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Electronic Tagging Helps Biologists Study Migratory Habits of Sharks
The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has placed electronic tags on five great white sharks in waters off Chatham in the last four days.
Working under the direction of DMF Senior Biologist Greg Skomal, harpooner Bill Chaprales, captain of the fishing vessel Ezyduzit, placed the electronic tags on the sharks. Skomal, who heads DMF's shark research program, said recognition for the successful tagging effort also goes to spotter pilot George Breen and to Nick Chaprales, the boat's driver. Both the spotter pilot and the boat crew are under contract with DMF.
"The Commonwealth is proud of the efforts of biologist Greg Skomal who works on behalf of the citizens of Massachusetts to further shark research, helping us to understand the behavior of these animals and to act as good stewards of the marine environment," said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Ian Bowles, whose office includes DMF.
After multiple shark sightings off of the coast of Chatham last week, Skomal and other state biologists set out to identify the species of the sharks recently sighted in the waters off Monomoy Island in Chatham. On Saturday, Chaprales placed tags on two sharks. An additional three sharks were tagged today in the waters off Monomoy Island in Chatham. The tags, which use satellite-based technology to record where a shark travels, allow scientists to better understand migratory patterns.
"DFG is fortunate to have an international shark expert like Greg Skomal working with the DMF team to help better understand and track the great white shark," said DFG Commissioner Mary Griffin.
While sharks are not uncommon off the Massachusetts coasts state officials urge the public to use caution.
In 2004, the DMF attempted to electronically tag a great white shark that was stuck in a shallow embankment at Naushon Island off of Cape Cod. While DMF's Skomal was able to place a tag on that shark, the device detached from the animal shortly afterward without acquiring any data.
Many species of fish, including sharks, migrate to New England's coastal and open ocean waters in the summer months. At least a dozen shark species migrate in and out of New England waters annually. In fact, Massachusetts represents the northernmost range for several species of sharks and is an important area for monitoring the health and distribution of shark populations. Although relatively rare in New England, great white sharks, are known to visit local waters, where they are sometimes seen feeding near seal colonies.
The National Marine Fisheries Service Fishery Management Plan for sharks of the Atlantic Ocean recommends that states, "Actively participate in acquiring pertinent information and data" on sharks.
The Massachusetts Shark Research Program (MSRP) was established in 1990 to study the ecology, distribution, and relative abundance of sharks that are subject to recreational fisheries in the Commonwealth. A thorough understanding of these parameters is crucial to the management process and wise utilization of these resources. In addition to fieldwork, the project also provides public education and technical information on the biology, management, and use of sharks. DMF biologists conduct cooperative research with other world-renowned shark researchers to provide local expertise and biological samples for these highly migratory predators.
Today's great white shark tagging follows May's publication in the peer-reviewed journal Current Biology of Skomal's research on the migratory patterns of basking sharks. Using similar tagging technology, Skomal and his team documented remarkable migratory habits of these large sharks, identifying previously unknown winter habitat - a discovery that has implications for the species' conservation. (Click here for press release on DMF's basking shark research.)
DMF's shark research program is one of eight marine fisheries research programs funded through DMF's Recreational Marine Fisheries program. The shark research program is beneficiary of several federal grants. | Electronic Tagging Helps Biologists Study Migratory Habits of Sharks
The Massachusetts Department of Fish and Game’s Division of Marine Fisheries (DMF) has placed electronic tags on five great white sharks in waters off Chatham in the last four days.
Working under the direction of DMF Senior Biologist Greg Skomal, harpooner Bill Chaprales, captain of the fishing vessel Ezyduzit, placed the electro | {
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Procedure for Disposal of Surplus Equipment
Divisions wishing to dispose of equipment that no longer meets their needs should do the following:
Computers and Computer Peripherals
1. Computers and Computer Peripherals: All computers must be cleaned of data prior to disposal. If the computer or computer peripheral is a Unisys asset, then follow the BIS IMAC process by requesting that your department liaison fill out an IMAC form ( http://citytalk/bis/
All Other Equipment (plus computer equipment designated by BIS as non-Unisys owned)
2. Interdepartmental Reuse: Send a request for e-mail to all City, Library Board and Park Board staff to Communications, listing the equipment that is available, a time, date, contact person, and location where city staff can view and pick up equipment for their division to keep. The email should specify that the equipment is only for City or board business, and not personal usage. For non-Unisys computer assets, specify in the email that as a non-Unisys asset, it can never be attached to the enterprise network.
3. Equipment Valued at over $5,000: If the equipment had a value of over $5,000.00 when purchased, it must be taken off the fixed asset inventory. This would entail one FISCOL document, which is either a FS (fixed asset internal sale) or a FT (fixed asset transfer) document. Call the fixed asset manager, Glen Flohrs, at 673-2464 for further clarification, if needed, regarding this matter.
4. Surplus Equipment Evaluation: Procurement Division staff will evaluate the equipment to determine if there is a monetary value and a market for the equipment. If there is both monetary value and a market, the buyer assigned will determine the most cost effective way to sell the equipment using auction, sealed bids or another sale method as appropriate.
5. Donations to Non-Profits: Equipment determined to have no monetary value and no existing market will be donated to non-profit agencies working with the City.
6. Junk: If equipment has no monetary value, there is no market and it cannot be given away, then the item can be junked and designated as junk, on the fixed asset inventory, as appropriate. In order to dispose of the asset as junk from the fixed asset inventory a FD (fixed asset disposition) document must be created and processed. (Note: If a salvage value is assigned to the asset in the system the department must eliminate the salvage value on the fixed asset system prior to disposal, a FC (fixed asset change) document must be created and processed before the FD is processed.) Costs for disposed materials are paid for by the department from which the items originated.
7. Procurement Division Staff Assistance: Call Cheryl Groettum, 612 673-2197 for assistance with this procedure.
Minneapolis City Council/Mayor approval date October 22, 1998
Last updated Oct. 21, 2011 | Procedure for Disposal of Surplus Equipment
Divisions wishing to dispose of equipment that no longer meets their needs should do the following:
Computers and Computer Peripherals
1. Computers and Computer Peripherals: All computers must be cleaned of data prior to disposal. If the computer or computer peripheral is a Unisys asset, then follow the BIS IMAC process by requesting that your department | {
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In 1854 Anthony Burns, a twenty-year old freedom seeker, stowed away on a vessel bound from Virginia to northern ports.
Burns reached Boston, Massachusetts and found employment in a clothing store. Burns’ freedom was short-lived, as he was seized by a federal marshal and held in a U.S. Court House under the terms of the Fugitive Slave Law. Reverend Leonard A. Grimes convinced Burns to contest his case, while uproar over the enforcement of this hated law consumed abolitionist Boston.
Antislavery advocates launched an unsuccessful attack on the courthouse in an attempt to free Burns; one policeman was killed. Grimes and his congregation raised $1200 toward the goal of purchasing freedom for Burns. However, they were stymied by a District Attorney determined to prove the point that if the Fugitive Slave Law could be enforced in abolitionist Boston, then it could be enforced throughout the nation.
Burns, denied bail, a jury trial, an appeal, and the right to testify, was returned to his master, though it took an escort of federal troops and the Boston militia to get him aboard a government vessel bound for Virginia. Held in a Richmond slave jail for five months, Grimes was eventually successful in purchasing Burns’ freedom.
Burns returned triumphant to the North where he toured briefly as a antislavery speaker. In 1860, Burns settled in St. Catherine’s, Ontario, Canada. He died in 1862. | In 1854 Anthony Burns, a twenty-year old freedom seeker, stowed away on a vessel bound from Virginia to northern ports.
Burns reached Boston, Massachusetts and found employment in a clothing store. Burns’ freedom was short-lived, as he was seized by a federal marshal and held in a U.S. Court House under the terms of the Fugitive Slave Law. Reverend Leonard A. Grimes convinced Burns to contest his | {
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The R-word is "retard or "retarded".
How long has it been since you heard someone use the R-Word? Was it at school or in a mall or restaurant? Most people would never call a person with a disability by that term, but far too many people do think it’s funny to use it in conversation to describe someone who has made a mistake, or a situation that is ridiculous.
When you use the R-word you never know who is listening, it could be someone with a disability or someone who has a family member with a disability. Even if no harm is intended to people with disabilities, the R-word hurts.
Vocabulary develops over time, and it will take time for you to eliminate the R-word from your own vocabulary. People with disabilities and their advocates understand that. All we ask is that you become more aware of the R-word and replace it with something new – maybe ridiculous, silly, outlandish or bizarre.
Don't just take our word for it - watch these videos and read these articles to better understand the vast impact the R-word has on people with disabilities. Share them with friends and family and help get the word out, the R-word hurts.
The Hurtful Effects of the R-word
- World of Special Olympics blog
Eddie Barbanell from the hit movie "The Ringer" talks about growing up different and the effects of the R-word. In a YouTube video Eddie is joined by Johnny Knoxville where the two discuss the reasons they don't use the R-word.
The 'R-word' is no joke - Los Angeles TimesFor the intellectually disabled and their families, the R-word can be just as bad as the "N"-word.
Learn more and take the pledge against the R-word at the following sites:
This is a project of the Oklahoma Developmental | The R-word is "retard or "retarded".
How long has it been since you heard someone use the R-Word? Was it at school or in a mall or restaurant? Most people would never call a person with a disability by that term, but far too many people do think it’s funny to use it in conversation to describe someone who has made a mistake, or a situation that is ridiculous.
When you use the R-word you never know | {
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Summary: Instructor: Dr. Asiabanpour Fall 2006
Course: MFGE 4396 - Manufacturing Systems Design
This document includes ALL comments from students, not just the selected ones.
(Original surveys can be requested from the department of Technology and Engineering)
1- The objectives, activities, content, and/or requirements of this course and
· Very through and in depth on topics.
· Activities were really a part of the learning experience of this course, without the
activities, I wouldn't have learned as much as I did.
· It is an interesting and useful class.
· Quiz everyday tested our development of the course objectives and kept us
coming to class every night.
