instruments based in Valence, France. That same month, Newell Rubbermaid purchased McKechnie plc's consumer products division, which included Harrison Drape (maker of drapery hardware and window furnishings), Spur Shelving (shelving and storage products), Douglas Kane (cabinet hardware), and Nenplas/Homelux (functional trims). From December 1999 through May 2000, Newell Rubbermaid completed the acquisitions of three European picture frame businesses: Ceanothe Holding, based in France; Mersch, which operated in both Germany and France; and France-based Brio. The largest acquisition during this period, however, was of a U.S. business: the stationery products division of Gillette Company, acquired in December 2000. Newell Rubbermaid gained a rich stable of brands, including Paper Mate, Parker, and Waterman writing instruments and Liquid Paper correction products. The Gillette division had posted revenues of $743 million in 1999. The painful integration of Rubbermaid into the company led to inconsistent earnings and a slumping stock price. Late in 2000 the stock fell to its lowest level since 1994. Soon after, at the beginning of November 2000, McDonough resigned from the company. Sovey, his predecessor, temporarily took the reins as CEO, before Joseph Galli, Jr., was brought onboard as president and CEO in January 2001, with Sovey returning to the chairman's post. Galli had previously spent 19 years at Black & Decker, where he rose to the number two position before leaving in 1999. He then had short stints with "New Economy" firms amazon.com, Inc. and VerticalNet Inc. before accepting the Newell Rubbermaid post. Galli launched a thorough restructuring in a turnaround attempt. In May 2001 the company announced that it would eliminate 3,000 positions from its workforce over a three-year period, a reduction of 6 percent. The plan also involved the consolidation of manufacturing facilities as the company aimed to cut operating costs by $100 million per year. During 2001 alone, 14 facilities were shuttered. The company also sought to shift some manufacturing to lower-cost locations in Mexico, China, Poland, and Hungary. Galli also overhauled senior management, bringing in a slew of outside executives, including 15 from Black & Decker. To solidify the company's position with its major customers, Newell Rubbermaid established the Key Account Program, whereby separate sales organizations were created for three of the largest customers, Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, Inc., and Lowe's Companies, Inc. Cost savings from the restructuring were to be plowed back into new product development and marketing initiatives. The latter included the first television advertising campaign for the Rubbermaid brand in three years and a $20 million sports marketing campaign involving the sponsorship of Nascar drivers and races. Another key objective was to pare back the company's heavy debt load, which had been incurred during its 1990s acquisition spree. One method to do this was to divest underperforming operations. In June 2001 Newell Rubbermaid announced that it would sell its Anchor Hocking glassware division to Libbey Inc. for $332 million. The deal was blocked, however, on antitrust grounds. As he attempted to turn around Newell Rubbermaid, Galli stayed away from acquisitions, and no major deals were completed in 2001. In April 2002, however, the company took full control of American Tool Companies, Inc., a Hoffman Estates, Illinois, firm in which Newell Rubbermaid had already held a 49.5 percent stake. The deal was valued at $419 million and brought into the company fold a line of branded hand tools, including Vise-Grip pliers and Quik-Grip clamps, and a line of power tool accessories, such as Irwin wood-boring bits and Hanson drill bits. For Galli, the addition of American Tool was a return to his Black & Decker power tool roots. The American Tool brands, which generated $444 million in sales in 2001, were placed within Newell Rubbermaid's Levolor/Hardware group. The acquisition of American Tool perhaps signaled a return to the Newell tradition of growth through acquisition, and the optimistic Galli told Forbes in October 2001 that he was aiming to grow the company into a $50-billion-in-sales behemoth. Nevertheless, Newell Rubbermaid's restructuring efforts had not yet been completed, and sales and profits were being hampered by the difficult economic environment of the early 21st century. Perhaps the most compelling reason for optimism was that, through the renewed focus on product development, more new products were introduced during 2002 than had debuted in the three previous years combined. Principal Subsidiaries: Berol Corporation; Newell Investments, Inc.; Newell Operating Company; Rubbermaid Incorporated; Rubbermaid Texas Limited; Sanford Investment Company; Sanford, L.P. Principal Operating Units: Rubbermaid; Sharpie; Levolor/Hardware; Calphalon Home. Principal Competitors: Sterlite Corporation; Tupperware Corporation; Avery Dennison Corporation; Société BIC; Hunter Douglas N.V.; Springs Industries, Inc.; Lancaster Colony Corporation; The Coleman Company, Inc.; Dorel Industries Inc.; Mattel, Inc.; Hasbro, Inc.; WKI Holding Company, Inc.; The Stanley Works; The Black & Decker Corporation; Cooper Industries, Ltd.; Myers Industries, Inc.; Libbey Inc. 1902: Ogdensburg, New York-based W.F. Linton Company is incorporated to make brass curtain rods. 1903: Linton goes bankrupt; Edgar A. Newell takes control of the firm, renaming it Newell Manufacturing Company, Inc. c. 1910: Newell forms an affiliated company in Prescott, Canada, called Newell Manufacturing Company Ltd. 1920: The Wooster Rubber Company is formed in Wooster, Ohio, to make toy balloons. 1921: Another Newell-affiliated company, Western Newell Manufacturing Company, is formed to run a curtain rod factory in Freeport, Illinois. 1933: James R. Caldwell forms an enterprise called Rubbermaid, whose first product is a red rubber dustpan. 1934: Wooster Rubber and Rubbermaid merge, retaining the former's corporate name and headquarters and the latter's brand name. 1955: Wooster Rubber goes public. 1956: Wooster branches into plastic products, introducing a plastic dishpan. 1957: Wooster Rubber changes its name to Rubbermaid Incorporated. 1966: The Newell companies are consolidated into Newell Manufacturing Company, which is based in Freeport. 1970: Newell Manufacturing is reincorporated in Delaware as Newell Companies, Inc. 1983: Cookware maker Mirro Corporation is acquired by Newell. 1984: Rubbermaid acquires the Little Tikes Company, maker of plastic toys. 1985: Newell Companies is renamed Newell Co. 1986: Rubbermaid acquires MicroComputer Accessories. 1987: Glassware maker Anchor Hocking Corporation is acquired by Newell. 1993: Newell acquires Levolor Corp., Lee/Rowan Co., and Goody Products Inc. 1994: Newell acquires Home Fashions Inc., Faber-Castell Corporation, and Corning Incorporated's European consumer products operation. 1996: Rubbermaid acquires Graco Children's Products Inc. 1997: Newell acquires the Kirsch decorative window hardware brand and Rubbermaid's office products unit. 1998: Newell acquires Calphalon Corporation and two German firms: the Gardinia Group and Rotring Group; Rubbermaid acquires the Curver Group and Century Products Company. 1999: Newell acquires Rubbermaid for $6 billion; Newell changes its name to Newell Rubbermaid Inc. 2000: Newell Rubbermaid acquires the stationery products division of Gillette Company, gaining the Paper Mate, Parker, Waterman, and Liquid Paper brands. 2001: Joseph Galli, Jr., comes onboard as president and CEO and launches a thorough restructuring. 2002: The company acquires American Tool Companies, Inc., maker of hand tools and power tool accessories. Aeppel, Timothy, "Rubbermaid Is on a Tear, Sweeping Away the Cobwebs," Wall Street Journal, September 8, 1998, p. B4. ------, "Rubbermaid Plans New Restructuring, Predicts Charges of at Least $200 Million," Wall Street Journal, January 22, 1998, p. B6. Benmour, Eric, "Vermont American Suitor Proves Tenacious," Business First-Louisville, August 28, 1989, Sec. 1, p. 1. Borden, Jeff, "Newell Makes Its Move," Crain's Chicago Business, November 25, 1991, p. 46. Braham, James, "The Billion-Dollar Dustpan," Industry Week, August 1, 1988, p. 46. Byrne, Harlan S., "Newell Co.," Barron's, April 12, 1993, p. 52. Cahill, Joseph B., and Timothy Aeppel, "Newell Faces a Big Challenge in Rubbermaid Takeover," Wall Street Journal, November 3, 1998, p. B4. Campanella, Frank W., "Wide and Growing Line Spurs Rubbermaid Gains," Barron's, October 3, 1977. Christensen, Jean, "How Rubbermaid Invites Profits," New York Times, May 19, 1974. Cimperman, Jennifer Scott, "Rubbermaid Endures Newellization," Cleveland Plain Dealer, June 29, 2000, p. 1C. Coleman, Calemetta Y., "Newell Builds Success from Diamonds in the Rough," Wall Street Journal, April 14, 1995, p. B4. Conley, Thomas P., "The NHMA Report: Electronic Partnerships Provide Bottom-Line Payoffs," Discount Merchandiser, January 1993, pp. 45-46. Cuthbert, William R., Newell Companies--A Corporate History--The First 40 Years, Freeport, Ill.: Newell Co., 1983. David, Gregory E., "Let Us Prey: Having Swallowed 31 Companies in 25 Years, Ruthless Newell Remains on the Prowl," Financial World, June 21, 1994, pp. 29-30. Defotis, Dimitra, "Household Help: Rubbermaid Stock Cooks with a New CEO," Barron's, February 5, 2001, p. 40. Deutsch, Claudia H., "A Giant Awakens, to Yawns: Is Rubbermaid Reacting Too Late?," New York Times, December 22, 1996, pp. F1, F13. Farnham, Alan, "America's Most Admired Company," Fortune, February 7, 1994, pp. 50-54. Gallun, Alby, "Newell Confronts Its Next Hard Sell," Crain's Chicago Business, June 10, 2002, p. 4. ------, "Newell's Galli Must Cook Up a Turnaround," Crain's Chicago Business, January 15, 2001, p. 4. ------, "Newell's New Colors: Ends Acquisition Binge to Focus on Boosting Existing Brands," Crain's Chicago Business, June 4, 2001, p. 3. Hackney, Holt, "Strategic Alliances," Financial World, October 29, 1991. Hallinan, Joseph T., "Newell CEO Tries to Shake Up Concern with Little Success," Wall Street Journal, January 14, 2002, p. B3. "How Rubbermaid Managed to Fail," Fortune, November 23, 1998, p. 32. Kelly, Kevin, "Newell Isn't Bagging Big Game Anymore," Business Week, July 8, 1991, pp. 83-84. Lipin, Steven, and Timothy Aeppel, "Newell to Buy Rubbermaid for $5.8 Billion," Wall Street Journal, October 21, 1998, p. A3. Magnet, Myron, "Meet the New Revolutionaries," Fortune, February 24, 1992, pp. 94-101. Murphy, H. Lee, "Newell Dresses Up Its Image with a Shade-y Acquisition," Crain's Chicago Business, April 12, 1993, Sec. 1, p. 7. Narisetti, Raju, "Can Rubbermaid Crack Foreign Markets?," Wall Street Journal, June 20, 1996, pp. B1, B4. Neiman, Janet, "New Structure Poured for Rubbermaid Push," Advertising Age, November 9, 1981. Noble, Donald E., Like Only Yesterday: The Memoirs of Donald E. Noble, Wooster, Ohio: Wooster Book Co., 1996. Nulty, Peter, "You Can Go Home Again," Fortune, June 15, 1981, p. 180. O'Connor, Matt, "Simple Secret of Newell's Success: Basic Strategy Pays Off for Consumer Firm," Chicago Tribune, July 27, 1987, Sec. 1, pp. 1, 5. Osterland, Andrew, "Fixing Rubbermaid Is No Snap," Business Week, September 20, 1999, pp. 108, 110. Ozanian, Michael K., and Alexandra Ourusoff, "Never Let Them See You Sweat: Just Because Rubbermaid Is One of the Most Admired Companies in the Country Doesn't Mean Life Is Easy," Financial World, February 1, 1994, pp. 34-35, 38. Pellet, Jennifer, "No Paint, No Gain," Discount Merchandiser, March 1992, pp. 74-75. Pouschine, Tatiana, "The Old-Fashioned Way," Forbes, January 6, 1992, pp. 66-68. Schiller, Zachary, "The Revolving Door at Rubbermaid: Is CEO Schmitt's Tough Style Driving Executives Away?," Business Week, September 18, 1995, p. 80. Scott, Carlee R., "Newell Plans to Acquire Sanford Corp. in Stepped-Up Move into Office Products," Wall Street Journal, November 25, 1991, p. A5. Smith, Lee, "Rubbermaid Goes Thump," Fortune, October 2, 1995, pp. 90-92, 96, 100, 104. Stevens, Tim, "Where the Rubber Meets the Road," Industry Week, March 20, 1995, pp. 14-18. Stouffer, Paul W., "Heading for a Billion: Major Acquisition Bringing Newell Toward a Record Sales Mark," Barron's, August 24, 1987. Taylor, Alex III, "Why the Bounce at Rubbermaid?," Fortune, April 13, 1987, p. 77. Tisch, Carol, and Lisa Vincenti, "Rubbermaid Bounces Back," HFN--The Weekly Newspaper for the Home Furnishing Network, January 17, 2000, p. 90. Upbin, Bruce, "Rebirth of a Sales Man," Forbes, October 1, 2001, pp. 94-96+. White, Joseph B., "Workers' Revenge: Factory Towns Start to Fight Back Angrily When Firms Pull Out," Wall Street Journal, March 8, 1988, pp. 1, 24. Yao, Margaret, "Rubbermaid Reaches for Greater Glamour in World Beyond Dustpans and Drainers," Wall Street Journal, June 9, 1982.

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There is a Compendium for this document: GSTR 2001/8EC . 1. This Ruling explains how you can identify whether a supply includes taxable and non-taxable parts under the A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999 (the GST Act). 2. This Ruling describes the characteristics of a supply that contains taxable and non-taxable parts. It refers to such a supply as a 'mixed supply'. This Ruling also describes the characteristics of a supply that appears to have more than one part but is essentially a supply of one thing. This type of supply is referred to as a 'composite supply'. 3. This Ruling provides methods and examples that you may use to help you work out how to apportion the consideration for a supply that contains separately identifiable taxable and non-taxable parts. This means that you can identify the consideration for the taxable part of the supply. The Ruling explains that you do not need to apportion the consideration for a composite supply. 4. The Ruling also discusses how you can work out the value of the taxable part of a mixed supply under sections 9-75 and 9-80 of the GST Act. 5. This Ruling also applies to the valuation of the separate parts of a mixed supply that includes food. Goods and Services Tax Determination GSTD 2000/6 explains the circumstances where a supply of food packaging is GST-free. If both the rule stated in paragraph 7 of Goods and Services Tax Determination GSTD 2000/6 and the approach given in paragraph 21 of this Ruling apply to a supply that you make, then you may choose either approach. 5A. This Ruling does not deal with the question of whether, when more than one thing is supplied in a single transaction, the transaction should be characterised as a single supply or multiple supplies. 6. This Ruling does not deal with the apportionment of input tax credits. Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2006/4 is about determining the extent of creditable purpose for claiming input tax credits and for making adjustments in the extent of creditable purpose. It also explains several possible methods for determining the extent of creditable purpose. 7. Unless otherwise stated, all legislative references in this Ruling are to the GST Act. 8. This Ruling applies both before and after its date of issue. However, this Ruling will not apply to taxpayers to the extent that it conflicts with the terms of a settlement of a dispute agreed to before the date of issue of this Ruling (see paragraphs 75 and 76 of Taxation Ruling TR 2006/10). it does not meet the taxable supply requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d). In this Ruling, we refer to a supply (or part of a supply) that is not taxable as being non-taxable. 10. It may be necessary to characterise what is supplied to determine whether it wholly or partly meets the requirements of section 9-5 or a provision that makes it non-taxable. 11. Where you make a supply that is identifiable as having more than one part and each part is taxable, you do not need to apportion the consideration for the supply. This is because GST is payable on the whole supply. Similarly, if all of the parts of a supply are identifiable as being non-taxable, GST is not payable on any part of the supply. 12. However, where you make a supply that is a combination of separately identifiable taxable and non-taxable parts, you need to identify the taxable part of the supply. Then you can apportion the consideration for the supply and work out the GST payable on the taxable part of the supply. 13. A supply that may at first appear to be one thing may contain taxable and non-taxable parts on closer analysis. For example, a supply by way of a lease of goods, or a supply of rights or services used or consumed partly in Australia (taxable) and partly outside Australia (GST-free) may be regarded as having more than one part. 14. On the other hand, a supply that may at first appear to be a combination of taxable and non-taxable parts is not such a combination if it is given a specific treatment under the GST Act. For example, a supply consisting of a combination of foods that comes within paragraph 38-3(1)(c) is not a mixed supply (that is, a combination of taxable and GST-free parts) because the whole supply is treated as food that is not GST-free. 15. This ruling uses the terms 'mixed supply' and 'composite supply' which are not found in the GST Act. However, these terms are used to identify whether a supply has taxable and non-taxable components which, in turn, informs the extent to which a supply may be a taxable supply. 16. In this Ruling the term 'mixed supply' is used to describe a supply that has to be separated or unbundled as it contains separately identifiable taxable and non-taxable parts that need to be individually recognised. 16A Paragraphs 45 to 54C of this Ruling explain how to identify whether a supply has separately identifiable parts. 17. In this Ruling, the term 'composite supply' is used to describe a supply that contains a dominant part and includes something that is integral, ancillary or incidental to that part. You treat a composite supply as a supply of a single thing. Paragraphs 55 to 63 explain what are integral, ancillary or incidental parts. 18. A composite supply is either taxable or non-taxable. It may also be a part of a larger mixed supply. 18A. You need to consider all of the circumstances of a supply to work out whether the supply is mixed or composite. GST is only payable on the taxable part of a mixed supply. If a composite supply is taxable, then GST is payable on the whole supply. If a composite supply is non-taxable, then no GST is payable on the supply. 19. Where a transaction comprises a bundle of features and acts, it may be necessary to characterise what is supplied to determine whether a particular provision applies in whole or in part. The characterisation should be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with the object of the particular statutory provision in issue. For example, if a provision specifically requires different treatment of two components of a transaction, this will mean that the two components must necessarily be separately recognised. However, that does not mean that the two components need to be separately recognised for all purposes of the GST Act. 19B. Having regard to the essential character and with regard to the statutory provision in issue, you can then determine whether the transaction is a mixed supply because it has separately identifiable parts that the GST Act treats as taxable and non-taxable, or whether it is a composite supply because one part of the supply should be regarded as being the dominant part, with the other parts being integral, ancillary or incidental to that dominant part. 20. The distinction between parts that are separately identifiable and things that are integral, ancillary or incidental, is a question of fact and degree. In deciding whether a supply consists of more than one part we take the view that you adopt a commonsense approach. 20% of the consideration for the total supply. 22. If you choose not to apply this approach, then you need to make an objective assessment about whether the thing is integral, ancillary or incidental. 23. You cannot use this approach where a provision of the GST Act specifically requires you to treat a part of a supply in a particular way, regardless of its scale or connection with the supply. For example, the supply of food as part of an excursion or field trip may otherwise be considered to be integral, ancillary or incidental to the supply of the excursion or field trip, but paragraph 38-90(2)(b) specifies that such food will not be GST-free. This means that the consideration for the field trip requires apportionment. 24. A part of a supply may, on an objective assessment, be something that forms an integral, ancillary or incidental part of the supply even if the consideration for it would exceed the lesser of $3.00 or 20% of the consideration for the total supply. 25. GST is payable on a mixed supply that you make, but only to the extent that the supply is taxable. You need to apportion the consideration for a mixed supply between the taxable and non-taxable parts to find the consideration for the taxable part. 26. Apportionment must be undertaken as a matter of practical commonsense. You can use any reasonable basis to apportion the consideration. Depending on the facts and circumstances of the supply, a direct or indirect method may be an appropriate basis upon which to apportion the consideration and ascertain the value of the taxable part of the supply. The basis you choose must be supportable in the particular circumstances. 27. You should keep records that explain the basis used to apportion the consideration between the taxable and non-taxable parts of a supply. 28. The amount of GST payable on a taxable supply is 10% of the value of the taxable supply. The application of sections 9-70, 9-75 and 9-80 to a mixed supply gives an amount of GST payable of 10% of the value of the taxable part of the mixed supply. 29. To work out the value of the taxable part of a supply you identify the parts of the supply and apportion the consideration to each of the parts on some reasonable basis. The value of the taxable part of a supply that does not have GST-free or input taxed parts is determined under section 9-75. The value of the taxable part of the supply is 10/11 of the consideration for the taxable part, and the GST payable is equivalent to 1/11 of that consideration. 30. In the case of a mixed supply that has non-taxable parts that are GST-free or input taxed, the value of the taxable part is determined in accordance with section 9-80. To determine the value of the taxable part it is necessary to calculate the taxable proportion, that is, the proportion of the value of the actual supply that the taxable part represents. 30A. Following the Full Federal Court decision in Commissioner of Taxation v Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd FCAFC 20; 2011 ATC 20-243; (2011) 79 ATR 768 (Luxottica) that proportion is calculated by the decision maker drawing a conclusion on the facts as to the value of the taxable part and the relationship that value has with the price of the actual supply. 30B. Paragraphs 114 to 118 of this Ruling explain how you calculate the GST payable on the taxable part of a mixed supply, and illustrate that, once the GST-exclusive value of the taxable part of the supply is determined, the GST payable is simply 10% of that value. Alternatively the GST payable on the taxable part is 1/11 of the GST-inclusive value of the taxable part of the supply. 31. GST is structured around the concept of supply. An analysis of the character of a supply may be necessary to determine how a particular provision of the Act applies to the supply. 31A. In Commissioner of Taxation v. Qantas Airways Limited (Qantas) HCA 41, S 47 2012, the High Court considered whether there could only be a 'supply for consideration' within the meaning of sub-section 9-5(a) of the GST Act in circumstances where the 'essence or purpose' of the transaction was fulfilled (paragraphs and ). The majority implicitly rejected such a proposition (paragraphs and ). 31B. While the decision of the High Court in Qantas does not disturb the approach to mixed and composite supplies established by prior court decisions, it illustrates that it is not necessary to always characterise a supply on the basis of the 'mixed' or 'composite' analysis. Rather, the mixed/composite analysis is only relevant where it is necessary to determine whether (and to what extent) the supply meets the description in a particular statutory provision that may be in issue. Even then, the High Court decision illustrates the importance of undertaking the mixed/composite analysis in a manner that is consistent with the object and purpose of the provision. 32. The scheme of the GST Act depends on a clear distinction being made between taxable and non-taxable supplies. The GST Act provides that a taxable supply comes within its ambit, but not to the extent that it contains any non-taxable parts. Parts may be non-taxable if they are GST-free, input taxed, otherwise made non-taxable by a provision of the GST Act, or if they do not meet the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d). you are registered, or required to be registered. 34. Also, the meaning of taxable supply is affected by other provisions of the GST Act. Appendix A includes things that the GST Act specifies are not a taxable supply or are to be treated as if they were not a taxable supply. This means that a supply that might otherwise meet the criteria required of a taxable supply will not be taxable. 35. Subdivision 9-C states how you work out the GST payable on a taxable supply. The amount of GST is 10% of the value of the taxable supply. You work out the value of a taxable supply from the price of the supply. Where the consideration for the supply is expressed as an amount of money, the price is the amount payable on the supply. If the consideration (or part of it) is not expressed as an amount of money, the price is (or includes) the GST inclusive market value of the consideration. 36. Section 9-80 deals with supplies that are partly taxable, and partly GST-free or input taxed. It describes how you work out the value of the part of such a supply that is a taxable supply. 37. If all of the parts in a supply have the same GST treatment, then there is no requirement to separately identify each part. That is, if all of the parts are taxable, then apportionment of the consideration is not necessary as GST is payable on the total value of the supply. Similarly, if all of the parts are non-taxable, then no GST is payable on the supply and apportionment is not necessary. 39. However, other supplies are more complex and contain (or may appear to contain) more than one part. In these cases, you need to further analyse the supply to determine its character and GST treatment. 40. Where a transaction comprises a bundle of features and acts, it may be necessary to characterise what is supplied to determine whether a particular provision applies in whole or in part. The characterisation should be undertaken in a manner that is consistent with the object of the particular statutory provision in issue. For example, if a provision specifically requires different treatment of two components of a transaction, this will mean that the two components must necessarily be separately recognised. However, that does not mean that the two components need to be separately recognised for all purposes of the GST Act. 40A. An identification of the essential character of what is supplied may inform whether a particular transaction falls within the terms of a specific statutory provision, and whether it does so wholly or only to some extent. You must consider all of the circumstances of the transaction to ascertain its essential character. However, that does not mean that an economic substance over legal form approach is endorsed for working out the essential character of what is supplied. For more guidance on how to characterise a supply, go to paragraphs 222 to 246 of Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2006/9. 41. By having regard to the essential character or features of the transaction it can be ascertained whether a supply contains separately identifiable taxable and non-taxable parts or is a composite supply of one thing. It is a composite supply of one thing if one part of the supply should be regarded as being the dominant part, with the other parts being integral, ancillary or incidental to that dominant part. 42. In this Ruling, we use the words integral, ancillary and incidental to assist in determining whether or not a part of a supply needs to be individually recognised or separately identified. 43. A mixed supply is a single supply made up of separately identifiable parts, where one or more of the parts is taxable and one or more of the parts is non-taxable, and these parts are not integral, ancillary or incidental in relation to a dominant part of the supply. On the other hand, a composite supply is a single supply made up of one dominant part and other parts that are not treated as having a separate identity as they are integral, ancillary or incidental to the dominant part of the supply. 44. In working out whether you are making a mixed or composite supply, the key question is whether the supply should be regarded as having more than one separately identifiable part, or whether it is essentially a supply of one dominant part with one or more integral, ancillary or incidental parts. 44A. In Saga Holidays v Commissioner of Taxation (Saga Holidays),[20A] Stone J focussed on the 'social and economic reality' of the supply and found that the accommodation component that included a number of components in addition to the right to occupy a room is a single supply which is properly characterised as a supply of real property. This is an example of a composite supply. 44B. In Westley Nominees Pty Ltd v Coles Supermarkets Pty Ltd (Westley Nominees)[20B] Ryan, Heerey and Edmonds JJ made an assessment of what the expenditure was calculated to effect from a practical and business point of view. In so doing it was concluded that there was a single supply of a lease and the other benefits were ancillary to that supply. 44C. In Luxottica, taking a commonsense and practical approach, the supply was characterised as the supply of one thing, namely spectacles. However, the supply was a mixed supply because of the effect of a particular provision of the GST Act. The supply of lenses for prescription spectacles is GST-free under section 38-45 and Item 155 of Schedule 3. 45A. In Re Food Supplier and Commissioner of Taxation (Food Supplier),[21A] promotional items packaged with food had intrinsic value, would not be consumed with the food and were mostly unconnected with the food. This was so even when, for example, the main item was a jar of coffee and the promotional item was a mug in which coffee might be served. In these circumstances the Tribunal found that the supply of the promotional items packaged with the food items was a mixed supply. [21B] In such a case, it could not be said that the food component was the dominant part of the supply and the promotional item was ancillary or incidental to the supply of the food. 45B. Various overseas cases have considered whether the elements of a transaction are separately identifiable or ancillary, integral or incidental to a dominant part of the transaction. Some of these cases are discussed below to illustrate that the question is one of fact and degree. However, while illustrative, it is important to recognise the different legislative context. [21C] Under the United Kingdom and European VAT systems, this question is asked in determining whether there is a single supply or multiple supplies. The concept of a single supply with separately identifiable taxable and non-taxable parts is not found in the United Kingdom or European VAT law. In particular, there is no equivalent to Australia's mixed supply and section 9-80. 45C. In the United Kingdom case of Sea Containers Ltd v. Customs and Excise Commissioners (Sea Containers), day train excursions were provided together with elaborate 'fine wining and dining'. [21D] Advertising for the excursions placed significant emphasis on the food, wine and attentive service provided. 47. Sea Containers can be contrasted with British Airways plc v. Customs and Excise Commissioners (British Airways), another United Kingdom case. In this case, the question was whether British Airways was to be taken as making supplies of air transport and of catering services, or a single supply of air transport with the catering services being merely integral or ancillary (a composite supply). 49. The Court was also influenced by the fact that no separate charge was made for the in-flight catering, and the price of the air ticket did not vary, regardless of the type of meal provided or whether or not meals were provided. It was not part of the contractual obligation of the airline to supply meals, even if meals were expected as part of the service. Customers could not obtain a refund if a meal was not served on their flight. 50. Sea Containers and British Airways show that different conclusions may be reached after taking into account the relevant facts of cases that are similar. Millett LJ also found that courts need to ask whether one part is connected with the other, or whether the two parts are 'physically and economically dissociable'. 52. The Commissioner's view is that a supply has separately identifiable parts where the parts require individual recognition and retention as separate parts, due to their relative significance in the supply. This view applies where the supply is comprised of a mix of separate things, such as various combinations of goods and services, including the provision of advice. 54. Any of the separately identifiable parts that comprise a mixed supply may themselves be composite, being comprised of a dominant part and an integral, ancillary or incidental part. Example 8 in paragraph 76 is a mixed supply with composite parts. 54A. Further, separately identifiable parts of a supply may not be individually recognised because of the effect of a specific provision of the GST Act. For example, a supply to an eligible disabled person of a car part and labour services in fitting that part may be considered to have separately identifiable parts due to their relative significance in the supply. However, in subsections 38-505(4) and 38-510(4), the expression a 'supply of car parts' includes the labour services in fitting the car parts to the car of an eligible disabled person. There is a single GST-free 'supply of car parts'. 54B. The inclusion of labour services gives effect to the legislative purpose, as identified by reference to Subdivision 38-P and section 38-45, that a functioning car for suitable transportation is to be supplied to an eligible disabled person GST-free. 54C. A supply is GST-free under subsections 38-505(4) and 38-510(4) only if the supply is a 'supply of car parts'. Car parts supplied as an integral, ancillary or incidental component of a car service are not a supply of car parts under either of those subsections. For example, spark plugs supplied in the course of a routine service of a car are not a supply of car parts. Those car parts are only an incidental part of a supply that is properly regarded as a supply of services, not a supply of car parts. 55. Some supplies include parts that do not need to be separately recognised for GST purposes. We refer to these parts of a supply as being integral, ancillary or incidental. In a composite supply, the dominant part of the supply has subordinate parts that complement the dominant part. If such a supply is analysed in a commonsense way, it can be seen that the supply is essentially the provision of one thing. It need not be broken down, unbundled or dissected any further. For this reason, a composite supply may appear, at first, to have more than one part, but is treated as if it is the supply of one thing. 55B. In Saga Holidays Stone J focussed on the 'social and economic reality' of the supply and found that there was a single supply of accommodation and the adjuncts to that supply (including the use of the furniture and facilities within each room, cleaning and linen services, access to common areas and facilities such as pools and gymnasiums and various other hotel services such as porterage and concierge) were incidental and ancillary to the accommodation part of the supply. 55C. In Westley Nominees the Full Federal Court considered what the expenditure was calculated to effect from a practical and business point of view in characterising the supply as a single supply. 58. You will need to consider all of the facts to determine whether the supply that you make has any parts that are integral, ancillary or incidental. it contributes to the proper performance of the contract to supply the dominant part. 59A. The factors listed in paragraph 59 of this Ruling are not necessarily the only ones that may be taken into account in properly characterising a supply. In any given case there may be other particular circumstances that are relevant. It may also be necessary to weigh up those factors which may point to part of a supply being integral, ancillary or incidental against the relative significance of the parts in the supply and therefore consider whether the parts should be recognised as separate parts. It is a question of fact and degree whether a supply is mixed or composite. 20% of the consideration of the total supply. 61. You may use this approach to treat a supply as a composite supply, although it might otherwise be considered as a mixed supply. However, if the consideration for a part exceeds the lesser of $3.00 or 20% of the consideration for the total supply, it does not necessarily mean that the part is not integral, ancillary or incidental. 62. Smartwheat supplies a packet of cereal that contains a sheet of 4 stickers, for $4.20. Of this consideration, 20 cents is for the set of stickers and $4.00 is for the cereal. Because the consideration for the stickers is less than $3.00 and is also less than 20% of the total consideration, Smartwheat may treat the stickers as being incidental. The supply is treated as being a supply of GST-free cereal. 63. However, in some cases, no matter how insignificant a part may be, that part is recognised as being a part in its own right where a provision of the GST Act specifically requires you to recognise it, regardless of its scale and connection with the supply. For example, certain education excursions or field trips are GST-free under section 38-90. However, paragraph 38-90(2)(b) specifically provides that the supply of food as part of the excursion or field trip is not GST-free under this provision. Therefore, a supply of food cannot be regarded as an incidental part of the supply of the excursion or field trip. 64. Many transactions consist of a variety of things packaged for a single consideration. Particularly in a promotional package, the supply of one part often depends in some way on the supply of the other parts. The parts do not have to be physically packaged together to constitute a package deal. 65. For example, goods are often offered together in one promotion for a single price, such as buy one and get one free, buy two for the price of one, or buy three for the price of two. 66. Whether you characterise a package deal as being mixed or composite depends on the factors discussed at paragraphs 40 to 63 of this Ruling. The package deal may be a composite or a mixed supply, depending on all of the circumstances. 67. An example of a package deal that is a composite supply is where you supply a 250 millilitre bottle of sunscreen (GST-free) with a 10 gram bonus sachet of moisturiser (taxable). The consideration is not apportioned as the whole of the supply is GST-free. a coffee plunger (taxable) and a 200 gram jar of premium coffee (GST-free) that are sold together at a single discount price. 69. The terms of a promotion and their relevance to determining the value of the taxable part of the supply are discussed further at paragraphs 81U to 81ZG of this Ruling. 70. Roberto owns a building comprising both residential and commercial premises. He leases the building to Lawrence who operates a small recruitment agency from the commercial premises and lives in the residential part. The supply of the residential part is input taxed. The supply of the commercial part is taxable. Roberto is making a mixed supply that is partly taxable and partly input taxed. 71. A natural therapies college allows students to select four individual units from both GST-free and taxable courses. Students with good grades are permitted to undertake a fifth unit for no extra charge. Barbara takes advantage of this offer and selects both taxable and GST-free units. Barbara's packaged course is a mixed supply. The part of the consideration that is for the taxable parts needs to be worked out, with the fees charged to be apportioned between the five units. 72. Rory is a student who lodges in a university's residential college. The college provides full board by way of a furnished room and meals. The college charges an all-inclusive fee for the board. The furnishing merely forms part of the amenity of the room and is integral to its supply. However, neither the room nor meals are integral, ancillary or incidental to each other. This is a mixed supply of input taxed residential premises and meals that are taxable. The college needs to work out its liability for the taxable part of the supply by apportioning the fee between the room and the meals. 73. Terrence supplies a promotional pack that consists of 'Toff's Tea' and a china cup and saucer. The tea is GST-free, and the cup and saucer are taxable. Each part of the supply has significant value. This is a mixed supply because the tea, and the cup and saucer are separately identifiable, and each would not be considered merely incidental or ancillary to the other. 74. A private health fund offers six months gym membership with every purchase of its premium cover package. Both the health cover and the gym membership are, in this case, each of significant value when viewed as a part of the total package, such that it can not be said that the essential character of the supply is of one part and not the other part of the supply. This is a mixed supply. 75. Harry sells assorted hampers. The 'Deluxe Picnic Hamper' includes food and beverage items (bread rolls, cheese, fruit, chocolate and fruit juice), and a silver handled knife which are packaged with a wooden bread board. The supply of the chocolate, knife and bread board is taxable. The other items are GST-free. Each of the parts of the supply are significant. The sale of the 'Deluxe Picnic Hamper' is a mixed supply and Harry needs to apportion the consideration for the hamper. 76. An Australian research company grants an Australian resident the right to manufacture and sell a new product that the Australian research company has designed. The agreement is made in Australia. The right is for use in Australia and Pacific rim countries. The right will enable the resident to generate significant sales in Australia and other countries. As part of the agreement, the Australian research company will also provide insignificant technical support for the manufacturing process. The technical support is integral, ancillary or incidental to the grant of the right and is not regarded as a separate part. The supply is a mixed supply because it is comprised of a taxable part (the right to the extent it is for use in Australia) and a GST-free part (the right to the extent it is for use outside Australia). 77. A customer of 'Net-it-out' places an order for GST-free food through the internet. Net-it-out supplies the goods to the customer's doorstep for the price listed on its internet site. In this case, Net-it-out is making a supply of delivered GST-free goods, and has no liability to account for GST on the delivery of them. In this case, delivery is an integral, ancillary or incidental part of a supply as the supply is of delivered goods. 78. The Restless Traveller Hotel supplies guests with a picnic box that consists of bread rolls, tomatoes, a packet of cheese slices and bananas. All of these items are GST-free and are packed in a disposable cardboard box. Also included in the picnic box are some paper serviettes and a plastic knife, that are ordinarily taxable, but in this case they are insignificant in terms of scale and connection with the food. The serviettes and knife merely contribute to the better enjoyment of the dominant parts of the supply (the food). They are integral, ancillary or incidental to the supply. The consideration for the picnic box does not need to be apportioned. 79. The Heart Hospital provides GST-free hospital treatment. During hospital stays, patients are provided with the use of newspapers and television sets. No extra charges are made for the provision of these goods. They are merely incidental and ancillary to the composite supply of hospital treatment. 80. A hearing aid is supplied with a small brush that is used as an accessory to clean the hearing aid so that it performs properly. Compared to the value of the hearing aid, the brush represents a small proportion of the value of the total package. In this case, from a commonsense and objective approach, a customer who purchases the package is acquiring a hearing aid. The supply of the brush is not regarded as a part, but is merely ancillary to the supply of the hearing aid. This is a composite supply. 81. Justine sells tyres for a price that includes fitting and balancing. The GST Act makes no relevant distinction between the provision of the goods, being tyres, and the service, being the fitting and balancing. Accordingly, it is unnecessary to characterise the supply to determine whether it is a mixed or composite supply. 81A. For supplies that are partly taxable and partly GST-free or input taxed the value of the taxable part is calculated under section 9-80. That section requires an apportionment. It is necessary to determine the proportion of the value of the actual supply that the taxable part represents. 81B. Subsection 9-80(1) defines the value of the taxable part of the supply upon which GST is payable. The value of the taxable part is defined s the proportion of the value of the actual supply that the taxable supply represents. 81E. In Luxottica the Full Federal Court found that the proportion in section 9-80 could not be determined in accordance with the formula in subsection 9-80(2) because the method for calculation prescribed in that section involved 2 unknowns, the value of the actual supply and the proportion. 81G. Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd (Luxottica) ran various promotions the terms of which were that spectacle frames were offered at a discount from the normal selling price (and the discounts took various forms such as 25% off or $100 off the normal selling price of the frames) but on condition that the customers purchased a complete pair of spectacles. What was held out to a customer who wished to take advantage of one of these promotions was that the frame was being sold to the customer at a discount, the lenses were sold without any discount, and the price of the complete pair of spectacles was the aggregate of these two amounts. 81H. Frames had increasingly become fashion accessories and not just the means of holding lenses in place. The Administrative Appeals Tribunal (the Tribunal) at first instance found as fact that this commercial significance provided context for Luxottica's sales approach to frames, as opposed to lenses, including the giving of discounts on frames. Customers returned to buy new frames even though their prescription needs had not altered. there was nothing contrived or artificial about the pricing methodology adopted by the Applicant in its promotional arrangements. 81J. The proportion was the fraction that the discounted selling price of the taxable frames (less GST) bore to the actual selling price of the spectacles (less GST). 81K. The Tribunal added that the fact that the discounted price was conditional on the purchase of the lenses 'does not undermine the reasonableness of te calculation of the taxable proportion in this way'. 81L. The Full Federal Court considered that the above showed that the Tribunal made a considered decision as to the value of the taxable supply based on findings of fact that it was entitled to make. 81M. To work out the taxable proportion following the Full Federal Court decision, the value of the taxable part of the supply has to be determined by having regard to the facts and circumstances and taking a practical, commonsense approach. The question to be answered is what is a fair and reasonable measure of the value of the taxable part? 81N. The value of the taxable part of a supply may be >synonymous with the selling price of that part as in Luxottica or, as in Food Supplier, where there was no market for the taxable promotion item, it may be necessary to consider other practical, commonsense means of fixing value such as cost plus a margin. 81O. Once that value is determined the proportion is the fraction that value (excluding GST) bears to the consideration for the actual supply (excluding GST). 81P. Examples illustrating the calculation of the taxable proportion under section 9-80 are found at paragraphs 97A to 108A of this Ruling. 81Q Depending on the facts and circumstances in any particular case a direct or indirect method may be appropriate to determine the value of the taxable part for the purposes of calculating the taxable proportion. This is discussed at paragraphs 97 to 111 of this Ruling. 81R At paragraphs 92 to 113 of this Ruling guidance is provided as to what is a fair and reasonable measure of value of the taxable part of the supply in different factual situations. 81S. The value should be based on a consideration of all the facts and circumstances including the relationship that component of the supply has with the price of the actual supply and not because it gives you a particular result (see paragraph 95 of this Ruling). 81U. In Food Supplier the applicant sold GST-free food products like instant coffee. Sometimes the food product was packaged with a non-food product such as a mug, alarm clock, radio or cricket ball and the package was sold for a single consideration. The promotional items were described on the package as 'free'. The promotion items could only be acquired in packages with the food products. The taxpayer would not supply them free of charge alone. That suggests to me that there was consideration for the supply of the packaged product as a whole, including the promotion item. The consideration for the supply of the two items was the single price paid for the two of them. The purchaser makes a payment 'in connection with' the supply as a whole (s 9-15(1)(a)). Words such as 'in connection with' have a wide meaning HP Mercantile Pty Limited v Commissioner of Taxation 2005 ATC 4571; (2005) 143 FCR 553 at 563). Alternatively, payment is made 'in response to or for the inducement of' the supply (s 9-15(1)(b)). 81X. There is a view that the decision in Food Supplier is inconsistent with this statement. It is said that the terms of the promotion in Food Supplier were that the promotional item was supplied 'free' and therefore the value of that item must be zero. However, the decision in Luxottica does not stand for the proposition that the terms of a promotion are always determinative of the value of the taxable part of the supply. In Luxottica, other factors were taken into account in determining the value of the taxable frames. 81Y. Critical to the decision in Food Supplier was the finding as a matter of fact that the consideration was paid for the package comprising both the food and promotional items. That is, the consideration was an undissected price[44G] in connection with all parts of the package. In the circumstances of the case, the Tribunal found that some part of the consideration must be apportioned to the taxable item. This requires a conclusion regarding the value of the taxable item. In Food Supplier there were two items sold for one composite price. The distinction between Food Supplier and this case is that in this case there were two items or components and in respect of each of those components there was an agreed price which was in no way artificial or contrived. By contrast, in Food Supplier there was one undissected price in respect of the supply of two items. It follows that Food Supplier is distinguishable. 81ZB. The Commissioner takes the view that Food Supplier and Luxottica are distinguishable. The Commissioner also takes the view that Food Supplier and Luxottica were each determined based on their own specific facts and circumstances, and neither case is determinative of every possible situation. While the Full Federal Court said in Luxottica that how a promotion is structured is a matter for the commercial judgment of the seller, it is still necessary to determine the connection between the consideration and the things supplied. 81ZC. For example, consider a situation where the taxable part of a mixed supply is reduced by a dollar discount amount to nil consideration. If, on the facts, the consideration for the actual supply is properly found to be only in connection with the GST-free part of the supply, section 9-80 does not apply. There is only a GST-free supply for consideration. 81ZD. However, if on a proper consideration of the terms and the surrounding circumstances apportionment of the discount wholly to the taxable component is merely a contrivance to reduce the GST otherwise payable, and does not reflect the true commercial position, that would not be a practical, commonsense basis of apportionment. In those circumstances, it would not be accepted that the value of the taxable item is zero. That value would not be a fair and reasonable measure of the value of the taxable part. Section 9-80 applies to determine the value of the taxable part of the supply. During the course of the hearing mention was made of 'loss leading'. Assume by way of example that a store has an excess of clocks of a certain make. It advertises that it will sell those clocks at a substantial discount (compared to its previously advertised price) to anyone who will purchase other goods costing not less than $100. We can see no reason why, absent tax avoidance or sham, the price for the other goods and also the price for the clock is not for GST purposes the discounted price for the clock and the list prices for the other items purchased. 81ZF. This reasoning could in particular circumstances extend to cases where something was given away for free as part of a promotional package, perhaps as a genuine loss leader or goodwill promotional gesture. 81ZG. A shop owner has a surplus of a particular type of confectionery which normally sells for $7 per block but which is nearing its 'use-by' date. Rather than have the goods lose their value, he advertises, as a 'one-off' promotion, that he will give away blocks of this confectionery to the first 100 customers that buy at least $30 worth of other food items. For the sales in question, the business owner apportions all the consideration to the other food items, and nil consideration to the confectionery. In the particular circumstances, this may be considered a reasonable apportionment of the consideration. There are sound commercial reasons for this one-off promotion and no evidence to suggest that it is contrived to reduce the GST otherwise payable. During the hearing there was considerable discussion of an example posed by the Tribunal. Assume that a car supplier supplies a car which in the ordinary way will cost $40,000 but advertises that it will sell the car for $5 if the customer buys a bottle of water for $39,995. In the opinion of the Tribunal such a transaction will quite clearly be contrived and will not be given credence by a court. 81ZI. Felicity is a registered medical practitioner who provides cosmetic medical procedures using certain drugs. She provides a cosmetic procedure using a drug that is GST-free but the supply of the medical service is taxable. The procedure usually takes between 15 and 30 minutes to carry out. Felicity invoices the patient but only applies consideration to the GST-free supply of the drug. The medical service is not considered to be incidental to the supply of the drug because it is an important part of the cosmetic procedure and it has considerable value because of the level of professional skill and time involved. The supply by Felicity is a mixed supply and the consideration is in respect of both parts. It is unreasonable in these circumstances that no consideration relates to the medical service. There is no commercial reason for Felicity to not apply any of the consideration to the taxable medical supply. 81ZJ. Section 9-80 only prescribes a statutory method for calculating the value of a taxable supply that is part of an actual supply that has GST-free or input taxed parts. For other kinds of mixed supplies[44K] the calculation of the value of the taxable part must be made under section 9-75. 81ZL. Subsection 9-75(1) provides that the price is the sum of the monetary consideration[44L] and the non monetary consideration.[44M] Price is therefore the total consideration for the supply. The value of the taxable supply is the consideration less GST. 82. The GST Act includes a number of specific provisions which state that certain supplies are not a taxable supply. For example, subsection 66-45(1) provides that, in some circumstances, a supply of goods that were part of an acquisition of second-hand goods divided for re-supply, is not a taxable supply. This means that these supplies are not taxable supplies, regardless of whether they meet the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d). Similarly, any other supply that does not meet the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d) is not a taxable supply. In other cases, it may be argued that the statutory context allows a particular provision to be read as requiring apportionment. 83. Where non-taxable supplies are made separately, no further issue arises. However, where there are non-taxable parts of a mixed supply that also contains taxable parts, the value of which is determined under section 9-75 (and not section 9-80), the question arises whether the GST Act requires you to apportion the consideration for the supply in the absence of a specific apportionment rule. 84. The establishment of a sufficient nexus between a supply and the monetary (and non-monetary) payment received for that supply is central and essential to the proper operation of the GST Act. Establishment of this nexus indicates that there is consideration for the supply. 85. Apportionment also enables the proper operation of the GST Act, that is, to tax only that which is taxable. This would be prevented if the consideration for a supply that includes a non-taxable part could not be apportioned in the same manner as if the supplies had been made separately. 86. This point is demonstrated by a simple example. A registered sole trader supplies two cars for a single price. One car (a 'business' car) has been used exclusively in the sole trader's enterprise and the other (a 'private' car) exclusively for private purposes. If each car is supplied separately, then GST is correctly payable only on the supply of the business car. The supply of the private car attracts no GST. It would be anomalous if either GST was payable on the whole amount (including the supply of the private car), or not payable at all, simply because the two cars are sold together for the one price. 87. Furthermore, it would not be logical or equitable to deny an input tax credit to a registered recipient of a mixed supply that includes a non-taxable part, merely for the reason that no part of the payment for the supply can be apportioned to the taxable part. the exclusion from a taxable supply to the extent that the supply is GST-free or input taxed in section 9-5, does not contain words which similarly exclude other non-taxable supplies (but things that the GST Act specifically states are not a taxable supply and things that do not meet one or more of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d) do not need such legislative treatment). 91. We are of the view that the GST Act inherently requires that the parts of a mixed supply be identified and that the consideration be apportioned where a sufficient nexus between the supply and its consideration is established. This approach gives practical effect to the intention of the GST Act and is consistent with a commonsense and equitable outcome. 93. What is a reasonable method of apportioning the consideration for a mixed supply depends on the circumstances of each case. In some cases, there will be only one reasonable method you may use. 94. Depending on your circumstances, you may use a direct or indirect method when apportioning the consideration for a mixed supply. 95. The method you choose should be based on a consideration of all the circumstances and not because it gives you a particular result. You may need to use different methods, or a combination of methods, for different supplies to ensure the appropriate amount of GST is payable. You need to keep records that explain all transactions and other acts you engage in that are relevant to supplies you make, including supplies that are GST-free and input taxed. 96. Where consideration is apportioned in a manner that cannot be justified in terms of reasonableness, the general anti-avoidance provisions of the GST Act may have application. the relative floor area in a supply of property (see paragraphs 106 to 108 of this Ruling). 97A. Depending on the facts and circumstances of a mixed supply, the price allocated to the taxable component may be regarded as the most appropriate measure of value of the taxable part of the supply. 97B. Eye Specs sells prescription spectacles. Harry purchases a particular brand of frames for $165 and prescription lenses for $89. 97C. The price of the frames is a reasonable measure of value upon which to determine the taxable proportion. The price of the frames is their ordinary selling price and the price of the lenses is determined by the complexity of the optical prescription. 97D. The price of the spectacles is the aggregate of the price of the frames and the price of the lenses. 97E. The selling price of the frames is $165 and of the spectacles is $254. The GST payable is $15. 97F. Ocean Parks and Vans sells memberships which offer discounts for short term stays at their caravan parks. They offer a membership gift package which includes a 1 year membership and a $100 voucher for short term stays. The package is sold for $155. A 1 year membership normally sells for $55. 97H. The value of the taxable supply is calculated under section 9-75. The value of the taxable part is $50 (that is, the price of the membership, $55 x 10/11). The GST payable is $5. 97I. In many cases, you may make a mixed supply that involves a discount promotion. The value of the taxable part must be determined as a matter of practical commonsense having regard to the relevant facts and circumstances of the supply and the relationship that the value of the taxable part has with the price of the actual supply. 97J. Melissa sells prescription spectacles. She normally sells a particular brand of frames for $160 and prescription lenses for $89. The frames are an old style and not selling well so Melissa runs a promotion offering an aggregate price of $199 for the frames and lenses. The $50 discount is applied to these particular frames but only if they are purchased with a pair of prescription lenses to be fitted into the frames. The discount was not available if frames only were purchased. 97K. The discounted price of the frames is a reasonable measure of value upon which to determine the taxable proportion. There are sound commercial reasons for discounting the frames (older style of frames that were not selling well). The frames were a key part of the promotion and this was the offer made to and accepted by the customer. 97L. The price of the spectacles is the aggregate of the discounted price of the frames and the undiscounted price of the lenses. 97M. The selling price of the frames and lenses is $199. The taxable proportion is 52.9% (the GST-exclusive price of the frames (that is, $100) divided by the GST-exclusive selling price of the spectacles (that is, $189)). The GST payable is $10. 98. Where it is possible to determine the price for which each part would have been supplied if it was supplied separately (for example, the general retail market price for which the goods are sold), then an apportionment on this basis may be reasonable. If you use this basis, the GST you pay is the same as if you supplied the taxable parts separately in the same market. 98A. A teapot is sold together with 100g of tea for $25. The teapot is also sold separately for $15 and the tea for $10. It is reasonable in this case to apportion the $25 based on the normal selling price of the teapot. 98B. The value of the teapot (the taxable component) is commensurate with its normal selling price of $15. The GST payable is $1.36. 99. Where you cannot establish an appropriate market price for which particular goods are sold, then it may be reasonable for you to use a relevant market price for a similar supply (or an industry standard), to determine the appropriate price of the particular goods. 100. In many cases, you may make a mixed supply for a package price. The package price for the mixed supply may involve a discount promotion. Apportionment of the consideration must be undertaken as a matter of practical commonsense. This is illustrated in the following examples. 100A. Example 13C can be contrasted with the following examples. 101. Michael sells prescription spectacles. He runs a promotion offering $100 off the price of full priced spectacles. John selects a pair of frames that are priced at $230 and has prescription lenses fitted which cost $320. The total price of the spectacles after the discount is $450. 101A. Michael apportions the discount on a proportionate basis resulting in a price of $188 ($230 divided by $550 multiplied by $450) for the frames and $262 ($320 divided by $550 multiplied by $450) for the lenses. The GST payable is one-eleventh of $188 or $17.10. 102. Pierre signs up for a college course at a discounted package price. There are four units in Pierre's course - two that are GST-free and two that are taxable. The college usually charges $500 for each of the GST-free units and $825 for each of the taxable units. Pierre would normally pay $2,650 for the course, but after a discount of 20%, he pays $2,120. 103. To reasonably apportion the consideration for the course, the college discounts each of the units by 20%. The consideration for each of the GST-free units is $400 (that is, $500 less 20%), and for each of the taxable units, the consideration is $660 (that is, $825 less 20%). 103A. The value of the taxable part is commensurate with the discounted price of each course, that is, $600 (excluding GST. The GST payable is $120. 103B. If in example 14, the teapot and the tea are sold for a single discounted price of $20, it would, in the absence of any other more appropriate measure of value, be reasonable to apportion the $20 based on the normal selling price of the teapot. 103C. To work out the taxable proportion the discount of $5 is apportioned on a proportionate basis resulting in a price of $12 for the teapot and $8 for the tea. 103D. The GST payable is $1.09. 103E. Sometimes it may be appropriate to ascertain the value of a taxable part of the supply having regard to rental returns. 103F. Hilary is registered for GST. She sells a property that consists of commercial premises and residential premises. The property is on a single title and is currently untenanted, although the commercial part was recently rented for $1,000 per week and the residential part for $500 per week.[55A] Hilary may reasonably apportion two thirds of the consideration for the sale (the same proportion the rent for the commercial premises bears to the total rent of $1500) to the commercial part and one third to the residential part to ascertain the value of the taxable part. 104. Where you supply services and charge them out on a time basis (for example, at an hourly rate), it may be reasonable to apportion the consideration for a mixed supply based on the time taken to perform the relevant taxable and non-taxable parts of the supply. This method may be suitable where you make mixed supplies of professional or trade services. 105. Under direction from a doctor, Gilda provides home care to a privately funded client in the client's own home.[55B] She charges a flat hourly rate for her services that include helping to feed and dress her client. These services are GST-free under section 38-30. Gilda also tidies her client's house and garden. These latter services are taxable. Gilda apportions the consideration for her services on the number of hours it takes for her to perform the services. This is a reasonable method of apportionment to ascertain the value of the taxable part of the supply. 106. In some cases, it is reasonable for you to allocate the consideration for a mixed supply by reference to the relative floor area of the property being supplied. To make an allocation on this basis, you also need to consider the relative price of different types of floor space (for example, floor space in residential, retail and industrial property are often priced differently). That is, you may simply work out the proportionate floor area if the value per square metre does not vary. However, if the value per square metre is variable, then you can reasonably apportion on a basis of each area and its relative value. You may also need to take into account external features, such as the value of recreational areas. 107. Warren rents out a property to Josef for $2,000 per month. The property is comprised of residential and commercial premises. The floor area of the residential part is 160 square metres and the commercial part is 80 square metres. In the locality, the rental of commercial space is worth twice as much as residential space. 108. It would be reasonable for Warren to base the taxable proportion of the supply on the floor area of the commercial part as a proportion of the combined floor area of the commercial and residential parts. However, he also needs to take into account the difference in the relative value of the commercial and residential floor space. Warren may reasonably apportion the consideration equally between the commercial and the residential parts. 108A. The taxable proportion is therefore 50%. Applying the formula in section 9-80, the taxable value of the actual supply is calculated as ($2000 x 10)/(10 + 0.5). The value of the taxable part is $952.38 and the GST payable is $95.23. 109. You may decide that it is appropriate that you use an indirect method to apportion the consideration for a mixed supply you make. For example, you may use a reasonable method that includes the addition of an appropriate mark-up to reflect your profit margin relative to the market you supply. 110. Another example is where an arm's length wholesaler or manufacturer makes a mixed supply to you of things that have been packaged in the form in which you will market them. In this case, you may adopt the apportionment ratio worked out by your supplier. On the other hand, if your supplier characterises a supply to you as a composite supply, you will not necessarily be able to adopt the same characterisation. This is because your supplier may have used the approach provided at paragraph 21 which may not be applicable to your particular circumstances because of your profit mark-up. 111. Byron manufactures cosmetics including perfume, shampoo and SPF 30+ sunscreen. Perfume and shampoo are taxable, and the sunscreen is GST-free. Byron supplies one bottle of each item in a clear plastic package to wholesalers. He chooses to use an indirect method based on the cost and usual profit margin of each item to apportion the consideration for the supply. This method is reasonable in the circumstances. 112. Some methods may not result in a reasonable basis of apportionment of the consideration for a mixed supply. For example, in some cases, it may not be reasonable to apportion the consideration solely on the basis of the cost of the supply to you. This would be the case if your mark-up varies from part to part. Variations in mark-ups prevent this method from being a reasonable apportionment of the consideration for the supply. 113. Also, in some circumstances it may not be reasonable to apportion consideration using 'historical cost' and 'residual value' methods. These amounts often are used for accounting purposes and may not reflect an appropriate apportionment of the consideration for a supply. 114. GST is calculated as 10% of the value of the taxable supply. Section 9-75 links the value of the taxable supply to its price so that the value of a supply is 10/11 of its price. This also means that the GST payable on a taxable supply is equivalent to 1/11 of the price (or consideration) of the supply. 115. The value of a taxable supply has the meaning given by section 9-75 and 9-80.[57A] Section 9-75 links the value of the taxable supply to its price so that the value of a supply is 10/11 of its price (or consideration). This also means that the GST payable on a taxable supply is equivalent to 1/11 of the price (or consideration) of the supply. In section 9-80 the value of the taxable supply is a proportion of the value of the actual supply which is similarly linked to the price of the actual supply. However, as the actual supply includes GST-free or input taxed parts the value of the actual supply is not 10/11 of its price. The denominator must be greater than 10 but less than 11. 1/11 of the price (or consideration) for the taxable part. 117. Section 9-80 provides the method for working out the value of the taxable part of a mixed supply that consists only of taxable and GST-free or input taxed parts. The section refers to such a supply as the actual supply. 1/11 of the GST inclusive value for the taxable part. 119. Section 9-75 applies to work out the value of the taxable part of a supply consisting of taxable and non-taxable parts that are either dealt with in specific provisions of the GST Act or do not meet the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to (d). The consideration that is allocated to the taxable part is the price of the taxable part referred to in section 9-75. The value of that part is simply calculated as 10/11 of its price (or consideration). 120. Subsection 29-70(1) specifies the information to be contained in a tax invoice. the amount of GST payable. 122. If you use a simplified accounting method to account for GST on your Business Activity Statement, you may still have to issue a tax invoice within 28 days of a request by the recipient of the supply. this section only applies to GST payable on a *taxable importation made, by a member of the GST group other than the *representative member, if the GST on the importation is payable at a time when GST on *taxable supplies is normally payable by the representative member. [Subsection 49-30(1)] A supply that a *member of a *GST religious group makes to another member of the same GST religious group is treated as if it were not a *taxable supply. the participant acquired the thing supplied for consumption, use or supply in the course of activities for which the joint venture was entered into. your *total Subdivision 66-B GST amount. Note: This section will not apply unless the record keeping requirements of section 66-55 are met. [Subsection 78-25(1)] A supply that an insurer makes in settlement of a claim under an *insurance policy is not a *taxable supply. [Subsection 78-60(1)] A supply of goods is not a *taxable supply if it is solely a supply made under an *insurance policy to an insurer in the course of settling a claim under the policy. it is not treated as *consideration for a supply made to the operator by the entity to whom the supply was made; to the extent that the supply is a *CTP compensation or ancillary payment or supply. [Subsection 79-85(1)] A supply of goods is not a *taxable supply if it is solely a supply made under a *compulsory third party scheme to an *operator of the scheme in the course of settling a claim for compensation made under the scheme. becoming a party to a deed created by or under a *State law or a *Territory law establishing a *compulsory third party scheme, that provides for an insurance policy settlement sharing arrangement. becoming a party to a deed created by or under a *State law or a *Territory law establishing a compulsory third party scheme, that provides for a nominal defendant settlement sharing arrangement to which this Subdivision applies. [Subsection 90-5(1)] A supply made by an *amalgamating company to an *amalgamated company in the course of *amalgamation is not a *taxable supply if, immediately after the amalgamation, the amalgamated company is *registered or *required to be registered. the *consideration for supply of the voucher does not exceed the stated monetary value of the voucher. [Subsection 100-18(2)] If, under the arrangement, the supplier pays, or is liable to pay, an amount, as a commission or similar payment, to the other entity for the other entity's supply, the supply by the other entity to the supplier, to which the supplier's payment or liability relates, is treated as if it were not a *taxable supply. if you cannot obtain such a notice - you believe on the basis of reasonable information that the supply would not be a taxable supply if the debtor were to make it. the transfer of a *net capital loss in accordance with Subdivision 170-B of the ITAA 1997. Part 3-90 of the Income Tax (Transitional Provisions) Act 1997. [Subsection 110-20(2)] The supply is not a *taxable supply to the extent that it relates to the fact that the agreement satisfies those requirements. Example: The obligation could be a contractual obligation created by the agreement under which the contribution amount was determined. the TSA contributing member has, for the purposes of subsection 721-30(3) of the *ITAA 1997, left the group clear of the group liability. Note: See section 721-35 of the ITAA 1997 for when a TSA contributing member has left a group clear of the group liability. [Subsection 110-30(2)] The supply is not a *taxable supply to the extent that it relates to the fact that the agreement deals with the distribution mentioned in paragraph (1)(b). the acquisition, by that entity, of what you supply under the arrangement would be a *creditable acquisition (and not *partly creditable) if the supply were a *taxable supply. Paragraph 7 of Goods and Services Tax Determination GSTD 2000/6 provides a rule to use so that where GST-free food is contained in packaging that might not otherwise be normal and necessary, the packaging may be treated as if it were normal and necessary and, therefore, GST-free. This rule only applies to packaging. It does not apply to promotional items accompanying the food and packaging or to items that are usually supplied separately. Subsection 7-1(1) and section 9-40. Section 9-5 gives effect to subsection 9-30(1) and Division 38 to the extent that a supply is GST-free. Section 9-5 gives effect to subsection 9-30(2) and Division 40 to the extent that a supply is input taxed. See Appendix A for examples. Paragraph 9-10(2)(h) provides that a supply may include a combination of things. See section 38-187 and subsection 38-190(1). It may be that the transaction is properly characterised as involving a number of separate supplies, rather than a single supply (whether mixed or composite). As mentioned at paragraph 5A, this Ruling does not directly consider that question. Paragraph 382-5(1)(a) in Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953. Subsection 9-75(1) provides that the value of a taxable supply is 10/11 of the price of the supply. Section 195-1 states that taxable supply has the meaning given by sections 9-5, 78-50, 84-5 and 105-5. Note: This meaning is also affected by sections 49-30, 66-45, 72-5, 78-25, 78-60, 78-65, 78-70, 79-60, 79-85,80-10, 80-50, 81-10, 90-5, 100-5, 100-18, 110-5, 110-15, 110-20, 110-25, 110-30 and 113-5. Commissioner of Taxation v. Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd (2011) 79 ATR 768; 2011 ATC 20,243 at . For example, the supply of spectacles may appear to be the supply of one thing, but in fact, it is comprised of a taxable part (the frames) and a GST-free part (lenses) as a result of a provision of the GST Act that treats lenses for prescription spectacles as GST-free (section 38-45(1)). Examples 2 to 8 and 13A to 18 provide further instances of mixed supplies. Examples 9 to 13 provide instances of composite supplies. Again, it may be that such a transaction is properly characterised as involving a number of separate supplies, rather than a single supply (whether mixed or composite). However, this Ruling does not consider that question. See Card Protection Plan Ltd v. Customs and Excise Commissioners BVC 155 at 177. The word 'incidental' has a specific meaning when used with 'financial supplies'. See A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Regulations 1999, regulation 40-5.10. However, in this Ruling we use the term 'incidental' in its ordinary sense, in the same way as used in the overseas cases. Saga Holidays v. Commissioner of Taxation 2006 ATC 4841; (2006) 64 ATR 602. Westley Nominees Pty Ltd v. Coles Supermarkets Pty Ltd FCAFC 115; 2006 ATC 4363; (2006) 62 ATR 682. Re Food Supplier and Commissioner of Taxation AATA 1550; 2007 ATC 157; (2007) 66 ATR 938. Food Supplier at paragraph . Sea Containers Ltd v. Customs and Excise Commissioners BVC 60. Under British VAT legislation, transport is 'zero-rated' and catering is 'standard-rated'. Sea Containers Ltd v. Customs and Excise Commissioners BVC 60 at 67. British Airways plc v. Customs and Excise Commissioners (1990) 5 BVC 97. British Airways plc v. Customs and Excise Commissioners (1990) 5 BVC 97 at 102-103. Customs and Excise Commissioners v. Wellington Private Hospital Ltd BVC 251 at 266. Section 38-187 provides that a supply of goods by way of lease is GST free if the goods are used outside Australia. Where the goods are used partly in Australia and partly outside Australia, section 9-5 applies to ensure that the supply is taxable, but only to the extent that the goods are used in Australia. Similarly a supply, other than a supply of goods or real property, for consumption outside Australia will have more than one part where section 38-190 applies to some extent. Paragraph 18 states that a composite supply can be a part of a mixed supply. Customs and Excise Commissioners v. Madgett & Anor (t/a Howden Court Hotel) BVC 458 at 464. Customs and Excise Commissioners v. British Telecommunications plc BVC 306 at 312. See Lord Hope of Craighead in Customs and Excise Commissioners v. British Telecommunications plc BVC 306 at 314. Paragraphs 92 to 111 explain the methods you may use to reasonably apportion the consideration for the parts of a mixed supply. The breakfast cereal in this example is GST-free under section 38-2. It does not fit any of the categories of food that is not GST-free under section 38-3. The food may, however, be GST-free under section 38-2. Whether you make a supply for a single consideration will depend on the facts. Section 40-35. Paragraph 5.164 of the Explanatory Memorandum to the GST Act refers to a similar example. See Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2012/5 Goods and services tax: residential premises at paragraphs 40 to 45. Under section 38-250, a supply of the accommodation and/or meals may be GST-free if provided by a charitable institution, a gift deductible entity or a government school. The hamper in this example is not a combination of foods under paragraph 38-3(1)(c). Item 4 of subsection 38-190(1) provides that in this case the supply of rights for use outside Australia is GST-free. Section 9-5 ensures that the supply is not taxable, to the extent that it is GST-free. See where the Court came to a similar conclusion in Customs and Excise Commissioners v. British Telecommunications plc BVC 306. In other cases the facts may indicate that a delivery charge is a separately identifiable part of a supply. The picnic box in this example is not a supply of food for consumption on the premises under paragraphs 38-3(1)(a). This is in contrast to Example 7 where the knife and bread board are regarded as significant even though they contribute to the better enjoyment of the food. In contrast, the balancing of previously fitted tyres is a supply in its own right. As explained by the Full Federal Court in Luxottica 'it is necessary to ensure that the non taxable supplies of the bundled supply do not contribute to the value [of the actual supply]. It is for this purpose that the concept of Proportion is utilised.' The Court commented that section 9-80 as originally enacted failed to differentiate between the taxable element of the actual supply and the non taxable elements and stripped out the GST from the total consideration for the actual supply (that is, the price of the actual supply). This of course distorted the value of the actual supply. IAC (Finance) Pty Limited v. Courtenay (1963) 110 CLR 550. Paragraph 382-5(1)(a) in Schedule 1 to the Taxation Administration Act 1953 provides rules for keeping records of indirect tax transactions. See also the decision of the Tribunal in Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd v. FC of T AATA 22; (2010) 75 ATR 169; 2010 ATC 10,119, at , reproduced at paragraph 81ZA of this Ruling. Re Food Supplier and Commissioner of Taxation AATA 1550; 2007 ATC 157; (2007) 66 ATR 938 at . Luxottica Retail Australia Pty Ltd v. FC of T AATA 22; (2010) 75 ATR 169; (2010) 2010 ATC 10,119. For example, a supply may have a taxable part and a non taxable part that is not GST free or input taxed. This may be because a specific provision of the GST Act applies to make the non taxable part not a taxable supply (see Appendix A for a list of relevant provisions), or the non taxable part may not meet any of the requirements of paragraphs 9-5(a) to 9-5(d). Consideration expressed as an amount of money' is consideration that finds expression in money. The distinction between paragraphs 9-75(1)(a) and 9-75(1)(b) is essentially between monetary consideration and what can be broadly described as 'in kind' consideration. See paragraph 32 of GSTR 2001/6. However, in some limited instances, determining the GST inclusive market value of the supply may be an acceptable method for working out the GST inclusive market value of the consideration. Refer to paragraphs 138 to 158 of GSTR 2001/6 for a discussion of this issue. For a discussion of examples of such provisions, see Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2000/31, which is about supplies connected with Australia. Given that the conditions of Division 11 are met. Allsop v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1965) 113 CLR 341; McLaurin v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1961) 104 CLR 381; National Mutual Life Association of Australasia v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1959) 102 CLR 29; and Commissioner of Taxation v. CSR Ltd FCA 1513. McLaurin v. Federal Commissioner of Taxation (1961) 104 CLR 381 at 391. For example, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Canada. The principles of reasonableness used in Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2000/15, which is about determining the extent of creditable purpose for claiming input tax credits and for making adjustments for changes in the extent of creditable purpose, also apply in this Ruling. The supply of the voucher is not a taxable supply under section 105-5. The sale of commercial premises is taxable. The sale of residential premises is input taxed under section 40-65. Gilda's client is not a participant in the National Disability Insurance Scheme. Therefore the supplies made by Gilda to the client are not GST-free under section 38-38. In Goods and Services Tax Ruling GSTR 2001/6, Goods and services tax: non-monetary consideration, we also state that 'historical cost' or 'residual value' may not be acceptable methods for determining the market value of consideration. The Commissioner has published a booklet titled 'Simplified GST Accounting Methods for Food Retailers'. This information is available from the ATO website at www.ato.gov.au.

2019-04-21T14:22:16Z

https://www.ato.gov.au/law/view/document?LocID=%22GST%2FGSTR20018%2FNAT%2FATO%22&PiT=99991231235958

Domain registrations, Virtual Dedicated Servers. DavidH (no link provided) rated Register1 0.5 stars. My experiences with register1 have been entirely negative, and as a result my company is about to switch to a new provider. Whilst the support is fast, the responses are often nonsense and the actual servers appear very slow. Mark Tuma (norwichyfc.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. We’ve been using Register1 for more than six years now, and they’ve been consistently reliable and generally excellent. Steve (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars. Excellent service. I’ve used these guys for the last 7-8 years with absolutely no issues. Even when arranging upgrade work with then, it’s been painless and super quick, especially on weekends. Highly recommended. G Sudron (mark54.org.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Excellent service – very very quick turn-around with support tickets, even out of hours. Highly recommended for a painless sign-up process and for them being general all round good chaps. James Moreton (raptorcare.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Excellent customer service on resolving technical issues with installing drupal. Jon (http://register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Fast, friendly and very quick to respond to any questions I had and emails that I sent. Tom Petch (computersupportgroup.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Adrian (Register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Needed hosting in a hurry – and I am a web numpty. Via support tickets entire process resolved within 20 minutes. Would recommend to anyone of any knwledge level. escargot (colvertgroup.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. I’ve used Register1 for a number of years now, for various personal and professional projects. I’ve always found the price & customer service to be top notch. The web interface for server management is incredibly simple to use and any issues (normally my own fault) are dealt with supremely quickly and with the utmost professionalism. More importantly however, the CTO isn’t afraid to buy a round of champers! Daniel James Minto (http://register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Tool less than a week to buy the hosting site, upload the website and be up and running. No glitches, no problems. Can’t recommend enough. John C (drivedata.com) rated Register1 5 stars. I have used two other well-known dedicated server companies before switching to Register1 earlier this year. So far, I can’t fault the service they give and the performance and reliability I’ve had from the server is excellent. What you really need from a hosting/server company is someone to respond and help when you have a problem and they do just that! Andy (http://andrewnicholl.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Fast speeds and never once have I had downtime! Customer support are lighting fast and solve my query every time. Ian Mackean (literature-study-online.com/) rated Register1 5 stars. I have given Register 1 10/10 in two earlier reviews, on 3rd May 2006 and 25th Feb 2008, and I am just coming back now to say that I have been with them for over three and a half years and their service has been excellent throughout that time. I agree with all the other positive things people have said about them. They seem totally dedicated to giving their customers the best possible service. S Oldfield (rathernice.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Superb hosting, we’ve used them for years with our critical e-commerce site hosting and the service is second to none. Support is simply the best with replies in minutes and help always on hand. Karen Waite (ktectraining.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Callum Smith (minis4monkeys.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Customer Service; Fast & Efficent Service! tatty (tattydevine.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Always quick to respond to problems, always helpful and solve problems, fabulous hosting, can’t think of any difficulties we’ve ever had in about 5 years with Register1! Tobes (http://gameordie.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Taken domains out with Register1 for 6 years and never had a problem. Lightening fast and excellent service. Phil Shotton (richmond-racing.co.uk/) rated Register1 5 stars. Excellent customer service, clients always made to feel valued. Jordan McClements (jmcwd.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Reliable servers, and very helpful support! Simon (justlaptops.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Reliability second to none, very quick responses (and helpful) to support tickets. Take a little while getting used to the admin though when you migratefrom ‘cpanel’ style hosts. John Warton (armengineers.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Superb customer support, delivered exceptionally quick. Very helpful even to non Techies. jeremy gibson (v2mc.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Fantastic! it just dose everything i want it to do and dose it well! Geoff Hunter (http://lemming.org) rated Register1 5 stars. Thomas Wiggins (thomaswiggins.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. I’ve been with several web hosts over the last 8 years and quite simply Register1 has been the best so far. Their prices are reasonable for the bandwidth and disk space they offer but their best feature is the customer service they offer. Every support ticket I have sent has been responded to within 5-10 minutes of submission. I’ve only been with them since August but I think I will definitely be staying with them for the long term. 10/10! David Rowley (montecristoglass.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Register1 was recommended to me over three years ago and i now wouldn’t dream about going anywhere else. First rate support and service from a first class company. Matt Bennett (clublupo.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Been with Register1 for 4 years now. I can’t remember any downtime, support is very quick in dealing with requests and being based in London, site speeds are fantastic. All in all, fantastically impressed – already recommended to friends who are equally as pleased. Lee (thecheshirewhites.com) rated Register1 5 stars. I chose Register 1 based on reviews from other members of Pistonheads. They have been great, the back end software phpbb etc is all great and their service is top notch. Ed (haslersystems.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Normally low price doesn’t equate to good quality service, however Register1 is the exception to the rule. For price alone, they are very good, however when you add in quality hosting and very quick and effective customer support you can’t go wrong. Gef (northernbuzz.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Only been with them for a few months and joined on the strength of other good reviews and I have to say that they have not been wrong. The support is excellant and has proved invaluable for a newbie like myself for this kind of thing. Scott Lawson (flat4online.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. I was looking for a new host after my US shared host ran into problems when they migrated their servers to a new location. I spent days looking through Google at all the uk hosting company options. I decided on Register 1 after reading all the reviews I found here and on the forums. I prefer web based support to phones, calls are expensive and time consuming so it was a real pleasure to fine a company who not only offer web based support but the help response times are simply unmatched to any company I have used before. Its almost like a computer script is generating the replys, they realy are that fast! I doubt you will find this kind of service anywhere else. The only time the server is down, is when I request a reboot. Ive not experienced any downtime at all in over 1 year which is another strong point for using Regsiter 1. I would even recommend switching to Register 1 if your not happy with your host for whatever reason (just like you would do with your gas supplier). Im now hosting videos and Ive not saw any decline is server performance or speed. Paul Grimsley (thesearethedays.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Bought the VDS Pro package just over a year ago from Register1 – and setup my first website, primarily to share photos with friends and family. Setup was quick and easy, and where i did have questions they were answered quickly and effeciently (within minutes – on a sunday evening!). Prices are sensible, the service and support are excellent – I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Register1. Paul Hadley (http://rhubarbradio.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Top service levels, friendly & knowledgeable support & sales staff. By far the best value for money we’ve found…..couldn’t ask for more really. Needless to say, Register1- highly recommended. Pigeon (lucy-pinder.tv/) rated Register1 5 stars. I have various domains registered with register1.net. Superb service, both knowledgeable and fast even in the middle of the night. Orders complete extremely quickly. Domain control panel is comprehensive and easy to use. Prices are very good and there is the option of payment by cheque as well as by card. I have recommended this company to many people. Silent1 (register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Mark H (http://nis-limited.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. I’ve already reviewed R1 back in February but I thought I’d drop back here to give them much earned priase. I ran a piece of script on my hosting space and it caused major problems, do much so it completely wiped out the site I’m working on. After raising a support ticket and explaining thie issue, the admin guy’s had this sorted and running again in no time at all – these guy’s are the best. Go elsewhere at your peril – use REGISTER1! Thomas Lees (register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Quick to sign up to, the pricing was good for the service I received. Took about 10 minutes to get my site up and running. Interface for the administrator is easy to understand, help file is easy to follow. I managed to password a section of my site within a few minutes. Highly recommended, just go with this company they will not disappoint! Colin (tiledistributor.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Amazing helpdesk service. Usefull responses normally within 2 minutes or less. I have tried the rest, these guys are the best! Steve (register1.net) rated Register1 4.5 stars. I joined Register1 after receiving patchy service from a couple of very popular hosting companies and haven’t looked back since. I suffered my first troubles recently as my site popularity grew, but with the help of the support guys it was quickly remedied. Only wish they did phone support. searbe (aicr.co.uk/) rated Register1 5 stars. Absolutely fantastic web host. I have recieved support today (Sunday) at 11:40pm, within 3 minutes of submitting my ticket, and two days ago I recieved support at 4:00am. You cannot match that. It is simply unbelievable how much this company care for their customers! I am extremely glad I recommended this webhost to my client. Dan Carter (digitalphilosophy.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. I initially signed up with R1 on the basis of the glowing reviews from this site and since that time I have been nothing short of staggered by the quality of their service. No problem is too large, no request too stupid for them to look into it immediately and get back to you with an answer. Since signing up they’ve bettered almost every aspect of the original service, including more storage space and larger data-transfer allowances. I couldn’t recommend them highly enough. mitch (http://subtech.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. not often I give 10 out of 10 but these guys really deserved it and had me and my company up and running in no time. 1st class service and would reccommend !! Steve Dietz (dietzie.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. I now only use Register1 for all my hosting & domains. They’ve been unsurpassed with their support, always helpful, with feedback in minutes! Site uptime & speed has always been fantastic. I’d quite happily recommend Register1 to everyone! Andy Gray (register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Just renewed my VDS Pro for another 3 years – these guys can’t put a foot wrong. From excellent value for money right through to the fastest (sometimes instant) support, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend. Guy Hulse (guyhulse.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Great service and fantastic support. They were recommended through OcUk and have been with them for over a year now. James Skinner (binaryimage.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Always excellent service, superb support, very reliable and cheap as well. Rob Brookbanks (networkingsupportservices.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Silent1 (silent1.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Colin Middleton (cmkm.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Top quality service seem to be order of the day at Register1, and they dont disappoint. Massive storage space and bandwidth limits offer value for money and excellent support make them a pleasure to deal with. Mark Klincewicz (holy-trinity-school.org.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. zak (carfolio.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Brilliant, cheap & reliable, with easy access to support. paulm (isub-education.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. I was recommended to Register 1 by a friend, when our previous hosts were being rubbish. I can honestly say Register 1 has been 100% reliable. Even helped me with proactive suggestions when my broadband supplier (Orange) had issues and wouldn’t help me! Register 1 exceeded my expectations… and gave us a free anniversary upgrade! Jeremyc (http://register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Does exactly what is says on the tin. Really easy, no fuss way to get up and running. Highly reliable, very quick response to any problems. The Excession (http://no.for.your.eyes/) rated Register1 5 stars. I can only echo everything that’s been said before. Superb service – highly recommended. Alan Lockhart (ajl959.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Cannot recommend Register1 more, brilliant reliability, great service and a whole host of upgrades over the last few years which just make it even better value. Mark (firebrush.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Been with R1 for a year now and used their services on a number of projects. Support is excellent – raise a support ticket and you’ll have an answer in 5 minutes or less! Can highly recommend and they have just upgraded my service for free!!!! David Harvey (sc-power.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. I have been with Register 1 for a year almost to the day now and can honestly say their service is fantastic. You have a problem or a question then fire of a email and you will have a reply before you have finished your cup of tea. David Dwyer (northern-loop.tv) rated Register1 5 stars. What I can say about Register 1 other than it’s simply the best hosting I’ve ever had! The service is second to none. I’ve had technical support questions fixed within 5 minutes at 2AM! I would highly recommend Register1 to anyone who is thinking about hosting any website/forums etc. And now they have to upgraded my VDS Pro account 150% 10GB of Disk space and 0.5TB (500GB) Monthly Transfer. Robert Harpham (innovative-rc.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. i dont normaly leave reviews but register1 deserves it all 10/10. i have a VSD Pro account with them for over 2 years now we just renewed for a full 3 more years with out realy thinking thats how good these guys are. they may be alittle more than some cheaper alternatives we have tryed most but what pay for is what you get, with R1 you get even more for your moneys worth. the online help is very quick and profesional delt with the utmost confidence. uptime on sites is excellent what more can we say, if you want a host that delivers here they are. and talk about there new anniversay upgrades, 10GB space and 500gb month data WOW! In my review below I accidentally ticked ’1 out of 10′. That should have been 10 out of 10! and I’d be grateful if the webmaster could delete the one below. I have now been with them 2 years and have four domains with them. Their service continues to be excellent and their support system is super-fast. Highly recommended. Green Gecko (thegreengecko.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Register1 are totally amazing, they ofter plenty of space and bandwidth with their standard VDS package (what I have) for a very reasonable price, and they just upgraded from 2GB space and 80GB bandwidth or so to 4GB space and 200GB because it was their anniversary and they have been able to grow their server farm. The most important thing about Register1 is their support which is blindingly amazing. They have answered all my queries within an hour if not minutes, and I literaly mean 2 or 3 minutes sometimes! I was getting loads of spam so I asked them how to block 22 IPs from my domain and they added them all to their firewall in the morning (I asked them at 6am). You couldn’t ask for more, these people evidently care about providing a great service and if that matters to you there is no point looking elsewhere. Nick Lambert (http://minossolutions.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Great service, very reliable and easy to work with. Couldn’t be happier. I would gladly recommend without hesitation. Boony (http://anon) rated Register1 5 stars. This company takes customer support to a new level. No matter what the problem, nor time of day, there is always someone there to respond immediately to any issues. Having tried 3 or 4 other hosting companies, it really was a god send to find Register1. ehasler (edwardhaslerphotography.com) rated Register1 5 stars. I recently took out several VDS Pro packages to host several websites with Register1 after reading many positive reviews. At first, I was a bit wary as I’m a firm believer in getting what you pay for, however so far my experiences have been very good. Initial queries about moving several domains over to them were answered very quickly, and a couple of problems I later had (caused by me forgetting to complete the transfer on a couple of domains) were dealy with within minutes by the support team via email. So, in brief – excellent service at a great price! Flynn (http://halsteadroadrunners.net) rated Register1 5 stars. I recently migrated my vBulletin based website onto Register 1′s VDS Pro hosting package and have been stunned with the high level of support and performance. They continue to far surpass my expectation. Philthy (skidvd.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Recommended to me 18 months ago. I knew my site was going to grow, and needed a level of service that I wasn’t getting with my old hosts (1and1). Their service and support has been absolutely excellent, and I cannot recommend them highly enough. Several friends have moved hosts on the strength of my experience. They have been impressed! I will be shortly upgrading to a dedicated server with them, as my site is growing much faster than I ever expected. snow patrol (mathofbirds.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Splendid hosting company. Whenever i’ve had a question they’ve been extremely helpful and friendly and have always managed to resolve things. WTD (akachanwear.com) rated Register1 5 stars. I took a long time choosing my first dedicated server hosting company, and the pre-sales support was fantastic, Register1 were always very quick and professional in answering my queries. After I signed on the dotted line, I was apprehensive as to whether or not the great support would continue, and boy, I was NOT disapointed! Really pleased to have selected Register1 as their support guys work 24 hours a day, so when I have a problem (always my own doing) they are there to help me out with a solution, usually within 5 minutes. Very impressed, would reccomend them to anyone looking for a solid, reliable and friendly host. Thanks very much Jamie at Register1! Brett (http://spreadbetcheck.com) rated Register1 5 stars. I’ve been using Register1 for many years, and have to say I’m thoroughly impressed with their support, uptime and overall customer service. I’ve not had a single second of un-notified downtime, and when I ask the occasional support query, even at 3am, it’s answered within minutes, and with an answer that actually helps. I really can’t recommend Register1 highly enough.. furnace (http://anon) rated Register1 5 stars. furnace (http://anon) rated Register1 4.5 stars. I’ll start first by saying their server is great and their customer support is unmatched by any other company. My gripe is the control panel. I don’t know what control panel it is, but it’s sure as hell ugly and not nice (or straight forward) to use. I can’t help but think that their service would be *infinitely* improved by using something like cPanel. In this control panel you get to MYSQL via domain.com/siteadmin/ then services, then click the edit button next to mysql. To create a database, you have to first set an admin password. The admin username is pre-set and unchangeable from what I can see. The username/password is always the same for each database – so you can’t have different users with different permissions! There’s no seperate username/password (entirely different databases use the same username/password as each other too). PhpMyAdmin also uses this username/password combo. Yeah so I don’t like that and I think cPanel could help there. It’s a shame really because I do think this does ruin what would otherwise be the perfect web host and I think other customers would only agree if the control panel was changed to something better. Even adding email addresses isn’t as straight forward as it should be. ilumos (ilumos.co.uk/) rated Register1 5 stars. A truly excellent host. I originally bought their VDS pro package (which was very good, but didn’t fit my needs) but then downgraded to their basic package, (which was flawless, was refunded the money very quickly). I’m sure most hosting companies wouldn’t let you do this without a fight (bearing in mind I’d already paid for the full hosting, and tinkered with it for a few days) so the staff are definitely dedicated to pleasing the customers. I might add that all of my support questions regarding the above were posted late at night (11pm and later) and were all replied to and dealt with within minutes, and clearly the person who was answering my support questions knew what they were doing, and was able to directly solve (or help me solve) problems. I moved from hosting my website in my attic (far from perfect) to a professional hosting company (register1), and it’s been a slightly bumpy ride, but ultimatley good. The only thing I miss is having more control, but I’ve managed to tweak things to how I want them on the most part. I’ve been with them for about a week, I’ll post another review a little later to give more detail, but so far they’re definetly very good. Truly top notch, very good features for the price (£33/year which works out as £2.75/month if you go for their basic package for 3 years) and excellent support. I have a working website purely because of the quality of their support. You probably wont find a host who is as reliable, offers good support and is such good value anywhere. Oh and I remember reading this huge page of reviews and wondering how many were register1 reviewing themselves 10/10, but everything I’ve read on here I can vouch for. Part of the problem choosing a host is reading reviews and trying to find the ones that are bogus. jordanmcclements (http://register1.net) rated Register1 5 stars. I moved to them after having an awful experience with dataflame.co.uk (their servers were in the US, and their support was in India as far as I could tell).. Register1′s support has been excellent. Not only are they very fast – but there responses are helpful as well! (in stark contrast to dataflame). zinc (veeto.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Very good Value for money and brilliant user interface for site administration! fran@4u2-rent (4u2-rent.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. When I found Register1 they looked too good to be true, but they have exceeded my expectations. Competively priced, they have never failed to deliver, their connections are fast and reliable and they have bent over backwards to accommodate us. I recommend them without reservation. Burn (http://Various) rated Register1 5 stars. Register 1 are the by far the best host I have ever used, prices are good, hosting is reliable and fast. Most importantly, the Tech Support is truly first rate, you get answers within minutes, nothing is too much trouble for them, patient and helpful. foxcomputers (foxcomputers.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Had to to raise a support call for email forwarding issue and service was absolutely second to none, very quick response, and knowledgeable as well, brilliant serrvice can’t recommend them enough. JonRohan (netcoms.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. I’ve recently migrated quite a number of domains to register1 after testing a number of other domain registrars. Support and communication are excellent. I highly recommend register1. robturner (evotech-performance.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Recently set up a second VDS account with these guys and have been moving in domains, changing records etc. Controlling domains and getting them out was a struggle with other ISPs but what a refreshing change when you land at Register1. The technical support is superb and incredibly fast. The VDS service ‘does what it says on the tin’ … the support … simply the best I’ve come accross on the web! sa_20v (register1.net/) rated Register1 5 stars. Just excellent, first class pre-sales care (their advice saved me a lot of money), quick setup and bulletproof service! Photo (islepac.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. We have been with Register1 for about 6 months now and are very happy with them. They have great Tech support as well as fast servers and good prices. Overall we are very glad we chose Register1 for our server. binaryimage (binaryimage.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Excellent service, fast servers, good pricing. none (philh.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Fantastic service received. Excellent price. Cheers J. s27 (http://tvr-owners-wales.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. starscream (geko-online.co.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Migrated my domains to Register1. Speed is fantastic and the support is excellent. All my tickets were answered in minutes including one about migrating a mysql database that didn’t want to import properly, so the staff obviously know their stuff. docevi1 (stefancarlton.net) rated Register1 5 stars. Virtually no downtime, cheap, fast and informative tech-support. I host my site using their service and recommend Register1.net to friends, family and customers! Oggs (http://dwo.me.uk) rated Register1 5 stars. Best service that I have ever had. And a joy to deal with. Fatboydw (t2communication.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Excellent Service, brilliant value for money – Highly recommended – if you want quality and value for money, you simply can’t do better than Register1.net. sybaseian (http://ian-smillie.com) rated Register1 5 stars. Being in the trade, I expect excellence from my hosting provider. Any issues receive a very fast responce and resolve time. stuppy (phaze1.net) rated Register1 5 stars. I have only been with Register1 for a few days but I feel so strongly about this that I thought I should post. The level of service from Register1 is absolutely amazing. I have raised 3 tickets so far, each of them was picked up and someone started dealing with it within 15minutes. richieboy (http://richl.com) rated Register1 5 stars. What can i say. Register1 are ultimately the best web host i have dealt with since i started producing sites 7 years ago. I have found their service to be outstanding – with pleasent responses that answer my question in less than 5 minutes on a bank holiday Monday! I admit, the control panel took me a little bit of getting used to, but i quickly settled in and now find it much easier to control every aspect of my site compared to other hosts. Highly recommended to anyone, i shall be moving all of my domains to these guys as soon as possible. Outstanding. Celia (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars. ukflames (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars. Very easy to set up and register my domain,very quickto answer my questions on email forwarding, brilliant service to date. Universal (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars. First domain bought from them. Replied to my emails very fast and answered any questions I had. Planning on changing my hosting to them. Ian Mackean (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars. I joined Register1 on the strength of the reviews here. I’ve been with them 2 months now and I can endorse everything others have said. Online help is good and clear, meaning that a relative newcomer like me could get up and running easily. The price is affordable and when I have needed support it has been fast, intelligent, and friendly. I am planning to set up more domains with them. Dried Graze (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars. Not only were Register1 incomprehensively affordable but the response time to my first query was 3 minutes and 24 seconds!!! Haven’t they got anything better to do than sit on their backsides and answer customer queries in such an alarmingly prompt and professional manner? Thankfully for the customer, no! blade007 (no link provided) rated Register1 5 stars. Top marks go to register1.net for their support and speed. Can’t speak highly enough of them. I am a complete dunce when it comes to internet. Things like cname and A and DNS and primary DNS and nameservers and forwarding are way over my head. I bought the names, which was straightforward enough, but hadn’t a clue how to configure them to point to my host. A few emails to register1 and everything was sorted, simply and efficiently. I only spent £13 on a couple of domains and the guy is answering my emails at 8:00pm. If I need more domains I’ll go back to register1. keogh (no link provided) rated Register1 4.5 stars. 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2019-04-19T04:24:15Z