· The objectives, activities, and requirements for this class are fair. Evaluation
methods were also fair to all students.
· This course was truly interesting and interactive. By using the arena program, it
showed me an understanding about simulation and working out problems in
different ways. I've never used a program like this, but now I hope to use it or
something similar to it in the near future.
· All of these topics were very well taught & covered that were stated at the
beginning of the course. | Summary: Instructor: Dr. Asiabanpour Fall 2006
Course: MFGE 4396 - Manufacturing Systems Design
This document includes ALL comments from students, not just the selected ones.
(Original surveys can be requested from the department of Technology and Engineering)
1- The objectives, activities, content, and/or requirements of this course and
· Very through and in depth on topics.
· Activities were rea | {
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Addendum -- Applicable Laws, Rules, and Regulations
State Education Law
224. "No diploma or degree shall be conferred in this state except by a regularly organized institution of learning meeting all requirements of law and of the university. . . ."
Rules of the Board of Regents
3.32 Requirements and privileges. "Secondary schools and academic departments of school districts in the State of New York may upon proper application and after official inspection be admitted to the University by a vote of the Regents. Such school shall afford not less than 175 days in each year of approved academic instruction, equipment and teaching force, and may hold Regents academic examinations in the subjects covered by their approved courses of study for the grades for which they are admitted."
3.33 Grades. "Secondary schools shall be graded as junior high schools, middle high schools, industrial high schools, technical high schools, continuation high schools, and high schools, and the requirements therefor shall be as follows:
"(a) A junior high school shall consist of the seventh, eighth and ninth grades, organized as a separate unit with the approved courses of study and approved apparatus and library.
"(b) A middle high school shall maintain an approved course of study covering one year of high school above the eighth grade. It shall have approved apparatus and library.
"(c) A high school (senior) shall maintain an approved four-year course of study above the eighth grade and shall have approved apparatus and library. Such term shall include the six-year high school, covering the work of grades 7 to 12.
"(d) Industrial high schools may offer one-, two-, three- or four-year industrial or trade courses open to pupils who have completed the work of the eighth grade of the elementary schools. Such schools shall be organized as a separate unit with distinctive, approved courses of study and with approved equipment and facilities for industrial and trade education.
"(e) Technical high schools may offer three- or four-year general or specialized technical courses of secondary school grade. Such schools shall be organized as a separate unit with distinctive, approved courses of study and approved equipment for technical work.
"(f) Continuation high schools may offer general or specialized courses open to pupils 16 and 17 years of age who are not regularly enrolled in the full-time schools. Such schools shall be organized as a separate unit with distinctive courses of study and equipment and facilities adequate for providing the proper instruction for working children."
3.45 Diplomas. "No high school diploma shall be conferred which does not represent four years or their equivalent in grades above grade eight, and no such diploma shall be conferred upon a pupil who has not achieved a passing rating in each of the basic competency tests established by the commissioner."
Part 100 of the Regulations of the Commissioner of Education
100.2(p) Registration of schools. "Nonpublic schools may be, and public elementary, intermediate, middle, junior high, and high schools shall be, registered by the Board of Regents pursuant to this subdivision upon recommendation by the commissioner. Only those public and nonpublic high schools which are registered by the Board of Regents upon recommendation of the commissioner, may issue diplomas and administer Regents examinations."
100.1 (a) "Unit of study means at least 180 minutes of instruction per week throughout the school year, or the equivalent."
100.1 (b) "Unit of credit is earned by:
"(1) the mastery of the learning outcomes set forth in a New York State-developed or locally developed syllabus for a given high school subject, after a student has had the opportunity to complete a unit of study in the given subject matter area; or
"(2) pursuant to 100.5 (d)(1) of this Part, a passing score of at least 85 percent or its equivalent on a department-approved examination in a given high school subject without the completion of a unit of study, and the successful completion of either an oral examination or a special project.
100.5(a)(1) - "requires all students interested in earning a Regents or local high school diploma to complete 18 1/2 units of credit or their equivalent. Such units of credit shall include:
4 units of English
4 units of social studies (as set forth in paragraph (6) of this subdivision)
2 units of science (as set forth in paragraph (8) of this subdivision)
2 units of mathematics (as set forth in paragraph (7) of this subdivision)
1 unit of art and/or music
1/2 unit of health education
2 units of physical education
Regents Competency Tests (or other evidence of competency in basic skills)
CR 100.5(c) Sequence requirements
Local Diploma Sequence Requirements
In addition to the required credits, students pursuing a local diploma must complete sequence requirements in one of the following ways:
Two 3-unit sequences from the following areas: mathematics, science, second language, occupational education, art or music,
A 5-unit sequence in mathematics, science, second language, occupational education, art or music,
One 5-unit sequence in either English or social studies and one 3-unit sequence in mathematics, science, second language, occupational education, art or music.
Regents Diploma Sequence Requirements
In addition to earning the required credits, students who pursue a Regents diploma must complete sequence requirements in one of the following ways:
Two 3-unit sequences from the following areas, with all appropriate Regents examinations passed, in addition to the required three units of a second language: mathematics, science, second language, occupational education, art or music,
A 5-unit sequence in ONE of the following areas with all appropriate Regents examinations passed, in addition to the required three units of a second language: mathematics, science, second language, occupational education, art or music,
One 5-unit sequence in either English or social studies with all appropriate Regents examinations passed, in addition to the required three units of a second language,
one 3-unit sequence in ONE of the following areas:
mathematics, science, second language, occupational education, art or music
100.5(d) Alternatives to specific Regents and local diploma requirements.
"(1) A student may earn a maximum of 6 1/2 units of credit for either a Regents or local diploma without completing units of study for such units of credit, if:
(i) based on the student's past academic performance, . . . the chief administrative officer of a nonpublic school, or his or her designee, determines that the student will benefit academically by exercising this alternative;
(ii) the student achieves a score of at least 85 percent, or its equivalent as determined by the commissioner, on a State-developed or State-approved examination;
(iii) the student passes an oral examination or successfully completes a special project to demonstrate proficiency, as determined by the principal, in the subject matter; and
(iv) the student attends school, or received substantially equivalent instruction elsewhere, in accordance with section 3204 (2) of the Education Law, until the age of 16, pursuant to sections 3204 and 3205 of the Education Law.
"(2) Art and/or music
(1) A student may obtain the unit of credit in art and/or music required pursuant to subparagraph (a) (2)(v) of this section in the following manner:
(a) by participating in a school's major performing organization, such as band, chorus, orchestra, dance group or theatre group; or
(b) by participating, only in exceptional situations, in an advanced out-of-school art or music activity. Credit for such participation shall be upon recommendation by the student's art or music teacher, shall be approved by the art or music department chairperson, if there is one, and by the school principal, and shall be consistent with the goals and objectives of the school's art and/or music program. . . ."
"(3) Occupationally related mathematics and science.
(i) Regents diploma. . . .
(ii) Local diploma. Students . . . may use one unit of credit earned in the occupationally related mathematics course or in the business mathematics course, and/or one unit of credit earned in the occupationally related science course towards meeting the mathematics and/or science requirements or sequence requirements in mathematics or science for a local diploma, provided that such courses shall be taught in accordance with the appropriate State-developed or State-approved syllabi."
100.5(e) Accelerated graduation. "Notwithstanding any other provisions of this section, students seeking to complete the diploma requirements prescribed by this section in less than four years shall be subject to the diploma requirements applicable to a student who first entered grade nine four years prior to the school year in which the diploma is to be awarded, providing that a student graduating at the end of the fall semester shall be subject to the graduation requirements in effect for the preceding year." | Addendum -- Applicable Laws, Rules, and Regulations
State Education Law
224. "No diploma or degree shall be conferred in this state except by a regularly organized institution of learning meeting all requirements of law and of the university. . . ."
Rules of the Board of Regents
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A ridge broke by a lead in an area of elliptical melt ponds with another larger
lead cutting diagonally across the image.
Image ID: arct0469, NOAA At The Ends of the Earth Collection
Location: Alaska, Beaufort Sea
Photo Date: 2009 August 19
Credit: Collection of Dr. Pablo Clemente-Colon, Chief Scientist National Ice Center
Category: Arctic Ice/
• High Resolution Photo Available | A ridge broke by a lead in an area of elliptical melt ponds with another larger
lead cutting diagonally across the image.
Image ID: arct0469, NOAA At The Ends of the Earth Collection
Location: Alaska, Beaufort Sea
Photo Date: 2009 August 19
Credit: Collection of Dr. Pablo Clemente-Colon, Chief Scientist National Ice Center
Category: Arctic Ice/
• High Resolution Photo Available | {
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014.01 Certain sales, leases, or rentals, and the storage, use, or other consumption of property (services) are not taxable. Exempt transactions may be divided into four groups. The four groups are transactions that are exempt due to the characteristics of:
014.01A The retailer (seller) (entity-based exemption);
014.01B The property sold (product-based exemption);
014.01C The buyer (entity-based exemption); and
014.01D The buyer's intended use of the item (use-based exemption).
Transactions described in subsections 014.01A and 014.01B do not need to be supported by exempt sale certificates, provided the retailer’s records clearly show the nature of the retailer and the property being sold. A purchaser making a purchase that is exempt because it is an occasional sale is required to obtain an exempt sale certificate or other documentation from the retailer that the sale was exempt.
Transactions described in subsections 014.01C and 014.01D must be supported by exempt sale certificates or other suitable documentation. (See Reg-1-012, Exemptions)
014.02 The burden of proving that any sale of property is not taxable is on the retailer and sufficient records must be kept which reveal the nature of each exempt sale. A retailer must obtain an exempt sale certificate or obtain the relevant data elements from the purchaser in support of the claim that the sale is exempt. The exempt sale certificate is a part of the retailer's records and must be retained in the same manner as other sales tax records.