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With clashing swords and combat to first blood or death, trial by combat, whether criminal or civil, was not an uncommon way to settle disputes in England in the Middle Ages. In fact, the issue arose in 1818 when someone demanded to settle a dispute in such a manner. Yes, indeed, it was still on the books, though hadn’t been used for hundreds of years. By the Regency, England’s courts had evolved from the days of trial by ordeal or combat or simple pronouncements from on high. They had become a complex and loosely jointed system of magistrates, justices of the peace, and circuit judges for the assizes. How the system evolved from the days of Anglo-Saxon rule until the Regency is a complex system on which entire books have been written. This is a brief description of the duties of the men who handled around ninety-five per cent of England’s criminal cases during our time period. It changed again in 1830, and then again in 1971, and we don’t need to fret about those because this is its own era. Who were justices of the peace and magistrates? They were usually gentlemen who sat in the various offices in London, hearing criminal trials brought to them from various sources. Coroners for murder, for example. Bow Street is the most famous of these offices, and possibly the most famous of the Bow Street magistrates is Sir John Fielding, brother to the eighteenth century author and also a Bow Street magistrate. Fielding, Sir John, was called the Blind Beak of Bow Street. A “beak” in street cant, was a respected man. Sir John was blinded serving in the royal Navy, but legend has it that he recognized the voices of 3,000 criminals. Outside of London, we had justices of the peace. These were gentlemen, but not peers. If a peer was a justice of the peace before gaining a peerage, he could keep the post, and peers did not take on the role. JPs performed the same duties of hearing cases as did magistrates. They were simply outside of London. Both sent serious criminal cases up the chain to higher judges. On a side note here, neither magistrates nor justices of the peace could perform weddings at this time. That fell solely under the jurisdiction of the Church of England. Outside of London, circuit judges traveled around the country and held trials at the assizes. Assizes occurred twice a year. That meant an innocent man accused of murder could languish in prison for up to six months until the next meeting of the assizes. Inside London, serious crimes such as murder were heard by the Court of the King’s Bench. Sadly, corruption, taking of bribes, and other forms of misconduct by judges was not uncommon. In some eras, though I haven’t found much evidence of it during the Regency, judges were removed and even sentenced to death for corrupt practices. Regardless of these slips into sin, a trial before a judge and jury proved far more effective than trial by combat or ordeal. Veteran Regency author Regency Regina Scott joins us again to tell us a little more about her writing, as well as her love for Regencies. Regina’s first published book was The Unflappable Miss Fairchild in 1998, with Zebra Regency Romance. Since then she has published continuously, with 19 novels and four novellas to her credit. In the last couple of years, she has turned to writing Regencies with a Christian tone. These have found a home with Love Inspired Historicals. Her fifth Christian Regency, The Rake’s Redemption, is out this month. 1. Last time you were here, you told us about how you fell in love with the Regency time period. What can you tell us about the setting of this new book? This story is set entirely in London during the Season, but my hero is on the fringes of Society by his own choice, so there’s only a couple balls and most of the action takes place out of doors—driving in the forgotten corners of Hyde Park, meeting in secret at Vauxhall Gardens, dueling on Primrose Hill. 2. Was there any fun fact about the Regency period that you stumbled across in your research for this book that really fired up your imagination? Any little tidbit that prompted a plot point or a cool character moment? I stumbled across an article written just after the Regency that laid out the specific rules for duels, contrasting them to those of the French. Because my hero, Vaughn Everard, has a reputation as a duelist, knowing some of the rules he could choose to keep or break really helped me write the main dueling scene in the book and keep it in his character. I learned to fence when I was in college, so I really wanted to get that scene right! 3. Does your new book, “The Rake’s Redemption”, continue the story of any of the characters from your last book, “The Captain’s Courtship”? What did you enjoy about writing a linked story? Was there anything about that connection that made writing “The Rake’s Redemption” more difficult? The Rake’s Redemption is the third book in the Everard Legacy miniseries, starting up shortly after The Captain’s Courtship left off. This book tells the story of how Vaughn Everard finally finds the man responsible for killing his beloved uncle, and his cousin Samantha’s continued attempts to fulfill the requirements of her father’s will. I love writing linked stories because they give you a bigger canvas on which to lay out an adventure. But they’re also hard, because if you decide later that it would have been better for the hero of book 1 to have done something to set you up for book 3, it’s too late! 4. Tell me a little bit about your hero, Vaughn Everard. Vaughn is the quintessential warrior poet—literally! He grew up before the Regency began, so he tends to have more of the swashbuckling attitude of the previous era—lace at his cuffs, sword at his side. That puts him in direct contrast with his more elegant, refined peers. And he writes moving, romantic poetry that sets all the ladies’ hearts a-flutter. Can you tell he’s my personal favorite of the three Everard gentlemen? 5. Tell me a little bit about your heroine, Lady Imogene Devary. Lady Imogene grew up sheltered, the apple of her father’s eye. But she’s noticed her father behaving oddly lately, and she cannot figure out why. The problems seemed to start when a certain poet began calling, demanding a moment with her father. So Lady Imogene sets out to discover what’s going on. Between her own natural charm and her father’s position as the Marquess of Widmore, she’d never had anyone refuse her least request. But then, she’s never met anyone like Vaughn before. 6. What can we look forward to next from you? Next March, the final book in the Everard Legacy comes out: The Heiress’s Homecoming. That’s Samantha’s story, set 8 years after the other three books, where we how the legacy plays out in her life. She’s only sixteen in the books out this year, so I wanted to give a little time to come into her own. 7. Where else on the web can our readers find you? Readers can find me at my webpage at www.reginascott.com, the blog I share with young adult author Marissa Doyle at NineteenTeen, Goodreads at http://www.goodreads.com/reginascott or the Love Inspired Historical Group at http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/24770-love-inspired-historicals. Thanks for visiting us today, Regina! Any Regency aficionado knows that many of our stories are set in the years 1811-1820 when George IV, Prince of Wales was made the Prince Regent. In the Regency Act of 1811 Parliament determined that King George III was unfit to rule. But what do we know of King George III, what is the legacy he left behind during the longest reign of a king up to that point in history? Personally, he married Charlotte of Mechlenberg-Streltitz and bore fifteen children. It says much about the time that, though his popularity waned over his reign,England’s populace was always proud of him for being faithful to his wife of 59 years! Side note: Queen Charlotte is noted to have African ancestry, from Margarita de Castro e Souza, a 15th-century Portuguese noblewoman part of the black branch of the Portuguese Royal House. English Royal painter captured her appearance without softening her features which was called mulatto in nature. His two eldest sons, George IV (later Prince Regent) and William IV left him constantly faced with their excessive extravagance, dissolute lifestyles and profligate ways. Both of those sons eventually wore the crown, but died without surviving legitimate children. That began the reign of Queen Victoria, the last monarch of the House of Hanover. As king, war was the one constant of King George III’s reign. He oversaw the defeat of France in the Seven Year’s War, and was subsequently nicknamed “The King Who Lost America” from the constant battle with the Colonies’ War of Independence. But with the defeat of France in the Napoleonic War,Britain emerged the world’s leading power, though King George III was not in power when it ended. In Parliament, bad choices in the men he kept around him, and detesting those he had no choice in appointing, made government stability rare and created a volatile atmosphere with his Prime Ministers and in the House of Commons. But he was also the first British Monarch to study science, chemistry, physics, astronomy and mathematics. He learned French and Latin, geography, commerce, agriculture and constitutional law. And despite the loss of the Americas, there was great expansion of the empire and trade. The population almost doubled and there were great strides in agricultural methods and advances in technology. The tide of moral and religious improvement which began in the days of John Wesley, kept the popularity of a King whose religious education was wholly Anglican. Unfortunately, he was far from well during the last twenty years of his life. He had three different bouts with mental illness, but in October 1810 he had a major mental breakdown; even to the point of being restrained in a straight jacked and tied into chairs. He was renamed “The Mad King” and he spent the last years of his life completely blind and deaf but lovingly cared for by his wife and doctors. It is sad to think that the people finally saw him as an object of sympathy once George IV, was made the Prince Regent. Britain’s people watched and compared him to his son as the Prince Regent squandered the already low coffers of England and kept the dissolute lifestyle his father had hated. What rank would you be? Imagine you were transported back to Regency England. What would you want to be? A commoner? Peerage? Royalty? Why? I would want to be what I am today in my own era: a romance writer. I’ve been researching the popular novels of the Regency, and it seems that women authors were quite numerous and prolific. The “Minerva novels” were gobbled up by women readers. They specialized in inexpensive romances and gothic novels, which reader could purchase or take out from “circulating” libraries. Mary Russel Mitford and Fanny Burney were two popular authors who made their living writing romantic novels. I’m gonna have to go with the peerage, or at least gentry, on this one, for several reason. One, I’m lazy. The idea that someone else would cook my meals and do my laundry has a certain appeal, I must confess. But also, with a higher rank you had the power, time, and money to change things. I would like to have the influence and ability to run a charity or work with the underprivileged. The glitzy parties wouldn’t be bad either. I am not sure I would have been a proper member of the peerage (or royalty, for that matter) in Regency England. I find too much pleasure in the vocation of writing, I enjoy the modern comforts of jeans and coffee shops, and I value the rights women have to cote and pursue our dreams in modern society. I also wouldn’t know the first thing about having a service staff attend to my every whim, so I’d have been a poor member of the aristocracy. I’d rather have been a commoner with some means (so I wouldn’t have to stress about where the next meal is coming from), perhaps a friend that was invited into Jane Austen’s parlor from time to time, so we could write our next novel together? I know one thing for sure – I’d adore the clothes more than anything! Given the choice, I’d like to be a peeress in my own right like Diana in the Malloren series by Jo Beverley. It was rare and it did happen. The woman had lots of freedom and power other women did not enjoy, even after they married. I’d have to be peerage or have enough rank and wealth to assure my family’s position and a suitable match for my daughter. A house in the country and a townhouse in the city, large enough to host a ball. I’d prefer to be a commoner. It’s a hard choice to make, because when I think of peerage, they had such a posh life full of luxuries, beautiful clothes, and the best that money could afford them. But so very little of their wealth was earned. Most of it was handed down generation to generation. Plus the upper class wielded so much power on the back of regular, every day people. I couldn’t live with the guilt of spending a year’s salary on a dress. So I pick commoner. Boring and ordinary, yes. Harder style of living, yes. But they were still the backbone of the country. What about you? What would you want to be? Voting and distribution of representation by elected officials is a vital and fascinating topic today as it was during the Regency. We can now watch legislative sessions live-streamed, or follow issues of interest via the internet, but the doings of the government during the Regency were communicated by way of a journal that was sold by a publisher. In 1806 Thomas Hansard began producing reports of parliamentary debates in a journal published by William Cobbett called Parliamentary Debates. Hansard bought out Cobbett in 1811 and continued to publish the debates. This constituted a watchdog system of sorts. The set-up of the voting system was ripe for reform. In the early 19th century there were two types of constituency, country areas and towns or boroughs. In the countryside only the landowners could vote. In boroughs the level of enfranchisement varied but was usually limited. The constituencies had not been changed for centuries and no longer reflected the distribution of the population. Industrial towns like Birmingham and Manchester did not have MPs of their own. On the other hand some settlements had died out but they were still represented in parliament! In ‘rotten’ or ‘pocket’ boroughs there might be only one or two voters! And we think red-lining is bad! The early 19th century saw increasing demand for reforms. Most people wanted constituencies distributed more fairly and they also wanted enfranchisement extended, but Wellington’s party, the Tories, resisted. The Whigs formed a government in 1830 and tried to introduce reform. The House of Commons eventually voted for a reform bill but the House of Lords rejected it. King William IV warned that he would create more peers, who favored the bill, unless the Lords agreed to accept it. Eventually the House of Lords backed down and passed the Great Reform Bill. It received the royal assent on June 7, 1832. The franchise to vote was only extended slightly but more importantly the new industrial towns were now represented in parliament. Before 1832 Britain was ruled by an oligarchy of landowners. After 1832 the urban middle class had an increasing say. Today Regency Reflections welcomes Dina Sleiman. Dina is stopping by to show just how much influence the Regency era had beyond the shores of England. Although my new historical romance, Love in Three-Quarter Time, is set near the American frontier, it is also set during what would be considered the Regency period in England. And because American culture was so influenced by Britain, I think any Regency fan will enjoy reading about those influences in my book. Most of my characters come from an English background. In fact, several minor characters are directly from England. And my heroine, little trouble maker that she is at times, decides to fake a Yorkshire accent to try to impress her potential employers with her European background. The story takes place in Charlottesville, Virginia, home of Thomas Jefferson and many other members of the “planter elite class,” which gives it a sophisticated touch reminiscent of Regency England. But it’s also situated not far from the Shenandoah mountain range, which was still considered the frontier in 1817. Let’s look at some of the elements associated with Regency culture that are seen in my book. Fashionable Americans wore the same styles as their European counterparts, and made every effort to keep up with the latest trends. In 1817, for ladies this meant higher waists than ever before and sculpted bodices. Hemlines were also higher than ever and skirts were wider and more frilled than during other times in the Regency Era. I especially give a close up look at the ball gowns of that day since my heroine’s mother is a seamstress. You’ll also see plenty of the hats, gloves, and fans that this era is known for. In men’s fashion the style had moved to trousers rather than breeches, and Hessian boots had grown passé. Although, you’ll still see these boots on some of my less fashion conscious characters. Of course scientific advances are the same in both the United States and England. The US could boast several impressive universities at that time, and plans for building the University of Virginia in Charlottesville were already underway. Let’s not forget that Benjamin Franklin had been an American innovator in science not long ago. My heroine’s sister, Patience Cavendish, has a love for science and a penchant for discussing the latest theories of heat and sound. Like her former president, Thomas Jefferson, she is very influenced by Enlightenment thinking. Both England and America were still recovering from the War of 1812. In addition, the abolitionist movement was active in both countries. Britain had abolished all slave trade at this time, although not slavery itself. America had recently abolished international slave trade but not domestic. Of course, my abolitionist characters hope that America will keep the momentum moving toward freedom, but I’m concerned that unlike in England, it will take drastic measures to put an end to slavery in the American South. Both countries were still recovering from the devastating effects of the “Year without a Summer” of 1816, which was reportedly caused by a volcano in Indonesia. Virginia itself was far enough south to escape the worst of the famine, but it did affect the economy throughout the US and earned several mentions in my book. It comes into play as my hero, Robert Montgomery, makes some important business decisions about his plantation. The Romantic Movement was fashionable in art at this time throughout Europe and the US. My artistic character, Felicity Cavendish, is a fan of this movement. In architecture the style was called “Regency” in England and “Federalist” in America, but both were heavily influenced by the Neo-classical style. This can be seen in Jefferson’s Greek Revival architecture at Monticello and my own fictional creation, White Willow Hall. While Americans enjoyed the same cultured composers as their British counterparts, they each had their own unique folk music as well. For high society balls, the dances were nearly identical at this time. England beat us to the “scandalous” waltz, however, when the Prince Regent introduced it in 1816. The waltz coming to America is a primary focus of my book, so you’ll get to enjoy many details of the waltz and other ballroom dances, as well as a peek at the world of ballet. In fact, my heroine Constance Cavendish, turned to teaching dance to support her family after her father died, leaving them destitute. Since men were highly sought as dance masters at the time, Constance must move to the frontier in search of better employment. A few weeks ago Reagan Walker shared an in depth article on this blog about the religion of this time in England. I loved this quote she shared from an Anglican minister about other Anglican ministers of this time. “[With few exceptions] the clergy held and taught a negative and cold Protestantism deadening to the imagination, studiously repressive to the emotions, and based on principles which found little sanction either in reason or in history. The laity willingly accepted it, as it made so little demand upon their conscience, so little claim upon their life.” My heroine’s spiritual journey is moving from this type of thinking to a warm and vibrant evangelical sort of faith, also typical of this time, thanks to my handsome circuit riding preacher, Lorimer. Naturally, some elements in the book are purely American including Thomas Jefferson, the Monacan Indians, the tobacco plantations, and the frontiersmen in buckskin clothing, but I think you’ll find plenty of European influence to please even the most Regency-loving soul. In fact, my characters enjoy a good Austen novel as well as anyone, although the author is still anonymous at this time. I call this my “Scarlett O’Hara meets Jane Austen novel,” and I included plenty of Austen-like twist and turns for a fun, romantic read you’ll be sure to enjoy. With this Ring… in Gretna Green? When my husband and I were married some twelve years ago, there were few impediments for us to reach the altar as soon as we wished to. He knelt down on one knee to ask me, I gave an enthusiastic “Yes!” and almost immediately afterwards, we began making our joyful plans. Besides the all important wedding gown, the perfect candlelit venue and the explosion of decisions that had to be made, we focused little on what the government required for our union and more on how we would put our personal mark on the day we’d pledge our future lives to each other. In fact, we lived in a location that had minimal government restrictions – we were citizens of the country and were of legal age so we had but to file with the county official’s office and in turn, would have been required to wait only 24 hours before making our walk down the aisle. In researching Regency Era marriage for a recent book project, it was fascinating to learn how different our options would have been had we lived in England some 200 years ago. Of course the differences in how an eligible young lady would have made her social debut, how a young man and woman would meet and how courting would commence is in stark contrast to what we know today. But as for government, it’s interesting to find that there is just as much government restriction on the act of marriage (and just as much dodging of said restrictions) as there would have been in force during the Regency Era. The first of these restrictions involved the literal “Las Vegas” of the day – or Gretna Green, Scotland. It was to this elopement location that many couples embarked upon a journey along the Great North Road from London in order to quickly exchange their vows. Similar to the little wedding chapels that one might find along Nevada’s famous neon strip, the tiny village of Gretna Green became the virtual Vegas of its day. It lies just over the border to Scotland and at the time, became a famous spot for couples escaping the 1754 Lord Hardwicke Marriage Act that was still in effect in the Regency years. The British government dictated that a couple must have parental consent to marry if under twenty-one years of age. In contrast, Scotland’s age for eligible marriage was just sixteen. This led to many couples fleeing up the road on a days-long journey to traverse the border and become a Mr. and Mrs. both quickly and legally. Another practice for a couple wishing to be married in the Church of England was the reading of the banns of marriage (also known as “banns”). This proclamation of marriage was announced publicly within the church for three weeks in succession prior to a marriage taking place (mainly so that anyone citing a credible reason that the marriage should not take place would have adequate notice to make such a stand against the union). Today, a couple may be required to participate in marriage counseling or take classes to satisfy the requirements of a particular church or denomination, but the requirement would be independent of government decree. In addition, couples may declare their intent to marry by proclaiming their engagement in a public announcement, newspaper article or engagement party, though these practices are social in nature and are not dictated as a requirement by the government. For those traveling to Gretna Green, no such proclamation was expected or required. It is interesting to note that now more than 200 years after the time of these original runaway marriages, Gretna Green remains an extremely popular wedding venue. In fact, it is estimated that one in six Scottish marriages occur in the small village made famous for its take on marriage minus the control of government. Today, a wedding ring is a must. The making of a marriage promise is still a lifelong commitment. And whether or not we travel to Gretna Green to exchange the all important vows or whether we follow the requirements of the government in the locale where we live, we still say “with this ring…” with as much heart as those couples would have all those years ago. May we find joy in the union just as they did. These days, “the sword” of the government is usually jail time or fines or community service, and only occasionally the death penalty. But in the Regency, it was different. Criminals were still sent to prisons then. But in the Regency, prisons weren’t nearly as regulated as they are now. Some prisons didn’t provide enough of food or other necessities for the prisoners. Some were workhouses. Worst of all, some were “hulks”: old ships moored in the Thames, where hundreds of men were locked below deck, in the dark, doomed to fight and starve and probably die long before they were granted the dubious opportunity of transportation to the colonies. And it wasn’t just men in the prisons or hulks: children convicted of crimes were sent there, too. While men and women were generally separated in prison, adults and children were not. You can just imagine the fate of those children. If you weren’t sent to prison, you might be sent off to the colonies, on the theory that if you couldn’t commit any more crimes in England if . . . well, if you weren’t in England anymore. But perhaps the biggest difference between the way our government punishes crime and the way crime was punished by the government of Regency England was the death penalty. We still have it, yes, but it’s rarely used, and generally only for very serious and violent crimes. Moreover, these days, attempts are made to administer it humanely. But in the Regency, not only were hundreds of crimes were punishable by death, if you were sentenced to death, you were going to die publicly and probably not painlessly, by hanging. However, reform of the penal code was beginning – and ongoing – in the Regency. According to Donald Low in his book The Regency Underworld, in 1816 Sir Samuel Romilly succeeded in getting pickpocketing to be no longer punishable by the death penalty. In a time when over two hundred crimes could be punished by death, this was a notable success. Other reformers began trying to implement corrective programs in the prisons or, at the very least, to separate serious criminals from the less serious, instead of having them all mill about together, the worse corrupting the better (see Peel’s Prison Act of 1823). This post isn’t anywhere near exhaustive – the people of the Regency were inventive, and the nuances of the penal code numerous and arcane. It’s a rich field for research, but one that requires a strong stomach. But even with all these differences between then and now, prison still isn’t a good place to be, and not even always a safe place. The spirit of the reform work and the concern for prisoners that began in the Regency are still carried out today by ministries like Prison Fellowship. And then as now, children still feel the pain imposed by the penal system. With Christmas coming, Angel Tree is a great place to start if you feel a call to ministering to the children of those in prison in this day and age. And just about every city has a prison with people in it who can use visitors and books and Bibles. Things might be better now, but they’re far from perfect. The light of Christ still needs to be taken to the darkest of places. Tories, Whigs, Foxite-Whigs, Oh My. What shall become of us, Lord? The government is not stable, barely lasting two years. My fears of invasion, a total loss of the country I know and love, fills my heart. How can Providence allow such upheavals? Why change from Pitt, to Grenville, to Portland? Is the title of Prime Minister difficult to hold? I know I am just a woman. I should contend myself to my needlework. Surely, there are enough ribbons to be added to little Mary’s gown to make my mind numb to fear. Yet, how can I even think of my girl coming of age in times like these. My heart aches at seeing her cast into this society where dissension reigns. She cannot be a war bride. No! Not her. My thumb has turned painful. I yank the needle freeing it from the swelling flesh. I’ve pricked finger and stained the satin hem. Is this coursing of rouge a sign to come? Don’t our enemies in France lay in wait for our weakness? This turmoil is the proper time to strike. I dispatch my maid for fresh muslin. I will not ruin anymore ribbons with my wringing of hands. Doubt will not save my country. As I swaddle my hands in the soft cloth, my palms meet. A peace settles on my shoulders. The churning of my stomach quiets. I remember Your words. So Pitt, Grenville and now Portland… You ordained them to be Prime Minister, in such a time as these? I slump in my chair. The very thought of this contention being God’s will disheartens me. Yet, the soft words of the passage sing in my soul. 6 For this cause pay ye tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Now my heart is pricked. For I have not given tribute to the governing, just gossip and trepidation. I repent of that Lord. I uncover my hands, slapping flesh to flesh, and pay tribute. I pray for Providence’s guidance and mercy to fall upon my leaders. It is the best offering I can render. Laurie Allice Eakes (LA) invites you into an Interview with Cheryl Bolen (CB), author of Marriage of Inconvenience from Love Inspired Historical. LA: What drew you to write about the Regency Time Period? CB: My World War II book—the fourth complete book I’d written but not found a publishing home for—won a lot of contests, but publishers kept saying it didn’t fit into a genre. The final editor judge in one contest told me if I wrote a historical romance that took place before 1900 she would like to look at it. The only period I liked was the Regency England Georgette Heyer had introduced me to. I hadn’t read many of the contemporary writers of Regency because I found some of them not understanding the era as well as I thought I did. That’s when I had a light bulb moment. I can write that! I began A DUKE DECEIVED, and months later that senior editor at Harlequin Historical bought it. LA: Tell us what year your book is set in and why you chose that particular time. LA: What’s your favorite, unique Regency aspect of the novel, something you wouldn’t be able to include in a novel set in another place or time? CB: Definitely the clothes—both men’s and women’s. Love the elegant, feminine lines of women’s but especially love that the men wore knee breeches, neckcloths—and unlike men later in the century, they were clean shaven! LA: What are the biggest challenges to writing in the Regency Period? CB: Some vocabulary is peculiar to the Regency, and you want to use it in a context that won’t confuse readers. LA: Why did you choose to write Regencies for Love Inspired? CB: I was honored that the senior editor of Love Inspired Historical came to me and asked me to write for her. I was thrilled because I’d developed a love of inspirational romances. Deeanne Gist is a friend of mine, and I love her award-winning books. LA: What is your favorite Regency Food, aspect of dress, and/or expression? CB: I don’t get into food a lot in my books because I don’t think modern readers would like to read about the excessive gluttony of the period! I love the wonderful formality and manners of the upper classes in their speech of the period. I really don’t like it when I read a book where an earl says, “Call me John.” This simply wasn’t done. Ladies were always Miss Lastname even to their closest friends. LA: What is your favorite Regency setting; e.g., London, country house, small village? CB: For my own books, I like a mix of the two. I’ve been to London many times and like to describe it as I believe it looked in the Regency, but there’s nothing like those grand country estates, and I like my readers to get a taste for that, too. LA: What makes your hero and heroine uniquely Regency? CB: In my newest book, the hero is in Parliament, and it plays a particular role in my book. They both favored reforms to benefit the lower classes. LA: Tell us about your book. CB: It’s actually sort of funny that in the same month I’ve got two new releases, and both of them are G-rated. As an ebook only, I’ve got CHRISTMAS BRIDES: 3 REGENCY NOVELLAS. Marriage of Inconvenience, Love Inspired Historical: Proposing to the Earl of Aynsley seems a sensible—if unconventional—solution to Miss Rebecca Peabody’s predicament. As a married woman, she will be free to keep writing her essays on civil reform. Meanwhile, the distinguished widower will gain a stepmother for his seven children and a caretaker for his vast estate. But the earl wants more than a convenient bride. He craves a true partner, a woman he can cherish. To his surprise, the bookish Miss Peabody appears to have every quality he desires…except the willingness to trust her new husband. Yet despite his family’s interference, and her steadfast independence, time and faith could make theirs a true marriage of hearts. Cheryl Bolen’s Bio: A former journalist who admits to a fascination with dead Englishwomen, Cheryl is a regular contributor to The Regency Plume, The Regency Reader, and The Quizzing Glass. Many of her articles can found on her website, www.CherylBolen.com, and more recent ones on her blog, www.CherylsRegencyRamblings.wordpress.com. Readers are welcomed at both places.

2019-04-18T22:55:03Z

https://vanessariley.com/blog/2012/11/

I’ve received a lot of questions about how to do meditation. The other day a student brought up such a question and I realized why people have so much trouble with meditation. They miss or misunderstand the basic principle. It is the same problem students have with some types of chi-gung practice. My student’s question was, “Should I pay attention to breathing or not pay attention to breathing”? The basic purpose of the meditation aspects of Tai-chi is to strengthen the consciousness (the attention) of the body. We have all invested so much consciousness in the thinking mind, that the energy of consciousness has been drained from the body and we are only dimly aware of it. This is a very unbalanced and unhealthy way to be. So I explained to my student that he has come to believe in a story that was told to him. It is the story itself that is the problem. The story is that there is this character called, “I” that either does things or doesn’t do things. We think that this is the central character in our lives and that his doings or not-doings are what will help us progress in our meditation and Tai-chi practice. I explained that our practice is not about the doings or not-doings of “I”. It is about re-building the strength of the consciousness of the body. The Tai-chi forms, Zookinesis exercises, Push Hands and other such practices (as well as such practices as Yoga and Pilates) help to bring back the feeling-awareness of the body. Our practice is also about allowing that consciousness to regain its connection to the consciousness of the rest of nature so that we no longer feel isolated. Those students who practice such chi-gung exercises as moving energy around the body in particular ways, generally wind up moving even more attention to their thinking minds. This is because they have the attitude that this character, “I”, is pushing and shoving around energy in “correct” paths. This approach is still a way of “I” ordering the body around. My teachers taught a gentle approach. Strengthen what is weak and calm what is too intense – the basis of Oriental medicine. In this approach you balance internal energy (“chi”) and consciousness so that it evenly fills the whole body and your surroundings. But, you may ask, “If there is no real ‘I’, then who is doing the balancing”? As you do your practice, you will find that the body’s consciousness strengthens just as plants grow in the spring. There is no one who goes around ordering the seeds to sprout. There is an internal sense of balance which allows all your parts to work together efficiently. This natural sense is called, “The Elixir of Immortality”. It is the elixir which cures the deadness of the body and even allows the thinking mind to become more connected to reality. When you feel your body and are intimately aware of the world around you, your thoughts are more grounded. You feel more comfortable in your body and therefore more sensuous. “Mixing” the elixir really means doing your practice. Each time you do your exercise, the elixir (sense of energy balance) strengthens each muscle, nerve, bone, etc. Gradually the awareness of the interconnectedness of all your parts and your connection to nature and to other people becomes the central character in your life, rather than “I” being the central character. It is a more relaxed and vibrant way of life and certainly more fulfilling. While the student can legitimately ask about the techniques of his practice, it is important to point out that techniques should not be used to prop up the “I” feeling and order the body around. Wisdom comes from Body-Mind (the consciousness of the body) and its connection to nature. Allow that wisdom to bubble up to the thinking mind so that it can be expressed in words, but don’t forget the source of the wisdom. The thinking mind can toss ideas around like juggling balls, but only the Body-Mind, connected to the rest of nature, is creative. Body-Mind is like the inventor who comes up with a new idea and the thinking mind is like the technician who designs the product. Both are intelligent in a sense, but it is the inventor who creates the new idea. If you try to invent from the thinking mind, your source of inspiration will soon dry up. Rather – live and experience to churn up the Body-Mind. So either pay attention to your breath or don’t pay attention to your breath, but in any case – feel! If we could only understand how our memory works, we could access deep memories, even those before birth. The study of Zookinesis and Tai-chi explains the mechanics of memory and teaches us how to access these deep memories. Natural memory, or what is called, “sacred memory” is the biological way memories are stored. It is the memory of feeling states, which includes how your body feels, skills you have acquired, and how your interaction with the world around you, changes your internal state. This type of memory is not related to time but to maintaining an optimal internal state of health, and an optimal connection to your natural environment. You do not lay down memories in a time-line. Rather, this type of memory is cyclic, sometimes moving away from optimal condition and sometimes returning to it. At a certain point in life, you learn about time and your life begins to revolve around time. You are taught to lay down memories using time as a reference. Time, rather than health, is the reference point of a memory. You dissociate yourself from inner feeling and the feeling of health so that you can become part of the “time culture” we have invented. Your behavior no longer binds you to health but to time. Furthermore the type of time we use as the basis of our culture is separated from the vagaries of nature. Rather than judging time by the flowering of a certain type of plant or the appearance of a certain insect, we use clock time to eliminate any variations. This allows the world around us to appear mechanistic and our lives to become mechanistic. Taoist teaching teaches us to experience every moment of our lives with our whole selves. Even when a thought comes to us, we not only experience that thought as words, but as internal feelings. Thoughts become complexes of feelings and associations with a short label of words. The words are not the thoughts. The feelings and experiences are the thoughts. In this way every aspect of life stirs the body, stirs the emotions, and stirs our connection to nature. Life is more vivid, intense and beautiful. It is much easier to access the earliest memories because those complexes of feelings are still present. When we learn a Tai-chi form, for example, we are concentrating on the feeling of our body’s alignment at each moment. The teacher adjusts our body so that we can feel proper alignment in that pose and feel how energy flows so much more freely when we are aligned. We concentrate on how each muscle must become alive and have an eagerness to move. At first, the eagerness of the muscle is to remain tight. We learn how to convince the muscle to relax. When the muscle feels the joy of relaxation and its increased competence, it becomes eager to relax and move. We remember the process of developing eagerness in that muscle and apply the same process to other muscles. In this way, memory can be transferred from one muscle to the other. Each muscle “remembers” how it can interact with other muscles to create the proper flow of movement for the Tai-chi form or Zookinesis exercise. The memories of each muscle interact with the memories of the others, as if they were people sitting around talking about “the old times”. Those memories of interaction then interact with your creativity so that the muscles can play with their relationships with each other. Using the memory of how they learned to cooperate with each other as a basis, the muscles are also affected by your memory of an eagle flying, or perhaps, a tiger pouncing. The muscles blend their memories of cooperation with the other muscles with the memory of the eagle flying and create a composite. This is how animal forms are developed. Each is based on proper body mechanics for a human yet influenced by the movements of an animal. This is an example of how we re-ignite the internal dynamics of memory that were the norm before we learned about clock time. We learn to operate with both modes of memory and not sacrifice “sacred memory” for “clock memory”. Sacred memory allows you to live in eternity within each second of clock time. You have access to the memory of your whole body and spirit, and their connection to all of nature. Yet you can still show up to an appointment “on time”. Your body does not need to degenerate as you get older. In fact, it can continue to get stronger, more flexible and more agile throughout life. The exercise systems of Tai-chi and Zookinesis explain how to keep the body young and avoid aging altogether. According to Chinese medicine, all the cells and organs of the body communicate with each other through a system of biological energy called, “chi”. They know how to regulate their activities according to the activities of the other cells and organs. This system of chi is not isolated within the body alone, but is connected to this same energy that serves as the basis of life throughout the earth. In this way each cell and organ is aware of the environmental conditions in the area and can adjust its activities according to changes in weather and time of year. In this way the body can stay in the optimum internal condition for health. The loss of flexibility is another factor associated with aging. Connective tissue (fascia) surrounds each organ, bone, muscle and the body cavities. It provides an interconnected, flexible web that allows the body to act in a rubbery manner. Its looseness, for example, allows the rib cage to expand when you breathe in. If the connective tissue were to lose its elasticity your breathing would become shallow. This would result in a poorer exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen and the cells would be oxygen deprived. Tighter connective tissue interferes with joint mobility so that your movements become stiff. The proper flow of blood and lymph requires movement of the body. When the body can’t move properly, the blood and lymph cannot do as good a job at getting rid of body wastes such as lactic acid and carbon dioxide. The body remains constantly filled with waste. Aging is also the gradual dissociation of the mind and body. As children we relish in movement and using energy. As we get older we move less and think more. Our thinking is not connected with movement (as described in previous articles) and so becomes a world within itself. Gradually we “live” more and more in our thinking and not in our bodies. The thinking mind becomes the center of the flow of energy and the body is deprived of energy, creating an unbalanced situation. According to Chinese medicine, both an excess and a depletion of energy is harmful. Too much chi burns the mind out. Too little chi allows the body to deteriorate. Yet if we live in our minds we have no sense of perspective about the balance of energy. Most people cannot even feel chi let alone know how to balance this energy. This is why Zookinesis explains that consciousness itself is another type of energy, which also has dynamics and qualities and which needs to be balanced as well. Only by becoming aware of the dynamics of consciousness (or what I call the “dynamics of attention”) can we ever hope to affect the balance of chi. Consciousness (attention) is what makes us aware. The unique perspective of Zookinesis is that consciousness is not isolated within the body. It is a universal energy, much like gravity that pervades all things. As it flows through each of us, this energy takes on its unique flavor. The physical stiffness of the body tends to distort the flow of attention and created the imbalance of attention. The exercises reveal this relationship between the tightness of the body and the imbalance of attention so that it becomes obvious. We can then notice how, with each relaxation of the body, the attention becomes more balanced and more connected to the body. The result is a complete integration, not only of your attention with your body, but of your attention with the greater flow of consciousness of the world around you. You feel less isolated. You also feel less vulnerable because you now can see this interconnection and can understand how to strengthen yourself and prevent the deterioration of your mind and body. You can also understand how these factors of deterioration affect other people and cause their behavior patterns. This allows you to be more empathetic to them. A student recently asked me how I can stand to live in this world when I see the destructive behaviors of other people. When you see things from a healer’s perspective, all the anomalies you see are an education. They are not aggravating but are just interesting and educational. Yet, I do feel sad, knowing that healing is so easily available yet so many people will live their lives in misery. In both Tai-chi and Zookinesis, it is essential to understand and to feel how the connection of your consciousness to the general flow of consciousness around you is essential to prevent aging. It is so easy to see the bad things of the world and to withdraw, not wanting to be connected to this world. You then feel as if it’s you against the world. The clear flow of consciousness and chi through your body is essential to prevent aging and to keep healthy. The exercise of Push Hands allows you to practice extending your energies into another person and to allow theirs in. It is set up as a battle, each trying to push the other over, so that it duplicates what you perceive as your life situation. You are battling against the world. Yet you learn in Push Hands, to connect the flow of force of the opponent (or partner) into the flow of forces within you so as to end the feeling of battle. If you stiffen up against him, he will easily push you over. If you absorb his force, combine it with your own and flow back towards him, you become more effective. You learn that by ending the feeling of battle you become effective. Your strength lies in allowing yourself to connect with the rest of the world. You can then enjoy life. The world will still be the same crazy place it was but you can see the mechanisms behind the behavior of people and cultures and not get trapped in them. Instead of identifying with a particular world culture you identify with the long line of people throughout history who were aware of these mechanisms. They were able to free themselves from the destructive habit patterns of the people around them. Imagine yourself in a smelly, mucky swamp. You curse having to walk through this mess and concentrate on the smell and the muck. Soon you discover beautiful birds and insects. You feel the warm breeze and smell some flowers. Your attention is gradually drawn to the beauty of the swamp until even the smell and the muck seem an integral part of that beauty. You then enjoy being part of this scene. In the same way, the world we live in is, to a large extent, the result of what we pay attention to. The news on television calls your attention mostly to the negative and horrifying part of our society. Yet the Public Broadcasting programs call your attention to the beauty. How do you feel after watching the news? How do you feel after watching nature programs? What factors in our society direct your attention to its horror? The question of aging really is about your power to remain young and healthy. Having control over what you pay attention to is vital to prevent aging. This does not mean that you become oblivious to the problems of our world but that those problems don’t destroy you. You must regain control over the dynamics of your attention and the balance of energy. This is where you start in Tai-chi and Zookinesis. I know that in modern times Tai-chi has become just memorizing a series of movements and Push Hands has just become a shoving contest. This is true even in China itself. But the movements and the pushing are just the surface level of a very deep and beautiful teaching. The teaching of “immortality”, as it used to be called, is about how to stay young and healthy and thereby actually extend your lifespan. It teaches you how to become connected to the world around you so that your consciousness may remain connected to the world even after your body dies. Don’t give in to the images of aging. Don’t let those images implant themselves within you and direct your consciousness. Instead look to the agility, strength and beauty of wild animals and of athletes and allow those images to direct your consciousness. I teach seated Zookinesis exercises to a local senior community. When I began six years ago, they could barely move. Now we are beginning to do seated acrobatic movements. Each time I show them what exercise we are working towards, they laugh, feeling they could never do that. Yet a month or two later, they easily do the exercise. Most of them are over 90 years old. I think Zookinesis has given them a new perspective of what they are capable of. They are now headed in a positive direction – stronger, more flexible, more relaxed and more connected to their bodies. When you live your life in this positive direction, you are already immortal. The issue of death can lead us to a more powerful way to live our lives. We know what happens to our bodies at death. What happens to our consciousness (or what I call, “attention”)? We fear death as if it were not already part of us. Yet the death of the awareness of our bodies, of the consciousness of each cell and organ, is death we carry with us. The death of our direct awareness to our connection to nature already places us in our graves. We are like travelers towards the destination of death, carrying our death with us. In this way we bring death to death. Rather, bring life to life. Strengthen the consciousness of each cell, organ, muscle and bone. Strengthen the connection of that consciousness to the consciousness of the earth herself. Bring life to life and you will be powerful. When you increase the body consciousness (“Body-Mind”), you travel towards life. We all know how to “thread consciousness” through the eyes of a baby. We talk to the baby and make facial expressions. The baby’s consciousness jumps towards you. It is like threading a needle and pulling the thread through the eye of the needle. We can do this within our own bodies as well. When you hear beautiful music, the music threads your consciousness through your body into the world of sound. When you fall in love you thread consciousness through each other. We are weavers of consciousness. When others think we die, we know that we have weaved the last of ourselves into the web of life and have become that web. The issue of life is not the length of life or our wealth but the beauty of the tapestry we weave ourselves into. We understand that play is a natural behavior of many animals. Puppies and kittens understand that they aren’t really trying to kill each other. They understand make-believe. They also understand reality as when a large animal runs after them, growling loudly. Play is not to be taken literally but is good practice for reality. Play teaches you to perceive clearly and for your body to react quickly. It develops a lively connection of attention to the body. Our civilization uses this understanding to trick us. It uses play, not to develop a connection of attention to the actions of the body, but to words. As we become more and more lethargic, ideas replace the body as the arena of action. We live in the world of ideas. This changes the role of the body, and by extension, the whole physical world in our creative process. Lately the new close relationship between our play, or creativity, and words, our thinking process, has changed. The role of the body and then words is being replaced by machinery. When you watch children play video games, to what is their attention connected? It is hardly connected to the body or even to ideas. It is connected to computer screen images. This slow progression heads in one direction – to disconnect attention from the body and the physical world and to connect it to factors than can be manipulated by other people. It is hard to manipulate someone’s body. It is easier to manipulate their ideas. But if their attention is connected to machinery, you can control the programming even more easily. The advertiser’s job is to move people’s attention in the direction of more manipulation. The teacher’s job is to move the attention back to ideas and to the physical world. When you manipulate symbols – a national flag for example – you are trying to control peoples’ behavior. In most cases this manipulation is not for the benefit of that person. It is for the benefit of the manipulator. There are many human histories. There is the history of wars and politics. There is the history of the condition of the average person. There are labor and social movements. Histories of religion, philosophy, arts and science fill university curriculums. But really, they are all the history of the attempted manipulation of attention to control behavior. It is the history of storytelling – the story of who we are, where we came from and why we are here. If we feel we belong to one group that is opposed to another group, we have conflict. People can be made to fight other people because of the story of who they are and where they came from. Zookinesis teaches us how our attention becomes controlled by the stories we are told. It teaches us to understand the dynamics of attention itself so that we can notice when and how it is being controlled and regain that control. In order to do this it is important to understand what attention is and its relationship to the body and the physical world in general. Zookinesis considers that what makes each person an individual is the way our creativity “plays” with the energy of attention. It is similar to the way we “play” with the energy of gravity in the way we move. Attention is the consciousness behind the eyes and ears. It is that which is aware of thoughts and emotions. There are two forces controlling attention. One is the various distractions that we encounter every day. They mold our attention into their shape. The other force is creativity which is the playfulness that makes each of us unique and is part of our biological heritage. Any individual may be more influenced by the distractions or more by creativity. People with OCD (obsessive, compulsive disorder) are almost completely controlled by their environment. They are drawn to the strongest distraction at each moment. People who are completely controlled by their creativity we may call “airheads”. They are hardly connected to the world around them but only to their ideas and fantasies. The job of a parent or teacher is to balance these two forces in the child or student. The point of balance between these two forces is called “the gate” in Zookinesis. The goal of the training is to become “the gatekeeper”, that is, to be fully aware of and control the balance of environmental influences and playful creativity on the flow of attention. The role of a teaching, such as Zookinesis or Tai-chi, is to provide the student with the skills to maintain that balance. To what degree do you allow yourself to be molded by the influences around you and to what degree do you step outside of those influences and “create your own story”? At the advanced level of any teaching, the student begins to perceive “who” it is that is learning, controlling this balance and creating the story. Religious people would call this “union with God”, meaning that you perceive the source of your own creativity. You understand your uniqueness and yet your complete connection to all other people and forms of life. You cannot do this by handing over your attention to any particular dogma, whether a philosophy, religion or any teaching. You can use these vehicles to develop the balance of external influences and creative influences on your attention, but you do not allow them to fully mold your perspective. There are many vehicles on the road but in the end you need to step out of the vehicle and get to your destination. Ancient religions and other teaching were based on “the elements”. This was an early form of psychology. You became aware of the influences of your body, your thinking mind, your will and your emotions and the balance of these factors in each moment of your life. Your goal was to keep the “elements” in balance. The result was that you became aware of the fifth element – “spirit”. Spirit was the force that connected all life together, or what we would call “chi” in Taoist philosophy. When you achieved the balance of the first four elements it would be as if you were standing in the middle of a spiral staircase and could look all the way up and down the stairs. Spirit is all the activity that you see going on. Each level is a level of life or consciousness. Your next goal in these teachings, was to explore all the floors. The final step of training was to be aware of all the levels of consciousness at the same time so that you are a fully conscious being. This is the basis of Zookinesis training. You first become aware of the dynamics of your physical body. In order to do this you have to allow your attention to connect to all parts of your body. This requires working on the flow of attention and letting go of any blockage to that attention. You gradually become aware of that part of you that directs the flow of attention (creativity). Now when you practice the exercises, you are not just shoving your body parts around. You are lightly manipulating the flow of attention in your body and that, in turn, affects the movements. Your efforts and movements become lighter and lighter and yet more effective and powerful. Through physical exercises, Zookinesis achieves a “spiritual” end, that of true self awareness. You can then examine the “play” of your life to determine in which ways that play is positive or negative. You can create a different play or story for yourself, one which is more healing for you and for others. It all starts with realizing that consciousness itself is a force that connects you to the rest of nature. It flows through your physical body and animates it. Chi is the biological activity that results. Creativity is the way we play and is a natural behavior of many species. We humans “play” with our attention and create stories. We then build our civilizations on the foundation of those stories. The physical and mental structures we build seem so solid and everlasting that we forget the “play” behind them. When play, or creativity is no longer a part of each “element” of our lives, then we become deadened and our physical, mental and emotional health suffer. Our “will” gets out of balance and we get angry when we don’t get our way. That is why I like public broadcasting programs so much. They explain how creative people and cultures changed their world and their ideas. They show how our own present situation is the result of this flow of the history of creativity. Then we can take our part in that history and ask ourselves how we can become more creative. We realize that rather than being just a member of a race, religion or nationality, we are a member of the creative force of life. All of this training culminates in a single, powerful, all revealing realization that brings power and vibrant health back to your life. You understand the source of your power as a human being and how to channel that power in your life. I will describe this realization and how to use it. The basis is the relationship between consciousness and the physical body. Imagine a glass of water sitting on bone dry earth. Sitting on the earth is a little seed. The glass of water has two eyes painted on its side as if it were looking at the seed. This is the situation most of us are in. In this situation it is obvious that if the seed ever were to grow into a plant, the water in the glass would have to be spilled so that the earth could absorb it. The desiccated earth is our bodies. The water is our attention (our consciousness). The seed is the aliveness and power inside of us. We have objectified our attention. We think of it as our eyes looking at something. The whole approach of Zookinesis training (or any Taoist training) is to understand that attention is not the eyes. It is an energy just as gravity or electromagnetism is energy. Our bodies have evolved within the environment of many types of energies and are the result of these influences. Our bodies are even pressurized with about fifteen pounds per square inch of pressure, to counter the tremendous air pressure around us. In every way, our bodies have evolved as a response to the energies around us. In the same way, our minds have evolved in this environment. Consciousness (attention) is an energy in which we have evolved. Yet we think of it as our eyes looking at something. We objectify attention as if it were in one place looking at another place or thing. We know that the water, in the example above, needs to be absorbed by the earth. The water sitting in a glass does not help the seed. The water must lend its very nature and substance to the earth to create life. In the same way attention must be absorbed by the body so that every part of the body can become “moist”. The attention “knows” how to be absorbed by the body. The body “knows” how to absorb the attention. To let the body absorb attention, you must let go of attention rather than holding it rigid. The rigidity of attention makes the body rigid. Rigidity separates attention from the body. That is why we practice to relax the body and to relax the attention – so that the two can merge. When attention and the flesh merge, tremendous power and awareness floods a person. At first this may feel threatening. “How could poor little me have such power?” The tendency is to “objectify” the power, to call it God or the Devil or a spirit channeling wisdom through you. We identify our own power as images we have learned just as we originally objectified attention itself by thinking of it as the eyes. When attention is absorbed by the body you realize your connection to the source of attention. You can perceive the energy of attention in the world around you. While the world you perceive is the same old world, it seems very different, very alive. Your body feels very alive and you feel yourself beginning to heal. You feel each cell like a baby bird desperately calling out to its mother for food. Each cell of the body wants to receive the energy of attention and calls loudly for it. You begin to hear those calls or rather you feel the body trying to absorb attention. People whose bodies are especially disconnected from their attention will try to absorb the attention of other people and can be very draining to those people. When you hear them talk, they sound like baby birds squawking. We naturally know how to pull attention from people. This is important to strengthen the attention of babies. In Zookinesis it is called “Threading Attention” as if through the eye of a needle. Everybody tries to get the baby to look at him and respond to him. This strengthens the baby’s attention. The baby connects its attention to our own behavior patterns. We innately know how to do this. It feels good. But if you are trying to absorb other peoples’ attention because you are internally disconnected, that doesn’t do you or the other person any good. When people objectify their attention to an unusual degree and are unusually disconnected, their attention will be concentrated directly in front of their faces. They will have a “crazed” look. Some of those people make very good salesmen because the customer is accosted and overwhelmed by the salesman’s energy and they will buy anything to end the assault. This is really a form of violence. I believe that violent people are very disconnected and their behavior results from a misdirected attempt to reconnect themselves. But since they objectify their feelings they will attempt to connect to other people, often in very inappropriate ways. They are desperate and don’t know how to heal their disconnection. If someone displays a quality they know is missing inside of themselves, they will act almost as if the other person stole this quality from them or they resent that the other person has what they don’t have. The violent person has become lost from himself and doesn’t know his way back. Zookinesis training is the way back. The exercises are specifically designed to allow the absorption of your attention into your body. (“Spirit Breathing Workouts” DVDs. Catalog #’s HE-24D and HE-25D. “Zookinesis: The Laughing Dragon Exercise” HE-28D). The books, Movements of Magic and Movements of Power explain the whole process. So the great realization mentioned at the beginning of this lesson is that attention is not located at a specific point such as the eyes. It is an energy that needs to permeate the entire body. When it does, this connects you to the same energy of attention which permeates the entire earth and all of its inhabitants. How do you use this connection to make your life more powerful? To explain this, remember that when the attention is rigid, this makes the body rigid. Patterns of the attention affect the body. On the other hand, behavior patterns in the body, such as patterns of tension, affect the attention. When they are separate from each other, they are like two sets of patterns fighting against each other. Once they are connected, they are just moist earth – they are organic – and life can begin to grow. When you are connected to the larger energy of life, then your patterns affect that energy. If your patterns are violent they will have a negative effect. But if you are healed, then you can use the patterns of attention as a rudder, to steer your life in a positive direction. As a simplified example, if you hold the image of what you want your life to be like, you will see your present situation in terms of how to achieve your goal. Your choices will steer your life in the desired direction. On a deeper level, if you maintain a positive image of what you need in life, that image will resonate in other people and in general in the energy of attention around you. The ability to affect the larger energy of attention to help your life depends on how connected your attention is to your body. This is the great benefit of the Zookinesis exercises. Without that connection, you just struggle. You can’t beat the whole world into submission to accede to your demands. But you can connect with the energy of consciousness (attention) that permeates the world. Each act of self healing will be magnified by that connection. When you try to heal others, your efforts will likewise be magnified by your connection. Life becomes easier and a lot more effective. Some people make the mistake of just trying to use what is called, “The Law of Attraction”, that is, to send out those images of what you want, but without first connecting their attention to their bodies. This is utterly useless. It is only when the attention and body merge, when you stop objectifying attention, when you become fully connected to the larger energy of attention, that you can have any effect. Some deserts only receive a few inches of water every ten years or so. But as soon as it rains and the ground becomes moist, a thick carpet of colorful flowers appear within days and the desert comes to life. It is like a miracle. The Zookinesis training is like this. Before this training, you are like a desert and then soon your life blooms with beautiful colors. Only a fraction of the human brain is used in modern times. We have moved our focus of attention away from those parts that make us powerful and coordinated physically and which allow us to channel the biological forces of nature through our bodies. This leads to lower vitality and premature old age. When we practice Tai-chi and Zookinesis, it is essential that we stimulate the entire brain, including what is called the “reptilian brain”, or “primitive brain”. Rather than being primitive it is an essential part of the brain. We gradually enliven all parts of the nervous system which, in turn, enlivens the entire body. The result is that our very perception of the world around us is sharpened. We can perceive deeper levels and finer details of our senses and bring back senses that have been allowed to become dormant. The process of bringing power back to the brain is most vividly experienced in the Push Hands exercise (a two person exercise in which each person tries to throw the partner off balance. (This has been described in detail in other “weekly lessons”). But you can use the techniques of Push Hands in everyday life in ordinary situations. As we practice Push Hands we experiment with “seating” our attention in various parts of the brain. As an example, we concentrate on the lower rear part of the brain which is the reptilian brain. As you are about to push the partner you may notice that your attention jumps forward which causes your entire body to lunge forward. This allows your partner to turn to the side and allow you to fall forward. The dynamics of your attention can pull your own body off balance. An important principle in Push Hands is to keep your attention centered. You generate the force to push the partner through “internal” movements of your body. This consists of moving individual joints and muscles in relationship to each other but not allowing the whole body to lunge back and forth. The result is similar to break dancing moves in which the body undulates, sending waves of force through itself, but the body remains in a centered position. This can only be achieved when your attention is centered. If your attention is concentrated in only certain parts of the brain, the frontal lobes for example, then it is already off center. You are already off balance as far as your attention is concerned and then your body copies that pattern of poor balance. The body reflects the pattern and quality of your attention. If your attention jumps around a lot, then your body will exhibit excess movement. You can practice spreading your attention throughout your brain in the Push Hands exercise, your Tai-chi forms, Zookinesis exercises or any other activity. This practice will enable you to keep your attention full and balanced in the brain in your everyday interactions with people. I guarantee that you will amaze yourself with how calm and powerful you feel when you keep the reptilian part of your brain energized in interpersonal interactions. Rather than paying attention to the reptilian brain from the frontal lobes, try having the reptilian brain as the seat of attention and looking out from it. Make believe that right in front of the reptilian brain there is a window and you are looking out that window. The window is in the middle of the brain (back to front) and at the bottom of the brain. You may feel both your body and your breathing relaxing. You will feel more connected to your surroundings and more secure. This exercise does not cut off your frontal lobes (the intellectual part of the brain) but includes them. Your attention will feel more centered within the entire nervous system. The quality of your attention will be more relaxed, sharper and stronger. Your body will be able to respond more accurately to the changing condition around you. You can see that energizing the reptilian brain is essential for practicing Push Hands. It is also essential for living a more powerful and effective life. You begin to look at the dynamics and qualities of attention in other people as if you were a healer diagnosing a patient. Your understanding of these qualities in others gives you a deeper understanding of their resultant behavior which in turn, gives you more options of how to respond to them. If they are off balance, then you own balanced state can help them to become balanced. Their attention responds to the qualities of your attention as one tuning fork vibrates when another one next to it is sounded. On the other hand, you can avoid having your own attention thrown off balance by the unbalanced state of their attention. You see the underlying mechanisms of the interaction and can avoid the pitfalls. It’s amazing that simply by bring the focus of your attention to a different part of the brain and “looking out” from there, you can change the whole dynamic of your personal life. It is so easy to try and the results are so obvious. This is the type of training you would receive in what is called a “mouth to ear” transmission of teaching, such as Zookinesis. This means a tradition that is taught from teacher to student through long term, disciplined training, rather than from books or shallow training. There is a whole world of such training methods. Once you become comfortable with looking out from the reptilian brain, you then create other foci of attention. Examples – a point on the palm between the third and fourth finger and one inch down, the point on the bottom of the foot at the rear of the ball of the foot and centered between the left and right side, the coccyx bone and the tan-tien (an area just below the navel in the center of the body). You concentrate on these spots to either energize or relax them as you do Push Hands. The patterns of energizing and relaxing in these areas create different alignments of the body and affect the flow of forces through the body. This allows you to send force out into the partner while keeping the body still. The result is that the partner is thrown back and it doesn’t seem as if you did anything. If you could not access the reptilian brain then you simply could not create and coordinate these multiple foci of attention because your attention would not be centered. This is part of what is known as “Taoist alchemy” which is the basis of Tai-chi and Zookinesis. Taoist alchemy is the inner work to bring back your mind, body and spirit to full functioning. From that inner point of view you can perceive sources of energy that are normally invisible to us. You realize that our culture is not built on a foundation of “whole brain experience” or what I call “whole body attention”. Anything outside of our modern cultural perspective is considered to not exist. And so, while we may have perceptions and feelings of these sources of energy, we ignore them in order to feel emotionally secure. We need to feel part of this culture. It is like a child grabbing onto his parent’s leg, fearing to venture too many steps away. The mouth to ear training allows you to take those steps and to understand the inner experiences which you have ignored up to now. In this way a whole new world is revealed which allows your life to make much more sense. Your culture, which previously caged your perceptions, now is seen in a wider context. You can begin this training by yourself simply by massaging the rear of your head several times a day to make it easier to pay attention to. Remember that the goal is not to pay attention to the rear of the head from the front of the head. The goal is to “seat” the attention in the rear of the head (as an exercise) and then to eventually fill the entire brain with attention so that the attention is balance. Paying attention to the rear of the head is only the first (but necessary) step. I’m sure you will have many questions and comments about this type of training. Feel free to use the “comments” section to the left of this article for your questions and comments. Most of our lives are dedicated to just getting through the day. Many ancient teachings point to a technique which can be used in daily life, to completely change the results of your efforts. Zookinesis explains that the nature of your identity, your impression you have of who you are, not only determines the results of your efforts but also subconsciously is transmitted to others. The people around you pick up the impression you have of yourself and react to you accordingly. This means that if your impression of yourself should change, it will change not only in your own mind, but in the mind of those around you. If your identity is tied to your past experiences you can never change. Your past experiences are the result of your past identity. Your identity determines how you interact with others and with situations. Those situations result from a pattern of your own behavior which is based on your identity. You see how you can be trapped in behavior patterns which then trap you in repeated situations. The key to this problem, in many ancient teaching systems, is NOT to find out who you are, but to CREATE who you are. Determine who you would like to be. Create a character, as if in a play, and little by little surround yourself with the scenery to enact that play. The scenery may be the décor in your house or it may be a behavior, such as singing during the day as you are working. You might take a few minutes out each day to go outside and just enjoy being alive. It doesn’t take much. Gradually experiment with what scenery (internal or external) makes you feel good or bad. Realize that you can become whoever you want to be. In fact, one of the goals of life is to play. We often forget about play as we grow older. Play is not only for children practicing to be adults. It is the joy of life. And by “play” I don’t mean competitive sports. I’m talking about playing with what your life is all about. It’s easy to feel that because the bills keep coming in it’s important to be serious all the time. We have arranged our culture to “feed the economic machine” rather than to maximize the enjoyment of life. Do you really need all the new gadgets? Or would your money best be spent living simply but not having to worry about the bills? What is it that leads to a more joyful life and what is it that takes joy away? When our identity is the result of our creativity rather than our past patterns of behavior, we then gain power in our lives. We have to be willing to let go of elements of our old identity to gain new, brighter elements. We have to be willing to release our rear foot from the ground in order to take a step forward. There is a story I always tell of an old ship which sank in the Hudson River in New York. and was buried under mud. Ships with cranes were hired to lift it but none succeeded. Finally someone suggested that an empty barge be positioned above the boat at low tide. Chains were connected from the buried ship to the barge. When high tide came in the buoyancy of the barge lifted the buried ship. Your myth is similar to the barge. While your life may seem to be buried under bills and problems, the myth can just sit there. As the tide of time washes in, that myth can lift you up into a new life. You are not being “false” by living a myth. A myth does not mean that your new identity is not true. It means that your identity is now part of your creative nature. It is alive and adds to your vitality. When your identity is alive and vital you feel energized and ready for life. Who would you really like to be? The Zookinesis “art of soaring” is one of its most powerful teachings. A student learns to merge his system of internal energy (chi) and even his consciousness with those of other animals. The effect is to radically transform the student to be able to “enter” the body of a patient, if he is a healer, and examine that patient from the inside. In this way he can effect a much finer healing. I have worked with several of my students to be able to do this and they are always astounded by the improvements in their healing ability. Perhaps even more importantly, the training of soaring allows you to perceive a part of this world we live in, that remains hidden to most people. We usually don’t realize that our chi and our consciousness (which I call “attention”) is constantly being captured and affected by forces around us. The student of Zookinesis or other Taoist practices perceives a world filled with attention, flowing in dynamic activity. His own consciousness is completely connected to all others and it is easy to move the focal point of his attention anywhere along the “continuum of consciousness”. Zookinesis shares this awareness with many other ancient training systems around the world. The goal of these systems is to allow the student to experience this level of perception. In working with live animals, Zookinesis is similar to some South American Indian spiritual systems in which you “journey” with an animal. This means that you place your consciousness inside an animal and let it take your consciousness with it as it travels. While this may seem a bizarre and primitive mythological belief, it is everyday reality when you perceive on this level. We modern people may look down on this way of experiencing the world around us and pride ourselves in our isolation from nature. But that isolation has led to the deterioration of the body and mind and the lack of inner peace in our times. The idea that only one way of perceiving the world around us is “correct” is itself, I believe, a very primitive and shallow belief. It deprives us of the fullness of human experience and of the biological vitality which is our birthright as biological beings. It also blinds us to the very real dynamics of attention and the dynamics of internal energy. Our inability to perceive these dynamics makes it impossible to organize our lives to maintain the health of these energy systems. Our consciousness and chi are pulled, twisted, depleted and damaged every day without our knowing and then we wonder why we are tired at the end of the day. Many teachers of the modern versions of ancient training are completely unaware of the original purpose of those trainings, that is, to teach students to become aware of this level of perception. That level of perception has been lost for the most part and only the shell of the teachings remain. Some of those teachers have privately admitted to me that they don’t even understand what they are teaching but they do it to earn a living. I’m afraid that genuine teaching, in all of these systems, is in danger of dying out. The main reason for this is that these teachings have become a form of entertainment. Teachers have to become showmen and emphasize the hype and glitter in order to gain students. Without advanced students to practice with, their own abilities, which originally may have been genuine, gradually fade away. In each generation, the students put in less and less effort to learn until the teachers have no real abilities or awareness. The culture stops valuing this awareness, this connection to nature. Yet within each of us beats the heart of our original biological awareness, our original vitality, witnessing its own gradual death. The place this awareness lives within us is a place of despair. At every moment, it calls out to us like a prayer to God. But we don’t answer because we don’t understand what is going on. Our culture denies the existence of our true nature and values us only as pieces of the great machine of the economy. We live in a rich world of life, filled with conscious energy. Yet when we look at the world the only things we notice are the speeding cars and the exciting television screen. We have lost the ability to see conscious life itself. We humans are designed to soar, in our own way, as the eagles above us. The choice we have as individuals and as a culture is, what does it mean to be human. You can decide that for your own life.

2019-04-26T02:35:31Z

http://movementsofmagic.com/blog/tag/hermetic-teachings/page/2/

I wouldn't put too much weight into the comparo. They only tested chips that they were given to trial and the 'winner' is a regular advertiser in their mag (surprise surprise). Have a look at chip-it performance chips. He sells his units for about $800 and it does the same thing as most of the others and it can be fitted and disconnected in minutes. There are many others out there that a far cheaper the then ones in the comparo and they do the same thing. More power and torque (fuel eco is the issue with these things). I was going to get one but decided on a double din DVD player with rear camera. AND LOVE IT. I have a TDC Powerbox for sale for $400. Claimed output is 148kW & 478Nm. A spill from their website. The PowerBox CR plus is fully digital and includes a signal variation switch with multiple settings, so there's never a problem finding the setting that's best for your vehicle. You can even turn the PowerBox off while it is still connected. The CRplus has been programmed for optimal performance. Power gains vary depending on engine and ECU type. CRplus users can expect a power improvement ranging from 25% to 55% greater than the gains achieved with our standard PowerBox CR. Essentially, the power improvement is linear to acceleration; however, a greater boost is provided when there’s an immediate demand for acceleration. This reduces the time required to pass other vehicles, and, in some cases, means less time exposure to oncoming traffic. The CRplus includes an extended 31" wiring harness to provide greater reach for installation. Each unit comes complete with detailed illustrated instructions and is backed by our 3-year limited warranty. Timing is a function of the ECU's internal program. When fuel volume changes, so does timing. The PowerBox is an interface that transmits signal variations to the ECU, but these signals are based on those of other parameters that determine speed, engine load, and acceleration demand. When a signal variation is transmitted by the PowerBox, the ECU will adjust the necessary parameters as though there was a greater demand for power. In other words, the unit will provide a signal at an actual speed 40MPH, which indicates that the vehicle is traveling at 50MPH. The ECU's internal program compensates by metering fuel injections for a speed of 50MPH. Combustion is maximized, and the ECU makes the necessary timing adjustments as it normally would at this speed. The PowerBox is programmed to transmit signal variations that remain within the tolerances mapped to the ECU's internal program. All TDC Technologies’ PowerBoxes are equipped with OEM plugs that are inserted into the wiring loom between the fuel injection system and the electronic control unit (ECU). The PowerBox intercepts the signals that pass back and forth, and modifies them to create an increase in fueling by altering the timing of the injectors, holding them open longer. A larger amount of fuel injected into a diesel engine creates a significant increase in power and improves overall performance. Unlike the gasoline engine that provides airflow proportionate to acceleration, the diesel engine runs with an excess air flow most of the time, causing it to run well below its maximum combustion capacity. This means that optimal combustion can still be achieved despite the increased fuel injection produced by the PowerBox. Any advertiser in 4wda seems to do well in comparo's. Go figure. Thanks for that Merchant and its true on what you say. I can share with the forum members of the differences between the Chip It Module and our competition. The Chip It Module will connect to 2 sensors in your existing factory plugs. Compared to other Chip companies, we are EXTREMELY WELL positioned for these reasons too. 8) CUSTOM TUNING CAPABILITY ... WHICH AGAIN, OTHER MANUFACTURERS DO NOT HAVE. Let me expand on point 8. When you need a custom tune with all the other Chips, you need to send the Module back to them for re-calibrating. This then is NOT a true custom tune to suit your vehicle as changes are NOT made in real-time. This is NOT so with the Chip It Module. Real-time tuning capabilities are given to every Chip It Custom Tune Dealer and adjustments to tunes are provided via email daily. Chip It “Macro” Tuning Software, provided FREE with every Chip purchase, allows YOU to download tunes to the Module within seconds. If that is not enough, we also have the capability to run EGT Monitors, which, when coupled to the Chip It Performance Modules, monitor EGT's and re-program the Chip It Module to run factory standard tunes IF the EGT's climb too high. Again, this is unique to Chip it. This feature is available to those that wish to produce extreme tunes for their vehicle. When left at the Chip It factory pre-set tunes, the EGT's are not an issue. We also have 5 years warranty and 30 day money back guarantee. If we were in that comparo there is no way that the mag could have came us with the same winner without people seeing it was OBVIOUSLY biased to the regular advertisers. Or if they chose us as the winner can you imagine the others being happy with the mag that someone that DOES NOT advertise at all win. They would be poking the mag editor for ever in a day!!! No worries Rob. I'm always happy to push Aussie made stuff. Having said that, the product still needs to be fit for purpose, a good quality product and be competitive in the market. The thing with these chips is obviously power and torque. I would love one but I put a lot of emphases on fuel economy these days because of the price of diesel in the north of WA. Until someone can guarantee i will save fuel when i tow the 1.5t van i won't seriously look at one. May i suggest you loan one of your chips to one of the more predominant members of this forum to trial. If your chip does as you suggest then it will help you no end with the members. From memory i think you are in QLD. I'm sure there's someone up that way who will stick there hand up and then post their views. 158kw on the TD is a bit over the top. But if he can get 158kw i can only imagine the high fuel usage. remember guys ... you can make dyno numbers say whatever you want. You want 250 kws ... no problems. The real test is back to back tests. And that is why we gaurantee to have the best tunes (make the most power) than any other cause we tune 2 parameters ... fuel and boost. Actually, if you ask that mechanic to call me (0412 304030) I WOULD LOVE to let him do try our chips so he gets a feel for them and is then free to give his opinion. The only troble is that is he (and others) are only chasing big profits then he WONT go for ours 'cause our RETAIL price is only $824.00 delivered. He can charge extra for custom tuning but fitted he will be charging under $1000.00. I have a steinbauer, I haven't had it dyno'd but it does haul arse! BTW, I have taken it off for the moment as it went into nissan for a warranty claim, and fuel usage is exactly the same without the chip as it is with the chip set on full power, with all the extra horsepower. Chip it I have been interested in all of your posts and checked out your website, I am wondering if there are any plans to release anything for the ZD30 Navara. I'm sure there is a big enough market for it, being shared with the patrol aswell. So are you, and if so when, going to do a chip for the ZD30?????? we are looking into it 100% however we have found that other precommon rail vehicles fitted with chips do not compare when put up against our petrol injection system. So we are not too rushed to get a chip out when the other product does so much better. i don't know about over the ditch there but here it runs into legal issues, most likely need certification which adds another cost. it wouldn't really address the problem with the ZD30, which is under fuelling in the low-mid rpm's. one question on the Chip It modules, can you switch between different tunes on the fly? eg increase fuel when water injection system is running ? or degrease fuel if EGT gets to hot? extra power and torque are all good, BUT how much extra strain is put on the motor and running gear to get the extra out of it???? remember she's only a 2.5 L. when i look at getting 1 the warranty will be the biggest deciding factor for me. 95% of posts from people with chips say that there was no increase in fuel economy . So does Gas injection come into the picture. even with the initial out lay after 2-3 yrs you might actually be better off going for the injection system. As i've heard they greatly increase power torque and most importantly fuel economy. The D40 engine for sale on ebay with melted pistons was enough to scare me off gas injection, it might be a rare thing though. Tweak'e that's unfair. You are speaking without knowing our product, service, experience, or anything about us. 1) There are zero regulations regarding diesel petrol injection (DPI). It falls into the same category as adding octane booster to your tank. IE ZERO REGS. LPG, different story ... yes it does have the need to be "certified" (which we are certifiers of BTW) because of the pressure vessels being used. We looked into it different products because we didn't like the charges licensed fitters were charging for a day's labour. We as manufactureres had reduced sales because people didn't want the high cost of ownership even though the kit itself was fair and reasonable (sub $1000). So off we went looking at different things and Petrol came up trumps. You can find it anywhere, doesn't matter what type or brand you use. Didn't suffer from contamination like LPG, no pressure vessel thus no regs, higher calorific value (energy content) than LPG. Cleans the diesel burn like LPG. Customers could use water only (for a 10% boost in power ... and no cost of fuel) or a water methanol mix (or water/ethanol), they could use straight petrol or petrol methanol mix for better power or high octane petrol with a methanol mix. It was just the right product for the job. Then we search (2 years) for parts we liked. What we couldn't find we have made. The end result is 100% customer satisfaction. Just this week a customer (Darren B from Vic) that had the DPI fitted to his Duramax. He said he couldn't be happier. He has LPG on one of his other cars and he said this was 100 times better. He told us that he is saving 4 litre of diesel for every 100 kms and using only 1 litre of petrol!! (This is 100% fact guys ... no BS). 2) About the under fueled ZD30, this is exactly what the DPI is addressing! Every diesel works with residual air. You can read about it HERE (http://chipit.com.au/) if you scroll down to where it says "USE OF RESIDUAL AIR". Remember diesels are air pumps and the govering of fuel to a MAX charge of air is what determined the power. It is this residual air that allows Chips etc to work!! 3) Yes. The Chip It module does have the ability to swap maps on the fly REAL TIME. Hope this clears things up. But like I said, its a little unfair for you to call the product dodgy when you havent seen it or know how the process works. We go to great lengths to make sure all our products are top shelf. 100% customer satisfaction is what we strive for and with a 30 day money back guarantee I think this shows we are serious about this. If you look around the different forums you will see we we get a HUGE wrap. What kills an engine is HEAT and REVS. You can get big power from engines as long as you dont increase the red line. In fact, having more torque down low meand you DO NOT have the rev the crap out of it. You jump on the accelerator and when you are up to speed you take your foot off the load peddle and keep the revs down. LPG does increase power but petrol injection is better still and better in other aspects as well. Read about it in my post above. Matt we dont know what caused this but if it was running on LPG it must have been running really high ratios and it would have been outside of the manufacturer's spec ... I gaurantee it. Yeah I am sure you are right. When I was 1st told about the gas system I was a little stand offish as I really didn't understand what it was all about , now having driven around with the gas I wouldn't go back. The Petrol system on the other hand had me thinking well if the gas worked well enough why shouldn't the Petrol system work as long as you didn't go overboard that is , so I installed one to my 4.2L Landcrusier with an aftermarket turbo and 2.5 mandrel system , after experimenting with the boost pressure switch and fuel pressure regulator pressures I'm now at a point where I'm happy with the power and economy gains ,I have set the boost switch to 5psi as I didn't want the system to become active before that, I'm purely hunting for economy and some extra power. Its amazing what a bit of fuel does. And you're right about the economy ... most common rial vehicles will never see those litres per hundred readings. Also, how many litres per hundred of diesel would you say you save to how many litres of petrol are you using? I know a guy with a DMax and he is saving 4 litres/100 of diesel and using 1 litre/100. He too is really please with how it goes. so have you done a d40 with this fuel injection yet? They just seem so rich from factory as it is and ya start adding diesel (via chip) and then petrol seems to scream dangerous. Have you taken note of the fuel ratios on em from factory? What sort of figures do you have? The petrol is still a fuel so your still adding fuel to an already fueled up situation. Don't get me wrong I am not knocking you just chasing more info that is all. I was going to get a unichip for my Navara as they can do timing and boost etc but am seriously considering just getting one of yours as the extra cost and headache with the unichip probably wont gain much. We haven't directly however we have sold them to dealers. Remember the Petrol Injection Kit was made to be a universal fit up kit so dealers can fit to any. The D40 we accept heaps more fuel (whatever fuel). It is not running rich once on power. It is running a little rich on initial throttle on but the petrol injection is made to come in a little after that. BTW, you know if you block off the EGR port the Nissan will not blow smoke? The extra air now keeps the ratios healthier. That's why when customers buy our DPF Race Pipe we include a FREE EGR Blanking Plate. The two go hand in hand in our opinion. The Chip is just a great power improvement but we always recommend blocking off the EGR for a better bang. I am a potential buyer for your chip and DPF pipe.I live in Western Australia and would like to support a local product. You guys make it very difficult. I have rung your 1800 number twice and left a message - no response!!! I have used the "Contact us" form on your website - no response!!! If I put a chip on and later (out of new car warranty) put on a DPF delete pipe is the program in the chip for this? Its great on this forum to tell readers how great your product is. But when one of them tries to contact and gets no response you are really letting the business down. BTW I contacted a diesel place in Redcliffe,spoke to someone straight away and was happy with the info. It makes me wonder If I cant talk to someone before purchase what sort of response I would get if I had a problem? I am not trying to start a flaming war here, I am a genuine buyer. sorry for the late reply, missed your post somehow. i think the "dodgy" comment is reasonably fair enough. thats simply because your pouring in a fuel that has a lowish auto-ignition temp. LPG is around 450c which is around compressed cylinder temp so LPG is not going to auto ignite until close to TDC if it auto ignites at all. however petrol is only ~220c so it will be igniting on the compression stroke and well before diesel is injected. with non intercooled diesel (100-150c intake temps) it can be igniting even earlier. mixing petrol in diesel is a bit different because its being injected with the diesel so it all burns together and doesn't suffer the same issue. with water/alcohol injection the water offsets the burning of the alcohol to a fair degree. they only run up to 50% water/meth mix on diesels. they don't live long on 100%. i could understand petrol injected along side water injection but IMHO injecting straight petrol is risky. the legals....depends on your local rules. i think here adding a 2nd fuel tank requires certification. understandable as there is a safety issue especially in an accident. i would be surprised they let you guys have a petrol tank without a enclosed breather system. emission rules in AU are a lot tougher than NZ. I know we get super busy and you guys can confirm by the late, very late replies I sometimes post here, here this not an excuse. If it helps, I have just ripped someone at the Perth office a new a55 for the let down. 1. Yes, it is. Tune 5. 2. you are 100% correct. In fact, how many people have just gone to the opposition because we failed to answer them? Who know is the correct answer. I just hope is hasn't happened too many times. this is my mobile. If you dont get through on the 1800 78 48 82 as a last resort please use this: 0412 304030. Hope we are not too late to be of assistance. Give it time, and you will see many more. Unless you test things how can you make comment ?? !! i remember the LPG/diesel guys saying the same thing and look at how many motors they blew up before they got it right. it got to the stage people where removing the rather expensive lpg installs because of the amount that where blowing up (no subside back then either). then theres the water/meth guys which has been around a long time and they don't run 100% meth because of problems. both LPG and meth are far more suited to the task than petrol. all the theory points to petrol being dodgy. only saving grace is your using such tiny amounts and fairly accurately. one thing i would be interested to see is what happens when the engine gets a fair bit of oil ingested (ie via breather or past the rings). the petrol setting off a decent amount of oil might make things interesting. YES, OK if someone fits ANY performance parts and winds it up to maximum WITHOUT knowing what they are doing they are prone to go bang. Any moron knows that. Things need to be tuned ... derrrr. We have sold LPG kits for over 5 years with ZERO Failures. You know why? because we wirte in big bloody letters DONT MUCH AROUND WITH IT OR YOU'LL BE SORRY. (not the actual words) Guess what. People then respect it and leave it well enough alone. Or, only tuners or people that know what they are doing and measuring, get interested in getting more out of it. Not issue with LPG is that is burns with a sharp edged carbon crystal (petrol and diesel burn with a round crystal) and it chews out the valve seats. However because the diesel is still there with its rounded edge crystal I HAVE NEVER HEARD OF THIS ISSUE DEVELOPING ... NOT EVER. When cars running straight petrol convert to LPG (in the olden days) they needed to add adding cylinder lube, as you will recell. This is because the crysal is doing a great job of filing away the seat. It is not an issue in diesels AND it is not an issue when you inject petrol into diesels. Last point you mention: We sell really cool crankcase oil breather catch cans. small and high performing and again at better prices than what the opposition are offering. Robert I'll give you a call, as I said not into starting a forum flaming war. the metal crankcase filters look good. looks like remote oil filter?? as long as the internals are big enough to flow the gas without restriction they should be great. any chance of making a tall skinny version? i can't remember the exact details of the blown engines. nothing valve seat related. i think just holed pistons. professionally installed to. what diesel do you use when tuning the engines? have you tried the ultimate? if so how much difference did the petrol system make compared to the normal diesel? I was sure you wern't. The PCV filters are a custom made item which is made for this job. You're right, it looks like a remote oil filter but smaller. Its chambers are made to take large air flow. Holed pistons are often the result of flaws in the OEM design. IE. Nissan 4.2 blowing number 6 piston. Its a Nissan issue ... not a gas issue. Nissan would sometimes repair under warranty even when it was out of warranty because they knew it was a design issue. We use standard pump fuel because Ultimate is not always available ... do we even have it in the Eastern States? When we go for high numers in OUR OWN VEHICLES ... ie 770 nm from our 3.2 Triton, we will always try and run Ultimate when its available. Hi Robert, seriously considering this. How much is the kit though? I read earlier in this thread under $1000 but your website is advertising at $2000. Any clarification on this? do they have a filter in them or do they have baffles/chambers in it ? Both the plastic and metal types have filters. I have seen people running without filters in the cannisters and just had steel wool in them when the filters finaliy filled up. Doesnt matter how you try to smooth it over Petrol injection is probably illegal in most states. I dont mind you promoting it but at least be honest and say up front in big letters "For Race Use Only" I know you got called out on this on another forum and you had to admit it. I'd suggest people call their local DOT and get the truth about petrol injection. I know for a fact they would not approve a petrol tank fitted to a diesel. Buyer beware I guess but I'd hate to see someone get in an accident and have their insurance company walk away from them because of something simple like a phone call to their local DOT. So is changing an air filter. It is a vehicle modification. It all comes down to ADR complience. In fact, ANYTHING that you do to your car which is NOT ADR approved is illegal and can be made to remove it. The thing is, stuff is not policed that heavily. Tyres, snorkle, exhausts, if it didn't come out with it (ie ADR 79 -01) its history. So you really are talking out of the a55. I gotta believe you must be selling something else or I ran over your dog in a previous life. Regarding the dyno runs between chips. You know sh1T. Easy for you the shoot at the hip. But you don't have any facts. We do. Should we tell DH's like you all the secrets. Talk to people who HAVE our products. They will tell you what we do know what we are talking about and give people all info about how our products work. You're just full of words and no back up. I stumbled along this tread while looking for info on the CR Power Box. It was installed in My 08 Diesel D40 Nav manual when I bought it second hand. I was wondering If i should take it out or not. Economy now is around 9-10km/litre. The car is still under warranty but Nissan never commented on it when they saw it. Does anyone know if they are likely to cause damage to the engine? surely they would have to. If I take it out will it affect fuel economy? The car goes like the clappers if I want it to, but I worry I will lose alot of power taking it out. It is only would up a little way (adjustment on the side). The CR powerbox increases fuel rail pressure. It cant really damage the engine, but it will add strain to the fuel pump. time will only tell if that will cause premature failure. Every engine is different only way to know how much extra power it is providing is to unplug it. less than 5min job. If you take it out you will be surprised how "slow" the truck is. If it is tuned properly then leave it in. Problem is, most (nearly all) chips these days are tuned overseas. Even the ones with aussie names and those in the market a long time are all made and tuned OS. In fact I do not know of anyone else that is not made OS. I think I will leave it where it is, probably best. Hope it wont cause any problems for the car. I probably wont extend the warranty though as it may be void with the chip. The CR powerbox are crap. I have had two sh..t themselves on the D22 CRD. Both went the same way and were both 2 years old when they went fizzz. I fitted a Chipit to the CRD patrol as I stole the CR powerbox off it to replace the first one that went on the D22. I will be fitting a Chipit to the D22 also when finances allow it. I did not pay for mine, it was on the car when I bought it. It certainly wouldn't be my first choice of chip from what I have seen of it's info vs other chips. If it dies then it may be replaced with another chip if I notice a difference in acceleration. As someone who has previously been quoted saying "You probably have to advertise in the mag to be included in the comparison" (or words to that effect) does the inclusion in the chip review infer some form of payments were made to a mag to get your chip included or do they now include people who don't advertise with them in their articles? Hi Krafty. Yes ... payments WERE made. As mentioned, you need to advertise with them. Those adverts cost thousands of dollars ... I kid you not. in fact, they didn't want any extra mods on the car when they did the test. I had to disconnect things that made the car non stock (other than the Chip) so in fairness to the tester, he did the right thing. Thanks Brad for the positive words. Love it when people take the time to let us know that they're happy for the product. I have ordered a chipit and Pyrometer for the Pootrol. I'll let you guys know the results. Robert do use do a chip for the ZD30DDTI non CRD ? Going by the Pyro intergrated bit yours is the chip I would go. We have not focused on pre commonrail chips to be honest however there will be one available in about a month if all materials (incl cases etc) make it to production line in time. Please contact the 1800 number around the middle of March Dave. Fitted the Chipit on the weekend, all I can say is WOW. Pull Jesus of the cross, the increase in low and mid range torque blows me away. Can't wait to get it on the Dyno to see the power increase. post your results KC. I would be keen to see them. How's the economy? Agreed their Chip is amazing. Give some thought to contacting Justin and getting some customised tunes emailed to you. Its amazing what he can do! I doubt the economy will be ever as good, I'm enjoying the power too much! So your using a higher tunes than the folder3custom2? Ill keep it in mind. Hell yeah! I got Justin to email me some really high tunes. All I need now is a larger intercooler to get more air in as highest tunes just blow too much black smoke. I am running the highest I can without too much black smoke which gives me 150kW and 530nm on the dyno. Nice figures. Pootrol would never stop with that much grunt. Thinking of getting a bigger intercooler. I should get 160kw then. my chip it is on its way, I also have a 3 inch exhaust on the way too. Im dropping into my house hourly to check the mail to see if its here. Cant wait to try out the different tunes etc. Everyone seems to be happy with them. I wish!! Those figures are at the flywheel. No go on a higher tune for the Pootrol, I tried but it developed a flat spot at WOT, full revs. Sounded like the engine was trying to go hydraulic, never mind. I'm still pretty happy, By seat of the pants dynoing, I think it has better performance then the king cab did and is far more relaxing to drive on and off road. About 50mm after, You don't want the end to break off and go through the turbo, It's unlikely to happen but better to be safe. we have a fix for that too KC. Easy mechanical mod = no more flat spot. Ring the office and ask for the Limiter Disc. You pay freight, we provide part for free. You sent me one with the chip!. It's installed but I can't get any higher tunes than the folder3 tune2 with out developing problems in the upper rev ranges WOT. Folder 3 in pretty high. If you send me the tune you are using (by email) I will tweak it down and you can try that. Thanks for the offer, but I think I'll leave it with the folder3 tune2, Fuel economy still seems ok, no clouds of black smoke, and really good power increase. I'm still getting the EGR fault code being thrown, any advice on how to stop it? I'm just clearing it with the scanguage, occurs about once a week. We don't get error codes on Nissans ... even WITHOUT the Chip fitted. If you have tunes from folder 3, I wonder if your MAF sensor is maxing out. Try cleaning the MAF meter with MAF cleaner ... I think you know this trick right? Let me know if you don't. BTW, what is the code you read? BTW, you know DP, Rapid, Tuneit and Roo chips all use the same chip ... just rebagded chip from germany that has the variable resistor settings on the front face. BTW you are not stopping the butterfly from opening are you? This may be where the error code is coming from. You need to blank the pipe near the cooler ... do not stop the valve from operating. Wouldn't buy any of those mentioned though. After reading alot of the info on here between you and Northside, I am alot more informed. Cheers to both of use. Yep, just blocked at the cooler, throws up the P0401 code. Did some searching, it seems that most of the CRD guy's occasionally get that code.(after blocking egr). I get it once a fortnight on average, worse in cold weather so I wondr if the code is generated by a temp sender? My trucks hasn't even had it's first service yet if age has anything to do with it. I ran 2 X TDC Power box as the fist one blew up and then on queue the second one stopped as well. After driving the D22 CRD ute for 18k with one on it I can say that there quoted figures are marketing BS. I have now purchased the Aussie product Chipit and it is one great product. I bought one for my CRD Patrol and was so impressed that the Nav scored one as well. This chipit unit has brought the D22 CRD to life and it needed it. Great product Robert. Thanks for that BradM. ... we really appreciate it when people spend their time to give us a pat on the back. And yes the D22 really does come alive with a good chip and tune. GU Patrol .... drill 8mm hole in the middle of the plate for no error codes. Anyone running the xede from chip torque? Another wire in jobbie too isn't it? Similar results to a Unichip. It is the only other chip I know of that is a proper tuning solution, not just a cheap Diesel Pressure plugin. Not quite the same level as unichip, as it can also do injector extension as well. Huge gains in economy and power to be had by adjusting injection timing without the need to even add more fuel or boost. So how are you adjusting the multiple injector pulses which these common rails have these days? Aren't the injectors controlled by the ECU and the crank trigger. By adjusting the injector timing, say opening earlier is like advancing the timing in a petrol engine or advancing the camshaft. I thought the main thing we all want is more power. So by injecting the same amount of fuel earlier gives us a power gain? By creating a earlier or better combustion burn then we need to add more fuel be it deisel and/or petrol engines to get more power. In petrol engines we add more injector timing(open longer) , ignition timing and boost at selected rpm levels. In a deisel engine I thought our main priority was more fuel/air but watch the EGT levels as we don't have great control over combustion burning process as in petrol engines. Also curious as to why a number of members posts have been deleted from the end of this thread? There was a few serious questions that didnt get answered. they changed servers so bits and pieces went missing lol! So mr Chip It! have you got a chip for the zd30 non CRD yet? I'm hanging out for the good news! Scrapped the turbo idea as its to much !@#$%^& around and if I blew it. Id be !@#$%^ in the middle of no where waiting for the custom "Bolt on" turbo to arrive. To many good option's. Northsides Unichip or Chipits chip. Still no direct answer on if the plug in unichip looms are available IN AUSTRALIA yet. I know they do exist but have not been made available before. Unichips are still wire in at the moment are they not? March has been and gone, and i am sure that i am not the only one on the edge of my seat waiting for your zd30 non crd product to hit the shelves with some info on what it will do better/different to other chips. This is an interesting thread thanks guys. I am researching chip options for my new patrol and obviously a lot of this stuff is relevant. I'm sure a lot of others are benefiting too. Keep up the good work. They are 200X harder to produce than a CR chip. All a CR chip needs is a few variable resistors to lower common rail pressure, and in ChipIts case, another few to up the boost pressure. To control the Zexel VE pump in a 3.0 Patrol you have to control the high voltage spill valve which is vastly different in design. The main reason is, the ecu varies the spill valve frequency to control boost and timing, as the injectors are not electronically controlled. How long has the chipit pre CR 3.0 chip been in development for? Northside at least we DO produce. You just buy stuff in that OTHERS have produced. How do u sit there and have a shot at us for getting our hands dirty and investing the $30 to $40K that it takes to get these to the point of testing? Not the mention the time it takes to prove the product and provide 2 to 5 years warranty and all the backup support infrastructure. Some people talk the talk ... we walk the walk. Guys the chips are ready. EGT control if you want to as well. you beauty! mines a 06 model. so with your chip its 900 the price starts. when you say we can change wat it does. is this via a control in your car? if so is that extra? I have just had a Chip It chip installed and I am not happy to say the least. I am stranded with friends in a caravan park on the Sunshine Coast on day 2 of a Cape York trip! Before I had the unit installed, I never had a problem with my 2005 Navara 6 speed manual, 118 k's on the clock. The chap that installed the unit to my vehicle was recommended by Chip It. I arrived at Caloundra at 9.30am Saturday morning to be advised that my vehicle was booked in 11.00am. My wife and I set up camp at a local caravan park waiting for a call to come and attend. I attended the Chip It recommended installer at 1.00pm. I was advised that he had a problem with a Toyota Hilux that morning whilst fitting a Chip It unit to it, and that's why he was late to start on my vehicle. Fine I did not have a problem with that. When he conducted the first dyno test, the result was 96kw and not too much smoke was produced. However, when the chip was installed and an hour of dyno testing later and with severe smoke produced the chip only produced 118kw not the 130+kw Chip It claim on this vehicle. The car was taken for a test run and the mechanic told me that he was disappointed with the result. He also confided to me that this was the first Navara D40 that he had installed a chip too. I took my car for a run and I could not notice much difference in power. He further advised me that he took a stock standard Navara a few weeks earlier, and thought that the stock vehicle went harder than my car with the Chip It unit installed. He further advised that I should not go to the Cape due to the high exhaust temperature’s and that I should come back and see him on Monday for further testing, to see why the car is not getting the results that the chip should be producing. At 3.30pm and 1,300 dollars later ($899 unit and $420 for dyno tune) , I left the premises feeling very depressed and devastated. The installer was in a hurry to take his children to the Nambour show. Fine I did not have a problem with that either. However I am left in the dilemma with how much more is this chip going to cost me to get the alleged results that the company states publically on its web site. I am absolutely disappointed because I was advised to purchase this product by Chip It and my vehicle was running fine before this chip was installed. Our trip to Cape York was twelve months in the planning and now it is all on hold due to this chip. It is possible the boost module was not operating correctly and that is whats giving low power figures and alot of smoke. I have seen a handfull of d40's with this same problem using chipit's. They were still running the standard 20psi, not the 28+psi the chipit chips tune them to. Thus power was down and because the chip has no idea if the boost level is low/spot on/to much, and it provides WAY to much fuel for the standard boost level. Drop in tomorrow morning and I can sort it out for you mate. Just call ahead on 3481 2982. I wont charge you a cent to diagnose and fix the problem if I can. I am very happy to see some one on the forum has come to the aid of a fellow 4wder !!!!!!!!!! When you went back there he told you he thinks the issue is with your car. Craig told you that the car was running 14:1 AFT before the chip was installed and it was blowing smoke. At 15PSI it was 14:1. !!! That is very rich. He even printed it out for you to see the AFR's. Craig told me he can send me the dyno log to show this. Then on Monday he told you that he would give you 100% of your money back even though the issue is NOT with what he does and the labour charge is legitimate. If he is convinced that the vehicle has some issue and I for one believe him. Just like if Northside (with all his experience tells me the car has an issue I would believe him too. Experience in these things counts. Craig gets super results on all the cars he tunes ... he get over 900 nm on 200 series Cruiser and I don't know ANYONE getting those numbers. RLI you certainly have stooped a bit here I would think. Yes $899.00 without EGT control. With the EGT control it is $1299.00. The EGT limits can be set from inside the vehicle. This will de tune the chip when it get too hot. LOL! Talk about getting on the defensive! Members have been asking for MONTHS when they will be ready. and YOU have the hide to tell me off for this? 30-40K to produce a chip? I do it with $40 worth of bits from jaycar so maybe you should start investing in better staff to design for you then? Or putting some more time into safeproofing the chips and petrol/LPG kits that are killing enignes through High boost, overfueling and detonation! Or maybe designing intercooler kits to go with your home grown chips that keep the 200deg intake temps that arise from running 30psi of boost to a reasonable level? Maybe before you have a go at me next time, you should check out our website to see the kind of products that we develop in house. Yeah I suppose I do get defensive when someone has a shot at us LOL. Like now saying we blow up engines. We haven't had one blow up or faulter or fail or whatever other word you would like to use. And we dont over-boost. We add about 4 - 6 PSI ... thats all. This is just spin from you to try to get people off side. But your true colours now are starting to shine through mate. Our customers know what we produce. Northside must be running scared to try a cheap shot like that. In fact we had many clients that spoke to you already tell us they dont like the way you bag out others. You slander and tell lies about others. You loose out there mate. Did you let the cat outta the bag there about the stuff you flog to customers cause I know you are not talking about us. Yes I know you are going to have another cheap shot ... just your style it is sounding like more and more. We just let our customers give their opinions ... and we leave the rest for the others like you to cry foul! Leon and yourself have both provided good information and I wouldn't hesitate in buying a chip off either of use. Do unichips have to be wired in ? ^ You work to hard. Take a break to NSW and bring the chip and the wiring above and relax for a few days and then fit one to my Nav. Spoke to you guys at northy's the other day about a chip you can stop off in Kempsey and fot one for me as well , lol . PS some great fishing here. Hey Northside. How much would it cost for a intercooler package for a D22 3.0 ZD30 sent down to melbourne? just curious, as I'm looking to do this soon. cheers mate. 1. The wiring loom is long enough to mount the chipit computer inside the cab near the firewall above the accelerator pedal, saved having it out in the engine bay where in my case it will see lots of dust and water and mud. The neatest way for wiring to the map sensor is to unbolt the D40 computer and run the cables behind it and the radiator resovoir down to the large grommet at the firewall. I would be surprised if the local nissan mechanics will spot the wiring as it is all hidden and doesnt look out of place. 2. The EGT display can be slotted nicely into the dash, just remove form the box it comes in from Chipit and cut out a small section, nothing to interfere here behind the plastics, it is easiest enough to see when you want to watch it but not bliding in your face and annoying at night time. I did hae to extend the wiring on the pyro sensor about 400mm as the standard wasnt quite long enough for this mounting position. 3. Easiest (and probably most accurate) place to mount the pyro is on the side of the exhaust manifold before it bolts onto the turbo, here you dont have to remove too much stuff to access it and you can use the 1/8tap with a 12 sided 7mm socket to carefully tap into and nothing needs to be modified eslewhere to make it fit. Thought i would post this info as it would have saved me plently of time working out exaclty how to run cables etc if someone else had done this before me, hopefully this saves time for someone else. Currently running tune 4 from folder 2 and awesome, yet to do some pyro testing with towing and loads so will do that first on standard tune to get a benchmark. Sounds like a good install. Can you post some larger photos and include the positioning of the box? I'm looking at getting something similar soon. Is the Chip-It box easy enough to get to to retune? Yeah sorry about photos, but i resized the orginals and saved them all too small so thats as big as they get. Chip-It chip and delete pipe ordered thru Robert. Can't wait to get the thing on and see how it goes. No EGT at this stage. I'll slip that one passed he misses in a few months. Looking forwarded to installing both. Will post results. Which grommet did you run the cables for the Chipit and EGT through and on which side? I'm currently part way into the install and am struggling a little. Did you do the fuel restrictor mod as well? Is it necessary to install the disc for the fuel rail mod if you don't go above tune 8? I found it too difficult to unbolt. I got the banjo bolt off but gave up on the fuel rail bolt thingy. It was far too tight. Have you tried it with the ignition on? I've tried with ignition on and off. Engine on and off. And still can't get it to connect. I had a bit of trouble installing the driver software for some reason. I would go through the install process and it would seem fine but wouldn't actually install it. I think it was something to do with being a zip file? Not really too good with computers so can't say for sure sorry. Also make sure you select the right com port. Yep, have selected the right come port and it seems as though the software has installed correctly. The device manager says the driver is up to date and the com launches when the usb is inserted. I have un-installed, re-installed, changed com ports and still no luck. I class myself as being pretty good with computers. I'll give it another go today sometime. It is an extra earth that is needed. Some PCs are just trouble. I tried for 20 mins on a mate lappy with no joy. I gave up and then downloaded a new set of drivers and installed (USB cable NOT connected). Then chose another USB port and bingo, it worked. Here is the link for the new windows 7 driver. On ths score though, we are soon going to be releasing a new set of chips that do not require PC connection to change tunes. I been on hold wanting to compare prices with your chip and that other guys "wonder chip". Keen to power up for summer though so if you have it ready to go in the coming weeks I'd like more details? Robert, Will these new chips that dont require a laptop be any better (performance wise) or is it just a cosmetic upgrade with numbered switchs. Whens the earliest we can order these?? They will come through soon... say 3 weeks. Dealers will have the first but we will take orders in 2 weeks. Will the tunes be tailored for certain mods? Ie, map 1 standard vehicle = very small gains. map 5 high power = 25+psi + 17:1 afr? Why? Is yours going to have that? When is yours coming btw? As always, our chips will be able to be customised till the cows come home. Do you have any figures for power/torque & economy on a 6spd 2.5TD D40 running your standard Chip it tune? Being quite frugal I drive on cruise control everywhere & normally get 9.5 l/100 km with an easy right foot! By the way any comments on Cetane boosters..the internet is full of confusing info on the difference between octane & cetane boosters..have you come across any consistent performers at a reasonable price? Have you heard of a product called V10? I don't have these for the standard tune ... just custom and higher state tunes. With regards to the economy figures, not customers report a 5 - 10% fuel savings. However, we do not guarantee fuel savings as this is quite arbitrary. For example, I get 5% fuel savings on my car but Justin gets less because he drives his Triton like he stole it. Also, we would never recommend a chip fuel savings alone. Think about it ... to save (say) 10% fuel costs you would need to spend $15,000 worth of fuel to save say $1500 worth of chip. So if you were doing this for the power and would love to be saving fuel as well, then YES that would be very beneficial. Re octane boosters, any additional boost in octane you will get better performance / efficiency but most people way up the cost versus savings and with this equation you will not come out in front as the cost per litre of the booster is more than the savings per litre. Concerned!!!! I had the Chip it chip professionally installed a week ago just before i left for my 2 week trip around Tazy, he also did the fuel rail mod and egr block off. I was running quite a good fuel eccon of 800km out of a tank, now i'm flat out getting 650km p/t open highway from adelaide to Melbourne. At first i thought it was my like for the power but as i've done over 6 tanks through and each one getting less and less right foot heavyness (worst then i was driving before the chip) it's still not getting even close to 800km p/t. What setting is people finding best on there chip for 2.5 D40 STX manual. I think he said setting 6 was what he reccomended. To make it worst is i'm half way around Tazy and no way to change it. You would have been better off doing some more in depth researching on Chips or actual digital tuning modules like ..............not going to say that here. Anyone wanting a real tuning module should look for units that have upgradeable mapping and hours of Dyno data to back up their claims , Get my point ?? A diesel chip is basically a simple resistor which increases or decreases the amount of current that the ECU of the car sees from the fuel rail pressure switch. When the ECU sees that the current has changed, it will increase the diesel pressure to the injectors, therefore forcing more diesel into the engine creating more power. The downside to this is that the diesel is being injected at the same time as the standard injection timing is set at. This means that you will not gain any more fuel economy, but will gain power; this is known to be a fact throughout the industry. Because the Injection timing is not being changed as more fuel is being injected there is less time to burn, so fuel is being wasted. A diesel module is like an ECU, it controls each injector, it can change Injection Timing, Pulse, Width & Current. can increase & decrease the amount of diesel going into the engine by controlling the injector properly as we inject more diesel into the engine, we can change the injection timing, giving the diesel more time to burn it, resulting in more power, we can also optimize the injection timing for factory fuelling resulting in better fuel economy. Diesel Chips have been around for a long time and are basically just a resistor, Diesel Modules are the future in common rail diesel engines, anyone considering a chip for their common rail engine would be MAD not to investigate the benefits of a module; Modules are far superior and more advanced than any chip on the market today. The new xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx power module is able to control the Injectors, the fuel pump, boost and they also have a range of defenders that are able to control the engine, these modules are the most advanced on the market and have been developed by xxxxxxxxxx for Australian conditions. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx modules are able to hold four different fuel maps that can be custom tuned to each customer�s individual needs and also include fine tuning of up to 30% +/-. Why dont the manufactures optimize the engines fuel settings from the factory? ... well, the cars are developed with future performance increases in mind, for example the original humble VW/ Audi 1.9 TDi engine produced 50kw, then 60kw, then 74kw, then 81, then 96kw, then 110kw from the same basic engine. The manufacturers allow for 10 years of development at the design stage, it�s a multimillion dollar project to get a new engine from R&D to production. So at most stages of development, modern diesel engines have unlocked potential. Why use a xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Module vs. any other type of modification? These plug in tuning systems that are developed are designed for easy and discreet use. The unit can be installed/uninstalled at will. The engine does not know the system is in use. The unit is downstream of the ECU (electronic control unit) and has no interaction with it. The unit can be adjusted by the end user for overall power gain by adjusting the fuel up or down by upto 30%, it also has four individual maps that can be swapped at will. This gives the ability to have Four modules in one. For example, you can have one map focused on Fuel Economy, one focused on Torque for Towing, one focused on All Out Power and so on, the choice is yours. It can be removed and sold if required, remaps/chips etc have none of those features, and no additional performance either. Yourxxxxxxxxxxxxxx module can be removed from your Hilux and reprogrammed and fitted to your new Pajero, Triton, Prado, Navara etc. This is unique to xxxxxxxxxx giving you the ability to resell the module or fit it to your new car. The system can of course be removed prior to any service or repair work undertaken by your dealer. Max figures show the power your vehicle can produce when using a higher setting. Power adjustments are easy and optional; this is fully explained in instructions supplied. The Power Module will be programmed with standard settings for the best mix of performance and fuel ecconomy. This can be easily adjusted and is explained in the instructions. What is thexxxxxxxxxxx Power Module? The Power Module increases power and torque by over 40% with an added benefit of an average of 10% fuel saving. What about warranty if I install xxxxxxxxxxx in my car? Most car manufacturers and importers don't exactly love module/ chip tuning. Why did the manufacturer not offer tuning in the first place? Put simply, your vehicle's intended performance is restricted because car manufacturers have to allow for models variants that often use the same engine mechanicals with adjusted power figures. As well as this many countries around the world relate their tax levels to the power output of a vehicle. All xxxxxxxxxxxx products carry a 10 year Warranty and 30 Day money-back guarantee. Its out there you just gota look !!! No I'm not a dealer for them, but hey I might think about one day. Hey Marty why don`t you name the module? I mean every second power up post chipit has been mentioned. Tell how many chip devices can you get for a D40 , take a stab at it go on , it would be something like 20 odd if not more and they all claim the same thing More Power , better acc less black smoke and on it goes , now think back how many dont up the pump pressure ? Get a stand alone digital computer in place of any chip and the rewards will be huge , no matter what any chip manufacturer tells you. It took me a long time to find the module and I can not believe that no one here has made mention of it as there are D40 owners using them , guess its like this if its that good why tell others about it !!! Marty I still run a steinbauer.I decided on it because it connected to the injectors and did not just up rail pressure.I also have tried a race chip pro that does like all the others and ups the rail pressure.I must say the go pedal feels like it only needs about half the normal pressure to go the same speed.More than likely the higher fuel pressure is the factor there. Marty I have run 700 deg c post turbo on a stock setup which I`m thinking the D40 must be capable of.I have started a post trying to collect data to understand EGTs. Dozer you might want to try the fuel re set/re learn if it wasn`t done after the chip install. As far as chipping goes at the end of the day you get what you pay for . Some of the text Marty has posted seems familiar to this product. I thought people were here to help others that aren't so knowledgeable or mechanically minded. Now it's a secret society? What's the point of not sharing the info? Is it a case of, your football and no one else can kick it? The explanation in that link is a bit too alarmist, in my humble opinion. Even if you lose your mind completely, throw all caution to the wind, and just crank the chip to maximum, the fuel pressure relief valve brings an abrupt end to the party. In fact this is the very reason why results from generic fuel chips haven't been that stellar on the d40. With thousands of dirtcheap generic eBay chips on the road, and hundreds more on sale every day, we should have seen a wave of pump and injector failures by now, but I haven't come across such a thing in the last four years on the three major d40 forums. Some chip sellers supply a washer to allow rail pressure to go higher than standard setting before the relief valve opens.Has been mentioned somewhere on the forum about this mod.Does make you wonder why there has,nt been a lot of pump failures reported though. remember, each injector has its own pressure relief. The one on the rail is just to stop chip tuners from getting higher pressures into the system. not that you would sell something to the end users this way but you can crank up pressures on these to really high levels without leaks or failures. the CR injection system has the capacity from just off idle to delivery enough pressure to throw open the pressure limiter at the end of the rail. its just that that control valve (suction control valve) will redirect unwanted pressure back to the tank. the CR pump is gear driven off the crank so there is no way to make it spin faster than the manufacturer intended. There is more than just two chips that control the injectors as well as pump pressure. Here is a read for anyone interested in how they work. AWESOME Lindsay, Thank you for your effort and sharing. I will fix it right now. Is the incab adjustment a level adjuster? or on/off? And do sort of need to know if it is able to be adjusted on the fly or only while either stationary or engine off? Im updating all of the switching comments now as a couple of people have found it not clear enough the way Ive typed it. Adjust between tunes. On most vehicles adjustment can occur on the fly however 07 -> Hilux definitely need to be done whilst engine is off (Ign ON). We recommend folks to do the change on the side of the road in any case for driver safety concerns. So, Engine OFF, Ignition ON will stop any fault codes on all vehicles. Also the EGT control is via LED or LCD display inside cabin. This is also controlled/adjusted inside cabin. Common rail chips DO NOT make the fuel pump work harder. The pump is gear driven from the crank so no way to make it spin faster or work harder. The CR chips make the factory computer push the Suction control valve further "open" so that it redirects more pressure to the rail rather than sending it back to the tank. However, if someone is concerned about increased rail pressure and want a steinbauyer style unit then we have them too. Injector piggy back, plug and drive. Easy fit up and easy to change tunes. Price is $1349.00 + $25.00 Freight. Forum discount (till further advised) 10% off the Piggy Back unit. This is your new product Yeh? What does it control and how plz? I didn't look at your site to find out, is info there? no info out yet officially John. Dealers are getting first pick. But the injector chip is exactly the same style as Steinbauyer (SB) ... very easy to fit, no error codes unless you dont push the plugs on correctly and easy to change tunes. WOW - 18 pages took a while to read but fascinating from many aspects. If anyone is interested in tunes that actually edit the original ECU program drop me a line. Many more parameters to play with equals safer better performing tunes. Yeah I am interested in this addition... Gotta fix the power steering leak 1st. I posted on this thread yesterday, a number of times and suddenly nothing there, I also posted new thread that seems to have completely disappeared - des this happen often? Hi guys, I haven't read through this whole thread so forgive me if this has already been covered. Has anyone had any experience with the RACECHIP Pro chips from Germany? With the Aussie dollar at the current rate they are about $340 delivered. Claimed power and torque for the STX-550 is 219kw and 599nm. I like what you do (as I am a reflasher also) but the topics are made to discuss certain things, this one being 'Chip's'. I would recommend a new thread in the general tech with info on reflashing from you though. And if you wouldnt mind, I have written a very large article regarding 'Diesel Chip Tuning' I have yet to make a subsection regarding reflashing because so few people do it. If you want to contact me regarding this I am more than happy to update it with your info (the thread is on many forums at the moment). Jase, I am not a fan of chips period so probably the wrong person to ask, you get what you pay for in the end. Whatever the chip or company I recommend the following. Google the name of the product ( and/or company ) followed by problems or issues or faulty etc find out what chances you are taking. Some people love them and are very happy. At best i believe they fall short on delivering the maximum SAFE performance at worst ...... well google. Two good acid tests, money back guarantee, less than 30days a joke and do they warrant your engine for damage caused. its impossible to determine how each car will respond to it. Timing is also impossible to adjust correctly unless your recording minimum best torque values for that particular setup. Northside agree factory files are worse than tuning boxes but not sure our blanket comment on Vieuz files is correct. We used Vieuz a while back, directly and they were a good company, every file was customised, we changed supplier for different reasons. However there are some, like it sounds you have up there that build up a library of files using Vieuz then run around supplying that technology to the market. I have a guy running around here at the moment doing exactly that, so far we have fixed two of his stuff ups. He charges less than I pay for files but they come they go.