014.03 Exemption numbers in the form of numbered certificates of exemption are issued by the Nebraska Department of Revenue (Department) and must be provided by nonprofit organizations, public schools, and common or contract carriers when making exempt purchases. (See Reg-1-069, Common and Contract Carrier Vehicles, Reg-1-090, Nonprofit Organizations, and Reg-1-092, Educational Institutions)
014.04 The following organizations are not issued numbered certificates of exemption by the Department: The United States government, its agencies, and corporations wholly owned by the United States government; the state, its agencies, and political subdivisions, other than public schools. Purchases by many Nebraska political subdivisions, all other states, and all political subdivisions of other states are taxable except for purchases of industrial machinery and equipment, including repair parts, where the other state grants a reciprocal exemption for Nebraska or its political subdivisions.
014.05 A properly completed exempt sale certificate received from the purchaser is adequate proof for the retailer that the sale was exempt from the sales and use tax.
014.05A To be properly completed, an exempt sale certificate received before, in conjunction with, or within 90 days after the time of the sale must be fully completed as provided in subdivisions 014.05B(1) through 014.05B(5). An exempt sale certificate received within 120 days after a request for substantiation made by the Department must be both fully completed and accepted in good faith to be properly completed.
014.05B To be fully completed, the exemption certificate must include all of the following:
014.05B(1) Identification of both purchaser and retailer;
014.05B(2) A statement of the basis for exemption, including the type of activity engaged in by the purchaser ;
014.05B(3) A statement that the certificate is for a single purchase or is a blanket certificate covering future sales;
014.05B(4) If a paper certificate is provided, an authorized signature. In other cases, another form of authorization as allowed by the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement (SSUTA); and
014.05B(5) The date of issuance.
014.06 The retailer or certified service provider (CSP) holding a properly completed exempt sale certificate is relieved from liability for tax, penalty, and interest. However, retailers or CSPs who fraudulently fail to collect tax or who solicit purchasers to participate in unlawful claims of exemption are liable for the tax not collected, and any penalty and interest.
014.07 A retailer or CSP who has a recurring business relationship with the same purchaser is not required to obtain a separate exempt sale certificate for each sale but may accept a “blanket” certificate covering future sales. A recurring business relationship exists when sales occur at least once every 12 months.
014.08 If an exempt sale certificate or satisfactory evidence in support of a claim that a sale is exempt cannot be provided to the Department within the time frames noted below, the retailer making the sale is responsible for the tax on the transaction.
014.08A Retailers or CSPs are relieved from liability for tax if a properly completed exemption certificate is received, or if the retailer or CSP otherwise obtains the relevant data elements supporting the exemption, prior to, in conjunction with, or within 90 days after the date of the sale.
014.08B Retailers or CSPs are relieved from liability for the tax if a properly completed exemption certificate is accepted in good faith, or if the retailer or CSP otherwise obtains the relevant data elements supporting the exemption in good faith, within 120 days after a request for substantiation made by the Department.
014.08C Retailers or CSPs may only accept a fully completed exemption certificate under subsection 014.08B of this section with a good faith belief that the purchase is a valid exempt sale to be relieved from liability. If the exemption certificate is not received in good faith, the retailer or CSP is liable for the tax not collected, and any penalty and interest.
014.09 Any purchaser, or agent of the purchaser, who issues an exempt sale certificate to the retailer for any purchase which is not exempt from sales and use tax under the Nebraska Revenue Act, is subject to a penalty of $100 or ten times the tax, whichever is larger, for each instance of presentation and misuse. With regard to a blanket exempt sale certificate, the penalty applies to each purchase made during the period the blanket certificate is in effect.
014.10 Any purchaser, or agent of the purchaser, who fraudulently signs an exempt sale certificate with intent to avoid payment of the tax may, in addition to the penalty set out in section 014.09, be found guilty of a Class IV misdemeanor.
014.11 The Department will recognize only the Nebraska Resale or Exempt Sale Certificate, Form 13, a previously approved paper or electronic substitute, a Nebraska Energy Source Exemption Certificate, Form 13E, a Nebraska Certificate of Exemption for Mobility Enhancing Equipment, Form 13ME, or a certificate of exemption authorized by the SSUTA for all sales except sales to the federal government. Sales to the federal government, or an agency or wholly owned corporation of the federal government, may be supported in either of two ways. First, the exemption may be supported by a regular federal certificate of exemption form. An alternative procedure is maintaining purchase documentation clearly identifying the purchaser as the federal government, or an agency or wholly owned corporation of the federal government. The best documents available are those which show payment was made by a United States Treasury Department warrant. (Reg-1-072, United States Government and Federal Corporations)
014.12 Retailers must maintain records of exempt transactions. The Department may make and retain copies of any exempt sale certificate.(Sections 77-2703(1)(f), 77-2705(7) and (8), 77-2706, 77-2711(3)(a) and (4), and 77- 2713(5), R.R.S. 2009. November 6, 2010.) | 014.01 Certain sales, leases, or rentals, and the storage, use, or other consumption of property (services) are not taxable. Exempt transactions may be divided into four groups. The four groups are transactions that are exempt due to the characteristics of:
014.01A The retailer (seller) (entity-based exemption);
014.01B The property sold (product-based exemption);
014.01C The buyer (entity-based e | {
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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) have been committed to streamlining the process for admitting Iraqi refugees to the U.S. while at the same time ensuring the highest level of security. Starting in May 2007, DHS and DOS have worked cooperatively to administer the overseas component of the U.S.refugee admissions program (USRAP).
DOS’ Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (PRM) has overall management responsibility for the USRAP and has the lead in proposing admissions ceilings and processing priorities. Within DHS, U.S.Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has responsibility for interviewing refugee applicants and adjudicating applications for refugee status.
Through its cooperative agreements with Resettlement Service Centers (RSC), previously referred to as Overseas Processing Entities (OPE), PRM handles the intake of refugee referrals from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and U.S. embassies, and the prescreening of cases. USCIS and PRM share responsibility for initiating security checks. Part of the refugee program’s important humanitarian mission is to offer resettlement opportunities to especially vulnerable Iraqi refugees who are unable to return to Iraqdue to persecution.
U.S. Refugee Admissions Program
USRAP is an inter-agency effort involving a number of governmental and non-governmental partners, both overseas and domestically, whose mission is to resettle refugees in the U.S. In the last year, the USRAP expanded its capacity dramatically to consider Iraqi refugees for resettlement.
Since the program began last spring, a total of 26,904 Iraqi individuals have been referred for resettlement to the USRAP. USCIS has interviewed a total of 16,949 Iraqi refugees, and a total of 5,763 Iraqi refugees have been welcomed to the U.S.as of May 14, 2008.
In FY 2007, between May and September alone, a total of 11,787 Iraqi individuals were referred for resettlement to the USRAP. USCIS interviewed 4,550 Iraqi refugees, and the U.S.admitted 1,608 Iraqi refugees.
In FY 2008 through May 14th, a total of 15,117 Iraqi individuals have been referred for resettlement to the USRAP. USCIS has interviewed 12,456 Iraqi refugees, and the U.S.admitted 4,155 Iraqi refugees.
Process for Resettlement
In identifying cases for referral to the USRAP, the UNHCR and DOS have been prioritizing eleven categories of especially vulnerable refugees, including individuals who are affiliated with the U.S. Government and religious minorities, among others.
Iraqi refugees may gain access to this program through referrals by UNHCR, a U.S. Embassy, or a nongovernmental organization (NGO). Iraqi applicants who worked for the U.S. government, a U.S. contractor, or a U.S.-based media organization or NGO and their family members, can apply directly without a UNHCR referral in Jordan and Egypt. In addition, Iraqi applicants will be considered for resettlement if an eligible family member applies on their behalf in the United States. The vast majority of cases processed so far by the USRAP have been referrals from UNHCR.
USCIS officers are interviewing Iraqi refugee applicants primarily in Jordan, Syria, Egypt, Turkey, and Lebanon. In addition, DOS and DHS have begun in-country refugee processing in Iraqfor U.S. Embassy staff (direct hires) who have decided to avail themselves of this opportunity. This will allow these individuals to seek resettlement in the U.S. while they continue to assist coalition efforts in Iraq.
Determining Eligibility for Refugees
Eligibility for refugee status is decided on an individual, or case-by-case, basis. A USCIS officer conducts a personal interview of the applicant designed to elicit information about the applicant's claim for refugee status. During the interview, the officer confirms the basic biographical data of the applicant; verifies that the applicant was properly given access to the USRAP; determines whether the applicant has suffered past persecution (or has a well-founded fear of future persecution) on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion in his or her home country; determines whether the applicant is admissible to the United States and whether he or she has been firmly resettled in another country; and assesses the credibility of the applicant.
We are committed to conducting the most rigorous screening that will ensure that the Iraqi refugee population is not infiltrated by individuals seeking to harm the United States. On May 29, 2007, DHS announced and implemented an Administration-coordinated, enhanced background and security check process for Iraqi refugees applying for resettlement in the United States. No case is finally approved until results from all security checks have been received and analyzed. The enhanced security checks do not impede the flow of genuine refugees to the United States, since this process runs concurrently with other out-processing steps. On average, the total processing time for Iraqi cases is significantly less than for any other refugee group worldwide.
Procedures for Iraqi Citizens Currently in the U.S.
Iraqis currently in the United States who are not able to return to Iraq because they have been persecuted or fear they will be persecuted on account of their race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion may apply for asylum with USCIS. Information on the process of applying for asylum in the U.S.can be found on our website under the Related Link "Asylum".
Procedures for Iraqi Citizens Living Outside of Iraq
Refugees and asylum seekers should seek to comply with all legal requirements of the country in which they are located, including registration with host governments if required. In addition, all Iraqi asylum seekers located in third countries should register with the nearest UNHCR office.
UNHCR has the international mandate to provide protection and assistance to refugees and can provide a protection document and possibly other assistance if needed. For a small number of extremely vulnerable individuals, this could include referral to the USRAP or another country's resettlement program. UNHCR will identify individuals for resettlement referral based on an assessment of their vulnerability at the time of registration.
In Jordan and Egypt, direct access to the USRAP is available to direct-hire employees of the U.S. Mission in Iraqand other Iraqis who worked for the U.S. Government or U.S. Government contractors, or for U.S.-based media organizations or non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Any Iraqi who has fled to Jordan or Egypt because of his/her association with the U.S.is encouraged to contact the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to receive guidance. IOM can be reached in Jordan at [email protected] and Egyptat [email protected].
Please visit the DOS/PRM website (found in the Related Links on this page) for additional information. | The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the U.S. Department of State (DOS) have been committed to streamlining the process for admitting Iraqi refugees to the U.S. while at the same time ensuring the highest level of security. Starting in May 2007, DHS and DOS have worked cooperatively to administer the overseas component of the U.S.refugee admissions program (USRAP).
DOS’ Bureau of Pop | {
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Authors: Cotugna N, Subar AF, Heimendinger J, Kahle L
Title: Nutrition and cancer prevention knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices: the 1987 National Health Interview Survey.
Journal: J Am Diet Assoc 92(8):963-8
Date: 1992 Aug
Abstract: This article examines the nutrition and cancer prevention knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and self-reported dietary changes of a US national probability sample. The data were drawn from the Cancer Control Supplement of the 1987 National Health Interview Survey, which was answered by 22,043 adults. Thirty-five percent of the sample reported that they had made dietary changes in the past 1 to 5 years for health reasons. Respondents reported eating more vegetables, fruit, lower-fat meats, and whole grains/fiber and less high-fat meats, fats, sweets/snacks, salty foods, refined grain products, alcohol, and dairy products. Those who did not make any dietary changes most often said the reason was that they enjoyed the food they were presently eating and did not want to make any changes. More than 90% of the sample agreed that diet and disease were related and 73% knew that diet and cancer were related, yet 44% believed there was nothing a person could do to reduce the risk of getting cancer or didn't know what could be done. In response to open-ended questions about foods that either increase or decrease cancer risk, vegetables, whole grains/fiber, fruit, and lower-fat meats were thought to decrease risk, and high-fat meats, fats, alcohol, sweets/snacks, and additives were thought to increase cancer risk. We found education and income levels to be the major demographic variables that have an impact on cancer prevention knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs. People with lower incomes and at lower educational levels should be targeted for education about cancer risk reduction. | Authors: Cotugna N, Subar AF, Heimendinger J, Kahle L
Title: Nutrition and cancer prevention knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and practices: the 1987 National Health Interview Survey.
Journal: J Am Diet Assoc 92(8):963-8
Date: 1992 Aug
Abstract: This article examines the nutrition and cancer prevention knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and self-reported dietary changes of a US national probability samp | {
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Skeletal human remains — Duty to notify — Ground disturbing activities — Coroner determination — Definitions.
(1) Any person who discovers skeletal human remains shall notify the coroner and local law enforcement in the most expeditious manner possible. Any person knowing of the existence of skeletal human remains and not having good reason to believe that the coroner and local law enforcement has notice thereof and who fails to give notice thereof is guilty of a misdemeanor.
(2) Any person engaged in ground disturbing activity and who encounters or discovers skeletal human remains in or on the ground shall:
(a) Immediately cease any activity which may cause further disturbance;
(b) Make a reasonable effort to protect the area from further disturbance;
(c) Report the presence and location of the remains to the coroner and local law enforcement in the most expeditious manner possible; and
(d) Be held harmless from criminal and civil liability arising under the provisions of this section provided the following criteria are met:
(i) The finding of the remains was based on inadvertent discovery;
(ii) The requirements of the subsection are otherwise met; and
(iii) The person is otherwise in compliance with applicable law.
(3) The coroner must make a determination whether the skeletal human remains are forensic or nonforensic within five business days of receiving notification of a finding of such remains provided that there is sufficient evidence to make such a determination within that time period. The coroner will retain jurisdiction over forensic remains.
(a) Upon determination that the remains are nonforensic, the coroner must notify the department of archaeology and historic preservation within two business days. The department will have jurisdiction over such remains until provenance of the remains is established. A determination that remains are nonforensic does not create a presumption of removal or nonremoval.
(b) Upon receiving notice from a coroner of a finding of nonforensic skeletal human remains, the department must notify the appropriate local cemeteries, and all affected Indian tribes via certified mail to the head of the appropriate tribal government, and contact the appropriate tribal cultural resources staff within two business days of the finding. The determination of what are appropriate local cemeteries to be notified is at the discretion of the department. A notification to tribes of a finding of such nonforensic skeletal human remains does not create a presumption that the remains are Indian.
(c) The state physical anthropologist must make an initial determination of whether nonforensic skeletal human remains are Indian or non-Indian to the extent possible based on the remains within two business days of notification of a finding of such nonforensic remains. If the remains are determined to be Indian, the department must notify all affected Indian tribes via certified mail to the head of the appropriate tribal government within two business days and contact the appropriate tribal cultural resources staff.
(d) The affected tribes have five business days to respond via telephone or writing to the department as to their interest in the remains.
(4) For the purposes of this section:
(a) "Affected tribes" are:
(i) Those federally recognized tribes with usual and accustomed areas in the jurisdiction where the remains were found;
(ii) Those federally recognized tribes that submit to the department maps that reflect the tribe's geographical area of cultural affiliation; and
(iii) Other tribes with historical and cultural affiliation in the jurisdiction where the remains were found.
(b) "Forensic remains" are those that come under the jurisdiction of the coroner pursuant to RCW 68.50.010.
(c) "Inadvertent discovery" has the same meaning as used in RCW 27.44.040.
(5) Nothing in this section constitutes, advocates, or otherwise grants, confers, or implies federal or state recognition of those tribes that are not federally recognized pursuant to 25 C.F.R. part 83, procedures for establishing that an American Indian group exists as an Indian tribe.
[2008 c 275 § 3.]
| Reporting requirements -- 2008 c 275: See note following RCW 68.50.645.| | Skeletal human remains — Duty to notify — Ground disturbing activities — Coroner determination — Definitions.
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This southern African subset of the Global Hydrographic data set (GGHYDRO) Release 2.2 is organized into 19 files containing terrain type, stream frequency counts, major drainage basins, main features of the cryosphere surface, and ice/water runoff per year for the entire Earth's surface at a spatial resolution of 1- degree longitude by 1-degree latitude. The data are provided in both ASCII GRID and binary image file formats.
More information and selected thumbnails images can be found at: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/hydrology/hydrographic_gghydro/comp/gghydro_readme.pdf
GGHYDRO Data Set Categories (Data File)
1. Exposed land not covered by swamp, intermittent water bodies, glacier ice, sand dunes, saltmarsh, or salt flats (LAND)
2. Perennial freshwater lakes (FLAK)
3. Swamp, marsh, and other wetlands(SWMP)
4. Saltwater, whether marine or terrestrial (SLTW)
5. Intermittent water bodies (ILAK)
6. Glacier ice, including shelf ice but excluding pack ice (GLAC)
7. Sand dunes (DUNE)
8. Saltmarsh (SMRS)
9. Salt flats (SFLT)
10. Land + Swamp + Sand dunes + Saltmarsh (DSRF)
11. Perennial rivers (FRIV)
12. Intermittent rivers (IRIV)
13. Land mask (MS05)
14. Major drainage basins (BAS1)
15. Smaller drainage basins (BAS2)
16. Main features of the cryosphere (CRYO)
17. Surface runoff of water (kg/m**2/yr) (RNOF)
18. Estimated root-mean-square error of RNOF (%) (RNER)
19. Runoff of ice ( kg/m**2/yr ) (RICE)
Cite this data set as follows:
Cogley, J. G. 2002. SAFARI 2000 Hydrographic Data, 1-Deg, Release 2.2 (Cogley). Data set. Available on-line [http://www.daac.ornl.gov] from Oak Ridge National Laboratory Distributed Active Archive Center, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A. doi:10.3334/ORNLDAAC/636.
Cogley, J. G. 1998. GGHYDRO -- Global Hydrographic Data, Release 2.2. Trent Climate Note 98-1. Department of Geography, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario, Canada.
Information about the data format, legend, and the procedure used to create the southern African subset are in the following file: ftp://daac.ornl.gov/data/safari2k/hydrology/hydrographic_gghydro/comp/gghydro_readme.pdf. | This southern African subset of the Global Hydrographic data set (GGHYDRO) Release 2.2 is organized into 19 files containing terrain type, stream frequency counts, major drainage basins, main features of the cryosphere surface, and ice/water runoff per year for the entire Earth's surface at a spatial resolution of 1- degree longitude by 1-degree latitude. The data are provided in both ASCII GRID a | {
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Wisconsin's New Invasive Species Rule
The emerald ash borer now threatens Wisconsin's 770 million ash trees.
- 490 waters with Eurasian Watermil Foil
» Read more
- 21 waters with rainbow smelt
» Read more
- 119 waters with zebra mussels
» Read more
- 8 counties quarantined for Emerald ash borer
» Read more [PDF exit DNR]
- 40 species of invasive plants not yet widespread are identified for early detection and eradication.
- 186 aquatic invasive species have invaded the Great Lakes since the 1800s; some are now found in Wisconsin's Great Lakes waters and a subset have made their way to inland waters.
- Wisconsin's leading industries, native ecosystems, outdoor recreation, and taxpayers' pocketbooks are facing an onslaught of invasive species - nonnative plants, animals and pathogens from other regions and other countries.
- These invasive species - everything from zebra mussels, to Eurasian Water Milfoil to emerald ash borer and gypsy moth -- cause more damage in some places than in others, but generally they can:
- Crowd out native species, which in turn impacts wildlife that depend on native species for food and habitat.
- Interfere with recreation, as Eurasian Water Milfoil does when thick mats of the plant tangle in boat propellers.
- Impact industry. Buckthorn and honeysuckle, by preventing forest regeneration, can cause short- and long-term damage to Wisconsin's $22.6 billion forestry and forest products industry, which employs 160,000.