2019-04-18T23:33:02Z

http://www.navara.asia/archive/index.php/t-4767.html

The garden is starting to look pretty good. Of course, quite a few beds have been harvested or mostly harvested. Beets, garlic, onion, for example. And did I mention garlic? Rural Garden: We have discovered the joy of roasted veggies and have eaten them three nights in a row. Not tired of them yet. Potatoes, turnips, beets, shallots, red onion, garlic, carrot, pepper, squash. Drizzle some olive oil on a cookie sheet and bake for and hour at 425. At the thirty minute mark cover with foil. A little salt. A dash of Tobasco and it's a gormet treat. Our potatoes of the moment are Austrian Crescents and are quite large and well-formed even though the plant is still in bloom. We have a lot of them. Many more potato dishes to come. The fun never ends here in Portland! One of our hives swarmed about a week ago and ended up under the eaves of our neighbor's house. We were hoping that they were stopping there only temporarily but after about a week they hadn't left. This swarm was not in an easily accessible place where if could be shaken into a bucket and was worked pretty far back under the eaves. This colony would not be able to survive the winter exposed as such and is a nuisance to the neighbor, especially as they were planning on repainting this dormer this week (surprise!). This called for one thing: the beevac! The beevac is a crazy device someone dreamed up to remove bees from wall cavities and other hard to reach places. Typically it is a box but I made this one out of a bucket as it seemed easier and lighter. There is a shopvac attached to the bucket with a screened opening and then a hose out of the bucket to use to get the bees. It is not as satisfying as it might sound. The bees can hang on and you want to keep the suction fairly low so as not to damage the bees as they get shot into the bucket. Anyway, with the help of the homeowner, Sally and the recipients of the bees we had a successful operation with the comb removed and most of the bees alive. They will be transfered to a new hive tomorrow morning and hopefully will be able to bounce back. Rural Garden: It took things a long time to get going this spring with the wet cold weather. But on the fifth of July things warmed up and cell division began to happen big time. Everything spurted and though we are pretty much eating only lettuce, misc. greens and beets it appears we will have nice crops of berries, potatoes, beans, cukes, squash, tomatoes and even corn. We have eaten three small peppers grown in Walls O Water and there are turnips ready to pull as well. The hot garden seems to be working as planned. I love seeing squash vines exploring through several beds. Had one tomato plant collapse but staked it up and it is still growing. We finally got some flowers (zinnias and strawflowers) to bloom with the nasturtiums and sunflowers are coming on strong. We are in pretty good shape for the Edible Garden Tour which happens on July 18 (tomorrow as I post this). The lesson this year is patience. I didn't have much this spring and was doubly frustrated by slugs and rabbits. Had to use Sluggo and crop covers to keep these pests at bay. So far, the rabbit gum hasn't caught anything. But I did uncover a nest of baby rats in the decomposing straw bales of the compost pile. I should place some traps as a neighbor up the road recently caught eight rats in a week. Another friend told me the old timers are saying that this is the worst year ever for rabbits. The owls, hawks and coyotes need to get to work. Onions an shallots need pulling as do the rest of the beets which I've mulched with straw to make them last through the garden tour. We've done ten quarts of beets so far and canning and preserving will continue big time next week. The garlic had a bad case of rust and I lost a number of bulbs to rot and moisture. We had a couple good meals from the scapes. The garlic is all pulled and pealed and drying in the barn. The bulbs aren't affected by the rust but are smaller than last year. Still, we have 100 or so bulbs which will last us through the winter and spring and give us some to give away. The disadvantage of the rust is that you need to cut off most of the stem so you can't braid them. Rural Blog: Cousin Lew was visiting from Virginia and I was complaining about rabbits as I normally do all summer long. I don't think the little bastards are cute. Lew said, "Tomorrow we'll build you one of Grandpa Smith's Rabbit Gums." Of course, not having been raised on the farm like Lew was I was unfamiliar with the rabbit gum. It took a bit of research (actually just doing the Google) to learn that the term came from the tradition of using the black gum tree as a trap. Apparently the black gum is predisposed to a fungi which hollows out the trunk making it useful for both bee hives and traps. Our gum, however, would be made from wood. Lew roughed out a plan and I found a detailed schematic on the web which looked just like Lew's drawing but had all the dimensions and details. It took us a couple hours of sawing and carving to make our gum which now sits in the garden waiting to surprise the rabbit with its "hare" trigger. Ha. Ha. The critter will follow the bait into the box, bump the trigger and the door will slam shut. Then...well I don't really know what will happen then. Being of a vegetarian disposition and forbidden by family members from harming the creature I will probably just take it to the beach and try and beat it back to the garden. Maybe I will attempt to spray paint them a bit just to see how many I can catch. (Grandpa Smith was not on the catch and release program. He was a catch an eat kind of fellow). I guess I just want to mess with them a bit like they do with me. "My uncle taught me to bait traps with apple slices. This was his preference because apples were readily available that time of the year and would keep in the trap for a long while. In addition to placing a large slice in the trap behind the trigger, he also placed tiny bits of apple in a pathway leading to the entrance." I wonder if the door slamming shut will wake me up? Mother Earth News had a little feature on protecting your apples from maggots and worms by bagging them a la the Japanese. It linked to a 2007 article about using footies to protect the fruit. So I bought a box of cheap footies and am using cotton string to tie them around the fruit. It's time consuming but not demanding and you get to know your trees quite intimately. We'll see how it works in a few months. Our crop is very light. Rural Garden: I think some of beginner's luck is over with. The slugs are horrible this year and cutworms keep taking out my peas. Germination has been slow with the cool, wet spring following that early burst of nice weather. But we are moving forward and ahead of previous seasons due to planting earlier and pushing hard. Here's a series of photos taken May 29th to show status. On Saturday I spray compost tea and pull the row covers back and use the long handled hoe to take out the accumulation of the week's weeds. Click to enlarge photo. Squash plants are doing well. These are from starts purchased at Cascade Cuts. Tomatoes in garbage cans. An idea from Travis O. in Hawaii. Some corn peeking through. Maybe it will get ripe this time. But it is nice to see corn in the garden. An amazing plant. Beets. Spotted germination. I've reseeded . We like the beet. It's a twofer. Tops and bottoms. Nastursiums reseeded themselves and are going nuts. Pole beans. Note slug damage. Have had a hard time getting germination this year but they are finally popping up. No bush beans since I'm mad at the rabbits for eating them all. Three poles of pole beans. The bunnies will have to jump for them. Jeruselem artichokes. The rats or raccons ate most of them last winter. Garlic bed number 1. Had some rotting due to wet spring. Raspberries show signs of a great crop. Bok Choi, lettuce, radicchio, cabbage. All planted at the same time. I have great admiration for bok choi. Easy to grow. The rabbits ate all the sprouts before I got this bed covered and the bok choi fought back. Ate the first head of bok choi last night in the pasta sauce: onion, garlic, bok choi, two cans of diced tomato, one can of garbonzo. Seasoned with turmeric, Italian seasoning, cayenne, Bragg's, tamari, balsamic vinegar. It was pretty dang tasty. Rural Garden: Soft fruit, particularly raspberries, blueberries and strawberries are at risk this year from a new pest to the West Coast called Spotted Wing Drosophila, a particulary virulent pest which can lay up to 400 eggs per day. Entimologists are concerned because the fly was found last year all up and down the Pacific Coast. Cloud Mountain Farm has alerted its newsletter members to the probability that we will have the fly. Action must be taken to make sure they don't ruin the fruit. The fly can be identified fairly easily because of the black spots on the wings of the male. The organic method of ridding your fruit trees, and berry bushes is to make a trap of apple cider vinegar and hang it from the lower branches or lower wire of raspberry trellis. I'm going to use plastic containers and rig a hangar from some wire. Drill some 3/16" holes around the sides of the container, fill with about an inch of vinegar and put the lid back on. The fly is expected to show up in late May if it deems to make an appearance so traps best be set out soon. We've had a very busy month of beekeeping. We had a single hive of bees in a Top Bar Hive that we captured as a wild swarm last summer. It had overwintered fine and after fixing a bunch of errant comb in the early spring we hadn't done any more inspections. On the 15th we opened up the hive and saw A LOT of drone bees which, as it turned out, meant that the bees were getting ready to swarm. The next day we took a look again and found several queen cells, some being built and some sealed. (background: When a colony feels overcrowded or is in distress for some other reason it will often swarm in spring or early summer. A swarm of bees is a queen and roughly half of a colony striking out to find a new home. Before they swarm they will start to raise several new queens in specially built cells filled exclusively with royal jelly. In the picture I've cut the end off the queen cell exposing the larve, which w/o the royal jelly would just become a worker. We then tried to split the hive which, if successfully done, gives bees the impression they have already swarmed and leaves the beekeeper with two hives instead of one. Our split was sad to say, unsuccessful. A couple of days after the split, one of the hives swarmed into a boxwood tree in our yard. Luckily the little house we just built, allowed me to just reach it standing on the ridge of the roof. The swarm was captured and put into another hive. So now we have three hives, hopefully all with queens or queens on the way. THEN, the little buggers swarmed again, this time onto the top of our fence. The swarm was caught and put into the unused half of the second hive as I didn't feel like making another one in a big rush. Finally (hopefully) there was yet another swarm that landed on a young apricot tree in our yard, almost breaking the branch with its weight. I decided to make a different type of hive to house this swarm, called a 'Warre Hive', named after the french abbey who invented it. It is supposed to be the most sustainable of all hive types and, for better and worse, has almost no maintenance/inspections other than the harvest. After finishing the hive and taking a break until evening to insert them, the bees decided they did not like the plastic storage container that was their temporary home and swarmed again! Up until now, all the swarms had stayed discreetly in our own yard, but this swarm was on the move. The air was filled with a cloud of bees that started slowly moving into our neighbors yard and then into the next neighbors yard finally landing in the hedge of yet another neighbor. It was a gorgeous day so everyone was out, but thankfully no one freaked out. This swarm was also captured and put into the new Warre hive as of a few days ago. To my knowledge it is common for hives to swarm once or twice, but four times plus an artificial split seems a little out of line. We still feel very much like we are beginners, although we are getting a lot of practice catching swarms. The red thing in the back of what has become the 'bee yard' is a hammock that was put up when there was just the one hive. I've hung out in it a couple of times since the bee explosion and it actually is fine there! I may be tempting fate here but no one was stung during all previous escapades, despite our less than pro equipment. Rural Garden: After a long day of yard work (mowing, weeding, weed whacking plus some gutter cleaning and a compost tea party) I sat in the garden and watched the bees work our bolting kale. These plants which gave good food last year and this are now seven feet tall though last night's wind toppled several of them over. Watching bees is just as much fun as watching Dancing With The Stars. The bees love that kale. There seemed to be two different kinds of bees and neither looked like honey bees to me. One was mostly yellow, the other mostly orange. I couldn't see a pollen sack. When the wind gusted they buzzed off to return as soon as it calmed down. They were impatient and moved quickly from blossom to blossom. Glad the bees are here. Planted potatoes in a trench so it would be easier to heap dirt on the sprouts. Different from the way I did it the last two years. Two big beds of potatoes. Soil temps are rising so we should be seeing more stuff sprouting. I am attacking slugs with beer and the bok choy they chomped is fighting back. Some flowers are poking through including a handful of sunflowers. Some self-seeding lettuce is getting to edible size and the strawberries have blooms. Shallots are getting big tops and some of the garlic is almost three feet tall. It's getting exciting in the garden. Last year we built a pea house (frame to support the pea vines). It worked but when we tried to move it to storage it fell apart. It was a poor design. One piece with funky supports and not strong enough. This year we redesigned the frame with heavier scrap and screws rather than nail. It's two more or less identical pieces that will support four rows of peas. It should last more than one year. We stapled fish net to the cross pieces to give the peas a climbing wall. Rural Garden: It's satisfying to recondition a bed and get it ready for planting. After winter the raised beds look shrunken and compressed. They seem a couple feet narrower than before. The spring crop of rocks has floated to the top. I pick up the bigger ones and then pretty much follow the advice of Steve Solomon in Gardening When it Counts. I hoe the weeds and rake all the leaves I've dumped on the path. Then I take a digging fork and turn the dirt leaving only about 12 inches for a path. When the entire bed is dug out I grab a shovel and slice a couple inches of dirt out of the remaining path and toss the dirt on the bed. Finally, I take a hoe and knock the clods apart as best I can then rake the bed to its final shape. Today I decided I needed to repot my strawberries which are starting to bloom. They get root bound after a season and you have to shake them up. The plants were a bit ratty looking with lots of leaf debris and dead runners and even some weeds. I took a hori hori knife, one of the gardener's most useful tools, and cut around the plant and lifted it out with a pretty good clump of last years mix. I pulled some of that off then took my knife and loosened up what was left in the pot. (These are pretty good sized pots and took a lot of mix to fill last year). I had made a new mix of peat moss, vermiculite and bokashi mixed a third, a third, a third plus some complete organic fertilizer. I dumped several scoops of the mix into the pots then made indentations and stuck the plants in and pushed the mix down around them. I had twenty-three pots and I made a wheel barrel load of mix and finished the repotting in three hours. I watered the pots then topped them off with a couple of handfuls of biodynamic compost. Will give them some more water tomorrow if it doesn't rain tonight. In the photo the two pots at the top are repotted. A new improved pea frame has been constructed and installed and the cloche has been rebuilt and planted. Last year's cloche and pea frame worked but collapsed at the end of the season due to poor construction and design. This year instead of making one large flimsy pea frame we built two of much sturdier wood. Hopefully, they will last until next year. All built of scrap wood from the barn project. I learned about Bokashi from brother Bart who uses it in his garden in Hawaii and is growing some amazing vegetables. Bokashi is a kind of compost but it only takes two weeks to make. "Conventional composting relies on oxygen-fed organisms to break down organic material. Bokashi uses different kinds of microbes that thrive without oxygen. They decompose organic matter through an anaerobic process. It’s basic fermentation, the same process that gives us wine and pickles." Bokashi is used like compost but because it's odorless one of the most frequent uses is in indoor vegetable scrap composting. I plan to experiment with Bokashi with my pots. Need to repot all the strawberries so will make some potting mix, add some Bokashin and biodynamic compost and see if it works. Today I mixed up 100 lbs of the stuff using wheat bran, molasses, water and EM (Effective Microorganisms). It's simple. Pretty much followed this video. Yesterday I planted my onion and shallot sets. As it turned out we had such a mild winter I could have planted them in the fall with the garlic. But, this should work out okay. I also planted an odd onion called the Egyptian Walking Onion. It was great to get out there with the digging fork and turn over some dirt. I hated to disturb the worms but one bed had been used last year for potatoes, the other for cukes and they had to be rebuilt. When I got down the beds looked completely different, wider by a foot and a half. I put down 160 onion sets. Guess that should be enough for us and a few others. Haven't grown from sets before. Only from seed which I've never managed to thin properly. So perhaps this is the way for me to go. We are enjoying overwintered kale and chard along with wild nettles. The minerals have been applied. The hard part was figuring out how to get coverage. Some beds got more than others I'm afraid. Should I continue using Steve Solomon's COF (complete organic fertilizer) sans seaweed and lime? Your RX says I have enough organic material but I have a nice pile of biodynamic compost that I should use. Any problems with salting the beds with that compost? You do not need more organic matter. I consider 9% about the maximum that will be of benefit in the PNW. You have 13.33%. Your compost is also no doubt high in Potassium, which is already waaaay too high and will tend to lower the sugar content of the crops. If you have an orchard or blueberries you might want to use a bit of the compost for mulching there. You also don't need anything that is in the COF. Likely you don't need anything at all to grow great crops this year. Assuming your soil has good biological activity, there will probably be plenty of Nitrogen available without needing to add any. If you wish to use a little fertilizer of some kind, I would suggest mixing some bone meal or fish bone meal (fish bone preferred) into the bottom of the planting furrow like you do with the COF, maybe 1/2 cup per 10 row feet. Other than that, all I foresee you needing is water and sunshine. Rural Garden: Several years ago R and M dug up their fig tree in Everett and hauled it to the island where we planted it in what we thought was a nice spot. Problem was that late in the season, when the figs need heat and sun, they didn't get any. Last year I babied that tree like it was a small child with compost, fertilizer, frequent waterings and compost tea. We had a huge crop. Unfortunately, the fruit would not ripen. So, we decided to move it again, up the hill to R and M's house where it could have a nice sunny spot in their new orchard area. It wasn't easy. The fig had grown quite a bit. Lots of digging with shovels and a digging fork. Levering with a digging bar. And, finally, a push and shove with R's Kubota. The purpose of the High Brix Project is to prove a correlation between mineral balance in the soil, Brix measurements, and mineral nutrients in the crop. The growers who have volunteered for the project have agreed to share their soil test results and Brix readings, and to get a plant tissue mineral analysis of their crop which will also be shared. The goal is to prove that we can grow crops that contain much higher levels of nutrients than the standard fare, whether "conventional" or organic, as compared to the average nutrients listed in the USDA publications, historical averages, and various scientific studies, and to prove that nutrient levels and Brix are directly linked to the amount and balance of minerals in the soil. The project presently has 29 members, mostly from the US, but also from Canada, Denmark, Australia, and Zambia. We have tropical fruit orchards, coffee plantations, and pastures where sheep and cattle graze as well as many vegetable growers, both home garden and commercial. Members are using the methods of Carey Reams, William Albrecht et al, Biodynamics, and combinations of the three along with Rodale style mainstream organics. We have set up a members-only interactive wiki site to share information; all of the info we gather will eventually be shared with anyone interested. Rural Garden: The weather is scary nice for January. Hyacinth is popping up. Trees are budding to the point where is seems cruel to prune. Today I collected dirt for the soil test for Michael Astera's High Brix Project. I dug an hole in each bed and took a sample, spread the dirt in the barn on a piece of plastic to let it dry and stirred it up a bit. 8 ounces of this will go in a Ziplock bag and sent to Logan Labs. Then Michael will analyse it and give me guidance on what amendments to add. Seeing as how it was nice and I was into the dirt, I grabbed a wheelbarrow, shovel, a couple of boards and my homemade rock screener and started working on the dirt pile that was left when we excavated for the rain catchment tanks. It was slow going. I need a couple of lively kids to pluck rocks while I shovel. I got four wheelbarrow loads in an hour. An hour was enough. Wished I had screened the rest of the garden dirt as carefully.It's pretty when it's clean. It's exciting to see the garlic sprouting. 1. Any label carrying the green and white stamp, "USDA Organic" has a reciprocated interest with the USDA in maintaining organic certification. The USDA does not want to yank certification or act as a modulator or enforcer. Organic Certification is maintained by independent certifiers, each with a different political platform. There are sell-out organic farmers just trying to maximize their bottom-line, and there are hard-working farmers who really believe in approaching commerical farming with more sustainable, biodynamic principles. THERE IS VIRTUALLY NO OVERSIGHT CONCERNING ORGANIC FOOD. 2. Organic is a legal term, nothing more. It is controlled by regulations which are hardly enforcable. If a certified organic farmer runs the risk of losing an entire crop, or even part of a crop, due to a virus, a pest--anything-- that farmer will not hesistate to spray chemicals. Who will know? There are many cases in which organic farmers do this. The honest ones will report the chemical spray and generally get a slap-on-the-wrist, maybe a fine. It is unusual that a farmer's organic certification will be confiscated. Furthermore, due to the wide range of political platforms represented by individual organic certifiers, what prohibits a bad farmer from hop-scotching between organic certifiers? AGAIN, NO OVERSIGHT. 3. So the farmer sprays chemicals (Sidenote: many organic chemicals are more toxic than processed, inorganic chemicals) and doesn't report the treatment, who will know? Certainly not the consumer. The question remains, is that product still organic? NOT QUITE. 4. The answer IS NOT more regulation. The answer IS NOT more oversight. Any farmer who chooses to farm according to organic principles is doing it as a choice, not as a better option. For cute, small-scale, feed-yourself-and-no-one-else farming, organic farming fits in with what the mainstream would like. But such farming does not feed people. It accrues nothing for the larger community. "Certified" organic farming cannot feed thousands, yet alone millions. By this alone, it represents an elitist model of food production. BUY LOCAL. BUY DIRECT. KNOW YOUR FARMER. Many farmers exceed the standards set forth by the corrupt USDA and the National Organic Program (NOP). No regulation, no inspections are necessary: just wholesome food from wholesome farmers, and CONSUMERS WHO MAKE GOOD CHOICES. Last thing farmers need is more regulation. Rural Garden: I volunteered our garden for Michael Astera's high brix project. Will need to get a soil test and report it to Michael who will prescribe minerals to add to the garden. I'll take Brix readings and report to a wiki so the other volunteers can compare notes. In addition, a plant tissue lab test will be used to confirm progress or lack of it. The objective is to grow "nutrient dense" food. Michael has lots of good info on his website. His book, The Ideal Soil is available here as well. I bought a refractometer last year and was disappointed with the Brix readings I got on my veggies. So, will follow Michael's advice, as it develops, and try and take things up a notch. In the meantime, have doused the blueberries with Starbuck's Free For Your Garden coffee grounds. I scarfed up six bags on my last trip the B'Ham. Also managed to get the apples and plum pruned. Tried to scrape up all the apple leaves to reduce the chance of scab reoccuring and dug up the last five pounds of potatoes that, unfortunately, froze. Have You Seen My Garden Photos? Rural Garden: I've been boring quite a few people lately with my 300+ photos of the 2008/2009 gardening season. So, looking at these is optional. No editing has been done. Just a compilation of snaps taken to record the garden year. It has been about five months since we got the bees and we decided should harvest some honey before the cold days set in. Last week in the early afternoon it got up to about 70 and the sun was out so I put on the gear and decided to see if what was happening. We had a lot of meandering comb which made it so we couldn't easily move the bars around, so we didn't know really well what was going on in the hive. The bottom of the hive is just screening so I was able to take this pretty crummy flash photo of all the comb. It was hard to tell, even in person, how much comb was filled with honey while crouching under the hive, but we decided to just take one bar to try it out. The first year the hive has to build all the comb from scratch so it is not supposed to be a prolific harvest. Hopefully next summer when they start out with 15 bars of empty comb it will be a bigger harvest. We took one bar that was about 1/3 to 1/2 full of honey and ended up getting probably a quart of honey plus a tub of comb we will melt down to wax. We cut up the honey comb and just put it into jars to use as is. I haven't quite gotten used to eating the honey, comb and all, but that is how a lot of people do (foodies mostly it seems). You can also see the little house in the background of the first photo as well as the bee veil that Sarah sewed up using a straw hat from the Goodwill. I'm hoping to build another hive with an observation window this winter and maybe try to catch another swarm in the spring. We learn as we go. What I learned this year is that the south end of the garden is in the shade in from late September. Because tomatoes, peppers and eggplants were on that end of the garden the ripening process slowed due to lack of heat. In addition, the fig tree that I have so diligently nursed along and which is loaded with green figs will not get to a ripe stage. I think we will have to dig it up and move it to a warm, sunny spot. Perhaps in front of the house or even up hill to my brother and sister-in-law's place. It is, afterall, their tree, transplanted from Everett several years ago. I had planned to expand the garden, bought posts and fencing, then decided I had enough work already. Now, however, I want to try tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and such in a place that gets all day sun. So I am back in the business of building beds, having staked out an 800 sq. ft. addition and begun to turn sod. Turn the sod, hoe it, apply fertilizer, seaweed, maple leaves, and compost and cover it with black plastic to help break everything down. Turning sod is hard work. I have a WWOOFER on the way and this motivates me. I'll have most of it dug by the time he arrives and he can help me set fence posts and nail up the fence. This wasn't even on my project list but as often happens my management goes LIFO. There is a big disadvantage being on the water. It's cooler and the growing season seems a bit shorter. Plus we are shaded from the late afternoon sun. A bit of garden expansion to the north to increase late season sun exposure is now on the project list. An advantage of being on the water is unlimited seaweed. I recently read a post on Soil and Health by an Irish farmer who puts tons of seaweed on his fields that crab shells are very helpful in mineralizing the soil. There is also a substance in the crab shell called chitin that will help control predatory nematodes by stimulating the growth of fungi that attacks the insects. Good intuition, I suppose, led me to picking up the molted shells and tossing them into the garden. The fall crop of seaweed has arrived. It is a rich melange of Turkish towel, sea lettuce, kombu and wrack weed. It's so thick on the beach that a two handed scoop picks up a gallon at a time. The bad news is that low tides aren't very low or conveniently timed in October. But today there was a morning low as well as tomorrow. Got 55 gals today and will hope to double that in the morning. Yesterday I harvested apples from three trees and got almost a wheelbarrow full. There are five different varieties and I can only guess what they are. A couple are obviously scab resistant. Others are not. We plan a pressing party for Saturday and will initiate the new apple press. On the left are the monstrously large amish paste tomato plants, which are still ripening fruit. I'm tired of canning them. Next to that is the rainbow chard, which was covered with floating row covers for most of the summer and is therefore still very beautiful. This is the first year we haven't lost most of our greens to leaf miners, thanks to the row covers. On the right is a row of broccoli and cauliflower for fall. The cabbage moth caterpillars have done a number on them, because the moths were able to get in under the edges of the row covers, but the plants still seem healthy enough. Three kinds of kale for fall, from front to back: white russian, black tuscany and red ursa. On the left is a row of green onions. In the foreground are six brussels sprout plants. They're crowded in there but I really wanted more than a couple plants and didn't have any other free spot for them. The cabbage moth caterpillars have done some damage here too. Baby salad greens, simpson elite loose leaf lettuce, deer tongue and grumolo verde chicory. Here is a nice bushy patch of carrots. To the right and behind them where it appears to be just bare soil are overwintering onions. I lost a lot of the seedlings to who knows what. In front, on the left, are a couple mustard greens, and to the right are four tatsoi plants. The tatsoi is very attractive to something, maybe slugs. In the foreground here are a few fall raab plants that are looking a little leggy, probably because they're being shaded by the eggplants. The eggplants are still trying desperately to ripen more fruit; the oriental one on the left has set a dozen little purple babies. Spinach and arugula. These plants are still small, but we've gotten a couple salads from them already. Parsley on the left, beets on the right. The pretty purplish ones are bull's blood, and most of the green ones are chioggia. Here's a recent harvest: piles of chard and kale, salad greens, mustard greens, some tomatoes and my prize rosa bianca eggplants. And finally, eloise's pumpkin. This plant started off very slowly and we didn't really expect to get anything from it at all. Then it set this one pumpkin, which grew at an incredible speed and is now pretty big. It looks like eloise is going to have THE perfect jack o'lantern pumpkin by halloween! I got behind on harvesting zucchini and ended up with a washtub full. Almost more weight than I could handle by myself. I drove the car down as close to the garden as I could get it and struggled the squash to the car. There was at least sixty pounds of the stuff. We could have composted it but decided to haul it down to Mike and Joan's and feed to their cattle who eat pretty much any vegetation. This turned out to be a good decision because we returned with some corn, beans, onions, leeks and a gallon of tasty, hot kimchi. Something bad happened to my early cauliflower planting and I never figured out what. We had a couple of nice flowers on the second planting and used it to make flatbread. Cup of flour, cup of lite coconut milk, the cauliflower roated and curried, if you like. A bit of salt. Whisk into a batter and pour into a fry pan liberally oiled then tuck into the oven at 400 until it's all crispy. You can look it up on Mark Bittman's New York Times blog. The folks across the street cut down a bunch of trees. As a result our Asian pear bore fruit. Very nice pears. Our apples aren't quite ready but the ancient apple trees at the land trust property are loaded. These are huge old trees left over from the farm that existed here in the old days. Someone volunteered to prune them and the trees are loaded. We went over and collected a large bucket. Linda says she will make a pie. A two day canning marathon is thankfully over. My feet hurt, my back hurts and I am full of admiration for those canners of history who filled cellars and pantries with jar after jar of home grown food made on a wood stove, often with hauled water. I am in awe of my grandmother who kept a farm kitchen going with three meals a day and still managed to can a ton of stuff. And I find it hard to believe that Linda's grandma made so much jam that she wore off half the side of a spoon. We canned a bit last summer for the first time in our lives. We picked up the beat this year with beans, beets, zuchinni relish, lime pickles, bread and butter pickles, blackberry jam, plum chutney and plum jam. Canning is no longer a mystery. Next year we'll figure out ways to add to our repertoire. Clearly, we are pretty well supplied with condiments for the winter months and pleased that we have used a high percentage of the food produced by the garden. Rural Garden: Lots to do. The seaweed is starting to show up though not in huge quantities. So far, I've hauled about 70 gallons. I use it instead of kelp meal in Steve Solomon's Complete Organic Fertilizer (COF) formula. Next month there should be enough weed to haul fifty gallons in a day which is about as much as I want to deal with at one time. I dumped it and spread it out and am letting the rain rinse it although many sources say there is not enough salt to cause a problem. We are having a wonderful blackberry season. The berries are big and sweet. The window of opportunity for making jam is closing fast with the heavy rain we got last night. The tides and jam making wait for no man. We jumped on it and have 40 half pints of blackberry jam and 8 half pints of syrup resulting from not enough pectin in the mix. We are using non-sugar pectin and agave syrup as our sweetener and it's quite delicious. We use Linda's grandma's old wooden spoon to stir the mix. It is worn down on one side from hours of making strawberry jam (Ersie didn't like the seeds in blackberries. We don't mind them). The plums are coming on strong. Not quite ripe enough to eat but just right for making chutney. Chutney making was another new experience for us. Lots and lots of stirring. We finally resorted to pectin to get the sauce to thicken. It's so good we will hide it from ourselves for awhile and I doubt it will appear in too many gift packs. Zucchinis are piling up wanting to be relish, there's another batch of cukes waiting and hundreds of plums to deal with. We are getting a tiny taste of what putting up food is all about. Soak clean sliced cucumbers in water and lime mixture in crockery or enamelware for 12 hours or overnight. Do not use aluminum ware. Remove sliced cucumbers from lime water. Discard lime water. Rinse 3 times in fresh cold water. Soak 3 hours in fresh ice water. Combine vinegar, sugar, salt and mixed pickling spices in a large pot. Bring to low boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Remove syrup from heat and add sliced cucumbers. Soak 5 or 6 hours or overnight. Boil slices in the syrup 35 minutes. Fill sterilized jars with hot slices. Pour hot syrup over the slices, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Cap each jar when filled. Process pints 10 minutes, quarts 15 minutes in a boiling water bath canner. Test jars for airtight seals according to manufacturer's instructions. Refrigerate unsealed jars. Rural Blog: The garden is past its prime but there is still loads of food—cukes, tomatoes, lettuce, squash, strawberries, broccoli, even a few beans. And this year we have peppers courtesy of the Wall O'Water. Last night we toasted some Shishito peppers in the toaster oven, blistered them and ate the whole thing, seeds and all. We could eat potatoes every night. And they are so creamy and nice I don't think we will tire of them. They're great with pesto sauce. The rabbits were hard on the garden this year. I should have been more diligent with the row covers. They ate lots of beans, pretty much wrecked the later carrots, devoured the cauliflower and generally earned the designation "pest." Some people think they are cute. I do not. I have even fantasized about a dog, looked at beebee guns on the internet and considered using them for .22 target practice. But I suspect I will just manage my row covers better next year. They don't seem to like beets so will have some tonight. Our flowers did well. The sunflowers, sweet peas, nastursiums, straw flowers and marigolds decorated the garden. The prettiest of the flowers are out front of the house. Linda's fancy dahlia's. Early Girl tomatoes, cupidon bush beans, Russian banana potatoes, basil. Because of the hot weather the garden seems to be about a month ahead of last year. The pea vines have been torn down. All the potato vines are on the ground. The flowers are about done. Yesterday I picked all the beans I could find and began to pull up the bush beans. Speaking of beans, I had more last year with half the plants. I don't think they enjoyed the heat. And the rabbits really ate a lot of beans. I'm glad they can't climb the poles. I managed to get enough to pressure can nine quarts which took about four and a half hours. I would have to sell them for fifty dollars a quart. Yesterday on Soil and Health there was a discussion of what it takes to have a subsistence garden. One fellow reported how he did it: "Grew Approx. 400 corn plants...400 ft row of beans...seasonal gardens...raised and harvested olives for oil...raised ... Figs, almonds, apricots, apples, grapes...each day shelled out ears of corn .. soaked for 24 hours .. rinsed for 2-3 days until germination started. Daily meal .... ground wet into masa ... added oil and seasoning (herbs) and mixed by hand into a chapati, or made into various shapes ... cooked over open fire or solar oven along with beans. Ate with salad and/or cooked vegetables. Next day .....repeat." I'm a very long way from a subsistence garden. The potatoes are Russian Bananas and quite creamy and delicious. We've been eating them with pesto sauce. -more broccoli and brussels sprouts; I started some of these last month and decided I want some more, so I hope it's not too late for them. I have a new seed starting procedure this fall. In the spring I was using Steve Solomon's seed starting soil mix, which contains a lot of garden soil and compost, and I kept getting mold on the soil surface. I've heard the recommendation to use a fan to improve air circulation and avoid mold, but I've also been told that it's important to keep them covered to maintain even soil moisture during germination, which means there isn't any air circulation... So my latest plan is to use a sterile seed starting mix (the one I made up is 50% Beats Peat, a coconut fiber replacement for peat moss, and 50% sand), and then to transplant them to Steve Solomon's mix after germination. This is what I did with the fall starts that I started last month and it seemed to work well. My concern is that an additional transplanting will damage roots and stunt the plants, but hopefully if I move them just after germination I will be able to do it with minimal damage. We've been having almost-record-setting temperatures this week; yesterday was a degree off the all-time high temperature of 107 degrees in Portland. It has been hard on the animal members of our household; people are sweating, the dog is panting, cats are spread thin, and the chickens are also panting, and holding their wings away from their bodies. The plants, however, seem pretty happy about it. Anything that would have bolted is long gone at this point, and the heat-loving summer plants are growing like crazy. It's hard to keep everything watered; the winter squash and one very sensitive cherry tree particularly tend to wilt. But everything is setting and ripening fruit at an almost alarming pace. Even the watermelons appear to be on their way to actually producing edible melons; I wasn't sure if they would make it, but as it turns out this is the summer to try growing melons. I've installed a program to use our gray water for watering the garden. We now have an enameled tub in the kitchen sink and one in the bathtub, and each time they fill up they are emptied into a 7 gallon plastic tub that is on the back stoop; any overflow from that tub goes into any five gallon buckets that are sitting around. And from there it is used for watering. It really has been surprising how much water we normally run down the drain, and very satisfying to use it instead. This evening we dug up some of the Yukon Gold potatoes, and I was surprised to find way fewer potatoes than expected. The plants were flopped over and dried out, so I'm sure they were done producing, but what we found was some good size potatoes and some tiny potatoes, about four pounds from three plants. I don't know if this sorry yield is the result of planting grocery store potatoes rather than certified virus-free seed potatoes, but last year we planted grocery store potatoes that had sprouted in mid-june (rather late) in our plastic recycling bins (which means they didn't have much room), and got at least as much in return. This year the potatoes were planted as per Steve Solomon's directions. We have more Yukon Golds to dig, plus a bunch of Russian Blues (also grocery store bought potatoes that had sprouted), and some Burbank Russets that just went into the ground in July (virus-free nursery stock). Dinner tonight, all from our yard: Yukon Gold potatoes cut into chunks and fried, then mixed with green beans and garlic and topped with a sunny side up egg per person and some chopped basil. Corn on the cob on the side. Yesterday we made and froze lots of pesto. Basil, parmesian cheese, garlic (from the garden), pine nuts, salt and pepper. Made six ice cube trays. Today we are pickling beets. Vinegar, agave syrup in place of sugar, allspice, cinnamon and salt. Decided to do quarts but are only able to process three quarts at a time. Canning raises lots of questions about use of power and water. I do save the water in the canner and use it over and over as well as the pot full of water for heating jars (I can't figure out the short cycle in our dishwasher). Our canning operation was interrupted when a hummer hit our window. Linda checked the internet to see what to do and when we followed the recs (giving her a bit of sugar water from a straw), the tiny bird died. According to the internets, three quarters of fledging hummers don't make it. There are five times the normal amount of hummingbirds around here this year and lots more goldfinches (the Washington State bird) as well. Now back to canning beets. Dinner tonight, all from the garden: tomatoes with basil, cucumber, corn on the cob, and zucchini (cooked with our garlic). The garden has reached maturity. Potato vines are toppling over, the peas have turned yellow, the bush beans too. Weeds are growing slower. It only took thirty minutes with a shuffle hoe this morning to clean things up. Figs are ripening and new little figs are appearing for a second crop. The plum tree seems to be thinning itself and yellow jackets are all over it perhaps eating aphids. My cilantro plant is toppling over and needs some attention. Perhaps I'll strip it and dehydrate it. The garlic is now dry and needs braiding. The giant sun flowers need to be cut down and hung up to dry. (Last year we hung them in the garage and they got all moldy. Not enough air movement. This time I am going to wire them to the fence). The family of rabbits living under the cosmos hardly notices me. They just keep on nibbling. They loved the bush beans and worked them pretty hard. The mobile tomatoes have been bearing fruit for a couple weeks. The tomatoes in the straw bale green house are an explosion of leaves. I would like to take the top off and prune them but am afraid I couldn't get the lid back on. I will let the experiment proceed. My biodynamic compost pile has taken on a lovely crumbly look. Onions are popping out of the ground. Each night for a week or two we've been able to pick two bowls of raspberries and blueberries for dessert. The raspberries are about done but blueberries will be with us for awhile. Young cukes are 3"-6" long. I planted three more zukes to keep the relish production going. We now have 20 pints. We harvested the peas last week and froze about four pounds. Frozen also were several bags of green beans. My succession crop of lettuce is finally coming up. Germination in this hot weather is quite slow. But the heat has goosed the sweet potatoes and they are now making leaves under a row cover. Flowers are blooming profusely and Linda was able to make table settings for last weekend's Boys and Girls Club auction without seemingly making a dent in the garden. More chamomile to bundle and dry. The lone eggplant is getting bigger.

2019-04-24T20:23:06Z

https://aubreypub.typepad.com/weblog/page/2/

The Sabbath was over, and it was almost daybreak on Sunday when Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. Suddenly a strong earthquake struck, and the Lord's angel came down from heaven. He rolled away the stone and sat on it. The angel looked as bright as lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards shook from fear and fell down, as though they were dead. For some reason I always thought that the angel rolled the stone away from the entrance to the tomb of Jesus and the Resurrected Christ came out. That is not what the Bible says. It says that the angel rolled the stone away and revealed that the tomb was empty! There is a big difference. The Resurrection did not depend on the stone being moved. Jesus did not wait for the stone! When a man is raised with Christ to walk a new life empowered by and led by the Holy Spirit there are "rolling stones" that would try to keep us in the tomb of our old lives! And so we sit and wait for someone to roll the stone away from the entrance to our tomb convinced that until they do we cannot live the "Resurrected Life" of a follower of Jesus. We make much of being Crucified with Christ but pay little attention to following Jesus in His Resurrection. Like Jesus you can leave the tomb before the stone is rolled away! After Jesus was resurrected He demonstrated that He could walk through walls, After you are raised with Christ to walk a new life, you can also walk through the walls that would keep you from living your new life to the fullest! "Thank You Jesus for inviting me to die with and be raised with You. Thank You for what the Resurrection means for all men, but also Lord for what the Resurrection means for my life today. May Your angel roll the stone away from the tomb of my old life so the world can see that I am not there. And may You be glorified forever! Amen." That evening a rich disciple named Joseph from the town of Arimathea went and asked for Jesus' body. Pilate gave orders for it to be given to Joseph, who took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth. Then Joseph put the body in his own tomb that had been cut into solid rock and had never been used. He rolled a big stone against the entrance to the tomb and went away. All this time Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb. Pilate said to them, “All right, take some of your soldiers and guard the tomb as well as you know how.” So they sealed it tight and placed soldiers there to guard it. The day after the Crucifixion of Jesus was also the day before the Resurrection. It was indeed a Day of Despair for those who followed Jesus. The Bible does not mention anyone who was anxiously waiting for that Sunday morning and expecting the tomb to be empty. Only the chief priests and Pharisees thought the tomb might be empty because the disciples could steal the Body of Jesus to make everyone believe that he was no longer dead. The Day of Terror on that Friday was followed by a Day of Despair when everything seemed to be lost. All hope was gone and the disciples must have been going over in their minds everything they knew and believed about Jesus. Did Jesus really do all those miracles? How can his death on a Cross make any sense at all? It was all so confusing. Are you a follower of Jesus Christ and yet are experiencing a Day of Despair? The things you had hoped for have not happened and the things you feared have come upon you. You can understand how the disciples of Jesus felt on that Saturday after the Crucifixion. Be reminded that after the Day of Despair comes the Resurrection! The darkness will not last. The light will come and shine forever! So wait, and wait patiently for the Resurrection! "Lord Jesus I thank You that You came back to life and that You will come back again! I know that the darkness of today will change into the glorious light of tomorrow when I see Your face, and will keep on seeing it forever. Thank You Lord. Amen." Ezekiel, I am sending you to the people of Israel. They are just like their ancestors who rebelled against me and refused to stop.They are stubborn and hardheaded. But I, the Lord God, have chosen you to tell them what I say. Those rebels may not even listen, but at least they will know that a prophet has come to them. Don't be afraid of them or of anything they say. You may think you're in the middle of a thorn patch or a bunch of scorpions. But be brave and preach my message to them, whether they choose to listen or not. Ezekiel, don't rebel against me, as they have done. Instead, listen to everything I tell you. And now, Ezekiel, open your mouth and eat what I am going to give you. Just then, I saw a hand stretched out toward me. And in it was a scroll. The hand opened the scroll, and both sides of it were filled with words of sadness, mourning, and grief. The "Good News" of the Gospel is nothing but words of sadness, mourning, and grief for everyone who rejects Jesus! It is only Good News for those who turn away from the world and fully embrace Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. God told Ezekiel that when he preached those "rebels may not even listen." If you are called to proclaim the Gospel, the response to that message does not bring you shame or glory. If no one turns to Jesus because they heard you proclaim the Gospel its is no fault of your own. And if everyone who hears the message repents and turns to Jesus there is no glory that should go to you because of their response. As a follower of Jesus your success has nothing to do with how many people come to know Jesus because of you. If you follow Jesus you are a success and if you don't follow Jesus nothing else matters. An evangelist is like a man who delivers the mail. His job is done when the mail is the delivered. Nothing that happens after it is delivered has anything to do with him. "Lord, give me the courage to deliver the message of the Gospel to everyone, not just those who I think are more likely to receive it. May I glory only in knowing You and not in how men respond to my preaching. Thank you Jesus. Amen." Because Noah had faith, he was warned about something that had not yet happened. He obeyed and built a boat that saved him and his family. In this way the people of the world were judged, and Noah was given the blessings that come to everyone who pleases God. There are many people in my ancestry to whom I am grateful for their faithfulness to God. I don't know who most of them are, but I do know Noah. Without Noah's faith humanity as we know it today would not exist. When Noah built the ark he saved not only the animals. Noah also saved me and he saved you! If you believe, as the Bible says that everyone on earth died except Noah and his family, then Noah's faith was the channel of every blessing you now have from God. Even as Noah saved the human race from extinction when the flood came, Jesus is the ark that saves from Eternal Death those who come to Him! God provided the ark as a way for Noah and His family to escape the flood that destroyed the earth, and God sent His Son, Jesus Christ as the way for us to escape the flood of sin that is destroying all mankind. When Noah got in the boat and shut the door he saved your life on this earth, and when Jesus died on the Cross he saved your Eternal life in Heaven if you trust in Him. "Lord Jesus thank you providing the Way for all men to be saved from the flood of evil that would sweep us away and drown us in sin. Help me to rest today in Your arms as Noah rested in an trusted You in the ark. Thank You Jesus. Amen." COD shipping is still available in the United States, but with the coming of the electronic transfer of funds it is not very popular. COD stands for "Collect on Delivery." With COD shipping you pay the price when you receive the thing you ordered. Many people seem to believe that Salvation is COD. They think that the price is paid when they come to Jesus. And although they know that they cannot pay for their own salvation they try to pitch in a little something to help with the price! Your Eternal Salvation is not COD. The price was paid for your salvation and the sins of the entire world when Jesus died on the Cross 2000 years ago. When a man or woman is lost it is not because the price was never paid! Like a package lost in shipment everyone who chooses Hell instead of Heaven is not lost there because there was no sacrifice for sin. The price was paid on the Cross. God chose you and paid for your sins. Will you choose Jesus or choose Hell? It is really that simple. "Lord Jesus, I rejoice with You today about those who will be delivered to You today. Help me to encourage someone else to choose You, Lord Jesus! Amen." God's curse will no longer be on the people of that city. He and the Lamb will be seated there on their thrones, and its people will worship God and will see him face to face. God's name will be written on the foreheads of the people. Never again will night appear, and no one who lives there will ever need a lamp or the sun. The Lord God will be their light, and they will rule forever. Why does a motor car need a rear view mirror? I suppose I have never really pondered that, but it is significant when you think about it. A rear view mirror is necessary if you are going to turn to the right or to the left or you are going to slow down or stop. If you never slow down or turn away from the road you are on it is not necessary to look behind you. God did not put eyes in the back of our heads. God did not give man a natural rear view mirror. When you are running a race there is no need to look back or turn to the right or the left. You look toward the goal and keep going as fast as you can. In a very real sense every follower of Jesus is in a race. We are not trying to be the only one who wins the prize but we must run toward Heaven and look at Jesus without ever looking back or turning to one side or the other. Looking back serves no purpose in running the race today. It is only important, where you are going, not from whence you came! "Lord Jesus, help me to press on toward the goal today. Give me the strength to run the race. I thank You Lord that You are indeed with me always. I can almost see the End of the race and the beginning of an Eternity with You, Jesus. Amen." I have always thought that Enoch was a unique case in the Bible. He was "raptured" by himself and no one ever found his body. The experience of Enoch is what will happen to those who have faith when Jesus returns. God will take us up to heaven and we will not die! How was Enoch different from other men who had faith in his time? The Bible doesn't say, but this verse implies that Enoch was constantly searching for God. His day must have been a continual, running conversation with God. I'm sure Enoch got away from others to spend time with God, but he must have also sensed the presence of God while he was walking with the crowd. Make it your goal to please God like Enoch did. Have faith in God, but spend your day searching for Him. Search for God in everything you see, do and hear. Search for God in the good things that happen and in the tragedies. Search for God when you are happy and when sadness overwhelms your heart. Take only the steps that you believe are pleasing to God and wait patiently for Him to show you the way. Then when you arrive before the Throne of God He may tell you to stand with Enoch as you praise Him forever! "Lord, I believe in You, but I want to trust You and depend on You more. I want to have faith like Enoch's and I want to search for You as Enoch did. May I please You today in every step I take and every thing I do. In the name of Jesus I ask this. Amen." Someday, I, the Lord, may send an enemy to invade a country. And suppose its people choose someone to stand watch and to sound a warning signal when the enemy is seen coming. If any of these people hear the signal and ignore it, they will be killed in battle. But it will be their own fault, because they could have escaped if they had paid attention. But suppose the person watching fails to sound the warning signal. The enemy will attack and kill some of the sinful people in that country, and I, the Lord, will hold that person responsible for their death. When a soldier who is standing watch falls asleep, the consequences are almost always severe. The safety and security of the rest of the army depends on that watchman staying awake and vigilant. I believe that every follower of Jesus Christ is a watchman as well as a disciple. When you see danger coming you must not only prepare to stand in the storm, but also warn others of the trouble that is on the way. Being a watchman is hard because you may be the only one seeing the difficulties on the horizon. Everyone around you thinks that all is well and no trouble is on the way. That is the way it is with the world. Of all the problems in this world there is only one that makes an eternal difference. That one thing is SIN! Sin is behind everything that is wrong with this world. Without SIN and it's consequences truth would reign and the Majesty and Glory of God would be seen by everyone. As a watchman, you may be watching for all the End Times prophetic fulfillments while you ignore the imminent danger of SIN in your life and the life of your nation. When you see SIN sound the alarm and prepare to say NO to every temptation that may come. And when you SIN, repent without delay and come back quickly to the arms of Jesus! "Lord Jesus, give me the courage to warn those around me of the SIN that I see. Lord, the battle is not over, in fact it is raging as we all wait for Your return. Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen." “Hooray for the Son of David! It was in the early Spring that Jesus came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey. It is on the first day of Spring that the President of the United States comes to Jerusalem riding on the Marine One helicopter. The only donkey in US political life is the mascot for the Democratic Party. Jesus was called the Prince of Peace and many people are wanting the U.S. President to bring peace to Israel and the rest of the world as well. Jesus was received like a king with shouts of praise as He came into the city. As I write this we do not know how the U.S. President will be received. But I do know this: There is no comparison between any President of the United States and Jesus Christ. Presidents come and go and are like a raindrop in a storm compared to the Power and Glory of Jesus Christ. Jesus was there at the Creation of the World and His return to the earth will signal the End has come! The most powerful man on earth is nothing compared to Jesus. Is the visit of a U.S. President to Israel on the first day of Spring 2013 important. Well yes it is because everything that happens is used of God to accomplish His purposes in this world. And that includes your life and mine. Remember everything you do today is important to God. "Lord, may I faithfully walk in the path You have chosen for me today and not turn even one step to the right or left. And Lord, may only Jesus receive all the Glory forever. Amen." If you are thirsty, come! If you want life-giving water, come and take it. It's free! There is a "life giving tree" in my back yard. Some years this tree is full of peaches and if you were starving to death, it would certainly have enough fruit to save your life. No one planted my peach tree. It came up where Granny would throw out the garbage. But that peach tree gets so full of peaches that I have to support the branches or they would break under the weight of the fruit. The life giving tree in Heaven has a very special fruit. When you eat of that tree you will live forever! That is why God made Adam and Eve leave the Garden of Eden, so they wouldn't live forever in their sin. But the redeemed will eat of the Tree of Life and live with Jesus in Heaven without end! Men and women go through life looking for something that will satisfy and insure that they will live forever. First they try one "tree" and it's fruit. Then they try another. Like a bee going from flower to flower they are hoping the next one will give them what they want and need. It will not. Only Jesus will give you what you need to live forever. Stop trying to find it somewhere else. "Lord Jesus, I confess that I have been looking for eternal life in all the wrong places. I once again fall down at Your feet and praise Your Name until that Day when the Door will be opened and You will let me eat of the tree that gives eternal life. Thank You Jesus. Amen." God's home is now with his people. He will live with them, and they will be his own. Yes, God will make his home among his people. 4He will wipe all tears from their eyes, and there will be no more death, suffering, crying, or pain. These things of the past are gone forever. I think I was in high school when I first saw a poster with the saying, "Cheer up, things could be worse. And so I cheered up and sure enough things got worse!" The "IF WE" claims are everywhere. If we elect a Republican in the next election things will get better. If we hold on to our guns and don't let "them" take our guns away then it will be better. If we pass the right laws and don't pass the wrong ones then all will be well. Parents want a "better life" for their children and a "better retirement" than their parents had. Business owners want a "better year" and a "better economy." I suppose all those things would have been possible if it were not for the problem of Sin. Adam and Eve turned away from God and turned toward their own satisfaction and put us all on the path of sorrow, pain and suffering. Living here on earth without great difficulty is like trying to swim in the water without getting wet. But when God makes His home among His people all those things will be gone forever! Instead of spending your life trying to remove the pain of living on this earth, live this life getting yourself and others ready to live with Jesus in Heaven. "Lord Jesus, I know that the tribulations of this world will only go away when You come back and take your followers to be with You forever. Help me to be ready to go when You come and ready to stay until You do! Amen." Once I saw what people really think of wisdom, and it made an impression on me. It happened when a powerful ruler surrounded and attacked a small city where only a few people lived. The enemy army was getting ready to break through the city walls. But the city was saved by the wisdom of a poor person who was soon forgotten. So I decided that wisdom is better than strength. Yet if you are poor, no one pays any attention to you, no matter how smart you are. to a crowd of fools. all the good you have done. The United States is currently adding many millions of dollars of debt to our already depleted economy by constructing 14 additional missile defense sites on the West Coast. North Korea is threatening to strike an American city with a nuclear missile, and this time the threat appears to have more teeth. When the Bible says "wisdom is better than strength" and that "wisdom is more powerful than weapons" we are confronted with the missing ingredient in government. If a country is powerful, but it's leaders are not wise it is no better than a paper tiger or a even worse a tiger, escaped from the zoo running loose in a city. Pray that wisdom will be restored to the leaders of both North Korea and the United States. But what about your own life? Are you running through life with plenty of power and money but very little if any wisdom from God? Would you rather be a rich man or a wise man? A rich man without wisdom can cause great damage in the world around him. But a wise man without riches can still "save a city." A rich man who is also wise is a blessing to many! The man with the greatest wisdom is the one who runs hard after God. When you seek Jesus Christ and put Him on the throne of your heart the wisdom of God is daily poured into your mind through His Word and the Holy Spirit. Judge a nation, not by how many missiles of war it has, but by how much of the Wisdom of God is seen in it's life. Men will be judged the same way. Let faith be your shield. Faith is better than missiles! As soon as Moses said this, the ground under the men opened up and swallowed them alive, together with their families and everything they owned. Then the ground closed back up, and they were gone. He was in bed and then suddenly without warning a sinkhole opened up under his house and down he went never to be found again! Then just a few days later a man was walking on the golf course when an 18 foot deep sinkhole opened up under his feet and took him down. The golfer was rescued and I hope some day will be able to laugh with those who tell the story of the man who went to the golf course and fell in the hole! The first recorded instance of a sinkhole swallowing people is in Numbers 16. A man named Korah was leading a rebellion against Moses when God opened up the earth and sucked Korah and his followers to their death. Those who heard their screams ran away shouting "We don't want that to happen to us." By the way there is no indication that today's sinkholes are being used by God to punish sinners and those who are rebelling against God. Truthfully, we all have sinned and deserve a sinkhole, but God sent Jesus to rescue us from a fate worse than a sinkhole. The best way to avoid sinkholes today is to turn your heart and life over to Jesus Christ. Jesus died so that when you die on this earth you will begin an eternal life with Him in Heaven where there are no sinkholes. Jesus Christ is the only solid ground that will never give way and crumble under your feet! Today is the first full day of the new Pope's life as head of the Catholic Church. The news is coming in slowly as the questions about who he is and where he came from are being answered in bits and pieces. As the days and weeks go on we will know much more about Pope Francis. The Pope's legacy will be defined not by where he came from and even what he did in his past life, but rather by where he is going and what he does in the future with the Catholic Church following along. This one man has been thrust into a position that greatly influences the lives of untold numbers of people. Whether you are Catholic or not you should pray that God will help him lead those people toward righteousness and not the other way. Today is the first full day of the rest of your life as well. You are not the leader of millions of people, but you have the choice to walk toward righteousness and influence those around you to do the same, or you can walk toward darkness and pull people away from Jesus. As a follower of Jesus remember that it does not matter where you came from, it only matters where you are going! A little while before morning, Jesus came walking on the water toward his disciples. When they saw him, they thought he was a ghost. They were terrified and started screaming. “Come on!” Jesus said. Peter then got out of the boat and started walking on the water toward him. But when Peter saw how strong the wind was, he was afraid and started sinking. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus said that we would do what He did. Does that include walking on water today? I have never seen anyone, or even heard of anyone who claimed that they walked on water. There are plenty of people who say they have seen the sick healed or the dead raised to life, but not so many who claim to have walked on water. Lesson number one in walking on water is this: "Don't try to walk on water unless Jesus tells you to do it!" Lesson number two is: "When you walk on water keep your eyes firmly fixed on Jesus. That is the only way to keep from becoming fearful and beginning to sink." And finally, if you start to sink quickly call out to Jesus. I had a "walking on water moment" yesterday. I was trusting the Lord in ways that I have never trusted Him before. The storm was raging, but walking in stride with Jesus made it exciting, not fearful. Then almost without warning I started looking at the wind and the waves. My sinking started quickly and I began to panic. Like He did with Peter, Jesus reached out and kept me from sinking. The problem of course is fear, fear of heights, fear of drowning, fear of flying, fear of anything. The Bible says that Perfect Love casts out Fear. Jesus is Perfect Love and He is the only one who can cast out and deal with all your fear! The fear of God is only fear that should remain when you walk with Jesus. And that fear is the only one that can leave you at perfect peace while standing in awe of your Eternal Creator! "Lord Jesus, thank you for reminding me of what happened to Peter when he walked with You on the water. Help me today to be concerned only with Who is by my side and not what is under my feet! Thank you Jesus. Amen." Instead, God chose to save only those who believe the foolish message we preach. Jews ask for miracles, and Greeks want something that sounds wise. But we preach that Christ was nailed to a cross. Most Jews have problems with this, and most Gentiles think it is foolish. Our message is God's power and wisdom for the Jews and the Greeks that he has chosen. Even when God is foolish, he is wiser than everyone else, and even when God is weak, he is stronger than everyone else. Human wisdom and knowledge have their roots in the tree that produced the forbidden fruit. They both depend on the five senses of man and are totally impotent in dealing with anything that cannot be seen, heard, tasted, smelled or touched. There is of course an eternal world that cannot be sensed by any of these. Men and women without the indwelling Holy Spirit have no way of understanding the things of God. It is like a man who is born blind. All men are born without spiritual eyes. They can no more see God's eternal reality than a blind man can see the sunset. They may hear about Jesus and even believe that He is real, and that He must be wonderful. But only after their eyes are opened can they experience the Glory of God's Son! Don't forget that telling men about Jesus is not enough. The message of the Gospel doesn't simply declare that God is real, the Good News calls them to come to Jesus and have their spiritual eyes opened to the eternal glories of God. The Power of the Gospel is not in learning more about Jesus. You can know many things about Jesus and never let Him touch your heart and heal your life. "Lord Jesus, I know many things about You, but what I need is to know You more and more. I need You to touch me where I am broken and heal me where I am sick. I need you to open my eyes so I can see the things that You see and hear the things that You hear. I need You, Jesus in my heart so I can feel the things that You feel. May I rest today in Your sweet arms and lean upon Your breast! Amen." Faith is the foundation of a life that is pleasing to God. When I first heard about faith as a child I somehow thought that faith and believing were the same. They are not. Faith must be preceded by belief for how can you trust someone that you don't really believe exists. But the Bible says that even the demons believe and tremble. I can know full well that God exists and even see His power working in the world around me and never come to trust and depend on Him. Trust and dependence are the two major pillars of Faith. Remember the story of Jesus and the disciples in a storm. Jesus was asleep in the boat when the storm began to rage. Even though Jesus was with them in the boat, the disciples began to fear that they would drown. When faith begins to fall away it is replaced by fear. When you find fear rising up in your heart instead of trying to be brave fan the flames of faith and trust in Jesus! When your need seems to be greater than your harvest it is time to depend on Jesus to provide the things that you need. It is easier for a poor man to see the provision of the Lord than for a man who has everything he needs stored in barns and bank accounts. Don't confuse believing in God and having faith in Jesus Christ. There is not a demon in Hell that doesn't believe in God. But no one will be in Heaven unless they have faith in Jesus! Once you come to believe in God you are standing at the door of faith. If you believe it is time to take the next step of trusting in and depending on God about and for everything in your life! That is faith and that is the kind of faith that will usher you in to the presence of God forever! "Lord Jesus, it is easy to believe that You exist, but it is hard to trust You for everything in my life! Help me today to take another step of faith in trusting in and depending on You. And may You be glorified forever. Amen." Two criminals were led out to be put to death with Jesus. When the soldiers came to the place called “The Skull,” they nailed Jesus to a cross. They also nailed the two criminals to crosses, one on each side of Jesus. There were two criminals that were crucified with Christ that day. These two criminals represent all mankind. One of these men insulted Jesus while the other one called out to Jesus for mercy! In a real sense, everyone is crucified with Christ. We are all guilty of sin that makes us worthy of Hell. When we see Christ on the Cross next to ours we either rail at Him or cry out for mercy. If you are the criminal who shouts at Jesus and mocks Him when you die you will be with Him no more, forever. But if you ask Jesus to remember you when He comes into power, then you will be with Him in paradise and in Heaven forever! In a real sense you don't stand at the foot of the Cross. Instead you hang on a cross next to Jesus. As you are dying for your sin you have a choice. You can curse The Lord or beg for His mercy! There really are no other options. Both criminals died that day with Jesus. One was saved and the other one was lost. Today you are hanging on a cross next to Jesus. What will you say to Him? "Lord Jesus, I thank You that You were not ashamed to die as if You were a criminal. I have suffered because of my sin, but You suffered to set me free from sin forever! Remember me when You come into power! Amen!" After this, I looked and saw a door that opened into heaven. Then the voice that had spoken to me at first and that sounded like a trumpet said, “Come up here! I will show you what must happen next.” Right then the Spirit took control of me, and there in heaven I saw a throne and someone sitting on it. The one who was sitting there sparkled like precious stones of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow that looked like an emerald surrounded the throne. The rainbow that God placed in the sky as a sign of His promise never to destroy the whole earth by flood again was not the first rainbow. Around the throne of God there is a rainbow that looks like an emerald. So when you look at a rainbow in the sky you can think of God's promise, but also the throne room in Heaven where, as far as we know, there has always been a rainbow surrounding the throne. The brightest rainbows here on earth appear when you look at the storm that has passed with the bright sun shinning behind you. There is a rainbow that has only been seen for about the last 100 years which appears around the shadow of an airplane flying above the clouds. These rainbows are in a complete circle and sometimes are called "the glory." If you have not seen one, look for "the glory" the next time you fly. Remember at the end of the storm, if you look with the light of the Son shining back on the storm that has passed you will see the "Glory" of God. "Lord, thank You that after every storm here on earth I can see Your Glory. Help me Lord to see not only the rainbow, but help me to see You in everything that happens here on this earth. Jesus You promised to be with me always and so by faith I will look for You in the storm not just after it has passed. May You be glorified forever! Amen." Warn the rich people of this world not to be proud or to trust in wealth that is easily lost. Tell them to have faith in God, who is rich and blesses us with everything we need to enjoy life. Instruct them to do as many good deeds as they can and to help everyone. Remind the rich to be generous and share what they have. This will lay a solid foundation for the future, so they will know what true life is like. The wealth of this world can be easily lost. You may know that right now the US stock market is at an all time high. That makes many people feel like they are very wealthy. But one really bad session and those "rich" people can lose it all. It has happened before and everyone knows it can happen again. These verses tell rich people not to trust in their wealth, but rather to have faith in God. A very good friend of mine was rich and then lost it all. In fact he lost it more than once. He would lose his wealth and then work to get it back. Although it is not popular to say, but some rich people work hard to become rich and they often do it more than once. But now my rich friend is richer than he ever was when he only had money. I have watched him over the years turn his heart from money to God. It has been an amazing transformation as he has come to know what true life is like! And if my friend happens to be reading this I would warn him against the temptation of pride. So here are three things that rich people should do: Have faith in God, do as many good deeds as you can to help others, and be generous and share what you have. Those three things will lay a solid foundation for the future. And if you are not rich, I would warn you not to envy followers of Jesus who are rich. A very wealthy believer once told me that having lots of money must be seen as an awesome responsibility rather than a blessing. "Lord Jesus, I thank you that I am rich, not in this worlds goods, but rich because I know You. My Father owns the cattle on a thousand hills and I am His child. Help me today to seek You and not the wealth of this world! Come quickly Lord Jesus. Amen." PERSONAL NOTE: I want to remind you that I am putting together a companion website for this blog. It is at www.billsteensland.com. And I really appreciate responses you make to these blogs. After Jesus had told the people to sit down, he took the seven loaves of bread and the fish and gave thanks. He then broke them and handed them to his disciples, who passed them around to the crowds. Everyone ate all they wanted, and the leftovers filled seven large baskets. When you follow Jesus Christ the question is not "Do I have enough to do the job He has called me to do?" That question really is irrelevant. When you follow the Lord the only thing with which you must concern yourself is this: Have you given what you have to Jesus? It doesn't matter how much you have, it only matters whether or not you have given what you have to Jesus! I believe Jesus is still in the business of multiplying the "loaves and fishes." Like a tiny "mustard seed" Jesus takes what you give Him and grows it into a mighty witness for Him! Sometimes He does that so that we can see it happening, but often Jesus will use your witness in ways that are never known to you. One simple act of faith can take hold and become a family tradition that echoes down through the years to those who come after you. There may be multitudes of your descendants who are drawn closer to God because of your dedication to walk with Him yourself. When you give what you have to Jesus, you can trust Him to multiply it for His glory and to fulfill the needs of others. Your job in the process is simply giving even the smallest thing that you have to Him. "Lord Jesus, I am poor and weak and I don't have many "loaves and fishes." But I give what I have to You and trust that You will multiply it. Lord, I have been trying to multiply it myself instead of just giving it to You. So here it is Lord. Take it and do with it as You will. And may You be glorified forever! Amen." Everything I have planned will happen just as I said. and I will crush those on my mountains. I will free my people from slavery to the Assyrians. I, the Lord All-Powerful, have made these plans. In this world of great turmoil and strife it is more than comforting to hear The Lord say "I have planned this for the whole world; and My mighty arm controls every nation." It is foolish arrogance of rulers, kings and presidents to believe that they can change the destiny of the world by stopping the use of fossil fuels! They are but pawns in the chess game of good and evil and will be controlled by God so that the End of all things is precisely as He predicted it. Do not fear the rulers. Only fear God who controls every nation on earth! The final six words of verse 27 of Isaiah 14 are very important. God says "No one can stop me now!" Those who fight against God will not win. Those who oppose the Creator of the Universe will fail in the end. Those who say "there is no God" are foolish beyond belief. Remember this: The ride may be rough and even scary, but the one in control never makes a mistake. He will carry you all the way to the end and bring you safely to your home in Heaven. I saw a great white throne with someone sitting on it. Earth and heaven tried to run away, but there was no place for them to go. I also saw all the dead people standing in front of that throne. Every one of them was there, no matter who they had once been. Several books were opened, and then the book of life was opened. The dead were judged by what those books said they had done. The Day of Judgment is a fearful thing. God knows every evil thought you have ever had as well as every evil deed you have done! There is no way to hide from God. Even the "earth and sky" will try to run away from God's judgment, but there will be no place to go! Imagine standing before any judge and everything you have ever done wrong is part of the charges against you! When you are charged with a crime here on earth it is usually one thing you have done wrong. At most you might be charged with several crimes, but not with everything you have ever done wrong! The Day of Judgment before God will address every sin you have ever committed. What a fearful thought! But there is hope and that hope is in Jesus alone! When you come to Jesus and give your heart to Him an amazing thing happens. If you are "in Christ" when you go to the Day of Judgment it will be declared that the penalty for your sin has already been paid! No matter what the sin, there is no greater penalty than the death sentence. We sometimes think of Jesus paying our debt and I that is true as well, but Jesus also suffered our punishment. All sin will be punished. Will yours be covered by the blood of Jesus on the Day of Judgment or will you try to justify yourself before God? "Lord Jesus, I thank You for suffering and dying for me and paying the price for my sin. Jesus, I owe You everything. And I give You everything I have and everything I am. I give You my heart and mind and strength again today. Amen." PERSONAL NOTE: I want to thank you for visiting this blog. I usually get up by 3 am local time to prepare it. It is one of the highlights of my day. I am currently developing a companion website billsteensland.com where you can get more information and interaction. I would love to hear directly from you. May God bless you!