- Cost taxpayers, businesses and consumers money. Since 2003 alone, the state has provided $10.5 million in grants to local communities for aquatic invasives species prevention and control. Lake districts and associations collectively spend millions each year harvesting Eurasian Water Milfoil or treating it with chemicals. Utility rate customers pay when zebra mussels clog water intake pipes.
- Reduce scenic beauty and our quality of life. The emerald ash borer, for example, threatens to kill ash trees, which comprise 20 percent of trees in urban areas in Wisconsin.
The good news is most Wisconsin lakes, wetlands, forests and prairies don't have the most troublesome invasive species. Wisconsin has been working on the national, state and local level to prevent new invasive species from being introduced here and to prevent invaders already here from spreading.
People play a major role in bringing invasive species here in the first place and then spreading them once they are established here. Many non-native plant species were purposefully introduced to beautify gardens to beautify gardens, and as medicinal and forage plants. Gypsy moths were brought here by an individual hoping to create a super silk spinner.
Many other invasive species have been accidentally introduced to Wisconsin. More than 180 nonnative fish, plants, insects and organisms have entered the Great Lakes since the early 1800s, with ocean-going ships' ballast water has accounted for 55-70 percent of reported aquatic species introductions since 1959 to the Great Lakes.
Zebra mussels and Eurasian Water Milfoil can be carried in a bait bucket or attached to a boat trailer. Emerald ash borer and gypsy moth can be carried in the firewood campers bring with them.
The Red Swamp Crayfish was found in August in a Germantown pond and is prohibited under a new invasive species rule that takes effect as of September 1st.
Red Swamp Crayfish [PDF 1.09MB]
A 2001 law directed DNR to establish a statewide program to control invasive species, focusing on those that threaten Wisconsin's economy and ecosystems and may be approaching but not yet established in the state.
DNR worked with dozens of stakeholder groups and the Wisconsin Council on Invasive Species [exit DNR] to develop the rule, which classifies invasive species into two categories, "Prohibited Species" and "Restricted Species," and establishes regulations people must follow for those listed species.
List of prohibited and restricted species:
The rules also include preventive measures that people must take to avoid accidentally spreading any invasive species. These measures complement existing statutes and rules such as the VHS rules.
Regulations for Prohibited and Restricted Species
"Prohibited species" are not yet in the state or only exist in small populations but have the potential to cause significant damage if they are allowed to spread and become established. The goal is to contain their spread, so it's illegal for people to transport, import, possess, transfer, sell and introduce "Prohibited Species", with some exceptions.
"Restricted species" are invasive species that are already too widespread to realistically expect they can be eradicated or contained but the goal is to slow the spread. It's illegal for people to transport, import, transfer, sell and introduce "restricted species," but people may possess restricted species with the exception of fish and crayfish.
DNR may issue permits for research or public display of any prohibited or restricted invasive species, and may issue permits for any other purposes for all of them with the exception of invasive fish and crayfish.
The rule also exempts people who incidentally or unknowingly transport, possess, transfer or introduce a listed invasive species without a permit if the DNR determines that they took reasonable precautions.
Who will be affected?
A very small number of people will have prohibited species show up on their land, some unintentionally, others knowingly. With landowner permission or a judicial inspection warrant, DNR may inspect property for prohibited species only, as well as sample and control for these species. The DNR will seek to work cooperatively with the land owner or manager to determine the best means of control and approve a management plan. The DNR will seek funds to help in the control of prohibited species if the DNR determines it's feasible and reasonable to control the prohibited species on the property.
The rule complements other state laws, rules and programs to help prevent and control invasive species. Here are some examples:
- Invasive Species Best Management Practices [exit DNR]
To minimize this spread of invasive species, interested stakeholders have been working over the last few years to develop voluntary Best Management Practices. These guidelines will help Wisconsin residents and visitors to decrease the likelihood that they are moving invasive species around.
For more information on NR 40 or to report a classified species please contact Melinda Wilkinson, Invasive Species Project Coordinator, (608) 266-6437 or see the list of complete contacts below.
Prescribed burns finally underway at State Natural Areas after cold weather delay
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 2:05:08 PM
Late spring means garlic mustard will quickly bolt to flower as temperatures warm up
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 2:01:18 PM
Invasive species strategic plan released, implementation summit planned
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, April 30, 2013 at 1:41:31 PM
Natural Resources Board approves new public input process for DNR guidance, opens up meetings to Mediasite broadcasts
Issued by DNR Central Office on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 10:44:02 AM
Wisconsin regular inland game fish season opens Saturday, May 4
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, April 16, 2013 at 12:25:10 PM
More than 100 local groups get grants to tackle aquatic invasive species and runoff
Issued by DNR Central Office on Friday, April 05, 2013 at 12:00:58 PM
Grass and brush fires planned for northeast Wisconsin
Issued by DNR Northeast Region on Thursday, April 04, 2013 at 9:58:40 AM
Nominations sought for Invader Crusader awards
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, April 02, 2013 at 2:36:10 PM
Top international, national and state water leaders to speak at annual lakes convention
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 2:19:50 PM
Work*Play*Earth Day events to be held at 20 state park properties
Issued by DNR Central Office on Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 2:02:43 PM
Back to Top
Last Revised: Saturday, May 18, 2013 | Wisconsin's New Invasive Species Rule
The emerald ash borer now threatens Wisconsin's 770 million ash trees.
- 490 waters with Eurasian Watermil Foil
» Read more
- 21 waters with rainbow smelt
» Read more
- 119 waters with zebra mussels
» Read more
- 8 counties quarantined for Emerald ash borer
» Read more [PDF exit DNR]
- 40 species of invasive plants not yet widespread are identified for early d | {
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Posted : 14
The sixth edition of European Youth Week (EYW2013) will be celebrated across Europe during the week of 26 May – 2 June 2013. EYW2013 will consist of a broad range of events and activities to be organised in all 33 countries participating in the EU’s Youth in Action (YiA) programme, where the coordination and organisation of events has been entrusted to the National Agencies of the YiA.
Posted : 06
A report by the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) of the European Commission (Eurydice Unit) is presenting evidence from literature and surveys about the social exclusion of young people across the European Union, and how youth work can help.
Posted : 03
Scroll through the online chat on EVS!
The EU’s youth policies aim to meet young people’s changing expectations while encouraging them to contribute to society. This policy work is supported by concrete action in the form of a specific programme for young people called Youth in Action.
Get a more thorough insight into some of the main features of the Youth in Action Programme or major policy developments!
Looking for projects examples or ideas? Check the EVE platform & get inspired!
Euro-Med Youth Programme
European Commission-Council of Europe Partnership | Posted : 14
The sixth edition of European Youth Week (EYW2013) will be celebrated across Europe during the week of 26 May – 2 June 2013. EYW2013 will consist of a broad range of events and activities to be organised in all 33 countries participating in the EU’s Youth in Action (YiA) programme, where the coordination and organisation of events has been entrusted to the National Agencies of the YiA. | {
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Lesson Learned Statement:Keeping personnel consistent through the entirety of an evolution, can reduce the amount of pre-job briefings having to be held and can make the completion of the operation much easier to accomplish.
Discussion:The project entailed the decontamination of the Acid Recovery Pump Room (ARPR) in its entirety. Decontamination efforts encompassed the removal of all loose debris from the ARPR and vacuuming the ARPR floor. Permanent utilities to the ARPR had to be isolated. The process lines within the ARPR were drained of liquids as necessary and subsequently isolated to ensure against inadvertent intrusion of additional liquids. The tank, pumps, electrical and instrumentation components, process and utility piping, HEPA filters, and miscellaneous debris were size reduced as necessary and removed from the ARPR. The final state of the ARPR is that the walls, ceiling, and floor are free of any components or equipment.
Analysis:At the onset of the ARPR Project, dedicated operations personnel were assigned. The personnel from D&D Operations, Radiation Control Operations and Industrial Health & Safety were consistent throughout the Project. This allowed multiple daily entries during the project. The number of pre-job briefings required was greatly reduced and replaced with a daily job briefing held each day at 0700 hours to discuss the daily work activities. The consistency of personnel throughout the Project allowed work activities of a difficult Project to progress much smoother than would have been possible with constantly changing personnel.
Originator:West Valley Nuclear Services, W.F.Scott, II at (716) 942-4642
Contact:W.F.Scott, II at (716) 942-4642
Name Of Authorized Derivative Classifier:N/A
Name Of Reviewing Official:N/A
Priority Descriptor:Green / Good Work Practice
Keywords:Project personnel; stable staffing; consistency
Information in this report is accurate to the best of our knowledge. As means of measuring the effectiveness of this report please use the "Comment" link at the bottom of this page to notify the Lessons Learned Web Site Administrator of any action taken as a result of this report or of any technical inaccuracies you find. Your feedback is important and appreciated.
DOE Function / Work Categories:Human Resources
ISM Category:Feedback and Improvement
|| Home || Documents and Information | Links | Contacts | Security Notice || | Lesson Learned Statement:Keeping personnel consistent through the entirety of an evolution, can reduce the amount of pre-job briefings having to be held and can make the completion of the operation much easier to accomplish.
Discussion:The project entailed the decontamination of the Acid Recovery Pump Room (ARPR) in its entirety. Decontamination efforts encompassed the removal of all loose debris | {
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- Internal friction (Liquids)
Exact Matching Concepts from Other Schemes
Closely Matching Concepts from Other Schemes
- found: Academic press dictionary of science and technology, 1992; p. 2253 (transport properties; physics-- properties associated with the irrevisible flow of energy, momentum, or matter, such as viscosity, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity)
- 2003-10-31: new
- 2007-10-17: revised
The LC Linked Data Service welcomes any suggestions you might have about terminology used for a given heading or concept.
Would you like to suggest a change to this heading?
Please provide your name, email, and your suggestion so that we can begin assessing any terminology changes.