2019-04-26T10:47:34Z

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THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Page 3 City mourns loss of Robert “Bob” Cataldo Co-Founder of Cataldo Ambulance Service; Born and raised in Everett to the challenges of the neighborhood and learned many hard life lessons along the way. Although he was quite street-smart, he was not particularly interested in academics. He chose to enroll in the local vocational high school, and there he found his strong mechanical abilities. In 1958, Bob met Diana DelR obert Cataldo passed away on March 31, 2019, following a courageous battle with leukemia. Robert “Bob” was born and raised in Everett, Mass., the only son of Sabino and Mary Lou Cataldo. He was one of three children and grew up in a very modest area of Everett along with his sisters, Francine and Donna. Robert was never afraid to share stories of his challenging youth days and remembered fondly “growing up on the line,” a reference to the neighborhood’s close proximity to nearby Chelsea; it was a place where being tough was a necessity. By all accounts, Bob rose la Piana of Malden; ironically, the two chose to drag race each other down Revere Beach Parkway. As fate would have it, Diana won the race but Bob won Diana’s heart. Bob always joked that Diana had a big V8 and he had a total “crap box.” Bob joined the United States Air Force in 1959, and the couple eventually married in 1963. Shortly thereafter, Bob and Diana moved to Murphysboro, Tenn. The couple remained there until Bob was honorably discharged in 1965. Bobs maintained the passion for the U.S. Armed Services and garnered the deepest respect for those who served in defense of the Country. In 1968 the couple gave birth to their only son, Dennis, whom they named after Diana’s brother, Dennis, who had passed away in 1966 at the age of 22. In 1977, Bob started a new chapter in his life, and he did so with his lifelong partner Diana. The two opened the doors of Somerville Ambulance Service in August of that year. The company proved very challenging but was well run under their close stewardship and desire to succeed. For them, providing quality patient care and exceptional service was always the key measure of success. The company continued to grow, and eventually the name was changed to CatCATALDO | SEE PAGE 18 505 Broadway Everett, MA 02149 Tel: 617-387-1120 www.gkdental.com • Family Dentistry • Crowns • Bridges • Veneers/Lumineers • Dental Implants • All on 4 Dental Implants • Emergency Dentist • Kid Friendly Dentist • Root Canals • Dentures • Invisalign Braces • Snap On Smile • Teeth Whitening We are the smile care experts for your entire family In House Dental Plan for $399 (Cleanings, X-Rays, Exams twice a year and 20% OFF Dental work) Schedule your FREE Consultations today You deserve more than a job. You deserve an Encore. Encore Boston Harbor is hiring. Explore thousands of fulfilling careers. You deserve an Encore. In accordance with our host and surrounding community agreements, hiring preference is given to properly qualified residents of the cities of (1) Everett, (2) Malden, and (3) Boston, Cambridge, Chelsea, Medford, and Somerville. Page 6 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 EPS music education program receives national recognition T he Everett Public Schools (EPS) has been honored with the Best Communities for Music Education designation from the NAMM Foundation (of the National Association of Music Merchants) for its outstanding commitment to music education. Now in its 20th year, the Best Communities for Music Education designation is awarded to districts that demonstrate outstanding achievement in efforts to provide music access and education to all students. To qualify for the Best Communities designation, Everett answered detailed questions about funding, graduation requirements, music class participation, instruction time, facilities and support for the music programs. Responses were verified with school officials and reviewed by the Music Research Institute at the University of Kansas. “We have a long and proud tradition of providing exceptional musical opportunities for our students, both in the classroom and through extracurricular pursuits,” said Interim EPS Superintendent Janice Gauthier. “This award is a reflection of the hard work and dedication that our students and teachers demonstrate each and every school year.” This award recognizes that Everett is leading the way with learning opportunities as outlined in the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). The legislation guides implementation in the states and replaces the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which was often criticized for an overemphasis on testing while leaving behind subjects like music. ESSA recommends music and the arts as important elements of a well-rounded education for all children. Research into music education continues to demonstrate educational/cognitive and social skill benefits for children who make music. After two years of music education, research has found, participants showed more substantial improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than in their less-involved peers and that students who are involved in music are not only more likely to graduate high school, but also to attend college. Reportedly, everyday listening skills are stronger in musically trained children than in those without music training. Significantly, listening skills are closely tied to the ability to perceive speech in a noisy background, pay attention and keep sounds in memory. Reportedly, later in life, individuals who took music lessons as children show stronger neural processing of sound; young adults – and even older adults who have not played an instruEPS MUSIC | SEE PAGE 13 AUTOTECH 1989 SINCE Is your vehicle ready for the Spring Season?!! 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THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Page 7 Youth and Teen Memberships – Only $14/month – BE ACTIVE BE HEALTHY BE YOU Everett Bank helps EHS students race to the top Will sponsor journey to STEM team’s trip to Ten80 Texas Championships T hanks to a generous donation from Everett Bank, Everett High School’s STEM racing team will travel to Texas A&M University later this month to compete in Ten80 Education’s Student Racing Challenge (SRC) National Finals. “Make no mistake about it, Everett Bank is making this trip a reality,” said Interim Superintendent of Schools Janice Gauthier. “Our STEM students were devastated when they found out that the district was unable to pay for a journey that far from home. But Everett Bank turned tears of sorrow into tears of joy.” The announcement was made official last week, when Everett Bank executives Marjorie White, Richard O’Neil and Erica Barney visited the STEM students and advisor Anna Seiders to learn about the breadth and depth of SRC competitions. “No one is more appreciative of Everett Bank’s sponsorship than the students themselves,” said EHS Principal Erick Naumann. “Their happiness was obvious in their smiles as cient car will win races. However, race points are only one-third of a team’s total. Like professional race teams, SRC teams must also have a strong research and development focus (Data-Driven Design and MODS) and a marketing strategy and must work toward becoming leaders in their communities. Everett’s team is called “CrimStanding, from left: EHS Vice Principal Christopher Barrett, Everett Bank CEO Richard O’Neil, Natalie Huynh, STEM Club Advisor Anna Seiders, Christian Simeon, Melisa Demaku, Joshua Powers, Evan Dupuis, Ahmed Alananzeh, Everett Bank President Marjorie White, Everett Bank Vice President Erica Barney and EHS Principal Erick Naumann. Seated, from left: Eva Charbonnier, Chloe Lewis, Lyanne Murphy and Isaac Lenescat. they talked to the Everett Bank leadership about the Ten80 racing competition.” The SRC is the flagship series in the National STEM League (NSL). Through it, students own a motorsports business featuring a remote-controlled car. The ultimate goal is to engineer performance: personal performance, team performance and race performance. Teams with the fastest, most stable and fuel-effison Bolt,” and in recent years the team has done very well in competitive settings, both regionally and nationally. The National Finals will be held on Saturday and Sunday, April 27-28, at Texas A&M, which is located north of Houston. SKATING CENTER www.Roller-World.com | 781-231-1111 ATM on site Located adjacent to Honey Baked Ham in Saugus Plaza, South Bound Route 1 MBTA Bus Route 429 FREE WI-FI - 2 WIDE SCREEN TV’S FULLY AIR CONDITIONEDR Fall-Winter Skating Schedule ATTENTION! Sunday Monday Tuesday 12-8 p.m. $7.50 Private Parties 7:30-10:30 p.m. $8.50 Adult Night Friday Saturday Wednesday & Thursday 3-11 p.m. $7.50 Private Parties Admission after 6 p.m. $8.50 12-11 p.m. $7.50 Admission after 6 p.m. $8.50 Inline Skate Rentals $3 - additional Roller skate rentals included in all prices. Birthday & Private Parties Available School & PTO GROUPS Win a trip for 2 to Las Vegas Bellagio Hotel Jet Blue Air 5 days / 4 nights Your school PTO can raffl e the trip to make substantial money for your group. Call for details. BIRTHDAY PARTIES $11.50/Person, min. of 10 kids. Price includes Adm. + Roller Skates. Cake, soda, paper goods, 20 tokens for birthday person plus 100 Redemption Tickets and a gift from Roller World. in one of our private BP Rooms. A look at the inside of the Crimson Bolt remote-controlled racing car, which will be put to the ultimate test later this month at Ten80 Education’s Student Racing Challenge National Finals. JOIN NOW! Page 8 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Do you remember.... The Everett Advocate reaches into its library of over 6,000 photos to bring you photographic memories through the lens of our photographers the past 28 years! THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Page 9 Tide girls’ softball ready to begin final season in the NEC Everett opens on the road vs. nonleague Melrose on Tuesday By Joe Mitchell S tacy Schiavo is beginning her 21st year along the Everett High School girls’ softball sidelines. It all started for her as an Everett varsity coach back in 1998, and once again her former high school teammate Jen Nigro will be the team’s assistant varsity coach. Lauren Powers is the JV coach, and Laurie Bono is in charge of the freshmen. game, along with Revere and Medford.” The Tide will open up the regular season on the road next week against host Melrose on Tuesday, April 9, starting at 4 p.m. They will then take on Latin Academy two days later at Northeastern University, also at 4 p.m. Visit Our Newly Expanded Facility. We will beat competitors pricing! (Restrictions apply.) Ariana Garay Ashley Fitzgerald Captain Kaylee Nearen not pitching, they will play first. Duraes, Bento and Smith will pretty much round out the rest of the infield, while Fitzgerald will be behind the plate. The Everett coach expects plenty of competition throughout the next three months. “North Shore teams always give us a run for our money,” she said. “Peabody always has a strong program, along with Lynn Classical. Beverly is always a great Maddy Duraes The Tide was 12-8 last year during the regular season, 13-9 overall. They defeated Newton South, 11-10, in a Division 1 North preliminary round game before losing to Concord-Carlisle, 9-5, in the first round. Schiavo is looking to replace three starters who graduated last June. But she does have six back with varsity experience, including senior captain Kaylee Nearen (four-year varsity starter), juniors Ariana Garay (pitcher, first base), Maddy Duraes (shortstop) and Veronica Bento (second base, outfield) and sophomores Ashley Fitzgerald (outMaddy Smith field, catcher) and Maddy Smith (third base). Schiavo will carry 15 on the varsity, 13 on the JV and 11 on the freshman squad this year. The veteran Everett coach has mixed feelings about the pending exodus from the Northeastern Conference (NEC) in order to reestablish the Greater Boston League (GBL) with the likes of Somerville, Medford, Malden and Revere starting in the fall. “It is sad that we are not going to be a part of the NEC next year,” said Schiavo. “Many of the coaches were very welcoming, and the Veronica Bento competition allowed us to get ready for the tournament. It was less stressful trying to find nonleague games, because we had so many teams to play against.” Schiavo expects to dominate with depth in the pitching department this spring – “I think having two pitchers this year will definitely benefit us, especially when we play three to four games in a week. The girls have also been working on their offense, and as a result I think this year we will have a strong lineup.” Nearen and Garay will provide that depth in the circle. When Mayor congratulates stair-climbing Jakes J& S LANDSCAPE & MASONRY CO. 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Page 10 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Friday, April 5 at 8 PM Singer/Guitarist DAVID MACK Saturday, April 6 at 8 PM DJ LOGIK Dance to all the Hits of Yesterday and Today! MONDAY&apos;S SHUCK! $1.00 Oysters Book Your Special Events With Us! Call 781-629-3798 SUNDAY BRUNCH BUFFET Only $19.95 / 11am-2pm Featuring Al Whitney Jazz Band BOOK YOUR NEXT FUNCTION WITH US * GIFT CARDS AMPLE FREE www.marinaatthewharf.com 543 North Shore Rd. Revere 781-629-3798 PARKING AMAZING WATER VIEWS Tide baseball gets set to begin new season on the road at Winchester on Monday Everett will take on Revere in the home opener on April 15 By Joe Mitchell E verett High School baseball coach Joe Lento had a highly inexperienced team last year, as a result of losing a bunch of seniors who played and contributed quite a bit to the varsity throughout the previous three springs. The Tide won only four games in 2018, but were still highly competitive against some of the top echelon teams in the Northeastern Conference, which certainly gained them valuable experience going forward. Everett did graduate three off of last year’s team, including captain/pitcher Jason Hennessey, who was a high-level contributor, according to Lento. But there are still plenty of veteran varsity players returning to this year’s roster. “We have a ton of returning guys in key spots who gained valuable varsity experience last season,” said Lento. “We are a strong defensive team who will rely on being smart and playing fundamental baseball. Our weakness will be pitching depth and experience, which becomes challenging during three-game weeks.” Lento offered his thoughts on this being the final season in the Northeastern Conference before Everett joins Somerville, Medford, Malden and Revere in the fall in order to reestablish the Greater Boston League. “As far as being in the NEC, the league has been welcoming, and it will be sad to go,” he said. “But we will be in a new GBL with more geographic and demographic counterparts. Whoever is on the schedule, we will go out and play Everett baseball and let the chips fall where they may.” Lento continued to emphasize that they will be a smart, disciplined team in the field during the next three months. “Our pitching depth and experience will be trying, but we will do our best to coach them up and prepare them the right way,” he added. “Our hitting will also be a relative strength, returning seven from last year’s lineup.” With the regular season still a week away, Lento will let the scrimmages scheduled for this week determine the starting lineup. “I cannot give a definitive answer as to who will play where,” he said. “We are starting scrimmages [Monday, April 1, at Malden Catholic], and some things will start to reveal themselves, and we will go from there to put the best possible lineup we can out there in order to give ourselves the best chance to win baseball games.” Lento doesn’t foresee any one team in the NEC that will be more of a challenge than another. “Every team provides a challenge on our schedule,” he said. “Baseball is a mental game, and the team that can deal and do enough of the little things correctly will put themselves in the best position to win.” The Tide will open up the regular season on Monday, April 8, against host Winchester, starting at 4 p.m. They will then play host to Revere in the home opener at Glendale Park on Monday, Patriots Day (April 15), starting at 10 a.m. Applications available for Mayor’s Youth Summer Job Program T he City of Everett is now accepting applications for Mayor Carlo DeMaria’s Summer Youth Job Program. Everett residents from ages 15 to 21 years of age who are seeking summer employment are encouraged to apply. Working papers will be required if you are under the age of 18. Applicants will be required to bring their social security card for payroll and employment verification. No application will be considered without a completed census form. Job placements are located throughout the City of Everett. There will be two sessions; each will run four weeks long, up to 20 hours per week. Each applicant will be eligible for one session of four weeks up to 20 hours per week. Applications and census forms are available at Everett City Hall, rm. 32, Everett High School, or the City of Everett website. Completed applications must be submitted to the Human Resources Department by Thursday, May 23. For more information, please * A Delta Dental Premier Provider Dr. Mario Abdennour, Dr. Bhavisha Patel, Dr. Priti Amlani, Dr. Bruce Goldman and team. contact the Human Resources Department at 617-394-2280. Page 12 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 School officials to seek legal opinion before paying former supt. vacation balance By Christopher Roberson happened and it’s happened.” Abruzzese also said that most A fter making a $200,000 payout to former Superintendent of Schools Frederick Foresteire, the School Committee recently voted to consult Attorney Robert Galvin before writing a check for the remaining $250,000 vacation payout. “We got hit with this like a Mike Tyson right cross,” said Chairperson Thomas Abruzzese during the committee’s April 1 meeting, adding that he had been “completely unaware” of Foresteire’s unused vacation time. “This is something that never should’ve employers in the private sector do not allow their employees to use vacation time from prior years. “I don’t know anybody who is allowed to accrue vacation time,” he said. “Anything that delays this I’m all for; this is not some kind of a severance package.” Ward 5 Member Millie Cardello said she could not find anything in Foresteire’s contract that would prevent him from receiving the balance of the money. Ward 3 Member Frank Parker said the potential payout would not affect staffing or class sizes. However, he still agreed that the committee needs to settle the matter. “Vacation time is a liability; we have to resolve this one way or another,” he said. Foresteire retired on Dec. 18, 2018 as superintendent of schools after serving in the Everett School System as the superintendent and an educator for more than 50 years. ELL and Career Tech Updates In other news, Anne Auger, director of English Language Learners (ELL), said the percentage of ELL students has grown from 17 percent in 2016-2017 to 26 percent for the current school year. She said the majority of Everett’s ELL students come from Brazil and El Salvador speaking Spanish, Portuguese and Haitian Creole. “Many of them have left family and life as they knew it,” said Auger. She also mentioned the co-teaching model, which is a new addition to the district’s ELL program designed for students through sixth grade. By having co-teaching, ELL students are no longer taken out of class for language services. In addition, she said a travSCHOOL | SEE PAGE 22 City ensures healthy living conditions through habitability checks D o you know someone who can’t seem to detach themselves from many personal or household items? Hoarding has become a serious issue in the United States. A 2017 survey highlighted that the average American hoards 23 items that they have no use for. The City of Everett’s Inspectional Services, Health, and Fire Departments, under the guidance of Mayor Carlo DeMaria, are ensuring that houses throughout the community are free of hoarding and are decent, safe, sanitary and in good repair as well as safe for first responders. In many cases, hoarding can become a serious danger not only for hoarders, but also their neighbors and first responders. Homes that experience hoarding can become hazardous and cause for poor sanitary conditions as well as physical harm. There are different degrees of clutter: from struggles with chronic disorganization and excessive clutter to struggles with hoarding behavior and Hoarding Disorder (and any level of clutter in-between). And the City of Everett is here to help. City departments have been diligent in its dealing with cases throughout the city and are assisting residents in maintaining a clean and safe living environment. The City teams provide the tools and resources in order to sustain a nurturing setting and contribute to a healthy life for both adults and children. The vast majority of hoarding cases that are seeking assistance or being reported in Everett range from preventative measures to crisis management and rectification planning, which arise from inspectional issues. The city recognizes that hoarding disorders trigger difficulties with discarding or parting with possessions. Nevertheless, the city’s resident-centered plan addresses all aspects of the hoarding case, establishing objective and reasonable goals and time frames, and the monitoring of progress. If you know someone that might need assistance, please call the city’s Inspectional Services Department at 617-394-2220. THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Page 13 Attention water user: hydrant flushing T he Water Department will be flushing water mains throughout Everett from April 3 through May 3. The purpose of flushing is to remove sediment buildup in the mains and to verify the safe operation of hydrants and valves. Hydrant flushing might result in temporary discoloration of the water caused by small particles that dislodge during the flushing, as well as a temporary reduction in pressure. Discolored water will be temporary and is not harmful; however, the discolored water might stain your laundry, especially white materials. Therefore, please avoid doing laundry during the noted flushing period Prior to washing clothes, including during times after the hours stated in this notice, please check the cold water for possible discoloration. If water is discolored, let the cold water run for a few minutes until water becomes clear. If it does not clear at that time, try again later. Unfortunately, the City of Everett cannot fully guarantee the safety of doing laundry and/or the possibility of discoloration even during the evenings and other times of Second Annual Frank Mastrocola Bocce Tournament – Sat., June 1 Winner’s Trophy named in memory of a beloved member, Ersilia Matarazzo T he Everett Kiwanis Club once again is proud to announce the Second Annual Frank Mastrocola Bocce Tournament to be held Saturday, June 1 at the Italian-American Club on Pearl Street in Malden. Twelve teams will compete for the first-place prize of the Cup and $1,000; as well as a second-place prize of $450. The Winners Trophy will now and forever be known as Ersilia’s Cup, in memory of our beloved member Ersilia Cataldo Matarazzo. EPS MUSIC | FROM PAGE 6 ment for up to 50 years – show enhanced neural processing compared to their peers. Not to mention: Social benefits include conflict resolution, teamwork skills and how to give and receive constructive criticism. A 2015 study supported by The NAMM Foundation, “Striking a Chord,” outlines the overwhelming desire by teachers and parents for music education opportunities for all children as part of the school curriculum. The EPS Music Department is in the midst of its busiest time of the year: Several performances and trips are scheduled for the coming weeks and months. “Percussion Pageantry” is set for Sunday, April 7, at 1 p.m. in the Everett High School (EHS) Gymnasium; String Night will be on Thursday, April 11; the May Day Concert will be on Wednesday, May 1, and the Memorial Day Concert is scheduled for Wednesday, May 22 (all beginning at 6 p.m. inYour participation supports Everett Kiwanis’ $10,000 in Kiwanis scholarships and charities. Calling all teams, sponsors and raffle donations for the June 1st Tournament! Four-member teams cost $250 per team, or $75 to enter as an individual. The cost includes food and beverage provided throughout the day. For more information, contact Everett Kiwanis President Rafael Santos at 617-7948182 or email [email protected]. side the EHS Auditorium.) The EHS Percussion Ensemble is competing in the 2019 Winter Guard International Percussion and Winds World Championships on April 1014 in Dayton, Ohio. EHS band members and musicians will also be traveling to Washington, D.C., in May to march in the National Memorial Day Parade and represent Massachusetts for a full weekend of festivities. About the NAMM Foundation The NAMM Foundation is a nonprofit supported in part by the National Association of Music Merchants and its approximately 10,400 members around the world. The foundation advances active participation in music making across the lifespan by supporting scientific research, philanthropic giving, and public service programs. For more information about the NAMM Foundation, please visit www.nammfoundation.org. the day as the water system has been disturbed. Therefore, please check your water carefully prior to doing laundry and inspect the laundry before drying it. Hydrant flushing will be performed between the hours of 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. The Water Department appreciates your patience as we work to improve the quality of the drinking water. If you would like additional information, please call the Water Department at 617-394-2327. Page 14 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Everett High School holds 51st Annual National Honor Society Induction Ceremony T nization founded in 1921 by the National Association of Secondary Principals. Selection is based on four criteria: Scholarship, leadership, service and character. In addition to meeting high academic standards, NHS requires members to volunteer to the community, school or another organization. The EHS advisors to NHS are Margaret Thurbide and Sarah Simmons. NHS Committee members are Wayne Bailey, William Bertocchi and Amelia Linehan. Bailey gave the keynote address during Thursday’s induction ceremony. The pledge of allegiance was led by student Molly Solano, while Fernanda Aiala and Ava Labella performed the national anthem. The NHS Officers are President Joshua Powers, Vice President Carolina Penaflor, Secretary Karen Aldana, Treasurer Steven Le and Historian Victoria Do. For all of the photos from last week’s induction ceremony, please visit www.everettpublicschools.org. The 2019 inductees of the EHS NHS: Samantha Aguilar Ahmad Alananzeh Daniella Alvarez Kimberly Azevedo Veronica Bento Sara Bourjjai Carolann Cardinale Victoria Chaparro Standing, from left: City Councilors Peter Napolitano and Fred Capone, School Committee Member Allen Panarese, EHS Special Education Director William Donohue, Interim Superintendent of Schools Janice Gauthier, School Committee Member David Ela, State Senator Sal DiDomenico, EHS Vice Principal Christopher Barrett, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Kevin Shaw, City Councilor Michael McLaughlin, keynote speaker/EHS Social Studies Teacher Wayne Bailey, City Councilor Richard Dell Isola Jr. and Assistant Superintendent of Schools Charles Obremski. Seated, from left: Title I Coordinator Michelle Rooney, NHS Advisors English Teacher Sarah Simmons and Margaret Thurbide, Math Teacher Jacqueline Fallon, EHS Guidance Director Kathleen McCormack, and EPS English Learner Director Anne Auger. Duck Choute Lorena Corbelli Esther Costa Kathleen Costa Nasta-Ha Cyril Raphael Da Silva Kelsey Davenport Iza De Souza Briana Delarosa Melisa Demaku Gabriel Richard Dos Santos Hilaiza Duplantis Madison Duraes Juliana Erazo Jhalyshka Feliciano Diana Fiestas Karen Flores Vanessa Flores Rixi Fuentes Rafael Godinho Daniela Gutierrez Ashley Hebert Jacob Jackson Fabrice Jacques Germina Jean Baptiste Kathelyne Joseph Ava Labella Isabella LaCorcia Nathalie Larrea Sandra Le Estefany Lemus Chloe Lewis Franciely Machado Swechha Maharjan Fatima Martinez Bianca May Yasmin Melendez Castro Monika Mendes David Meninger Melanni Menjivar Amanda Mootrey Carolina Morare Lyanne Murphy Anne Naceus Jamie Nagle Kimberly Nguyen Ngoc Nguyen Jeffrey Olson Aya Oulal Ileissa Ovalle Nicolette Page Marisol Palencia Pinto Elizabeth Peach Janice Perez-Gomez Samantha Perkins Tatyana Pierre Jason Portillo Ashley Querette Paola Ramos Sara Restrepo Danielle Ricci Lorena Rocha De Souza Lorrayne Rocha De Souza Desiree Ruiz Ramoz Omayma Salih Cassandra Salvador Lucia Seide Christian Simeon Andrew Sosa Isabelle Souza Stephanie Suavita Zachary Sylvain Lamontagne Rothsaida Sylvaince Touran Tashkin Tony Thang Calvin Tran Caroline Tran Minh Tran Arianna Ventura Vinalda Vilcent Martina Vo Ryan Vu Melanie Wu Jennifer Zepeda Lones he Everett High School (EHS) chapter of the National Honor Society (NHS) held its 51st annual Induction Ceremony on Thursday, March 28 inside the EHS Auditorium. NHS is a nationwide orgaStanding, from left: Interim Superintendent of Schools Janice Gauthier, NHS Advisor Sarah Simmons, NHS Treasurer Steven Le, EHS Vice Principal Christopher Barrett, NHS President Joshua Powers, NHS Historian Vicki Do, Assistant Superintendent of Schools Kevin Shaw and NHS Advisor Margaret Thurbide. Seated are NHS Secretary Karen Aldana and NHS Vice President Carolina Penaflor. Page 16 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 Suffolk Downs to conduct final season of live racing R ecently Suffolk Downs announced that it will run six live dates in 2019 – after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) approved the track’s schedule and its corresponding request for purse funding of $3.8 million for those dates from the state’s Racehorse Development Fund. The three festival weekends are scheduled for May 1819, June 8-9 and June 29-30 and will be the last days of thoroughbred racing held at the historic East Boston facility. In 2017, Sterling Suffolk Racecourse (SSR), the company that operates racing and simulcasting at Suffolk Downs, sold the property in East Boston and Revere to The HYM Investment Group, a Boston-based real estate developer. In conjunction with the New England Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association (NEHBPA) and the Massachusetts Thoroughbred Breeders Association (MTBA), SSR announced plans last year to refurbish and return live racing to the Great Barrington Fairgrounds in Great Barrington, Mass., and to continue simulcasting operations in Boston. The track operator has renewed its option on the 55acre Great Barrington property and is pursuing legislation in the current session in Massachusetts that would facilitate its proposal. At Suffolk Downs, the $100,000 James B. Moseley Stakes at five furlongs on the turf for fillies and mares will highlight the racing program of June 29. The average daily purse distribution for each festival weekend, including participation incentives to encourage horsemen to ship in from other circuits, will be in excess of $600,000 per day. “We are looking forward to celebrating the rich tradition of Suffolk Downs with racing fans for one final season here as we pursue the plan to preserve thoroughbred racing and its associated agribusiness and economic benefits in the Commonwealth by restoring the racing facility at Great Barrington,” said SSR Chief Operating Officer Chip Tuttle. “We appreciate the support of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission in granting our dates and purse funding requests.” “We appreciate Sterling Suffolk’s addition of and the MGC’s approval of extra days and purse funding for this season and Sterling Suffolk’s dedication to preserving live thoroughbred racing in the Commonwealth and the livelihoods of our members, the small businesses and family farms that depend on it,” said NEHBPA President Anthony Spadea. In order to help offset shipping and travel costs for the festival weekends, Suffolk Downs will offer an incentive program similar to those in the last several years. In addition to customary purse distribution, owners will receive an additional $500 for horses finishing first through fifth (on top of purse money) while owners of horses finishing sixth through last will receive a payment of $1,200 for races with a purse up to $30,000 and $1,500 for races with a purse greater than $30,000. Trainers will receive participation awards of $400 per starter. For 2019, first-level allowance/ optional claiming races will offer purses of $55,000; maiden special weight races will offer purses of $50,000; $12,500 claiming races will carry a purse of $32,500; $8,000 claiming races will be run for $27,500; and bottom level claiming races will now carry a purse of $20,000. Over the course of each weekend, there will be stakes races restricted to either horses foaled in Massachusetts or sired by a Massachusetts-based stallion. Each offers a purse of $50,000 and is a showcase for the Massachusetts Thoroughbred breeding industry. In addition to live racing, the track will be hosting a food truck festival each weekend featuring food trucks from a variety of local vendors, craft beer, live music and family fun activities. About Suffolk Downs Built by 3,000 workers in just 62 days when Massachusetts authorized pari-mutuel wagering in 1935, the historic track has been a showcase for some of the most famous names in Thoroughbred racing history, including Seabiscuit, Whirlaway, John Henry, Cigar and Skip Away. In 2018, the track conducted four weekends of live racing with an average daily purse in excess of $500,000, including incentives. For more information, visit www.suffolkdowns.com. State begins work on Tobin Bridge, Chelsea Curves T he Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) recently began work on the Tobin Bridge/Chelsea Curves Rehabilitation Project, which will have significant traffic impacts, including 24/7 lane closures. The first lane closure was implemented on April 1 and closed the right lane on the Tobin Bridge northbound. Drivers are reminded to position themselves to use the middle and left lanes as soon as they can safely do so. Traffic modeling conducted for this project has shown that allowing drivers in the right lane to merge will create a smoother overall traffic flow. MassDOT requests that all motorists exercise courtesy and caution when traversing the work zone. By early May, lane closures will be implemented on the Chelsea Curves section of Route 1 north and southbound. Combined, the Tobin Bridge and Chelsea Curves carry more than 63,000 drivers on Route 1 through Chelsea and over the Mystic River into Boston. Though they are safe to drive on, both are in critical need of repair. MassDOT is carrying out work along both sections of Route 1 at the same time so that these projects will be completed in 2020, and without the need for weight restrictions and postings. Completion of this necessary project will ensure that the elevated section of Route 1 can continue to carry passenger and freight traffic safely and efficiently and eliminate 15 percent of the structurally deficient bridge deck in Massachusetts, but construction of this nature has inevitable traffic impacts. MassDOT encourages you to leave more time for your trip, exercise caution while traversing the work zone, and if possible, divert to an alternate route or mode of travel in and out of downtown Boston. To be added to the project email list for updates, please visit the project website at https:// www.mass.gov/tobin-bridgechelsea-curves-rehabilitation-project or contact Donny Dailey of MassDOT Government & Public Affairs at Tobin-Chelsea@dot. state.ma.us. Page 18 THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, April 5, 2019 OBITUARIES Beulah (Anthony) Haverty Of Haverhill formerly of Everett passed away March 27, 2019. Beloved wife of the late James J. Haverty. Devoted mother of Melvin J. Haverty. Cherished grandmother of Shannon LaPointe and her husband Kevin and Katherine Haverty. Great-grandmother of Nolan, Kolton and Brody. Dear sister of the late Violet Anthony. Relatives and friends are invited to attend a funeral service in the JF Ward Funeral Home 772 Broadway, Everett on Friday, April 5, 2019 at 11 am. Visiting hours Friday (same day) from 9-11am. Services will conclude with interment in Woodlawn Cemetery, Everett. Donations in Beulah’s name may be made to the charity of one’s choice. For online guestbook and donations please visit: www. jfwardfuneralhome.com James C. "Jim" Lenehan Of Wakefield, formerly of Everett, on March 30. Beloved husband of the late Claire F. (White). Loving father of Ann Cain and her husband Kevin, Katie Lenehan, Julie Panzini and her husband Patrick, Claire Sacramone and her husband Anthony, and the late Jimmy Lenehan. Loving brother of the late Joseph, William, Robert, and Francis Lenehan, and Doris Zagorites. He is survived by his seven beloved grandchildren, Meaghan, Jim, Abby, Lauren, Mark, Kelly, and Leah, as well as one loving great-granddaughter, Rileigh. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jim&apos;s memory may be made to the St. Anthony&apos;s School, 54 Oakes St., Everett 02149. Interment in Woodlawn Cemetery in Everett. Janice B. (Rocci) McDonough Of North Revere, formerly of Malden & Everett, age 76, March 27. Loving wife of Kenneth G. McDonough, with whom she shared 55 years of marriage. Beloved mother of Kenneth G. Mc - Donough, Jr. & his wife Mary of Peabody, Brian S. McDonough & his wife Christine of Malden. Cherished grandmother of Arianna, Emily, Tayla & Michael. Sister of Judith Monte & her husband Douglas of FL. In lieu of flowers, donations in Janice&apos;s memory may be made to Care Group Parmenter Homecare & Hospice, 1 Arsenal Marketplace, Watertown, MA 02472. City mourns loss of Robert “Bob” Cataldo CATALDO | FROM PAGE 3 aldo Ambulance Service. Today, 42 years later, Cataldo Ambulance is well known and recognized as an industry leader in providing all levels of medical transportation. Bob had an engaging personality. He loved life and wanted all around him to be part of it. He truly enjoyed spending time with people, and he cherished the opportunity to assist others. He was a longtime member and Past President of Kiwanis Club International. He was engaged in many community initiatives, and he served on the Board for a number of local institutions. Later in life, he was able to rekindle his passion for the military and he became a proud member of the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company. Bob enjoyed being out on the water; he was a proud boat owner and member of the Winter Hill Yacht Club in Somerville. Bob was an avid golfer and longtime member of Bellevue Country Club in Melrose. Bob enjoyed spending time with his entire family. He and Diana, who was always by his side, were frequently around to visit and enjoy the family. He was a remarkable man, always available to lend a hand or assist the family in any way he could. He and Dennis had a great relationship, and Bob was very proud of his son, something he never missed an opportunity to express to anyone who would listen. Bob was always at the ready to do any activity with Christine, Dennis and the boys. He was the very proud Papa to Brady, Ryan and Tyler; he loved his grandsons so very much. He enjoyed spendSavvy Senior How SSI Can Help Low-Income Seniors and the Disabled Dear Savvy Senior, What can you tell me about the Supplemental Security Income program and what are the eligibility requirements? My father is very low-income, so I’m wondering if this is something he may qualify for. Searching Daughter Dear Searching, Supplemental Security Income (or SSI) is a program administered by the Social Security Administration that provides monthly cash benefits to people that are disabled or over 65 based on financial need. Currently, more than 8 million people are receiving SSI benefits. Here’s what you should know. Eligibility Requirements To qualify for SSI your dad must be either age 65 or older, blind or disabled, and must be a U.S. citizen or lawful resident. He must also have limited assets and income. His assets must be less than $2,000 or $3,000 for couples. This includes cash, bank accounts, other personal property, and anything else that could potentially be converted to cash. His home, household goods and one vehicle, along with life insurance policies and burial funds valued under $1,500; do not count towards countable assets. The income limit to qualify for SSI, however, is much more ing time with the three boys and relished the opportunity to tell them stories or talk with them about any facet of life. He was a father figure to his niece, Niki, and her husband, Frank, along with their two boys, Grayson and Cooper. More than all else, Bob was a devoted and caring husband. He and Diana spent 60 years together, married for 56 years of them. They spent time in Florida and traveled frequently to a number of their favorite places. As husband and wife they wrote a storybook tale – as business partners they lived the American dream. As a husband, parent, grandparent, relative and friend, Bob will long be remembered as a true friend and one really great guy. CATALDO | SEE PAGE 22 complicated. Countable income includes wages or any other kind of money your dad earned from working, plus money he gets from other sources like unemployment, Social Security retirement, or gifts from friends, but also, free food or shelter. In 2019, the SSI allowable income limit is $771 a month for an individual or $1,157 a month for a couple. So, if your dad’s countable income is over the SSI allowable limit (this is based on a complex set of rules and calculations – see SSA.gov/ssi/ text-income-ussi.htm) he would not qualify. But if he’s under it, he would qualify for some benefits depending on his countable income. To help you determine if your dad is eligible for SSI, help him take the Social Security Administration’s benefits screening test at SSAbest.benefits.gov. This online questionnaire takes approximately 5 minutes to complete and screens for a variety of benefits, not just SSI. You should also know that most states – except Arizona, Mississippi, North Dakota and West Virginia – supplement the federal SSI payment with payments of their own. In some of the states that pay a supplement, your dad may qualify for the state payment even if he doesn’t meet the federal SSI eligibility criteria. How to Apply If you think that your dad is eligible for SSI, call 800-772-1213 and set up an appointment to apply at his local Social Security office. To help make the application process go quickly and smooth• Burials • Cremations • Pre-Arrangements • Serving the Greater Boston and North Shore regions for over 250 years! It is our purpose to give thoughtful service, and if in so doing, we have helped to lighten your burden, our goal has been accomplished. We sincerely hope that our service will be deserving of your confidence and wish to offer our continued friendship. 331 Main Street, Everett, MA 02149 Valet Parking Available (617) 387-4180 www.roccofuneralhomes.com ly, your dad should bring his Social Security number; birth certificate or other proof of age; information about the home where he lives, such as his mortgage, or lease and the landlord’s name; payroll slips, bank books, insurance policies, burial fund records and other information about his income and the things he owns; his proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible noncitizen status; and if he is applying for SSI because he is disabled or blind, the names, addresses and telephone numbers of doctors, hospitals and clinics that have information related to his condition. For more information visit SSA.gov/ssi or call Social Security at 800-772-1213 and ask them to mail you a copy of publication 11000 “Supplemental Security Income (SSI).” You can also read it online at SSA.gov/pubs/EN-05-11000.pdf. Other Assistance Programs Depending on your dad’s income, needs and location there are other financial assistance programs that may be able to help him like Medicaid, prescription drug assistance, food stamps and energy assistance. To find out what he may be eligible for go to BenefitsCheckUp.org. This is a free, confidential Web tool that contains more than 2,500 programs. Send your senior questions to: Savvy Senior, P.O. Box 5443, Norman, OK 73070, or visit SavvySenior.org. Jim Miller is a contributor to the NBC Today show and author of “The Savvy Senior” book.

2019-04-22T08:28:12Z

https://publizr.com/advocatenewsma/everett-advocate-04-slash-05-slash-19

2014-05-07 Assigned to QUOTAINNE ENTERPRISES LLC reassignment QUOTAINNE ENTERPRISES LLC ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: NXP, B.V. 2014-09-11 Assigned to QUOTAINNE ENTERPRISES LLC reassignment QUOTAINNE ENTERPRISES LLC CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ERRONEOUSLY ADDED PROPERTY NUMBER: 12/555,651 BY EXCLUDING IT FROM THE PROPERTY LIST PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 032842 FRAME 0964. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE UPDATED PROPERTY LIST OF THE ASSIGNMENT. Assignors: NXP, B.V. A data carrier (1), or a circuit (2) for such a data carrier (1), which is arranged to receive a carrier signal (CSM) amplitude modulated in conformity with data (DA), is provided with data regenerating means (12) for regenerating data (DA) modulated on the amplitude modulated carrier signal (CSM), and with data processing means (28) for processing data (DA), the data regenerating means (12) additionally including receiving storage means (20) for temporarily storing a predetermined quantity of data (DA), and also detection means (22) for detecting the fact that the predetermined quantity of data (DA) has been buffered in the receiving storage means (20), the detection means (22) being capable of generating control information (CI1) whereby the data processing means (28) can be switched over from a power saving operating mode to a normal operating mode. The invention relates to a data carrier which includes receiver means for receiving an amplitude modulated carrier signal which is amplitude modulated in dependence on data to be received and consists of high segments of high amplitude and pause segments of reduced amplitude, and also includes a circuit which is connected to the receiver means and includes the following means: data regeneration means whereto the received amplitude modulated carrier signal can be applied and whereby the data modulated on the carrier signal can be regenerated, and data processing means whereto the regenerated data can be applied and whereby the regenerated data can be processed. The invention also relates to a circuit which includes the following means: data regenerating means whereto a received amplitude modulated carrier signal, amplitude modulated in dependence on data to be received and consisting of high segments of high amplitude and pause segments of reduced amplitude, can be applied and whereby the data modulated on the carrier signal can be regenerated, and data processing means whereto the regenerated data can be applied and whereby the regenerated data can be processed. A data carrier of the kind set forth in the first paragraph and a circuit of the kind set forth in the second paragraph are known, for example from the patent document U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,231 A. The known data carrier is a so-called passive data carrier which does not include a separate power supply source but extracts the power required for a data processing operation from the amplitude modulated carrier signal applied to the data carrier, that is to say by means of supply voltage generating means which are formed essentially by a rectifier stage and a voltage control or voltage limiting stage. The data regenerating means in the known data carrier include a demodulator whereby the data modulated on the amplitude modulated carrier signal can be regenerated. The regenerated data can be applied to a control unit which is formed by a microcomputer. Therein, the control unit, i.e. the microcomputer, and storage means constitute data processing means whereto the regenerated data can be applied and whereby the regenerated data can be processed, for example in order to be stored in the storage means. In the known data carrier, or in the known circuit of this data carrier, in the case of a data receiving operation the data regenerating means as well as the data processing means are activated in a normal operating mode for the entire duration of the data receiving operation, so that the data regenerating means as well as the data processing means require power which is thus consumed; consequently, the supply voltage generating means are loaded to a comparatively high degree during such a data receiving operation. This is problematic notably because during such a data receiving operation practically no power is applied to the data carrier in the pause segments of the amplitude modulated carrier signal but power is consumed nevertheless during these pause segments. Consequently, there is a disadvantageously high power consumption, leading to a reduced range of the data carrier or the circuit. It is an object of the invention to avoid the described problems and to provide an improved data carrier and an improved circuit in which the power consumption during a data receiving operation is significantly reduced in comparison with the known data carrier or the known circuit. In order to achieve the described object a data carrier of the kind set forth in the first paragraph according to the invention is characterized in that with the data regenerating means there are associated receiving storage means which are constructed and arranged to store regenerated data in conformity with a given data quantity, that the data regenerating means additionally include detection means which are capable of detecting the fact that regenerated data in conformity with the given data quantity has been regenerated by the data regenerating means and stored by the receiving storage means, and whereby, upon detection of this fact, control information can be generated and applied to the data processing means, that the data processing means are constructed so that they can be switched between a normal operating mode and a power saving operating mode, that the data processing means can be switched, in dependence on the control information, from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode and that when the data processing means are switched to their normal operating mode, the regenerated data stored in the receiving storage means can be transferred to the data processing means. In order to achieve the described object, a circuit of the kind set forth in the second paragraph according to the invention is characterized in that with the data regenerating means there are associated receiving storage means which are constructed and arranged to store regenerated data in conformity with a given data quantity, that the data regenerating means additionally include detection means which are capable of detecting the fact that regenerated data in conformity with the given data quantity has been regenerated by the data regenerating means and stored by the receiving storage means, and whereby, upon detection of this fact, control information can be generated and applied to the data processing means, that the data processing means are constructed so that they can be switched between a normal operating mode and a power saving operating mode, that the data processing means can be switched, in dependence on the control information, from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode and that when the data processing means are switched to their normal operating mode, the regenerated data stored in the receiving storage means can be transferred to the data processing means. Using only simple means, the steps according to the invention simply ensure that, during a data receiving operation involving a data carrier according to the invention or a circuit according to the invention, only the means which are absolutely required for receiving and regenerating data are activated, i.e. the data regenerating means, whereas the data processing means, having a significant power consumption in their normal operating mode, are practically deactivated during a significant part of a data receiving operation, i.e. switched to an energy saving operating mode, and are switched to their activated state, i.e. their normal operating mode, only during a comparatively short period of time in order to take up regenerated data from the data regenerating means. This results in a very significant saving of power during a data receiving operation by a data carrier according to the invention or a circuit according to the invention; this advantageously leads to a comparatively large range. Attractive further embodiments of a data carrier according to the invention, or a circuit according to the invention, are characterized by the steps disclosed in the Claims 2 to 10 and 12 to 20. The above and further aspects of the invention will become apparent from the embodiments described hereinafter and will be illustrated on the basis of these embodiments. The invention will be described in detail hereinafter with reference to an embodiment which is shown in the drawings, however, without the invention being restricted thereto. FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an embodiment of the invention of an in this context essential part of a data carrier and a circuit for this data carrier. FIG. 2 shows an amplitude modulated carrier signal which is applied to the data carrier of FIG. 1 and is processed therein in the case of a data receiving operation. FIG. 1 shows, in the form of a block diagram, an embodiment of a part of a data carrier 1, or a circuit 2 for the data carrier 1, according to the invention. In the present case the data carrier 1 is a so-called chip card. However, the data carrier 1 may also have a different construction; for example, it may be constructed as a so-called tag or a so-called label. The circuit 2 is realized in integrated technology. The data carrier 1 is provided with receiver means 3 which are arranged to receive an amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM as shown in FIG. 2. The receiver means 3 include a transmitter coil 4 via which the data carrier 1 can communicate inductively with a transmitter coil of a write/read station which is not shown. Such a write/read station can generate an amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM which can be inductively transmitted to the transmitter coil 4 of the receiver means 3 of the data carrier 1. It is to be noted that the receiver means 3 at the same time constitute transmitter means in order to enable, again inductively, communication from the data carrier 1 to a write/read station by way of the transmitter coil 4. The amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM is amplitude modulated in dependence on data to be received by the data carrier 1. In the case of the amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM as shown in FIG. 2, 100% amplitude modulation is applied. The amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM consists of high segments H of high amplitude and pause segments P of reduced amplitude, the reduced amplitude in the present case being reduced to the value zero due to the 100% amplitude modulation. However, this is not necessarily so; the reduced amplitude in the pause segments P may also have a value which has been reduced by a given percentage relative to the high amplitude of the high segments H, for example an amplitude reduced by 75% or also by only 10%. As regards the carrier signal CSM of FIG. 2 it is also to be noted that the carrier signal CSM is amplitude modulated in conformity with the so-called Miller code. According to this type of code a fixed time interval T is provided for the encoding of each bit. The encoding of a “0” bit then takes place by fixing a pause segment P at the beginning of such a time interval T and a “1” bit is encoded by fixing a pause segment P at the center of such a time interval T as appears from FIG. 2. However, it is to be noted that other types of code can also be used for amplitude modulation of a carrier signal for the transmission of data. For example, encoding can also be performed in such a manner that a “0” bit is represented by a high segment H of duration T1 and a “1” bit by a high segment H of a duration T2, pause segments P of fixed pause duration T3 being provided between all high segments H. However, encoding can also be realized, for example, by providing a fixed time interval T for the encoding of each bit, a “0” bit being encoded by fixing a pause segment P at the start of such a time interval T whereas a “1” bit is encoded by fixing a pause segment at the end of such a time interval T. The circuit 2 of the data carrier 1 is connected to the receiver means 3; to this end, the circuit 2 includes a first connection contact 5 and a second connection contact 6 which are connected to the receiver means 3. The circuit 2 includes supply voltage generating means 7 which are connected, via a connection 8, to the first connection contact 5, can receive the received amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM, and are capable of generating, while using the amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM, a DC supply voltage V which serves to supply the entire circuit 2. It is to be noted that the supply voltage generating means 7 include voltage limiting means in order to avoid the occurrence of an excessively high supply voltage V as is known per se. The data carrier 1 also includes clock signal regenerating means 9 which are also connected to the first connection contact 5 via the connection 8. The clock signal regenerating means 9 are capable of regenerating a clock signal CLK from the received amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM, so that the clock signal CLK is available in the data carrier 1 as well as in the write/read station generating and transmitting the relevant carrier signal CSM. The regenerated carrier signal CLK can be output via a connection 10. Furthermore, the regenerated clock signal CLK is also available via a connection 11 which is branched from the connection 10. The data carrier 1, or the circuit 2, also include data regenerating means 12 which include an analog section 13 and a digital section 14, can receive the received amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM and are capable of regenerating the data DA modulated on the carrier signal CSM. The analog section 13 includes mainly amplitude demodulation means 15 which are also connected, via a connection 16, to the first connection contact 5 of the circuit 2. The amplitude demodulation means 15 are capable of demodulating the amplitude modulated carrier signal CSM transmitted by a write/read station and received by the transmitter coil 4 of the data carrier 1. After successful amplitude demodulation, the amplitude demodulation means 15 output encoded data CDA via a connection 17. The digital section 14 of the data regenerating means 12 includes decoding means 18 which can receive the encoded data CDA via the connection 17. Furthermore, the regenerated clock signal CLK can also be applied to the decoding means 18 via the connection 11. The decoding means 18 are arranged to decode the data CDA encoded in conformity with the Miller code. After successful decoding of the encoded data CDA by means of the decoding means 18, the decoding means 18 output regenerated data via a connection 19. Preferably, with the digital section 14 of the data regenerating means 12 there are associated further receiving storage means 20 which, in the present case, are included in the data regenerating means 12 and can receive, via the connection 19, the regenerated data DA derived by means of the decoding means 18 in order to store the regenerated data DA. The receiving storage means 20 can output the regenerated data DA via a connection 21. The receiving storage means 20 are arranged to store regenerated data in conformity with a given data quantity. In the present case the receiving storage means 20 are arranged to store regenerated data corresponding to one byte, so a data block having a data length of 8 bits, the receiving storage means being formed by a register for storing one byte. The digital section 14 of the data regenerating means 12 preferably also includes first detection means 22 which are capable of detecting the fact that regenerated data DA in conformity with the given data quantity, corresponding to one byte in the present case, has been regenerated by means of the data regenerating means 12 and stored by the receiving storage means 20. In the present case the first detection means 22 are connected to the decoding means 18 via a connection 23. However, it would alternatively be possible to connect the first detection means 22, via the connection 23, to the connection 19 or, via the connection 23, to the receiving storage means 20. The first detection means 22 are capable of generating, upon detection of the fact that regenerated data DA corresponding to one byte has been regenerated by the data regenerating means 12 and stored by the receiving storage means 20, a first control information CI1 which can be output by the first detection means 22 via a connection 24. The digital section 14 of the data regenerating means 12 also includes second detection means 25 which are connected to the decoding means 18 via a connection 26. The second detection means 25 are arranged to detect the fact that a data receiving operation has been terminated, i.e. that all data DA to be received by the data carrier 1 during a data receiving operation has been decoded by the decoding means 18. Upon detection of this fact by the second detection means 25, these means generate further control information CI2 for output via a further connection 27. The circuit 2 of the data carrier 1 also includes data processing means 28. The data processing means 28 can receive the regenerated clock signal CLK via the connection 10. Furthermore, via the connection 21 the data processing means 28 can also receive the regenerated data DA, regenerated by the data regenerating means 12 and temporarily stored in the receiving storage means 20 of the data regenerating means 12. The received regenerated data DA can be processed by the data processing means 28. The data processing means 28 can additionally receive the first control information CI1 via the connection 24 and the second control information CI2 via the connection 27. The data processing means 28 include a microprocessor 29, first storage means 30, second storage means 31 and third storage means 32. The first storage means 30 are in this case formed by a RAM (random access memory) in which inter alia the regenerated data DA taken over by the data processing means 28 can be temporarily stored. The regenerated data DA, for example may still be present in encrypted form and be temporarily stored in the first storage means (RAM) 30. After completion of the temporary storage in the fist storage means 30, the regenerated data DA, still encrypted, can then be decrypted by means of the microprocessor 29, after which the decrypted data is stored in the third storage means 32. In the present case the third storage means 32 are formed by an EEPROM. Finally it is to be noted that the second storage means 31 are formed by a ROM and are intended meanly for storing a program code. The microprocessor 29 of the data processing means 28 implements a large number of means and functions which, however, will not be elaborated upon herein for the sake of simplicity. In this context, however, it is to be noted that control means 33 are realized by means of the microprocessor 29. The control means 33 can switch the microprocessor 29, and hence the data processing means 28, between a normal operating mode, in which all components of the data processing means 28 are activated and receive the DC supply voltage V, and a power saving operating mode in which only a minimum part of the microprocessor 29, and hence of the overall data processing means 28, is activated; this minimum part is required to wake up the microprocessor 29, and hence the overall data processing means 28, from the power saving operating mode again. Such waking up of the microprocessor is a step which is known per se. In respect of the data carrier 1 shown in FIG. 1 it is also to be noted that the power supply voltage generating means 7 are provided with, or co-operate with, a so-called power-on-reset stage which is not shown in FIG. 1. Such a power-on-reset stage has since long been commonly used in data carriers of this kind. When the data carrier 1 enters the communication range of a write/read station and the write/read station outputs a carrier signal, the supply voltage generating means 7 immediately start to generate a DC supply voltage V; after the DC supply voltage V reaches or exceeds a given threshold value, the power-on-reset stage generates a reset signal which is applied to the data processing means 28 and ensures that in the data processing means 28, or in the microprocessor 29, an initialization operation is triggered and executed so that the data processing means 28, or the microprocessor 29, are set to an initial state. After termination of this initialization operation in the data processing means 28, or in the microprocessor 29, it is ensured in the data carrier 1 that the microprocessor 29, and hence the data processing means 28, are automatically switched to their power saving operating mode. The control means 33 of the microprocessor 29 can receive the first control information CI1 as well as the second control information CI2. The relevant received control information, CI1 or CI2, is evaluated in the control means 33. After reception and evaluation of the first control information CI1, the microprocessor 29, and hence the data processing means 28, can be switched from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the first control information CIl. The control means 33 then ensure, after the switching of the microprocessor 29 and the data processing means 28 from their power saving operating state to their normal operating mode in dependence on the first control information CI1, that the microprocessor 29 and the data processing means 28 automatically return to their power saving operating mode, that is to say after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of a byte has elapsed. The construction of the data processing means 28, or of the microprocessor 29 included in the data processing means 28, in the circuit 2 of the data carrier 1 is such that, when the microprocessor 29 is switched to its normal operating mode, and hence when the data processing means 28 are switched to their normal operating mode, the regenerated data DA stored in the receiving storage means 20 can be transferred to the data processing means 28 or the microprocessor 29. As soon as the microprocessor 29 has been switched to its normal operating mode by means of its control means 33, the microprocessor 29 automatically takes up the data DA, which is stored in the receiving storage means 20 formed by a register and corresponds to one byte, via the connection 21. As soon as the transfer of the data DA, corresponding to this byte, and the processing of this data DA, corresponding to this byte, for example the storage in the first storage means (RAM) 30, has been completed, the control means 33 ensure that the microprocessor 29, and hence the data processing means 28, are automatically returned to their power saving operating mode. In respect of the second detection means 25 of the data regenerating means 12 it is also to be noted that, when the second detection means 25 apply, after a completed data receiving operation, the second control information CI2 to the data processing means 28 via the connection 27, the second control information CI2 is evaluated by means of the control means 33 of the microcomputer 29. After such an evaluation, the control means 33 ensure that the microprocessor 29, or the data processing means 28, are permanently switched to their normal operating mode; the data DA, received and regenerated during the previously executed and terminated data receiving operation, which data DA was stored in the first storage means (RAM) 30 of the data processing means 28 after its temporary storage in the receiving storage means 20, is subjected to a further data processing operation, for example decryption and storage or other data processing operations. Finally, it is to be noted that data processed by the data processing means 28 and to be applied to a write/read station in the course of a data transmission operation, can be applied by the data processing means 28, via a connection 34, to data preparation means 35 whereby data applied thereto can be brought into a form which is suitable for transmission to a write/read station, after which this data can be applied, via a further connection 36, to the transmitter coil 4 in order to be inductively transmitted, via the transmitter coil 4, to a transmitter coil of a write/read station. After completion of such a data transmission operation, it is ensured in the data carrier 1 that the microprocessor 29, and hence the data processing means 28, are automatically switched or set to their power saving operating mode. Using simple means, as appears from the foregoing description, in the data carrier 1 of FIG. 1, or in its circuit 2, it is simply ensured that during a data receiving operation only the data regenerating means 12 are continuously activated and hence the supply voltage generating means 7 are loaded only by the data regenerating means 12, whereas the data processing means 28, having a comparatively high power consumption in their normal operating mode, are activated, i.e. controlled to their normal operating mode, only during very short and absolutely necessary periods of time, in which they load the supply voltage generating means 7; however, during a significant part of a data receiving operation they are switched to their power saving operating mode in which they practically do not load the supply voltage generating means 7. In comparison with a known mode of operation in which the data processing means remain in their normal operating mode during the entire data receiving operation, in the data carrier 1, or the circuit 2 of the data carrier 1 shown in FIG. 1, a significant power saving is thus achieved during a data receiving operation. In a second embodiment of a data carrier 1 according to the invention or a circuit 2 according to the invention (not shown figuratively because purely figuratively they do not deviate from the data carrier 1 or the circuit 2 shown in FIG. 1) the receiving storage means 20 are arranged to store regenerated data DA in conformity with one bit, the receiving storage means 20 being formed by a flip-flop. The control means 33 of the microprocessor 29 in this case ensure, after the switching of the microprocessor 29, or the data processing means 28, from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the first control information CI1, that, after such switching over, the data processing means 28, or the microprocessor 29, automatically return to their power saving operating mode, that is to say after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of a bit has elapsed. In a further embodiment of a data carrier 1 or a circuit 2, according to the invention (again not shown figuratively because purely figuratively they do not deviate from the data carrier 1 or the circuit 2 of the data carrier 1 shown in FIG. 1), the receiving storage means 20 are arranged to store regenerated data DA in conformity with a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes. The receiving storage means 20 are then formed by a part of a RAM. It has been found that it is very advantageous when this part of a RAM is formed by a part of the first storage means (RAM) 30 which are included in the data processing means 28 and are associated with the data regenerating means 12 in this case. The control means 33 of the microprocessor 29 in this data carrier 1, or this circuit 2 ensure that, after the switching of the microprocessor 29, or the data processing means 28, from their power saving operating mode to the normal operating mode in dependence on the first control information CI1, the data processing means 28, or the microprocessor 29, automatically return to their power saving operating mode after such switching over, that is to say after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes has elapsed. The advantages already described with reference to the data carrier 1 of FIG. 1, or with reference to the circuit 2 thereof, are also preserved for the above two embodiments of a data carrier 1 according to the invention, or a circuit 2 according to the invention which are not separately shown figuratively. In the embodiment of a data carrier 1, or a circuit 2, according to the invention as described with reference to FIG. 1, the first control information CI1, output by the first detection means 22, is applied to the control means 33 of the microprocessor 29 and ensure that in the microprocessor the switching over takes place from the power saving operating mode to the normal operating mode. The switching over between the power saving operating mode and the normal operating mode in such a data carrier 1, or such a circuit 2, however, can also be performed in a different manner as will be described in the next paragraph. In the case of the data carrier 1 of FIG. 1 very simple switching over between the power saving operating mode and the normal operating mode can also be achieved by controlling the supply of the clock signal CLK to the data processing means 28, and hence to the microprocessor 29, that is to say by either enabling the supply or interrupting the supply. When the supply of the clock signal CLK to the data processing means 28 and the microprocessor 29 is interrupted, switching over to the power saving operating mode takes place, because the microprocessor 29 is then deactivated. When the supply of the clock signal CLK to the data processing means 28 and the microprocessor 29 is enabled, however, the normal operating mode is activated since the microprocessor 29 is then activated. Controlling the supply of the clock signal CLK to the data processing means 28 can be realized, for example in a very simple manner by means of an OR gate which is included in the connection 10 between the clock signal regenerating means 9 and the data processing means 28; a first input of the OR gate can then receive the clock signal CLK output by the clock signal regenerating means 9 whereas a second input of this OR gate can receive the first control information CI1 output by the first detection means 22. The configuration may be such that the OR gate forwards the supplied clock signal CLK when the second input of the OR gate receives a control signal of a low level as the first control information CI1, and that the OR gate causes an interruption of the forwarding of the clock signal CLK when its second input receives a control signal of a high level as the first control information CI1. The data carrier 1 described with reference to FIG. 1 concerns a data carrier which can communicate with a write/read station in a contactless manner only, i.e. by means of the transmitter coil 4. However, such a data carrier 1 may additionally be provided with means enabling communication, via externally accessible contact pads, with an analogously constructed write/read station. The data carrier 1 described with reference to FIG. 1 is a so-called passive data carrier which does not have its own power supply source but receives power via the voltage generating means 7. However, the steps proposed by the invention can also be advantageously used for so-called active data carriers in which, for example a power supply source in the form of a battery is provided; the steps according to the invention can then offer a substantial extension of the service life of the battery because of the reduction of the power consumption resulting from the steps according to the invention. that the data processing means (28) are switched to their normal operating mode, the regenerated data (DA) stored in the receiving storage means (20) can be transferred to the data processing means (28). 2. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with one bit. 3. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a flip-flop. 4. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of one bit has elapsed. 5. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with one byte. 6. A data carrier as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a register for storing one byte. 7. A data carrier as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of one byte has elapsed. 8. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes. 9. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a part of a RAM (random access memory). 10. A data carrier (1) as claimed in claim 8, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes has elapsed. that when the data processing means (28) are switched to their normal operating mode, the regenerated data (DA) stored in the receiving storage means (20) can be transferred to the data processing means (28). 12. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with one bit. 13. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a flip-flop. 14. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 12, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of one bit has elapsed. 15. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with one byte. 16. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a register for storing one byte. 17. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 15, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of one byte has elapsed. 18. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 11, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are arranged to store regenerated data (DA) in conformity with a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes. 19. A circuit (2) as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the receiving storage means (20) are formed by a part of a RAM. 20. A circuit arrangement (2) as claimed in claim 18, characterized in that the data processing means (28) are arranged to return automatically, after switching over from their power saving operating mode to their normal operating mode in dependence on the control information (CI1), to their power saving operating mode after a period of time long enough to ensure correct processing of a data block consisting of a plurality of bytes, has elapsed. wherein the processor occupies a low power state, leaves the low power state in response to the first signal and in response to the second signal, and thereafter returns to the low power state. wherein the processor occupies the low power state, leaves the low power state in response to the first signal and in response to the second signal, and thereafter returns to the low power state. FR2660769B1 (en) * 1990-04-06 1994-09-23 Neiman Sa Circuit microprocessor power alarm, in particular for an identification card of a set of car remote control.

2019-04-20T13:01:02Z

https://patents.google.com/patent/US6831548B1/en

“Tampa” redirects here. For other uses, see Tampa (disambiguation). Tampa /ˈtæmpə/ is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County and is located on the west coast of Florida, on Tampa Bay near the Gulf of Mexico. The population of Tampa in 2011 was 346,037. In 1824, the United States Army established a frontier outpost called Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River, near the site of today's Tampa Convention Center. The first civilian residents were pioneers who settled near the fort for protection from the nearby Seminole population. The town grew slowly until the 1880s, when railroad links, the discovery of phosphate, and the arrival of the cigar industry jump-started its development and helped it to grow into an important city by the early 1900s. Today, Tampa is a part of the metropolitan area most commonly referred to as the Tampa Bay Area. For U.S. Census purposes, Tampa is part of the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. The four-county area is composed of roughly 2.9 million residents, making it the second largest metropolitan statistical area (MSA) in the state, and the fourth largest in the Southeastern United States, behind Miami, Washington, D.C. and Atlanta. The Greater Tampa Bay area has over 4 million residents and generally includes the Tampa and Sarasota metro areas. The Tampa Bay Partnership and U.S. Census data showed an average annual growth of 2.47 percent, or a gain of approximately 97,000 residents per year. Between 2000 and 2006, the Greater Tampa Bay Market experienced a combined growth rate of 14.8 percent, growing from 3.4 million to 3.9 million and hitting the 4 million people mark on April 1, 2007. A 2012 estimate shows the Tampa Bay area population to have 4,310,524 people and a 2017 projection of 4,536,854 people. In 2008, Tampa was ranked as the 5th best outdoor city by Forbes. A 2004 survey by the NYU newspaper Washington Square News ranked Tampa as a top city for "twenty-somethings." Tampa also ranks as the fifth most popular American city, based on where people want to live, according to a 2009 Pew Research Center study. Tampa is now ranked as a "Gamma+" world city by Loughborough University. According to Loughborough, Tampa ranks alongside other world cities such as Phoenix, Indianapolis, Rotterdam, and Santo Domingo. In recent years Tampa has seen a notable upsurge in high-market demand from consumers, signaling more wealth concentrated in the area. Tampa hosted the 2012 Republican National Convention. The war ended in April 1865 with a Confederate defeat. In May 1865, federal troops of the 2nd U.S. Colored Infantry Regiment arrived in Tampa to occupy the fort and the town as part of Reconstruction. They remained until August 1869. Henry B. Plant's narrow-gauge South Florida Railroad reached Tampa and its port in late 1883, finally connecting the small town to the nation's railroad system after years of efforts by local leaders. Previously, Tampa's overland transportation links had consisted of sandy roads stretching across the Florida countryside. Plant's railroad made it much easier to get goods in and out of the Tampa Bay area. Phosphate and commercial fishing exports could be sent north by rail and many new products were brought into the Tampa market, along with the first tourists. The era of rampant and open corruption ended in the 1950s, when the Estes Kefauver's traveling organized crime hearings came to town and were followed by the sensational misconduct trials of several local officials. Although many of the worst offenders in government and the mob were not charged, the trials helped to end the sense of lawlessness which had prevailed in Tampa for decades. MacDill Air Force Base during World War II. In 1970, the Census Bureau reported city's population as 80.0% white and 19.7% black. Tampa is located on the West coast of Florida at 27°58′15″N 82°27′53″W / 27.97083, -82.46472 (27.970898, −82.464640). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 170.6 square miles (442 km2) including 112.1 square miles (290 km2) of land and 58.5 square miles (151.5 km2) (34.31%) of water. The highest point in the city is only 48 feet (15 m). Tampa is bordered by two bodies of water, Old Tampa Bay and Hillsborough Bay, both of which flow together to form Tampa Bay, which in turn flows into the Gulf of Mexico. The Hillsborough River flows out into Hillsborough Bay, passing directly in front of Downtown Tampa and supplying Tampa's main source of fresh water. Palm River is a smaller river flowing from just east of the city into McKay Bay, which is a smaller inlet, sited at the northeast end of Hillsborough Bay Tampa's geography is marked by the Interbay Peninsula which divides Hillsborough Bay (the eastern) from Old Tampa Bay (the western). Tampa's climate shows characteristics of a tropical climate, but is situated on the southern fringe of the humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa) zone. Tampa's climate generally features hot summer days with frequent thunderstorms in the summer (rain is less frequent in the fall and winter), and a threat of a light winter freeze from November 15 through March 5 caused by occasional cold fronts from the north. Freezes do not happen every year though, especially towards South Tampa and areas near the bay. Light freezes every year are more likely in northern Tampa and areas away from the water. Since Tampa has some characteristics of a tropical climate, hard freezes (defined by the National Weather Service as below 28 °F (−2.2 °C)) happen rarely (every 5 to 20 years depending on location). Because of Tampa Bay, Tampa is split between two USDA climate zones. According to the 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, Tampa is listed as USDA zone 9b north of Kennedy Boulevard away from the bay and 10a south of Kennedy Boulevard and along the bay, Zone 10a is about the northern limit of where coconut palms and royal palms can be grown, although some specimens do grow in northern Tampa. Southern Tampa has much more tropical foliage than the northern parts of the city. Average highs range from 70 to 90 °F (21 to 32 °C) year round, and lows 52 to 76 °F (11 to 24 °C). Tampa's official recorded high has never hit 100 °F (37.8 °C) – the all-time record high temperature is 99 °F (37 °C), recorded on June 5, 1985. Temperatures are warm to hot from around mid-May through mid-October, which roughly coincides with the rainy season. Summertime weather is very consistent from June through September, with daytime highs near 90 °F (32 °C), lows in the mid-70s °F (23–24 °C), and high humidity. Afternoon thunderstorms, usually generated by the interaction of the Gulf and Atlantic sea breezes, are such a regular occurrence during the summer that the Tampa Bay area is recognized as the "Lightning Capital of North America". Every year, Florida averages 10 deaths and 30 injuries from lightning strikes, with several of these usually occurring in or around Tampa. Though it is affected by tropical storms every few years and threatened by tropical systems almost annually, Tampa has not taken a direct hit from a hurricane since 1921. That seemed about to change in 2004, when Hurricane Charley was forecast to enter the mouth of Tampa Bay and make landfall near downtown Tampa, with potentially devastating effects for the entire region. The danger prompted one of the largest evacuations in state history, with many residents taking refuge in the Orlando area. But Charley never reached Tampa Bay. After paralleling Florida's southwest coastline, the storm suddenly and unexpectedly swerved to the east and slammed into Punta Gorda instead. Charley then traveled northeast across the state and hit Orlando, where many Tampa residents had taken refuge, as a category 2 storm. The regular summertime afternoon thundershowers occasionally intensify into a severe thunderstorm, bringing heavy downpours, frequent lightning, strong straight-line winds, and sometimes hail. Tornadoes and waterspouts are less common, and they tend to be weaker and shorter-lived (typically EF0 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale) than those in tornado alley. The arrival of spring cold fronts sometimes bring stronger tornadoes to west central Florida. An F4 (Old Fujita scale) struck northern Tampa and the University of South Florida on April 4, 1966 causing severe damage and killing 3 people in north Tampa. However, this was an unusual event. Tampa skyline panorama facing north. Tampa skyline panorama facing east. The Ybor City District is home to several buildings on the National Register of Historic Places and has been declared a National Historic Landmark. Notable structures include El Centro Español de Tampa, El Centro Asturiano and other social clubs built in the early 1900s. The City of Tampa is served by Tampa Fire Rescue. With 22 fire stations the department provides fire and medical protection for Tampa and New Tampa. Station 1, located on 808 East Zack Street in Downtown, serves as headquarters and houses Engine 1, Truck 1, Rescue Car 1, Heavy Rescue 1, and Vent Truck 1. The busiest firehouse in the city is Station 13, housing Engine 13, Rescue Car 13. After three years of service in the department, members must become Florida State Certified Paramedics. Marshall Student Center at the University of South Florida. Downtown Tampa as seen from above. Service, retail, finance, insurance, shipping by air and sea, national defense, professional sports, tourism, and real estate all play a vital role in the area's economy. Hillsborough County alone has an estimated 740,000 employees, a figure which is projected to increase to 922,000 by 2015. Many corporations, such as large banks and telecommunications companies, maintain regional offices in Tampa. MacDill Air Force Base also remains a major employer as the parent installation for over 15,000 active uniformed military, Department of Defense (DoD) civil service and DoD contractor personnel in the Tampa Bay area. A significant majority of the civil service and contractor personnel are, in fact, themselves retired career military personnel. In addition to the 6th Air Mobility Wing, which is "host wing" for the base, MacDill is also home to Headquarters, United States Central Command (USCENTCOM), Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command (USSOCOM), the 927th Air Refueling Wing, Headquarters, United States Marine Forces Central Command (USMARCENT), Headquarters, United States Special Operations Command Central (USSOCCENT), and numerous other military activities of the active and reserve components of the armed forces. Tampa and its surrounding suburbs are host to over 20 hospitals and four trauma centers. Three of the area's hospitals were ranked among "America's best hospitals" by US News and World Report. It is also home to many health research institutions. The major hospitals in Tampa include Tampa General Hospital, St. Joseph's Children's & Women's Hospital, James A. Haley Veterans Hospital, H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center & Research Institute and The Pepin Heart Institute. Shriners Hospitals for Children is based in Tampa. Advocated for World Health is a Tampa based non-profit that reuses medical waste and donates it to hospitals in need around the globe. USF's Byrd Alzheimer's Institute is both a prominent research facility and Alzheimer's patient care center in Tampa. Along with human health care, there are hundreds of animal medical centers including a Humane Society of America. Major daily newspapers serving the city are The Tampa Tribune and The Tampa Bay Times. La Gaceta is the nation's only trilingual newspaper, written in English, Spanish, and Italian. There is also a wide variety of smaller regional newspapers, alternative weeklies, and magazines, including the Florida Sentinel Bulletin, Creative Loafing, Reax Music Magazine, The Oracle, Tampa Bay Business Journal, and MacDill Thunderbolt. Major television affiliates include WFTS 28 (ABC), WTSP 10 (CBS), WFLA 8 (NBC), WTVT 13 (Fox), WTOG 44 (The CW), WTTA 38 (MyNetworkTV), and WVEA 62 (Univision). TECO's coal-fired Big Bend Power Station supplies most of the city's energy. The Lee Roy Selmon Crosstown Expressway features an elevated double-decker highway. Three motor vehicle bridges cross Tampa Bay to Pinellas County from Tampa city limits: the Howard Frankland Bridge (I-275), the Courtney Campbell Causeway (SR 60), and the Gandy Bridge (U.S. 92). The old Gandy Bridge was completely replaced by new spans during the 1990s, but a span of the old bridge was saved and converted into a pedestrian and biking bridge renamed The Friendship Trail. It is the longest overwater recreation trail in the world. However, the bridge was closed in 2008 due to structural problems. Eastern terminus of the Howard Frankland Bridge. There are two major expressways (toll) bringing traffic in and out of Tampa. The Lee Roy Selmon Expressway (SR 618) (formerly known as the Crosstown Expressway), runs from suburban Brandon at its eastern terminus, through Downtown Tampa, to the neighborhoods in South Tampa (near MacDill Air Force Base) at its western terminus. The Veterans Expressway (SR 589), meanwhile connects Tampa International Airport and the bay bridges to the northwestern suburbs of Carrollwood, Northdale, Westchase, Citrus Park, Cheval, and Lutz, before continuing north as the Suncoast Parkway into Pasco and Hernando counties. Along with highways, major surface roads serve as main arteries of the city. These roads are Hillsborough Avenue (U.S. 92 and U.S. 41), Dale Mabry Highway (U.S. 92), Nebraska Avenue (U.S. 41/SR 45), Florida Avenue (U.S. 41 Business), Bruce B. Downs Boulevard, Fowler Avenue, Busch Boulevard, Kennedy Boulevard, Adamo Drive, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. Carnival Inspiration at port in Tampa. In 1899 however, the U.S. Congress authorized the dredging of a 27' deep channel to Port Tampa, Henry Plant's rail-to-ship facility just west of Tampa. In 1917 another channel was dredged out to the Port of Tampa proper, instantly making Tampa an important shipping location. Tugboat pushes a barge at the Port of Tampa. The bay bottom is very sandy, and the ship channels need constant dredging to keep them navigable to the largest modern cargo ships. Every year, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers dredge up enough sediment from the bay to fill Raymond James Stadium ten times. Weekly containerized cargo service is available in the Port of Tampa. Ports America operates two container berths, three gantry cranes, a 100 ton Mobile Harbor Crane and a container terminal. Zim American Integrated Shipping Company has been providing global connections to the Port of Tampa for the past ten years. MSC has recently partnered with Zim on a joint service connecting the Port of Tampa to an additional global network. The port's longest running container carrier Tropical Shipping recently ceased operations in the Port of Tampa. Horizon Lines also made a short lived attempt to provide service to the port but quickly pulled the plug. Currently 3,000 to 4,250 TEU containerships regularly call the Port of Tampa. Public mass transit within Tampa is operated by the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority (HART), and includes public bus and paratransit service, as well as a streetcar line. The HART bus system's main hub is the Marion Transit Center in Downtown Tampa, serving nearly 30 local and express routes. HART has a signed transit deal with the University of South Florida, allowing students to ride for free on most bus routes, while students from other schools may receive discounted fares. HART is also currently making a bus rapid transit system called MetroRapid that will run between Downtown and the University of South Florida. A HARTLine bus picking up passengers at the Marion Transit Center. In October, 2002, the TECO Line Streetcar System brought electric streetcar service back to Tampa for the first time in over half a century. The line currently operates from eleven stations along a 2.7-mile (4.35-km) route, connecting Ybor City, the Channel District, the Tampa Convention Center, and downtown Tampa. The TECO Line fleet features varnished wood interiors and other appointments reminiscent of the streetcars that traversed Tampa between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries. The nostalgic design is incorporated with modern functionality, as the cars are both wheelchair accessible and air conditioned. Limited transportation by privately operated "Neighborhood Electric Vehicles" (NEV) is available, primarily in Downtown Tampa and Ybor City. Water taxis are available on a charter basis for tours along the downtown waterfront and the Hillsborough River. Regular water taxi service may be possible in the future as docks and facilities are developed in conjunction with the Tampa Riverwalk. A KC-135R stationed at MacDill flying over Tampa Bay. The MacDill AFB flight line was temporarily closed and the 56th Fighter Wing transferred to Luke AFB, Arizona following the 1991 round of base closings under the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) discussions; at the time, the base was used for F-16 fighter training and operations and increasing level of civilian air traffic in the Tampa Bay area was considered detrimental to training. The noise produced by the fighter aircraft was also considered inappropriate in a densely populated area. However, despite committee recommendations, the base remained open to house and support CENTCOM and SOCOM under the cognizance of the newly activated 6th Air Base Wing. With the disestablishment of Tactical Air Command a few months later, claimancy for MacDill passed to the newly created Air Combat Command. The MacDill flight line was initially reopened in 1992 to temporarily support F-16 aircraft from the 31st Fighter Wing and the Air Force Reserve's 482d Fighter Wing, following the destruction of their home station, Homestead AFB, Florida, in the wake of Hurricane Andrew. In 1993 the MacDill flightline was permanently reopened for NOAA WP-3D "hurricane hunter" operations, which had relocated from Miami International Airport. In 1996, the 91st Air Refueling Squadron moved to MacDill from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, the 6th Air Base Wing was renamed the 6th Air Refueling Wing. It was renamed the 6th Air Mobility Wing after the 310th Airlift Squadron was activated on the base and the installation officially came under the Air Mobility Command. The Channelside Entertainment Complex in Tampa's Channel District. Tampa is home to several death metal bands, an extreme form of heavy metal music that evolved from thrash metal. Many of the genre's pioneers and foremost figures are based in and around the city. Chief among these are Deicide, Six Feet Under, Obituary, Cannibal Corpse, and Morbid Angel. The Tampa scene grew with the birth of Morrisound Recording, which established itself as an international recording destination for metal bands. The underground rock band, the Baskervils, got their start in Tampa. They played the Tampa Bay area between 1994 and 1997 and then moved to New York City. Underground hip-hop group Equilibrium is based out of Tampa, as well as the Christian metalcore band, Underoath. The city of Tampa operates over 165 parks and beaches covering 2,286 acres (9.251 km2) within city limits; 42 more in surrounding suburbs covering 70,000 acres (280 km2), are maintained by Hillsborough County. These areas include the Hillsborough River State Park, just northeast of the city. Tampa is also home to a number of attractions and theme parks, including Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, Adventure Island, Lowry Park Zoo, and Florida Aquarium. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay is a 335-acre (1.356 km2) Africa-themed park located near the University of South Florida. It features many thrilling roller coasters, for which it is known, including Sheikra, Montu, Gwazi and Kumba. Visitors can also view and interact with a number of African wildlife. Other notable events include the Outback Bowl, which is held New Year's Day at Raymond James Stadium. Each February, The Florida State Fair brings crowds from across the state, while "Fiesta Day" celebrates Tampa's Cuban, German, Italian, African-Cuban, Jewish and Spanish immigrant heritage. The India International Film Festival (IIFF) of Tampa Bay also takes place in February. In April the MacDill Air Fest entertains as one of the largest military air shows in the U.S. Guavaween, a nighttime street celebration infuses Halloween with the Latin flavor of Ybor City. Downtown Tampa hosts the largest anime convention in Florida, Metrocon, a three-day event held in either June or July at the Tampa Convention Center. Ybor also hosts "GaYbor Days", an annual street party in the GLBT-friendly GaYbor district. The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, held annually since 1989, is the city's largest film festival event, and one of the largest independent gay film festivals in the country. Communities of faith have organized in Tampa from 1846, when a Methodist congregation established the city's first church, to 1939, when a 21-year-old Billy Graham began his career as a spiritual evangelist and preacher on downtown's Franklin Street, and through to today. Among Tampa's noteworthy religious structures are Sacred Heart Catholic Church, a 1905 downtown landmark noted for its soaring, Romanesque revival construction in granite and marble with German-crafted stained glass windows, the distinctive rock and mortar St. James Episcopal House of Prayer, listed with the U.S. historic registry, and the St. Paul A.M.E. church, which has seen the likes of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and President Bill Clinton speak from its pulpit. The later two have been designated by the city government as Local Landmark Structures. Around the city are located a handful of mosques for followers of Islam, as well as a Tibetan-style Buddhist temple, a Thai Buddhist Wat, and local worship centers for the Sikh, Hindu and Bahá'í faiths. The Church of Scientology, based in nearby Clearwater, maintains a location for its cult in Tampa. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers began in 1976 as an expansion team of the NFL. They struggled mightily at first, losing their first 26 games in a row to set a league record for futility. After a brief taste of success in the late 1970s, the Bucs again returned to their losing ways, and at one point lost 10+ games for 12 seasons in a row. The hiring of Tony Dungy in 1996 started an improving trend that eventually led to the team's first Super Bowl title in 2002 under coach Jon Gruden. The Tampa Bay Storm moved to the area from Pittsburgh in 1991 and promptly won their first Arena Bowl championship. They have won four subsequent championships (1993, 1995, 1996, and 2003), more than any other Arena Football League team. The Storm played in Tropicana Field until 1997, when they moved to the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning was established in 1992, and currently play their home games in the Tampa Bay Times Forum, located in the Channelside district of downtown Tampa. In 2004, the team won their first Stanley Cup championship against the Calgary Flames. The Tampa Bay area has long been home to spring training, minor league, and excellent amateur baseball. Accordingly, there was some cross-bay competition for a Major League Baseball franchise throughout the 1980s and 1990s until the Tampa Bay Rays (originally "Devil Rays") began playing in 1998 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. After a decade of futility, the Rays made it to the 2008 World Series and won the American League East in 2008 and 2010, and the American League Wild Card in 2011. The Tampa Bay Rowdies of the original North American Soccer League was the area's first major sports franchise, beginning play in Tampa Stadium in 1975. The Rowdies were an immediate success, drawing good crowds and winning the inaugural Soccer Bowl in their first season to bring Tampa its first professional sports championship. Though the NASL ceased operations in 1984, the Rowdies continued to compete in various indoor and outdoor soccer leagues until finally folding in 1993. A new incarnation of the Tampa Bay Rowdies compete in a new incarnation of the North American Soccer League (2nd Division in the U.S. & Canada). The team took the pitch as FC Tampa Bay in 2010 because of a licensing dispute over the "Rowdies" moniker and finally gained control of the old name and logos before the 2012 season. They played in George M. Steinbrenner field in Tampa during their first campaign and moved to Al Lang Field in St. Pete in 2011. In 2012, the Rowdies were crowned champions of the NASL. The city was also home to USL Pro (3rd Division) club VSI Tampa Bay which ceased operations after the 2013 season. The city was home to the Major League Soccer team Tampa Bay Mutiny. The Mutiny were the first MLS club to win the Supporters' Shield in the league's history. The club, which was run by the league, operated from 1996 until 2001 when local ownership could not be secured. The city has no current representation in MLS. Hillsborough Community College participates in Division I of the NJCAA. Sports include men's baseball and basketball, and women's basketball, softball, tennis and volleyball. The University of South Florida began playing intercollegiate sports in 1965. The South Florida Bulls established a basketball team in 1971 and a football team in 1997. The football Bulls joined the Big East in 2005, and under former head coach Jim Leavitt, rose to as high as #2 in the BCS rankings in 2007. ^ "Ybor City: Cigar Capital of the World". Nps.gov. June 28, 1999. http://www.nps.gov/nr/twhp/wwwlps/lessons/51ybor/51ybor.htm. Retrieved July 5, 2013. ^ "Alive: Ybor stumbled upon Guavaween". Sptimes.com. October 29, 1999. http://www.sptimes.com/News/102999/Alive/Ybor_stumbled_upon_Gu.shtml. Retrieved July 5, 2013. ^ "Buckhorn picks city attorney". St. Petersburg Times — www.tampabay.com. http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/buckhorn-picks-city-attorney/1163213. Retrieved 2011-04-23. ^ "Table 3. Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places in Florida: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2011" (CSV). U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/popest/data/cities/totals/2011/tables/SUB-EST2011-03-12.csv. Retrieved March 13, 2013. ^ "Tampa, Florida (FL) Zip Code Map – Locations, Demographics – list of zip codes". City-data.com. http://www.city-data.com/zipmaps/Tampa-Florida.html. Retrieved 2010-02-23. ^ "Tampa". The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. http://ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=Tampa. Retrieved December 4, 2011. ^ a b "Tampa, Florida: Census". Quickfacts.census.gov. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/1271000.html. Retrieved 2011-04-17. ^ "Table 1. The 15 Fastest-Growing Large Cities from April 1, 2010, to July 1, 2011".United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2011-03-18. ^ "Tampa Bay, Florida Demographics". tampabay.us. http://www.tampabay.us/demographics.aspx. Retrieved 2013-01-01. ^ Reports (2009-01-29). "For Nearly Half of America, Grass Is Greener Somewhere Else; Denver Tops List of Favorite Cities | Pew Social & Demographic Trends". Pewsocialtrends.org. http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2009/01/29/for-nearly-half-of-america-grass-is-greener-somewhere-else-denver-tops-list-of-favorite-cities/. Retrieved 2013-12-09. ^ "GaWC - The World According to GaWC 2012". Lboro.ac.uk. 2014-01-13. http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2012t.html. Retrieved 2014-01-25. ^ "GaWC – The World According to GaWC 2010". Lboro.ac.uk. 2011-09-14. http://www.lboro.ac.uk/gawc/world2010t.html. Retrieved 2011-09-28. ^ a b "ABOUT TAMPA BAY – PINELLAS COUNTY HISTORY – WEBCOAST PAGE TAMPA BAY TAMPA FLORIDA". www.webcoast.com. http://www.webcoast.com/pinellas.htm. Retrieved 2008-02-24. ^ "Hull of Civil War sloop likely found in Tampa river – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. http://www.tampabay.com/news/article516881.ece. Retrieved 2010-02-23. ^ "Gasparilla Pirate Festival – Tampa, Florida". Gasparillapiratefest.com. http://www.gasparillapiratefest.com. Retrieved 2010-02-23. ^ "CENSUS OF POPULATION AND HOUSING (1790–2000)". U.S. Census Bureau. http://www.census.gov/prod/www/abs/decennial/index.html. Retrieved 2011-04-11. ^ "Tampa (city) QuickFacts from the US Census Bureau". Quickfacts.census.gov. http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/12/1271000.html. Retrieved July 5, 2013. ^ a b c d "Average Weather for Tampa, FL – Temperature and Precipitation". www.weather.com. http://www.weather.com/outlook/recreation/outdoors/wxclimatology/monthly/graph/USFL0481?from=search. Retrieved 2008-02-23. ^ "Mean Number of Days With Minimum Temperature 32 °F or Less". National Climatic Data Center. 2004-06-23. http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/min32temp.html. Retrieved 2007-03-06. ^ Citrus farmers reeling from cold St. Petersburg Times, December 27, 1989. ^ Anderson, Anne W. (2009). Insiders' Guide to the Greater Tampa Bay Area. Globe Pequot. pp. 264–265. ISBN 0-7627-5347-1. http://books.google.com/?id=f4LDwCA8B3EC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved May 12, 20f11. ^ Anderson, Anne W. (2009). Insiders' Guide to the Greater Tampa Bay Area. Globe Pequot. p. 265. ISBN 0-7627-5347-1. http://books.google.com/?id=f4LDwCA8B3EC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved May 12, 2011. ^ Anderson, Anne W. (2009). Insiders' Guide to the Greater Tampa Bay Area. Globe Pequot. p. 263. ISBN 0-7627-5347-1. http://books.google.com/?id=f4LDwCA8B3EC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved May 12, 2011. ^ Anderson, Anne W. (2009). Insiders' Guide to the Greater Tampa Bay Area. Globe Pequot. pp. 263–264. ISBN 0-7627-5347-1. http://books.google.com/?id=f4LDwCA8B3EC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false. Retrieved May 12, 2011. ^ "Tampa Downtown Partnership – Elevating The Potential". Tampasdowntown.com. http://tampasdowntown.com/default.aspx. Retrieved 2011-04-17. ^ "Tony Jannus, An Enduring Legacy of Aviation". The Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society.. Retrieved February 23, 2010. ^ "Take Flight", December 2009. The Tony Jannus Distinguished Aviation Society. Retrieved February 23, 2010. ^ "Tampa Port Authority". Flaports.org. http://www.flaports.org/Sub_Content3.aspx?id=26&pid=3. Retrieved 2013-12-09. ^ "Cruise Sailing Schedule 2009/2010". Tampa Port Authority. Retrieved January 28, 2010. ^ "Adult Student Fare." Hillsborough Area Regional Transit. Retrieved on December 17, 2006. ^ "Water taxis in downtown Tampa gain interest – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/economicdevelopment/article976626.ece. Retrieved 2010-02-23. ^ "Famed Tampa wrestler Jack Brisco dies at 68 – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. http://www.tampabay.com/news/obituaries/famed-tampa-wrestler-jack-brisco-dies-at-68/1069959. Retrieved 2011-04-17. ^ "Neighborhood notes: Group helps promote Palma Ceia merchants – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. http://www.tampabay.com/news/humaninterest/article925102.ece. Retrieved 2010-02-23. ^ "Metrocon About Metrocon". Retrieved August 13, 2012. ^ "GaYbor Days will make your Fourth fabulous – St. Petersburg Times". Tampabay.com. http://www.tampabay.com/features/events/article657346.ece?comments=legacy. Retrieved 2010-02-23. ^ “Tampa – Florida’s Industrial Port City”. Florida History Internet Center. Retrieved February 27, 2010. ^ “Our History”. St. James House of Prayer. Retrieved February 27, 2010. ^ Pichaya Fitts (April 14, 2003). "'A little piece of Thailand'". Tampa Bay Times. http://www.sptimes.com/2003/04/14/TampaBay/_A_little_piece_of_Th.shtml. Retrieved 2012-01-01. ^ "Hillsborough Community College". NJCAA. http://www.njcaa.org/colleges_college_home.cfm?collegeId=1360. Retrieved 2013-12-09. ^ Florence, Jeanne. "Le Havre - Les villes jumelées [Le Havre - Twin towns]" (in French). Archived on 2009-09-03. Error: If you specify |archivedate=, you must also specify |archiveurl=. http://archives.lehavre.fr/delia-CMS/guichet_virtuel/rubrique/article_id-1626/topic_id-707/les-villes-jumelees.html. Retrieved 2013-08-07. ^ "Le Havre - Les villes jumelées [Le Havre - Twin towns]" (in French). City of Le Havre. Archived from the original on 2013-07-24. http://web.archive.org/web/20130729215238/http://lehavre.fr/dossier/le-havre-ville-partenaire. Retrieved 2013-08-07. ^ "Sister cities of İzmir". Izmir Metropolitan Municipality. http://www.izmir.bel.tr/en/kardeskentler.asp. Retrieved 2012-10-22. Kerstein, Robert (2001). Politics and Growth in Twentieth-Century Tampa. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-2083-2. Milanich, Jerald (1995). Florida Indians and the Invasion from Europe. Gainesville, FL: University Press of Florida. ISBN 0-8130-1360-7. This page uses content from the English language Wikipedia. The original content was at Tampa, Florida. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with this Familypedia wiki, the content of Wikipedia is available under the Creative Commons License.

2019-04-24T07:17:34Z

https://familypedia.wikia.org/wiki/Tampa,_Florida

Applying is easy, and the criteria is simple. Minimum six months in business and $10,000 per month in gross revenue. Existing small businesses only, no startups or purchases will be considered. Apply for funding at LVRGFunding.com. National Small Business Week is a huge opportunity for a small business owner to work on their business and not just operate in their business. Even with a unique brand name, marketing gimmick, social media following, or the best product/service, no business can survive without a healthy flow of cash. Having a solid cash flow is not just about managing a healthy business; it’s a matter of life or death for that business. Cars can’t run without gas, and businesses can’t run without cash flow. It’s really that simple! One clear reason small businesses fail is due to lack of funding. Smart business owners diversify their capital sources and project losses well in advance, which allows them to seek out funding options and be prepared for difficult financial situations before they strike. Getting to a position of excess cash flow helps a company operate in a strategic, proactive way, rather than a reactive, defensive way. Small businesses are the cornerstone of our culture. They provide quality goods and services in our neighborhoods. If you own a small business, and have an idea to grow but lack the capital to get it done, LVRG can help. About LVRG: Headquartered in the Ford Building, LVRG is a local finance company dedicated to helping local small businesses thrive and grow. With a dedication to our clientele and a reputation for excellence, you'll understand why LVRG is such a respected member of Metro Detroit’s small business community. Give us a call today (855) 998-5874, we're here to help! Official Press Release Distributed on March 28th, 2018. Detroit – When it’s rooted in Detroit you know it’s good. LVRG is headquartered in Detroit’s Historic Ford Building and provides Detroit small businesses with an efficient, simplified alternative to bank financing. Since establishing its headquarters in Detroit in 2015, LVRG has provided $2 million in small business loans, revenue-based financing, cash flow, and working capital solutions ranging from $10,000 to $500,000. Typically, LVRG puts financing in a business owner’s hands within hours of qualification. LVRG understands small business owners face unique challenges that require the partnership of an experienced funding company, and LVRG is happy to provide those resources. Most small business owners will encounter obstacles when seeking funding from mainstream banks. In fact, out of the 30 million small businesses in this country, more than 80% of them will never qualify for traditional bank financing. LVRG exists to provide opportunities to small businesses to fill the gap in traditional bank financing. LVRG is eager to fund these businesses, that otherwise wouldn’t stand a chance to grow, which in turn supports the greater economy. LVRG has unique alternatives to traditional bank loans. Hassle free options allow business owners, who have limited access to capital because of tightening credit markets, obtain the financing they need to support and grow their business. Unlike a bank, LVRG looks at a business’s historical cash flow and performance, not just a strict credit criteria. This allows them the flexibility to effectively evaluate your business and provide you with the financing you deserve. The criteria to apply is simple. Minimum six months in business and $10,000 per month in gross revenue. No startups, or purchases will be considered. Additionally, with more than 100 reputable funding partnerships all across the country, the amount of capital LVRG is able to fuel into Metro Detroit small business can definitely make a huge impact. LVRG is a nation-wide funding company rooted in Detroit. There are satellite offices in South Florida and New York, which expand the network of lending partnerships and small businesses to assist. “At LVRG, we believe we are different from other lending firms. We never set out to be the biggest, but we constantly strive to be the best,” said Barr. LVRG may not be the only funding company out there - just a better one. About LVRG: Headquartered in Detroit's Historic Ford Building, LVRG is committed to the success and growth of small businesses throughout the United States. LVRG provides an alternative to traditional bank financing offering small business loans, revenue-based financing, cash flow, and working-capital solutions to help business owners overcome the challenges unique to a small business. Call LVRG toll free at (855) 998-5874 or click below to apply online. First and foremost, it’s important to provide a brief background on the state of the industry in the small business funding space. Simply put, it’s turned into the wild, wild west. Literally thousands of small business owners throughout Metro Detroit and all across the country are getting burned. And getting burned bad. Remember the mortgage burst a few years ago? Well, here we go again. There are NO qualifications whatsoever to work at a small business funding company, and there is NO regulation behind the industry. So, you can probably guess the outcome of a moneymaking industry with no regulation behind it, and no qualifications required to “sell” small business loans. Online lenders and loan brokers are issuing pre-underwritten loan quotes that aren’t worth the paper they’re written on. That’s right… They’re fake. Others issue made up loan offers, followed by bait and switch funding contracts; just when you think your money is being wired, they change the funding amount and terms. Another popular one by online lenders, “sign this funding contract at a higher rate, and we’ll lower it in 30 days.” We’ve never once heard of a lender actually lowering the rate in 30 days, or any time after signing the loan contract for that matter. You name it, and we’ve seen it. Between unqualified loan brokers intentionally trying to bury small business owners in massive debt for big commissions, online lenders switching it up last second on unsuspecting business owners, you can't imagine the craziness that goes on. At least 5 or 6 small business owners come to us every single week pleading for help, as they got burned by a shady loan broker or predatory lender, and they are days away from going out of business. In turn, too many small business owners are gambling with their business by listening to what they want to hear, and ignoring what they need to hear. Why are we telling you this? Because we want your business to prosper. That’s why dealing with a local Metro Detroit small business funding company is so important. We live in Metro Detroit. We shop in Metro Detroit. We care about Metro Detroit. We have provided financing and will continue to provide financing to many of the small businesses we shop at ourselves. We have a vested interest in Metro Detroit. It's not just your community, it's our community. Small businesses are the backbone of our economy and we all want to live in thriving, sustainable communities. Automated loan shopping websites powered by tech algorithms in the middle of nowhere could care less about the future of your business. We do! Supporting Metro Detroit’s small businesses isn’t just what we do, it’s who we are! So......What small business loan options are available for Metro Detroit small business owners? Glad you asked. Let’s get started. For this type of small business financing, lenders provide you funds and use your future expected cash flow as collateral for the loan. You’re essentially borrowing from cash that you expect to receive in the future by giving the lender the rights to a predetermined amount of these receivables. Small Business cash flow loans are primarily used for working capital, or to take advantage of short-term ROI opportunities. Your credit scores will usually be checked, but they play less of a role. As the name indicates, a lender is more concerned with inspecting your cash flow (usually bank statements) to approve your application. Turnaround time is another great feature of a cash flow loan, as funding usually takes place in a matter of days, sometimes same day. There’s never been a better time or more choices for small and medium-sized businesses that need capital. And what business in Metro Detroit doesn't? Expanding, purchasing equipment, and evening out cash flow can all be managed with business financing. But business loans from traditional financial institutions are not the way to go for today’s businesses on the grow. And of course, there will always be emergencies and cash flow gaps that need to be quickly managed with working capital. That’s why revenue based loans are a quick growing working capital solution among small and medium-sized businesses in Metro Detroit. They’re the most prudent option for business owners needing capital to fuel or accelerate their businesses’ growth. Traditional bank loans are often made for as long as 25 years and require mountains of documentation and financial statements. Not to mention, do you really want all of your personal and business assets locked up for 25 years, paying off a $50,000 2017 marketing campaign in 2042? No way! And then there’s the waiting period, for both an approval and for funding, which can be weeks or months. Don't forget the collateral you'll need for a bank loan, including your home, life insurance policies and up to 30% of the loan amount in cash. Additionally, among banking institutions, the credit turn-down rate for small businesses is rather high (roughly 80%) and doesn't show signs of improving significantly. Revenue based financing and small business loans can be used for any legitimate business expense, from remodeling or business expansion to buying equipment to launching a new marketing effort. The key here is growth and our business funding options are the perfect solution for business owners looking to take advantage of growth opportunities. These short-term loans for business are popular across every industry throughout Metro Detroit, from manufacturing and transportation companies to restaurants and retail stores. Short term short-term business loans are an efficient and cost-effective source of capital, when you need it. Short-term financing can help businesses build or accelerate revenue in ways they couldn't otherwise. And at the same time, working capital solutions can help business owners negotiate better discounts or terms with vendors and avoid longer-term charges and fees, saving money in the long run. There’s no question why revenue based loans and cash flow financing are catching fire in Wayne County, Oakland County, and Macomb County. They’re the ultimate financial win-win for small and medium-sized businesses throughout Metro Detroit. Nobody faces more challenges on a daily basis than business owners. In fact, for owners of small and medium sized businesses in Metro Detroit, handling many different challenges is the source of great satisfaction and some headaches, too. But when local business owners are asked to name their greatest challenge, one thing tends to top the list most often; accessing working capital to manage cash flow. In other words, making sure there is enough capital flowing in to cover everything that needs to flow out. There are a variety of reasons why cash flow can be a steep challenge for small business owners. Needs can precede revenue. Or perhaps you’re getting paid more slowly than you’d like. Or if you’re a seasonal business, a swimsuit store for example, or golf shop, you have peak summer sales months which require that revenue to stretch across your off-season months. For starters, an ACH small business cash advance can also be referred to as a small business cash flow loan, small business revenue based loan or a small business merchant cash advance. The ACH designation really applies to how the lender is paid. ACH or Automated Clearing House, refers to the lenders ability to withdraw an agreed upon amount directly from your checking account at agreed upon intervals, typically daily or weekly. This is different from factoring your accounts receivable (A/R), because instead of billing your customers and collecting from them, they directly access your checking account in much the same way automated payments might go to you mortgage lender or a utility company from your personal checking account. An ACH small business loan, much like factoring or an MCA loan, should be considered a small business short-term financing option. The cost of the capital is more expensive, in other words you’ll pay a higher interest rate, but you’ll be able to access that capital much quicker than a traditional term loan from the bank or other financial institution. Because a small business ACH loan lender will be able to pull your payment directly from your checking account, it reduces risk to the lender making it possible for small business owners with a healthy checking account but less-than-perfect credit to get a loan. Merchant cash advance (MCA) can provide business borrowers with an upfront fixed amount of cash in as little as 24 hours. The funding amount is based upon a percentage of the businesses credit card receivables or daily cash balances using historical credit card receipts and bank statements to determine the initial advance. The business pays back the advance, plus a percentage, often referred to as a discount factor, from a portion of their credit card receivables or cash available plus a percentage which is often referred to as a discount factor. The remittances are drawn from the business customer on a daily, weekly or monthly basis until the obligation has been met. An MCA is not technically a small business loan and as such MCA's are not limited in what rates they charge or what terms they establish and therefore often have high interest rates. For this reason it is very important for a business owner to be completely aware of how the MCA product works and how it could affect their business. MCA's are good options for small business owners in Metro Detroit who may not have strong credit but have lots of credit card activity and need financing quickly. A small business line of credit is also known as a revolving loan, which works similarly to a credit card. Instead of borrowing a fixed amount of money upfront and then pay it back in monthly installments, a business line of credit gives your company permission to borrow a certain amount of money up to a certain credit limit that's set in advance by the lender. A line of credit can be a very flexible option to access cash on an as-needed basis. Many companies choose to set up a small business line of credit in order to navigate short-term cash flow shortfalls and manage their operating expenses. With a line of credit, you can borrow as much or as little as you need each month, and then repay the money over time or all at once—as long as you make your minimum payments and manage your credit limit according to the conditions of the agreement with your lender. With monthly fees starting at 1.25% of the original funding amount, get financing* that works for your business. Whether you’re launching a new product, buying new equipment, or expanding operations, let us help you do great things with the Preferred Rate Loan*. With monthly fees starting at 1.25% of the original funding amount, qualified borrowers that have been in business for at least 2 years, can get more loan for less money. Bridging a seasonal cash flow bump - Many seasonal businesses in Metro Detroit sometimes require a little extra capital to meet expenses as they move from one season to the other. Unexpected need for additional capital - It’s not uncommon for businesses to experience unexpected expenses like a major plumbing problem or other maintenance issue they might not have the cash flow to cover. New project start-up costs - Ramping up for a new project or a new customer contract sometimes requires additional resources that might exceed a business’ ability to cover with cash flow, but will be recouped in 60 or 90 days. Emergency repairs to business-critical equipment - When equipment necessary to the operation of your business fails, it likely doesn’t make sense to wait several weeks to start repairs. A temporary cash flow loan can be a good way to access capital to start those repairs right away. An opportunity to purchase quick-turnaround inventory at a discount - A short-term loan could be a good solution to take advantage of an opportunity to purchase inventory that has the potential to increase profits. Before you gamble on the future of your business by downloading a business loan off a questionable website, or trust the future of your business in the hands of a loan broker who’s misleading you for a commission check, call LVRG at (855) 998-LVRG. LVRG Funding is a “local” small business funding company with a vested interest in Metro Detroit. That’s right, we’re a locally owned and locally operated small business, just like you. We are established, and trusted, successfully funding hundreds of small business all across Metro Detroit. We combine data-crunching software with a human touch to come up with affordable funding solutions that best fit your needs. LVRG is a team of the right people, working with the right data, getting you the right-sized funding for your business. We know that time is of the essence when it comes to obtaining financing and our quick closing time will ensure that you get the money you need, when you need it. Headquartered in Detroit's Historic Ford Building, we are a “local” finance company dedicated to helping the local small business community thrive and grow. Give us a call today (855) 998-LVRG, we're doing what’s right and we’re here to help! You might have heard SBA loans are the gold standard for Metro Detroit small business owners who want to expand. Well, it’s true! Funds from these loans can be used in a multitude of ways to help a small business grow. What exactly is an SBA loan? We’ll go over the costs, qualifications, use of proceeds and more to help you determine if this type of loan is the best option to fund your small business. An SBA loan is a government-guaranteed small business loan that has a long-term and low-interest rates. The Small Business Administration (SBA) is the government agency that partially guarantees SBA loans and was founded in 1953 to support Metro Detroit small business owners and others across the country. The most common misunderstanding about these loans is that the agency lends money directly to small businesses. However, the agency does not make direct loans. The SBA provides a guarantee on the loan, promising to reimburse the bank for a certain percentage of your loan if you default on that loan. This guarantee lowers the risks to banks and other lenders, encouraging them to offer these loans to more Detroit small businesses. Many banks throughout Metro Detroit offer SBA loans, but their process, requirements and fees can vary. And trust us, the last thing you want to be doing is calling around, or driving to each bank, one by one. So, we solved this problem for you! Keep reading…. Where Can I Apply for an SBA Loan in Metro Detroit? In the not-so-distant past, Metro Detroit's small business owners had one option when looking to secure an SBA loan – walking into a bank. However, many Detroit businesses might not know that while one bank may say 'no', another bank will say 'yes' to the same potential borrower. Technology now gives Metro Detroit small business loan seekers the ability to find an SBA loan provider online that is a good fit. In fact, SmartBiz has created the first online marketplace of Preferred SBA lenders for Metro Detroit small businesses. With multiple banks with varying credit requirements on our platform, we’ve been able to secure loans for many applicants who were initially rejected by their local Metro Detroit banks. How? Our sophisticated software allows us to match borrowers with the bank most likely to approve and fund their loan. Don’t waste your time going from bank to bank, that way is outdated and a big waste of time. SmartBiz does it for you quickly and efficiently. If you are anxious to find out about SmartBiz and can't wait to check them out, CLICK HERE! Now for the good stuff: How much is an SBA loan going to cost you? The news here is positive - it’s tough to beat the low interest rates and long repayment terms for these loans. SBA loans tend to be the least expensive financing available to Detroit small business owners. As with other types of small business loans, there are several fees associated with SmartBiz SBA working capital loans. SmartBiz charges a one-time referral fee of no more than 2% the loan amount and a one-time packaging fee of no more than 2% the loan amount for non-commercial real estate loans. For working capital loans between $150,000 and $350,000 there is a 2.25% guarantee fee paid to the SBA. Bank closing costs for working capital loans typically add about another $317 and include standard bank fees, though additional 3rd party report charges may apply. SmartBiz fees are deducted from loan proceeds so you get the net amount when your SBA loan is funded. For commercial real estate loans, SmartBiz charges no more than a one-time 0.5% referral fee of the loan amount and no more than a one-time 0.5% packaging fee of the loan amount. Commercial real estate loans have a guarantee fee paid to the SBA between 2.25% and 2.76%, depending on the loan amount. Bank closing costs typically add about another $5,000 and include standard bank fees, appraisal, and title fees though additional 3rd party report charges may apply. SmartBiz fees are usually deducted from loan proceeds so you get the net amount when your loan is funded. SmartBiz SBA loans are for financially healthy borrowers of established businesses in Metro Detroit. Most Detroit businesses can qualify for these loans if they’ve operated for at least two years with good credit, have no recent bankruptcies or foreclosures, and have cash flow that is sufficient to make the monthly payments throughout the life of the loan. The actual approval requirements will depend on the on the individual lender and factors such as your business revenue, cash flow and credit scores. The real estate must be majority owner-occupied. This means at least 51% of the square footage of the property you’re buying or refinancing must be occupied by and used by your business. Additionally, SmartBiz Loans has established a program called SmartBiz LevelUp that helps Detroit small business owners whose initial application was denied to take actions to improve their likelihood of approval on their subsequent application. We’ve worked with many Detroit small business owners who come back and are able to secure a low-cost SBA loan on their subsequent application. The best strategy to follow before you apply for these loans is to be prepared. The more readily available your documentation is, the faster you’ll move through the process. At SmartBiz Loans, we use intelligent automation to only request those documents that are actually needed based on your individual application. That means you won’t waste valuable time gathering and submitting unnecessary documents. It’s another way we support busy Detroit small business owners who have limited time on their hands. HOT OFF THE PRESS: Guess Who Just Ranked Number One Provider of Traditional SBA 7(a) Loans Under $350,000? The following is a checklist of the most commonly collected documents. It can be very helpful to work with your accountant or tax preparer to gather some of the financial documentation. SmartBiz requires the previous 3 years of business and personal income tax returns. A Personal Financial Statement is required from each individual owning 20% or more of the company. Also known as an “Income Statement,” a Profit and Loss Statement measures a company's financial performance over a specific period of time. This statement includes all revenue and expenses over a given period. Balance Sheet - According to the SBA, this statement provides an overall financial snapshot of your small business. As an equation, it looks like: Assets = Liabilities + Equity. The two sides of the equation must balance out to equal each other. Collateral - Most banks require some type of collateral. At SmartBiz Loans, collateral required depends on the SBA loan size. If you apply for a SmartBiz loan of $30,000 to $350,000, a lien on business assets is required. This includes assets such as accounts receivable or inventory, as well as fixed assets such as new equipment purchased with loan proceeds or commercial real estate owned by the business. The value of these assets does not need to equal the loan amount you are requesting. If you apply for a SmartBiz commercial real estate loan of $350,000 or more, the property you are refinancing or purchasing will be the collateral for the loan and a first lien on the real estate is required. Based on the appraised value, you must have at least 10% - 20% equity in the real estate for a refinance or put 10% - 20% down for a purchase of the real estate. Other Documents - These can include entity and location documents such as business licenses, Articles of Incorporation, commercial leases, or franchise agreements. Now the fun part! How can you use SBA loan proceeds to save money and grow your Metro Detroit small business? There are lots of ways. Working capital keeps businesses afloat and humming along; it’s the common measure of your company's liquidity, efficiency and overall health. Calculating working capital is pretty simple: deduct current liabilities from current assets. If your current assets do not exceed your current liabilities, you run the risk of being unable to pay your short-term creditors on time. This can lead to late fees, delayed delivery of important goods and more business crushing problems. Detroit business owners should make sure to have enough working capital in the bank to meet financial obligations and cover day-to-day expenses. A low-interest, long-term SBA loan can provide a steady cushion of working capital to keep your company running and growing. In addition to using funds from a SmartBiz loan to run day-to-day operations, working capital can be used to buy additional inventory. Take a look at your cash flow and business plan. Could your small business use an infusion of working capital? Find out in about 5 minutes if you’re pre-qualified for the best working capital loan --a low-interest, long-term SmartBiz SBA loan. You can save up to thousands of dollars per month by refinancing expensive debt. Perhaps you have great credit and strong revenue, but have accepted a few merchant cash advances or other high interest small business loan products. An SBA loan is a great option to refinance or consolidate high interest business loan debt, digging into your cash flow. That’s money saved that can go back into investing in your business instead of making high interest loan payments. A new loan, like a low-rate, long-term SBA loan, can make a big difference to your company. Here’s how a debt consolidation loan can be a great savings solution. Lower rates: Paying off high interest money means you’re lowering the cost of your capital. Your bank account and cash flow will thank you. Longer Terms: If two loans are similar in all respects though one has a shorter term than the other, the shorter term loan will always have a higher monthly payment versus the longer term loan. Because of this, short-term loans can hurt cash flow, and very short term loans can even spell disaster for a Metro Detroit small business owner by trapping them in a cycle of borrowing. SmartBiz SBA loans have long 10 - 25 year terms resulting in lower monthly payments. If you’re an established and profitable business in Metro Detroit looking for the lowest funding costs and the longest repayment terms for buying or refinancing a property, a SmartBiz 7(a) SBA loan from $350,000 to $5 million is your best bet. With 25-year terms and interest rates at 5.25% to 6.50%*, these loans can be used by a small business to refinance an existing commercial real estate mortgage, buy the property the business currently operates from, or purchase other owner-occupied commercial space. To qualify for a SmartBiz commercial real estate SBA loan in Metro Detroit, you need a minimum personal credit score of 675, at least three years in business and $350,000 or more in annual revenue. In addition, a minimum of 51% of the property you purchase must be occupied by and used by your business. You’ll also be expected to put at least 10% down and the property you’re purchasing or refinancing will be the collateral for the loan. SmartBiz 7(a) SBA loans are typically faster than loans from a traditional bank and funds can be distributed in as fast as 30 days after your commercial real estate loan application is complete. Is business good but your stress level is high? Perhaps you’re multi-tasking like a pro but you just can’t get it all done. Would an extra employee or two help your business - and yourself? An SBA loan can come to the rescue! If it’s time to bring in fresh talent, proceeds from these loans can help cover recruitment, salary, benefits and other costs associated with finding and on-boarding employees. Every company needs equipment to run smoothly, effectively and profitably. Whether you are manufacturing products, guiding clients or creating information, there is always equipment to buy. From computers to copiers, coffee machines to vans or cars, the sudden need to purchase new equipment can come up at any time. You might need to upgrade an older model or buy new equipment to streamline your business and speed up production. Getting an SBA loan is a low-cost way to finance major purchases that are beyond the scope of a credit card or other type of expensive funding. SmartBiz customer Terry Trumbull was able to use proceeds from his loan to finance a new refrigerated truck. With low rates and long terms, he’s saving money and is able to expand his business. Marketing is a great use for loan proceeds. Marketing is a must for businesses of all sizes helping to build your brand, attract customers and increase sales. However, marketing is often the first expense cut from budgets when cash flow is tight. An established small business can spend up to 30 percent on marketing initiatives. So what should you do if your marketing budget has shrunk or is nonexistent? Consider financing marketing with a SmartBiz SBA loan just like you would finance new equipment or inventory. With low rates and long terms, these loans can open up a world of marketing possibilities. Do you need direct mail collateral? Social media advertising or a new website? Low-cost funds with long terms are the way to go so you don't stress your cash flow. The Small Business Administration writes that marketing is the key to future sales and cautions business owners not to ignore it. Explore a SmartBiz SBA loan to fuel your marketing efforts. Small business expansion goes beyond increasing profits. If your goal is to scale while increasing your bottom line, a low-cost SBA loan facilitated by SmartBiz is a great solution. There are many ways your small businesses can expand. Funds from these loans can help you conduct detailed research to identify your main competitors. By diving into their target audience and product offerings, you'll be able to eliminate segments of the larger market and carve out a corner you can concentrate on for expansion. More small business expansion activities can be kicked off with a SmartBiz SBA loan. If you require a bigger location, different pricing or new and improved marketing techniques, look into these low-cost loans. An SBA Loan is great way to increase your inventory to meet busy times. If you don’t have products on hand, you can’t make that sale. What about new products? What about expanding your product line? Proceeds from a low-cost SmartBiz SBA loan can help you meet that goal as well. SmartBiz Loans was created to give Metro Detroit small business owners easier access to smart funding. Instead of walking into your local bank, working with them for several months and ending up with a 'no', SmartBiz has streamlined and automated the entire process and is able to help businesses quickly get to a 'yes'. You can complete the online application process and get funded with ease from the comforts of your own home or business. How have we streamlined the process to get Detroit small business owners a low-cost SBA loan quickly? First of all, we’re very clear about the documents you need to apply for a SmartBiz SBA loan. If you have your paperwork in order, the process can move swiftly from pre-qualification to funding. Secondly, our online platform makes uploading documents and moving through the process a snap. We’ve greatly simplified the entire lending experience from end-to-end. Finally, we match borrowers with the bank that is most likely to approve and fund an SBA loan for your business. You won’t waste time going from bank to bank, we do all that for you. We believe a SmartBiz SBA loan is a great fit for established businesses in Metro Detroit who want to grow and flourish. If you’re still not convinced, CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE.

2019-04-21T20:45:43Z

https://www.lvrgllc.com/blog/category/Metro+Detroit

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You’re able to easily compose a It’s really important you know how to write a letter of recommendation. Composing a recommendation letter for another man is a massive responsibility and ought to be taken very seriously. You may never understand, when somebody might Ask you to write a letter of recommendation. If you have been requested to present a letter of recommendation, there are a couple steps you’ll be able to follow along with help others find success. As you should only write a recommendation letter in case you’re feeling competent to appraise the candidate, in addition, it is wise to just write it if you’re able to supply an excellent one. A letter of recommendation is a record you may be requested to prepare for somebody who’s applying for internship, work, college program, leadership position or volunteer prospect. Generally, recommendation is your opinion and feeling about a particular individual. 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Regrettably, the requirement for the use of KPI s Is not as known as it needs to maintain SMEs so therefore aren’t employed as frequently as they need to be. Maximum use of pure light has been created from the design and the orientation of the properties. The usage of this buy order in responding to a vendor’s offer, however, will create the buy order an acceptance instead to an offer. Examples include raising the amount of a Line Object or changing the metallurgy of a specific component. There are a few excellent and illustrative examples provided below. There are tons of examples of KPI s but it’s very important to recognize they will differ from business to business and will be contingent upon the specific objectives of a company at a particular point. Hire purchase is a Way to fund Buying a new or used motor vehicle. Purchases may include buying of raw materials in the case of a manufacturing concern or finished goods from the instance of a retail company. It features money pruchase as well as credit purchase of goods during the year. As it contributes to increase in the expense and decrease in resources of the thing, expense must be debited while resources must be credited. The original purchase must be reduced on the books by the quantity of their allowance. The original purchase must be reduced on the books by the sum returned by using the purchases returns and checking accounts. Buy is the price of buying Inventory at a period with the intention of sale from the normal path of the company. In case of purchase of goods, it’s normally thought to happen when the vendor transfers the risks and advantages pertaining to the asset offered to the purchaser. Impulse purchases occur with a wide scope of products. However frugal you’re inclined to be, sometimes it’s hard to withstand making an impulse buy. If you want more info on increasing Conversion, the way to incorporate real-time intelligence on your site and the way to select when you need to (or should not) interact to your prospective clients, don’t hesitate to get in contact and I will provide you with additional information and attempt to steer you in the ideal direction. In any instance, you have to incorporate an appropriate purchase order number in the form. You may use to create any style and any sort of purchase order in a simple method. A lot of people think that it is a legally binding document, while many believe that it could possibly be changed anytime. 1 exclusion pertains to non-recourse debt, in which the loan documents specifically say that, in the event of a lack, the lending firm wouldn’t have some recourse against the borrower. Even though they include the debtor’s promise to repay the loan, the creditor can’t take legal action to recover the deficiency if the loan was used to buy the residence. The statement of accounts is not the official statement. The individual’s sudden option to purchase something is that the consequence of suddenly seeing the merchandise. You do not require a buy agreement to deserve the deal legal. A model sample is only a particular Way Of format, which might be utilised in making order order fashion. The version buy order sample is exactly what it’s possible to utilize to acquire an idea of a buy order style. When it’s crucial to make a sample of a local buy order for the small business and certain reasons, then here are a few practical examples and samples of buy orders, which you may utilize to acquire ideas. The automobile purchase order sample is merely a purchase order sample which company can use to get a vehicle. The software purchase order is to purchase software. Lots of content becomes generated everyday. 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New approaches and latest approaches are Invented in addition to employed according to the present market demand. Design Useful Marketing Strategies There are various sorts of marketing strategies out there on the sector and digital promotion is among them. Few Words About Our Digital marketing Course Digital Marketing is a massive topic and we attempt to educate our students about each and every part of the specific same at a wise and effectual method. There are plenty of, a number of other approaches to start a company. Health and Lack of period play significant Part in career development. Education is just an opportunity to learn together with utilize the info, skills, and comprehension to shape the future in a safe and dependable manner. Suggestions to Write Graduate Resumes By Eva Lee Once you finish your education, you will require a resume to look for employment. 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A Good Deal of people still prefer a Printed product, particularly if they aren’t confident with computers and other Kinds of technology.

2019-04-24T15:46:30Z

http://penyasportpalamos.com/14-treppenhaus-putzplan/

We just left this beautiful villa days ago and I’m still trying to put into words how amazing it was. We had our destination wedding here and our group had 19 people. Sooo glad we chose The Palms over a resort. Our guests are still telling us how amazing it was and how our choice to pick a place couldn’t have been better. A gorgeous, private, and may I add HUGE villa to ourselves was the way to go! Completely exceeded our expectations. The staff was outstanding. Always there and attentive but never bothersome. From the moment we were greeted by everyone at the door with welcome drinks and snacks, delivered our luggage and showed everyone to their rooms, to the moment we left making sure everyone got the airport for flights. Wonder was an amazing bartender/server always making sure you had a full drink or anything else you may need. Always wore a smile and was very hard working. Alejandro and his kitchen staff were always whipping up something delicious for any kind of taste bud. Even making sure our latest arrival had a dinner plate set aside for her and bringing plates up to our room for my bridesmaids and I the day of the wedding so we could eat privately. You won’t go hungry, I promise you!! Kelly, our event planner, I cannot say enough. We had exchange what seemed like 100s of emails prior of any question either I or a guest had. Don’t get me wrong, planning a destination wedding is terrifying! Kelly made it seem less. The decor and organization was above and beyond. The photographer she had recommended, Gaston, ( at Punta Cana Photographer) was awesome! The wedding package included so much and was just perfect for our needs. Trust me, put your faith in this woman and she will not let you down!!! And last but not least, Seely made everyone feel like part of her family. Always checking in to make sure we had everything we needed and always staying in contact during our stay. I will never forget giving her a big hug at our departure. I said “goodbye” and she said “This isn’t goodbye, it’s see you soon!” And we WILL be back. I could go on and on but I’ll stop there. :) My ONLY regret is not staying longer!!" It is deserving of every 5 star review it has received and lives up to and exceeds every expectation. If you're considering this resort, stop looking and just book. Chef Alejandro is of the highest level. His food was spectacular. Seeley made sure our stay was perfection. She is attentive to every detail and took care of our every need (restocking, massages, entertainment, etc.) Wander is a great bartender and seemed unfazed by our crazy fun partying. Our group was 27 large, celebrating 40th birthdays. Enjoy your stay at The Palms!!! We would love to return. Wow - where do we even begin?! My now husband and I stayed at The Palms for 5 glorious days for our wedding. The scenery could not have been more perfect, and as soon as we walked into the villa, greeted by Seeley and her wonderful staff (and a much needed welcome drink!) I knew we made the right choice. The view is just breathtaking, and we are so thankful Seeley let us use her backyard as the backdrop for the most important day of our lives. We knew going into the trip that the villa came fully staffed, but we had no idea how attentive and present they would be at all times. The food prepared by Chef Alejandro was delicious as it was filling, and Wander, the bartender kept the drinks full and made sure to keep the party going! The wedding package came with many items, including a wonderful wedding coordinator who was super helpful leading up to the wedding, and even more helpful during! Rain decided to roll through on our wedding night but the party didn't miss a beat. Kelly and Seeley did a great job at making sure all of our guests were comfortable. I cannot say enough great things about our stay, it is the absolute perfect setting for a family reunion, wedding, gathering with friends, etc. Our group has taken several trips together and hands down this was the BEST EVER!! Kelly was so helpful with all our planning, meals, bar stock, shuttles and arrangements. Seeley was so generous and kind making every detail just perfect. We had 20 in our group, 12 gals celebrating 50th bdays and spouses were included too. Wander the bartender made delicious drinks and was always nearby to refill drinks with a smile. Chef Alejandro created amazing meals, also accommodated several food allergies. Chef is so talented, and kind to share with us his cooking tips. Chef even made a special large birthday cake for our final nite and the entire staff sang Happy Birthday to us. The staff was wonderful. Can't wait to plan our next trip back. Miss the Palms staff and great weather, HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE PALMS!! Thank you all so much for sharing your villa with us making memories! My husband and I were extremely pleased with the beautiful wedding of our daughter, Elizabeth and Greg at the Palm's. The venue, cuisine, staff, and accommodations were above and beyond our expectations. Thank you Seeley, Kelly, Wander, and the rest of the staff for an amazing experience we will not forget! My husband and I had our wedding here on 9/8/18 and we rented the entire house. Kelly is an amazing planner. She did an awesome job with the decor and I was pleased with everything. I let Kelly work her magic and it was so beautiful and so worth it. I can't thank Kelly enough. Kelly was only a message away and she responded promptly each and every time I contacted her. Our friends and family enjoyed themselves, the food was amazing, the staff were excellent, the property was well kept and it was everything I dreamt of. Seeley was on top of everything and for her I am forever grateful. Seeley is family to us and we will most certainly be back. Shout out to the chef! There was a massive amount of magic that was contained in one evening. We had a blast, and it wouldn't have been possible without the Villa and your staff. We cannot thank you enough. You not only accommodated our veggie diets, but you blew away our tastebuds with the delicious eats!! So so good. It was amazing!!! We are a large family with kids and teenagers and this was the perfect vacation place! The house is right on the most beautiful beach and the staff is incredible! There are 14 full bedrooms each with its own bath. The pool area is huge with plenty of lounge chairs for all the guests. The place where it is located affords a lot of privacy yet you can walk on the beach and be close to other hotels if you want. There are horses on the beach that the kids could ride daily and even masseuses that would come to the house. Believe me, you will not want to leave this house! The staff at the house is absolutely amazing. Seeley went above and beyond for us to have everything we needed and for us to feel completely pampered and relaxed while on our vacation. Chefs Alejandro and Lorena cooked the most delicious foods and presented them beautifully. It was great because we could all sit down for meals together in the large dining area with great service and food. The chefs even had a cooking class for the kids one morning! They accommodated all of our food needs and preferences. The cleaning staff would arrive every day to clean and make up our rooms. They were all so friendly and hospitable. Seeley is just absolutely amazing- she does anything to make your vacation perfect! I HIGHLY recommend The Palms for an amazing family vacation!! Most relaxed stay thus far in my life! This resort has the "your own home feel" while you are staying there. The food was amazing! I loved the open floor plan next to the pool and it was a short walk down the beach to see other vacationers and enjoy the emerald coast, soft sand and palm trees. The Palms PC had a great combination of privacy and still feeling like you are already where you need to be. All I have to say is PERFECT! After an extremely stressful business year, all I wanted to do was get away. I was privileged to talk to a friend that was familiar with the Palms Villa Punta Cana so I made arrangements to visit. Having visited Punta Cana on multiple occasions and staying at all-inclusive resorts, I expected much of the same. When I arrived at the airport, I was greeted by transportation, you know the people holding the cute little signs that have your name on them (insert BIG smile here!). They took me to the Villa with wifi in tow, so that I could complete some business transactions prior to starting my getaway. That's pretty special, in my humble opinion. Once I arrived at the Villa, I felt like a princess in a fairy tale. The villa made me feel like I was living in a castle, able to hear the ocean wherever I went inside the home. There was a meal prepared especially for me when I arrived and I was able to order an exotic cocktail as well. I was fortunate enough to be with a great group of people and sitting down to multiple family style meals everyday was incredible. It rained a lot of time I was there, but the location was so awesome, walking on the beach everyday was not a problem. I took advantage of the massage (with the roar of the waves as music), the manicure/pedicure with the special oatmeal treatment (with the roar of the waves as music), and the home feel. I was even able to tune in to Monday Night Football! All I have to say is GO! As much as I enjoyed the all-inclusive resorts, this is all-inclusive in what feels like your own personal resort. The staff is unsurpassed and the experience is unforgettable. There is no question that I will be visiting again very, very soon!. My husband and I chose the Palms for our destination wedding this fall. We wanted a wedding that focused on family and brought our guests from around the country together. It was amazing to share meals, and all of our time with the people closest to us. We also chose this property because we didn't know how many guests would be joining us and the option to not have to pay for rooms we were not using was such a great selling point for us. Seeley and her team were everything we could have asked for, we both work in hospitality and were blown away at the feeling of being at home from the minute we arrived. We had great food for each meal, the villa was super clean, and the staff went over and above - we never heard they word no when we asked for something which was so great. One of our favorite things was the feeling that we were actually in another country and not in a cookie cutter resort, the character of the property is such a benefit. My now wife and I chose this location to have our dream wedding after reviewing several other possible locations. We are so glad that we chose this place. First off let me start with commending them on their staff services. They were simply amazing. When we first got to the villa Seeley was there to greet us with her husband. They took our bags in, brought them up to our rooms and showed us around. They made us feel very welcome and at home. I cannot explain the feeling you have walking into this place and having them take care of everything. We had several groups arriving at different times and days to the villa and each time they were there to greet them. Seeley went the extra step contacting the airport and recovering one of our friends lost luggage after she wasn't able to get anywhere with them. She even went up to the airport and retrieve the bag for us. The Palms Villa was the perfect place for our 5-year family reunion. Not only was the view breathtaking and the rooms clean, we were right on the beach and the whole place was ours. There were no complaints about the meals; they were beyond great. Cooking to please 17 people of all ages is not an easy task but our Chef and staff did it! The professionalism of everyone there and their help with every detail or question asked was superior. Of course, what more could we ask for with our own personal bartender who put up with our constant requests for refills, and the kids loved his virgin Pina Coladas. Ramon of Renny Travel was a pleasure to work with. He scheduled our airport transportation and all of our many excursions. The drivers were always on time and professional. Last, but not least, the pups. They were a big hit with everyone; too bad they couldn't come home with us. Thank you for the wonderful memories. Most luxurious vacation ever thanks to the beautiful location and amazing staff. We are a very large family - 28 adults and children/grandchildren - and this is the only villa that could accommodate our entire group together. The Palms staff made this the most relaxing trip ever - We always travel together as a family and with so many people, it seems like we are always cooking or cleaning, but not this time! First - to have a private bedroom and private bathroom and oceanfront room, what more can we say. Usually we are sharing bathroom with kids and the kids piled on top of each other in bedrooms. So nice to have privacy and for the kids to have their own space too. Second - to have a dining area where all of us can sit and eat together, exactly what my father requires, just like every Sunday dinner at home. Third - staff cooking and cleaning, what more do you need. Don't even think of lifting a finger. The staff was amazing and had everything covered. Fourth - kids in the pool all day, running up and down the beach as our backyard, playing with the beach dogs, enjoying all the games and puzzles at the villa, and very minimal tv time. This is what kids should be doing. The list goes on and on but you just need to experience it for yourselves. Exactly what our family needed this summer! My experience at the Palms Villa exceeded all my expectations. Seely & staff treated us like family and went out of their way to make us feel at home. Chef Gwen cooked phenomenal meals everyday! Fresh fruits and juices were delicious! On my niece's wedding day everything was perfect! Our suites were comfortable and cleaned everyday. Pool was amazing, beach was gorgeous! Beautiful sunrises and sunsets! I highly recommend The Palms Villa to all ages! Our experience at the Palms was unforgetable!I pinched myself alot! We were treated like royalty the minute we arrived! Greeted by Seeley, Miguel, whom I have to say went above and beyond all the time! Our great Chef Gwen and her staff who cooked us wonderful meals! We also had our personal bartender Wonder who was the best! It was beautiful there and we felt so blessed to be there for our daughters wedding! Also Renny Travel (Ramone) took us anywhere we needed to be! All I can say is hands down it was the best place ever, and thank-you all for our wonderful experience!!! We arrived on April 29th to a lovely lady (Seeley) a tropical cocktail from Wander our bartender! We called him Mr. Wanderful!! We felt like royalty! Chef Gwen & staff were also so amazing. The food was to die for. It was so beautiful and relaxing. We wanted for nothing. I will stay here again!! Fabulous!! We just returned from an amazing 10 day stay at this amazing villa. From our first contact to our final exit, nothing was less than perfect. The onsite staff, Chef, kitchen staff, housekeeping were kind, curteous, accommodating and on top of everything. Do the food plan... the food was amazing for every meal. Bartender was a blast and our entire group of 23 people (11 kids) could not have been happier. The Owners made sure everything was perfect. We felt safe and the beach was 47 steps from our room. I highly reccommend this amazing villa to everyone. We will be back!! Review was submitted via Matt on the FB page for the villa. We were a group of 22 guys at the Palms. Staying here was a great decision. We all had a fantastic week, thanks to the wonderful ocean view rooms, the spotless house and friendly staff members. The area is very safe and transportation is easy. Seeley was always reachable and she was around hanging out with us most of the time; she helped us out with literally everything, from driving us around for extra shopping to last minute late night party organizations. Chef Lubin and Richy also took great care of us. We already look forward to organizing a reunion here as soon as possible. I am sure it will be as good. I would definitely recommend a stay here to all my friends. Spent about a week at the villa with 20 other college students. By far the best spring break we ever experienced,. Our positive experience is largely thanks to the villa and its staff. The house is perfectly located in a relatively isolated, so you don't have neighbors that might bother you. The house is right in front of the beach, which is a huge plus. The staff is very well trained and courteous. The villa's bartender, Richie, is a key member of the staff for those who plan on hosting parties at this villa. Seeley, the villa manager, is very helpful in general but especially when it comes to transportation and organizing activities in Punta Cana. Being American, she speaks perfect English which makes life much easier. The villa is the perfect accommodation for all types of groups; college students on spring break, families on vacation and even company retreats. What a beautiful location to spend quality time with family & friends. The staff went out of their way to make everybody's stay so special & they truly achieved that goal. The private chef was great & the team went out of their way to accommodate any special dietary needs. The villa itself was as advertised - great private space wth a wonderful pool right on the beach. Our visit to the Villa at Punta Cana was an unbelievable experience from the minute our group arrived to the very last moment we were there. The setting is magnificent on a lovely beach with a meandering pool which lends itself to the most special experience of sun, sand, water, and setting. The villa itself is beautiful. The rooms all have magnificent views and a balcony/patio outside. The rooms are comfortable and spacious as is the villa itself. Seeley is the most wonderful hostess who cannot do enough for her guests and is so caring and accommodating that you never want to leave. The staff is wonderful. Chef Lubin is one of the best Chef’s I have every encountered. His meals can cater to all kinds of diets and suggestions - his food is five stars. Richie, the bartender, makes the most wonderful drinks that our group of 25 kept him busy from noon until night. He is so friendly and the best bartender ever. Even the children indulged in virgin Pina Coladas. Our fun started the first minute of the day where we indulged in a wonderful breakfast and it did not stop until the last person went to bed. In addition to spending time on the beach and swimming in the water in the ocean and pool, our group also went snorkelling, parasailing, horseback riding, and zip lining. The favorite activity by far for the kids who ranged from ages 7 to 16 was parasailing. We all would love to be fortunate enough to come back again as soon as possible. This vacation was beyond anyone’s expectations. A wonderful place to stay! Our family of 23 loved every minute of our special get together. All the rooms have beautiful ocean views and breezes. The lazy river pool was enjoyed by young and old alike, as was the ocean which is just steps away from the house. The staff are all terrific and Chef Lubin's meals were all fantastic! A most welcoming home away from home. A week of paradise was enjoyed by our group in the beautiful Oceanfront Villa. The grounds, Villa and pool are beautifully kept and the staff AMAZING!!!!!! We enjoyed all of our evening meals out of doors listening to the waves from the ocean hit the beach. The outdoor pool and lazy river beautifully kept and warm , while the ocean was just steps away . Cannot wait to return. We and our children, alonibe!!g with 13 of our closest family and friends just returned from PC after a fantastic stay at The Palms! From the time of our greeting to the time we left we enjoyed every bit of our experience! The staff (entire staff) was remarkable from chef and crew to bartender to groundsmen! Booking and organizing the trip was easy with Kelly and Seeley was amazing! The Villa is beautifully maintained and views are spectacular! My husbands 40th birthday is truly one for the record books! We can't thank you enough for the week in paradise that we just returned from! Fantastic family reunion and most memorable celebration!!! We had a superb family reunion and celebration of our mom's birthday at The Palms! The staff were amazing, warm and super helpful to our entire family of 20 guests - spanning in age from 8yrs old to 80! Travel to/from the airport was a breeze. The food and accommodations were top-notch! The beach and pool were gorgeous. Lots of activities as well. Everyone at the villa went above and beyond to ensure we all had a great time. We've done similar reunions in the Carribean before as a group but this trip was, by far, the best and most memorable! This was the chosen destination of my sales team this year. We've visited like Cabo, Costa Rica, etc. in the past, but I have to admit that this has been the best so far. The Palms truly is an amazing place and I can’t recommend it highly enough to anyone looking for nothing less than spectacular! The Villa was beautiful, the staff was great, and the beach was awesome! Our group is active, so running on the beach in the early mornings or evenings presented no problem. Anyone wondering whether DR can be a destination, the answer is YES. Don’t think about it, this place is one of the best anyone can ever experience. "Perfection at The Palms Villa Punta Cana" Was a last minute trip and Kelly was very accommodating working with myself and another couple that joined us. Upon arrival we were greeted by Seeley the owner who was so very welcoming and greeted with a wonderful fruit drink. The house was beautiful and the views were breathtaking from every room.. I came to view the Villa for a future trip with a large group and this is definitely the place. Pictures do not do this place justice. Not only was this place beautiful, the service was outstanding. After a wonderful sleep on the softest sheets I have ever slept on, we woke to the wonderful sound of the ocean. Upon waking, coffee was ready and we had our cup just taking in the views. Chef Lubin was ready to cook our breakfast. Eggs to our liking, fresh fruit, fresh juice (something new each day)...bacon / sausage / potatoes and one day we had an amazing French toast. Dinner was also a treat each evening. Chef Lubin is a definite asset...his food was amazing along with his presentation..just proves he loves what he does. Our rooms were cleaned each day. The showers were big and did have dispensers filled with wash / shampoo / conditioner. Room ACs worked great. The grounds were kept up each day with a clean pool and a beautiful beach. There were some coral areas but Plenty of swimmable areas. I have experienced many Hotel AI's and this was so much better in my opinion. Hope I covered everything as this was a great place and I can't wait to go back and share it with other friends and family. We stayed at the palms for a family trip to celebrate 50 years in business. We had a wonderful time. Beautiful home with everything we needed. We had a chef who prepared the best meals, we never left to eat any where else. Julio was there to make sure we had a great time. I highly recommend the Palms. My husband and I went to The Palms to stay for 8 days for our honeymoon. The resort exceeded our expectations! The place was out of a fairytale book. Every room had a forefront view of the beautiful beach. Our room was clean and spacious, not to mention the bed was extremely comfortable. The hospitality was incredible and the food prepared by the amazing chef was exceptional. We highly recommend this place as a getaway with your significant other or entire family. My new wife and I had our second wedding at The Palms with our family from Peru and California we were 17 and spent an axing week together. The Palms put together a magical day for us starting with a breath taking sunrise photo shoot. Beautiful flowers, beach theme great Domincan trio played during dinner, delicious surf and turf by chef, it was a perfect day! This was my second year I've taken my sales team to a Villa instead of a resort hotel. The experiences and results have been amazing so far. This being the first time in DR, I'm not sure I can ever 1-up the memories we created at The Palms. The place is amazingly beautiful and the staff are friendly and very helpful. Great smiles, personalities and they really enhanced our experience. Can't say enough how great they were. Thanks for making it special! My sales team runs from ages mid-20s to mid-40s, and each of them enjoyed the 5 days there. This will be hard to top next year, and the suggestions and thoughts from the others is that perhaps we stop visiting other countries and just keep going back to The Palms. Coming from a team of sales people, that should tell you A LOT! Sublime, stellar, superlative are just a few of the adjectives to describe this secluded property by the ocean. Warm greetings from the owners and staff were welcoming indications of the stay we were to enjoy there. The food, by Chef Lauben, was imaginative, tasty and presented in a most appetizing manner. The accommodations were eclectic and reflected the playfulness of Seeley, one of the owners!! Five stars for this amazing vacation venue, we would never hesitate a moment to return to The Palms!!!! What a lovely surprise! We had a work offsite meeting here and couldn't have been happier. Everything was perfect! We had the place to ourselves and had fun and productive meetings so our goals were met. Chef Lubin was fantastic! The service and attention was amazing as well. Will definitely go back! We stayed with 14 couples and loved it. Rooms were fantastic and staff was helpful and friendly. We would return in a heartbeat. Location was great. Directions were good to find it. Located about 30 minutes from the Punta Cana airport. We had 14 couples stay at the Villa. Accommodations were great and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. We would come again in a heartbeat. Amazing accommodations, service and view! Best Villa in Punta Cana! I stayed at the Villa with my husband and two kids (8yrs and 10 yrs). It was our first time in Punta Cana and we definitely want to come back. The villa is amazing - you are right on the beach, beautiful furniture all around the villa and great hospitality by the team. Kelly, helped us organize our trip and she went over and above to make our stay enjoyable. the owner, Cily is a super nice person, who greeted us when we arrived and made sure we had a great experience while in Punta Cana. I lost my sunglasses the first day and she surprised me with a new pair a couple of hours later. my kids keep talking about the awesome time we had while at the villa. Finally, we had delicious meals throughout our stay. the chef cooks healthy but very tasty food. I highly recommend this villa for weddings, family reunions or vacations with friends. Thumbs up!! This is it!! Luxurious with brand new accommodations and breathtaking views. Simply awesome!! Jackpot! No need to keep looking this is the one, book with confidence. We were on holiday in the Dominican Republic when quite by accident we stumbled on the most fabulous private villa that is now available as a rental. This awesome villa is located directly on Uvero Alto Beach in Punta Cana. As we walked by the care takers saw us and invited us in for a tour. The place is amazing! We entered from the beach over one of the two bridges across the pool and into the huge and extremely modern and well equipped kitchen. The property is stunning and has 14 suites each with its own private bathroom and unbelievable sea views. It screams Dominican charm and has a twist of what you expect to find in the Mediterranean. We really hit it off with the care takers and were invited to come for dinner, the cook was on site and they were testing some new menu items and wanted our opinion. We accepted and it was delicious and presented so elegantly. The evening was perfect with nice music, soft light and a view of the sea by moonlight! We dined by the pool and watched the moon come up! We were told that anyone or group can rent the villa and it's perfect for a destination wedding, family reunion, business retreat etc. This is the first year they are accepting rentals and I know after seeing it we would certainly put The Palms Punta Cana Villa as our top choice for our next big family reunion. The villa is fully staffed and is a great option if you have done the all inclusive hotels and ready to try a new vacation style. The villa is on a quiet and private beach and close to shopping and restaurants. I recommend The Palms for those seeking a private and custom style vacation getaway for any size group. I contacted The Palms for a four day stay. I didn't want an all inclusive, I wanted a beach front suite, I wanted to relax and not hear loud music or be in buffet lines. The place looked magical. They weren't officially taking guests yet since they were doing some minor detailing and landscaping but I called anyway and said I was fine with it if they would allow me to come for the long weekend. We arrived and were blown away at the size and beauty of the property! I felt I arrived in Spain at a beautiful Mediterranean villa tucked away from the line of all inclusive hotels. It was totally private, beautifully decorated in bright and happy colors. An open and free flowing floor plan. My room took my breath away. I was on the second floor in a beautiful suite with an expansive terrace that offered 180 degrees views of the sea. It was breath taking. My sheets were dried outside and were fresh and crisp, I fell into bed and had a fantastic sleep. I'm an early riser and caught the sunrise, while sitting in my pjs sipping coffee and relaxing on one of the oversized chaise loungers on my private terrace, I watched the sunrise and it was jaw dropping. We slept with the sound of the waves and woke to delicious Dominican coffee, fresh fruit and an egg frittata made with fresh basil from the herb garden located behind the kitchen and local cheese (quest fresca) yum! We spent the days floating from the beach to the lazy river pool. It was just what I wanted. The lunch was delicious, a salad of mixed greens, shaved almonds, local avocado slices and grilled chicken. It was perfect. For a topper I as given a fruit smoothly of mango, pineapple and papaya that was great! In the afternoon homemade Margaritas, with mango salsa and tortilla chips were brought out. These were the BEST Margaritas! I would highly recommend The Palms for those wanting a vacation that offers privacy, personal attention, local grown produce and delicious Dominican dishes, beach front suites that are spacious, beautifully decorated with a private terrace with views that one needs to experience to believe. I am looking forward to booking the entire villa for a family reunion next year. Your Villa is spectacular and we enjoyed it very much. The view is irresistible and the private beach is clean and gorgeous. The internal design makes it very convenient for a large family and special occasions. As hosts, you both were phenomenal. I don't know how you did it. You spoiled us and seemed to have a sixth sense when it came to anticipating our needs. Your place is magical and we are still over the moon. We have been to the Dom Rep many, many times and stayed right down the beach from Seeley & Miguel's Villa. We watched their place go up and had no idea how it was going to look when done. They both have an eye for detail, beauty & design. We watched in awe as workers made the wooden chaise lounges. Masterpieces. We (finally) had an opportunity to spend time there. As you can tell, we cannot say enough about this place. We are worldwide travelers & do our expectations are always conservative (engineer & CPA!). This experience exceed our own expectations. Thank you so much for making our vacation so special. Happy Holidays! We WILL be back. Whoever reads this review, don't even think twice...book it NOW! Our experience at The Palms Punta Cana was excellent! Amazing views (never seen a more beautiful sunrise) and perfectly located on one of the best beaches in the area. He private outdoor areas were great for just relaxing or having a party (which we did) The owners were wonderful. They anticipated our every need and were so helpful planning excursions. We visit the Dominican Republic often, staying in hotels or condos, but The Palms Punta Cana is our new destination in the future!

2019-04-20T08:32:57Z

https://thepalmspuntacana.com/customer_reviews

My book on the history of the development of computation, logic and algebra from classical times to the twentieth century, told through primary sources can be found here. We learn how to encapsulate and compose TLA+ specifications, of the precise mathematical definition of abstraction, and compare TLA+‘s notion of abstraction with those of other formalisms. Plus some various cool stuff. TLA, the Temporal Logic of Actions is the core of TLA+. It is a temporal logic that minimizes the use of temporal reasoning in favor of more ordinary mathematics. It is a general mathematical framework for describing and reasoning about algorithms and systems. We explore the “data logic” of TLA+, the means by which TLA+ specifications describe a state of computation: its data structures. To do that, we first cover the basics of mathematical logic. TLA+ is a formal specification and verification language intended to help engineers specify, design and reason about complex, real-life algorithms and software or hardware systems. We explore its motivation, application and principles of design. A certain tweet caught my eye this past week. I will not link to it because I don’t want to single out its author, who expresses an opinion which is rather common in some crowds, but it said: “Do the people behind the big mainstream languages not follow PLT at all?” What prompted this condescending remark was a Microsoft blog post about the programming language C#, which claimed the language is “state of the art”. Even though C# — like other mainstream languages — does use the best current tools for software development, that still seems to fall short in the eyes of the tweet’s author, who expresses a view I’d like to call theory supremacy, which is the belief that the study of theory, in this case programming language theory, directly implies the study of practice. Implied in this ideology is the belief that one can easily extrapolate from advances in theory to advances in practice. Theory supremacists are usually enthusiasts rather than researchers, and their belief is based on a misunderstanding of what it is that theory teaches us. The study of theory is crucial and may certainly lead to — probably required for — eventual advances in the state-of-the-art, but the transition is neither obvious nor simple. This is especially true when the theory in question is programming language theory, particularly its sub-discipline concerned with designing programming languages, which studies the inherent properties of specific programming languages (as opposed to studying the semantics of arbitrary programming languages). There is no scientific principle that extrapolates from an inherent property of a system to a general “goodness” value, the latter being an empirical claim. The only scientific practice for establishing empirical claims is empirical observation. To demonstrate that programming language design theory cannot yield the “best” programming language when disconnected from empirical study, let’s draw on the time-honored scientific tradition of considering the world around us. The most elaborate computational system known to us is life. Few computer scientists — even programming theorists — would deny that life is a computational system of the utmost importance. While it’s true that it is very different from most man-made software systems and cannot be compared directly to software because its goals, or requirements, are different, there is no doubt that life achieves its requirements rather well (although those requirements may not align with those of specific organisms, like ourselves), and that it achieves them employing many of the concepts studied by programming theorists. By mere observation, it is obvious that life has mastered concepts like abstraction (it can represent abstractions such as “leg” or “eye”), modularity and composition (cells, organs, symbiosis), maintainability and even meta-programming (chromosomal crossover, epigenetics, brains). Life also has no problem employing parallelism for efficiency, or handling concurrency. The good news is, then, that abstraction and composition arise naturally, and may hint at the fact that those programming concepts may somehow be intrinsically tied to computation (see my previous post for a discussion about the difference between the two). This certainly opens the door to a programming-theoretic study of computation, something that programming theorists seem to intuitively believe can and should be done, yet have so far been unable to satisfactorily express1. The bad news for theory supremacists, and what they should find infuriating, is that the programming language chosen by life, at least here on earth, is not ML or Haskell, nor is it, as some would believe, Lisp. It wasn’t even hacked together in Perl, but written in the even messier, redundancy-filled language of nucleotides. My knowledge of molecular biology is dismal, but I doubt that DNA is really just, say, ML with a different syntax, or any other “state of the art” PL formalism. Protein interactions are such that it is doubtful that DNA has a convenient compositional semantics with respect to the phenotype (which is what matters), although an approximate compositional semantics may exist. Put simply and somewhat simplistically, life achieves all the programming goals the theorists say are good, yet it does it while taking a different route. The reason for this heretical, infuriating choice for the most impressive computational system known is simple: the value of a programming language does not lie with inherent elements of the language, but with an interaction between the elements of the language and the properties of the programmer, which, in life’s case, happens to be natural selection (and possibly other forces). Since the mathematics of programming languages does not model the qualities of the programmer, it cannot possibly yield the best practical programming language by the power of theory alone. It can study the properties of specific kinds of abstraction and composition but not judge whether or not they are better in practice. Claims of superiority on scientific, rather than aesthetic, grounds must be based on the study of the nature of the programmer. Do people best think of programs as functions? As state machines? As queries and transactions? As a prioritized set of rules? Perhaps in a different way depending on the domain? One thing is certain: If you’re not interested in asking this question and others like it, you cannot define the state of the art for practical programming language design. Those who are interested in such questions — and people at Microsoft certainly are — are in a better position to do so. The practical success of some ideas studied by programming theorists is no evidence in favor of theory supremacy. It is simply because theorists are drawn to constructions that are likely to be of service to human programmers just by virtue of the theorists being human themselves. This is the same reason for the practical success of ideas put forward by more intuitive language designers, whose work is explicitly motivated by more artistic, aesthetic ideals, and does not make claims to theoretical superiority. 1. Perhaps because in order to do that, the theory must encompass the program-programmer interaction, or the nature of the programmer as the computational collaborator that I mentioned in my last post. This may not be as far-fetched as it may sound, as useful information could perhaps be gained with simple complexity measures on the communication between the language and the collaborator. Abstract: Machine and language models of computation differ so greatly in the computational complexity properties of their representation that they form two distinct classes that cannot be directly compared in a meaningful way. While machine models are self-contained, the properties of the language models indicate that they require a computationally powerful collaborator, and are better called models of programming. Many terms in computer science are overloaded, but none are more surprising than the term “computation” itself. I became aware of this when, while preparing for my Curry On talk about computational complexity aspects of software correctness, I read an interesting debate about a 2012 blog post by Scott Aaronson, The Toaster-Enhanced Turing Machine, and further echoes of it in other published writings that will be mentioned below. The issue is two fundamentally different notions of “a model of computation” as seen by computer-science theoreticians originating in two different branches of theoretical computer science, sometimes called Theory A and Theory B (also here), although I prefer the categorization by Oded Goldreich, who calls them Theory of Computation (TOC) and Theory of Programming (TOP) respectively, and argues that the two are essential yet rightfully separate sub-disciplines of theoretical computer science. In the context of this discussion, the two can be narrowed more precisely to the fields of computational complexity theory and programming language theory. My goal in this post is to show that while both sides use the term “model of computation” (or even just “computation”), they each refer to something radically different. I intend to show that the difference is not a matter of aesthetics, but can be objectively and mathematically defined. I must take great care in writing this because, unfortunately, I lack the knowledge to make any definitive claims on the subject. However, I have been unable to find any good discussion of this topic online, and the very existence of the notes discussed below suggests that one does not exist. My contribution, therefore, is merely an attempt to start a conversation which would hopefully draw those who are more qualified to contribute actual substance. I hope that whatever errors I make are superficial and could be forgiven (though I would appreciate readers pointing them out). I find this subject important for two reasons: 1. I hope it would help to uncover this overloading and thus clarify debates and make them more fruitful, and 2. because I think this divide touches on the core concept of computer science, and helps delineate the two theoretical disciplines as each focusing on the very heart of computer science but from a very different point of view. I should disclose that, while by no means a researcher, my personal interests draw me more to the TOC/Theory A/complexity theory view, and believe it is the TOP side that sometimes overreaches. I hope my personal aesthetic preferences do not skew my discussion too much. The schism goes back to two of the earliest models of computation: Alonzo Church’s lambda calculus and Alan Turing’s automatic machine, first named “Turing machine” by none other than Church. More precisely, the schism originates in a modern categorization of those two models, although I believe there is some merit in projecting those interpretations back to Church and Turing themselves, who differed greatly in their personal interests. The two categories are language-based models of computation (of which Church’s lambda calculus is an example) and the machine-based models of computation (Turing machines are an example). The particular debate on Aaronson’s blog is over the Church-Turing thesis. There are debates over modern interpretations and extensions of the thesis in the context of physical systems, quantum computation, and the possibility of hypercomputation, but this particular debate is about nothing of the sort, and purportedly applies to real-world software. The post and the entire discussion in the comments are interesting (I particularly enjoyed this comment by Paul Beame and this one by Itai Bar-Natan), but here I will present a small selection. It’s really weird that the Church-Turing thesis, which is ridiculously robust at first order, falls apart so comprehensively at higher type. [T]he claim that all Turing-complete languages are equivalent in expressive power is false. It is only true when inputs and outputs are numbers (or other simple inductive type). I don’t mean false in some esoteric philosophical sense, either: I mean there are counterexamples… Note that higher-type inputs and outputs have a lot of practical applications, too… So the fact that the higher-type generalization of the Church-Turing thesis fails is of immense interest, both theoretically and practically. I disagree with the idea that we can or should worry about “higher types” when formulating what the Church-Turing Thesis is supposed to mean. From the perspective of the end user, a computer program is something that takes various strings of information as input and produces other strings as output.… I’d say that, when formulating a principle as basic and enduring as the Church-Turing Thesis, we have no right to weigh it down with concepts that only make sense “internally,” within certain kinds of programming languages. … I don’t mind if someone formulates a “Higher-Type Church-Turing Thesis” and then knocks it down. But they should make it clear that their new, false thesis has nothing to do with what Turing was writing about in 1936, or with… the clearest way to understand the Church-Turing Thesis today: as a falsifiable claim about what kinds of computers can and can’t be built in physical reality. [T]he concept of type is not tied to a programming language, or indeed even to computation — they were invented before computers were! … Types serve to structure the purely mathematical concept of equality, which is the concept upon which your formalization of expressive power relies. Your viewpoint — that the logicians’ abstract concept of a “type” comes prior to talking about computation — is one that’s extremely alien to my way of thinking. (If it were so, how could I have spent a whole career worrying about computation without ever needing ‘higher types’…?) For me, the notion of computation comes before types, before categories, before groups, rings, and fields, even before set theory. Computation is down at the rock bottom, along with bits and integers. Everything else, including types, comes later and is built on top. We can summarize the two positions in the following way: The TOP people say, “computations are programs, and programs are mathematical objects whose structure is captured by their types; the two models of computations are equivalent when asked to represent first-order functions, but diverge when asked to represent higher-order functions”. The TOC response is, put simply, “what the hell is a function?” Just as a falling apple doesn’t compute integrals — it just falls — so too Turing machines and any other machine model compute neither higher-order nor first-order functions; they compute bits. What imaginary mathematical concepts we then choose to describe those computations is a different matter altogether, one that does not affect the nature of the computation just as calculus has had no impact on the behavior of falling apples. To Aaronson, functions are an “imagined” concept, a human interpretation applied to a computational process (among other things). Computation itself is a physical process — albeit abstract, in the sense that it may have multiple physical implementations — whose idealized model may serve as the foundation for higher concepts1. For Krishnaswami, functions and types are fundamental, primitive constructs, that are precursors to computation (which, I presume, is perceived to be a purely mathematical concept to begin with). To use more established nomenclature, TOP people are familiar with the distinction between syntax and semantics, but is a computation equivalent to its mathematical semantics, or is it a system, yet another level of description, distinct from semantics? This can be said to be nothing more than a different choice of foundation, where in each one the other can be encoded as a high-level abstraction. In mathematics, sometimes solving a problem requires finding the right orthonormal basis to describe its domain. Are machine models and language models two such “orthonormal bases” to describe computation — different but equal representations — or are they qualitatively and fundamentally different? Can we prove that the TOP view requires an additional “imaginative” step? Can we prove that semantics is distinct from the actual system? To physicists, the answer to the question is an obvious yes. If the string is the syntax of our description, and a function relating time to an apple’s height is its semantics, then the bump on your head you get when the apple hits you is clearly distinct from the apple’s height function. But when it comes to computation, it may be reasonable to assume that the system (i.e., actual computational process) is equivalent to its semantics. In a blog post, Andrej Bauer discusses the importance of representation. He gives two examples. In the first, he considers the following representation of Turing machines: we represent a TM as simply 1 if it terminates on the empty tape, and as 0 if it doesn’t. In this representation, he points out, the halting problem does not exist! A reasonable representation, he says, is one that lets us perform the relevant operations for the represented object; in the case of a Turing machine, we would like to simulate the machine, and the aforementioned representation does not let us do that. He then gives another example. For any computable or non-computable function , we could represent the input as the pair (a, b), “where a represents x (in the original representation of X) and b represents f(x) in the representation of Y. The function f then becomes easily computable as the first projection: given a pair (a,b) representing x, the value f(x) is represented by b”. However, Bauer does not point out that this representation actually fulfills his condition. If a is some “reasonable” executable representation of a TM, and b is 1 or 0 dependent on whether the machine halts or not on the empty tape, the halting problem also disappears. How can we identify such a representation that actually “does all the work”? Easy — we investigate the computability of the language of legal representations. The language of representations of TMs that I presented is itself undecidable. In the comment by Bauer below, he gives a different justification for why this representation is not, in fact, reasonable, but our justification naturally generalizes to complexity, too. We may ask (and easily answer) how much work is done by the representation by investigating the complexity class of the language. So in addition to the question of utility, we can classify representations along the axis of their language complexity. We now turn this line of reasoning on representations of computation itself by asking what is the computational complexity of deciding whether a given string of bits encodes a valid (well-formed) computation in a given model? Consider some machine models: the Turing machine, random-access machine, cellular automata, boolean circuits, boolean networks, neural networks, P systems. Now consider some language models: Church’s untyped λ-calculus, π-calculus, System F, System Fω, System λΠ. All those representations pass Bauer’s first condition — they are directly useful for simulating computations — but they differ widely with respect to the second test, namely the complexity of deciding the language of the representation. For the Turing machine, if we choose to interpret a jump to a nonexistent configuration as a “halt” instruction (a rather natural interpretation), then the required complexity is zero (by that I mean that there exists a natural representation that requires no translation and no validation, i.e., every string specifies a valid machine, and every machine can be specified in that encoding). Zero is also the complexity required to validate appropriate encodings of any of the other machine models (well, maybe not P systems, but certainly lower-level biological computation models). As for Church’s untyped lambda calculus, I believe that the best we can do — if we allow variable shadowing, which complicates interpretation — is validation in linear time and logarithmic space by a PDA (the main issue is that parentheses are meaningful). But for the other language models (the typed ones; I haven’t thought about π-calculus enough), very considerable complexity and a Turing-complete system are required only to validate if a computation is well-formed (for λΠ, that validation is no longer computably tied to the length of the input; it can be larger than the complexity of the computation itself). This clearly shows that the computational model isn’t self-contained, but essentially requires a computationally powerful external collaborator: a programmer and/or a compiler. If a model requires such external work, it is not a model of computation but of programming. Where precisely we choose to draw the line between a programming model and a computation model may be up for some debate. Church’s untyped calculus seems to be a borderline case. But it is worth mentioning that the notion of a function doesn’t even appear in Church’s 1936 description of lambda calculus, let alone a higher-order function (while the word “variable” does appear, it is clear from context that it is only meant to intuitively communicate the operations of the rewriting rules). Computation by untyped lambda calculus in Church’s paper is reasonably described as a relatively simple rewriting system, which is a special case of a nondeterministic abstract state machine, but, of course, none of those terms existed in 1936. However, when PL theorists say “lambda calculus” today, they seem to mean something different, and use it as shorthand for lambda calculus plus functional denotational semantics. In any event, the vast complexity difference leaves no question whatsoever that, say, a Turing machine is essentially different from some typed lambda-calculus system. Like entropy, computational complexity is absolute and not subject to a point of view. It is not for me to say which words scholars should use, but when PL researchers say “computation model” when referring to one of the language systems, they mean something qualitatively different from what TOC people mean. System Fω is not a model of computation in the same sense that the Turing machine or digital circuits are. In fact, given a rich enough type system, we could burden an arbitrary portion of the computation on the type inferencer or on the collaborator (programmer) and the type checker. We could write programs whose types decide computationally difficult question, ostensibly making the actual program answer them in zero time. Obviously, computational complexity theory does not “fall apart” when we use a rich formalism. You’re free to think about computation as acting on bits… but for those bits to do us any good, they have to actually represent something (e.g., data structures). To represent anything, a system needs an observer that assigns its behavior meaning. But the observer required here isn’t the user of the computation, who, after all only cares that the screen’s pixels are lit up in an interesting way or that the airplane’s control surfaces are sent the right signals — i.e., about the bits — but the human programmer. Viewing machine models and language models as competing is a mistake that confuses computation (the system) with programming (concerned with syntax and semantics), two fundamentally different activities. This confusing presentation of machine and language models as standing in opposition to one another cannot be expressed more starkly than in this somewhat trollish post by Bob Harper. The machine models have no practical uses at all… [They’re] worthless from a practical viewpoint. I find it curious that Harper thinks that machine models are worthless while using a physical implementation of one to form that very thought and another to type it into. He probably means that he believes they are worthless as programming models, but that is not what they are. To be even more precise, machine models are far from ideal programming models when the programmer is a human. But some machine models — in particular digital circuits (that are often used to model natural, cellular computation) and neural networks — are great “programming” models for a programmer of a different kind, one that is generally incapable of performing complex computation itself. It is true that a machine models could be “lifted” to serve as a programming model, and it is in that sense that Krishnaswami and Harper compare the two. Indeed, Krishnaswami’s “counterexamples” make sense only if you treat the Turing machine as a programming model (with canonical representations of types), and even then only if you consider “computing a function” not as mapping a set of inputs to a set of outputs, but as the requirement to express an inhabitant of a certain function type (in the type theory sense). That difference between considering a function as a mapping between two sets and as an inhabitant of a function type is not just a matter of perspective: it is a matter of more computational work. It is a different, harder problem. In the type theory interpretation, the computation needs to compute the target element and check a proof that the element is in a certain set. Really, those are two problems, not one, and you certainly can’t fault a model for not solving a problem you didn’t ask it to solve. A machine could solve that problem (simulate type checking) if you asked it to. That a language model solves that problem “automatically” doesn’t matter if the same price (computational complexity) is paid by a collaborator. Otherwise, I could create a language model that solves all NP problems in constant time by defining my language’s type-checker to require and verify a proof certificate with every input problem, and my model would then reduce the input to “yes” in one step. No one would believe my language actually solves a hard computational problem: it simply pushes the difficulty to the collaborator. In fact, some type systems are Turing complete, so those language “computation models” could decide any decidable question in zero time. But, of course, that’s just ignoring the hidden computation that takes place in those models, and is carried out by the programmer and/or interpreter. TOC is the science of computation. It seeks to understand computational phenomena, be it natural, man made or imaginative. TOC is an independent scientific discipline of fundamental importance. Its intrinsic goals… transcend the immediate applicability to engineering and technology. We only need to look at the modern work on circuit complexity, the great interest in quantum computing or the celebrated work of Leslie Valiant, who studies complexity theoretical aspects of learning and evolution, to see that questions of programs written by a human programmer are far from the only concern of complexity research. It is natural, therefore, that the self-contained machine-based computational models would be more appropriate for such a discipline. To the architect, the concept of a room is real. Indeed, it is the the material constructing it that is a detail that can change in ways that may not be essential. The walls can be made of wood, mud, concrete, glass, or even intangibly rendered by a graphics card. To the chemist, however, a room is an abstract, imaginary concept constructed by humans to describe certain large-scale configurations of molecules that are meaningful to them, and while chemistry may study steel or concrete, it may also study crystals, polymers or living cells. Debating which of those views is more correct or more useful than the other is silly. was in many ways an outsider to the rather isolated logicians’ world, having a broad grounding in applied mathematics and an interest in actual engineering. While Church was a logician through and through, Turing was interested in mathematical biology, digital circuit design and theoretical physics (he even considered the ramifications of quantum mechanics on physical computation), and was a pioneer of neural networks and genetic algorithms, in addition to his work on numerical algorithms (although in 1949 he described a program proof technique quite similar to Floyd and Hoare’s work, over two decades later). Now that we have hopefully established the objective difference between computation and programming models and their different uses, we can read Harper’s claims more charitably as saying that machine models when used as languages are a bad fit for two uses that he has in mind: programming — i.e., the implementation of algorithms in real software — and algorithm specification and analysis (of human-made algorithms intended for implementation in software). Rather, they write what is charmingly called pidgin Algol, or pidgin C, or similar imperative programming notation. That is, they use a programming language, not a machine! As well they should. But then why the emphasis on machine models? And what does that pidgin they’re writing mean? There is an alternative… without… reference to an underlying machine… [W]e adopt a linguistic model of computation, rather than a machine model, and life gets better! There is a wider range of options for expressing algorithms, and we simplify the story of how algorithms are to be analyzed. He then presents a cost-model for functional programming, the lack of which, he believes, has been the only substantial barrier to adoption by algorithm researchers. I am not at all qualified to judge the advantages and disadvantages of Harper’s proposed languages for the purpose of analyzing algorithms; they do offer rich, albeit arcane, modern-logic mathematical properties (but I don’t understand how parallel and sequential algorithms can be compared to one another in a unified notation in that framework, how concurrent algorithms are to be specified and analyzed without introducing complex concepts, and how quantum algorithms can be specified and compared with their classical counterparts; I am also not convinced that such arcane math is required for such a task). If you arrive at an insight that has importance for logic, languages, and categories, then you may feel sure that you have elucidated an essential concept of computation—you have made an enduring scientific discovery. In practice, those who use Harper’s “computational trinitarianism” of logic, types and cateogry theory to reason about programs, also do not usually use that beautiful correspondence between programs and proofs directly, opting instead for procedural proof “tactics”, which are more convenient in practice. This, however, should be used to undermine the fundamental importance of the theory, just as the convenient use of “pidgin Algol” does not discredit the foundational utility of machine model. The other mistake is that the flaws Harper attributes to machine models are not flaws in the conceptual foundation of machine models at all, but with the choice of particular, “low level”, machine models (that are nonetheless of great fundamental importance due to the reasons I covered above) and their treatment as low-level programming languages, or “compilation targets”. Hidden in this critique is the assumption that a mental compilation of into those low-level languages is what underlies academic pseudocode. But the concept of machines does not require this compilation, and it is not true that the machines implied by this pseudocode are such low-level ones like TM or RAM. Indeed, in Leslie Lamport’s formal specification and verification language, TLA+, algorithms may optionally be written in a pseudocode-like language, precisely of the kind Harper rejects, and yet they are compiled — for the purpose of formal reasoning — into a mathematical formalism for describing abstract state machines, yet those machines are at least as high-level and at least as composable as Harper’s languages. For quite a while, I’ve been disturbed by the emphasis on language in computer science… Thinking is not the ability to manipulate language; it’s the ability to manipulate concepts. Computer science should be about concepts, not languages. … State machines… provide a uniform way to describe computation with simple mathematics. The obsession with language is a strong obstacle to any attempt at unifying different parts of computer science. Computer scientists collectively suffer from what I call the Whorfian syndrome — the confusion of language with reality…Many of these formalisms are said to be mathematical, having words like algebra and calculus in their names. … Despite what those who suffer from the Whorfian syndrome may believe, calling something mathematical does not confer upon it the power and simplicity of ordinary mathematics. Like Harper, Lamport bemoans the lack of properly defined semantics and a unified mathematical framework of academic pseudocode, but instead of a language model he offers a unified mathematical framework with clear and simple semantics, based not on treating each machine model independently as a low-level language, but on abstracting the general idea of a state machine to describe any computation model in a high-level, modular, mathematical way. This is no longer a self-contained machine model of computation but a true formalism (language), just not one based on lambda calculus or other linguistic models (like process calculi) but one designed to formalize all kinds of computations as (very) high-level machines. Lamport’s mathematical model, TLA, based on abstract nondeterministic state machines and relatively simple logic, that is modular, allows for direct comparison of parallel and sequential versions of an algorithm, works equally well for sequential and concurrent algorithms, and can directly and naturally describe large-scale real-world software, neural computation, genetic algorithms and quantum computation (I’m not certain about the last one). TLA surpasses even the “linguistic” dependent types in unifying the description of an algorithm with the description of its properties — properties and algorithms not only use the same syntactic terms but are actually the same (model) objects — yet it only requires mostly familiar math (what he calls “ordinary math; not some weird computer scientists’ math”). Algorithm specification and analysis is absolutely crucial for humans who create computations. But while it may be the case that algorithm analysis can learn thing or two about mathematical modeling of algorithms from language models, abstract state machines seem a great fit for this task as well. In the end, however, there can be many foundational theories as well as many formalisms for programming and reasoning about programs. Arguing about their aesthetic qualities — while intellectually interesting — is not what matters. What matters is how they perform when put to various practical uses.