Fields denoted with an asterisk (*) are required. | - Internal friction (Liquids)
Exact Matching Concepts from Other Schemes
Closely Matching Concepts from Other Schemes
- found: Academic press dictionary of science and technology, 1992; p. 2253 (transport properties; physics-- properties associated with the irrevisible flow of energy, momentum, or matter, such as viscosity, thermal conductivity, and electrical conductivity)
- 2003-10-31: new
- 200 | {
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South Carolina Intertidal Oyster Reef Mapping
This dataset contains mapped boundaries of intertidal oyster reefs and washed shell deposits found along the SC coast. Reefs were mapped through a combination of automated and manual techniques using 4-band (blue, green, red, near-infrared) digital orthophotos with a theoretical ground resolution of 0. 25 meters. These photos were taken from 2003- 2006 and can be downloaded. The project area covered those sections of the SC coastal zone where oysters had historically been mapped by the SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) in the 1980's. The area spans 122 USGS quarter quadrangles (DOQQs).
Sixty of the mapped DOQQs were ground-truthed by boat to assess accuracy. The remaining DOQQs are currently being verified through 2006-2008 photos taken from low-altitude helicopter flights (see photo below). The initial mapping process has met the overall minimum accuracy requirements of the project (80% correct classification) and was completed through a joint effort between Photo Science Inc. and SCDNR. However, final edits and improvements are still in progress through SCDNR, and this dataset will be updated. A link is listed below for a table that lists accuracy and editing status data by DOQQ. Accuracy scores listed were calculated prior to SCDNR final edits, so these scores should be considered to be the minimum level of accuracy for the edited DOQQs. Areas covered and analyzed by low-altitude helicopter photographs can be considered to have the highest degree of accuracy. DOQQs that have not been edited by SCDNR should be used with caution. Due to variations in image quality and visibility of oysters, some localized areas may not be as accurate as reported values. In particular, some of the oyster flats with sparse or patchy oyster coverage were difficult to map. Instructions and links are provided below for access to the data and associated metadata.
Project Partners include:
Geographic Coordinate System
UTM, Zone 17, Meters, Datum NAD83
File Format Available
Accuracy and Editing Status
Available data set is currently provisional and will be updated.
Metadata for this project is available:
Link - SC Oyster 2010 Metadata Table (Adobe PDF file).
Link - metadata for SC Intertidal Oyster Reefs.
Link - metadata for SC "Washed" Oyster Shell Deposits along coast.
Viewing Oyster Bed Data
To view the GIS data, you will need computer mapping software. For users without GIS desktop software, a free desktop viewer from ESRI is available, ArcGIS Explorer. The Resource Center for ArcGIS Explorer from ESIR provides tutorials, Online Help, forum, and related documentation. The TatukGIS Viewer is a free viewer available from TatukGIS.
For other software programs, please consult your particular software's help to determine compatibility with this format and any required software updates and/or plugins.
Download Available Oyster Bed Data
Data is available for download at no cost from DNR's ftp site. Last updated July 2011.
ESRI Personal Geodatabase: SCOysterGeoDatabase2010.zip
SC Intertidal Oyster Reefs: SCOysterLive2010.zip
SC Oyster Shell Deposits: SCOysterWash2010.zip
DOQQQ imagery is available at the following link, DOQQQ Imagery.
Access Oyster Bed Data through GIS Service
Data can be accessed through a GIS service:
Server URL: http://scdata.dnr.sc.gov, Service Name: SCDNR_OysterBed
How to make a connection: View instructions | South Carolina Intertidal Oyster Reef Mapping
This dataset contains mapped boundaries of intertidal oyster reefs and washed shell deposits found along the SC coast. Reefs were mapped through a combination of automated and manual techniques using 4-band (blue, green, red, near-infrared) digital orthophotos with a theoretical ground resolution of 0. 25 meters. These photos were taken from 2003- 2006 | {
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Record-setting joint research spurs growth of superconductor market for Argonne partner
Intermagnetics General Corporation
Intermagnetics General Corporation (IGC) and Argonne worked together to meet the challenge of producing ceramic superconductors in the form of long wires and tape suitable for practical applications. A joint agreement led to the fabrication of a magnet containing approximately 480 meters (approximately 1,500 feet) of flexible superconducting tape that generated a then-record magnetic field of 2.6 tesla. Superconducting materials promise substantial gains in efficiency in industrial and electrical-utility applications.
IGC has marketed superconducting products for more than 20 years. Its work with Argonne on next-generation superconductors has positioned it to expand its product line to high-temperature superconductors.
"We are doing prototype manufacturing of BSCCO-2223 products right now and are well on our way to the marketplace," says Pradeep Haldar, senior engineer and the principal investigator for the company's work with Argonne.
The research boost provided by collaboration with Argonne was a contributing factor in the company's successful expansion of its product line. According to Haldar, "we have benefited greatly from our collaboration with Argonne. It has allowed us to get to this level of technology development quickly. I'd estimate we have shortened our research time by as much as two years in an environment of much-better-financed national and international competition."
Research on high-temperature superconductors has advanced rapidly, and one of Argonne's contributions has been the development of techniques for fabricating wire and tape from ceramic superconductors -- in particular, the longer lengths needed for practical applications. Argonne is transferring these techniques to the private sector under joint research agreements through its High-Temperature Superconductivity Center. The Center is supported by DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Advanced Utility Concepts.
Working with Argonne
Argonne has many types of contractual agreements to meet the needs and interests of industry, state and local governments, federal agencies and other organizations.
For More Information
For more information, contact Argonne's Technology Development and Commercialization (800-627-2596, [email protected]). | Record-setting joint research spurs growth of superconductor market for Argonne partner
Intermagnetics General Corporation
Intermagnetics General Corporation (IGC) and Argonne worked together to meet the challenge of producing ceramic superconductors in the form of long wires and tape suitable for practical applications. A joint agreement led to the fabrication of a magnet containing approximately | {
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newsclips -- Newsclips for April 17, 2012 Posted: 17 Apr 2012 13:25:33
California Air Resources Board Newsclips for April 17, 2012. This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with individual websites to view some of the following news articles. AIR POLLUTION As air pollution from fracking rises, EPA to set rules. The rush to capture natural gas from hydraulic fracturing has led to giant compressor stations alongside backyard swing sets, drilling rigs in sight of front porches, and huge flares at gas wells alongside country roads. Air pollution from fracking includes the fumes breathed in by people nearby, as well as smog spread over a wide region and emissions of the greenhouse gas methane. Posted. BY SUBSCRIPTION ONLY. http://www.modbee.com/2012/04/16/2160421/as-air-pollution-from-fracking.html ‘Clean cookstoves’ draw support, but they may not improve indoor air quality. One of the most talked-about public-health initiatives is improving indoor air quality in the rural developing world. Traditional cookstoves — mud basins in which villagers burn wood, charcoal or dung — are the main obstacle. The fire releases particulate matter that contributes to pneumonia, lung cancer and heart disease, among many other maladies. The problems disproportionately affect women, who do most of the cooking in this population, and the children who are often nearby. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/clean-cookstoves-draw-support-but-they-may-not-improve-indoor-air-quality/2012/04/16/gIQAnjCvLT_story.html CLIMATE CHANGE Mexico Emulates Neighbor California With 35% Clean Climate Law. Joining world leaders in climate laws, Mexico just passed new legislation that catapults the poor neighbor to the south of the U.S. to a leadership role on a par with its northern neighbor, California. Mexico’s General Law on Climate Change was just passed by an 128-10 overwhelming vote in its 500 member Chamber of Deputies, and moves to the Senate. Since that body passed a preliminary version already, its chances of becoming law look excellent. Just as investment in clean energy soared in California following passage of its clean climate laws starting in 2006 with the first Renewable Energy Standard and following up with AB32, its climate law. Posted. http://cleantechnica.com/2012/04/15/mexico-emulates-neighbor-california-with-35-clean-climate-law/ Data centers in Va. and elsewhere have major carbon footprint, report says. To most consumers, the cloud is an abstract warehouse in the sky where we store our photos, documents and other key bits of information with a click of a button. But the technology that keeps the cloud running — data centers and mobile telecommunications networks, operating 24 hours a day — requires electricity, making it a target for environmentalists hoping to curb greenhouse gas emissions. Posted. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/data-centers-in-va-and-elsewhere-have-major-carbon-footprint-report-says/2012/04/17/gIQAd4t3NT_story.html Palo Alto on track to meet greenhouse gas emission goals. Palo Alto is on its way to exceeding self-imposed greenhouse gas reduction goals, but council members made it clear Monday night that the city's Climate Protection Plan is in need of recalibrating. By the end of the year, emissions from city operations could fall to 27 percent below 2005 levels, said Debra van Duynhoven, assistant to the city manager. The plan calls for a 20 percent reduction by 2012. Posted. http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_20413520/palo-alto-track-meet-greenhouse-gas-emission-goals?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_20413520/palo-alto-track-meet-greenhouse-gas-emission-goals?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com Calif. Bill Would Amend 'Check and Inflate' Law. A California Senate Environmental Quality Committee hearing this week could result in a change in the state's "check and inflate" law to remove tire age as a reason for auto repairers to refuse to check the pressure on a vehicle's tires. The law stems from a 2010 ruling in which California's Air Resources Board (CARB) established a requirement that all auto repair and service establishments in the state must check and…Posted. http://www.tirereview.com/Article/99471/calif_bill_would_amend_check_and_inflate_law.aspx FUELS Ethanol Slumps to Two-Week Low as Corn and Gasoline Decline. Ethanol futures slumped to a two- week low in Chicago as corn and gasoline declined. Futures sank as the motor fuel declined after international talks with Iran over its nuclear program led to an agreement to reconvene in May, easing concern that crude supplies will be disrupted. Separately, corn, the primary ingredient used to make the biofuel in the U.S., fell on speculation favorable weather will boost crops. Posted. http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-16/ethanol-slumps-to-two-week-low-as-corn-and-gasoline-decline.html Report to UK government backs fracking. Exploratory work to extract gas by hydraulic fracturing in England should be allowed to resume even though the technique has caused earth tremors, a report commissioned by the government said Tuesday. Cuadrilla Resources is using the technique, commonly called fracking, at a prospecting site in northwestern England. The consultants' report, which reviewed earlier reports by the company, recommends that fracking should be halted temporarily if there is a tremor greater than magnitude 0.5 on the Richter scale. Cuadrilla has said that is acceptable. Posted. http://www.fresnobee.com/2012/04/17/2802919/report-to-uk-government-backs.html#storylink=misearch http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_20413733/report-uk-government-backs-fracking?IADID=Search-www.contracostatimes.com-www.contracostatimes.com http://www.insidebayarea.com/ci_20413733/report-uk-government-backs-fracking?IADID=Search-www.insidebayarea.com-www.insidebayarea.com Oil Scare Turns FedEx On To Energy Efficiency. The rising cost of oil isn't just a hit to the family budget. Businesses are hurt, too. Few are more affected than firms like FedEx. It deploys nearly 700 planes and tens of thousands of trucks and vans every day to deliver packages around the world. And few business leaders are more focused on finding alternatives to petroleum-based fuels than FedEx CEO Fred Smith. Shortly after Smith founded Federal Express, the 1973 Arab oil embargo almost killed it. The experience imprinted Smith with a keen interest in the price and availability of oil. Posted. http://www.npr.org/2012/04/02/149703488/oil-scare-turns-fedex-onto-energy-efficiency?sc=emaf Resin shortage threatens to shut U.S. auto plants. After selling lots of cars, reveling in higher prices and profits, the U.S. auto industry faces a real threat this morning: a potential shortage of resin, a key component used to make fuel lines and brake lines that could shut down factories. Actually, it's not just a U.S. problem, but one that could reverberate around the world. The Associated Press says automakers are meeting today to discuss the problem in Detroit. As tense meetings go, we expect this one to be right up there. Posted. http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/04/resin-shortage-threatens-to-shut-us-auto-plants-/1 EPA moves closer to approval of 15 pct ethanol gas. EPA allows ethanol makers to register E15, moving closer to approval of 15 percent ethanol gas. The federal government announced Monday it has taken a step toward wide distribution of gasoline mixed with 15 percent ethanol by allowing manufacturers to register as suppliers. While the EPA is moving the process forward by allowing the registration, E15 still must clear another set of federal tests and become a registered fuel in individual states. Ethanol makers then must convince petroleum marketers to sell it at gas stations. Posted. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/epa-moves-closer-approval-15-211835896.html BLOGS U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions Headed Up Again. After dropping for two years during the recession, emissions of the gases blamed for global warming rose in 2010 as the economy heated up, the Environmental Protection Agency reports. Output of carbon dioxide and other heat-trapping gasses were up 3.2 percent from 2009 as the nation climbed slowly out of the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression, the E.P.A. said. “The increase from 2009 to 2010 was primarily due to an increase in economic output resulting in an increase in energy consumption across all sectors…Posted. http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/u-s-greenhouse-gas-emissions-headed-up-again/ UCS: no matter where you live, driving electric can save money, emissions. It's easy to understand that, if you power your vehicle with electricity, you don't need to use as much gasoline. But, how much do you actually save, in terms of fuel costs and greenhouse gas emissions if you plug in instead of gas up? A new report, released today by the Union of Concerned Scientists, called "State of Charge: Electric Vehicles' Global Warming Emissions and Fuel-Cost Savings across the United States," gives us a set of answers. Posted. http://green.autoblog.com/2012/04/16/ucs-no-matter-where-you-live-driving-electric-saves-money-emi/ What Is The Cost of Waiting for LED? There’s no denying Solid State LED technology for commercial lighting purposes will be very useful, providing big energy and cost savings as well as great environmental paybacks. However, this is not the case for every application. At least, not yet. If you’re familiar with Haitz’s law, you know it states that LED lighting will improve in efficiency and decrease in cost over time. The law predicts that Solid State Lighting will soon become the most energy-efficient light source out there. Posted. http://www.triplepundit.com/2012/04/cost-waiting-led/ | Below is the List Serve Post you selected to display.
newsclips -- Newsclips for April 17, 2012 Posted: 17 Apr 2012 13:25:33
California Air Resources Board Newsclips for April 17, 2012. This is a service of the California Air Resources Board’s Office of Communications. You may need to sign in or register with individual websites to view some of the following news articles. AIR POLLUTION As air pol | {
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Project at a Glance
Project Status: complete
Title: Study of abatement methods and meteorological conditions for optimum dispersion of particulates from field burning of rice straw: spring open field burning trials.
Principal Investigator / Author(s): Goss, John R. and Miller, George E. Jr.
Contractor: UC Davis
Contract Number: 1-101-1
Research Program Area: Atmospheric Processes
Topic Areas: Agriculture
This project was initiated to obtain information on the effect of meteorological conditions and management techniques on particulate emissions from spring open field burning of rice field residue. Two fire management practices were employed: single line backfire, and single line headfire. Three residue management techniques were studied: spread straw, windrowed straw, and raked spread straw. In addition, measurements were taken of air temperature, relative humidity, absolute humidity, wind speed and direction, residue moisture content, residue loading (Kg/m2), fire temperature, rate of flame spread, CO2 emission, particulate production and particulate size distribution. The data analysis showed that particulate emissions could be minimized by burning at low moisture contents and using a backfire instead of a headfire ignition technique. Laboratory simulations confirmed the advantages of low residue moisture and backfiring in reducing particulate emissions.
The laboratory tests also showed that increased fuel loading (Kg/m2) may help to decrease particulate emissions. Laboratory and field data showed that the particulate emissions were generally of a submicron size and a significant amount of the particulates were chloroform-soluble organic compounds. Studies were conducted with several large open field burns where the practicality of selected fire and residue management techniques were tested. The estimated costs per acre of the various techniques were confirmed in the large open field burns.
This report was submitted in fulfillment of ARB Project No. 1-101-1 and ARB 2113 by the University of California at Davis. (Principal Investigators: John Goss and George Miller) under the partial sponsorship of the California Air Resources Board - work was completed as of June 30, 1973.
The statements and conclusions in this report are those of the contractor and not necessarily those of the California Air Resources Board. The mention of commercial products, their source or their connection with material reported herein is not to be construed as either an actual or implied endorsement of such products.
For questions regarding research reports, contact: Heather Choi at (916) 322-3893
Stay involved, sign up with ARB's Research Email Listserver | Project at a Glance
Project Status: complete
Title: Study of abatement methods and meteorological conditions for optimum dispersion of particulates from field burning of rice straw: spring open field burning trials.
Principal Investigator / Author(s): Goss, John R. and Miller, George E. Jr.
Contractor: UC Davis
Contract Number: 1-101-1
Research Program Area: Atmospheric Processes
Topic Areas: Agri | {
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Status and Trends of Biodiversity
Zimbabwe is characterised by three phytogeographic regions, the Zambesian, the Afromontane and the East African coastal. The Zambesian region covers over 95% of the country. The Eastern Highlands form part of the Afromontane region and have the highest level of endemism, notably in the Chimanimani Mountains. The Zambesian phytogeographic region comprises five woodland types – miombo, mopane, teak, acacia and Terminalia/Combretum... More »
Number and Extent of Protected Areas
15% of the country is protected as National Parks, Forest Reserves and Botanic Gardens. Conservancies (private farmland and combined holdings managed for wildlife) make up approximately 17% of the country.
Percentage of Forest Cover
Zimbabwe’s land area is classified in the following categories: 0.03% is moist forest (tropical rainforest), 0.4% is Forest Plantation, 65.92% is indigenous woodland (including bushland), 4.85% is grassland, 27.47% is cultivated land, 0.36% is settlement and 0.97% is rock outcrop and water body. | Status and Trends of Biodiversity
Zimbabwe is characterised by three phytogeographic regions, the Zambesian, the Afromontane and the East African coastal. The Zambesian region covers over 95% of the country. The Eastern Highlands form part of the Afromontane region and have the highest level of endemism, notably in the Chimanimani Mountains. The Zambesian phytogeographic region comprises five wood | {
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Gathering, reproducing and distributing information is often an integral part of an association's business and activities. The information and material used by an incorporated association may be gathered from many different sources, including the Internet, and the association may itself produce its own original material. This might be in the form of documents, records, pamphlets, posters, photographs, drawings, videos, newsletters, books and magazines, to mention just a few. The information both used and produced by an association is likely to be protected by copyright, which means that the material may not be freely copied, used or distributed. Associations pursuing not-for-profit purposes are not exempt from copyright obligations. Therefore, it is important for incorporated associations to be aware of copyright protection in order to protect their own material and to avoid infringing the copyright of others. This Section deals with some basic aspects of copyright. | Gathering, reproducing and distributing information is often an integral part of an association's business and activities. The information and material used by an incorporated association may be gathered from many different sources, including the Internet, and the association may itself produce its own original material. This might be in the form of documents, records, pamphlets, posters, photogra | {
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We believe that using izwe to have your say and interact with others in your community should be an enjoyable, comfortable and safe experience. We are therefore committed to making sure that all our users, including young people, can feel safe and secure when online.
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If you are under 18 and come across any content on izwe that makes you feel uncomfortable, upset or threatened, you can report this at http://www.ceop.police.uk/report-abuse/. We also ask you to report this directly to us by emailing legal_at_izwe.com so that we can immediately react to such content.
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We are constantly developing izwe to make sure it conforms to the highest standards of online safety, and will keep you informed of any new measures we adopt. If you have any comments or suggestions for further improving our online safety, you can get in touch through our email help_at_izwe.com. | We believe that using izwe to have your say and interact with others in your community should be an enjoyable, comfortable and safe experience. We are therefore committed to making sure that all our users, including young people, can feel safe and secure when online.