2019-04-18T21:04:51Z

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This class will be a discussion of how modernists and progressive attempt to interpret the Qur'an, with a critique of their approach. Why is it important to study the Modernists and Progressives? This is a very important topic at this time because the people who call themselves modernists sometimes they don’t use that label, the progressives always use their title, they are wielding a lot of influence in the West. Progressives are gaining the upper hand, modernists are now considered pase. Especially since 9/11. People may not realize the influence of progressive thought -- the “I’m ok, you’re ok, everything goes” mentality. E.g. someone was having dinner and someone said “It is important to correct revelation, e.g. give homosexuals their full rights.”, this statement would not have been considered a few years ago. This progressive approach has had an influence, especially in the US and Europe. There are progressive Muslims and writers all over the Muslim world, but less so. It is not a coincidence that the “progressives” the less chance there is. But if people are ignorant about Islam, that opens the door for these people to come because they mostly give rational arguments. They are publishing most of their work in Western languages and many of them have places and positions in Western Universities -- they have nice titles associated with their names. Media gives them credibility. Because of these reasons it is important that we study them. For this particular class, we are interested in how they approach the Quran. Why do Modernists and Progressives use Quran as evidence for their theories? Every Muslim recognizes that Quran should be the central focus of their life, because of this every Muslim group go to the Quran for the evidence. In order to have any group to be success they have to prove the points using Quran, thats why all the this different groups do focus on Quran, because it is known that without giving out proof from the Quran even if it is weak people will not listen to them, same is true to with Modernist. The Reformist Translation of the Quran offers a non-sexist understanding of the divine text; it is the result of collaboration between three translators, two men and a woman. • It explicitly rejects the right of the clergy to determine the likely meaning of disputed passages. • It uses logic and the language of the Quran itself as the ultimate authority in determining likely meanings, rather than ancient scholarly interpretations rooted in patriarchal hierarchies. • It offers extensive cross-referencing to the Bible and provides arguments on numerous philosophical and scientific issues. • It is God's message for those who prefer reason over blind faith, for those who seek peace and ultimate freedom by submitting themselves to the Truth alone. Important note: Sh does not know the intention of people, and though he vehemently disagrees with them, it may not be the case that their intentions are evil. They may think they are doing what they think is right. But what we do know is that, intentions are not enough. What they say can be judged by the Shari’ah. If it is not consistent with the Qur’an and sunnah then we have to reject it, this is true even if this comes from the pious person or evil person. They do not afford their opponents the same courtesy, e.g. many of them when they write about the Sahabah they will openly judge their intention and they conclude why they fabricated something without knowledge of their intention. When one thinks of modernism and progressive movement, they are not unique to the Muslim Ummah. Prophet (saws) mentioned (paraphrased) that we will follow people of the book, even into the hole of the lizard. Modernism and progressive did exists before as well. Modernism is a theory with respect to religion, is any movement in religion based on the belief that scientific and cultural progress requires a reinterpretation of the traditional teachings of the religion in the light of modern philosophies and knowledge. In general, Modernist ideologies accept very few transcendental values -- there are no such things as objective absolute criteria or truth. Instead, they are relative and their validity are limited to certain times and places. Which means if the science has changed then we have to go back to our text and reinterpret it according to the change in science. Why did modernism take a strong hold in Judaism and Christianity? Note this is not specific to Muslims. With respect to non-Muslims there is a strong reason why the modernist movement took hold in Judaism and Christianity. Those same reasons, however do not exist in the Islamic paradigm. The concept “If my religion fails, then all religions must fail.” this is not necessary true when it comes to Islam. If this does happen, what is the source of ‘what is correct and what is incorrect’? Human reasoning. Thus human reasoning becomes the ultimate judge of what we decide is correct. (i) They assumed that ‘aql or human reasoning can comprehend anything -- nothing is outside the realm of human comprehension. If that is the case, If there’s anything presented beyond what we understand, then it must be rejected. This became the foundation and a key rule of the modernist philosophy. Note: ‘Aql has its role to play in religion, but it should not be placed at the forefront. The rationalist even accept only about God also based Aql. This is another fundamental error. God is something beyond we as human being can experiment with. In reality, if we are going to use, if something go beyond the realm of our Aql , should we remain silent or speak about it ? Logically speaking we should remain silent. But for them even for God they speak about God using their ‘Aql. We have to admit that anything related to God it is outside our realm of understanding. But for greek philosophers If Aql cannot understand then they reject it. The original Muslim rationalist, this is group of people who are well known, In the time of Khalifah Al-M’amoon, he established a centre is Baghdad called Darul-Hikmah, and the role of this centre is to translate all of the knowledge into Arabic. They had collected a number of Greek and Persian work and Khalifah hired people to translate it. This by itself doesn’t sound bad. The problem is that lot of these books were mathematics and related to science,this impressed Arabs. In Greek writing of philosophy it covers science, Mathematics and religion as well. Now we have these books into Arabic, and the next effort was to reconcile these book along with Quran. This was less than 200 years after the Prophet (saws), thus being impressed with this knowledge they wanted to make sure that this knowledge is present in our religion as well. When there comes the phase where this knowledge is not consistent with what Islam says, the people tried to reinterpret the understanding of Islam. What do you do in this case? Option (i) acknowledge a difference. Option (ii) try to reinterpret Islam in this new framework. One group amongst the Muslims, the Mu’tazilah who were influenced by Greek philosophy of giving importance to ‘aql. It affected their belief about Attributes about the God. There are lot of people now a days who call themselves as Mu’tazilah, who wanted to revive the Mu’tazilah beliefs, e.g. there is a new scholar in Indonesia who calls himself a neo-Mu’tazilite (Harun Nasution). This group what they take from Mu’tazilah is that Aql should be treated supreme. Zamakhshari (that we discussed earlier) was also a Mu’tazilah. The tafseer has good points as he brought balagha into the tafseer. There is poetry which is attributed to Zamakshari “Walk in your religion under the banner of human intellect and do not be dissuaded by narrations by so and so and so.” Over time Mu’tazilah dissipated (these free thinkers were very tough). They died away until recently who are tried to be revived by contemporary modernist. The contemporary modernist have their roots in what happened in Europe. In Europe, as science developed they found there are lot of things in Bible which was not consistent with Science and there are lot of discrepancy in Bible and there are lot of problem in transmission their book. This led them to believe that basically the religion is product of divine and the human and you have to sort out what is wrong in religion and you have to bring it up to date. For example, among the jews they were some who call themself liberal Jews, Steinheim, Goldheim and Geiger. They said we have to keep adjusting the religion according to changes in science. They instituted a lot of changes in their religion and this happened in 1700s and continued well into the 1900s. Among the changes in their religion was, no longer saying the prayer in Hebrew, they dropped many of the prayer saying they were inconsistent with modern times, they begin to use musical instruments in their worship, they changed the law related to women, they allowed free missing between men and women. they said circumcision does not have relevance, they changed the law of divorce. The exact things after 200 yrs, Muslim modernist being to Islam. The home for the reformist became USA. These reformists moved from Europe esp in the 1840’s -- leaving most of their scholars behind. Those who are entrenched in the religion stayed behind. Because they were free and because they did not have people with in depth knowledge, by 1885 they had established a new platform called the Pittsburgh Platform. Also in Christianity you had the same thing, where there was struggle between church and science. The church in Europe which was called Holy Roman Empire, the church controlled everything including business and religion. Church is referring to catholicism, they controlled everything which had Pope, Bishop who are incharge. They had number of inquisition and crusade, which was also with Christian as well who had different beliefs. Eventually things got worse and people started recognising that what church was teaching was not true and they started to move away from the teachings of Church. When you find that there is something like this there arises a group which goes to other end, and thus this gave birth to modernist where they reject everything what bible said. This movement was very strong although there was violence but the movement stuck to their goal and this lead church to change its stance. There is reason in their case why this movement started as it is known fact that the bible as discrepancy and has been modified. They can see that these have changed a lot and they know what they have is not completely divine and this gave birth to modernist. Thus there was good reason for judaism and christianity for modernism movement, so you can excuse them for their movement. Those circumstances and issues that led to their movement, now the question is do these circumstances exist in Islam? Is there any requirement for modernist movement? Next time we discuss what was the situation when the modernist ideas entered the Muslim World and what were the responses to this movement. We are discussing the history and background of the modernist school. They were the .... for the contemporary school. Last time we spoke about the development of modernism in religion as a whole. Modernism is basically the belief that religion requires rethinking in the light of science and other advancements. As a religious phenomenon, this developed in Christianity and Judaism due to particular circumstances and obvious to them -- e.g. the teachings of the Church as well as the scriptures they had -- e.g. scientific aspects contradicted day after day. E.g. Church vs Galileo. Many of these scientific facts did not turn out to be scientific but that is topic for some other time. That was all related to Christianity and Judiasm, with respect to Islam those two major points of scientific issue and historical issue never existed in Islam. More than science it was clergy that led to the revolution. Distinction between Islam and Christianity/Judaism with respect to modernism. In Islam there’s never been a case of a clear contradiction between scientific fact and what is in the Qur’an. There is little evidence that the Qur’an has been tampered with. Those two major factors contributed to modernism they didn't exist in Islam. But if you go to the 18th/19th Century and look at the relationship between the Muslim and Christian worlds, there were definitely problems in Muslim world. The Muslim world was definitely weak and lagging far behind the technical innovations of the west. Most of the Muslim world was colonised, they were being militarily defeated over and over again and they were getting weaker and weaker. Thus there was definitely something wrong in Muslim world and something had to be done. Over time there were some options presented in front of Muslims. Much of the crisis in that time is similar to that current situation what happened after 9/11, where Muslims has to think about what are their option which was made available to them. Unfortunately the options that are made available to Muslims is actually a kind of bogus option. After 9/11 there were a number of reports going to places like Indonesia, Pakistan etc saying there were two choices in front of the Muslims, either you join the extremist terrorist OR you join the modernist Muslims. Those two choice are definitely false and there is third option and this option is not been given at all and Muslims were not aware of this third option at all. We are going through something very similar to what the Muslim community was at their time of weakness and stagnation. Unfortunately the majority of Muslim scholars took a traditionalist approach, in the sense that they didn’t see anything wrong in what they were doing -- they rejected the innovations and scientific advancements of the West -- they said that was not for Muslims, they ignored the plight of the Muslims in the world. They claimed what they have it from Allah and they are not going to change. They did not reflect to think that maybe there is something wrong. Because they didn’t reflect and were unwilling to change, they opened the doors for the modernists -- in the same way now a days extremism and terrorism is opening a new way to Islam. Most of the people known to be religious at that time took that approach. There was another group of scholars distributed around the Muslim world. The first group concluded that there was no problem with the Muslims and no problem with Islam. The second group concluded that there was no problem with Islam, but there was a problem with the Muslims. Their basic argument was the we have strayed from the way of Prophet (saws) and we have moved away from the true Islam and we have fallen into Taqleed and we have fallen into all forms of mysticism, theological beliefs which are not based on Quran and Sunnah. And they said this was the problem, they said science is not the problem but the problem is that we have strayed from the teaching of Quran and Sunnah, The solution is that we have to review the way back and this is concept of Tajdeed. You had pockets of these kinds of scholars -- e.g. in the Indo-Pak region -- Shah Wali-Ullah Al-Dahlawi. He and his children as well they were calling for reviewal of what Islam is about, breaking through the taqleed and mysticism. He wrote a book hujjathullahi al-baalighah حجّة الله البالغة and the first volume is translated to English. In that book he wrote about salat writing about benefit and reviewal of the salat. His message was right, that Islam was correct the problem is with Muslims not Islam. Similarly in Shaam (Syria) scholar by name Jamaluddin al-Qasimi, he emphasized more on Aqeedah. The Ashari belief about Qadr is very fatalistic belief -- there’s nothing much that we can do anyway -- so just wait for the Qadar of Allah. The idea here is that Islam is correct and fit for all times and places, but we are misunderstanding it and misapplying it. There is a third group, which corresponds to modernist of Europe , their argument is that there is problem with Muslims and Islam and some went to extent saying the problem is with Muslim because of Islam and thus we have to create new Islam and fix the Islam. The only way to create a new Islam, is to go back to Quran and completely re-interpret the Quran in the light of Modern science and modern culture. This modernist movement, from the point of view colonial rulers, they like this group as the goals of this group was consistent with them for the most part it was never 100% which was good enough. Similarly US semi-government groups (like RAND Corp., American Humanist? Assoc.) is pushing all this progressive and modernist movement as that is what they want. 1. Turkey: Important because it was the seat of the Khilafah and ruled over large parts of the Muslim world, including North Africa. 2. Indo-Pak subcontinent was also important mainly for economic reasons: wealth, spices etc. 3. Egypt: Important because it was the home to Al-Azhar university -- so it was the intellectual hub of Islam. Pretty much everyone around the world looked up to Al-Azhar. Now there are more universities. So we are going to talk about some of the founders of movements in those areas. The ultimate goal is to tie it into their approach to the Qur’an. The ottoman empire eventually collapsed and was overrun and collapsed for many reasons, but it was also one of the most drastic changes. After the fall of the Khilafah, it became a completely secularist state. Unfortunately, Shaikh Jamaal is not very familiar with respect to what happened in Turkey with respect to tafseer. But one of its leaders did sometimes talk about the Qur’an -- his name was Ziya Gőkalp. b. 1876-d. 1924. Turkey was going through a process called Tanzeemaat. It must be acknowledged that Europe was making amazing progress. It is not surprising that Muslims might be overcome by the advances that the West had made. There were a number of movements for Westernization. Science is not bad, scientific progress is not bad, but the thing you will see is that … ? Gőkalp’s first response was pan westernism. His argument is that the Turkish nation should be part of the West since it straddles both east and west. In order to achieve that goal, he laid out some principles, he said Turkish language must be purified of all Arabic and Persian words. At that time the Turkish script was Arabic. One of the first things Mustafa Kamal did was to change the script from Arabic to Latin script. British and Dutch did the same in other parts of the world, Swahili, Indonesian were moved from Arabic and Javanese respectively. This was something that the colonialists were in favour of because nothing can break you off from your past like changing their script. Because you disconnect the people from their old books. If you want to re-form someone, change their script so that the only access to knowledge they have is the new script. So then all their thinking is based only on what is on the new script. Footnote: While looking at these points see how the original argument was made that we are behind scientifically but then these points are nothing but blind imitation of the West and have nothing to do with science. - In the mosque, instead of open space, there must be rows of chairs. The worshippers have to pray with their shoes on -- note that this is blind imitation of Kuffar -- note the West did not become advanced because they wore shoes. - The language of Salaat must be in Turkish. - There must be no prostration in the prayers. - In order to make worship in the mosque beautiful, it needs trained musicians and musical instruments. This is the part of recommendation that “the need is urgent” for modern musical instrumentation in the mosque. This approach of modernisation, this is the blind following of the leading civilization of that time, this was very extreme approach. Gőkalp sometimes mentions some things in the Qur’an but Sh is not familiar enough with respect to the Qur’an. But this approach of blind following of that leading civilization at that time. It was most extreme. After a number of years, the Turks began to wake up and realized that it was just as oppressive and irrational as what they had before and they became a completely secular state. Now they are doing much better than they do. A: Where religion is removed from the public sphere. In comparison with Secularism, Modernism leaves some room for religious practice. But aren’t they shades? Modernism picks and chooses, but secularism says don’t pick and choose, remove everything. Many modernists share the view of removing religion from the modern sphere. Because Turkey was the seat of the Khilafah, the loss of Turkey was a stunning blow. For 1400 years almost, we had a khalifah -- a weak khalifah sometimes, but at least they had one. It was gone. Since Turkey is dominated by hanafi, and thus the effort for reviewal was less as there was strong attachment to Madhabs and it was really difficult to penetrate this, but within the Hanafi madhab there were a few attempts at reform -- they tried to produce something called the Majallah. They tried to codify the main principles of the law. Since if you know the principles of the law, it is easy when the new circumstance is faced. There was sometimes and some reforms were attempted. In the life time of Shah Waliullah, the british started rule, The British East India company was ruling a large part of India and constantly trying to expand. They took over Muslim, Hindu lands. One of the turning points for the history of India and the modernist movement is Indian rebellion in 1857. This rebellion different people has different theories on why this started. There is no question that starting was, there were lot of Indian soldiers who were working for British and over time they fed up of this. As this movement spread then there was a call for jihad,this fighting took place for number of years, fighting broke out. Muslim declared Bahadur Shah Zafar as emperor of India and he was descendant of Mughal Emperor. Eventually British defeated Muslims,Hindus and Sikhs. But lot of people among the British had the view that this mutiny was started by Muslims. And the goal behind is Jihad against the British. That in itself is disputable but it had a very strong effect on Muslims. This was like the 9/11 of the Muslims of India. 1. They are not creating the problem. 2. They are willing to work with British. 3. Their religion is completely compatible with the religion of the British since Islam and Christianity are far more similar. One of the most influential person at that time was Syed Ahmad Khan and later was knighted and called Sir Syed Ahmad Khan. After the fighting was done, he did two things. 1. He became strong proponent of the idea that Muslim as to change and accept the Western Ways. 2. But he also wrote a pamphlet, in which argued that the cause of the Mutiny was British itself. The British governor was not happy with this and he called him and warned him that this will lead to another revolution. Thus there was deal stricken between these two and they became friends and he was taken to England. The other aspect of his movement which was much more positive was his starting a university -- a University that eventually became Aligarh university. He did the write the commentary on the Quran and although he did not finish the complete tafseer. Shaikh Jamaal had the misfortune of reading Syed Amir Ali’s book just after he accepted Islam, wherein he states that various prophets made mistakes, but alhumdullilah he was aware from his experience with Christianity on how to tackle them. Syed Amir Ali even said that Prophet (saws) made mistakes in the Quran (SubhanAllah). Sh. Jamaal commented that his literature is filled with Kufr. Ghulam Ahmed Pervez (distinct from Mirza Ghulam Ahmed Pervez) : foundation of his understanding of Quran was the premise that there is no value for Hadeeth. He completely rejected the hadith. What are some of the key points, what we changed which was explicitly called out by him, we will discuss this in next class InshaAllah. We are discussing the background of the contemporary modernist movement and in a manner study their founding fathers. After we finish the history, Shaikh will determine whether we have grasped the topic by asking us three key questions. Last time we were discussing Syed Ahmad Khan. If you look at translation of Quran into Urdu, the first such translation were from Shah Wali-Ud Deen and Shah Abdul Qadir. They died in 1818 and 1813. And the second translation was from Syed Ahmad Khan. His first volume was published in 1880. But in 1862, he is known to have written the first Muslim commentary on Bible, the first such known work by a Muslim. He published three volumes. He did not know how to read English and so he had translations made from English to Urdu. He also published a book on principles of Tafseer -- Tahrir fi Usool Al-Tafseer was published in 1892. One of his basic points is that everything in Islam should be in confirmative with Nature and Science. Anything in Quran which goes against science and nature he will reject it. For example, any reference to miracles in the Quran is rejected like existence of Angels. For example, he described the jinn as primitive savages living in the jungle. One of the principles he mentions in his Tahrir is that when there is something in the Qur’an that is miraculous or supernatural, it has to be understood metaphorically. One of the things about these reform movements is that not everything they had to say was wrong and sometimes they had some very good points. E.g. in tafseer by modernists is that they avoid any of what are called the isra’eeliyyat. Stories based on the narrations of the Jews and Christians, had good details that are used to “fill out” the tafseers. But this introduces many oddities, e.g. committing zina in the case of Dawood. You find this a lot in the case of tafseers. One of thing they emphasize is that you have to stay away from those kind of reports which is a positive sign in these kind of tafseer. They try to explain everything in Quran in simplified rational sense. Ahmed Khan in Surah al Kahf he makes couple of interesting (edit: not necessarily based on any evidence) points: In the cave, the companions were dead in the cave. The verse says that they were moving in sleep. He said that in reality they were dead and mummified and people thought they were sleeping. One of his students extended this little further added that due to cross ventilation in cave their body moved. He even said that the stories in the Quran are not necessarily true and Allah (swt) is mentioning them since people already know them. As a proof of that, in the 13th verse, after already describing the story of Ashaab-al-Kahf, Allah says “we narrate to you the story in truth”. There is some reference to them before this verse and the Ahmad khan says the word “Haqq”, Allah is saying that everything before this is not true and what comes after this is true. He says that they stayed in the cave for 300 years but he does not try to reconcile it. So he says that the “haqq” is an indication that he wasn’t telling you the actual story. And he says that the amazing points are what came before that??? Even regards to receiving the revelation and nature of revelation, In his tafseer, he says, it is not incompatible with human nature that heart of a person not tied to anything then to such person revelation will come to such a person. This is based on the philosophical idea that one can achieve revelation by doing certain spiritual exercises. So any idea that revelation is anything supernatural, then it has to be re-interpreted. He says bodily resurrection, heaven and hell can only be accepted symbolically. There is another trend among modernists: When science cannot tell us or explain something, for example you cannot conduct social experiments on human beings in labs, but the Muslim modernists still adhere to the western way of thinking, implying that science cannot explain certain social norms but they would still adhere to the western society. He said that polygamy is contrary to the concept of Islam and should not be practised except in certain cases. He also says that modern business transactions, riba, etc -- he said none of these fall under the definition of riba and therefore are not haram. Qisas punishments are barbaric punishments, and that are only required in societies without prisons. Jihaad is only for the dire necessities of self-defence. Became a close friend of Sir William Muir -- became very pro-British. Even made an interesting point about analyzing the Qur’an. When you look at the books of tafsir one of the things they often do is they analyze the meanings of Arabic words. There is too much dependence on understanding the words by the Arabs. It is possible that the words were not used in a way not registered in lexicons. So he’s trying to open the door for re-interpreting the words of the Qur’an and could be very destructive. Footnote: You should not make any accusations against a person’s intention, because he claimed Islam is superior to Christianity and wrote book about it. But his actions had the opposite effect of weakening Islam. In one of his lectures on Islam, he said that he is an ignorant person, not a mawlawi or a qaadi. But you would think that you would not go to the Qur’an and try to explain the mean it. But the modernist movement has something in common with Christianity. In Christianity in the Catholic Church, people were not allowed to read the Bible. Until Martin Luther came along and said that the Bible should be able to read and understand. Syed Ahmad picked up on this as well. Influenced many tafseers after this e.g. Turjumaan Al Quran by Abul Kalam Azad. Also Mafhoom Al-Qur’an by Ghulam Ahmad Parvez. Then another influence is M. Enayat Mashreghi. Most ironic things is that one of things he mentioned in his tafseer is that the cultural influence of Byzantium and Persians must be removed. Shaikh finds it ironic because he is trying to bring in Western influence and rewrite how to understand and approach Quran in light of modernist philosophy. He was knighted by the British Empire in 1899. He founded Aligarh University. He is a very influential person, even today. A school that followed from him was the Qur’aaniyyoon. Barewalvi started up trying to answer to the Syed Ahmed Khan. Extensively written about in English, including Maryam Jameelah, Mawdudi, Trol. His speech that he delivered before the Islamic Protection Association and known as Anjuman ... is also translated into English. Any discussion of the Modern movement and tafseer will include a discussion of him. Mawdudi is an answer to Syed Ahmed Khan and is completely opposite. Interesting fact: Adolf Hitler praised the work of Ghulam Ahmed Parvez after he met Ghulam Ahmed Parvez. Ghulam Parvez went further into deviation then Syed Ahmed Khan and we will be coming to this person shortly. What happened in Egypt was more a response to the west, in terms of being an Islamic Modernism -- the claim is that the Syed Ahmad movement was imitating the west and the movement in Egypt was a response to the west. One of the most influential people here was Jamaluddin Al-Afghani (1838-1897). You can find anything imaginable written about him. He is mysterious. He is not from Afghanistan. He is from Persia and is Shia. He has been accused of anything imaginable. Some claim that he was the leader of Masonic movement; some claim that he was known to be a womanizer in France. He travelled to London and Paris and he was known as a womanizer. Some say that because of his shia background, some claim that he took advantage of the temporary marriages. There is some truth to some of the claims. He was very politically active. His message was clear, that the Muslims have to modernize and that modernisation has to be through education. In 1884, he started publishing newspaper “al-Urwah al-Wuthqa” with his students Muhammad Abdu. His real anger was with British. He lived in India for a while but he was strongly opposed to Syed Ahmed khan movement is because that Syed Ahmad Khan accepted the british. He was arrested and deported from various places and eventually he died in Istanbul. For some time he was the advisor to the king of Afghanistan. However in 1944, his remains were asked to move from Istanbul to Kabul University. He only wrote one book which is “Refutation of the Materialists” however his modernist thoughts have strong influence on Abdu. No one talks about Muhammad Abdu without talking about Al-Afghani. Muhammad Abdu took this idea of reform from Al-Afghani, emphasising the idea of education and going back to the roots of Islam and doing away with lot of material which muslims stepped in which is not part of Quran and Sunnah, this was stuck as part of Islam because following the scholars. Because of that influence of the West, it’s not surprising that his influence also reflects the common culture of the west. Example: the idea of making pictures/statues; he said there is no problem making statues unless there is a danger of idolatry. He said it was fine to put your money in Western banks and take interest. He was the first one in the Arab world to say it is permissible to adopt the western dress. Because of influence of education and science on his mind, unfortunately he came to the conclusion that human reasoning is absolutely supreme. He says religion complements and supplements human reasoning. The human reasoning judges on the religion according to him. He was convinced of Darwin’s theory of evolution and he said that it can be found in the Qur’an. He ran afoul of the authority because of his close relationship to Al Afghani. He was teaching at Al Azhar and then he was banned from the position. But because of the British influence, he got back his position. One of first thing which he wrote was “Risalath at-tawheed”, its basic work of Aqeedah, in it he emphasise the fact that everything in Aqeedah is in sync with science. One of his important students was M. Rashid Rida. Rida kept on insisting on Abduh to write a tafseer. In 1898, Abdu began to write about tafseer. What happened was that Rida published tafseer al manaar as 12 volumes in 1927, bulk of it is Rida quoting his shaikh, Abdu. Abdu gave number of lectures on tafseer. But his tafseer was specifically trying to address the question about what we should get from the Qur’an. This is one of the aspects of modernism that were good. Some of his students included: Ali Abdul-Raaziq -- a book on secularism and in reality Islam has nothing to do with the state, and secularism is completely consistent with Islam. Qaasim Ameen -- famous for writing about called Tahreer Al-Mar’a -- the liberation of women. Taha Hussain is another one influenced by Abduh -- eventually Taha Hussain tried to deny the uniqueness of the Qur’an and made claims that it is nothing but classical Arabic poetry. Taha Hussain has been heavily refuted on this. Rida started publishing called “Al-Manar” it was open forum for any view in Islam. There was article written in it by someone with name taufeeq and he was talking about bedouin who were not possible to pray 5 times a day. Over the years his views changed a great deal and he became more of a traditionalist. The history of the background of the modernist tafseers -- and before we start critiquing them. There are three big questions we need to discuss that are critical to an overall critique of the modernist tafseer. Footnote: Shaikh mentioned in a response to a question that there were many positive and influential movements that arose as response to Rida and Al Afghani. He reiterated that these movements were necessary, something had to be done to awaken the masses. Today’s class will be a discussion of certain topics that will help us recognize that the modernist approach to tafseer is not valid form of tafseer and that it has some clear weaknesses. And when you read some tafseer you will be able to see the modernist leanings. Question #1: Do we need the Prophet (pbuh) and his hadith to be able to understand the Qur’an properly? Yes we do need him. Then the obvious question is why do we need him? The first point is our attitude towards hadith for understanding the Quran. We need to go back to the Prophet (SAWS) in order to understand the Qur’an properly. When you pick a book of tafseer, it is obvious if they are going back to the hadith in order to do the tafseer. Here Allah (SWT) has described one of the roles of the Prophet. He is giving us the Quran and he is conveying the words of the Quran and he is teaching us the book. Teaching the book is different than conveying the words of the book. He is showing us how to apply the words. Here Allah swt explicitly separates the two tasks assigned to the prophet. In Surah Nahl verse 44, Allah swt has clearly explained to us that prophet’s responsibility was to make the message clear to the mankind. This also means that when the Prophet (SAWS) explains the Qur’an, that is not his own production. Allah (SWT) says no individual can not bear any burden that they can’t bear. So it is part of the Prophet’s SAWS responsibility to teach the text to the people. Allah is making it clear that Allah will explain, and Prophet (saws) was given further understanding of Quran. We see amongst the Sahabah that they sometimes misunderstood the Arabic and could not know based on their understanding. So what of us? It is not matter of knowing Arabic knowledge, even then it will be not enough to derive the ruling of Quran. The Word Dhulm which is many times translated as oppression, any kind of wrong doing. When you look at this verse, from the Arabic of this verse, the obvious question is who is that who does not mix their Imaan with some type of Dhulm. Everyone does wrong in their life, thus Sahabah were worried about it. So the Prophet (SAWS) had to explain to people that it did not mean everything, it means shirk. When the Prophet (SAWS) says that, it is revelation from Allah (SWT). There is a condition in this verse “if you fear that those who disbelieve may disrupt [or attack] you” This was the meaning that some of sahabah understood, Prophet (saws) explained this is a ruksha from Allah, although in Arabic language this is condition but this is not strict condition but it is rukshah that Allah has bestowed on the ummah. One time the Sh tried to go to a conference being held by someone who denied the Sunnah (by Rashad Khalifa). Sh. Jamaal went to discuss their position. They were not allowed to get in. So they got into a bit of a discussion. He started with Syed Ahmad Khan and Pervez Ahmad and had turned away from Sunnah. Sh asked: “How do you pray?” They said: “This is the prayer of Ibrahim.” But they could not come to agreement. Then they asked “What is the penalty for the thief?” And all three said “you cut the hand of the thief from the wrist.” Is that in the Qur’an? It says to cut off their yadd. But yadd in the Arabic language (e.g. in the verse of wudu) -- it covers everything from the fingertips to the shoulder. And the only reason they do not cut the hand of the thief is because of the Sunnah of the Prophet (SAWS). There is nothing that the Qur’an points to about where to cut. The Prophet (SAWS) also corrected misunderstandings. E.g. the following verses. But Maryam was not the sister of Haroon -- he was the brother of Musa. So the Prophet (SAWS) said that they used to name themselves after the Prophets and name yourself after pious people. This was the kind of speech they would have. It was a nickname. Footnote: Hermeneutics is the science of interpretation of the text and it is different from the science of exegesis. The science of tafseer is closer to exegesis. So hermeneutics is a secular approach. Question #2: Do we need Sahabah for understanding the Quran? In the light of a very secular understanding about the companions of the Prophet (SAWS) is it possible to say that we can understand the Qur’an better than the Sahabah? Also can we claim that we have knowledge which ahabah did not possess? 1) Language of the Quran was the language of Sahabah. Is this important ? Languages evolve (e.g. in Surah Yusuf we see the word Sayyara--which does not mean the car which is meant today with this word). Modern standard Arabic which is closer to Fusha, but not everyone speak fusha. In the Arab world today, they mostly speak colloquial Arabic. The one thing Arab boasted about themselves were the language. ‘Ajami was used for persian / romans or foreginers but linguistically it has interesting meaning. It referred to the one who cannot speak their language. 2) There were many verses in the Quran which was referring to what happened in their lifetime like the verses of Badr, for us to understand this we need to read about badr but for them they were part of it when it was revealed. 3) There are verses in the Quran which was referring to the action of the arabs like the one entering the house from behind. As some present day people explain that it is talking about the handling of the situation in a straight manner while this is not what the verse is pointing to. The verse is pointing to the practices of arabs. Also In the time of Jahiliyyah the time of hajj was also time for business, all the fame of sooq was tied to business, sahabah were afraid if it allowed to do business during the time of hajj, Allah clarified that it is allowed to do business. 4) They were living and applying the Qur’an under the eye of the Prophet (SAWS). E.g. big difference between reading a software manual vs someone who knows what to do. And when you start straying he will correct you. It also shows us the Prophet (SAWS) corrected them in the application of the Qur’an. Otherwise he was watchful and approving in their understanding. How they understood the Qur’an was approved of by the Prophet (SAWS). There is no question from secular point of view to say that Sahabah play a vital role in understanding the Quran. 5) The status of Sahabah is clearly mentioned in Quran that they are best generation, they are the one who Allah is pleased with and thus in the religious aspect as well their importance is clearly called out. If we wanted to claim that we have some advantage over sahabah, what kind of advantage do we have over sahabah ? Technology and science are the fed where we are more advanced than what it was at their time. If our technology and science is better than the way of sahabah, how is that going to help us understand the Quran? Let’s say, yes it helps us. Does this help us in the verses of Imaan, law, attitude of life, etc? It doesn’t help us in any of these things. It might help us in some of physical things, but the essence of Quran it is not going to help us. We may have better technology, knowledge, etc but it’s not going to help us with understanding the central aspects of the texts. Early 1900’s wrote a tafseer and it was all science. You get no moral teachings. That’s not what the Qu’ran is most about and what we are trying to get from Quran. So the thing we claim gives us excellence doesn’t help. At best we will based on what they said. There were lots of elaborations but these elaborations have to be consistent with what sahabah understood also at the same point there are things that the Prophet (SAWS) did not explain. We are the ones in need of further elaboration. And we should benefit from it. Question #3: We are living in different era, lot of things changed since the time of Prophet (SAWS) what are the aspect of deen of that need to be changed and what are the aspects that cannot be changed? When Allah says in the quran “O You believe” does this verse apply to us ? Prophet (saws) was the final messenger, this was final revelation for all the humanity, thus when Allah says “O You believe” this refers to us and to all the people who believe till the day of judgement, now if someone says that this is referring to the people who were present at that time ? Now who has the burden of proof who says that this verse doesn’t belong to us ? The onus the person who claims this. This is going to be difficult to prove and Allah has revealed this book which is for the people who will come till the day of judgement. If you study the Shari’ah carefully, you realize there are things that are fixed vs ones that are flexible. Somethings don’t change. A lie is a lie. There are other things that need to be changed and built in to allow for change. There are certain things that the Shari’ah refers to but never defines. Eg. traveling. The definition for travelling in different madhab where they come up with distance, this not defined from shariah. Thus if there is anything which shariah did not define which means these are time sensitive and meant to be flexible. It is flexible in those things which require flexibility. The Prophet (SAWS) defines something then it’s part of the text. E.g. traveling has not been defined in the Shari’ah. Similarly, for Nafaqah for the wife. It is not defined how much and it is also time and custom sensitive. Shari’ah has its own built-in flexibility. Many people don’t understand this point. Those things can change, but you don’t need to change the things that weren’t meant to be changed. You have to distinguish between the two. When there is a reference to a category, when it comes to maintenance of wife there is confusion about how much is it, etc. We were discussing certain keys issues which are critical to protect us from falling prey to the modernists and progressive attack on the Qur’an and Sunnah. We discussed the criticality or importance of the Prophet in order to understand the deen. We also discussed the importance of Sahabah for understanding the deen. The third point that we discussed was that Quran and Sunnah are for all time and places. The Muslims however, need to be careful that there are things in Islam which cannot change with change of time and place and there are things (opinions based on ijtihad) which may or may not change. Question #4: Is the Qur’an free for anyone to interpret? One of the key points of reformation or modernist movement in Europe was that anyone should be allowed to interpret the bible and anyone should be allowed to understand on their own. Does this also apply to the Qur’an. He said that based on this verse, the interpretation of the Quran is not just for Imams and mujtahid but it is for anybody to go, reflect and understand it in anyway. Is there any truth to this? How valid is this point ? We do see in the Qur’an Allah speaks to us about reflecting about Quran. It is speaking to reflect about it not about the meaning of it. They can derive lessons from it and the meanings should be left to the scholars. If you say this verse means such and such is it that you are speaking on behalf of Allah (saw) as you are claiming that this is what Allah (swt) is saying this. In this verse the gravity of the sin is growing, and then he describes the various sins, and after mentioning shirk, he says the following, saying something about Allah for which you have no basis. In one case you are speaking on behalf of Allah swt and in the other case you are trying to understand what the verse means to your life. One case you are speaking on behalf of Allah (swt) and in other case you are looking at how can we apply this in my apply The later one is very important for everyone to do this. More knowledge you have the better you are in application. On the other end we have to be cautious about to comment on verse and to claim that “this is what the verse is talking about”. If somebody speaks about Quran according to his opinion even if he is correct, he has committed a sin. (Sh. Jamaal said most probably it is statement of a Sahabi but sometimes attributed to Prophet (saaw)). There is obvious reason why we have to be cautious, beside the fact that we are speaking on his behalf. We should have proper knowledge about the sunnah of the prophet or how sahaba interpreted the Qur’an, or are not familiar with the Arabic language, in fact some people make interpretation based on the English translation of the Qur’an. Some misguided people claim that all of the Quran is figurative and all symbolic. There is a certain methodology that the Prophet(SAWS) established: e.g. the meaning is the literal interpretation unless there is explicit evidence to the contrary. Many people do the opposite -- and assume all the verses are symbolic. Thus there are some qualification required before you go and interpret the Quran. So the correct approach is to read the meanings of the verse and then apply that to your own life. But many of the modernists are actually jumping right to saying that this is what the Qur’an means without following the Prophetic methodology/sunnah. A scholar can sometimes make conjecture and he should make it clear what is conjecture and what is based on solid evidence. Question #5: What is the role of the ‘aql in Islam as a whole or in understanding the Qur’an? By Aql we mean, the rational thought of human, the intellect of human, can include natural instincts of human, can include acquired knowledge. For someone to be considered having aql, he should be acting according to the knowledge. Applying the knowledge to one’s daily life is part of the aql. This is how the scholars of the shari’ah define aql. Does it have any role to play in Islam? This is one of the major points made by modernists: we have to apply our reasoning to understanding Islam! Allah swt shows us something very clear in the Quran, human reasoning when done in a sound manner is able to protect us from falling into the hellfire. So aql has many roles to play within the Shari’ah -- there’s one thing that all scholars agree upon: if someone doesn’t have the tools to understand, then he is not bound by the law. If someone doesn’t have aql, the shari’ah isn’t going to help you. So it is one of the key aspects of being obliged to abide by the Shariah. The problem we run into is, Human beings have looked at two sources of knowledge, revelation and human derived knowledge. So we Al-Aql العقل (human intellect) and we have Al-Naql النقل (transmitted knowledge, but we mean here transmitted from Prophet (saaw) either in the form of Quran). One of the key points that mentioned is that to identify the limits of Aql. Are there any limits to ‘Aql? We are limited to what we can access, for example, we have only 5 sense and other limitations. For example, can we speak about what will happen in the hereafter based just on aql? We do not have any first hand reports from human beings who have returned to inform us. What about things related to social sciences? What are its limits? For physical science we can test and conduct experiment to get the results. With respect to social science, from the scientific method point of view, we cannot conduct experiments. Econ graduate students are always requesting funds for conducting experiments upon the lifestyle of the millionaires, meaning they want money to live the lifestyle of the rich. Example: the long-term effects of alcohol -- how do you quantify all of the things that occur: violence, health etc. we can see some of the negative things about alcohol, but we don’t understand the picture. Or another example is human rights where everyone talks about it. Why should humans have rights ? Even this question, in 1942, where all the countries signed declaration of human rights a french philosopher jacques maritain. Everyone has different perspectives about human rights and what constitutes a human right. There’s nothing really out there that decides exactly what is a human. Even this which is basic thing which people discuss we can not determine that based on ‘aql. We can maybe come to an agreement about it, but we can’t prove that something is a human right. It is beyond the level of ‘aql. We might come to some agreement but in reality it is beyond the level of Aql to determine what is the human right. “Virtually everything related to human rights is controversial” -- one author wrote. This shows to us very clearly, even when it comes to regulating our lives, ‘aql has severe limitations. The problem isn’t that ‘aql doesn’t have a role, it’s that it needs to be guided. It needs to have proper foundation and once we have foundation then we can build up on this. Some of the roles of the ‘aql in Islam are to reflect on the signs of Allah (SWT) -- seeing how things work in this world, increasing our technology -- clearly in the realm of ‘aql. Making ijtihaad is also part of the role of ‘aql. To take the text of Quran and Sunnah and to apply to new situation is part of Ibadah, this people cannot do without ‘Aql. In the Shar’iah, the aql is considered a source of knowledge. But what happens when aql and naql contradict which one should take precedence ? This is a trick question because what you getting from Aql and naql has different level of certainty. For example, when you look a the text of the quran, some of the texts of the quran are very clear and are not open to any kind of interpretation, their meaning is one and clear either on its own or based on some external evidence. Speech can be ambiguous sometime. What is the meaning of lies ahead? Does it mean that he lied to the people that he will not raise their taxes or does it mean he will raise more taxes ahead? The above statement is ambiguous. When you look at both of Aql and Naql, the things which you get of the Naql the meaning is definitive and sometime the meaning can be conjectures. Some is true for Aql, sometimes it is definitive and some time conjuncture. Scientific facts are definitive but scientific theory are conjecture. For example, big bang theory which is conjecture, we cannot definitively prove it, there is only circumstantial evidence. We know Allah has ability everything, Can Allah swt create a rock that acts and feels like a three million year old, even though it was created now? This is just a hypothetical conjecture. What Muslim ‘ulema have said that you can’t have a conflict between ‘aql which is definitive and naql which is definitive, this is not possible at all, the reason is that they both come from the same source. It comes from Allah (swt) thus it is not possible at all. If that looks like it’s happening to you, then you have made a mistake somewhere -- there has to be something wrong. Otherwise, if you look at these two, it is possible that ‘aql can take precedence over naql. if aql is definitive and naql is conjectural then aql has to take precedence . Vice versa is also true. What happens if both are conjectural ? By itself you cannot take decision on this and you have to look for other evidence. If there is no external evidence and you can’t tell, then you should suspend judgement. The problem with many modernists is that they always put aql above naql. And they have a lot of confidence in science including social science. What science says is definitive, they say, is definitive. This is one of the issue. The second things is Aql …. be a judge. Even some of the so-called Islamic philosophers is that aql always takes precedence. And they even call Allah (SWT) al-aql al-awwal. Amongst the sufis, there was another extreme where there was an extreme distrust of anything from aql. Ibn Tayyimah has a 9-volume book “Negating the possibility of contradicting the ‘aql.” Took what Al-Razi said and refuted it point by point. Historically we had both extremes. The progressives are even further out there -- all they have is aql and they use the Quran as a smoke screen, we will discuss them shortly. This verse is translated as heavens are spent asunder, ..... According to the mufaseerin it is talking about the day of judgement. Syed Ahmed Khan says that we reject these interpretations of ...... He is referring to the greek philosophy that has entered our interpretations. But he goes further and says about the hadith which discusses it, he says that heavens have to be burst in order for God to descend. And he says that may Allah protect us from these lies. If this is Islam, the tales of demons and fairies are a thousand times better than it. What he is implying is that any hadith that you have about the sky rent asunder etc -- this kind of thing doesn’t make any sense. Clearly he is putting aql ahead of naql. Do we have the right to say that this cannot happen, what is our basis for these statement? Nowadays the scientist are claiming that the universe is going to rip apart, since it is expanding. And maybe based on this scientific claim, Syed Ahmed Khan could have claimed that this is a scientific miracle of the Quran. He is not just rejecting anthropomorphism (human like attributes) but he is rejecting even angels descending. They are trying to make Islam modern, such that it is compatible with the most modern scientific thinking. Even the most modernist translation says that Allah swt sent down upon them birds. Syed Ahmed Khan says that commentators have the habit of exaggerating ... and then he disparages the hadith and says that the story is not narrated like this in the Quran, and that the calamity is not described in this way, but based on collateral evidence, it was smallpox. (Edit: This opinion is totally out of thin air and has no basis in Islam or History). He is completely destroying what is in the naql and he is blaming it all on the commentators. This is an example of using aql to make very strange conclusions. Part of the preservation of the Dhikr is words as well as meanings. If words are preserved but not the meaning then preserving something is useless. Such a preservation has not benefit to it. When Dhikr (i.e. revelation which means Quran and Sunnah) then it means that Allah (swt) is preserving the Arabic language. If you look at the Old Testament and New Testament, then neither original Biblical Hebrew (which is different from the modern day Hebrew) nor the Aramaic language are preserved. In fact the modern Hebrew was constructed through the Arabic language (by understanding the principles of the semitic languages through Arabic). These verses make it clear that Jinn are distinct from Humans, they “mankind” took refuge with the Jinn and they are capable of reaching the heaven. So Syed Ahmed Khan came up with an opinion without going into details of what he was claiming to study. On the issue of the incident Angel, Ibless and Adam (pbuh), Khan only believes in Angelic and Satanic faculties but not in Angel or Satan. This is weird, since if one can believe in Angelic faculty or Satanic faculty, then in fact one is believing in Angels and Satans. Nevertheless, Khan did not realize this contradiction in his thought. To Khan these faculties are felt inside humans so Allah (swt) made them into beings. He is assuming that Arabs at that time were not intelligent enough to deal with the concept of faculties, so they had to be explained things in forms of beings of Angel and Satan. He did not believe in the conversation of Allah (swt) versus Satan and eating of the fruit from a tree. Khan always did this in a cunning way. He would suggest to the reader, “if you want to believe it then it is upto you...but as far as I am concerned I believe.....”. This way, he basically makes a sarcastic remark towards the reader who does not agree with Khan. Khan says, that all commentators are wrong (i.e. red sea part into two), but he says they all overlooked the fact that in history, the red sea had 30 some islands in it and if Prophet Moses (pbuh) came at time of low tide, then he could cross and if others came at the time of high tide then they could not cross. He clearly distorts the words by translating; “the We said to Moses to walk across the sea with the help of your staff....” and to him the above translation of the verse regarding “....Strike with your staff the sea....”. Now in Arabic the words are Adhrab (strike) and then particle Ba in front of Asak (your staff). The words are not Amshi (to walk) and hence Khan is playing even with the words of the Quran, which is even worse compared to misinterpreting the text, as it is called Tahreef ul Quran (i.e. changing the Quran). Some points he makes are good like Quran is true, God is truth and no Science can falsify it. On the contrary the truth of every science throws light on the Words of God. However, he does not make any point regarding turning to the Sunnah of Prophet (saaw) or the way of Sahabah (ra). This is a big reason for people to stray when they detach Quran from Sunnah and Sahabah. Another interesting point that he makes is that he praises the people who have faith without much need of philosophical arguments and calls them shining stars of faith. One would expect the Khan will mock at them, however, he praises them and says he admires them since they are people who have stronger faith compared to him (Khan), who needs philosophical arguments to justify his faith. Compared to these are men who want philosophical arguments for everything regarding Islam and it is to such audience that Khan wants to address. However the problem here is that Khan is sacrificing the truth to bring such people towards Islam. Khan is giving such people giving what they want rather than giving Islam to them. If you give someone half truth (or compromised truth) then one is bringing more harm than good. On top of it Khan is passing it as the truth. The Dawah is about truth, if people do not want to the truth, then it is not the job of Dawah giver to compromise the truth. At that time there was a lot of complex of inferiority among the Muslims due to being colonized, hence it was a very defeatist time for Muslims, so probably he did it under that pressure. He did consider Islam superior to Christianity and Hinduism. However, Khan went too far in his thought process of compromising the Islamic way of thinking and impacted many future thinkers, who are still thinking along those lines. He still called himself Modernist, Rationalist and Apologetics. He lacked knowledge of Sunnah at all. Sh. Jamaal has seen people who reject Sunnah but still quote from Sunnah a lot, however, Khan never quotes from Sunnah. He went too far on his modernist and rationalist way of thinking and distorted the clear and sound way of Islamic thinking. Abul Kalam Azad (1888-1958): The book Tarjuman ul Quran is by Abul Kalam Azad. It is 2 volumes in English (original in Urdu). When Sh. Jamaal became a Muslim, there were very few books in English on Islam. He learnt basics of Salat from a book written by a Christian missionary. The first translation of the Quran that Sh. Jamaal read was from a Qadiyani and the first book on Islam was by a student of Syed Ahmed Khan called Sir Ameer Ali. Sh. Jamaal got suspicious of the Sir in front of their names. Tarjuman ul Quran was also one of the first books Sh. read on Tafseer of the Quran. Azad comes from a very religious family and knew Pashtu, Urdu, Arabic, Farsi, Hindi. He took a very different way and he started to have doubts by the age of 15. His doubt took him towards Atheism/Agnosticism (where he stopped praying etc...) and according to some reports it lasted for 10 years. What turned him away from Islam was mutually contradicting dogmas and statements to the point that he became confused that he said “where is the truth....?”. Then he found happiness in Science and considered it the right way to light. However, he says that science starts with doubt and takes one to the path of Atheism where there is nothing but darkness and despair. He says that he had to pass through all those stages but then he did not walk the road all the way to the end. Then he started to question Science and then he started to see the relation between Science and Religion and considered it the right way to the ultimate truth that humanity needed. Abul Kalam Azad was influenced by Syed Ahmed Khan, even though Azad was very Anti-British and Khan was the opposite i.e. very pro-British. He was imprisoned due to his problem with the British, and he began to chang his ways. According to Maududi (until 1921-22) he was very pro-Khilafat movement however later he became 100 percent nationalist indian and started to believe in a single Indian nationhood comprising of Muslims and non-Muslims. He assimilated some Hindu philosophy of unity of different religions and the Western biological theory of evolution. Imprint of this can be seen on his commentary of the Quran. He was against the creation of Pakistan and he was against British even though he believed in the unity of Humanity. Interestingly enough he was pro-Hindu. After the partition of Sub-continent in 1947, he became the Indian education minister and stayed in that position up until 1958. He was in favor of making Latin alphabets to Urdu, Farsi and other Indian languages. He later became very secularist and considered Islam to be only a belief system. On issue of abortion and birth control, he said that it is purely a social and biological process and there is no reason why Islamic Law should deal with it. If experts (in sociology and biology) feel that they need to give a verdict, then they may do so in its favor. He was against the slaughter of the cow (on Eid), to bring Hindus and Muslims together. He ended his life in a pure secularist mind set. He said whatever the religious theology may say, it is the secularism which works. One of his Muslim student, called Chagla, advised the Indian gov’t to abolish the Muslim personal law, forbid hijab and allow marriage of Muslim women to non-Muslim men. A number of his students became entirely secularized and said that Quran has nothing to say about social issues. The Urdu version of his Tafseer is to Surah al Kahf, however the English version only goes to the Surah Al Anfal. So the original Tafseer in Urdu is incomplete in the first place. He actually makes some good points in the introduction of his tafseer. He writes about that our relationship with Quran has weakened, lots of foreign elements have entered into tafseer and that the Greek has impacted our way of thinking. He called for removing these foreign influences from the tafseer and our way of thinking. Azad even said that Sahabah understood and lived the Quran the best, however, at the same time he said that Hadith cannot be trusted and Hadith is not preserved. So here Azad is giving a mixed message. He rejects the idea to take every scientific theory and to prove it through the Quran while at the same time rejecting any miraculous aspect to the Quran. For example, on the ability of Yusuf (pbuh) to interpret the dreams he said that Yusuf (pbuh) did not have the knowledge of interpreting the dreams but rather he had the knowledge of discerning end result or conclusion of events and affairs. So it is basically just a normal insight. For the youth of Surah al Kahf he tried to argue that the wind was passing through the cave and doing the turning of youth as we discussed earlier.. He makes an argument that there is no need for Prophet (saaw) to have anything miraculous and here he is going against both the Quran and Sunnah on this issue. He rejected the idea of Darwinism. He said what survives is the the most beneficial but not what is the most fittest. Azad refutes Ahmed (since Ahmed did not believe in virgin birth of Isa (pbuh)) and Azad accepted the virgin birth as a dogma from Quran. He ran into trouble with those Ulema who supported creation of Pakistan and later he became completely secular. He was a modernist in his tafseer but not as egregious as other modernists. Ghulam Ahmed Pervez: Another person along this line is Ghulam Ahmed Pervez (1903-1985): What is important about Ghulam Ahmed Pervez is that he has gone to the extreme which makes it beneficial for others as this man becomes a lesson for everyone. The lesson is that if one is not thinking on proper foundations of the Deen, then how far astray one can go. He was influenced by Syed Ahmed Khan. He wrote Maarifa al Quran in 1941-49 in Urdu. He is one of Quraniyun and rejects the Hadith and Sunnah completely. The only book in English that he wrote is one he titled, “Islam: A challenge to religion”. The deen in his view is a form of a government, just like the communism, democracy and socialism and as such all the authority rests with the law of God given in the Quran. One of the laws according to him is that food and wealth has to be distributed equally to everyone. He separates between Deen and Madhab and he says that He says that people with vested interests converted this Deen into Madhab (religion) and they did this through fabricated hadith. More on this InshaAllah next week. We have been discussing people important to our topic from 200 years ago. And last week we were discussing Ghulam Ahmed Pervez and today we discuss an author closer to home, Muhammad Asad who wrote “The Message of the Quran”. This book is important for us to discuss since some unknown group distributed copies of this book to the masajid all across the USA. The author Muhammad Asad was originally Leopold Weiss and he was born in 1900. He was an Austrian Jew, who became a writer and eventually he ended up in Palestine when it was under the control of the British. It was in that period that he met with Arabs and studied their Zionist concerns. This is early in the 20th century and the Jews had started to move to Palestine. In 1926 he converted to Islam in Berlin. In his works he travelled extensively and his other book is “Road to Mecca”. In this book he discusses the Zionist movement and its concerns. In 1932 he moved to British India and met with Mohammed Iqbal and became a strong supporter of the idea of an independent Pakistan. During second world war, his parents were killed by Nazis in Austria. Asad himself was living in Lahore when the WWII broke out. The British arrested him because he was an alien. In 1947 he was released and given the citizenship of Pakistan and he worked in Pakistani gov’t for a while. He then moved to Spain and stayed there and died there in 1992. He wrote an interesting book titled “Islam on the Cross-Roads”. He was saying that there are two paths: either take your own path or follow Europe. And if you follow Europe, you’lll always be following. He gave a clear message that you either take your own Islamic path or you follow Europe. If you follow Europe then you will always be behind. Maududi says about him, after he had married a Muslim woman who had Western influence, and he attributes this event as a catalyst for changes in his life. His commentary of the Quran shows these influences. In particular you can see the clear influence of people like Syed Ahmed Khan and he was also called the European scribe of Syed Ahmad Khan. As we go through the book, we’ll see examples. “It is more than probable that their mode of life made so strong an impression on the imagination of their more worldly co-religionists that it became gradually allegorized in the story of the Men of the Cave who "slept" - that is, were cut off from the outside world - for countless years, destined to be "awakened" after their spiritual task was done. “It is more than probable that their mode of life made such a strong impression that it led to aggrandizing their period to 300 years -- they were merely cut off from the outside world.” So there is no miracle. Whatever the source of this legend, the fact remains that it used purely in an allegorical/parabolic sense. So he is “reinterpreting” the Qur’an. They weren’t sleeping, they were “sleeping.” Since their friends were very materialistic they were just cutting off from them which is called “sleeping”. With Respect to the story of Solomon, page 498 footnote 77 he says: “The Qur’an alludes to many of the Judeo-Christian lore and legends” -- the words “lore and “legends” are used to describe things that are stories and not necessarily true. “Although it is un-doubtedly we can rationalistic explanation, I do not think this is necessary. These stories were not true, but they were so deeply ingrained in the minds of people, so Quran addresses them and treats them as true.” So basically he is saying that since people believed so Allah (swt) added them in the Quran. He’s saying the people believed in it, so Allah is going to use it as a teaching tool. But why would Allah (SWT) use something that is false? Especially when He asserts that the Qur’an is the truth? He says that was because the people at that time believed them to be the truth. And Sh asks this question, if that was the case, why did Allah not use the crucifixion of Christ as an argument since the people knew it? A good counter argument for M. Asad will be that the crucifixion of Isa (pbuh) was also ingrained in the minds of many people, however Allah (swt) refuted that story. So why will Allah (swt) will put other stories in the Quran. He says that the birds were not killed and he quotes a scholar Abu Muslim (Abu Muslim Al Asfahani). This person is one of the leading Mutazilah scholars in history, but he does not tell you that the author he is quoting is a Mutazillah. Abu Muslim says that the moral of the story is that if man is able to train birds to obey him, then Allah is able to train birds to come back to Ibrahim (pbuh). In refuting this point, Sh. asks, is giving back life to a bird is same as training it to respond to your call? An example of fiqh issue can be found in his tafseer of Surah Maida verse 33 on page 148 and 149. This verse of the Quran is about punishment for those who declare war on Allah (swt) and his Prophet (pbuh). He starts out by saying, most of the classical commentators regard it as an order to do what the ayah says, but he says that this interpretation is not warranted by the text. Sh responds that he cannot find anyone before M. Asad who did not interpret the verse in a way that he is critiquing. Ibn Al Jawzi has a book on tafseer and he starts out by enumerating all opinions about this verse. Every one from the time of the Prophet has understood it as description of punishment. M. Asad should have clearly stated who says that this is a legal ruling. Unfortunately M. Asad is making things up about this verse. M. Asad says, it is not an injunction but it is a statement of the fact, a declaration of punishment that will come upon those people by Allah (swt). And the way he gets there by using evidence from the Arabic language. He says that the verb is in imperfect tense, and he says that it cannot be a command and that it is statement of fact. And both of these points are incorrect. He says that noun that follows the verb becomes a clause. So he is making a claim that no one before him made it and he says that the reason why no one understood it in this way, because they did not understand the Arabic language as much as he did. Can he, not being a native speaker of Arabic, really make this claim? Appendix #1 starting on page .... which is titled, .... allegory in the Quran. In the second sentence of the second para, he says that there is one fundamental statement that occurs only once and that is a key phrase of all phrases. He says the verse 7 from Al’ Imran, he says that this verse gives key understanding of the Quran and makes it easy for everyone to understand. He says that without understanding mutashabihat, most people will not be able to understand the quran. And then he claims that Quran must be understood in an allegorical sense. What do you think about this claim of his? Allah swt in this verse says that there are muhkamat and mutashabihat verses. We have to understand the meaning of these two words. But if you look at the translation of these words in most English translation (Pichtall, Yusuf Ali, including M. Asad), mutashabihat is translated as allegorical. Definition according to the American Heritage Dictionary: A literal, dramatic and pictorial representation. Basically you give a presentation but that is not true, you are giving some meaning behind the presentation. It is almost like fables, which have morals behind stories that are not true and in fact the stories do not have a literal meaning. Definition according to Lane’s Lexicon: Mutashabi means equivocal or ambiguous i.e. something which is susceptible to interpretation and whose meaning is not to be understood from the words only. So it means words or phrases which have more than one possible interpretation. The above verse was revealed when the Christian tribe of Najaran came to the Prophet and argued that the proof of trinity is in the Quran where Allah (swt) calls himself “We”. So it could mean that there is more than one Allah (swt) (as Christians have argued) or it could mean that it is Royal “We” which is what the scholars mention. A weaker opinion from Ibn Taymiyyah has that We is used when Allah (swt) is referring to himself and the Angels. So the verses like of Surat al Ikhlass (among many other) are very clear and cannot be interpreted in any other way except one way hence they are Muhkamaat. So these Muhkamaat are the foundations of the book and the verses which are Mutashabihaat are to be interpreted on the basis of the Muhkamaat. So all the tons and tons of verses in the Quran which make it clear that Allah (swt) is Ahad, makes it clear for us that We is referring to special honor (i.e. Royal We) and not that there is more than one God. Most concerning is that he believes that all of Allah’s attributes are allegorical. As the Mu’tazila, he doesn’t want to ascribe any positive trait to God -- they can only say what he is not. But the Qur’an is clear about this: The very verse that says “there is no-one like Him” is followed by the fact that He says “and he hears and sees.”So rather than saying that Allah’s attributes have nothing in common with what Allah (swt) has created, they start to deny Allah’s attributes. But the approach of the Qur’an is different to denying God’s characteristics. If you take the approach of denying, then you end up worshipping nothing. And you remove the love that would be in the heart of the believer towards Allah (SWT). The Prophet (SAWS) says that the meaning of the verse of ziyaadah is that Allah will remove the veil and we will be allowed to see the face of Allah. But for these people who don’t believe in the attributes of Allah don’t believe that Allah doesn’t even have a face. So of course he’s not even going to quote this verse. So all that Muhammad Asad says is that ziyaadah is “more than their actual merits may warrant” No reference to the hadith, no reference to the Prophet (SAWS) and what they said. So he gives the impression that the interpretation and understanding of the Qur’an can change. Obviously the Qur’an is intended to be interpreted in the time and place that we are in (We need to take lessons from the Quran and apply it to our life), but that doesn’t mean that we come up with new meanings that contradict the opinions of the Prophet and the Sahabah. The meanings should be consistent with what the Prophet and the sahaaba said, but the exact way in which we apply it may change. He is saying that the meaning may change, indeed he says it is a blessing. So these are some samples -- and hence this is a representation of a classical modernist approach to tafseer. Last week we talked about Muhammad Asad’s commentary on the Quran. Sh had found the copy in the musallah. And then last Friday he went to see if he could find another translation that we are planning to discuss today and he did find a copy, it was by Abdullah Yusuf Ali. This was one of the first books given to him when he became a Muslim. There is a good possibility that he is from an Ismaili family. He studied English literature at a number of universities, including New York. He has references to Tennyson and others. He began the translation and commentary in 1934 and published in 1938 by Mohammed Ashraf in Lahore India (now Pakistan). Then he toured US as part of his book tour and visited the third mosque in North America which was in Edmonton in Canada. He emigrated to England and died there. One of the reasons that this book is so popular is, that translation for most part is accurate and it is powerful translation. The only problem is that translation is very archaic since the English he chose to use is the language of the King James Bible. The issues are though in the commentary which are in the footnotes of the translation. There was a time when the Muslim World League (MWL) was distributing this commentary with a pamphlet warning about this book. The MWL has prepared a “list of errors” that this book contains, including the point that the heaven and hell have no existence and that they are allegorical and are a state of mind. According to him, Heaven is the state of ecstasy and hell is a state of agony. In the pamphlet they quoted a number of footnotes. They then quote a few of the footnotes as being against the teachings of the Qur’an. Therefore the commentary should be considered null and void. The pamphlet by MWL did not cover all of the errors in the commentary. For example, there is more than one hints of pantheism/(monism=wahdatul wujood) style discussion. e.g. in the commentary for Surah Fatihah he says there are many worlds -- spiritual, material, etc, and in every world, God is all in All -- the essence of wahdatul wujood -- or monism. Footnote #5276 describes the word: baatin -- that which is within versus that which is evident in things outside. God has both these qualities: his signs are evident in the universe, but he is also imminent within us and in the soul of all good things. The author repeats these ideas too often in his commentary. He goes above and beyond the mistakes made by Muhammad Asad. He says, “the attributes of God are so different from anything that we know in this world that there is only one name we can give Him (swt) is Huwa (i.e. He).” Then he goes on to reject the name God or Allah despite the fact Allah (swt) in the Quran asks us to call upon Allah (swt) through these names. Muhammad Asad claimed that we can only say what is not Allah, and this goes against the teaching of the prophet and the sahabah. When Quran and Sunnah negates things about Allah it is very general, but when it mentions his attributes they are very specific. Such as he does not sleep, he does not tire etc. But very specific about his rahmah. In footnote #4429 which is related to what Allah swt is talking to Iblis and asking him why he is not prostrating to Adam. Here he uses olde english which can be difficult for some. He does not play with the words of the translation. But he gives a very different impression in his footnotes. He says what he means by my hands, it means by my power and my creative skill. This is the implication of what Allah swt says, but that is not the complete meaning of what Allah swt says. Similarly he says the throne or Arsh is the seat, power, symbol, authority. However, when you read his translation, it looks different than what is seen or looks strange compared to some other tafseer such as Ibn Katheer whether it is in Arabic or English. Sh is implying that Yusuf Ali’s translation looks strange. When you look at all the footnotes of Heaven and Hell, it says that it is antithesis to the previous ayah, he says if the fire is the symbol of punishment, then garden is the symbol of felicity. This kind of esoteric understanding of the Quran might be because of his Ismaili beliefs. He says Iblis is the power of evil, with root idea of disbelief and rebellion, and Satan is the symbol of enmity and ... He says they are two different manifestations of evil. He says that there are not one reality, they are just symbolic. Footnote #57 says the hell fire is spiritual fire, and if we commit sins, we have to pass through fire of repentance and regret. During the time he was living, and the influence of Western culture, we can find the concept of Western economy spreading in his commentary of the Quran. For example in footnote #241 which talks about gambling, he ends up talking about insurance and says that insurance is not gambling and says that risk is eliminated due to statistical calculations. He is implying that insurance is not gharar (risk). The problem is that he is speaking from the perspective of the insurance companies, who are trying to reduce their risks, one may with some stretch of imagination say that it is not gambling (although Sh. Jamaal does not agree with this conclusion either) but for the individual it is definitely not so. It is definitely gharar and akin to gambling, e.g. he may pay for 20 years and nothing happens. Footnote #344, where he discusses riba, he opens the door and says that the Prophet did not explain it properly and he quotes Umar ibn Khattab where he wishes that he hoped to ask three questions to the Prophet when he was alive. It is a rare occurrence for a hadith to be in his commentary and specially with quotation of Umar. There is another hadith that Yusuf Ali uses elsewhere which is known to be fabricated. He defines riba, as undue profit made not in the way of legitimate trade made of out loans of gold, silver, wheat and barley and he says that this is a statement of the holy apostle. He says my definition would exclude profiteering made by economic institutions. He says that polygamy restricts the number of wives to four provided you could treat all of your wives with perfect equality in affection. And then he says that it is difficult to do so, then he recommends monogamy. You have to treat them equally but not in affection, you simply cannot do that. If that were a criteria then it would be very difficult to meet. His views of the angels is also problematic. In the story of Harut and Marut in verses from Surah Baqarah verse 102, his translation says that the word comes to the angels Harut and Marut, his translation does not play with words. But in his footnotes, he says in modern translation the word angel is applied to good and beautiful women. Is this part of Islamic culture at all? Are angels from human beings? This is a grave distortion of the text. In footnote #178, he describes angels as being Allah’s powers. Jinn are also an issue for him, in footnote #929, you can see an obvious influence of Syed Ahmed Khan. He says that we were told the Iblis was one of the jinns and that is why he disobeyed Allah swt and we see that in another verse it was asked for angels to prostrate and Iblis was influenced by the angels. He then defines jinn, and then says that jinn are hidden qualities and capacities of man. Other says it means wild and jungle folk. He says that the meaning is simply spirit or a spiritual hidden force. In footnote #953 he says that the whole verse is addressed to man and jinn. He asks are jinn but disembodied spirits of men. He implies that jinn are the ghosts of men. Which is a very strange statement to make. Footnote #4189 is reference to the verse about Sulayman in Surah Saad verse 34. He says that his earthly powers were like a body without soul and God gave it the real life and power. He then quotes Bible a lot, maybe because he is directing his commentary towards the English speaking audience and include non Muslims. There are two revised editions and it is from Amana Publications and another from King Fahd Quran Complex in Madina. The King Fahd publication at no time says on the cover pages that it is related to Abdullah Yusuf Ali, however, it says that in the discussion. Most of revision has taken place in the footnotes while keeping the old English of the translation. And then the publishers say that they chose his translation because of its good quality. The revisions on the commentary includes some work done by Sh. Jaafar Idris. All the footnotes that are revised have a “R” next to it meaning revised. They recognized many of the problems in the commentary. Some of the footnotes are completely removed. E.g. Footnote 929 they deleted it and replaced it. Footnote 52 they removed some of the things about tempting man from a lower to a higher state. The one from Madinah removed much more. E.g. Footnote #20 from S Fatihah the one about God being “all in all” they did not remove that. But in the Madinah one they did. On page 21 of the introduction, they add something that the top translations are Asad’s, T. B. Irving and Ahmed Ali’s -- “A contemporary translation” which has been banned. Next week we will discuss progressives. Who are the progressives? It is a small movement, but it is growing. We will first define who are the progressives? Muslims are once again taking an ideology from non Muslims. Progressive movement is a philosophy which is completely alien to Islam. It started as a political movement. In the US it was a strong movement from 1900 - 1920. The chief ideologues were Woodrow Wilson, William Jennings Bryan and Theodore Roosevelt. After the Civil War in US, the corporations were running the country and things were really poor for the labor movement and the poor people. They had a big agenda, all the way from Railroad reform, combating diseases and poverty. From their point of view, things had become un-American, due to the large difference between the rich and the poor, and public welfare, care for the poor and oppressed. Something needed to be done. That movement died out around 1920. It still exists today -- most people see it as the left wing of the Democratic party. Others would say that the democrats are now too “establishment”. Famous progressives include Noam Chomsky and Amy Goodman (of “democracy now”) etc. This started to spread into religions as well, e.g. Judaism -- the world union for progressive Judaism, who argue for pluralism. This started in 1926. Surprisingly there is a Zionist wing to progressive Judaism. The same thing happened with Christianity -- condemning unjust war, corruption, etc. Among the influential groups is the Center for Progressive Christianity. The eight points of Progressive Christianity seem to be reminiscent of sufism and humanism. There are strong influences of post-modernism and liberalism. It is continuing the idea of modernity and changing Islam. But one of the differences it has is an idealistic vision of the West by the modernists-- to modernists the West was so beautiful and wonderful. After World War I and the Muslims saw the tricks done by the West and the creation of the State of Israel -- they see the West in a post-Colonial way. They seek modernity, but they don’t see that the West as ideal. Also because they have adopted a post-modern perspective, they also critique Western culture. That is a radical departure. But the ideas of changing Islam are shared. One of their leading spokespeople is Omid Safi. They believe in critique of both Modernity and Islam. He says Progressive Islam comprises a number of things, to engage Islam in a discussion to create a just society, relentless pursuit of social justice, equality of genders, basically the same eight points from the Christianity Movement. He says we can base our view on Quran, but they also draw freely from other sources in their pursuit of social justice. They draw from Ali Shariati, Edward Said and secular humanism of Noam Chomsky. Most of the following quotations of Omid Safi are from his book on Progressive Muslims on Justice, Gender, and Pluralism. What they are saying that these other sources are equal to the Quran and Sunnah. It is one thing to read these others works and benefit from it, but it is much different to say it is as much a source of knowledge as Quran and Sunnah. They are sceptical of revealed knowledge, so they consider all of these other sources as equal to Quran and Sunnah. According to them the true measure of human beings worth is his character. They are anti Nationalist. They believe, all members of the human race and have equal rights because they have the same divine essence, they quote from the Quran, but understand the verse from a Sufi perspective. To them all what matters is the presence of the ruh in the human regardless of whether they are obedient to Allah (swt) or not. They define Islamic Humanism and have a very secular view of Justice. It is beautiful and moving speech, but it is a classic case of mixing the goals or maqaasid of shariah. They forget the first and most important goal of uboodiyah (submission to Allah (swt)). They forget what Allah (swt) commands as justice but believe in secular justice. They are still a relatively small group, they have presence in only a few cities, such as Washington DC, Toronto. They have a mosque, they meet regularly, they publish pamphlets. Their symbolism combines the feminine sign with the crescent. They have attracted the attention of academia and orientalist. They are being backed as the hope for Muslims. They receive democracy prize, they put their books on the book of the month club, such as Oprah Winfrey with Irshad Manji’s book. They sponsored a mixed gender Jumuah prayer, and the khatib was Amina Wadood. More recently in The Huffington Post, you will see the story of gay friendly mosque. They don’t read specific verses but “Quran is to be taken in general way” which is fitting their agenda. And it talks about a gay imam and why they would be able to talk to youth who are gay. In the book edited by Omid Safi, it quotes a verse from the Quran on the teaser page, and then he has two stanzas from Bob Dylan on the same page. You can see he is giving the same ranking to both of them. And then in a 29 page chapter on .... Gandhi is quoted, Bob Marley is quoted, but not one verse of the Qur’an is used as a basis for their argument. The next article is by Khaled Abou El Fadl -- the Ugly Modern and the Modern Ugly: Reclaiming the Beauty of Islam. 44 Pages, refers to 3 Qur’anic verses (but doesn’t include them). Fareed Issak a very well known progressive in South Africa -- one verse of reference to the Qur’an. Another article by Ahmad Karam Mustapha is trying to define what Islam is and there is not one reference to the Qur’an. Another article on being a scholar of Islam -- risks and responsibilities -- you would think the Qur’an touches upon that -- not one verse of the Qur’anic verse. Transforming feminism -- not one reference to the Qur’an. They don’t really need the Qur’an since they already have the agenda. They have their agenda, they have their sources of knowledge. But they need the Qur’an in order to attract others. Something like this progressive literature can only have effect if there are no people of knowledge. One of the crises we are going through (and couple of books are similar title) is the point who speaks for Islam. If you look at Saudi Arabia (newspaper and media) the Saudi Arabia is in a mess. There are have been a group worse than progressives called Haddathiyeen. One scholar in a lecture he was giving -- they are called the Haddathiyyeen -- they have been there for some time -- but they did not write for some time. He asked them why are you writing more? It was because of one man Sh. Bin Baaz that was highly respected.If these Haddathiyeen wrote anything, Bin Baaz will immediately respond. But then Bin Baaz, Uthaaimeen and Albaani passed away, there was a big vacuum. This means that now the scholars no longer have the kind of influence they used to have. In the United States we don’t have many ulema at all. This is why this kind of movement, although its arguments are extremely weak and it is difficult to understand why any Muslims would listen to them; because there is a lack of knowledge and leadership, there is an opening for them. They get to the point of even questioning the authenticity of the Qur’an and the status of the Qur’an. Many of them have the hermeneutics of suspicion -- some of them are true postmodernists and they are basically nihilist. Her PhD dissertation was entitled “The Qur’an and Women: Reading the Qur’an from a Woman’s Perspective”. She is American, she embraced Islam in 1972, she did her PhD at University of Michigan and graduate work American University in Cairo Egypt. During graduate school she did study in Egypt. For a few years, she was a teacher in Qur’anic Studies at IIUM and in 2007 she received the Danish Democracy Prize. Her basic things that she argues is that during the Abbasid period the scholars were exclusively male and were sometimes influenced by cultures that were antithetical to Islam (footnote: when her views are clearly antithetical to Islam). As men, they must have been biased and they could not have written things from a woman’s perspective. She emphasizes the idea of language a lot. She refers to Allah (SWT) sometimes as he, sometimes as she and sometimes as it. This is because she says that God’s nature is beyond any gender limits. This begs a simple question: If Allah (SWT) did not want himself to be referred to in the second person masculine, then why did he reveal the Qur’an in a language that doesn’t have a neuter, and that he didn’t refer to himself in the feminine? So who are you upset with? Amina should not be upset with all the male scholars, but with Allah himself. One of the claims that these Muslims make is that throughout the history of Islam is that they did not pay any attention to the goals of the Shari’ah but this is provably false. She also implies that even common sense was not taken into account. She says that “common sense was considered inferior to hadith” -- again provably false -- lots of discussion about the meaning of hadith. Her ultimate goal is to try to strip our understanding of the Qur’an from any kind of gender bias/inequality. She fails miserably. Because what’s she’s doing doesn’t make sense. She says “The Qur’an’s intent is that of full equality.” Most of her arguments are straw-man arguments or she is making a mountain out of a mole. Example: The verses about witnesses, inheritance, and how to deal with your wife when she is behaving in an intransigent fashion to her husband. In these cases she says “it is not as bad as some people say.” E.g. the verse about qawwaamah she says that degree refers to a husband’s right to divorce and male ontological supremacy. What Ulema got out of these verses that the responsibilities of men and women are different. She therefore has to admit that there are differences -- she has to admit them over and over again. There’s a lot of what may be termed “double speech” -- e.g. about the creation of human beings. E.g. denying that woman was created from Adam. According to her, in the Quranic account, Allah (swt) did not create Adam first. She ignored the verse which says that Jesus (pbuh) was created from Turab just like Adam (pbuh). Don’t even talk about bringing in hadith -- the only hadith she is willing to quote is the hadith that says “take half of your deen from Aa’ishah” -- according to most scholars this is a fabricated hadith in any case. This is the last class for this quarter and we will discuss Progressives. There is a wide spectrum of progressive movement and it is an outgrowth of the modernist movement. When you consider the people who are in this movement, you can categorize them into four groups. The first group are progressive even from the secular perspective, they are influenced by secular and post modernists philosophy. They are rooted in a philosophical background and they are trying to plant it into Islam. They are more intellectual and are active in academia, they publish a lot. However their influence on the Muslim masses is a very minimal. The second group are the sufis, sometimes very clear and extreme sufis, they are into the pantheism and monism movement. The third group is the leftovers from Rashad Khalifa movement. Rashad Khalifa was from Egypt and then moved to Arizona and he first claimed he found the number 19 as the miracle of the Quran (Edit: This was a false claim and refuted very easily) and then he claimed to be a prophet of God. He just claimed that the verse in Surah Yasin (إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ الْمُرْسَلِينَ ) is addressing him. However, his followers never gained much confidence among Muslims. One of the books we’ll be looking at is the Qur’an: A Reformist Translation. But they carefully avoid mentioning that he claimed to be a messenger of God. They have a problem with both Muslims and non-Muslims. The fourth category is the group that does not belong into any of the above three groups. It’s important to know their names so we can identify the sources for information. Amina Wadud we discussed her last week. In some ways she is not as extreme as many of the others. She give her support to their movement and writes in some of the publications. Mohammed Arkoun often comes up -- lived most of his life in France. Harun Nasution Popular in Indonesia also influential. Also his student Nurcholish Madjid (from Indonesia). Nasr Hamid Abu Zayd - He was in the news a lot, he is Egyptian, teaching at American University in Cairo. He was denied promotion, and he was declared a kaafir, murtud by a group of scholars. He fought the case of being separated from his wife by virtue of his declared a murtud, he won the case, and then migrated to Holland. Farid Esack is of Indian descent from South Africa. He has written a number of books including Quran & Liberalism, Quran An Introduction. He says Islam is all about justice and nothing else. He is teaching at Xavier University in Cincinnati. His name along with Abu Zayd and Arkoun are mentioned quite often. Abdullah Saeed from Australia. He is claims that he is trying to build on the work of the early Muslim scholars, whereas others claim that the earlier works by the Muslim scholars mean absolutely nothing. Khaled Abou El Fadl from California. Progressives are a very wide spectrum of people, they do not necessarily have a common or unified approach. His books include Islam: To Reform or Subvert Islam - Common Questions and Uncommon Answers, The Unthought. He was born in 1938, he is of Berber descent. He has written a number of books in Arabic, French, and English. In his book, ‘The Unthought’ claims that the Quran is not true. He taught in Sorbonne, and has received the French Legion of Honor, received ... award for lifelong dedication of Islamic Studies, he has given .... lectures (well known named lectures). The weird thing is that the Western Society is showering praise upon praise on this man, and his thoughts are anti-Qur’an in essence and he is labeled as one of the greatest thinkers of the 20th century. He died in 2010. At the time that he died he had a position at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in England. He’s basically a post-modernist secularist humanist. He doubts both the authenticity of the Qur’an as well as the truth claimed in the Qur’an. When describing the Prophet (saaw), he says he is a man who was one of the significant men in the line of history, he was a leader and had bold ideas. The real thing that distinguishes Prophets from other people is the psycho-spiritual ability to mobilize the audiences using revelation. One idea actively rejected by secularists is that God is an active participant in history. This is really something that they don’t like. Once you recognize that there is a sacred history, then you have to submit to it, and this is something they clearly do not want to do. Why? Because according to them, it would violate the autonomy of human reasoning. Once again, human reasoning is the only important thing (even if their thinking leads humanity no where). He starts out with a lot of premises. They have a whole aqeedah but they don’t have any proofs for their aqeedah. He says that the Prophets could not have come to restrict human reasoning, since that is the highest logic. They did not come with any measure of compulsion. And he says that they did not come from a criterion from heaven, but only came to propose a means for existence. These meanings are subject to amendment and interpretation within the framework of reason that was part of the covenant with human beings. He raises the question: ‘Why do Muslims limit themselves to the Quran even today and Sunnah and Salaf al Salih, and restrict to what the prophet interpretation of the Quran?’ His answer is: because of the “debt of meaning” -- we Muslims feel indebted the Prophet for the good he brought that we don’t like to question it. He says that the Muslims have to free themselves from the idea of what the Prophets brought. He also says that anyone who continues to believe in the Prophetic model and stick to the Prophetic model, you must prefer myth to history, spirituality to positivism and imagination to rationality. The Qur’an was giving alternatives to the ancient symbols that were out there and it is time for mankind to move on, i.e. we have to move to Science (i.e. Scientism) and we have to leave the myth and move to reality. When talking about the truth value of quran, he says that revelation can be divided into two categories, Umm al Kitaab which is referred in the quran as the preserved tablet (Lauh Mahfooz), he says that the only truth is in the preserved tablet and when it is revealed to the earth, it is distorted and we no longer have it. And he says that oral Qur’an was lost as soon as it was started to be written down. It shows his lack of the knowledge of history as well as the Quran. He does not even know that the Quran was always preserved orally as well as writing. He says it took until the 4th Century Hijrah to finally be completed. The thing that Muhammad had at the beginning was called the “Prophet’s discourse” and that the thing at the end of the 4th century it was a “the official closed corpus.” He was very disappointed that nobody followed this approach that he had figured out. There’s a field called semiotics that we have to use to understand it. It’s the study of signs and symbols. Eventually he comes to his conclusion that the only reasonable reading of the Qur’an is that of a secular theology. This is his ultimate goal. But you get that fundamental problem where you start with your conclusion and then you go to the Qur’an. You don’t decided first what is correct and what is incorrect and then look to the Qur’an for supporting argument. This is a fundamental mistake made by all the bid’a groups is that they start with their premises and then they bring these premises to the Quran (without showing why the premises should be considered true in the first place). He’s very academic in the way he writes -- it sounds scholarly, but when you really look at it, there’s nothing there. His theories sometimes he shows an ignorance of the Qur’an and he can not back up his claims. He’s written a number of books, but he doesn’t prove them. He gives some logical proofs, but often based on incorrect facts. He’s very influential in the progressive movements, and also popular amongst the orientalists and they bestowed many prizes upon him. Two kinds of people are convinced by these writings, one group who wants to remain Muslims but they are not willing to accept Islam as described in Quran and Sunnah, so these writings allow them to justify their actions or behavior while still say that they are Muslims. If they really believe that every passage can be understood in any way that they want, but what is strange or inconsistent is that they are not willing to allow Muslim scholars to understand the verses in a manner as explained by the Prophet and the Sahabah. Sh said that if they are willing to accept any understanding of the verse, what right do they have to restrict my understanding of the verse as explained by the Prophet and Sunnah. Clearly there’s a relationship between progressives and humanism -- humanism postulates that mankind is the centre of the moral universe. A lot of post-modernism is about doubt. The authority of the church broke down, and in the last 200 years, they’ve gone through lots of different stages. Postmodernism is a relatively new phenomenon, and now there is something called post-post-modernism. So a relatively new field has already been overruled and new approaches are being discussed. They are trying to destroy Islam and then reconstruct it. But why Mohammed Arkoun is even worried about religion is beyond comprehension, he says that he wants to destroy it from within, and that is the reason why he is interested in it. (Disclaimer: The link above is being given just for academic purposes. Neither this book nor Irshad Manji are being recommended as serious sources of knowledge). The last cover page and the front three pages are all about the praises for this book. Sh read a list of people who praise this book. The last praise of the book says, from the perspective of academia it does not contribute much at all, this is from a renowned Sunni scholar who is listed as anonymous. It is edited by two men and a woman, and they are proud of this fact, since it now removes the male perspective. The first author is Turkish/Kurdish, in 1956 he experienced an epiphany and converted from Sunni to rationalist movement. This author belongs to the Rashad Khalifa movement. The Rashad Khalifa movement are the ones who came up with the number 19. But Bilal Philips made a project to count the mentions and found that it was wrong. Appendix VI is entitled: Why should we trash all the hadith? They then discuss why we should trash all of the hadith, these people are Quraniyoon to the max. Amina Wadud actually says that she cannot go to the extent of rejecting all of the hadith. These people don’t have the academic approach of some of the people on the board. But what they do have is that they are much more active on the internet. Can you imagine wanting to learning about Islam, and then you read this? Appendix X discusses the salat according to the Quran alone. Since they reject all hadith, and salat is not detailed in the quran such as how to start the prayer etc. So they pray according to this appendix. They question whether we need Muhammad to understand the Quran. They discuss Surah Nahl verse 44, and present the various translations of this verse. So this verse clearly shows that the Prophet has a role, but according to their correct translation it should say “proclaim to the people” and not “make clear or explain to the people”. So they discount the role of the Prophet in explaining the Quran. At no point do they explain how these three authors understand the Arabic language better than the sahaba. A majority of the readers of this book will not understand the deception that is going on. If you look in any Arabic dictionary, you will not see the meaning of the word as proclaim. Rather various dictionaries state to make something clear and not just proclamation. This is the style that the follow throughout the book. When discussing the punishment for thieves, they translate the verse to mean that you should mark it in order to make the person known as a thief. In Surah Tahrim verse 5, where Allah swt is telling the prophet who he can marry if he were to divorce his wives, the verse describes the qualities of the woman whom he should marry. They translate the word virgins as foremost and the reason is their claim that the root B K R occurs 10 times and 7 times it means early morning and in one case it means cow and we conclude that it has to do with time so we translate it as foremost. Then they continue with the argument of the name Abu Bakr (ra) and this name was not given since he was father of the virgin. They continue claiming that Abu Bakr was one of the foremost progressive. What is even funnier, that the people who are endorsing this book are all professors of Islamic Studies. What credibility can one can give to these professors after this?

2019-04-25T12:08:04Z

http://www.smahate.com/islamic-classes/2012-spring/critique-of-modernist-progressive-tafseer

It has been exactly twenty years since I was in graduate school getting a degree in English Literature. The state of the discipline was depressing then. Twenty years ago isn't "good old days" when it comes to English Literature. I took one course entirely on Shakespeare's Richard III. That's a little narrow, but I got very familiar with Richard III, and the course was somewhat irritating but not crazy. I do not remember the professor's name, which is perhaps just as well, so I will call her Dr. N. She was ostensibly an academic conservative, and the word on the graduate student street was that her hiring had been considered something of a victory for the last of the old guard in the department, presumably because all of the other candidates were significantly crazier. She, personally, did not write articles with titles like "Queering Shakespeare," nor did she force us to read and write on such papers, and it was from this restraint that she presumably got her reputation for academic conservatism. Each student had to make a short presentation on the paper he was writing for the course. One female fellow student was trying hard to learn the ways of the English lit. world, and she had grasped the fact that professors encouraged one to talk about gender roles in season and out. So her paper's thesis was going to be that Richard III displays a number of "stereotypically feminine qualities" such as the use of psychological manipulation. I will never forget the moment when this ostensibly academically conservative professor gave the student a bit of hearty advice: "You need to be bolder. What you should do is write the paper instead claiming that Richard is a woman. Now that would probably get you a publication." Let me add that she was completely serious. This was practical advice. She was not being ironic. Fortunately, I kept my mouth shut. In fact, as I recall, we were all a bit stunned. The students in the program seemed to me by and large more academically conservative than the professors, and no one quite knew what to say to this suggestion. Somehow, the class moved on. For some reason this scene has come back to me recently, and I have allowed myself to write, mentally, what it would have been nice to be able to say to the professor. One could even hope that a little generous, youthful indignation might have shocked her into remembering the days of her own youth when, perhaps, she actually loved literature. Dr. N., why do you advise J. to write that Richard is a woman? Is it because it's true? What would it even mean for such a statement to be true? If it isn't true, why do you suggest that she write it? Dr. N., let me get this straight. What you're saying here is that the plays of Shakespeare have no value apart from us. They are just opportunities for us to advance our careers by writing whatever tom-fool thoughts pop into our heads. Is that right? Why am I doing this? Just out of grouchiness, just to complain, or just to be cruel to a former professor? I certainly hope not, though I'm as capable as anyone of mere grouchiness, complaint, or cruelty. There is a point to be made here, though: If we academics are even to come close to justifying the prestige we have in society (and I don't think we can actually fully justify it, because academics have, in my opinion, too much prestige in Western society), we have to do worthwhile things, to love those things, and to have a deep desire to communicate those worthwhile things to other people. Nothing else will really do. If Philosophy and Literature (to take two examples) are just meaningless games we play to get career opportunities, they are nothing. It would be better for all the departments in the world to be closed than for the meaning of the disciplines to be reduced to the cynical pointlessness reflected in that professor's remark to that student. Part of what it meant for there to be a "good old days," whenever those existed, in the academic world was that professors earned the respect accorded them. And they did so by knowing the value of what they did, a value apart from themselves and their careers and apart from their students' careers, and by passing on that value. Honor to all of you professors out there who still know and do that. You are the small candle to which students come--a vision of a world of learning and wisdom that is the only justification for a university. Perhaps Prof. N was being both "practical" *and* ironic. Teaching others how to be successfully meretricious while making fun of prostitution? Not a game I can at all approve of, if so. But I didn't detect any humor, in any event. "Part of what it meant for there to be a "good old days," whenever those existed, in the academic world was that professors earned the respect accorded them. And they did so by knowing the value of what they did, a value apart from themselves and their careers and apart from their students' careers, and by passing on that value. Honor to all of you professors out there who still know and do that. You are the small candle to which students come--a vision of a world of learning and wisdom that is the only justification for a university." I was laughing at your first few paragraphs, but your somber assessment is right on. I have to say, Maggie's experience at Hillsdale, although undergraduate, is inspiring for her in a way that, I think, you would approve. It's heartening to hear such good things about any college, especially now. A young man we've known since he was very young is at Hillsdale this year and loving it. Perhaps he and Maggie will run into one another. The main thing English professors need to do is teach, something not one of mine ever did in college or high school. I learned on my own. For example, we were assigned to read Henderson the Rain King by Saul Bellow, and we were given a major test on that text alone. Being a science major and thinking always about girls and sports first, I was ill prepared to interpret literature. But my friend had a friend in the same class, and we decided to study together since my friend (really smart) also was clueless about literature. But our now mutual friend (who was really, really smart) did know how to interpret literature. So we began the night before the test after reading the book a day or so earlier (which was very boring). Our friend got us going about some of the symbolism before he bowed out (he never finished college by the way). I had gotten the hang of it and became enthused, so I kept my friend up most of the night figuring the whole thing out. I got an A, and both my friends got B's. No English professor ever came close to showing me how to understand literature. If pay for humanities professors were limited to, say, 1/3rd the median American household income, and if tenure were eliminated, the careerists and the poseurs would soon disappear. The Mr. Chips types would remain, and do a much better job of instilling a love & understanding of literature, philosophy, etc. in their charges than the grotesques who dominate such fields today. we have to do worthwhile things, to love those things, and to have a deep desire to communicate those worthwhile things to other people. Part of the natural consequence of this would be a professor believing, and SAYING, that some things are more worthwhile than others, and that some disciplines are more important than others. This is pretty close to the most grave sin a modern academic can commit. We have a long, long battle before us. My experience at Thomas Aquinas College was entirely different: the school was started in 1971 on the understanding that modern universities had given up the point of education, and the founders decided to get back to the real business of teaching. The professors there do not publish. I disagree. Insipid humanities professors are humanities professors for the same reason Al commits large portions of his free time railing at this blog, and likely a number of others, often continuing long after everyone else has moved onto another thread. Career advancement and tenure are nice benefits, but their greater purpose is keeping score amongst themselves and attending to their own egos. If it could be used as a means of pushing their crazy on impressionable young adults away from their parents, the bad professors would even pay for that opportunity. The few remaining professionals would quit first. It would be better for all the departments in the world to be closed than for the meaning of the disciplines to be reduced to the cynical pointlessness reflected in that professor's remark to that student. It would be more practical to shutter the Political Science and Sociology first. The latter in particular is den of Marxism that makes most English departments look like a stronghold of reactionary, quasi-medieval Christianity by comparison. Another difficulty with Steve's suggestion is that there are "Mr. Chips types" with families who couldn't support them at 1/3 the median household income. I'd say that a drastic reduction in the universities, in professorial pay or benefits, etc. (which may come eventually if we have some kind of economic collapse), will probably sweep the good and the bad more or less indifferently--randomly. More bad than good will get swept, but only because there are more bad than good there to begin with. As Patrick points out, some leftist ideologues have their own reasons for hanging on as long as they can. They are also pretty much guaranteed to have two-income families. The collapse of the universities might in some overall sense be a "good," but only in the "burn it all down" sense, not in the sense that the good professors will survive. It's interesting that you shd. say that, Mike T. I had definitely gathered that about sociology. As for poli. sci., I would have surmised that it is as you say, in an almost a priori way (it's political science, after all), but have a friend who is a poli. sci. professor, and the very fact that he could _get hired_ in a poli sci department at a secular university has forced me to think that it cannot be quite as bad as I would have thought. BTW, I fully concur with Peters's assessment of the Williams book. I read it last fall after seeing the same article in The Sewanee Review that he refers to. It really is a very fine novel that should be better known. That's a great column, Rob G, and I'd never heard of the novel. It looks like something I should read. Oh, that sounds like a must-read; how have I never heard of this novel?! Thanks for bringing to our attention, Rob. And Lydia's right -- if I couldn't support my family doing this thing that I love, I would *have* to do something else (I am our sole financial support). Not that we make all that much here, compared to the state universities, but I expect it's more than 1/3 the median; very much less and I'd be gone. John, I can just imagine. I would certainly rather have had Prof. N. than a superstar of contemporary literary criticism (shudder). According to the Richard III Society, Richard was not a hunchback and he wasn't even a villain. Shakespeare's portrait of him, they claim, was mere Tudor propaganda. Laurence Oliver's performance as Richard III is a great comic reading of the part. There is a point to be made here, though: If we academics are even to come close to justifying the prestige we have in society (and I don't think we can actually fully justify it, because academics have, in my opinion, too much prestige in Western society), we have to do worthwhile things, to love those things, and to have a deep desire to communicate those worthwhile things to other people. Chicken, if you're an academic, you do. Just think of the power you have over your students. I can say this to you, because I know you won't abuse it. Some people do, though. Just think of the power you have over your students. I have power over my students?? Now, you tell me! Seriously, most professors I know spend time trying not to get disciplined because a student complains about them. In the market, today, it's the students who have most of the power. I can't make exams to the level I think the students should be performing at because they will complain. A couple of students complained that I gave them optional lecture notes online which were more complete than the textbook. I was asked to remove them by the department despite the fact that all of the other students begged for copies. It would be interesting, Chicken, to see how these things vary by type of school, by department, etc. With friends with children just entering college, I have horror stories mounting up of professorial nonsense and course nonsense that apparently they get away with without any repercussions. The most striking of these recently was of an English lit. teacher at the local community college who forced two uncomfortable boys in the class to hold hands so that she could smirk over them and ask them, "Does that make you feel uncomfortable?" As far as I know, no one complained, and certainly the teacher was not dissuaded from this exercise in homo-bullying by any fear of student complaints. Chicken, another thing that occurs to me as far as the "power" issue goes is what I might call educational misconduct that can be spun as "this is my opinion of what my students need to know and do." For example, students can be forced to read or watch _extremely_ inappropriate material, R-rated movies about homosexual couples, even outright p*rn*graphic material, and the like, and/or to write about it. In one composition course at this same community college, students were told to "write about your first sexual experience." The virgins just had to get up the courage to say no. I don't think I ever heard what happened if they refused. But if that teacher were challenged, presumably he would say that it's his class, he thinks this will be a useful educational experience for the students, and who is to challenge him? It's his "professional" decision. You can say that his chairman could stop him, and I agree with that, especially if he is just some untenured flunky, but most chairmen either don't hear about it, think such things are fine, or are worried vaguely about "academic freedom" and hence won't do anything. And if the teacher backs down if a student objects to the assignment, then _for sure_ no one is going to tell the teacher to pull the assignment for the rest of the class: "You got out of it. What are you complaining about?" But there could be plenty of students in the rest of the class who quite legitimately felt uncomfortable with it but didn't have the same courage as the student who refused. There are plenty of examples like this all over the place, where the professor's "educational judgment" equals tremendous power over students in ideologically freighted areas to force them to do inappropriate things or view inappropriate content. I would guess that perhaps you are in a discipline where this doesn't arise. Richard wasn't a woman, he was just gay. I don't know, Lydia. Maybe it's the type of institution or the kinds of issues? We are constantly being harassed here by students begging for accommodations of all sorts and running to the administration when they don't get their way. Thankfully our current administration mostly supports us, but the previous one would change grades despite our protests if students complained, would demand that professors dumb down their courses if students complained, would take us to task about homework or whatever if students complained . . . And even with the current administrative support we have, it's wearisome because it's a constant dripping of whine, whine, whine. I spent nearly an hour during the course of a week with a student over whether he would follow one of my course policies or I would have to toss him out of class. They show up in tears of rage over a low grade and demand that every jot and tittle be explained and then that we raise it because we're so obviously unfair. I had one student tell me *in class* that I didn't understand Romanticism and then tell me that an essay assignment in that class -- one I'd given for several years without *any* student *ever* misunderstanding it -- was so unclear that I HAD to accept his response to it as adequate; he even explicitly told me that I didn't understand the assignment myself! A student caught plagiarizing blamed it on my being "unapproachable" so she was "afraid" to ask for help on the essay. And so it goes day after day after day, and you know what kind of institution we are -- nothing like the kind of foolishness and evil that students *ought* to complain about . . . We're not perfect, but we don't deserve this kind of thing -- and again, even though we have administrative support right now, those student evals are taken into consideration pretty seriously, which, with the previous admin, had us all fearful. The most striking of these recently was of an English lit. teacher at the local community college who forced two uncomfortable boys in the class to hold hands so that she could smirk over them and ask them, "Does that make you feel uncomfortable?" I would have gotten up and said "excuse me, I have to throw up now" and left the class. Then I would have marched to the dept. chairman and demanded an accounting for the behavior: unequal treatment, for example, would be a clear issue. Sexual harassment would be obvious (hostile environment). Degrading attacks on my personal attitude and preference is contrary to "diversity". Even more obvious would be "what does this have to do with literature", but since probably nobody in the English dept really understands what literature is anymore (who is willing to admit it, that is), that would be an uphill battle. I suspect that tenure is one of the pernicious influences on the academic profession these days. It is entirely out of whack. I would like to see universities move to a theory of stability that is much more tethered to reality. I don't object to a certain degree of stability that is greater than the generic "at will" employment arrangement in the rest of society, but tenure goes way too far in the other direction. It is odd, isn't it, how there are these outrages (like the hand-holding incident) where nobody seems to complain and yet at the same time clearly true teacher stories of never-ending complaint from students. These aren't obviously inconsistent. It could be that the community college where the hand-holding incident took place _also_ is full of grade-grubbing students complaining incessantly over ostensibly "too hard" assignments and the like. Could it be that the students are more likely to complain about what they perceive as hardness in the grades than over ideologically motivated bullying and disgusting content? Perhaps they've grown used to the latter in high school? Which I guess is what Beth meant by the types of issues. "...they show up in tears of rage over a low grade and demand that every jot and tittle be explained and then that we raise it because we're so obviously unfair...a student caught plagiarizing blamed it on my being 'unapproachable' so she was 'afraid' to ask for help on the essay. And so it goes day after day after day..." Heh - talk about the "shock of recognition." And yet, I'm perfectly happy to carry this burden for $2400 a course [the going rate, out my way] - 'cause it's just such a blast! Holding forth about Plato, and Descartes, and Kant, or, better yet, symbolic logic, in front of a captive audience? What you are experiencing is the result of roughly 25 years of universities and colleges treating education as an instrumental commodity and its students as customers. Remember, in America, the customer is always right. Francis, that is spot-on. Once we got rid of the idea that universities are about truth, and especially the highest truths, and instead decided that the universities are job-training programs, then it was inevitable that there be a massive shift in perspective: students come expecting to be taught how to make money, and colleges expect to take money from the students to teach them how to make money. Perhaps we should conduct a little pruning: any college that professes that providing job training is a mark of its central raison d'etre, (or, that that truth cannot be known) should therefore give up its tax exempt status and compete with for-profit institutions. But the ones that actually attempt to teach something because some things are intrinsically worth studying even if they don't get you a job can keep their tax exempt status. Steve, that's the rate I got for the last class I taught as an adjunct, about 4 years ago. Frank, yes and no. Obviously, no, the customer is not always right when it comes to forcing students to watch _Fatal Attraction_ and write about it in sociology class. No, the customer is not always right when it comes to Julea Ward being forced to engage in "gay-affirming counseling" on pain of getting kicked out of the counseling program at EMU. No, the customer is not always right when it comes to students being graded off for refusing to use gender-neutral language. No, the customer is not always right when it comes to forcing students in "health" class to put a condom on a banana. Do I need to go on? The thing is, this just can't easily be categorized. We've seemingly got the worst of both worlds going here. We have spoiled kids acting like a good grade is owed them and terrorizing teachers with complaints that it's "too hard," but we also have bully teachers imposing their ideology and even outright conforming behaviors on the "customers" without the slightest apparent restraint. Contra Frank Beckwith, I think that what we're experiencing here is the result of many years of treating higher education as a universal right and students as stakeholders. Actually, Mr. Burton, for me it's the upper-level classes where the students have freely chosen the major and want to be there that are heaven on earth for me -- the truly "captive audience" classes (core curriculum freshman comp) can be nightmares! :) But I *have* been grateful (almost) every day for being able to do something I love -- go on about literature and writing -- since necessity forced me to support my family. I have to agree with Frank, though, that the "business model" which helped to create "student customers" has created the entitlement attitude we see; it's very apparent that they (and/or their parents) feel entitled to As simply because they paid the money to enroll in my classes. I frankly wonder if most of my students would have even the vaguest idea of what a "stakeholder" is. Of course there are the wonderful students who want to be here and who work hard and care deeply; my husband often reminds me that if the large number of the uncaring weren't there, the school would die and I wouldn't be teaching anybody! Lydia, having not taught in a secular university for many years, I've been less aware of the kinds of behavior by faculty you describe (I've known it's out there, but I've not ever experienced it as a teacher or from any of my colleagues, even when I taught at KU and MSU). So this apparent difference in what students do and don't complain about is fascinating . . . I need to think on that a bit. I dont think Lydia, Steve, and Frank have contradictory positions. I see them as aspects of the same problem. I subscribe to the idea that education is a bubble. Too much money chasing too modest an outcome, by too many, for the wrong reasons. I think the days are numbered where people will seek education from a single organization, and I think criteria simply must be made to find out what people know instead of making them go to a class and giving credit for attending and such. There is to much obscurantism in education. I also get squeamish when teachers go on about how self-fulfilled they are, unless that vocation is entirely unique in that sense. They show up in tears of rage over a low grade and demand that every jot and tittle be explained and then that we raise it because we're so obviously unfair. Just this thing happened to me last semester. I ended up explaining in enormous detail how my student earned her (fairly low) grade, and when she wasn't satisfied I found another student in the same class who happened to have a similar attendance record and, by pure chance, the *exact same score* on all of his work up until the final exam, on which he had done much much better. I suggested to my student that for her to receive the grade she wanted would be unfair to the other students, in particular to this other student who did receive that grade, on account of having done quite well on the final. She had the temerity to insist that it was unfair of me to compare her to other students, since "individuals differ in study habits, intelligence, and interest in the course", and that she still believed she deserved the grade she was asking for. After all, a lower grade would look bad on a transcript and bring down her GPA. She didn't get what she wanted, but bah humbug. Lydia, how about this: "Richard III was a woman" is a metaphor. That's what it "means for it to be true". Maybe in analytic philosophy metaphors are supposed to have an explicit cash value, but why should that be the case in lit crit? In fact, it's exactly the metaphor's indeterminate cash value that makes it, uh, valuable. In what ways is Richard III like (simile, not metaphor!) a woman, whether in the text, in Shakespeare's imagination, or whatever? Good metaphors can aid understanding and stimulate further thought. FYI for those who decide to read Stoner. If you get the recent NYRB reprint avoid the intro by McGahern until after you read the book. It includes a lengthy plot summary which contains several major spoilers. Yeah, whatever, Aaron. "Richard is like a woman" was the student's original thesis. One could see what it meant, but it was kind of dumb, because Richard actually isn't like a woman in any interesting sense, but the teacher wasn't satisfied anyway and wanted to up the ante. Nor did she make any attempt to explain what her suggestion could possibly mean in contradistinction to the student's original thesis, nor why we should think it corresponds to anything actually in the play. At all. Nor did she care. She was just suggesting something deliberately outrageous-sounding to help the student "get a publication." I disagree with Mark in finding anything strange or problematic in hearing teachers talk about their job satisfaction. But I agree with him that the bully teachers and bully students are in some sense two aspects of the same problem. I would say that they are two aspects of this problem: We do not have a critical mass of teachers and students who are teaching and studying for the right reasons. So the problem arises on both sides. I teach in the hard sciences and you would think things would be pretty cut-and-dry: the answers are either right or wrong, but I have students who were brought up doing nothing but learning to either push buttons on a calculator or plug numbers unto an equation and blindly get an answer with no regard for what the answer means. I actually have had students try to tell me things like 5 miles is the same as 23 centimeters. I tell my students that for the final exam they will be kidnapped and flown to a deserted island with a pile of wood, some food, and the plans for a boat with the plans written in different units for each part and no conversion charts or calculators available. Kids, today, are not as self-reliant as before. They could never build a radio out of a tin can if their life depended on it. I am a proponent of analog education. My generation can do math in our heads because we had pencil and paper or slide rules. We had to learn short-cuts and verification. Everything is done for students. A friend of mine who taught Shakespere used to have her students memorize 30 lines of Shakespere and recit them to the class. She said he had to quit doing it because the students couldn't remember the lines. Google really is making us stupid, lazy, and dependent. Yes, Chicken, it's probably because you work in the hard sciences that you see more "bully student" problems than "bully teachers" problems. Though I have to admit that I'm still on hold waiting to see what happens to a student in secular biology class who doesn't pledge allegiance to Charles Darwin. Waiting to gather more data on that one. I do seem to recall that a recent suicide of a Christian boy who "deconverted" was prompted by an evangelizing atheist biology teacher at the local community college who dared him to read Richard Dawkins's _God Delusion_. I can't help hoping God is making a millstone right about now. Oh, MC, wouldn't it be great if you could do that for your final?! :) Of course, I would die on the island if I were in your class (there's a reason I teach English and not math or science), but at least I could quote some Hopkins before the end . . . I make my students memorize poetry in certain of my classes, too; they have to do that for Shakespeare, in fact, this semester. But it is harder and harder for them to do so, I notice, mostly because they've never been asked to memorize or focus carefully for a long time on anything ever before. I'm sorry there are those who are made uncomfortable by teachers who talk about how satisfying this vocation is. For me, I'm always delighted to hear *anyone* talk in those terms about their work, whatever the work is, because it means they see a higher purpose than a paycheck in it, and that's a good and a godly thing. Which goes right along with the idea that we're not doing either teaching or studying for the right reasons anymore -- which leads to conflicting and inappropriate expectations by everyone for everyone else. I disagree with Mark in finding anything strange or problematic in hearing teachers talk about their job satisfaction. Of course I'm fine with expressions of job satisfaction. friend of mine who taught Shakespere used to have her students memorize 30 lines of Shakespere and recit them to the class. She said he had to quit doing it because the students couldn't remember the lines. My wife makes the kids memorize all the time - it's part of the curriculum. If you spend a little time every day from 1st grade on (5 minutes) it does get easier. The 8th graders have to memorize Henry V's great speech: "Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me thine ears..." Ha - I know ;-). Just funnin' ya. Yes, they have to memorize Marc Antony's speech as well as Henry's. Now, here's a little odd fact. The syllabus gives you 3 or 4 weeks to memorize longer poems and speeches. But ALL the kids have memorized Jabberwocky in about 3 sittings. No kidding. Something about that piece, as weird and nonsensical as it is, is very well attuned to the ear. I actually have had students try to tell me things like 5 miles is the same as 23 centimeters. I had a most frightful experience with a student after a math test: she performed 2 steps both of them TOTALLY wrong and against basic rules of operations, and ended up on the right answer. I gave her no credit for the problem. She pointed out that I said in the beginning of the semester that "if you show the work and get part of the work right, I can give you partial credit" and turned that upside down: she should not be penalized for showing the work, because if she had not shown the work to get partial credit I would have marked it right. Her attitude seems to have been: the ONLY POSSIBLE purpose is to get partial credit on test scores, not to, you know, learn something. But there are always some students like that. What is bothersome is the degree to which the administration gives in to such bullying. Going back 27 years to when I was in graduate school, I gave a kid a D in a remedial math class (effectively, 8th grade math), but he needed a C to get credit for his one "math course" for his fine arts degree. 2 years later the school called me up (I had finished up and moved on) to badger me about seeing if I could change the grade to a C-, because the kid STILL had not passed a math course, and needed the grade to get his stinking degree. First of all, what the administration _should_ have done is say sorry, no 8th grade remedial math course counts as a course for meeting the requirements of any degree in the program, but obviously they should have told the kid hey, you had 2 more years to correct the problem, get with the program. The worst of it was that he was smart enough to have done better: he only came to class 1/3 of the time, all he would have needed to up his grade would have been to re-enroll in the class and come 1/2 of the time instead, and then take the tests. I have no idea whether the admin office changed the grade without my consent, but back then that was uncommon. Apparently now it is not. I am curious: how many of the bloggers here are part or full time teachers (or have been, like me)? Seems like more than half. ALL the kids have memorized Jabberwocky in about 3 sittings. Yes, it's amazing. I've had a similar experience. You just read it to them, practically, and they absorb it. For some reason I thought Blake's "Tiger, Tiger" would be easier, but it was actually a lot harder for my youngest to memorize.

2019-04-25T04:43:54Z

http://whatswrongwiththeworld.net/2011/02/honor_and_the_disciplines.html

On November 28, 1942, one of the worst nightclub fires in American history took place at the famed Cocoanut Grove in Boston. The most elegant club in the city, started in 1927 and taken over a few years later by wealthy gangsters, was destroyed in less than 15 minutes and the blaze claimed the lives of nearly 500 people – and left an eerie haunting behind. The Cocoanut Grove, named after the famed Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Los Angeles’ Ambassador Hotel, started out as a Boston restaurant turned speakeasy. Musician Mickey Alpert had conceived of an idea for a roaring twenties’-style nightclub for Boston. With hundreds of thousands in financing provided by California mobster and swindler Jack Berman (hiding out in Boston), Mickey turned a vacant building near the Boston Common, located in what is now Bay Village, into a fine eatery with top-notch entertainment. After several owners (all mob-connected), the floor space of the Cocoanut Grove was multiplied several times as adjacent buildings were acquired and added to the Grove’s original footprint. The design of the place was to reflect the tropical setting of Casablanca. The walls were lined with imitation leather and the ceilings were draped with thousands of yards of satin. Six pillars, three on each side of the dance floor, were designed to look like palm trees, with large paper palm fronds extending far out over the floor in a circular pattern. An elevated area called “the terrace” was inside the main dining room just off the foyer. Wrought iron railings had been installed along the edges of the terrace, which created a feeling of separation and maintained prime views of the floorshow for VIPs. The dark basement was created as the Melody Lounge, an intimate area that was so successful that it had to be enlarged twice, finally ending up in an octagon shape that was roughly 35 by 18 feet, in the center of the lounge. This place was to be a bar, pure and simple. No floor show, no dancing and no fancy food. The only entertainment was a singer, playing the piano on a small revolving stage. The basement was also given an exotic feel. There was one soft light in the center of the room, aimed at the floor, and neon lined the underside of the bar. The only other illumination was from the tiny seven and one-half watt lights that twinkled out from the fronds of the imitation palm trees in the corners. The dingy walls were hidden by flimsy paneling and the ceiling was covered with nearly 2,000 square feet of dark blue satin over wooden slats. This was meant to give the customers a feeling of sitting beneath a star-filled night sky. The draped satin extended up the ceiling of the staircase leading from the Melody Lounge to the main floor. As the club was expanded, it was done without any concern about the design. No attention was paid to the original layouts of the different buildings the Grove had consumed; they just kept adding and adding. The result was a confusing maze of coat check rooms, dressing rooms, restrooms, service rooms, kitchens and store rooms connected to each other and the three large public rooms by winding and twisting corridors, and to the basement Melody Lounge by a single narrow stairway. Scant attention was paid to Boston’s fire codes either. Thanks to mob connections in the Building Department, licensing boards and elsewhere, the owners could pretty much do whatever they wanted. By 1942, shortly before it was reduced to ashes, the single-story Cocoanut Grove was an amalgam of six interconnected buildings, fronting on the south by Piedmont Street, on the north by Shawmut Street and Broadway Street on the east. The Grove’s original size had nearly tripled. There were three large public rooms with three bars, a dining room, a dance floor and a stage for the band. During fair weather, the roof above the dance floor could be electrically rolled back, revealing the night sky and allowing patrons to dance under the stars. The basement had been converted into the dark, intimate Melody Lounge. The newest expansion, The New Broadway Lounge, had opened only 11 days before the fire. Saturdays were always packed at the Cocoanut Grove and November 28, 1942 was no exception. Legal occupancy was listed as 460 but on that evening, with extra tables and chairs covering every square foot of floor space, over 1,000 patrons were enjoying a night out at the Grove. Among the merrymakers was Buck Jones, the famed cowboy celebrity, star of more than 200 movies. In town promoting war bonds on a bond tour, he was having dinner with a group of fellow promoters. As a VIP, he was seated with his party on the terrace. In the Melody Lounge, people drifted back and forth between the basement and the dining room or the dance floor or the restrooms, but as the night went on, the lounge filled up with nearly 400 guests. In one corner, a sailor and his date were enjoying the privacy created by the dim lighting. As their passions heated up, or because the young woman grew shy, the sailor reached up and unscrewed the tiny light in the artificial palm tree over their heads. Goody Goodelle had just started playing the piano and singing Bing Crosby’s new hit, “White Christmas,” when head bartender John Bradley looked up and noticed that their corner was now pitch black. Annoyed with the sailor but too busy serving the customers lined up four deep around the bar, Bradley called out to Stanley Tomaszewski, a 16-year-old bar boy, and told him to get the light back on right away. Tomaszewski walked over to the corner and politely explained that it was dangerous having the light out and he had to get it re-lit. Unfortunately, the bulb had fallen completely out and it was far too dark for young Stanley to see the socket inside the tree. Striking a match, he found the socket and got the bulb back on. He blew out the match, dropped it to the floor and stepped on it to make sure it was out. As Tomaszewskiy returned to work, he heard someone shout that there was a fire in the top of the palm tree. John Bradley ran from behind the bar and together, the two young men pulled and batted at the tree attempting to put the fire out. As other employees ran to help by throwing pitchers of water on the tree, the scene became almost comedic and witnesses chuckled at their hapless attempts. As the burning fronds were finally pulled down, Bradley looked up in time to see the satin fabric above the tree start to smoke and then burn. A ball of fire erupted from the corner, feeding on the fabric-covered ceiling, and rapidly spread across the room heading for the open staircase. Don Lauer, a Marine private, jumped onto a chair and tried to use his pocket knife to cut the fabric down to stop the fire from spreading, but he was too late. In mere seconds, the entire ceiling was a sheet of blue and orange flame, dripping fire onto the frantic patrons below. Almost immediately, the crowd panicked as hair and clothing began to burn. The crowd moved toward the only exit they knew -- the narrow staircase -- and the fire did the same. As the fire reached the staircase, it continued on its path, burning away at the fabric ceiling over the stairs. The staircase quickly became jammed, as four hundred people tried to escape the inferno, not knowing that the fire was taking the same route, in search of the fresh oxygen on the main floor. Ruth and Hyman Strogoff were Wednesday and Saturday night regulars at the Melody Lounge. They spotted the “little fire” and deciding not to take their chances, headed toward the stairs. Ruth believed that she and Hyman were among the first to reach the foot of the stairs but by that time, the fire had spread and the crowd began a mass rush behind them. In their frenzy to escape, several people grabbed and pulled at Ruth and Hyman to get past them and Hyman went down. Though Ruth pulled hard on his arm, she was unable to get him up. He was held fast to the floor as screaming men and women trampled on him to get past, or by those who simply collapsed on top of him. Within a matter of seconds, there was a growing tangle of bodies at the bottom of the stairs. As Ruth’s hat and jacket caught fire, she was pushed up the stairs by the moving mass, after which she rolled on the floor to put her own fire out. Knowing there was nothing she could do for her husband and that he was likely already dead, she was forced to leave him behind. Before the night was over, hundreds of others would have to face the same terrible choice of having to leave loved ones behind that they might themselves survive. Gunner’s Mate Matt Lane was farther back in the crowd. When he finally reached the bottom of the stairs, the way was completely blocked with bodies, some dying, some already dead. He jumped onto the railing and used it to pull himself along as he climbed over the others to make his escape. He had come to the Cocoanut Grove with his friend Don Lauer, who had tried to slice the fabric from the ceiling only moments before. He would never see Don alive again. The way to safety wasn’t easy. The frightened patrons had to make their way up a narrow flight of 15 steps, past the locked emergency exit at the top, then make a U-turn to the right and down a 10-foot hallway, then another right turn around an office and coat check room for 28 feet, then another right turn and 12 more feet across the foyer to the revolving door opening onto Piedmont Street. All of this with a fire raging over their heads and thick black smoke filling the air around them. The owners had ordered all the service and emergency exits to which the public had access to be locked while the club was open. This was intended to keep patrons from sneaking out without paying their check. Many terrified, confused people never made it out of the basement Melody Lounge. They were overcome by the thick choking smoke or by the heat resulting from the fire. They weren’t aware that there was an exit door in the back of the lounge, as it was disguised with the same paneling used on the walls. It would have taken them down a hallway, up three steps and to an outside exit. The exit door was partially blocked by a sewer pipe so it only opened about 18 inches. But none of that mattered. No one found the door so no one was able to escape that way. Two of the people who survived inside the Melody Lounge were Daniel Weiss, a bartender, and singer-pianist Goody Goodelle. They dowsed napkins with water and held them to their noses and mouths to breathe through and then lay on the floor until the fire had passed out of the room and up the stairs. They then crawled along the floor and into the kitchen, where they escaped through a barred window. The fire had been mainly limited to the ceiling so when firemen made their way down the steps to recover the bodies, they found much of the furniture was hardly damaged. The fire had moved on in little more than a minute or two. When Melody Lounge customers finally stumbled to the main entrance off the Piedmont Street foyer, only the first few were able to make their way through the revolving door before it was completely clogged by the crush of people behind them. They were unaware that there was a conventional exit door right next to the revolving door. Welansky had installed a coat check room in front of it, with a large wooden coat rack blocking the door from sight. It is questionable however, whether this door would have saved many lives as it swung inward and would have been forced shut by the crush of the crowd. In a strange irony, at 10:15 p.m., while Stanley Tomaszeswky and John Bradley were trying to put out the small fire in the palm tree, the fire department was responding to an alarm for a car fire just three blocks from the Cocoanut Grove. It only took a few minutes to put out that small fire, and a firefighter noticed what he thought was smoke coming from the area of the Grove. As the firefighters headed toward the club to investigate, people started running toward them to report the fire. When they arrived, they found heavy black smoke pouring out of the building and patrons and employees scrambling out into the street. In short order, the fire chief on site ordered a third alarm to be issued, skipping the second alarm as he realized the scale of the disaster. A fourth alarm was issued at 10:24 p.m. and the fifth alarm went out at 11:02 p.m. By this time, the fire was largely extinguished and the departments responding to the fourth and fifth alarms were called for the rescue and recovery efforts. While the fire department was assembling outside, the fire continued to rage through the club. As the fire arrived at the main floor in search of fresh oxygen and fuel, several hundred unsuspecting revelers were just beyond the foyer, not knowing that many of them would be dead within minutes, and the rest would be frantically searching for any way out of the blaze. Just as the fire entered the main public room, the lights went out, tumbling everyone into near total darkness, except for the firelight. The dining area, dance floor, bandstand, and the Caricature Bar were all in the main public room. Customers complained that the tables and chairs had been packed in so tightly that they had to twist and turn and walk sideways just to get through the room to the dance floor. Tables were added along the side walls as well, some blocking emergency exits. Some heard the screams first, commenting that there must be a fight. Then they smelled the smoke. Then they saw the flames blast through the doorways and charge across the room. The fire was feeding off the fabric on the ceilings and walls. With the flames came extreme heat that seared flesh and lungs as people tried to breathe. The fire gave off carbon monoxide and toxins as the air filled with thick, acrid smoke, making it even harder to breath. The flames moved through the room so rapidly that many were overcome with heat or smoke before they even had a chance to leave their chairs. Some bodies were found burned beyond recognition while others were found next to their tables without any signs of injury. Movie star Buck Jones was one such victim. A popular story about Jones circulated after the fire. As the story went, he had escaped the fire but ran back into the building several times, carrying out injured victims until he collapsed on the sidewalk and was rushed to the hospital, where he died a short time later. In reality, Buck Jones was at the club that night having dinner, even though he would have preferred to be resting in his hotel room, nursing a bad head cold. Instead, he found himself sitting at a table on the terrace when the fire advanced across the room. He was rapidly overcome by the heat and smoke and fell to the floor next to his table. Firefighters found him where he had fallen, barely alive. The only accurate part of the story was that he was taken to the hospital where he died. It is well known to firefighters that unless directed otherwise, a panicked crowd will attempt to leave a building the same way they came in. The Cocoanut Grove had only two public entrances -- the revolving door in the main foyer on Piedmont Street and the exit leading from the New Broadway Lounge opening onto Broadway Street. This exit entailed a single, inward-swinging door that led into a small vestibule then to double doors opening onto the street. Most of the patrons had entered the club through the Piedmont entrance with only a single revolving door. These two exits were nearly a full city block apart. Men and women who were able to run did so. They were desperate to find a way out -- any way out. And some of them did get out. All but twenty of the club’s employees survived the fire, largely because they knew where the hidden exits were and where windows would open. Some of the patrons were able to follow employees to safety. The rest were on their own -- lost in the dark. As the Piedmont foyer continued to fill with people, bodies continued to pile up against the revolving door. Eventually, under the extreme pressure, the door mechanism gave way and collapsed outward. Nathan Greer saw the collapse and jumped forward onto the sidewalk. Sadly, a ferocious wall of fire followed him through the opening as a blast of fresh air rushed in from outside, burning up most of the people in or around the opening. A set of emergency doors was located along the Shawmut Street wall behind the terrace. These double doors were covered with wooden slatted doors and were blocked off with tables that were added to accommodate the large crowd. Even so, several people were able to find the doors. Each door was only twenty inches wide and the door on the right was bolted near the top of the frame, where no one could find the bolt in the dark. Joyce Spector witnessed the chaos in the dining room. “The men were the worst. Honest. There were men pushing and shoving to get out.” She was knocked down and started crawling across the floor, lungs burning, eyes stinging, until she felt fresh air on her face. She had found the Shawmut Street exit. As she struggled to get out someone outside pulled her through the door and “threw me across the sidewalk, and grabbed for more people inside. It seemed like an hour I lay there. I couldn’t tell. More people were pulled out and tossed down beside me.” Joyce survived her ordeal but her fiancé, Justin Morgan, did not. Charles and Peggy Disbrow found themselves descending the service stairway to the kitchen where they joined a group of people already there. After searching the kitchen in the dark, they found a small window above a counter that had been boarded up. Knocking the boards away, they saw that a pipe was blocking the opening, except for about eighteen inches. Still, most were able to climb through and into a blind alley behind an apartment building. Margaret Foley, sitting in her living room, was unaware of what was going on only a few feet from her home when a woman burst through her back door, ran through her apartment and out the front door. Stunned, Margaret watched as another person, then another, repeated the performance. She later estimated that at least fifty people had escaped through her home. Don Jeffers, also having made his way to the kitchen, dropped to the floor as the room filled with smoke. Crawling around trying to find a way out, he heard a voice in the darkness. Following the voice, he joined four other people hiding in the walk-in refrigerator. They waited there until the fire department entered the kitchen and escorted them out. Two more exits were located on the main floor but both proved useless. One was a service door located to the left of the stage platform. This door also opened inward but it, too, was locked. The other door was in the New Broadway Lounge, locked and well hidden behind a coat check room. The 250 or so customers enjoying themselves in the New Broadway Lounge remained blissfully unaware of the carnage that was taking place on the other side of the adjoining wall for several minutes. Meanwhile, the fire in the dining room was getting hotter. When it reached the velour-lined passageway into the Broadway Lounge, extreme heat built up a massive amount of pressure that blasted the flames and hot gasses down the short passage and into the lounge like a torch. That room did not contain the large amounts of flammable decorations that the other rooms had, but the pressure, hot gasses, and scorching temperatures created an environment that caused the fire to burn more completely than in any other area of the club. Twenty-five bodies, burned to blackened cinders, were found where they fell. Dozens of bodies were piled against the only unlocked exit in the room. Next to the Broadway Street entrance, two large windows had been replaced by glass block. One man was able to break a small hole through the glass block and attempted to crawl out but became stuck. Firefighters found the man reaching partially through the hole but were unable to get him out. They doused him with water but in the end they had to watch helplessly as the man burned to death. A long wall on the Piedmont Street side of the building contained four large plate glass windows. These windows, if broken out would have provided an excellent escape route for those trapped in the dining room area. Unfortunately, they had been covered with wood panels and no one knew they were there. Experts estimate that if these windows had not been covered, hundreds could have been saved. Firefighters needed to get hoses into the building quickly to save anyone trapped by the fire. Early on, wherever they tried to break through, they were driven back by the extreme heat and thick black smoke. When they were finally able to enter, they went through the area where the revolving door had collapsed. They had to climb over a six-foot-high stack of bodies to get to the dining room area. By the time they were able to enter the foyer, the fire had nearly burned itself out. Less than half an hour after it started, the fire was largely extinguished, inside and out. Rescuers now needed to clear the entrances. They pulled body after body from the stack blocking the doorway, piling them on the sidewalk in the cold November night. Police officer Elmer Brooks remembered rescuers lifting bodies and having arms and legs come off in their hands. Clearing the entrances had been a terrible job in itself, but nothing could have prepared them for the gruesome task that lay ahead. As they moved through the building, they found bodies everywhere. Some were piled up against locked doors, while others were by themselves. Some were horribly burned, while other were unmarked by flames. Some were found where they had been sitting when the fire started while others were in found in the far reaches of the club. Firefighter Winn Robbins saw a dead woman, propped up in one of the Grove’s phone booths, still holding a telephone receiver in her hand. Firefighters, police officers and volunteer military men began removing the bodies, piling them on the sidewalks. Some of the victims were still alive but there wasn’t time to separate the living from the dead (except for badly charred bodies) so they were all loaded into ambulances and trucks and taken to area hospitals. Medical professionals triaged the victims as they arrived, sorting out the dead and determining the level of medical care required by the living. Everyone who died at the Cocoanut Grove, died as a result of the fire, but there were several causes of death. The most straightforward were those who were physically burned. Some died from smoke inhalation or carbon monoxide poisoning and still others died from internal burns - burned lungs and nasal passages from breathing the superheated air. Several bodies showed signs of being crushed by a mass of people pushing in on them, or at the bottom of a pile as people collapsed upon them. Even more disturbing was the number of people who had fallen and were trampled to death by the stampeding crowd. As they went about their work inside with stunned calm, outside it was rapidly becoming chaotic. The temperature was falling and the water on the cobblestones was making the roads icy. Fire hoses froze to the ground as smoldering bodies, living and dead, were doused with frigid water. Family members, friends and bystanders were pressing in on the building, forcing officials to form a human chain to stop people from entering the building to search for loved ones or to satisfy their curiosity. Unfortunately, some of the bodies piled on the sidewalk suffered the further indignity of being stripped of their money and jewelry as they lay dead or dying by ghouls in the crowds. Over the next few hours, nearly 450 fire victims were transported to hospitals. Massachusetts General Hospital received 114 of which 75 were already dead or died soon after. Of the 300 bodies to arrive at Boston City Hospital, 168 were dead on arrival and 36 more died within hours. Some were sent directly to temporary morgues but were found to be alive and transferred to hospitals; a few of those eventually made it home. For several days, newspapers were filled with stories of those who lived and those who died. Eleanor Chiampa, only fifteen years old, was very excited to be there that evening. This was her first visit to the famous Cocoanut Grove and to top it off, she was sitting on the same terrace as movie star Buck Jones! Her big brother, home on leave from the war, had taken her to the Grove along with his wife and another couple. The two men were the only people from their party to survive. Eleanor lived for a few days in the Mass General Hospital before she became the youngest victim of the fire. Married earlier that evening, John O’Neil and his bride, Claudia Nadeau O’Neil, had originally planned to celebrate their wedding at the Latin Quarter, another fashionable Boston nightclub. However, at the last minute, they decided to move the celebration to the Cocoanut Grove. Their marriage had lasted only a few hours as neither of them left the Grove alive. Their bodies were found in the dining room, next to those of their best man and maid of honor. Harold Thomas was in the main dining room and Thomas Sheehan, Jr. was in the New Broadway Lounge when the fire started. As people dashed madly about, each of them was knocked to the floor and were unable to get up as others fell on top of them. This likely saved their lives. They were shielded from the flames and heat by the layers of bodies above, and from the bottom of the piles, they were able to breathe the cleaner air near the floor. Both men walked away from the fire that night with only a few burns. Pvt. Harry T. Fitzgerald of the Army Air Corps, was home on leave from Florida. He had not been home for several months and his three older brothers were anxious to welcome him home and show him a good time. James, John and Wilfred Fitzgerald treated Harry to a night at the Cocoanut Grove. None of the four brothers or their dates survived the night. Their mother, a widow of twenty years, lost her entire family to the fire. A few found interesting ways to save themselves. One young soldier reportedly urinated into a handful of napkins and placed them over his mouth and nose. Another young man found a container of ice cream to bury his burning face in as he searched for an exit. Both men survived the fire without injury to their lungs or throats. A party of ten, members of a family of funeral directors from a nearby town, were enjoying a night out, dining and dancing at the Grove. One of the couples decided not to stay for the second floor show, opting to see a program at a theatre just a few blocks away. When they returned, nearly their entire family had been wiped out. Two young couples were at the Grove to celebrate their wedding anniversaries. Helping them celebrate were 11 of their friends and family, including five brothers and sisters and their spouses. One member of their party had risen to walk to the Caricature Bar when he noticed the fire moving rapidly across the ceiling. He shouted for his group to follow him out of the room, but none of them did. He was the only one from the group of fifteen to survive. The others were found later, still at their table. Coast Guardsman Clifford Johnson, who was at the Grove that night on a blind date, got out safely but went back into the inferno four times looking for his date. He wasn’t aware that she had already gotten out safely. He aided others in their escape until he finally collapsed onto the pavement with third degree burns over fifty percent of his body. No one had ever survived such severe burn injuries but Clifford became a medical miracle. Twenty-one months later, he was discharged from the hospital. In an ironic twist of fate, fourteen years later, back in his home state of Missouri, Clifford was killed when the car he was driving left the road, rolled over and burst into flames. Francis and Grace Gatturna were waiting for the floorshow to begin when they smelled smoke. Francis grabbed Grace by the hand and attempted to pull her from the room. As they tried to make their way out, they became separated. Francis made it to safety but Grace did not. After Francis was dismissed from the hospital, he became very depressed, telling family members that he should have either saved his wife, or died with her. His family became worried and checked him back into the hospital. He seemed to be improving with the help of therapy when on January 9, 1943, he jumped through a closed hospital window to his death. The last Cocoanut Grove victim died in the hospital on May 5, 1943. By the time it was over, the fire had involved 187 firefighters, 26 engine companies, 5 ladder companies, 3 rescue companies, 1 water tower and countless volunteers. The property losses were in the hundreds of thousands. The cost in human suffering was immeasurable. Just twelve hours after the fire was extinguished, Arthur Reilly, Boston’s Fire Commissioner, convened a series of public hearings to determine the cause of the fire and find who was to blame. More than 100 witnesses gave testimony, including several public officials and over 90 survivors. The results of the inquest revealed that club owner Barney Welansky manipulated local politicians to his advantage and cut corners, putting his customers at risk, to save a buck or make a buck. At the same time, the politicians and public officials were busy playing pass the buck. Everyone had a good story that seemed to be designed to leave the teller free of any blame or questionable activities. Lieutenant Frank Linney, an inspector for the fire department had inspected the Cocoanut Grove just eight days before the fire. His report gave new meaning to “cursory inspection.” The entire report took only one page. Linney passed every topic and made only two specific notations -- No flammable decorations and a sufficient number of exits. The testimony of the 93 survivors corrected Linney’s erroneous observations. Perhaps the most bizarre testimony was in the form of an opinion offered by James Mooney, commissioner of the Boston Building Department. “I don’t believe a panicked crowd would get out even if there were no exterior walls. They would get entangled among themselves and not get out anyway.” Mooney’s department had allowed the New Broadway Lounge to open without the fusible fire door, no new fire exit, no final inspection and the only emergency exit blocked by a coat check room. The only person who came forward and told the truth as he knew it, regardless of the implications, was 16-year-old Stanley Tomaszewski. He testified to exactly what happened just before the fire started. Tomaszewski had been vilified in the newspapers but he stood tall and told the truth about lighting the match near the paper cocoanut tree in the ill-fated Melody Lounge. He insisted that he had carefully blown out the match and stepped on it. In the end, he admitted that he believed that this was probably how the fire started. Fire Commissioner Reilly did everything he could to ease the strain on Tomaszewski and ease his fright. He praised him and described him as an honorable young man. The Boston Globe advanced the idea that the blame should not be placed on the shoulders of this fine young man, but rather on the heads of the corrupt officials. Even with high praise and reassurances supporting the shy young man, his life was threatened. For the next several months he was kept under protective guard in a Boston hotel. On New Year’s Eve, a Suffolk County Grand Jury handed down 10 indictments, carrying charges from neglect of duty to twenty counts of manslaughter. Barnett “Barney” Welansky and his brother, Jimmy, received the harshest charges. Indictments were distributed to such officials as Frank Linney and James Mooney. Also charged were interior designer Reuben Bodenhorn, and the construction contractor and construction foreman. Stanley Tomaszewski was officially exonerated of all blame. Barney Welansky alone was found guilty on 19 counts of manslaughter and was sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison. Nearly three years into his sentence, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. Governor Tobin, mayor of Boston at the time of the fire, quietly pardoned Welansky. When he walked out of prison, Barney was a sick, bitter man. While speaking with reporters, he told them “If you were wrongfully convicted, framed, you’d feel you had a perfect right to be free. I only wish I had been at the fire and died with those others.” Welansky got his wish and died just nine weeks after being released from prison. Stanley Tomaszewski died in 1994 at the age of 68. He had gone to college, married, and raised three children and led a responsible life as a federal auditor. No matter what he did or how he lived, he was never able to escape the shadow of the tragedy. He had escaped the fire without injury but was terribly scarred just the same. For decades, he had been called “every bad name in the book” and had received threats and phone calls in the night. Shortly before he died, he said he had suffered enough and wished to finally be left alone. The burned shell of the infamous Cocoanut Grove was finally demolished in September of 1945. Today, the streets that used to box the Cocoanut Grove nightclub have been reconfigured to allow for the construction of the Boston Radisson Hotel and Theater Complex. The Grove’s original footprint has been swallowed up by the much larger hotel along with a tiny parking lot. The only physical reminder of what happened on the site is a small bronze plaque with the Cocoanut Grove’s floor plan. The plaque was prepared as a memorial by the Bay Village Neighborhood Association and embedded in the brick sidewalk next to the parking lot in 1993. Though all other physical reminders of the Cocoanut Grove are now gone, there are other reminders that still linger. Hopefully, most of those who lost their lives have moved on in peace. So many lives were snuffed out before they could know what was happening; bodies were found still sitting where they had been sitting or collapsed where they had been standing when the smoke and fumes found them. It is considered by many that these unfortunate victims are still wandering the site, trying to find their way to safety, or maybe discover a friend or loved one. Several employees of the Boston Radisson Hotel might agree that they are. On a few occasions, people have witnessed strange appearances throughout the hotel. Disheveled and confused men or women, seeming to appear out of nowhere, wander past and disappear just as mysteriously. There have been other experiences reported in the hotel bar and in the kitchen, odd noises, flashes, and loud popping sounds, without any discernible cause. The Stuart Street Playhouse, the Radisson’s theatre, is another location where fire victims make their presence known. On occasion, the quiet, shadowy form of a man can be seen passing a doorway or walking down an empty hall. When approached by employees, he fades away to nothing. Other phenomena include water -- unexplained flooding in different areas within the building and a singular water faucet in a restroom on the second floor that reportedly turns itself on, even when no one is in the room. On one occasion, employees entered the auditorium and found a seat completely soaked, with no explanation. Others have described hearing their names called while working in the theatre at night, with no one else around. It seems that not all of those who stayed behind after the fire remained at the Cocoanut Grove. Another Boston location believed to be haunted by victims of the fire is Jacques Cabaret, just a few blocks away from where the tragedy occurred. Not everyone at Jacques is willing to discuss the ghostly happenings there, but one former bartender said that, “spooky stuff happened there all the time.” The most significant experience he had while working at the bar happened late one night when he was cleaning up after closing. He had left the bar area for a moment and when he returned, he saw bodies lying in long rows all across the floor. He turned to switch on the overhead lights and when he turned back, everything had returned to normal. The night of the fire, as bodies were pulled from the building, some were taken directly to hospitals while others were taken to a temporary morgue or to one of the designated mortuaries. Many who were believed to be still alive and taken to hospitals were already dead, and conversely, some of those taken to the morgue or mortuaries were still alive. A film distribution garage located near the Cocoanut Grove was set up as a temporary morgue on the night of the fire. The bodies were laid out side by side in rows on the tile floor to await identification and transportation. That garage is now known as Jacques Cabaret.

2019-04-18T10:14:15Z

https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/death-at-the-cocoanut-grove

Blood and Fire is a brilliant biography of two great social and religious figures whose inheritance lives on to this day.William Booth (1829-1912) was one of the most extraordinary men of his age, a pawnbroker's clerk who would found the most successful religious movement of the nineteenth century--the Salvation Army. As a twenty-year-old, he developed the unshakable belief that God had ordained him to convert the world to Christianity.Convinced that both churches of Victorian England were ignoring the needs of the poor, he founded the East London Christian Mission.As the mission became the Salvation Army, it recruited thousands of members in battalions around the globe.Its membership is now in the hundreds of thousands in virtually every country. Catherine, his wife, was in many ways even more exceptional.A chronic invalid and mother of eight children (within ten years), she inspired the social policy that was, and remains, an essential part of the Salvation Army's success.Catherine held ideas on social equality that were ahead of her time, and she encouraged the Army to accept "women's ministry" and give female officers authority over men.Her campaign against child prostitution resulted in the age of consent being raised from thirteen to sixteen.And it was Catherine who, even while dying of cancer, urged William to develop his plans for clearing the Victorian slums.Blood and Fire is a brilliant account of a fascinating period of social history. The Booths were certainly a very interesting social couple during the mid to late 1800's.The things that they did to reform the church were noteworthy, but not always positive.However, the legacy of the Salvation Army deserves the respectful and compassionate overview.The author does wax political and/or socialist at times, but mostly sticks to the fascinating lives of William and Catherine Booth.Written with heart and soul, this book is a rewarding read.This couple should be remembered more often than they are in secular circles for the enormous contribution they made to British society, and the continuing service the Salvation Army renders to the poor and jobless.A beautiful book! William and Catherine Booth endured this kind of humanist gossip throughout their marvellous ministry. It is highly significant that no Salvation Army personel recommend this book. The author, being unsaved, and a senior British politician, concentrates on the radical social reforms the Booths and Salvation Army championed in Victorian Britain. Hattersley, sadly, hasn't a clue about salvation. It's akin to Scott of the Antarctic, frozen to death in his blizzard-bound tent, trying to commentate on a Barbados Test Match. Not only does this author not know his subject, but he has no idea of his subject's Subject. I suspect Roy's next book may portray Christ as a zealous Jewish Zionist with Marxist leanings. It's fluff. Dentist room reading only. Now Roy's even managed to write a book about John Wesley, characterising him as a lecherous toad. Don't waste your money. For a far better biography of William and Catherine Booth, one written by a Christian, get Trevor Yaxley's (ISBN 0764227602). And for John Wesley, read John Pollock's biography. William and Catherine Booth were both remarkable. Many past biographers of one or the other have found it difficult to concentrate on their chosen subject, as the other keeps intruding. Roy Hattersley has solved that problem. He has written about the two of them. The story is engrossing. William Booth, the pawnbroker's assistant, became a Methodist minister, then an itinerant evangelist, before founding the East London Mission, which eventually became The Salvation Army. Catherine, brought up by Methodist parents, met William in London in 1852, where they fell in love and soon became engaged. It was to be three more years before they were able to marry; at one time during that period they endured over 14 months of almost unbroken separation. They formed a dynamic partnership, each complementing the other. William was an action man, a whirlwind who swept all before him. Though he was not unintelligent, he was anti-intellectual and repeatedly ignored Catherine's frequent urgings for him to study. Catherine by contrast had a powerful mind, wrote forcefully, argued convincingly, and, in spite of her shyness, became a powerful preacher. She had strongly held views about Christians abstaining from alcohol and women being allowed to preach. It is no coincidence that The Salvation Army has always taken a strong stand against alcohol, and women have been prominent in its ministry. Two of its Generals have been women. One of the fascinating aspects of the Booths' story is the motley crowd of eccentrics they attracted to their flag. Many of their early soldiers were recruited literally from the streets, and then immediately put to work to win others to Christ. Some were illiterate, some had been drunks, others prostitutes. This particular volume, however, does not quite capture that diversity. Though The Salvation Army is probably most often thought of today as an organization engaged in social work, the Booths were first and foremost evangelists. To them the social work was secondary, both in terms of emphasis and chronology. Roy Hattersley, the author of this book, was a cabinet minister in a British Labour Government, and his political background gives the book an interesting slant, particularly when he examines The Salvation Army's social work. The book does, however, have some problems. Hattersley seems out of sympathy with the Booths' religious convictions, and tends to sound rather condescending when discussing them. He also does not understand some basic Christian terms such as "sanctification", and frequently uses them inappropriately.In addition the book has too many avoidable errors, which suggests it may have been a rushed job. But it remains both very readable and enjoyable, and is a worthy tribute to two great Christians. It is highly significant that no Salvation Army personel recommend this book. The author, being unsaved and a senior British politician, concentrates on the radical social reforms the Booths and Salvation Army championed in Victorian Britain. Hattersley, sadly,hasn't a clue about salvation. I suspect Roy's next book may portray Christ as a zealous Jewish Zionist with Marxist leanings. Well written fluff. Now Roy's managed to write a book about John Wesley characterising him as a lecherous toad. Don't waste your money. For a far better biography of William and Catherine Booth, get Trevor Yaxley's. And for John Wesley, read John Pollock's. Who really founded the Army? For those of us who have grown up in the UK Roy Hattersley's wit and intellect has long been well known.For those of us who are also Salvationists the prospect of Hattersley writing about the founders of the movement we love and serve filled our minds with a sense of forboding. We needed not worry. Hattersley writes well, every word being closely considered, and brings what is for me the best biography I have yet read about these icons of The Salvation Army.In a "no punches pulled" account, which propels one forward with a real idea of the Booths' enthusiasm and obsession, one reads about how the movement began, survived and ultimately prospered.Unlike many in-house accounts there is no glossing over of the shortcomings of these very human beings, rather we learn how, fired by what the Booths would consider Divine Inspiration, they "pressed forward to the mark of their high calling". I recommend this biography by Trevor Yaxley because of all the information, the look inside England in the mid eighteen hundreds, the easy to read can't put this book down style, and the almost unbelievable accomplishments of these two beloved people, William and Catherine Booth.There is a timeline and family tree in back of the book as well as good pictures. The epilogue, entitled The Challenge, consists of the last public address by Catherine Booth, to two thousand delegates of her "army" in London on June 21, 1888.It is remarkable, challenging, and inspired. Quoting from the first chapter is a paragraph by Paul Smith - here it is:"On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee met Ulysses S. Grant in the parlor of a private home at AppomattoxCourt House.He surrendered his army, bringing to an end four long years of death and devastation called the American Civil War.In the same year, a thirty six year old Englishman by the name of William Booth declared war on the powers of darness by founding The Salvation Army." The multitudes of people living in poverty and without dignity inspired the Booths to declare this spiritual War and with great love and compassion, they gave hope to the helpless by offering faith in God (salvation thru Christ) food (soup kitchens) clothing, and employment, and a purpose (serving in the Army to help others as they were helped and lifted up). The story of the Booths is all about a couple in love and a passion for helping desperate destitute people and giving spiritual and physical help - so innovative was their work, that what began in England gradually spread throughout the world and they also raised many children who continued in the work of helping the poor.Today, the Salvation Army is first to appear when disasters occur anywhere in the world - want to join! I loved the book and you will too.I never even imagined what this "Army" was all about until I came across this biography. For many people, The Salvation Army is most visible between Thanksgiving and Christmas. That's when its officers, soldiers and volunteers, in the ubiquitous Kettle Campaign, make music and collect money for good works.Few realize, however, that the Army is much, much more than this one effort and is in fact a powerhouse of an organization. None other than Peter Drucker called it"the most effective organization in the U.S."Not the most effective nonprofit, but "the most effective organization."Quite a compliment from the world's most preeminent management thinker, especially when you consider that he is comparing The Salvation Army to world-class corporations like General Electric, IBM and Johnson &Johnson. * Clarity of mission: What you can learn from the Army's laser-like focus of evaluating everything it does in terms of its mission of preaching the gospel and meeting human needs without discrimination. * Ability to innovate: How The Salvation Army's investment in people gets incredible returns and why it as much venture capitalist as charity. * Measurable results: Learn The Army's unique ways of setting, monitoring and celebrating the achievement of measurable goals so you, too, can say, "look, we promised we would do this and we delivered." * Dedication: How the Army accomplishes so much with such a small cadre of officers. * Putting Money to Maximum Use: What you can learn from The Army's bare skeleton of a national organization in terms of making the most of your resources and making all of your operations self-sufficient. By demonstrating the power of a sense of purpose combined with organizational effectiveness, this remarkable book has something essential to say to all executives, entrepreneurs, managers, and anyone with the ambition to bring people together to reach a goal. Great book about a great organization! I am not a religious person, so the "Whys" of the SA weren't of great interest to me. However, the "Hows" and "Whats" are: this book is a compelling account of how the SA effectively converts almost every penny it receives into direct, real benefits for the needy and downtrodden. ANY organization could learn much from the SA (and this book) on how to deliver high-quality, low-overhead customer service to its target audience. If government agencies, other churches, and or even most companies, were run even half as well as the SA, the world would indeed be a much, much better place! Peter Drucker, a management guru if there ever was one, once declared that "the Salvation Army is by far the most effective organization in the U.S." And he added: "No one even comes close to it with respect to clarity of mission, ability to innovate, measurable results, dedication, and putting money to maximum use." As Robert A. Watson, the retired National Commander of The Salvation Army U.S.A., comments in the introduction of this book, "It would never occur to us to make that claim for ourselves. It is not our style." Officers who wear the uniform of the Salvation Army cultivate a modest demeanor, and they don't like to brag about themselves. But on second thought, Mr. Watson and his coauthor do like to brag about their organization's goals and achievements: "We are out to save the world." They are proud of the Army's unblemished track record of dedication and performance. And they want their book to be about "the meaning of life", possibly "one of the most important book you'll ever read." This last claim seems a bit overstretched--especially from an institution that claims the Holy Bible as the sole authority--, but The Most Effective Organization is probably one of the best management books I have ever read--and this includes the essays of Peter Drucker, which I often find repetitive and merely stating the obvious. Here readers won't find "the eight habits of successful spiritual enterprises" or "the eight-fold path to organizational happiness." There aren't even eight equally weighted principles. As the authors underscore, there is really one Big Idea: "Engage the Spirit". Everything stems from this basic imperative. But this being a management book, there is indeed a list of eight injunctions or bottom-line principles connected with the Big Idea. Each chapter therefore expands on a simple message--"Embody the Brand", "Lead by Listening", etc.--illustrated through excerpts from the Salvation Army's history, anecdotes from Mr. Watson's own experience as an officer, inspirational stories from prominent business leaders, short quotes from some of the most influential management scholars, and lessons drawn from the world of professional sport and entertainment. Being the chief officer of the U.S. organization gave the main author access to many chief executives and chairpersons of large corporations, who devoted time and energy sitting on the Army's National Advisory Board and helping it shape its strategic directions. The authors also took the best they could from management books, distillating their teachings into key messages and practical examples. What makes The Salvation Army different is its connection with the transcendental. "Our advantage--and the advantage other organizations can acquire--is a shared conviction that our purpose is sacred. We're together in the belief that our organization exists only to help people realign themselves with God and to serve one another. And we're all in agreement that each of our programs must be measured against that purpose." The Army's mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to serve people in need without discrimination. "When we say we are here to save and to serve, we mean that as our promise, as what we intend to be held accountable for. All of our programs--our products--grow from that sense of mission, and we measure their success against it." "From the beginning, because of our double mission, The Salvation Army has had to be doubly accountable. To those who may not share Salvationists' religious faith, the Army must demonstrate that, in putting its spiritual purpose at the forefront, it actually strengthens attention to clients' total welfare--in body, mind and soul. To those driven by religious faith, the Army must show that it's not distracted by social service from its evangelical purpose. The Army must always prove its promise to maintain "heart to God, hand to man."" The Salvation Army has no qualms about being a religious organization. "Yes, we are an evangelical church. Our officers are ordained ministers. Our twofold mission is to serve others and to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. And we cannot be who we are if we deny our religious orientation." So they are ready to draw a line and to refuse government subsidies if they come with too many strings attached that would make them lose their identity. As Peter Drucker already noted, ""Government as a paymaster is a very corrupting paymaster because they think that because they're paying the piper, they can call the tunes." The one thing that I found missing in this book is how the twin missions of evangelical preaching and social service connect to each other in the name of Jesus Christ. The Scriptures has many messages to offer to managers, and it can be a great source of inspiration for people dealing with business issues. And yet there are only two or three quotes from the Bible, brought forth in the introduction and summing up the Salvation Army's theology of service. One is "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." (Matthew 28:19, KJV). The other is from the parable of the Good Samaritan: "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matthew 25:40, KJV). These are words to remember. mission, ability to innovate, measurable results, dedication, and putting money to maximum use." Peter Drucker, preeminent management thinker. In my consulting practice--and in my management workshops--I sometimes hear the protest, "But you don't understand! We're just a small ministry. We couldn't possibly implement the best practices of those much larger organizations." Hopefully, my response is gracious--but direct. "Is God leading you to be small for the next 10 years? Is your mission about reaching and serving more people, or less people? Do you need a workshop on how to stay small or how to shrink further? Probably not! So what should you do?" I recommend that organizations create a rolling three-year strategic plan. Build an annual planning cycle that ruthlessly evaluates the last year and then adds one more year onto the rolling three-year forecast. And...face the growth question with courage, time-on-your-knees and outside wisdom. Part of that outside wisdom is looking at the big boys. How did they grow? How do they innovate? How do they build in capacity and sustainability? One excellent and very unique model is The Salvation Army, the second largest nonprofit charity in the United States (according to the annual Philanthropy 400 list published by the "Chronicle of Philanthropy"). According to their 2009 annual report (now published only online along with a video report), they spent $3.05 billion serving people in 2008. Wow. They are evangelical Christian in beliefs--yet coalesce wider public involvement and support in meeting human needs. Their crystal clear mission statement (on their website home page) is unequivocal: "The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination." Peter Drucker, the father of modern management, called The Salvation Army "the most effective organization in the U.S." He added, "No one even comes close to it with respect to clarity of mission, ability to innovate, measurable results, dedication, and putting money to maximum use." Co-author Robert A. Watson served 44 years as a commissioned officer in The Salvation Army, four of those as the national commander, the highest-ranking officer in the U.S.This is no puff piece--it's an insider's insight on a remarkable organization and very much worth the read. He writes, "To grow from a start-up to a much larger enterprise, to thrive over the long term without losing either mission focus or creative energy, requires skills that aren't nearly so apparent or crucial when an organization launches. In fact they may be skills that are quite the opposite of those required to get off the ground." Stay small, shrink or grow? This book will help you grow. An autobiographical novel by turn naïve and cunning, funny and moving, this most recent work by Moroccan expatriate Abdellah Taïa is a major addition to the new French literature emerging from the North African Arabic diaspora. Salvation Army is a coming-of-age novel that tells the story of Taïa's life with complete disclosure—from a childhood bound by family order and latent (homo)sexual tensions in the poor city of Salé, through a sexual awakening in Tangier charged by the young writer's attraction to his eldest brother, to a disappointing arrival in the Western world to study in Geneva in adulthood. In so doing, Salvation Army manages to burn through the author's first-person singularity to embody the complex mélange of fear and desire projected by Arabs on Western culture. Recently hailed by his native country's press as "the first Moroccan to have the courage to publicly assert his difference," Taïa, through his calmly transgressive work, has "outed" himself as "the only gay man" in a country whose theocratic law still declares homosexuality a crime. The persistence of prejudices on all sides of the Mediterranean and Atlantic makes the translation of Taïa's work both a literary and political event. The arrival of Salvation Army (published in French in 2006) in English will be welcomed by an American audience already familiar with a growing cadre of talented Arab writers working in French (including Muhammad Dib, Assia Djebar, Tahar Ben Jelloun, Abdelkebir Khatibi, and Kātib Yāsīn). I have just read about this author in a magazine. The writer`s review was amazing and that encouraged me to buy it.I realize during the reading that is was a wonderful story, very wellnarrated. It made me feel in his own skin, and felt all his feelings during the process off coming out.Its a book to read in one week. The best parts of Abdellah Taia's "Salvation Army" story are largely about the challenges of being gay in a Muslim country (albeit a relatively open one--Morocco); then finding a kind of sexual liberation in Europe; finally finding another kind of isolation in being a third worlder in a first world country. Taia's autobiographical protagonist is by stages idealistic, romantic, naive and disillusioned. Not surprising as he is following his heart in Morocco into forbidden territory, which is both dangerous and ultimately futile.Age brings hope and escape to another culture where being gay is not the offense, but being foreign is.There is a happy outcome to this particular tale (implied at least) because Abdellah Taia did become a successful literary figure in France and a kind of cult figure in Morocco, where his books have been published. This is an engaging contribution to the more general story of the modern immigrant, but with the special circumstances of an alternative sexual identity.A 3+ on the Amazon rating scale.A more extensive novel on this subject in a more mature voice is Tahar Ben Jelloun's "Leaving Tangier". It is one of a kind.... I enjoyed every part of it. It was a little difficult to follow at parts but kept me interested at all times. As a person who generally loves the memoir genre, I was impressed at how skilled Taia shaped thoughts and stories about his life. At times he was verbose giving every last detail and at other times he leaves the reader without all of the information. Taia artfully sculpts part of his life into a cutting edge novel that spans two theatres--Morroco and Switzerland--and the conflicts deep inside Taia. Taia should be lauded for the authenticity provided in his narrative told through raw stories. This is a well written account of the incredibly courageous, tenacious General William Booth, founder of the Salvation Army. C. T. Studd is quoted as saying ""Some want to live within the sound of church or chapel bell; I want to run a rescue shop within a yard of hell." That sums up the life of Booth. This story is inspiring, humbling and extraordinarily interesting. Booth put his faith into hands on action during a period of great social change. In doing so he inspired an army that continues his legacy today. Those people in uniforms who ring bells and raise money for the poor during the holiday season belong to a religious movement that in 1865 combined early feminism, street preaching, holiness theology, and intentionally outrageous singing into what soon became the Salvation Army. In Pulling the Devil's Kingdom Down, Pamela Walker emphasizes how thoroughly the Army entered into nineteenth-century urban life. She follows the movement from its Methodist roots and East London origins through its struggles with the established denominations of England, problems with the law and the media, and public manifestations that included street brawls with working-class toughs. Onward Christian Soldiers . . . I couldn't wait to read Bette Dowdell's memoir.I too grew up in the Salvation Army.And yes, it's all there.Frequent moves, strange places to live, low salary (when there is any), the heavy connection with the British, but the good times too.It is indeed the Army, our very own Salvation Army and we love it despite all. The only thing I missed was hearing a bit more about the participation of the children in so many actual services, but I think Dowdell's era was more recent than mine though she doesn't give dates. I wanted to hear about the kids musical instruments and playing on street corners.Yes, even in the Army politics can't be avoided. The Salvation Army - few have put thought into it beyond witnessing the man dressed as Santa ringing a bell. "On We March: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Salvation Army" is Bette Dowdell's story of growing up under parents strongly involved in the organization. Painting a bright picture of the company, it draws upon the strong faith Bette gained growing up in life. Not afraid to laugh a little, "On We March" is a charming story of growing up in something that's always been there, but rarely thought about. Had she told only the good things, this memoir of growing up in the Salvation Army would not be near as powerful. The tale revolves around her father, Charles Dowdell, who she reveres as one beaming tower of a man. One would think that a church hierarchy would be exempt from the politics played out continually in any corporate structure. The opposite is true; it's worse here. Sometimes the family found themselves without food or transportation, assigned to decrepit quarters only a hallway from the transient population, and protected only by the dogs her mother meticulously trained. Undaunted and unmoved, Major Dowdell, uncomplaining, soldiered on, eventually right on out of the Salvation Army. It's inspiring that after changing schools every year or two and growing up on donated clothes and food, this daughter pens a heartfelt thank you. What a story! I have always loved the Salvation Army for the wonderful contributions their soldiers make for the Lord. A special part of Christmas for me is listening for the bells ringing to encourage people to donate to the kettles and heading over to put some money in. After reading On We March, I've added a new pleasure . . . asking the bell ringers about how they came to work for the Salvation Army and their experiences. It has been a great blessing. For those who don't share my love of Salvation Army bell ringers, I encourage you to read On We March which portrays a child's perspective on what it is like to grow up in the Salvation Army. Ms. Bette Dowdell brings great verve and humor to her story telling. The Dowdells are not people who are easily discouraged. I was fascinated to learn that the Salvation Army families often go without salaries so that poor people can be served. This is certainly in the best sense of following the Lord's direction to "follow Me" and not worrying about how one's own needs will be served. I also thought that no one moved around more often than members of the U.S. Armed Services. The Salvation Army families seem to move three times for every move that the Armed Services make. It's a hard but rewarding life that brings the family closer to the Lord in some very unexpected ways. I have rarely read a memoir that expressed more love for a father than Ms. Dowdell's depiction of her father, who seems to have been as close as people on earth ever get to acting like angels. Ms. Dowdell hopes you will want to give more money to the Salvation Army after reading this book (although she isn't currently part of that fine organization). Well, she succeeded with me. I doubled my contributions this year. May God bless the Salvation Army and the wonderful families like the Dowdells who serve in it. On We March- A delightful read for me! In this engrossing study of religion, urban life, and commercial culture, Diane Winston shows how a (self-styled "red-hot") militant Protestant mission established a beachhead in the modern city. When The Salvation Army, a British evangelical movement, landed in New York in 1880, local citizens called its eye-catching advertisements "vulgar" and dubbed its brass bands, female preachers, and overheated services "sensationalist." Yet a little more than a century later, this ragtag missionary movement had evolved into the nation's largest charitable fund-raiser--the very exemplar of America's most cherished values of social service and religious commitment. Winston illustrates how the Army borrowed the forms and idioms of popular entertainments, commercial emporiums, and master marketers to deliver its message. In contrast to histories that relegate religion to the sidelines of urban society, her book shows that Salvationists were at the center of debates about social services for the urban poor, the changing position of women, and the evolution of a consumer culture. She also describes Salvationist influence on contemporary life--from the public's post-World War I (and ongoing) love affair with the doughnut to the Salvationist young woman's career as a Hollywood icon to the institutionalization of religious ideals into nonsectarian social programs. Winston's vivid account of a street savvy religious mission transformed over the decades makes adroit use of performance theory and material culture studies to create an evocative portrait of a beloved yet little understood religious movement. Her book provides striking evidence that, counter to conventional wisdom, religion was among the seminal social forces that shaped modern, urban America--and, in the process, found new expression for its own ideals. The first Salvation Army kettle, complete with attendantbell-ringer, appeared on the streets of San Francisco in 1891. Theslogan, "Fill the Pot for the Poor--Free Dinner on Christmas Day," haschanged, but the practice hasn't. Starting with the Army's arrival inthe United States in 1880 and describing its activities through WorldWar II, DianeWinston's Red-Hot and Righteous follows the Army'smissions, methods, and spectacular growth. I'm delighted with Winston's work.Currently I'm writing a novel in which the Salvation Army is prominent and I needed to be sure I had some early facts verified.Winston gives me the facts I need and has confirmed some of my own material.I particularly appreciated her emphasis on performances and the Army's proclamation of all space as God's own. Her explanation of the secularization of religion, the bringing of religion out of the clouds and into everyday life, provides a whole new perspective on religious belief. A time when the religious experience was fun. Required for a history class years ago. One of the better social histories out there. Gracefully written, but lacking in focus. Is this book an organizational history of the Salvation Army?Is it about the Army as an urban religious phenomenon?Is it about the Army's use of the methods of popular entertainment in order to draw attention, converts, and public support?Is it about the power of women within the Salvation Army?Is it a discussion of how the public perception of the Army (and the women in it)changed between 1880 and 1940? "Red Hot and Righteous" tries to be all of these and more, but unfortunately it doesn't work.As a popular history, this is pleasant enough reading, but as a scholarly work it is maddeningly diffuse.Winston's thesis is ill-defined, she fails to address the existing literature on the Salvation Army, and she has no evident theoretical approach.While she addresses the power women had within the Salvation Army, as a feminist history "Red Hot and Righteous" lacks teeth because Winston turns her focus elsewhere rather than fully developing her discussion of women's roles. Winston also uses a very limited range of sources.When presenting the Army's side of the story she leans very heavily on the 'American War Cry'--the Army's own paper.The 'AWC' was sold to the general public to raise funds, and it was thus intended to present the Army and its activities in the best possible light.For an outsider's view of the Salvation Army she relies overwhelmingly on one newspaper--the 'New York Times.'What about ethnic newspapers?What about papers that found their audience primarily among the poor and working class?What did the people the Army aimed its evangelical and charitable activities at think of these predominantly middle-class do-gooders? Winston writes very well, and she gives the Salvation Army the respectful treatment it deserves.But as an academic work, "Red Hot and Righteous" fails to gel.By narrowing her argument and focusing on a specific issue--women's roles and leadership within the Army, the use of popular culture as an evangelical tool, changing depictions of Salvation Army women in books and popular entertainment--and expanding the types of sources used, Winston could have broken new ground.Unfortunately, she keeps stabbing her spade with too little force in too many different places, and as a result she only raises a bit of dust.While I would still recommend this book for a general readership, as a scholar I found it unfocused and ultimately unsatisfying. William Booth was born in Nottingham, England, on April 10, 1829, and was left, at thirteen, the only son of a widowed and impoverished mother. His father had been one of those builders of houses who so rapidly rose in those days to wealth, but who, largely employing borrowed capital, often found themselves in any time of general scarcity reduced to poverty. "I had a good mother. So good she has ever appeared to me that I have often said that all I knew of her life seemed a striking contradiction of the doctrine of human depravity. In my youth I fully accepted that doctrine, and I do not deny it now; but my patient, self-sacrificing mother always appeared to be an exception to the rule. "I loved my mother. From infancy to manhood I lived in her. Home was not home to me without her. I do not remember any single act of wilful disobedience to her wishes. When my father died I was so passionately attached to my mother that I can recollect that, deeply though I felt his loss, my grief was all but forbidden by the thought that it was not my mother who had been taken from me. And yet one of the regrets that has followed me to the present hour is that I did not sufficiently value the treasure while I possessed it, and that I did not with sufficient tenderness and assiduity at the time, attempt the impossible task of repaying the immeasurable debt I owed to that mother's love. "She was certainly one of the most unselfish beings it has been my lot to come into contact with. 'Never mind me' was descriptive of her whole life at every time, in every place, and under every circumstance. To make others happy was the end of all her thoughts and aims with regard not only to her children but to her domestics, and indeed to all who came within her influence. To remove misery was her delight. No beggar went empty-handed from her door. The sorrows of any poor wretch were certain of her commiseration, and of a helping hand in their removal, so far as she had ability. The children of misfortune were sure of her pity, and the children of misconduct she pitied almost the more, because, for one reason, they were the cause of sorrow to those who had reason to mourn on their account. Wow. This is a great book. I was pleased at the way this book chronicles the lives of William and Catherine Booth. What a pair! I mean this man had a very hard life and basically was an indentured servant during his apprenticeship.They both new the meaning of self sacrifice and being our brother's keeper. What an awesome couple. Definitely read this one. It will give you a new perspective on your own life.

2019-04-18T21:10:53Z

http://www.geometry.net/basic_s_bk/salvation_army.html

An in-depth discussion of skin protection from exposure to cement, including causes, prevention, and training materials to be used with workers. Part of a collection. Click on the 'collection' button to access the other items. This material is supported in part with funds from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) through CPWR – Center for Construction Research and Training to a consortium of CPWR, the Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association, and FOF Communications. Researched, written, and produced by FOF Communications. If you are responsible for protecting the safety and health of workers who use wet portland cement products—concrete, mortar, plaster, grout, stucco, terrazzo, or other products, this guide is for you. It will help you prevent skin problems from cement. Development of this guide was supported by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health through a CPWR Consortium on Preventing Contact Dermatitis. Consortium partners are CPWR – Center for Construction Research and Training, the Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association, and FOF Communications. The guide was researched, developed, and produced by FOF Communications. The consortium steering committee includes: David Hinkamp, MD; Boris Lushniak, MD, of NIOSH; Jon Mullarky and Greg Vickers of the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association; William Schell of the Operative Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association; John Sullivan, Jr., P.E., of the American Portland Cement Alliance; Azita Mashayekhi of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and Eileen Betit of the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftsworkers. The consortium has been instrumental in focusing the cement industry on skin problems and in disseminating innovative protective measures such as the use of buffers and other neutralizing agents. The consortium supported a Physician Alert brochure to help Portland cement products workers talk with their doctors; the Save Your Skin booklet on glove wear; An Employer's Guide to Skin Protection; a Tool Box Pamphlet; a worker classroom training course; a training evaluation study; jobsite visits for pH testing of surface skin and rinse water; a stakeholder symposium, and a professional advisory group meeting on the development of this handbook. To learn more, visit NIOSH at www.cdc.gov/niosh or CPWR – Center for Construction Research and Training at www.cpwr.com or call the NIOSH Technical Information Branch (800-356- 4674) or CPWR (301-578-8500). Ted Jason' s eight-year old daughter got a painful rash that would not go away. The Jasons took her to several doctors. They applied ointments. They washed her sore skin with prescribed soaps. Nothing they did made a difference. Then Ted took a course on preventing dermatitis from Portland cement . He learned to measure the pH of the surf aces of his skin, his boots, and his car interior. Ted found out that alkaline cement residue from his work had contaminated his life in a way he had never before appreciated. He realized his daughter had been exposed. So Ted began following the tips given in the course. He cleaned his car interior and began removing his work clothes before getting into it . He switched to pH-neutral soap for his family. Within a few weeks, his daughter's skin problem was gone—and so was his. What does Ted Jason' s story tell us about many port land cement products workers? Too often, they may feel they must accept their skin problems as part of the job. Ted became serious about treating dermatitis only when his own daughter got a skin problem. Skin problems from cement are widespread. Unfortunately, problems are often tolerated as part of the price of the work in some trades. Our tolerance permits the high rates of occupational skin problems in the United States to continue. A change in attitude is needed. As a safety & health practitioner, you may find that you too hold many of the more traditional assumptions about how to prevent occupational skin problems. If you believe skin protection is fundamentally a matter of getting workers into the proper gloves, then you will find much in this guide that is innovative and thought-provoking. One of your challenges is to convince cement products workers that it is possible for them to prevent occupational skin problems. But first, they - and you--must recognize when skin problems exist. Often, rashes and other symptoms are downplayed or overlooked as a prelude to chronic disease. Dry skin or irritation. Wet cement dries and irritates skin. As a safety & health practitioner, you can take many actions in support of worker protection. In addition to educating workers, you can educate employers. You can work to create an environment in which the individual worker’s decision to adopt protection is reinforced by social influences and in which protections are readily available and easy to use. As a safety & health practitioner, you can help workers choose the right protective measures, you can convince employers to take the best protective actions, and you can keep both groups continually motivated so that incremental progress will be made. Portland cement products workers include bricklayers, carpenters, cement masons, hod carriers, laborers, plasterers, tile setters, terrazzo workers, ready-mixed concrete truck drivers, and other workers. Portland cement products include concrete, mortar, plaster, grout, stucco, terrazzo, and other products. What Problems Does Cement Cause? Skin problems can be mild and short-lived or severe, persistent, and disabling. Problems can happen after single or multiple exposures. It is difficult, if not impossible, to predict who will get skin problems based on experience or on medical tests. Dry skin or irritation may include scaling, it chiness, burning, and redness. Dry skin may also be called xerosis. Portland cement exposure can lead directly to dry skin or irritation. Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) can be acute or chronic. Symptoms may include stinging, pain, itching, blisters, rash, dead skin, scabs, scaling, fissures, redness, swelling, bumps, and watery discharge. Sometimes irritated skin may become infected. Exposure to portland cement can lead directly to ICD without first causing dry skin. Alkalinity is essential in the development of irritant contact dermatitis from portland cement. 3 Cement makes the skin’s barrier layer more alkaline and permeable. As the barrier layer becomes permeable, repeated contact with abrasive particles in cement products may contribute to ICD and ACD. It can be difficult to recognize ICD by its appearance or morphology alone.4 Proper diagnosis of work-related ICD requires a complete work history and a physical examination. Irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) . Alkalinity is essential in the development of irritant contact dermatitis from cement. At alkaline pH, human skin is more permeable, repeated contact with abrasive materials may contribute to ICD and ACD. Allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) is an immune response. It is like other allergies but it involves the skin. ACD includes many of the same symptoms as ICD. Most portland cement contains metals or other chemicals which are sensitizers, or allergens. Foremost among them is hexavalent chromium (Cr 6+ ) . Others may be present in admixtures: accelerators, water reducers, superplasticizers, retardants, air entraining agents, or polymer-modified systems. ACD can develop without any warnings, such as local irritation. ACD is difficult to cure. The allergy may last a lifetime, with symptoms recurring after each exposure. Caustic burns (cement burns) are chemical burns. Second or third degree burns may occur after relatively short exposures to fresh mortar, concrete, grout , and other Portland cement products. Cement burns look like other burns. They produce blisters, dead or hardened skin, or black or green skin. Cement burns can lead to allergic dermatitis. In addition, chromate sensitivity can exacerbate the severity of cement burns. In severe cases, these burns may extend to the bone causing disfiguring scars, even disability. Some may require skin grafts. Refer cement burns to a medical specialist without delay. When a worker feels a cement burn, much damage already has been done and further damage can develop unless medical treatment is received. Cement burns. The occurrence of alkaline burns from Portland cement is well documented. In severe cases, these burns may extend to the bone and cause disfiguring scars, even disability. Why Worry About Portland Cement ? Some 5 to 15% of workers coming into contact with Portland cement that contains hexavalent chromium may suffer allergic contact dermatitis, a rate as high as 25 times that of the general population.9 This dermatitis may persist in 20 to 40% of workers without further exposures, even after they leave the trade. Experts agree that reported lost time is just the small tip of a very large iceberg of skin disease. One indication of how prevalent skin problems are comes from a statistically valid survey of apprentice cement masons. In 1997, 442 apprentices were surveyed using a questionnaire derived from one used by NIOSH.6 The response rat e was 100%. The mean age of t he surveyed apprentices was 27; the most frequent age was 20. The mean number of years in the industry was 3.3. 71% of apprentices had one or more skin problems. Only 29% reported no skin problems. A surprising 71% of the apprentices reported one or more skin problems in the previous 12 months, including rashes, bumps, blisters, fissures, scaling, redness, oozing, burning, and pain. Only 29% reported no skin problems. Only 7% of apprentices with skin problems reported lost time or physician visits for those problems. Only 7% of those reporting skin problems reported lost time or physician visits for their problems. 93% of the apprentices with skin problems continued to work without seeking medical treatment —setting themselves up for lifelong health problems. (Also see Halbert .9) Asked whether they had had ‘eczema’ or ‘ dermatitis’ at any time during their careers, only 3% of surveyed apprentices said yes, indicating possible lack of medical diagnosis. Official reports of lost work days are not always reliable indicators of the rates skin problems among Portland cement products workers. More accurate estimates may come from statistically reliable surveys. Skin has two primary layers. Together, both are less than 1/ 8-inch thick. The epidermis ( outer layer) is only 1/ 250th of an inch thick. The dermis and epidermis contain oil glands, hair follicles, and sweat glands—all are like tiny channels through the skin letting in some foreign substances. Skin also contains blood vessels. Some chemicals can penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream. The old model of skin disease assumed that skin responds directly to external insults. The response included conditions like inflammation, rashes, or even scar tissue. Scientists can now detect skin function at the molecular level due to advances in bioengineering technologies. The skin is the single largest organ. It covers 20 square feet of surface. The skin's purpose is to protect the body from external substances, chemicals, and bacteria. The 'permeability barrier' plays a major role in maintaining healthy skin in the new outside-to-inside model of skin disease. When barrier disruption is persistent , these processes become chronic. In some individuals, the repair response compensates for insults and produces 'hardening.' Hardening is a state of accommodation. Normalization of the barrier function should be a standard part of treatment of skin problems. 13,15 Recovery or repair of the ‘permeability barrier' requires acidification of the stratum corneum as discussed in more detail in Chapter 4. Preventing 'INSULT' means avoiding contact with irritants. The role of pH in barrier maintenance and repair is discussed further in Chapter 4. What ‘Insults’ Initiate Skin Problems? Worksite materials can start skin problems. Some materials insult and injure skin. Some also pass through it to the bloodstream. Portland cement is very alkaline (caustic) when wet so it affects skin surface pH. The moisture in eyes, mucus, and sweaty skin can contribute water to dry cement, releasing its causticity. Portland cement is hygroscopic so it draws moisture from skin. Cement products are abrasive and physically damage the skin surface, making it a less effective barrier against chemicals. These factors allow cement to cause dry skin and irritant contact dermatitis. Sensitizers in workplace materials may cause allergic responses in some workers. The reaction may be local or widespread. Sensitization is an immune response. The immune system fights a foreign substance. Usually, the material causes no change on first contact. Once a person is sensitized, small amounts trigger a strong reaction. Many people cannot tolerate any further exposure. Possible sensitizers used by cement products workers include: hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) in cement, chemical admixtures in concrete, epoxies, additives in rubber gloves, and other trace metals in cement. Hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) is rated as a strong to extreme sensitizer. It is an important cause of allergic contact dermatitis. Cement's alkalinity increases skin absorption of this soluble chromate. Some studies show that Cr6+ penetrates the skin and enters the bloodstream. 7 If skin is mechanically damaged (cuts, abrasions), it is feasible that Cr6+ and other allergens can penetrate it . Worksite skin cleaners too often are caustic and abrasive. They may contain sensitizers like lanolin, limonene, or perfume and they may contain irritants like alcohol. How long does the worksite material contact the worker’s skin? How often does a worker use the worksite material? Is the worksite material trapped or occluded to the skin by gloves, creams, lotions, pet roleum jelly, or barrier creams? Heat causes sweating. Sweat can dissolve chemicals on the skin. Heat increases blood flow at the skin surface and this increases the absorption of materials into and through the skin. Cold dries the skin and causes microscopic cracks, sometimes known as ‘winter eczema.’ Cold changes blood flow at the skin surface and leads to loss of feeling. Humidity increases sweating. High relative humidity (RH) keeps sweat from evaporating. A 1998 study showed that epidermal homeostasis and barrier repair following acute insult are better supported in a low humidity (RH<10%) environment rather than in high humidity (RH>80%). 17 Recent data suggest 40-60% RH is optimal. Sun burns and damages skin. Sun can increase absorption of chemicals. Some chemicals react with sunlight to cause photosensitization and photoirritation. Sun exposure alone can also cause skin cancer. 'Insults' to the permeability barrier of the skin of cement products workers include wet cement, hexavalent chromium, and harsh worksite cleaners. From 1983 to 1994, the rate of reported occupational skin diseases rose from 64 to 81 cases per 100,000 workers. In 1994, there were approximately 66,000 new reported cases of occupational skin diseases. What Do Skin Problems Cost ? From 1983 to 1994, the rate of occupational skin diseases increased from 64 to 81 cases per 100,000 workers. In 1994, there were approximately 66,000 new reported cases of occupational skin diseases. Reported skin diseases are current ly about 10 to 15% of all work-related disease (BLS). Moreover, occupational skin diseases are believed to be severely underreported. The true rate of new cases may be many fold higher than documented. No one knows how many family members are affected by contaminants brought home from the job. Estimated total annual costs (including lost workdays and loss of productivity associated with occupational skin diseases) may reach $1 billion annually. Workers' compensation claims rates for occasional skin diseases vary by State and range from 12 to 108 per 100,000 workers per year. Self-reported occupational dermatitis prevalence in the 1988 National Health Interview Survey was nearly 2% (1,700 cases per 100,000 workers). The costs to employers include worker compensation disability claims, lower productivity, and poor morale. The costs to the workers include reduced earnings, medical bills, loss of a trade, social disability, embarrassment, and lower quality of life. The rates of most other occupational injuries and disease have fallen. But skin disease rates remain constant or actually increase. Little progress has been made, even though the causes are better understood and more methods of control exist now than ever before. More than 92.7 million metric tons of portland cement were consumed in U.S. construction in one recent year, according to the Portland Cement Association. The consumption of Portland cement has increased every year since 1991. More than 1.3 million American workers in 30 occupations are regularly exposed to wet Portland cement products. Thousands more—such as ironworkers—are exposed to cement dust during the grinding of hardened cement products. Grinding cement underlayer for terrazzo (Photo courtesy of BAC). grinding of finished concrete, which releases cement dust. Setting tiles (Photo courtesy of BAC). Applying stucco (Photo courtesy of OP&CMIA). No matter what the cement product or work task, the most frequently damaging property of cement is its alkaline nature. pH is a measure of the acidity or alkalinity of a substance. The pH scale ranges from pH 0 on the acidic end to pH 14 on the alkaline end. The acidic pH range is pH <1 t o 6.9. the alkaline (base) ph range is pH 7.1 t o 14. Strong acids are pH 1 to 3. Strong alkalies (bases) are pH 12 to 14. pH stands for “potential of hydrogen.” It refers to the concentration and activity of hydrogen ions in a substance in aqueous solution (water). Acids ionize in water to give H + (hydrogen) ions. Alkalies (bases) produce OH - (hydroxyl group) ions in water. An ion is an atom that has lost or gained one or more electrons and has acquired an electric charge. Cement contains calcium hydroxide which liberates hydroxylions. The use of scientific notations to describe the hydrogen ion concentrations of substances is cumbersome. So chemists began using the pH scale in 1909. pH-neutral is 7. This is the pH of pure or distilled water. It is virtually free of hydrogen ions. The pH scale is like the Richter scale for earthquakes. Both are logarithmic. On a logarithmic scale, the intervals between the numbers are not equal. Every whole number on the pH scale represents a 10-fold change in alkalinity or acidity. pH 13 is one million times more alkaline than pure water at pH 7. pH is one million times more acidic than pure water. Wet cement is extremely alkaline, with a pH value of 12 t o 13. Strongly alkaline material is caustic and corrosive to skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Wet cement is 10 million to one billion times more alkaline than normal human skin. Like an orange, normal skin is mildly acidic. Alkaline pH contributes greatly to skin absorption of the hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) in cement.18 So absorption of Cr6+ may be increased when it contacts skin in cement. As a safety & health practitioner, you can measure the surface skin pH of cement products workers. Elevated pH is an indicator of portland cement residue on the skin.19 It demonstrates the effectiveness or ineffectiveness of protective measures. pH also serves as a feedback mechanism for education workers about the need to protect their skin from cement. The best way to measure surface skin pH is with pH indicators, also known as pH color test strips. As an educational tool, pH test strips also can be used to measure the pH of cement residue on car seats, steering wheels, boots, glove interiors, and more. Full range color test strips (pH 1 to 14) work best for cement contamination. To test skin or dry surfaces, moisten a strip in distilled water. Apply it to the test surface. To test a liquid, dip the test strip in the liquid. The strips come with a color coded scale. Hold the test strip next to the scale. Hold the test strip next to the scale and wait for it to change color. Then match it with the color on the scale to find the pH value. pH represents the acidity or alkalinity of a watery solution on a scale. Pure water has a pH of 7. pH 7 is considered pH-neutral. Citrus and vinegar are pH 3.5—10 times more acidic than normal skin. Wet cement is 10 million to one billion times more alkaline than normal skin. Supplies: dry Portland cement, household vinegar, one gallon distilled water, pH test strips, plastic glasses, plastic spoons, bar soap, liquid soap. Along with vinegar, you may consider testing one of the buffering or neutralizing products. Dip a pH strip in distilled water. Compare the strip with the color key. What does it tell you about the pH of the water? Add a little vinegar to the cement water and stir. Dip a new pH strip in the water. What happens? What is the pH now? What does it mean? Dip a new pH strip in a clean glass of distilled water. Lay the strip on the surface of the bar soap. What is the pH of the bar soap? What does it mean? Take a new pH strip and pump some liquid soap on it. What is the pH of the liquid soap? What does it mean? You also can test the pH of exposed hands, gloves, hard hats, or the seats and steering wheels in cars or trucks. Just dip a pH strip in distilled water and lay it on the surface to be tested. A pH test meter can be used to test tool rinse bucket pH. But cement particles in the water may clog this instrument. Cement product s workers probably will find the alkaline residue of wet portland cement on their skin and even on their clothes, their boots, their vehicle interiors, and elsewhere. Wearing gloves without good hygiene appears to be no more productive than wearing no gloves at all.3,19 and in fact may be worse. Acids and alkalies (bases) react with one another so that the properties of both are lost to form water and a salt. The result is a more pH-neutral solution. So adding an acid to an alkali tends to neutralize its pH. For example, adding vinegar to cement water can reduce the pH. But it also may generate heat. Buffers are another choice for controlling surface skin pH. If added to an alkali, a buffer may reduce pH without generating heat. Buffering solutions are equilibrium systems that maintain a constant pH when combined with acids or alkalies. A buffer can neutralize either an acid or an alkali. Buffering solutions typically contain similar amounts of a weak acid and a salt of its conjugate base. Compared with acids, buffers generate less heat and can maintain the desired pH over a longer period of time. Phosphates are often used as buffering agents. Portland cement products workers may have difficulty in preventing 'insult' from wet cement. When cement residue accumulates on the skin, the application of a buffering solution may be beneficial in restoring the acidic pH of the stratum corneum, thus permitting the initiation of barrier repair and preventing skin problems. Commercial product s are marketed for acidifying t he skin’s stratum corneum. Neutralitetm is a pH 5.5 buffering solution. Mason's Hand Rinsetm is an acidic rinse. In theory, either product or similar products can be helpful if they normalize surface skin pH. In addition to reducing the corrosive effect of cement, normalizing pH through the application of a buffering solution may convert hexavalent chromium (Cr6+) to trivalent (Cr3+). This would decrease skin absorption of Cr6+, reducing the risk of ACD. This soap list is advisory only . To obtain reliable information, ask the soap's manufacturer for an MSDS. A pharmacist can recommend pH-neutral or moderaltey acidic soaps. Industry leaders often ask whether cement can be modified to reduce the skin hazards. Different modifications are proposed depending on the specific skin problem. Remember, cement causes two main problems: irritant contact dermatitis (ICD) and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD). Cement causes ICD because it is alkaline, hygroscopic, and abrasive. Cement causes ACD because it contains sensitizers, not ably hexavalent chromium (Cr6+). Worldwide, there have been several experiences with modifying cement to prevent allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) from hexavalent chromium. Before reviewing results, let’s examine the cement manufacturing process. In the hierarchy of hazard controls, the best and most effective measure is always substitution of a less hazardous chemical. Product modification is a type of substitution. If product modification is feasible, it can often reduce or eliminate the need for other hazard controls. Most cement manufacturing plants are located near quarries. Quarries mine the raw materials needed to make cement . Huge quarried boulders of stone such as limestone and shale are dumped into an impact crusher. These raw ingredients, along with small amount s of iron ore and clay, may then be fed to a grinding mill where steel balls tumble to pulverize the material into a powder. This powder may then be loaded into giant steel rotary kilns. The typical kiln may be about 200 feet long and 15 feet in diameter. The kiln interior is lined with refractory brick. As the kiln rotates, the inside temperature reaches 3,000 to 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The solid material must reach 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit. The heat causes a chemical reaction in the raw materials as they slowly transform into portland cement. At this point in the process the cement compound is called clinker. Clinker is dark gray chunks like volcanic rocks. The fully processed clinker falls out of the rotary kiln and down into t he clinker cooler where it cools it off for reprocessing. The clinker is then ground in a giant rolling tube called a ball mill. Gypsum is added during t his grinding process. The ball mill is filled with several tons of metal balls. Often, these balls are chrome or chromeplated. As the mill spins, the metal balls crush the clinker into an extremely fine dust and mix it with the gypsum until it becomes portland cement. Samples of the finished product are taken to a lab for strength and consistency testing. The final product is shipped in bulk by truck and rail or packaged in bags. Cement is used in the manufacture of plaster, stucco, mortar, grout, and other cement products. Recognition of the connection between hexavalent chromium in portland cement and allergic contact dermatitis in cement products workers first emerged in Europe during t he 1950s. As the evidence mounted, some European countries acted to limit exposure to hexavalent chromium in cement products. By law, Denmark and Sweden require cement manufactures to produce cement whose concentrations of Cr6+ are 2ppm or less. In these countries, a patented process is used which involves intergrinding of clinker, gypsum, and ferrous sulfate heptahydrate to reduce chemically the Cr6+ to trivalent chromium (Cr3+). Cr3+ is not harmful to human skin because it is not absorbed by the skin. A similar patent was granted to an East German company in 1985 and another to a Japanese firm in 1991. Additional patents were granted in other countries in subequent years. Finnish, Danish, Swedish, and other scientists have published studies showing that this method of modifying portland cement at the plant has greatly reduced ACD in Portland cement products workers in Scandinavia and Singapore.18,23,24,25,26,38 ICD rates in these countries remain unchanged. In response to California’s Proposition 65 regulations, some American cement manufacturers experimented with iron sulfate in an effort to reduce Cr6+ in Portland cement . In a published report of the results5 and in other forums, several reasons have been given for the failure to replicate the Scandinavian results. More than 120 plants make U.S. cement and t he product ships long distances in this country. If ferrous sulfate is added, the time it takes to transport the cement may result in spontaneous oxidation of the ferrous ion to the ferric form, rendering the ferrous sulfate inactive. The addition of ferrous sulfate during grinding is a patented process. Royalties and the cost of the ferrous sulfate (variously estimated at $.05 to $1.00 perton) would increase the cost of American portland cement products. Added costs may be incurred in reconfiguring manufacturing processes to allow for the addition of ferrous sulfate. American manufacturers express concern about possible effects of such methods on the structural integrity of finished concrete. For example, some argue that addition of substantial amounts off errous sulfate to concrete might cause durability problems or necessitate adjustment of the amount of gypsum added. Concrete in Europe and Singapore appears unaffected by modifications to cement in those countries. Manufacturers point out that American specifications for concrete are rigid, that any changes must be well researched, and that research is in fact ongoing. So change may be possible some day. One difference between American and European cement manufacturers is the distances between the plants and the points of consumption. American cement is transported greater distances. Neutralize pH at the Plant? Some in the industry have asked manufacturers to reduce the alkalinity of cement. By nature, wet port land cement is pH 12 to 14. Attempts to neutralize the pH of cement would chemically alter it . For example, the amount of buffering solution needed to neutralize a batch of cement at the plant would overwhelm the chemical formulation of the cement . It would no longer be cement. Rather than attempt to neutralize the pH of an entire batch of cement at the plant, it seems more feasible to reduce the pH of the comparatively small amount of cement that may contact the surface skin of cement products workers at the jobsite. This can be done with a neutralizing or buffering solution. As an additional benefit, neutralization of pH also may convert Cr6+ t o Cr3+, rendering the iron sulfate controversy irrelevant. Neutralizing the pH of portland cement during the manufacturing process is not feasible. Protecting skin is not simply a matter of wearing gloves. A substantial portion of cement products workers already wear gloves. To be effective, glove wear must go hand-in-hand with proper hygiene. Hygienic practices and use of the correct gloves will prevent contact with cement. Glove wear without good hygiene is no more protective than no gloves at all.3,19 In fact, it can make problems worse. Not everyone can do all these practices. But every cement products worker should do as many as possible, beginning with the easiest ones. There is no guarantee that any or all of these practices will prevent skin problems from Portland cement . But these practices are recommended by experts and they represent the best protections known. Best protective practices are recommended by experts based on results of scientific studies and field experience. A Printer ready worker safety pamphlet explaining best practices to cement products workers, is available towards the end of the document. Portland cement products workers should wash with pH-neutral or moderately acidic soaps. If cement products workers wash with pH-neutral or acidic soaps, it may help restore the desired pH balance of the surface skin. Warn cement workers to launder work clothes separately to protect family or roommates. Run washer empty after work clothes load. Construction workers are motivated to take protective measures when they believe they are protecting their children. 2 So convincing portland cement products workers to launder work clothes separately may be a good first step to adopting more best practices. Workers need clean water for washing before work, whenever they break, and at the end of the shift. Water can be brought to the jobsite in tanks on wheels. Many employers would be surprised at how economical it can be to provide decent hygiene for workers. They might also be surprised at the improved morale and productivity that result. Consider providing buffering spray to reduce the pH of contaminated surface skin. Prohibit cleaning with abrasive or solvent-containing products. These include waterless handcleaners like alcohol-based gels or or citrus cleaners based on limonene. Such cleaners are not suitable for cement exposure. Removing alkaline wet cement residue from skin requires clean running wash water and pH-neutral or slightly acidic soap. It may be helpful to use a buffering or neutralizing solution to normalize surface skin pH. Gloves on dirty hands trap contaminants against the skin. Workers should wash with pH-neutral or slightly acidic soap and clean running water, as noted in the Portland Cement Association's sample MSDS. If workers remove gloves during work, they must wash again. If not, cement will enter gloves. Workers should not rinse their hands in tool rinse buckets. A worker should dry hands with a clean cloth or paper towel before putting on gloves. When wet cement gets on permeable clothing, remove it immediately. When wet cement gets on skin, wash with clean water and pH-neutral or acidic soap. At the least, consider using a buffering spray to reduce alkalinity. Many experts recommend wearing long sleeve shirts taped inside gloves. Cement can collect under rings, watches, or necklaces. Wet cement trapped against skin for long periods of time is hazardous. Removing work clothes at work cuts exposure for workers and their family members. It keeps cement out of the car or truck interior. If work clothes cannot be left at the job, they should be taken home in a separate container. A trash bag works great. Skin-softening substances can seal or occlude portland cement residue to skin, can increase the skin's ability to absorb contaminants, and can irritate and sensitize the skin. Never use petroleum jelly or other emollients to treat cement burns. Applying such products can intensify burns by trapping the cement residue against the skin. Some skin-softening products may contain fragrances, lanolin, or other chemicals that can cause ACD in susceptible workers. Barrier creams or 'invisible gloves' are not recommended for Portland cement work. 29,39 The abrasive cement probably breaks the seal of the barrier cream. Also, reapplying the cream in the work area may occlude the seal cement to the skin. Consult a glove manufacturer to select the right glove for the hazard. Manufacturers often recommend butyl gloves or nitrile gloves for caustics like cement. Cotton or leather gloves may become saturated with wet cement. Cotton gloves dipped in butyl rubber or similar materials to coat the fingers, knuckles, and palms may provide adequate protection. Make sure gloves fit. Loose gloves let cement in. Clean reusable gloves daily. Follow t he manufacturer’s instructions. Place clean gloves in a baggie. Store gloves away from tools and materials in a dark, dry place where the temperature is not too high. Sometimes gloves get so contaminated they cannot be cleaned. Throw them out. Disposable gloves can make it easier to keep hands clean. Disposable gloves can be less expensive than reusable gloves. The only drawback to disposable gloves is that workers sometimes wear them too long. To remove disposable gloves, peel back from the top, turning them inside out. Discard disposable gloves at the jobsite each day. Disposable gloves can make it easier for workers to keep their hands clean. Disposable gloves can be less expensive than reusable gloves. The draw back to disposable gloves is that workers often wear them too long. Some gloves combine rubber or butyl with cotton, other fabrics, or leather. Glove thickness and the length of the cuffs vary by task or worker preference. All-fabric or leather gloves are not recommended because they may become saturated with wet cement. Gloves on workers are no proof of protection. Don't fool yourself: Without good hygiene, gloves are no better than no protection at all.3,19 If workers can't wash with clean running water and pH-neutral or acidic soap whenever they remove their gloves, the insides too easily become contaminated. Workers should be allowed to choose among equally protective gloves, whenever possible. Below are the websites of two well-known glove manufacturers. Gloves can be purchased from these and others or through a local safety supply store listed in the business section of the telephone directory. When workers wear the correct gloves, they still must avoid contamination when they remove the gloves. As a safety & health practitioner, you can demonstrate proper met hods for cleaning, removing, and storing gloves. Before removing gloves, clean the outsides by rinsing or wiping off wet cement. Follow manufacturer's instructions. Watch for pinholes which can let in contaminated rinse water. Remove the first glove only to the fingers. The cuff of the glove will remain over the palm. Now, grabbing the second glove with the first glove, remove the second glove. The first glove should slip off. Try to handle gloves by the insides only. Don't touch the outsides. Any worker with a persistent skin problem, even a minor one, should see a physician. A statistically valid survey of apprentice cement masons showed only 7% of those with skin problems saw physicians even though 71% had had problems in the last year.6 Some did not think the problems were serious. Others were afraid of losing employment. To get effective treatment , the cement products worker must inform the physician about products used at work. The goal is to provide medical treatment for a health problem. A Physician Alert brochure is available from CPWR – Center for Construction Research and Training (301-578-8500 or www.cpwr.com) . The brochure can be given by a worker to a doctor, along with the product Material Safety Data Sheet. Encourage workers to follow the physician's prescriptions and recommendations. That action, combined with other best practices, can lead to the successful control of most cement-related skin problems. Find the best Material Safety Data Sheet in the industry and review its recommendations. The best MSDS is the one that is most complete and provides the most protective recommendations. Remember, this MSDS is only the minimum guideline. With a little creative thought and not too much effort, employers and workers can do a lot more to prevent skin problems. Dusty clothing or clothing wet with Portland cement fluids should be removed promptly and laundered separately before reuse. Workers must wash wet cement from the skin with clean water and pH-neutral or acidic soap. Workers cannot rely on pain or discomfort to alert them to skin damage. An acid will burn skin immediately. Cement is sneakier. A worker can work with wet cement on the skin for hours without feeling any discomfort . But the alkaline burns of the port land cement are damaging the skin microscopically. That damage may be just a cement burn or it also may be the cumulative injury that leads to irritant or allergic dermatitis. Cement burns are alkaline burns (caustic burns). Cement burns progress. This means they get worse even without more exposure. Anyone who feels a cement burn starting should go immediately for emergency treatment in an ER or by a burn specialist. Don't assume the burn will not get worse. By the time an employee becomes aware of the burn, much damage has already been done and further damage is difficult to stop. When cement burns are treated medically, recovery takes place within two to three weeks. If untreated, these burns take much longer to heal, if they ever do. Almost everyone agrees the construction industry must do more to protect workers from skin problems. As a safety & health practitioner, what resources can you use to improve protection for cement products workers? The PRINTER-READY PULL OUTS in this guide can help: Worker Safety Pamphlet, Best Practices Checklist, and Symptoms Questionnaire. This chapter also presents some additional tools and pointers to help you achieve your goals. The Portland Cement Association offers a sample Material Safety Data Sheet. 20 Recommendations include washing on the job with running water and pH-neutral soap. Skin Safety with Cement and Concrete, a worker training video, is for sale from the Portland Cement Association. The video presents safety tips and hazard information. It focuses on cement burns rather than on preventing dermatitis. The Cement Burn Awareness Kit is available for purchase from the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association for use in educating Portland cement products workers. The kit contains color photographs of severe cement burns, warning tools, and a sample MSDS to help prevent cement exposure. Save Your Skin: 15-Minute Tool Box Session is an 8-page booklet explaining symptoms, skin problems, pH testing, and protective practices for work with cement products. Commercial products are now marketed for buffering or neutralizing the pH of cement residue. NeutraliteTM; is a buffering solution. Mason’s Hand Rinseä is an acidic rinse. Each is spray-applied. In theory, these or similar products can be useful if they neutralize or buffer alkaline residue on the skin surface. Let's say you want to invest time and effort in improving conditions with the aim of preventing skin problems from portland cement. You might say, “It's easy—I'll see the improvement with my own eyes. It will be plain to everyone.” But that may not be true. There are two very good reasons to evaluate your prevention efforts. One is to get the feedback you need to improve your efforts. The other is to justify their continuation. When you evaluate anything, you need a basis for comparison. Two classic methods of evaluation are ‘criteria-based' and ‘norm-based' comparison. Criteria-based means comparing something with an objective standard that's set up ahead of time. For example, if a teacher grades tests by an objective standard and gives an ‘A' only for 100%, that's ‘ criteria-based' evaluation. Norm-based means comparing something with other things in the same category. For example, if a teacher "grades on a curve" by comparing a student with other students in the class, that's 'norm-based' evaluation. Always remember that you are not evaluating the workers. You are evaluating the effectiveness of your own efforts to change their protective practices and to improve the protections provided by the employer. Whatever comparison standard you choose, here are three tools you can use to measure your results. You might also think of other tools. Consider comparing the workers, as a group, with themselves before and after beginning your prevention efforts. Before you begin, take some baseline measurements. You can use the Best Practices Checklist and the Symptoms Questionnaire in this guide. For example, watch workers on the job and take reports of what they do at work and at home. You are not comparing individuals. You are comparing the workers as a group before and after your efforts. Which best practices are the workers currently doing? Which are they failing to do? Keep a written record of your observations. Have the workers complete the symptoms questionnaire. Assure them the information will not be released in personally identifiable form and that their answers will have no effect on their employment. Ask them to do a pH test of surface skin. Again, this is not a test of the individual worker. Instead it is a measure of the success of the protections implemented by you, the safety & health practitioner. Once you have a baseline record, begin your effort to reduce skin problems. Teach workers best protective practices and make what improvements you can in working conditions. When you think your efforts may be starting to pay off, repeat your measurements. If you made worksite observations, make them again. If you collected best practices checklists, collect them again. If you collected symptoms questionnaires, collect them again. Now count the results and compare the ‘BEFORE' and the ‘AFTER.' If you or someone in your organization knows how to use a statistical software program, it can help your evaluation. Or you can count by hand calculator and determine where it appears there has been progress. Repeat the measurements again in a few weeks or a few months. Keep a long-term record of the outcomes. What If Workers Are Transient? In construction, workers often come and go. Turnover varies from company to company. Some larger companies have a steady cadre of core workers and hire or layoff more as projects demand. Other companies have no steady workers, only transient ones. This makes evaluation more difficult. But not impossible. Always keep in mind that you are not evaluating individual workers. You are evaluating the success of your efforts by looking at all the workers as a group. If all the workers are transient, you may not see immediate improvements in the symptoms checklist. But you should see improvements in the pH tests of surface skin and in compliance with best protective practices. This should help prevent future dermatitis. By working with other organizations, you can help to reduce skin problems among the cement products workers whose safety and health is your professional concern. If possible, involve the health & welfare plan and implement a plan-wide evaluation in medical costs and workers compensation disability. Download the "Worker Safety Pamphlet" in pdf format for print. It is a 2-fold 6-panel Worker Safety Pamphlet. Paste your organization’s name or logo in the box on the front before 2-sided copying. Fold copies along the dotted lines. Give pamphlets to cement products workers at trainings, jobsites, union meetings, or other appropriate places. BEST PRACTICES CHECKLIST. Following the pamphlet is the Best Practices Checklist. Again, you can paste your organization’s name or logo in the box before copying. You can use the checklist to evaluate your efforts, to help workers remember the practices, and in other ways. SYMPTOMS QUESTIONNAIRE. You or a physician may find the questionnaire helpful in evaluating workers' skin problems. Anyone is free to reproduce any material in this guide for any purpose. INSTRUCTIONS: Place a checkmark on the line next to each protective practice followed. ___ 1. Use pH-neutral or acidic soap at home. ___ 2. Launder work clothes separately. ___ 1. Wash with clean running water and pH-neutral or mildly acidic soap. ___ 3. Wash and dry hands before putting on gloves. ___ 5. Try using a neutralizing or buffering spray. ___ 6. Use disposable gloves or clean reusable gloves daily. ___ 7. Remove gloves properly. ___ 8. Wear glove liners. ___ 9. No jewelry at work. ___ 10. Long sleeves buttoned or taped inside gloves. ___ 11. Rubber boots with pants taped inside for concrete work. ___ 12. Never let cement product remain on skin or clothes. ___ 13. Avoid barrier creams. ___ 14. Avoid skin products at work. ___ 15. Change out of work clothes before leaving jobsite. ___ 16. See a doctor for any persistent skin problem. This questionnaire is designed specifically for Portland cement products workers. Please fill it out by placing a check mark in the box that represents the best answer. Do not worry if you cannot answer every question exactly. Remember, if possible, collect the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for the materials you work with before visiting your doctor for any skin problem. When the condition first appeared, did it have any of the following features? Have you had this kind of skin problem in past year while doing similar work? If yes, how many times? Have not done similar work during past year. Is the current problem more severe than most other problems? Is the current problem more widespread than most other problems? Has the current problem lasted longer than most other problems? Have you had a history of skin problems? What kind of work were you doing at the time or just before you developed the skin problem? Did these jobs involve some similar materials that contacted you skin? Did working with these materials ever give you a skin problem in the past? Are there others at work with skin problems similar to yours? Do any of them work with the same materials as you? Have there been changes in work procedures, or materials which have happened at about the same time the skin problem developed? Have you noticed a relationship between working with a specific material and this skin problem? Which materials? Have you detected improvements in the skin problem during changes in work procedures, assignments, or locations? Which changes? Have you detected worsening in the skin problem during changes in work procedures, assignments, or locations? Which changes? Have you detected an increase in the severity or frequency of the skin problem with any of the following exposures? Exposure to materials at home or during recreational activities? Seasonal changes, time of day? Do any of the following materials seem to cause your skin problems? Have you noticed improvement in the skin problem during days off or vacation? If yes, how many days away from work are needed before you notice some improvement in the skin problem? Do you keep your skin clean and dry by wearing any of the following protective gear? Cotton gloves with butyl-dipped digints and palms? Do you use a barrier cream? Do you change your skin protective gear regularly? How often, usually? Is this enough to keep your skin clean and dry of work materials? Are you able to wash your skin and change skin protective gear if material gets inside while at work? After material gets on your skin, are you able to wash and change protective gear within a half hour? Is your skin problem in an area of skin that is exposed at work? How often do you usually clean off this skin while at work? Do you usually use any of the following for skin cleaning at work? Do you use any of the following for skin cleaning? Do you regularly apply any of the following to your skin at home? 1. el Sayed, F and J Bazex. Airborne contact dermatitis from chromatein cement with recall dermatitis on patch testing. Contact Dermatitis Vol 30, No. 1: 58, January 1994. A woman became sensitized to chromate from cement from her partner's work clothing. She developed eczema in skin folds at the elbow and neck and fissuring of fingertips. Lesions may be induced by the alkalinity and abrasive effect of wet cement. In the present case, skin folds are sweating areas and deposition of cement dust there may have produced an initial irritant reaction that facilitated the penetration of chromate, thus resulting in sensitization. 2. White, MC, MB Larson and RD Wolford. The role of personal beliefs and social influences as determinantis of respirator use among construction painters. Scand J Work Environ Health 14, 239-245, 1988. The purpose of this study was to identify and rank potential determinants of respirator use among construction painters. As part of a health survey of union painters, 169 male spray painters were questioned about their own belief s concerning the consequences of wearing cartridge respirators, as well as about the perceived attitudes of others in the work place toward respirators. ... The most important beliefs concerned discomfort or inconvenience. Other determinants associated with respirator use were respirator availability, cigarette smoking, and social influences. The health belief most strongly associated with intended respirator use was that the painter would be able to produce healthy children if a respirator were used. 3. Avnstorp, C. Risk factors for cement eczema. Contact Dermatitis 25: 81-88, 1991. Risk factors for cement eczema were studied among workers employed in the Danish construction industry. Two cohorts exposed to cement containing different concentrations of water-soluble chromate were examined. A statistically significant decrease in the number of workers with allergic cement eczema was found in the cohort exposed to cement with the lower water- soluble chromate concentration. Allergic cement eczema was found to have a greater extent of involvement than irritant cement eczema. A 3rd cohort was followed to evaluate individual risk factors. The degree of exposure to wet cement seems to have a certain, though not statistically significant , effect on the risk of developing irritant cement eczema. Individual preventive measures, such as the use of gloves and creams, did not seem to reduce the development of irritant cement eczema. 4. van der Valk, PGM and HI Maibach. The Irritant Contact Dermatitis Syndrome, CRC Press, Boca Ratson, 1996. 5. Klemm, WA. Hexavalent chromium in portland cement. Cement, Concrete, and Aggregates, CCAGPD Vol 16, No. 1: 43-47, June 1994. ...[T]he amount of hexavalent chromium found in portland cement is coming under increasing scrutiny. Hexavalent chromium has been classified as a carcinogen, and its release into the air or groundwater is regulated and controlled under many federal and state regulations... As a consequence, Scandinavian countries have limited the amount of hexavalent chromium in Portland cement. This is generally accomplished by intergrinding clinker and gypsum with the chemical reducing agent , ferrous sulfate, which maintains hexavalent chromium below 2 ppm. Developments in t his area are reviewed. Studies at a California plant showed that more than half of the hexavalent chromium in the cement was contributed by the grinding media in the finishmill. Attempts to reduce the chromium to its benign trivalent form with ferrous sulfate failed in full - scaletrial grinds, due to oxidation of the ferrous iron. This indicates that further research is needed to f i nd better methods for introducing ferrous sulfate into the cement to develop more stable reducing agents. 6. Larson, M, and R Wolford, Survey of apprentice cement masons, FOF Communications. Report to NIOSH/ CPWR Consortium 1997. 442 apprentices were surveyed using a questionnaire condensed from a version used by NIOSH. Response rate was 100%. Mean years in industry : 3.3; mean age: 27; most frequent age: 20. 7. International Labour Organization, Encyclopedia of Occupational Safety and Health. Geneva, 1987. 8. US DOL Bureau of Labor Statistics, reported in the Construction Chart Book, CPWR, 1998. 9. Halbert, AR et al. Prognosis of occupational chromate dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis 27: 214-219, 1992. To elucidate further the natural history and prognosis of occupational chromate dermatitis, 120 affected patients, diagnosed between 1980 and 1989, were reviewed...65% of patients were construction workers with cement-induced chromate dermatitis... The median age at onset of symptoms was 34 year, with 48% having been exposed to chromate for 5 years or less. Only 37% presented to the dermatologist within 12 months of developing symptoms. 76% of patients had ongoing dermatitis at the time of the review. Although 48% of the study population had completely changed their occupation to avoid chromate exposure, symptoms persisted in 69%. A delayed diagnosis of chromate sensitivity was noted to be a predictor of chronicity. In view of the potential chronicity of chromate dermatitis and its associated social and occupational impairment, we recommend the addition of ferrous sulphate while mixing bagged cement at the work site. This simple technique targets the workers at greatest risk of becoming sensitized. 10. Nethercott , JR and DL Holness. Disease outcome in workers with occupational skin disease. J Amer Acad Dermat ol 30:569-574, 1994. 11. Rosen RH and S Freeman. Prognosis of occupational contact dermatitis in New South Wales, Australia. Contact Dermat it is 29:88-93, 1993. 12.Wall LM and KA Gebauer. A follow-up study of occupational skin disease in Western Australia. Contact Dermatitis 24:241-243, 1991. 13. 13.Elias, PM et al. Epidermal pathogenesis of inflammatory dermatoses. American Journal of Contact Dermatitis Vol 10, No. 3: 119-126, September 1999. It is generally assumed that dermatitis, whether of allergic or irritant in origin, is primarily an immunological/inflammatory disorder. ...[R]ecent information supports an epidermal contribution to these disorders, as well as several other dermatoses. We first review new concepts of the epidermal barrier , with recent evidence that the stratum corneum is a biosensor that regulates the epidermal lipid and DNA-metabolic responses to a variety of exogenous insults. Various signaling mechanisms, including changes in levels of epidermal cytokines and growth factors, are potential candidates to mediate these metabolic responses. ...[T]hese signaling molecules may be generated not in response to permeability barrier requirements, but as an avoidable consequence of the epidermal injury that accompanies all types of acute barrier abrogation. Although the role of cytokines/growth factors as regulators of metabolic events leading to barrier recovery is still unknown, their role initiating a cytokine cascade leading to cut aneous pathology seems more certain. We conclude that signaling molecules, released following injury to the stratum corneum, initiate a cytokine cascade that induces inflammation, which is responsible for the clinical features of specific dermatoses. Thus, ‘outside-to-i nside’ signaling may contribute to the pathogenesis of a variety of dermatoses characterized by abnormal barrier function. 14.Elias, PM et al., Relationship of the epidermal permeability barrier to irritant contact dermatitis, Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America, Vol. 17 (Contact Dermatitis: Irritant and Allergic) Philadelphia, PA, W.B. Saunders, 1997, pp. 417-430. 15.Mauro, T et al. Barrier recovery is impeded at neutral pH, independent of ionic effects: implications for extracellular lipid processing, Arch Dermat ol Res, 290:215-222, 1998. Epidermal permeability barrier homeostasis requires the post secretory processing of polar lipid precursors into nonpolar lipid products within the stratum corneum (SC) interstices by a family of lipid hydrolases. A specific requirement for B-glucocerebrosidase, which exhibits a distinct acidic pH optimum, is particularly well documented. Therefore, we sought to determine whether the recovery of the barrier after acute insults requires acidification of the SC. We examined permeability barrier recovery by assessing changes in transepidermal water loss (TEWL), SC membrane ultrastructure ... at an acidic vs neutral pH. Barrier recovery proceeded normally when acetone-treated skin was exposed to solutions buffered to an acidic pH. In contrast, the initiation of barrier recovery was slowed when treated skin was exposed to neutral or alkaline pH, regardless of buffer composition. ...These results suggest first that an acidic exracellular pH is necessary for initiation of barrier recovery, and second that the delay in barrier recovery is a consequence of inhibition of post secretory lipid processing. 16.Goh, CL et al. Occupational dermatitis in a prefabrication construcion factory. Contact Dermatitis Vol 15, No. 4: 235-240, October 1986. In a field study of occupational dermatoses in a prefabrication construction factory , 272 workers were interviewed, examined and patch tested to chromate, cobalt , nickel , rubber mixes, epoxy resin, melamine formal dehyde and conplasts. The prevalence of occupational dermatitis was 14% (38/272) ; 57% (22/38) were irritant dermatitis from cement ; 39.5% (15/38) were allergic contact dermatitis from cement (2 with concomitant rubber glove allergy) ; and 2.5% (1/38) were allergic to rubber chemicals in gloves. The overall prevalence of chromate sensitivity was 8.5% (23/ 272) , with the highest rate from the concreting bays of the factory. The rate was unrelated to the duration of workers engagement in construction work. 34. (/23) had asymptomatic chromate allergy. The prevalence of cobalt reactions was 1.4 (4/23) and all were associated with chromate allergy. 17. Denda, M et al., Exposure to a dry environment enhances epidermal permeability barrier function. J Invest Dermatol, 111:858-863, 1998. 18. Avnstorp, C. Prevalence of cement eczema in Denmark before and since addition of ferrous sulfate to Danish cement. Act a Derm Venereol, Vol 69, No. 2: 151-155, 1989. This is a study of the prevalence of chromate allergy and hand eczema among workers engaged in the manufacture of prefabricated concrete building components in Denmark in 1981 and again in 1987. In September 1981 the chromate content of cement manufactured and sold in Denmark was reduced to not more than 2 ppm (parts per million) of water-soluble chromate. This was accomplished by adding ferrous sulfate, thus increasing the cost of the cement by about 1%. There was a statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of chromate allergy and hand eczema following the addition offerrous sulfate, but there was no change in the frequency of skin irritation. The economic benefit of adding ferrous sulfate was demonstrated by a decrease in the need for dermatological services and topical steroid treatment. Cement eczema as a result of chromate allergyis a common occupational dermatitis among workers in the building and construction industries and a reduction in the chromate content of cement would appear to be a reasonable preventive measure in areas where there is a large concentration of construction industries. 19.Wolford, R and M Larson, pH testing of cement-exposed skin, American Industrial Hygiene Association Annual Conference, May 2000. This field study examined the effectiveness of gloves, water rinses, and pH- neutralizing agents in controlling alkaline cement residue on palmar skin of 27 concrete finishers at five locations in four states. Full range pH indicator papers and meters were used to measure palmar skin pH. After two hours of work, mean palmar skin pH of workers not wearing gloves was 9.9. This did not differ significantly from the mean pH of workers wearing leather gloves, cloth gloves, or rubber gloves. Workers subsequently attempted to decontaminate skin through the usual practice of rinsing hands in tool rinse buckets. Prerinse, mean palmar skin pH was 10.4. After rinsing, mean palmar pH was 9.3. Addition of a phosphate buffering agent to the rinse water significantly reduced palmar pH from a prewash mean of 10.4 t o 5.9. 20. Portland Cement Association. Report of sample material safety data sheet for portland cement . Skokie, IL, 1997. 21.Feldberg, L et al. Cement burns and their treatment. Burns Vol 18, No. 1: 51-53, 1992. Trying to discover why people with full skin thickness burns did not immediately report these burns, authors reviewed 20 cases at a hospital in Buckinghamshire, UK. 15 had occupations in which they might be expected to come into contact with wet cement. 50% of burns were on ankles. 80% had full skin thickness burns and 75% under went wound excision and grafting. Time from injury to presentation at the hospital varied from a few hours to 10 days. Treatment recommendations for injured person as well as for doctors. 22.Wolford, R and M Larson, Efficacy of buffering solution as a protectant for workers using alkalies. Abstract . Am J Contact Dermatitis, Vol. 11, No. 2, June 2000. This is an assessment of the efficacy of a pH 5.5 buffering rinse to improve the condition of skin occupationally exposed to alkalies, compared with water washing, moisturizers, and gloves. Pre/posttreatment surveys of 30 concrete truck drivers were completed 30 days apart . Workers reported daily on use of the four treatments and were grouped by treatment compliance (high/low). Relative risk for skin improvement was estimated between compliance groups. Workers using buffering rinse were 7.8 times more likely than workers not using it to report improvement. No differences were seen between workers using and not using water washes, moisturizers, or gloves. No difference in reported frequency of symptoms was seen between compliance groups for any treatment. 23.Bruze, M et al. Patch testing with cement containing iron sulfate. Dermatol Clin Vol 8, No. 1: 173-6, January 1990. Addition of iron sulfate to cement means transformation of water - soluble hexavalent chromium into nonwater-soluble trivalent chromium. This has been the basis for preventive measures concerning sensitization to hexavalent chromium (chromate) in cement . For some years, iron sulfate has been added to cement manufactured in the Scandinavian countries. In the present in vivo study, cements with and without iron sulfate were compared concerning their capacity to elicit allergic patch-test reactions in eight chromate-hypersensitive individuals. No patch-test reactions were obtained from a water extract of cement with iron sulfate when appropriately buffered. Cement dermatitis is connected with chromate sensitivity...Iron sulfate added to cement reduces the chromate completely, and the 3-valent chromium is precipitated. An amount of 0.35% (w/w) iron sulfate, FeSo.7H0, is enough to reduce 20 micrograms Cr 6+ /g cement. There is no technical side effect to the concrete. Iron sulfate is preferably added to cement when there is an intimate contact with skin, e.g., at floor laying, repairs and handmade casting. Hexavalent chromate in cement is the commonest cause of allergic dermatitis, especially among construction workers. Over the past decades, there has been a general decline in the prevalence of chromate allergy among construction workers. We suspect that a change in the constituents of cement, resulting in the lowering of hexavalent chromate, contributed to the decline. Slag (free from hexavalent chromate) from the iron-quenched, blast furnace process has been used as a substitute for clinker (which contains high hexavalent chromate) in manufacturing cement. As a result, the slag has diluted the hexavalent chromate content of cement. Our analytical study showed that slag is free from hexavalent chromate and that he hexavalent chromate of clinker ranged from 6-17 micrograms/s. Substituting slag for clinker resulted in dilution of hexavalent chromate in the cement. The hexavalent chromate content of cement declines proportionately with increasing proportion of slag. 26.Goh, CL and SF Kwok. Prevention of cement dermatitis in construction workers with iron sulphate. Asia-pacific Journal of Public Health. Vol 1, No. 1: 91-93, 1987. Allergic dermatitis due to chromate in cement is the most common occupational dermatitis among construction workers in Singapore. Hexavalent chromate in cement can be removed by iron sulphate. This study determined the minimum concentration of iron sulphate required to remove the hexavalent chromate from nine brands of Asian cement. The hexavalent chromate concentrations in cements were determined by colorimetric spectrophotometry. The minimum amount of iron sulphate required to remove completely hexavalent chromium in all the cements was 0.35% w/w. Iron sulphate should be used in the construction industry to prevent cement dermatitis in construction workers. 27. Avnstorp, C. Follow-up of workers from the prefabricated concrete industry after the addition of ferrous sulphate to Danish cement. Contact Dermatitis Vol 20, No. 5: 365-371, May 1989. Ferrous sulfate has been added to cement manufactured in Denmark, reducing the water soluble chromate content to not more than 2 ppm, since September 1981. A comparison is made between the medical and employment status of a cohort of workers engaged, or who had been engaged, in the manufacture of prefabricate concrete building components in 1981 and in 1987. Workers who had allergic cement eczema in 1981 appeared to show no improvement 6 years after the reduction of chromate in the cement. Improvement was seen, however, in the eczema of those workers with irritant cement eczema. The 1987 study showed that a larger number of chromate-sensitized workers required medical services and topical steroid treatment than did those who were not sensitized to chromate. This difference was statistically significant. The worse medical prognosis of the chromate-sensitized workers could in part be due to the fact that some of these had secondary contact sensitivity to cobalt and rubber chemicals. The chromate-sensitized workers also took earlier retirement. Younger workers with allergic and irritant cement eczema continued to work and their employment status was not influenced by chromate sensitization. 28. Kolbe, L. Enhancement of the stratum corneum barrier: the effect of moisturizer treatment, American Contact Dermatitis Society Annual Meeting, March 1999. 29. Goh, CL. Common industrial processes and occupational irritants and allergens: an update. Ann Acad Med Singapore Vol 23, No. 5: 690-698, September 1994. This paper reviews the recent development of the industrial processes in the construction, electronics and metal industries which are the predominant industries in developing countries.. The information is essential for occupational dermatologists and physicians managing patients with occupation skin diseases. In the construction industry, the prefabrication construction methods are now widely used. The commonest irritant is cement and the allergens are chromate, rubber chemicals and epoxy resins...Preventive measures including health education are most effective against occupation dermatitis. 30. Cooley, J and JR Nethercott. Prognosis of occupational skin disease. Occupational Medicine: State of the Art Reviews Vol 9, No. 1: 19-25, January-March 1994. The prognosis in occupational skin disease (OSD), which is largely irritant (ICD) and allergic contact dermatitis (ACD), is guarded. Many investigations over the last five decades have documented that a large portion of workers developing such disease do not improve with present methods of secondary preventive intervention and treatment. Although cases of ACD may do better when a specific cause can be found and avoided, ACD due to the metals nickel and chromium has a poor prognosis. Job changes are of equivocal value. Early diagnosis and intervention are associated with a better prognosis for cure. Medical management alone has not modified the outcome significantly over the last decade. Greater attention to primary prevention through regulation of exposure to irritants and sensitizers, combined with more effective measures for control of control of industrial hygiene, offers the possibility of more effective management. Four cases of cement burns from prolonged contact with wet cement, one requiring skin grafting. Includes recommendations for treatment (flushing area with water or diluted vinegar until soapy feeling is gone), and prevention (notices on cement bags and handed to purchasers, kneel on board, watertight boots tied at top to be in close contact with the skin. 32. Fisher, AA. Cement injuries: Part II. Cement burns resulting in necrotic ulcers due to kneeling on wet cement [news]. Cutis Vol 61, No. 3: 121, March 1998. 33. Pike, J et al. Chemistry of cement burns: pathogenesis and treatment. JBCR Vol 9, No. 3: 258-260, May/June 1988. Two brief cases are presented describing burns resulting from exposure to cement and its components. 34. Goh, CL. Sickness absence due to occupational dermatoses in a prefabrication construction factory. Contact Dermatitis Vol 15: 28-31, 1986. In a study of sickness absence due to occupational dermatoses among 360 construction workers in a prefabrication construction factory in 1984, we found 3 workers with allergic contact dermatitis from chromate in cement who required medical leave. There were 5 sickness absence spells due to occupational dermatoses and the number of days lost due to occupational dermatoses was 53 days fro the year. This averaged out at 0.01 spells per worker per year, 0.15 per worker per year and 15 days per spell. It appeared that the number of workers requiring sickness absence from occupational dermatoses was low, but that those with the condition required about 2 weeks of sickness absence. Allergic contact dermatitis from chromate in cement appeared to be the only occupational dermatosis causing sickness absence in the factory. 35. Lushniak, BD. The public health impact of irritant contact dermatitis. Immunology and Allergy Clinics of North America Vol. 17, No. 3: 345-358, August 1997. 36. Lushniak, BD. Epidemiology of occupational contact dermatitis. Dermatologic Clinics Vol 13, No. 3:671-680, July 1995. 37. Meherin, JM, and TP Schomaker. The cement burn: Its etiology, pathology and treatment. Jour. A.M.A. No. 14: 1322-1326, April 8, 1939, Microscopic pictures of burn progression damage. 39. Wigger-Alberti, W and P Elsner. Do barrier creams and gloves prevent or provoke contact dermatitis. Am J Contact Dermatitis, Vol. 9, No. 2, June 1998. 40. De Raeve, H et al. Dermal and respiratory sensitization to chromate in a cement floorer. Am J Ind Med Vol 34, No. 2: 169-176, August 1998. A 48-year old floorer, occupationally exposed to cement and with a documented chromate contact dermatitis, reported dyspnea and wheezing after work. These conditions were demonstrated by self-measured sequential peak expiratory flows..This report illustrates that a subject, with allergic contact dermatitis to chromates, may develop a respiratory allergic reaction to an airborne source of this metal.

2019-04-19T00:40:57Z

http://www.elcosh.org/document/60/d000458/A%2BSafety%2B%2526%2BHealth%2BPractitioner%2527s%2BGuide%2Bto%2BSkin%2BProtection.html

The ToL Glossary is still under construction. We expect to greatly expand it over the next few months. The current page contains a listing of all the available ToL Glossary terms. You can set your preferences for browsing the ToL web site so that words contained in the glossary list are highlighted on ToL pages, and definitions are displayed when you move the cursor over a highlighted word. If you would like to try this now, click on the Turn Glossary On button below, and then go to a ToL page that features some of the terms in the list below (the Eukaryotes page is a good one). Note that you can turn the Glossary function on and off on any ToL branch page, leaf page, other article, note, or treehouse. Open the preferences menu and select either Show Glossary Entries or Hide Glossary Entries. Relating to position: away from the mouth (cf. adoral). The part of the ocean that extends from 4000m to the sea floor. This zone is characterized by near- freezing temperatures and crushing water pressure. A type of pseudopod, needle-shaped, with internal skeleton formed from arrays of microtubules. Relating to position: toward the mouth (cf. aboral). Pertaining to the air - as opposed to the land (terrestrial) or the water (aquatic). In animals: a state of dormancy/inactivity during the summer. In plants: the arrangement of sepals and petals or their lobes in an unexpanded flower bud. A polyphyletic grouping of organisms with chloroplasts. Now divided into blue-green algae (eubacteria), cryptomonads, chlorarachniophytes, glaucophytes, dinoflagellates and other alveolates, euglenids (a group of Euglenozoa), various stramenopiles (also referred to as chromophytes, chrysophytes, heterokonts - including the diatoms and brown algae), haptophytes (= prasinophytes), green algae (green plants), and red algae. For more information see Algae: Protists with Chloroplasts. Species or populations occupying separate geographic areas. Compare to sympatry. Molecule that serves as the basic structural unit of proteins. General formula: R–CH(NH2)COOH, with the side group (R) specific for each individual amino acid. Any organism in a polyphyletic grouping of organisms which move and feed using pseudopodia. For more information about amoebae see Amoebae: Protists Which Move and Feed Using Pseudopodia. Like an amoeba. Usually means that the organism has the capacity to produce pseudopodia. Organisms capable of gaining energy and nutrients by both autotrophic and heterotrophic means. (Same as amphizoic). An environment in which there is no free oxygen present. A situation that commonly arises in natural habitats when the biological demand for oxygen exceeds the supply, for example in sediments or when a site is organically polluted. Relating to the apex, the anterior pole. A character state derived by evolution from an ancestral state (plesiomorphy). A novel evolutionary trait. Specialized structure of a fungal filament that anchors to the surface of a plant root, facilitating the invasion of the plant by the fungus. Pertaining to water - as in aquatic habitat (ponds, lakes, streams, oceans, etc). Organisms living on or in trees, fequenting trees, or a part of an organism resembling a tree in form and branching structure. 1990's but fluid concept for eukaryotes believed to have evolved before the origin of mitochondria. Over time, the group has included some or all of the entamoebae, microsporidia, diplomonads, retortamonads, oxymonads, trichomonads, hypermastigids, mastigamoebids, Pelomyxa, Phreatamoebae and trimastix in various combinations. For more information see the Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships on the Eukaryotes page. A uniquely-derived character state. An apomorphy that is unique to a single terminal taxon. Organisms which trap energy from physical or chemical sources and use the energy to assemble the macromolecules of which they are made. Photosynthesis is the only process by which this happens in eukaryotes, but additional processes are found among prokaryote organisms. Compare with heterotrophic. A geometrically packed assemblage of microtubules (subcellular scaffolding) used to support flagella, the arms of Heliozoa, etc. An organism that eats bacteria. A pair of nucleotides on opposite strands of a nucleic acid hydrogen-bonding with each other according to the pairing rules between a pyrine and a pyrimidine. A palatable/harmless mimic resembling an unpalatable/vigilant model. Batesian mimicry postulates that palatable mimics are likely to gain protection from predators that have learned to avoid the unpalatable/vigilant model as long as the mimic remains relatively rare compared to the model. The part of the ocean that extends down from 1000m to 4000m. No sunlight reaches this zone so it is very cold and completely dark. It is also characterized by very high water pressure. The bottom sediments of the sea, rivers, lakes, ponds, etc. An organism which is dependent on a living host organism as a source of nutrients. Having a pair of longitudinal stripes. Reduced muds found below the surface of sediments in lakes and rivers. The blackness is caused by the occurrence of metal sulphides. A secondary woody stem or limb growing from the trunk, main stem, or another secondary limb of a tree, shrub or vine. Many other, subdivided, elongated structures of organisms resembling a tree branch. Graphical representation of an evolutionary lineage in a phylogenetic tree diagram. Relating to structures associated with the mouth. From Latin bucca, mouth cavity. The Burgess Shale is a sedimentary rock formation located in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, Canada. It contains exquisitely preserved fossils of invertebrate animals that lived on the seafloor 505 to 500 million years ago, during the Cambrian period. For more information see Burgess Shale at The Paleontology Portal. The Cambrian is the earliest period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between 543 and 490 million years ago. For more information see The Cambrian at The Paleontology Portal. The Carboniferous is a period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between the Devonian and the Permian, about 354 to 290 million years ago. For more information see The Carboniferous at The Paleontology Portal. The consumption of living animal flesh. The female reproductive organs at the center of a flower, consisting of the ovary, style, and stigma. The female gamete-producing reproductive organ of red algae. It develops from the gametophyte. A sporangium produced by a carposporophyte. The organ that contains the carpospore. A nonmotile, diploid spore found in red algae. Carpospores are produced by mitosis at the tips of gonimoblast filaments and develop into the tetrasporophyte phase. A morphological stage in the life cycle of some red algae. The sporophyte phase which results form the fertilization of the carpogonium. It consists of growths originating from a carposporangium. Compound used to make walls (normally around the outside) of certain types of cell. The Cenozoic era spans the time from the end of the Mesozoic, about 65 million years ago, to the present. It is generally subdivided into two periods, the Tertiary and the Quaternary. Any heritable attribute or feature of an organism that can be used for recognizing, differentiating or classifying a taxon. Biologists use characters from a variety of different sources, including morphological, behaviorial, developmental, and molecular data. Alternative forms of a character. A family of pigments used in photosynthesis to trap radiant energy. Normally located with chloroplasts. Chloroplasts with chlorophyll b have a bright green colour, those with chlorophylls a and c are off-green or yellow. An organelle found in eukaryotic algae and plants (and occasionally as symbionts in certain protist and animal cells). The site of photosynthesis and of chlorophyll. A term used variously to refer to some or all of those algae with chloroplasts having chlorophylls a and c (i.e. stramenopiles, cryptomonads, and haptophytes). The cluster is probably polyphyletic. A long strand of eukaryotic DNA, often complexed with specialized proteins called histones. A behavioural type of eukaryotic flagellum, distinctive because they occur in large numbers, have a co-ordinated behaviour, and usually direct fluids parallel to the surface. A single complete branch of the Tree of Life; more formally, a monophyletic group of organisms. The practice of arranging organisms in named groups (taxa). A fluid-filled body cavity in animals, lined with tissue of mesodermal origin, housing the internal organs. An organism that derives nourishment or shelter by living in close association with another organism (the host), without damaging the host. A type of sexual event during which two cells fuse. It may or may not lead to reproduction. A member of the same species. A given group's containing group is that group in which this group is included as a subgroup. Any group in the Tree of Life has a series of hierarchically nested containing groups going all the way down to the ultimate containing group, Life on Earth. Part of the contractile vacuole complex, often the only part that is visible with the light-microscope. It collects fluid and periodically allows the fluid to be discharged through the cell surface. An organelle involved in osmoregulation in protist cells, including contractile vacuole, spongiome (a membranous system not usually visible with the light microscope), possibly a pore, collecting canals and ampullae. In general, two or more things coming closer together. Evolution of similarities in unrelated groups of organisms. Adaptation for similar function may lead to novel characteristics (homoplasies), which are similar, although they are not inherited from a common ancestor. In some cases, such similarities may be superficial, as in the wings of birds, bats, and insects. In others, similarities can be so striking that it is difficult to determine that the traits arose independently and then later converged upon their current form. Collective term for the petals of a flower. A surface with a regularly indented margin. An adjective used to describe things relating to the twilight associated with sunrise and sundown. An organism is considered to be crepuscular if it is active primarily during the dawn and dusk hours. Compare to diurnal, nocturnal. The Cretaceous is the final period of the Mesozoic era, spanning the time between about 144 to 65 million years ago. For more information see The Cretaceous at The Paleontology Portal. Fold of the inner membrane of mitochondria. Nineteenth century concept broadly covering small algae, fungi, and bacteria. Part of the food ingestion structures (mouth) of some cells; usually a channel of microtubules that draws newly formed food vacuoles away from the cytostome and into the cell. The matter which makes up cells, within which organelles occur. Found in some ciliates, the site at which old food vacuoles fuse with the cell surface, and undigested residues are excreted. Intracellular components used to provide shape to a cell or to create tracts along which cellular organelles may be moved, mostly comprised of microtubules and actin filaments. Literally, 'the cell mouth'. only used in reference to organisms which ingest food at one or more particular locations, and then best used in reference to the region(s) of the cell surface through which food gains entry into the cell; part of the 'mouth' structures; see also cytopharynx. The products of cell division of protists. Breaking open at maturity, along a definite line, to release materials (e.g., seeds, spores). Loss of one or more nucleotides from a nucleic acid sequence. Living on or near the bottom of a body of water. An organism that eats detritus. Fragments of dead plant and animal material before, during and after breakdown by agents of decay. May incorporate inorganic matter (such as mud). The Devonian is a period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between the Silurian and the Carboniferous, about 417 to 354 million years ago. For more information see The Devonian at The Paleontology Portal. A tree where all branching points are dichotomies. That is, a tree is dichotomous if at each branch point there are only two immediate descendents. This is in contrast to a polytomous tree. A branch point on a tree that has two immediate descendents. Feeding strategy in which the predator relies on the movements of the prey to make contact - as in heliozoa and suctoria. Diploid organisms have diploid cells. Diploid cells have two copies of each chromosome. Away from (contrast with proximal). An organism that is active during the daytime rather than at night. Long molecule in the nucleus of cells, shaped like a double-helix, contains the genetic information that determines the development and functioning of an organism's cells. A parasitoid that lays its eggs on the surface of the host. Larvae feed on the host from the outside. Organism living on the surface of another organism. A type of explosive extrusome found in cryptoflagellates. A group of organisms that is restricted to a particular geographic area. A parasitoid whose immature stages live inside the body of its host. A protein that acts as a catalyst, accelerating the rate of specific biochemical reactions. Tissue covering or lining of the surface of an organism or an organ, both external and internal. Examples include the skin cells, the inner linings of the lungs, blood vessels, and the digestive tract, etc. Epithelial cells are generally tightly packed, providing a continuous barrier protecting the underlying cells. Genetic changes in lineages of organisms over time. Through this process, a lineage may split and diversify into new species. For a good introduction to evolution, see Evolution 101 at the Understanding Evolution web site. A supportive structure lying outside the cell or body. Facing outward, away from the axis or center. A kind of organelle, the contents of which can be extruded, for example to catch or kill prey or for protection. A thin strand. May refer to the appearance of an organism, a part of an organism, or a strand of cytoplasm. In angiosperms: the slender, thread-like stalks that make up the stamens of a flower. A kind of protist bearing flagella; a very diverse group with unclear boundaries. distinguished from ciliates because flagella are few in number, and usually create a thrust along the length of the organelle rather than parallel to the body surface. The siliceous lorica of a diatom. The phase of the life cycle of sexually reproducing plants and algae in which the gametes (egg and sperm) are produced. The gametophyte arises from the germination of a haploid spore. Functional and physical unit of inheritance that is passed from parent to offspring. Genes are pieces of DNA containing the code for the synthesis of a functional polypeptide or RNA molecule. Most genes contain coding regions (exons), non-coding sequences (introns), and transcription-control regions. Tissue derived from the the fertilized nucleus of some red algae, equivalent to the carposporophyte. It may develop from the carpogonium or an auxiliary cell, and it ultimately produces carposporangia by mitosis. Solid inclusions in cells or items adhering to the surface of cells. Usually refractile, in that they may look bright when viewed with the microscope. The Green River Formation, exposed in northwest Colorado, southwest Wyoming, and northeast Utah (USA), is what remains of a large lake that existed in the area about 60 to 38 million years ago. It contains one of the most complete fossil assemblages of plants, insects, reptiles, fish, and mammals in the world. For more information see Green River Formation at The Paleontology Portal. The very deepest parts of the ocean floor, including areas found in deep sea trenches and canyons. These areas are characterized by total darkness, constant cold, and very intense water pressure. Haploid organisms have haploid cells. Haploid cells have a single copy of each chromosome. The consumption of living plant material. An organism which has both female and male reproductive organs and is therefore capable of producing both eggs and sperms. A simultaneous hermaphrodite has both kinds of reproductive organs at the same time. A sequential hermaphrodite has one kind early in life and the other later in life. A term used variously to refer to some or all of those algae with chloroplasts having chlorophylls a and c (i.e. stramenopiles, cryptomonads, haptophytes and dinoflagellates). The group is paraphyletic as it fails to include some taxa derived from heterokonts. A mode of nutrition in which the consumer relies upon molecules created by other organisms for energy and nutrients. Either osmotrophic (absorbing soluble organic matter) or phagotrophic (ingesting particles of food). A class of proteins found in eukaryotic chromosomes. Histones bind with DNA and compact it, so that it will fit inside the nucleus. The Holocene (or Recent) is the second epoch of the Quaternary period, spanning the time between about 11,000 years ago and the present. Organisms that remain pelagic throughout their entire life cycle. A characteristic shared by different groups of organisms that is derived from the same structure or trait in their common ancestor. Ancestral characteristics may be greatly modified in descendent groups, so that homologous traits may not be similar in appearance or function. Clues of their common ancestry may often be found in structural details, ontogeny, or position relative to other features. For more information about homologies see Homologies and Analogies and Recognizing Homologies on the Understanding Evolution web site. A similiarity between different groups of organisms that is not homologous (due to common ancestry) but rather the result of convergent evolution or character reversal. For more information about homoplasies (analogies) see Homologies and Analogies on the Understanding Evolution web site. A natural process by which some of the genes of an organism are transferred and incorporated into the genome of an organism belonging to another species. This contrast with vertical gene transfer, in which the genes of an organism are passed on to its offspring. An organism that provides nourishment and/or shelter to another organism, e. g., a commensal or a parasite. The breaking apart of a molecule by addition of water. Microscopic, tubular filaments that make up the body of a multicellular fungus. A term used to refer to premitochondriate eukaryotes. A parasitoid that paralyses and arrests the development of its host. Compare to koinobiont. A structure produced by the organism, as opposed to a xenosome or foreign body. Used to refer to the elements which make up or adhere to the test of some amoebae. Not moving, sometimes used to refer to cells which are fixed to the substrate. In phylogenetic analyses, the subgroups of the group whose phylogeny is reconstructed. The process of genetic transmission of characteristics from parents to offspring. Arising or occurring between species. Arising or occurring within a species, involving the members of one species. The Jurassic is a period of the Mesozoic era, spanning the time between the Triassic and the Cretaceous, about 206 to 144 million years ago. For more information see The Jurassic at The Paleontology Portal. A parasitoid that permits its host to continue to feed, grow, and function after parasitism. Compare to idiobiont. A group of organisms, cells, or genes linked to one another through a continuous line of descent, i. e., through parent-offspring connections. When a fruit capsule dehisces along lines coinciding with the centers of loculi (the enclosed compartments within the ovary). Compare: septicidal. A small cavity or hollow space within an organism or in an organ. An organic or inorganic casing or shell incompletely surrounding an organism, usually loose fitting. One of two types of nuclei found in ciliates. Typically the larger of the two, may be rounded, like a long sausage, or like a string of beads. Involved in production of proteins but not in sexual reproduction. Essential for the day to day activities of the ciliate (see micronucleus). A compound structure comprised of many cilia and associated with the mouth of a ciliate. Either present in groups of three (oligohymenophora) or as a band of many more (polyhymenophora). The mid-ocean zone at depths between about 180 and 900 meters (600 and 3,000 feet). Also called the "twilight" zone because it is found between the well-lit photic zone above and the darkness of the deep ocean below. The Mesozoic era spans the time from the end of the Paleozoic, about 248 million years ago, to the beginning of the Cenozoic, about 65 million years ago. It is generally subdivided into three periods: Triassic, Jurassic, and Cretaceous. One of two kinds of nuclei found in ciliates, dividing to produce two similar nuclei during asexual reproduction and producing nuclei with half the complement of dna for sexual activity. usuaully the smaller of the two types of nuclei, but many may be present. some cells lack a micronucleus and survive quite well without it. Usually single-celled creature that is too small to be seen without the aid of a microscope. The term may be applied to bacteria, archaea, and viruses, as well as certain fungi and protists. A subcellular structure comprised of the protein tubulin and used for support - part of the cytoskeleton. Individual microtubules cannot be seen by conventional light-microscopy, but aggregates of microtubules can. Resemblance of an organism (the mimic) in appearance and/or behavior to another organism or object (the model). Site of aerobic respiration (energy production that is dependent on oxygen) in eukaryotic cells. Used in reference to organisms which use a mixture of nutritional strategies, such as organisms with chloroplasts and carry out photosynthesis but are also able to feed by phagocytosis. The study of the form and structure of an organism or one of its body parts. The word is sometimes used to also mean the form or structure itself. Moving, for example by swimming, gliding, crawling, jumping, or kicking. Part of the body (e.g., cilia) may be motile in a cell which is not motile and is fixed in one position. A gelly-like substance produced by organisms, texture may vary from virtually fluid to stiff and rubber-like. An organism consisting of more than one cell. Resemblance among several unpalatable/vigilant species. The Müllerian mimicry theory postulates that several species mimic each others' warning signal in order to more effectively train predators to avoid eating individuals displaying the shared signal. Stiff aggregates of many microtubules found around the cytostome of some ciliates and used during the ingestion of food. A type of ingestion rod. A term referring to ocean waters from the low-tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf at a depth of about 200 meters. The neritic zone is characterized by low water pressure, plenty of sunlight, and stable temperatures. The environment of the interface between water and air, often rich in bacteria and protists. An organism that is active at night rather than during the day. A branching point in a phylogenetic tree, representing the common ancestor of the lineages descending from this branching point. An optically dense region (or regions) in a nucleus, associated with RNA synthesis. Not always visible. Molecule that serves as the basic structural unit of nucleic acids like DNA and RNA. Each nucleotide consists of three other molecules — a sugar, a phosphate group, and a purine or pyrimidine base. An organelle found only in eukaryotic cells, in which most of the cellular DNA (genetic material) is located. Most cells have a single nucleus, but certain species may have many nuclei. A type of unsupported pseudopodium without evident extrusomes (compare extrusopodia). The developmental history of an individual organism from its origin to its death. The Ordovician is a period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between the Cambrian and the Silurian, about 490 to 443 million years ago. For more information see The Ordovician at The Paleontology Portal. A discrete structure found within eukaryotic cells. Any living creature. A plant, animal, or micro-organism. A form of nutrition in which soluble compounds are taken up by the organism, either by pinocytosis or by mechanisms capable of transporting one or a few molecules at a time (membrane pumps). Echinoderms: small calcareous plates forming the skeleton. A taxon that is not part of the ingroup but that is included in a phylogenetic analysis in order to provide information about the root of the ingroup and to help differentiate between apomorphies and plesiomorphies in the ingroup. The deposition of eggs by the mother into a host or the environment. A tubular organ that is used for oviposition, i. e., the laying of eggs. In some insects, especially parasitoid wasps, the ovipositor can be very long. The Paleozoic era spans the time from the end of the Precambrian, about 543 million years ago, to the beginning of the Mesozoic, about 248 million years ago. It is generally subdivided into six periods: Cambrian, Ordovician, Silurian, Devonian, Carboniferous, and Permian. An interaction between organisms in which one organism (the parasite) lives in or on the living tissue of another organism (the host), deriving nutrients at the expense of the host. Parasites usually live for some time in association with their hosts rather than killing them soon after encounter. An organism that is parasitic on a single host in its immature stages, usually kills its host at some point during its development, and is free-living as an adult. Most known parasitoids are insects, in particular wasps (Ichneumonidae, Chalcidae), flies (Tachinidae), and strepsipterans (Stylopidae). A rod of material lying within the flagellum parallel to the axoneme, only found in some protists (e.g. euglenids) causing the flagellum to appear relatively thick. Pertaining to the water column of the open sea - as opposed to coastal areas or the sea floor. The outer region of cytoplasm of some protozoa, the term is applied only when the region can be distinguished because it appears to be relatively stiff and highly structured. Used mostly in reference to euglenids and ciliates. The entire assemblage of scales, spines and spicules which encase some heliozoa, chrysomonads, etc. Regular contractions of a body or part of a body. Mostly said of the intestinal system of vertebrates but also the squirming behaviour of some euglenids. The region of the body around, and external to, the mouth. To deserve application of this term, the region must be modified to favour the acquisition of food. The Permian is the final period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between about 290 to 248 million years ago. For more information see The Permian at The Paleontology Portal. The most conspicuous organs of a flower, often brightly colored, providing chemical and visual signals as well as landing platforms for pollinators. They are sterile and surround the fertile organs. The ingestion of visible particles of food by enclosing them with a membrane to form a food vacuole. An organism which feeds by phagocytosis. A region of the ingestion apparatus lying internal to the mouth (of a metazoan organism) or internal to the cytostome of a protist. Involved in the swallowing process (see cytopharynx). The upper zone of a body of water (a lake or an ocean) that is penetrated by sufficient sunlight to allow for photosynthesis. A means of acquiring energy for metabolism which involves trapping radiant energy in chloroplasts, the use of that energy to break up water molecules (hydrolysis) and to convert released energy into an accessible form - such as the molecule ATP. The only form of autotrophy in eukaryotic cells. Some heterotrophic protists have symbiotic algae which allow them to exploit photosynthesis. Large molecules in chloroplasts that absorb radiant energy (hence they have colour), mostly chlorophylls and carotenes and, occasionally phycobilins. The scientific process of collecting and analyzing data to provide the best estimate of the true phylogeny of a group of organisms. The scientific discipline of resolving phylogenetic relationships between organisms. Any group of species are descended from a common ancestral species, which, over time, split into two species, with these descendents splitting again, and again, until the entire collection of species was produced through evolution and speciation (the splitting of a lineage). The genealogical connections thereby formed in general take the shape of a tree, called the phylogeny of the group. For more information about this topic have a look at our What is Phylogeny? page and check out the Understanding Evolution web site, in particular the section about Understanding Phylogenies. A process of ingesting material by enclosing it with a membrane. The resulting structure is usually too small to be seen with the light microscope and is mostly suitable for the ingestion of fluid or mucus. Organisms living in the water column (above the sediment). A type of amoeboid organization involving a large mass of cytoplasm and, usually, many nuclei. A type of body form adopted by some slime moulds. The genus Plasmodium is the cause of malaria. The same as chloroplast, from it come the terms aplastidic and plastidic for with and without chloroplasts respectively. The Pleistocene is an epoch of the Quaternary period, spanning the time between about 1.8 million years ago and the beginning of the Holocene about 11,000 years ago. An ancestral character state. A trait from which an evolutionary novelty (apomorphy) is derived. A chain of amino acids, usually less than 100 amino acids in length. Polypeptides are the building blocks of proteins. Feeding on many different kinds of food. In the case of parasites or parasitoids, the use several different groups of organisms as hosts. A tree that has at least one branch point that is a polytomy. A tree with only one polytomy is called polytomous, as is a tree with multiple polytomies. This is in contrast to a dichotomous tree. A branch point on a tree that has more than two immediate descendents. The Precambrian is the time period from the beginning of Earth, about 4.5 billion years ago, to the beginning of the Paleozoic era, about 543 million years ago. For more information see The Precambrian at The Paleontology Portal. An interaction between organisms in which one organism, the predator, kills and eats the other organism, the prey. Unicellular organisms lacking a membrane-bound, structurally discrete nucleus and membrane-bound organelles. The term is generally applied to bacteria and archaea. Not a monophyletic group. A large molecule composed of amino acid chains. Proteins perform a wide variety of cellular functions. Examples are hormones, enzymes, and antibodies. A paraphyletic group consisting of those eukaryotes which are not animals, true fungi or green plants. Transient extensions of the cell surface, used for locomotion or feeding. They may be supported internally (actinopods) or not (rhizopoda), they may be thread like (filose) or broad (lobose), may or may not bear extrusomes (nudipodia, extrusopodia) and they may be one (monopodial) to many (polypodial) produced at one time. With a dimpled or spotted appearance. A system involving a sac and channels and found in some dinoflagellates. The function is not understood, but it may act as an osmoregulatory organelle. A protein body lying inside some types of chloroplasts. The Quarternary is the second period of the Cenozoic era, spanning the time between about 1.8 million years ago and the present. It is generally subdivided into two epochs, the Pleistocene and the Holocene. For more information see The Quarternary at The Paleontology Portal. The re-establishment of an ancestral character state through the loss of an evolutionary novelty (apomorphy). For example, winged insects (Pterygota) evolved from a wingless ancestor; however, some pterygote lineages have subsequently lost their wings, e.g., fleas, lice, some grasshoppers and beetles. Movement of an organism in response to the motion of a current of water or air. Growth or orientation of an organism, or of part of an organism, in response to the motion of a current of water or air. A molecule found in the nucleus and cytoplasm of cells. It plays an important role in protein synthesis and other chemical processes of the cell. The structure of RNA is similar to that of DNA. There are several classes of RNA molecules, including messenger RNA, transfer RNA, ribosomal RNA, and other small RNAs, each serving a different purpose. The below ground portion of a plant. The root of a subtree of the Tree of Life is the branch that connects the subtree to the remainder of the Tree of Life. For a given group of organisms, the root is the branch that connects this group to its containing group. The leaf-like, outermost organs of a flower. They are sterile and protect the fertile parts of the developing flower. When a fruit capsule dehisces along lines coinciding with the partitions between loculi (the enclosed compartments within the ovary). Compare: loculicidal. Procedure for the linear comparison of two or more molecular sequences in order to identify those positions that are likely to have a common evolutionary origin. Series of characters that are in the same order in the sequences are used as reference points, and hypothetical gaps may be inserted in order to make similar regions line up with one another. Refers to organisms which are fixed to the substrate, for example by means of a stalk or lorica. The Silurian is a period of the Paleozoic era, spanning the time between the Ordovician and the Devonian, about 443 to 417 million years ago. For more information see The Silurian at The Paleontology Portal. The two groups resulting from the splitting of a single lineage. A contractile element in the stalk of some peritrich ciliates. The splitting of an evolutionary lineage producing (usually) two new, separate species, which thus begin their own, unique evolutionary histories. For more information about speciation and its significance in evolution check out the Understanding Evolution web site's pages about Speciation. A leaf on the tree of life. A group of organisms that share a common gene pool as well as a unique evolutionary history distinct from other groups of organisms. The definition of a species is more difficult than one might think. Over the years, a variety of different species concepts have been proposed, and the debate about the most appropriate definition is ongoing. Check out Defining a Species on the Understanding Evolution web site for more information. Delicate pointed structures lying external to the body and usually pointed away from it. Like spines, but invariably excreted and more delicate. A stalk bearing one or more sporangia. An organ that contains or produces spores. Found in plants, fungi, algae. Unicellular body produced by plants, fungi, and some microorganisms. Often a resting stage, encased in a protective coat, adapted to resist heat, desiccation, or other unfavorable environmental conditions. Spores can give rise to a new individual either directly or after fusion with another spore. The phase of the life cycle of sexually reproducing plants and algae in which the spores are produced. The sporophyte arises from the diploid zygote. The process of spore development. The male reproductive organs of a flower. They produce pollen and usually consist of slender, thread-like stalks (filaments) topped by pollen-bearing anthers. The length of a fish measured from the tip of the snout to the end of the fleshy part of the body. This measurement is preferred by many ichthyologists because it ignores the tail fin, which can often be damaged in specimens. A term used loosely to refer to refractile masses of polysaccharides which are accumulated as storage products in the cell. A type of cyst, with a siliceous wall and a single plugged opening, formed by some chrysomonads (stramenopiles). Feeding on suspended particles. The most usual ploy is filter-feeding, but not all suspension feeders feed in this way. Living in association with another organism, normally to the mutual advantage of both or to the advantage of one - the other being unaffected. Where there is a notable discrepancy in size, the term 'symbiont' is used to refer to the smaller member of the association which may occur inside (endosymbiont) or on the outside surface (ectosymbiont) of the larger member 'host'. Species or populations occupying the same geographic area. Compare to allopatry. A shared ancestral character state (plesiomorphy). A trait that is shared by two or more groups due to inheritance from a distant common ancestor. Symplesiomorphies are common to all the descendants of a distant common ancestor, and they cannot be used to infer close evolutionary relationships between subsets of these descendants. A shared derived character state (apomorphy). A novel evolutionary trait that is shared by two or more groups due to inheritance from an immediate common ancestor. Synapomorphies are used by phylogenetic biologists to infer close evolutionary relationships between organisms. Any named group of organisms. A slender climbing organ by which some twining plants attach themselves to an object for support, formed by modification of a part of a plant, e.g. a stem, a leaf or leaflet, a stipule. The taxa or named groups at the tips of the branches of a tree. Pertaining to land - as opposed to the water (aquatic) or the air (aerial). The Tertiary is the first period of the Cenozoic era, spanning the time between about 65 to 1.8 million years ago. For more information see The Tertiary at The Paleontology Portal. A unicellular sporangium containing four asexual tetraspores which are produced from meiosis. Tetrasporangia are found in certain red algae. A form adopted by some species of ciliates that typically does not feed but moves quickly. May be thought of as an adaptation in response to a lack of food and the task of which is to hunt out new sources of food. The Triassic is the earliest period of the Mesozoic era, spanning the time between about 248 to 206 million years ago. For more information see The Triassic at The Paleontology Portal. A type of extrusome which, when extruded, takes the form of a fine stiff filament. Typical of Paramecium, but used inadvertently to refer to other types of extrusomes. An organism that is an obligate inhabitant of caves and underground water systems. Subterranean life often results in a series of characteristic morphological and physiological adaptations (troglomorphies) such as loss of pigment, blindness, and elongation of appendages. Morphological characteristics often exhibited by troglobites due to adaptation to life in caves and subterranean water systems. Examples include blindness, a loss of skin pigment, and elongation of appendages. A term preferred by some workers, usually in the US, for eukaryotic cilia and flagella. Consisting of but a single cell. A structure in a cell enclosed by a membrane. Usually food vacuoles (associated with the digestion of food) or contractile vacuoles (association with the excretion of fluid). Small vacuoles may be called vesicles. A foreign body. Used to refer both to bits of debris which may be incorporated into the shells of some testate amoebae, and also to symbiotic algae lying inside other cells. Probably best restricted to the first use.

2019-04-21T10:24:00Z

http://wwww.tolweb.org/tree/home.pages/glossary.html

Yes. All prizes are subject to income taxes. The Lottery must withhold federal and state taxes from each prize over $5,000. The Lottery withholds 24% for federal taxes and 6.5% for West Virginia state taxes. Non-US residents’ prizes are subject to federal back-up withholding. By law, unclaimed prize money is returned to the prize fund for second chance drawings, additional prizes in games and other promotional efforts. Beginning July 1, 1996, the Unclaimed Prize Fund also paid 1¼% out of the 7% retailer commission. Effective January 1, 2019, House Bill 2982 allows winners of West Virginia Lottery draw games to remain anonymous in regards to his or her name, personal contact information, and likeness; providing that the prize exceeds one million dollars and the individual who elects to remain anonymous remits five percent of his or her winnings to the State Lottery Fund. All other winners are made public and listed in the winner database on wvlottery.com. Can lottery winnings be claimed by mail? Yes. You can claim any prize by mailing (we suggest certified or registered mail) your ticket to: West Virginia Lottery Claims, P.O. Box 2913, Charleston, WV 25330. Be sure to sign the back of your tickets and include your postal address. You MUST include a copy of your driver's license or state ID and a copy of your social security card (if the prize is $601 and above). We also encourage you to keep a photocopy of your ticket. How long do I have to collect on a winning ticket? A winner has 180 days from the drawing date to collect on-line game cash prizes and 180 days from the game ending date for instant games. Please note that under State Law, retailers are allowed to sell tickets up until the expiration date. Please refer to www.wvlottery.com for a complete list of new games, current games and games that have ended. What happens if I accidentally lose a winning ticket? The West Virginia Lottery is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets. Protect yourself by immediately printing and signing your name as it appears on your government issued identification on the back of any winning tickets. It is important to remember that West Virginia Lottery tickets are bearer instruments and unless signed by the rightful winner, anyone in possession of the ticket may file a claim. What happens to annual jackpot payments if the winner dies before collecting all of the prize installments? In case of a winner's death, the West Virginia Lottery will continue to pay the annual payments, as scheduled, to the winner's ESTATE, trust or person(s) named in his or her will. The Lottery does NOT keep the money; the state does NOT take it. It is possible for legal action to be taken to have the lump cash sum remaining in an annuity to be made payable to the estate. The Lottery recommends that all jackpot winners consult a financial advisor and competent attorney as soon as possible. How do I know that the Lottery is safe? The Lottery is one of the most closely scrutinized agencies in state government and is structured with a comprehensive oversight network of numerous checks and balances. All financial records are audited by several entities; the background of every employee, vendor, and licensed retailer must pass an in-depth security check in conjunction with the West Virginia State Police. Numerous security measures are included in the drawing procedures to assure their randomness and integrity. A staff that includes a security officer, an event manager and an independent auditor oversees all drawings. How many West Virginia Lottery employees are there? The Lottery employs more than 170 people. Contracts for providing online games, instant tickets and field services (through GTech) provide employment for additional West Virginians. Is the West Virginia Lottery audited? Yes. The West Virginia Lottery employs an internal auditor, is audited each year by an independent auditing firm and is subject to Legislative audits. An independent auditing firm observes all game drawings. When did the West Virginia Lottery start? State voters approved the Lottery Amendment to the West Virginia Constitution on November 6, 1984 by a vote of 67% for the issue to 33% against. The West Virginia Legislature passed the Lottery Act in April 1985, which was signed in May by Gov. Arch A. Moore, Jr. The first instant tickets were sold on January 9, 1986. More than 1.5 million tickets were sold the first day. Always guard your personal information. Attempts to deceive people into believing that they have won a lottery prize are now commonplace. Scammers are looking for sensitive personal information such as a your name, address, phone number, date of birth, Social Security number, bank or credit card account number and ultimately - your money in an effort to defraud you. 1) If you receive a "winning notification" by mail, email or phone that you are a West Virginia Lottery or Mega Millions or any other Lottery prize winner: The West Virginia Lottery does not send out winning notifications via postal mail. You will never be contacted by phone or email, unless you entered a specific second chance drawing from the West Virginia Lottery. There is no other circumstance where you will be contacted by us informing you that you've won a prize. 2) If you receive a check with directions to cash and return a portion of the cash, do not respond. The check is not valid and will be returned for insufficient funds. No legitimate lottery will ever send you this type of communication. 3) Do not be fooled into providing personal information to scammers. Scammers often provide Internet-based claim forms or request personal information over the phone, such as credit card or bank account information. 4) If you are requested to pay a fee before winnings can be released to you, this is a fraud. Never send money. A legitimate lottery will never require you to pay money for advanced fees to cover expenses associated with the delivery of "winning prizes." 5) Never redeem a Lottery ticket for someone you do not know. Never pay cash to someone offering to sell a "winning ticket." 6) Never accept a collect phone call from someone claiming to be a Lottery official. You will never be asked to accept charges or to pay for anything in advance of claiming a legitimate prize. 7) Only purchase West Virginia Lottery tickets from one of our licensed lottery retailers located in the state of West Virginia. 8) If you feel you have been a victim of fraud you should: Contact your state’s Attorney General to report it. Read the information and tips put out by the Federal Trade Commission about scams. Forward the suspicious email to the Federal Trade Commission's address for unsolicited commercial email at [email protected] . Notify the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) of the FBI by filing a complaint on their web site at: www.ic3.gov. What games does the West Virginia Lottery offer? Instant (Scratch-Offs) Games, Online games (DAILY 3, DAILY 4, Cash 25, HotLotto®, PowerBall®, "TRAVEL™" Keno”, Mega Millions®), and Video Lottery games at selected locations under the laws governing LVL and RVL. TRAVEL™ Keno games (5-minute draws) are available only in certain "adult environments"; video lottery games and table games are available only at the State’s four casino racetracks and the Greenbrier resort. Can the Powerball® or Mega Ball numbers be used in the first five numbers? In short, no. Those numbers cannot become or be used as one of the numbers in the set of five numbers (the white drawing balls); neither may one of those five numbers become the Powerball, Mega Ball or Hot Ball. The two sets of numbers remain separate and apart for drawing and to determine winners. This is how the odds are determined, using TWO different sets of numbers. Do PowerBall® and Mega Millions® players have to choose the cash or annuity option before buying the ticket? No, you may choose cash or annuity up to 60 days after claiming a jackpot. Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") rules govern this issue. At one time, the annuity or cash option was required at the time a ticket was purchased. After the enactment of Internal Revenue Code section 451h, a player now may switch from annuity to cash within 60 days of claiming a jackpot. Does the Lottery place winning instant tickets in certain parts of the state? No. Winning instant tickets are randomly placed by computer into the packs of instant tickets during the manufacturing process. The Lottery randomly distributes the packs around the state. Because of this system, players in one part of the state have as much chance of buying winning instant tickets as those in any other part of the state. In DAILY 3 and DAILY 4, what are the differences between all of the box bets such as 3-way box, 6-way box, 24-way box, 12-way box, 6-way box and 4-way box? Why is there a varied payout? A boxed bet is a winner if any combination of your numbers come out as winning numbers. The 3-way and 6-way box bets as they pertain to the Daily3 game: The term "3-way" and "6-way" refer to the number of combinations that are possible for a certain bet. If your Daily3 bet consists of 3 unique digits, such as 1-2-3, there are 6 different winning combinations possible (1-2-3; 1-3-2; 2-1-3; 2-3-1; 3-1-2; and 3-2-1). This is a 6-way box. A Daily3 number that has 2 like numbers, such as 1-1-2, only has 3 possible winning combinations--1-1-2; 1-2-1; and 2-1-1. This is a 3-way box bet. You win more money for 3-way box bets because there is a lower probability of winning with only 3 possible combinations rather than 6. The same principle applies to the Daily4 box bets, which are the 24-way, 12-way, 6-way and 4-way boxes. Again, the "24-way" refers to how many possible combinations of a number there are. A Daily4 boxed bet with 4 unique digits, such as 1-2-3-4, has 24 different possible winning combinations. With 24 ways to win, this is the easiest Daily4 box, therefore it has the lowest payout. The 12-way box applies to a number that has 2 like numbers within it, such as 1-1-2-3. The 6-way box has 2 pairs, example 1-1-2-2; and a 4 way box has 3 like numbers, for example 1-1-1-2. The 4-way box has the highest payout of the boxed bets because with only 4 possible combinations, it is the least probable box bet to win. Make sure to view our “How to Play” instructional videos for more information! I buy several instant tickets in a row and have no winners. Why can't the Lottery have more winners in an instant game? A Lottery is a game of chance, and to preserve the integrity of the West Virginia Lottery, printing instant winning tickets is done randomly. We cannot program winning tickets without compromising integrity. There are a certain number of instant winners in every book, but even within each book, winning tickets and their prizes are printed randomly. The prize payouts for West Virginia instant games are considered fairly high. The prize payout averages approximately 68%. Instant ticket odds are incorrect. Odds printed on the back of all instant tickets (i.e. 1 in 4.25) are the overall average odds based on the total amount of tickets printed for that game. This means that if you could purchase EVERY ticket that was printed for the game and scratched them all, the number of tickets printed divided by the number of winners found would equal the odds. It does not mean that by purchasing four to five tickets in order at a time will produce a winner. Remember, that the Lottery is a game of chance and not every ticket can be a winner. What is a straight/box bet in DAILY 3 and DAILY 4? You can play both Daily3 and Daily4 numbers in a "straight/box" bet (also known as EXACT/ANY). This simply means that you are covering your straight bet combination with a box bet. Therefore, if your straight bet wins, you win both the straight amount and the boxed amount. If your numbers do not come up straight (exact order), but a combination of your numbers come up, you win only the boxed (any order) amount. Keep in mind, 50¢ of your $1 bet goes to each type, therefore your winnings will be half those of just a straight (exact) or just a box (any) bet. For a more detailed explanation with visuals, please see our “How To” video tutorial. What states are in the Lotto America® game? Lotto America is available to play in 13 jurisdictions: Delaware, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Montana, Minnesota, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee and West Virginia. Drawings are held every Wednesday and Saturday after 11 p.m. ET. When did Powerball® begin and how has it changed since its inception? The Multi-State Lottery Association’s first game was LOTTO*AMERICA 7/40® which started sales on Wednesday, February 3, 1988. The first draw was on Saturday, February 13, 1988. MUSL’s second game was LOTTO*AMERICA 6/54® with sales starting on February 5, 1989. The original POWERBALL® game began sales on April 19, 1992. The first POWERBALL® drawing was on April 22, 1992. After more than five years as America’s premier jackpot game, POWERBALL® was updated beginning with the drawing of November 5, 1997. In order to generate larger average jackpots, the game changed from a 5 of 45 white ball plus 1 of 45 red ball game to a 5 of 49 plus 1 of 42 format. Low-tier prize levels were increased, the guaranteed starting jackpot was raised to $10 million, and players were offered the option of taking the jackpot in a lump sum cash payment. In March 2001, a major product enhancement was designed for the POWERBALL® product. This Power Play® feature allows a player to multiply their winnings of all set prizes (all prizes except the jackpot prize) by a number randomly drawn in a wheel spin just before the POWERBALL® drawing. As the population base playing POWERBALL® continued to increase, the matrix was again changed on October 6, 2002 by adding 4 additional balls to the white ball set. No additional balls were added to the red balls with the resulting matrix becoming 5/53 + 1/42. The continued success of the POWERBALL® brand prompted four more states to join the game. The matrix was again changed to insure game performance starting with the drawing of August 31, 2005. Additional enhancements to the game included: minimum jackpots starting at $15 million; the secondary prize raised to $200,000; and the third prize increased to $10,000. While no additional balls were added to the red Powerball set, two additional numbers were added to the white balls resulting in a matrix of 5/55 + 1/42. On January 1, 2009, the population base playing POWERBALL® increased with the addition of Florida to the membership. A matrix change effective for the drawing held January 7 added four numbers to the selection of white balls and dropped the number of red POWERBALL® numbers to 39. The change improved the overall odds of winning a prize, while providing a minimum jackpot that moved from a guaranteed $15 million to $20 million. Another change affected those who pay a dollar extra for the PowerPlay multiplier option; anyone purchasing a PowerPlay ticket who matches all five white balls automatically wins $1 million, instead of the $200,000 cash prize. Odds of winning any prize dropped from 1 in 36.6 to 1 in 35; odds of winning the jackpot increased from 1 in 146 million to 1 in 195 million, but the jackpot provided is higher and is expected to be hit more often because of the increase in play from Florida's players. In January of 2012, the game was redesigned to bring more value to its players. Jackpots will start at $40 million and grow faster overall. There will be more chances to win a prize of at least $1 million cash and the overall odds of winning any prize in the game also improved. The ticket price also changed, moving from $1 to $2. The enriched POWERBALL® game debuted Jan. 15, 2012. Tickets in the game will cost $2 and the Power Play® feature will still be available for an extra $1 per play. For that extra $1, players have the chance to win $2 million cash for the match 5 prize; that is improved from $1 million. While the Power Play now has set prizes, players will still at least double their non-jackpot prizes when they purchase this option. Players in the newly designed game still choose their first five numbers from a pool of 59. But the group of numbers in the POWERBALL® pool will shrink from 39 to 35, producing better overall odds of winning a prize in the game. Players today have a 1 in 35 overall chance of winning, which will improve to 1 in 31.8 in the revamped game. That means tens of thousands more winners each drawing. The POWERBALL® jackpots will start at $40 million, double the current starting jackpot of $20 million. In January of 2014 Powerball's Power play option returned to being a multiplier function. Adding a potential 2-5X prize component to all prizes under the match 5 level. When the PowerBall® and Mega Millions® jackpots are very high, why not have several top prizes of $1 million or $5 million each instead of one $30 million, $50 million or $75 million prize? The PowerBall® and Mega Millions® games are designed for players wanting large jackpots; sales go up as the jackpot rises. The Lottery provides other on-line games with more frequent winners of smaller prizes. Please note that both games also produce a great deal of second-tier prize winners for matching a certain amount of numbers. Always check your tickets! Which game is the West Virginia Lottery's biggest seller by percentage? For Fiscal year ending June 30, 2005: West Virginia Lottery instant games were the top seller with 58%, next was PowerBall® with 25%, Keno with 5%, DAILY 3 with 4.8%, CASH 25 with 3% and DAILY 4 with 2%. Other Multi-state games accounted for 1.7%. PowerBall® is played in 41 States, Washington D.C. and the US Virgin Islands. The lotteries include Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Virgin Islands, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, West Virginia. Why did you change the Powerball game to make it even harder to hit the jackpot? There is another side of the coin. The chance of winning any prize under the new Powerball structure (changed January 2009) have improved from 1 in 36.6 to 1 in 35. While the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot increased from 1 in 146 million to 1 in 195 million, the jackpot is higher, grows more quickly, and is hit more often as a result of increased play from the addition of Florida to the Powerball membership. In additon, the changes allow for players to win $1 million who choose the PowerPlay option and match all five of the white balls drawn, instead of the usual $200,000 cash prize. And receiving enthusiasm from players, the new jackpots will start at a minimum guaranteed $20 million, instead of $15 million. The reason the odds of the jackpot were changed was because of the addition of Florida players to the game. It follows that the jackpot is hit more frequently with a larger population pool, which would keep it low. Players buy Powerball tickets because they are attracted to large jackpots; sales are driven by the size of the jackpot. As one player said, "Where else can I get the chance of this much money for a dollar, regardless of the odds?" People who want better odds of winning lots of money can play "Hot Lotto" (odds are 1 in 10.9 million of hitting the jackpot) or for the cash prizes in Cash25, Daily3, and Daily4. Adjustments have to be made to the Powerball jackpot-driven game to provide the big jackpots players have come to expect. The indicator as to what players want is reflected in sales and in this case, big sales are reflective of a big jackpot. Why is the cash amount of the PowerBall® and Mega Millions® jackpots less than the annuity amount? The annuity amount is the value of the cash amount invested in securities over 30 years. Can a group of people share a Lottery prize? Yes, some Lottery prizes (e.g. PowerBall®, Mega Millions®, Hot Lotto® and CASH 25) can be shared. This decision must be made at the time of claim. Some restrictions do apply. The individuals and their respective shares are reported for tax purposes. PowerBall® annuity checks are sent to each individual. Can lottery tickets be purchased by phone, mail or Internet? No. Current law prohibits such sales. Also, federal interstate trade laws prohibit the sale of tickets across state lines. Tickets must be purchased at an authorized West Virginia Lottery retailer location. How can I get winning numbers? For winning numbers call 1-800-WVA-CASH (982-2274). Numbers may also be obtained through any Lottery retail location, newspapers, radio stations, or through our website www.wvlottery.com. The West Virginia Lottery is only responsible for numbers provided through its phone service and website. How does Mega Millions® differ from Powerball®? Actually, they are played the same. The multiplier associated with Mega Millions® is called the Megaplier, which includes numbers 2-5 that can be drawn to multiply prizes. The Megaplier does not apply to the jackpot; it costs $1 extra to purchase. The single sixth digit in the game is called the Mega Ball. The five Mega Millions® numbers are chosen from a field of 75; the Mega Ball is chosen from a field of 15. Prizes range from $1 from matching only the Mega Ball, to the jackpot for matching all five balls, plus the Mega Ball. A $1 million cash prize is won for matching all five of the set of five numbers. As with Powerball®, the numbers cannot be switched, in that a Mega Ball number cannot become one of the five numbers, nor can one of the five numbers become a Mega Ball number. Odds of hitting the Mega Millions® jackpot are 1 in 258,890,850 (odds for the Powerball® jackpot are 1 in 175,233,510). How does the Lottery make sure its drawings are random? The West Virginia Lottery goes to great lengths to ensure the randomness of its drawings and to eliminate any possibility of a breach of security that could jeopardize integrity. All equipment is stored in a locked area of our drawing studio. Further, a numbered and recorded seal secures each ball case. Each seal is checked and verified every night prior to drawings by the Lottery’s security officer, the event manager and the independent auditor. For each game, we have multiple sets of balls. The ball sets to be used are randomly selected prior to each drawing by the independent auditor. The auditor monitors all drawing activities to make absolutely certain that all procedures approved by the Director are followed. All drawing-related activities are recorded on both video and audiotape. Prior to every drawing, pretests are conducted and following every drawing posttests are conducted to ensure the random drawing of numbers – to ensure that no one digit is drawn more often than another. Each set of balls is regularly weighed and measured down to 1/1000 of a gram by the WV Department of Weights and Measures. All Lottery drawings are open to the public. How many West Virginia players have won large jackpot prizes? It seems Multi-State prizes are mostly from out-of-state. Feb. 14, 1987: 43 Lotto 6/36 winners; split $250,000 jackpot (9 from counties around the Charleston regional office, 3 from counties around Parkersburg's regional office, 6 from counties around Wheeling regional office, 5 from counties around the Martinsburg regional office, 3 in the Elkins region, 5 in the Beckley region, 3 claimed in the Logan regional office, and 4 claimed by those living in counties served by the Huntington regional lottery office. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- October 21, 2005: Robin Davis claimed West Virginia’s top cash prize from the $340 million Powerball drawing on behalf of 19 hair stylists from Charles Town, WV. Including their $200,000 prize and their share of the cash pool, the total prize was $853,492. March 15, 2008: Eight Monongalia County Tax Office employees claimed $139.4 million CASH OPTION from a $276 million Powerball jackpot. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- Feb. 5, 2009: Jeff McNew, Chesapeake, Va., $1 million for match-5 from Powerball with the Powerplay option. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- April 8, 2010: Frank and Patricia Proud, Durbin, WV, $1 million for match-5 from Powerball with the Powerplay option. August 23, 2010: Randy Smith, Martinsburg, WV, $79 million jackpot, $44 million CASH OPTION from Powerball jackpot. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- Jan. 6, 2012: John Wiles, Tunnelton, WV, wins $1 million Mega Millions prize for matching five numbers with the Megaplier option. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 5, 2012: Michael Shaver and Ronald Simmons, both Vietnam Veterans from Weston, WV, share $14 million in winnings from Powerball for matching five numbers with the Powerplay option seven times on the same drawing. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 29, 2012: Judy Price, Fairview, WV, wins $1 million from Mega Millions for matching 5 numbers with the Megaplier option. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- June 4, 2012: John Robinson, Beckley, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- Dec. 21, 2012: Terry Brumfield, Harts, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 8, 2013: Mary Carr, Barboursville, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 8, 2013: The Gillispie Family (Doug, Chad, Todd and Tiffany Price), Julian, WV, win $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- August 22, 2013: Harry Seal, Martinsburg, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- October 7, 2013: David Feamster, Rupert, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- February 7, 2014: Randy Brown, Man, WV, wins $1 million from Mega Millions for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- February 8, 2014: "The Beckley 27" (co-workers at the Register-Herald), Beckley, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- February 19, 2014: "The IMS Dreamers" (Twelve co-workers at Innovative Mattress Solutions in Winfield), Winfield, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 18, 2014: Beverly Swartzmiller, Sistersville, WV, wins $2 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers with the Powerplay option. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- March 31, 2014: Katie Ivers, Pullman, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- April 25, 2014: Jeff Carver, Belle, WV, claims $1 million from Mega Millions for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- May 5, 2014: Pam Garretson and Penny Fitzpatrick, Crab Orchard, WV, claims $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- May 5, 2014: Ricky Hall, Arnoldsburg, WV, claims $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- May 6, 2014: Angel Gonzales, Ranson, WV, claims $2 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers with the Powerplay option. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- May 17, 2014: Hartzell "John" Lancaster, Weirton, WV, claims $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- Aug. 2, 2014: Robert Carter, Poca, WV, wins $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- Dec. 20, 2014: David Tefft, Parkersburg, WV, wins $2 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers with the Powerplay option. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- Jan. 14, 2015: “The Fabulous Five,” a group of five co-workers from the Kanawha County Emergency Ambulance Authority, South Charleston, WV, claims $1 million from Mega Millions for matching 5 numbers.• *Special note, not a jackpot* -- Jan. 14, 2016: Steven Wilson, East Liverpool, Ohio, claims $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- July 5, 2016: Sam & Barb Ratliff, Elkview, W.Va., claim $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- July 11, 2016: Robert Lane, Fairmont, W.Va., claim $1 million from Powerball for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- August 12, 2016: "The Mountaineer 26," a group of 26 former and current WVU employees, claim $1 million from Mega Millions for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- August 23, 2016: Teddy Harbert, Worthington, W.Va., claims $1 million Powerball prize for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- January 17, 2017: Martha & Tommy Robinson, Princeton, W.Va., claims $2 million Powerball prize for matching 5 numbers with Power Play. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- May 4, 2017: Tim Varca, Shinnston, W.Va., claims $1 million Powerball prize for matching 5 numbers. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- July 16, 2018: Robert & Mary Thomas, Charleston, W.Va., claim $2 million Powerball prize for matching 5 numbers with Power Play. *Special note, not a jackpot* -- January 11, 2019: Stanis Tabler, Charles Town, W.Va., claims $1 million Powerball prize for matching 5 numbers. In summary: Sales correspond directly with the number of winners by any given member of the MultiState Lottery. The odds of any ticket winning are exactly the same, regardless of where it is sold. I.e., the largest prize in the world –at the time—was sold in West Virginia’s Putnam County, while the bulk of winners for the drawing were found in areas with higher sales. The top 10 sales counties in WV were located along the borders where there was an influx across state lines to purchase tickets. The largest of West Virginia's Powerball prizes was a $314.9 million jackpot won by Jack Whittaker, who bought a ticket at C&L Super Serve in Hurricane for the December 25, 2002 drawing. The second largest prize won by a ticket purchased in West Virginia was a $276 million (CO $139.4 million) claimed by eight Monongalia Tax Office employees from a ticket bought at Paula’s in Westover for the March 15, 2008 drawing. The third highest WV jackpot was a $79 million Powerball jackpot won by Randy Smith of Martinsburg, W.Va. He took the $44 million cash option and bought his ticket at the Mountaineer ROCS in Martinsburg. The fourth highest WV jackpot was a $62.4 million Powerball jackpot won by Hobert Parnell, a VA resident, who bought a winning Powerball ticket in Bluefield at Blue Flash Food Mart #5 for the drawing held March 25, 2003. The fifth largest was a $30.6 million Powerball prize won by Robert Cogar, a PA resident. Cogar's ticket was bought at Cottrell's Country Store in Morgantown for the drawing held June 8, 2002. James Graves of Maybeury won an $8.2 million Powerball jackpot in 1994 from a ticket purchased at Fast Stop in Princeton. Roger Boone of Lewisburg won a $24 million Powerball prize in 1995 from a ticket purchased at Crawford's Foodland in Fairlea. Fifteen FEMA works claimed a $10 million Powerball jackpot in 2005 with a ticket purchased at Sheetz in Charles Town. In the summer of 2005, Diane Ellis of South Charleston claimed a $1.07 million Hot Lotto jackpot with a ticket purchased from Prima 7-Eleven in South Charleston, becoming West Virginia's first Hot Lotto winner. An $8.5 million Hot Lotto jackpot was claimed in 2006 by Donald Cox of Winchester, Virginia, from a ticket purchased at State Line Market in Bunker Hill. Winning Lotto*America jackpot prizes from 1989 to 1990 were: July 19, 1989: David Carter, Martinsburg, WV, $1 million (split $2 million w/ MO player) Oct. 21, 1989: Byron Herder, Warrenton, Va, $5,6 million (split $11.2 million w/ RI player) Jan. 6, 1990: Marvetta Coffman, Parkersburg, WV, $17.52 million Nov. 21, 1990: Arnel Collins, Morgantown, WV, $3.9 million (split $7.8 mill. w/ Kansas) In addition, 13 jackpots were won on the West Virginia Lottery's Grand Prize show won nearly $18 million from 1986 to 1988 and 15 jackpots were won from Lotto 6/36 totaling more than $13 million. The odds of winning for every ticket are exactly the same, regardless of the state, county, or retailer from which it is purchased. Understandably, however, there will be more winners in areas of greater population because of increased participation. All profits generated by MultiState game sales remain in the state in which the tickets are purchased. What lotteries participate in the Mega Millions® game? Lotteries selling Mega Millions® tickets include; Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Conneticut, DC, Delaware, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennesse, Texas, Virginia, Virgin Islands, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin and West Virginia, . WV began selling tickets for Mega Millions® on Jan. 31, 2010; the first drawing was held Tuesday, Feb. 2. Outside of taxes, what other amounts can be withheld from my lottery winnings in West Virginia? Under state law, the West Virginia Lottery must check for any outstanding child support that is owed and any back state taxes that are owed when an individual is claiming a prize of more than $600. Should a claimant owe either item, that amount will be withheld. I live outside West Virginia. How can I buy West Virginia lottery tickets? West Virginia lottery tickets can be purchased at nearly 1,800 West Virginia lottery retailers statewide. Tickets may not be sold by mail, over the phone, or Internet due to federal interstate commerce laws. You may want to consider a trip to West Virginia. For maps, travel guides and information, call 1-800-CALL WVA! What TV stations broadcast the nightly live lottery drawings? What time is the nightly draw show and where can I watch it? The West Virginia Lottery nightly draw show airs at 6:59 p.m. ET, Monday-Saturday. The following stations carry the West Virginia Lottery's nightly draw show: WSAZ-TV, Charleston/Huntington WDTV-TV, Clarksburg WOAY-TV, Oak Hill WVVA-TV, Bluefield FOX9, Wheeling, W.Va./Stubbenville, Ohio *Video of each nightly drawing is also uploaded to our web site, where it can be viewed following each drawing. You can access this page here. When are the drawings held for Mega Millions®? Drawings are held Tuesday and Friday at 11 PM. Tickets must be purchased before 9:59 PM on Tuesday and Friday to be included in that night’s drawing. Results are recorded on the Lottery’s phone system, as well as printed on the lottery web site at www.wvlottery.com; they may also be received as a print-out from any WV Lottery retailer. When I buy a Lottery ticket, does the Lottery computer know whether I have won or lost? No. The purchase of a Lottery ticket and the random drawing of the winning numbers are totally separate. Nobody knows if there is a winner until after the drawing. Who can play the West Virginia Lottery? You must be 18 years or older to purchase tickets. You may be younger than 18 to receive tickets as gifts and receive prizes. All tickets must be purchased from authorized lottery retailers in accordance with West Virginia Lottery legislative rules. Who plays the West Virginia Lottery? Since several states sell PowerBall®, Mega Millions® and HotLotto™, which state gets the profits from the tickets sold in West Virginia? The profits from PowerBall®, Mega Millions® and HotLotto® tickets sold in West Virginia; stay in West Virginia! What benefits do retailers get from selling tickets? Retailers receive 7% commission on ticket sales. Incentives such as a 1% cashing bonus of prizes from $1 to $600, a 1% selling bonus for prizes of $500 or more (up to a $100,000 top bonus for winning Powerball, Mega Millions and Hot Lotto tickets) and various other retailer promotions are used. More than 50% of all West Virginia Lottery instant and online ticket sales have been returned to players in prizes. State law requires that at least 45% of total revenue be paid in prizes. Retailers who sell tickets receive 7% of sales. Not more than 15% of the Lottery’s total revenue may be spent on operating costs. The remainder is profits transferred to the State Lottery Fund for appropriation by the Legislature to Education, Senior Citizen and Tourism programs. Who decides how proceeds are used? Each year the West Virginia Legislature appropriates net profits deposited into the State Lottery Fund to various programs benefiting education, senior citizen and tourism programs. The placement of basic skill education computers in classrooms statewide and programs under the School Building Authority, Education & Arts, Senior Services, as well as Natural Resources and Tourism are most of the beneficiaries of Lottery revenues. The Lottery, itself, has no authority over where proceeds are directed. How are the profits spent for each one – Racetrack and Limited Video Lottery? In general, profits from video lottery gaming fund West Virginia programs for senior citizens, education and tourism. In 2000, House Bill 102 capped the lottery’s four percent administrative allowance under the Racetrack Video Lottery Act at the fiscal year 2001 level. Today, excess funds are deposited into the State’s Excess Lottery Revenue Fund, used to provide West Virginia students with college scholarships and to back bonds for economic development endeavors. West Virginia cities and counties also receive two percent of the State’s revenues produced by the limited video lottery machines located within their geographic boundaries. What is the difference between the Video Lottery at the racetracks and “Limited Video Lottery”? It should be noted that the machines in both environments are the same with exception to “reel and coin drop” machines that are allowed only in the racetrack environment. Video lottery machines are stand-alone, player-interactive gaming machines with a video simulation of the common “slot” machine. Prior to the fall of 1999, the video lottery machines in racetracks were all voucher, ticket printing machines, sold by a number of state licensed manufacturers. West Virginia law was developed to allow the licensed racetracks to offer some actually “slot” machines that did not use a video simulation and some machines that dropped coins instead of issuing vouchers. The limited video lottery product, in the non-racetrack environment, remains confined to video simulation and vouchers. Limited video lottery games in West Virginia must pay out no less than 80 percent and no more than 95 percent. Video Lottery games located at the state racetracks and casinos must pay out between 80 percent and no more than 99.9% by law. In the state of West Virginia, Video Lottery is the legal use of player interactive gaming machines similar to those commonly known as “slot” machines in the casino industry. As of 1994, video lottery was approved, with restraints set forth by law, at West Virginia’s four thoroughbred and greyhound racetracks. The issue had to be approved by voters in the counties in which each track is located. In 2001, the West Virginia Legislature passed a bill allowing for a limited number of video lottery machines in adult environments. It is referred to as the “Limited Video Lottery Act.” The measure outlawed pre-existing “gray” or “poker” machines and restricted the number of Limited Video Lottery terminals to no more than 9,000. The environments in which they are permitted are classified as adult-only based on the fact that they possess a Class A, Alcohol and Beverage Commission (ABCA) license and meet various other legal requirements.

2019-04-22T23:27:14Z

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