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Building a National Network of Marine Protected Areas for Coral Reefs
Prepared by the Working Group on Ecosystem Science and Conservation for Presentation to U.S. Coral Reef Task Force November 1999 - SECOND DRAFT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- PRINCIPLES AND GOALS
- BUILDING A NATIONAL NETWORK OF MPA-CRs
- SPECIFIC ACTIONS AND TIMELINE FOR BUILDING A NATIONAL NETWORK OF MPA-CRs
One of the most powerful actions to protect and enhance coral reefs in U.S. waters, as outlined in Executive Order 13089, is to develop a comprehensive system of marine protected areas for coral reefs (MPA-CR), including incorporation of existing and designation of new MPAs. Currently, MPAs in general, and MPA-CRs in particular, are managed by various local, territorial, state, regional and federal levels of government with little coordination among areas or assessment of their biological importance to the larger ecosystem. The amount and representativeness of reef types, and the type of protection afforded coral reefs in existing MPA-CRs, appears to be inadequate for ensuring the long-term sustainable use and conservation of coral reef ecosystems within the U.S. There is a clear need for better coordination of management strategies among existing MPA-CRs, and for adding MPA-CRs that represent coral reef habitat types not currently under MPA management strategies. This document lays out the strategy for building a nationally linked and coordinated network of MPA-CRs, for reefs under the jurisdiction of the United States, and for encouraging steps in this direction in the Freely Associated States (FAS) of the Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Key recommendations include ensuring representation of major reef habitat types and communities in a national network of marine protected areas for coral reefs (MPA-CRs); employing zones ranging from sustainable use (e.g., regulated take) to complete no-take; a minimum goal of 20% of representative coral reef and associated habitats designated as no-take areas by the year 2010; protecting major spawning aggregation sites; exploiting opportunities for establishing new protected areas on remote atolls under Federal jurisdiction and fostering dialogue with the Freely Associated States to assist them to develop a complementary system. The review of existing MPAs and development of proposals for new MPAs should proceed with the full involvement of all constituencies, and take into account existing legislative and regulatory authorities.
Coral reefs are one of the earth's most biologically complex ecosystems and are highly vulnerable to human activities. Because of their inherent complexity, the impacts of human activities on coral reefs are poorly understood. Continued degradation and loss of coral reefs is a real threat.
The Coral Reef Task Force recognizes that:
- coral reefs are one of the Earth's most complex ecosystems
- coral reef health consists of the biodiversity, structure, function and aesthetic value
- coral reefs are declining worldwide
- coral reef structure and dynamics are poorly understood
- coral reefs are highly vulnerable to detrimental impacts from human activities
- effects of human activities on coral reefs are poorly understood
- humans are an integral part of marine ecosystems
- human uses are not confined to extractive exploitation
- different human uses of coral reefs often conflict
- human activities must be within sustainable limits determined by the ecosystem
- coral reefs are a shared human heritage
- sustained yield requires preservation of the health of the entire ecosystem
- coral reefs are living museums of the world's tropical marine biodiversity
- coral reefs need increased protection worldwide
- the current system of marine protected areas is inadequate to ensure long-term protection
The primary goal of the Coral Reef Task Force is to ensure that coral reefs persist for future generations. This can be achieved only by:
- applying principles of ecosystem-based management
- applying the precautionary approach to coral reef management
- affirming that representative coral reefs should be allowed a continued existence free from extractive activities in all regions
- managing to ensure the continued health of the entire coral reef ecosystem
- affirming a right to continued use of coral reefs, but ensuring that human activities are within sustainable limits determined by the ecosystem
- recognizing the value of non-extractive uses of coral reef resources
- adopting wilderness concepts for coral reef environments
- increasing the use of marine protected areas as a management tool
- accepting that no-take marine reserves are an essential form of coral reef protection
- agreeing that sufficient science exists to support the use of establishing no-take reserves
- agreeing that no-take marine reserves should be permanent, replicated and networked with a goal of being self-sustaining despite conditions in adjacent exploited areas
- increasing public education, understanding and awareness
- supporting active scientific monitoring and research, particularly on the effectiveness of zoning as a management tool
- addressing land-based influences on MPA-CRs
Therefore, the Ecosystem Science and Conservation Working Group recommends that:
- A network of marine protected areas for coral reefs (MPA-CRs) be created that includes comprehensive representation of all coral reefs and associated habitats in U.S. waters, including the territories and freely associated states
- MPA-CRs may contain management zones ranging from complete no-take to sustainable use where fishing is allowed
- Unless scientific information clearly indicates some other amount needed to ensure preservation, a precautionary approach be adopted and a minimum of 20% of each coral reef and associated habitat type be designated "no-take areas" and protected from all extractive uses by the year 2010
- All major spawning aggregation sites be protected as no-take at least during the spawning season
- jurisdictional issues be resolved to improve management
- new protected areas be established as soon as possible at remote Pacific atolls and islands under federal jurisdiction
- dialogue with the FAS be initiated to determine their interest and priorities in establishing MPA-CRs in their nations, particularly at uninhabited islands and atolls; and as appropriate, incentives to FAS to assist in the establishment of new MPA-CRs be provided through the Compact of Free Association re-negotiation process.
- the development of proposals for new MPA-CRs or enhanced protection of existing areas proceed with the involvement of all constituencies and taking into account existing legislative and regulatory authorities
The United States contains an estimated 17,000 km 2 of coral reef habitat (Miller and Crosby 1998). The Freely Associated States (FAS) of the Republic of Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of the Marshall Islands contain as many as 81,500 km 2 of coral reef habitat (Holthus et al., 1993a; Maragos and Holthus, 1999). Among the most diverse and biologically complex ecosystems on earth, coral reefs protect nearshore areas from waves and storms, build new land masses, serve as the habitat for numerous species, provide a source of recreation and enjoyment, support the fabric of many coastal communities, contain an array of potential pharmaceuticals, and support U.S. tourism and fishing industries worth billions of dollars. Coral reefs under U.S. and FAS jurisdiction also provide essential habitat for many rare, depleted, threatened, and endangered marine species, including seabirds, sea turtles, the Hawaiian Monk Seal, finfish, shellfish, and corals. Now under threat from multiple stressors, coral reefs are a symbol of the vital economic, ecological and cultural importance of coastal ecosystems, and of the rapid loss of marine biodiversity and resources around the world. The continued use and enjoyment of coral reef resources depend on developing effective means for managing, protecting and preserving these ecosystems.
The most powerful tool for conservation of coral reef and other marine ecosystems is the establishment and effective management of a representative network of marine protected areas for coral reefs (MPA-CR). Widely used in the terrestrial environment, the principle of setting aside fully representative examples of all ecosystem and habitat types to ensure conservation of biodiversity has been adopted only recently for the marine environment. MPAs in general constitute a broad spectrum of areas which are afforded some level of protection for the purpose of managing resources for sustainable use, safeguarding ecosystem function and biodiversity, and/or providing a framework for supporting uses of resources and space with a minimum of conflict (Eichbaum et al., 1996; Murray et al., 1999). They can range from small closed areas or harvest refugia (e.g., no-take areas) designated to protect a specific resource or habitat type, to extensive areas that integrate the management of many species, habitats, and uses in a single, comprehensive plan (Agardy, 1998). Like their terrestrial counterparts, today's MPAs provide for the protection of critical habitats and endangered species and serve important roles in public education and outreach on the social, economic and ecological benefits of marine resource protection. By employing a framework for the application of "adaptive management," MPAs can establish and maintain feedback loops between science and policy. Finally, multiple-use MPAs address the differing sets of objectives of a wide variety of stakeholders, thereby providing a framework for resolving conflict among the users of marine and coastal ecosystem services. The International Group of Experts on Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (Crosby et al. 1997) agreed that MPAs:
- have a critical role in the management for long-term conservation and sustainable use of marine and coastal biological diversity;
- function as focal points for development of governance for coastal and ocean systems; and
- provide for local community education and training in the importance of conserving marine and coastal biodiversity.
MPA-CRs in the United States are administered at the local, territorial, state, regional and federal levels of government (see Appendix I). This fragmented set of MPA-CRs often results in under-representation of the amount and biogeographic types of reefs, inadequate protection of reef resources, competing or conflicting resource objectives, and lack of coordination among management agencies. Under the current system, long-term conservation and sustainable use of coral reef resources are difficult to achieve. If humans are to continue to be able to utilize coral reef resources in perpetuity, a nationally and internationally coordinated network of representative coral reef ecosystems must be designated to limit fragmentation and build a robust network for sustainable use and conservation of coral reef ecosystems.
This document sets out actions or strategies for building a national network of MPA-CRs. Characteristics of a "network", as opposed to the current ad hoc collection of MPA-CRs, include:
- management of large portions of the coral reef ecosystem with different geographic areas or components zoned to reduce conflicts among competing uses;
- active communication among the variety of management authorities responsible that promotes adaptive management among MPA-CRs within the larger biogeographic region, as well as within each individual component;
- representative no-take areas i.e., protected components, that include replicated, self-sustaining areas that are representative of each of the coral reef and associated habitats and biological communities within a particular biogeographic zone;
- protection for critical ecological functions, e.g., both sources and sinks of larvae within the larger ecosystem;
- active monitoring of different components (both extractive and non-extractive zones) using sets of comparable methods.
MPA-CRs have existed in the U.S. for almost a century (e.g., the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1909), although the majority were established within the past few decades (Appendix I). Despite the longevity, number and variety of designated areas, and in contrast to many terrestrial parks that have been set aside and protected from exploitation, most MPA-CRs in existence today provide little actual protection of coral reef resources. For example, surveillance and enforcement of existing regulations for coral reefs and fisheries protection is minimal in the Hawaiian Islands National Wildlife Refuge, the largest of our MPA-CRs. Most of the MPA-CRs in the National Parks are subjected to various levels of fisheries exploitation, with six of the nine designated parks allowing commercial fishing. Among the National Marine Sanctuaries, only the Florida Keys has protected a small portion (2-3% of the total area) of its coral reef resources from all extractive uses. There are currently no atolls protected in Micronesia and only one permanently designated protected area (the Rock Islands of Palau) in the entire FAS.
To enhance protection for coral reef fisheries and improve ecosystem management, managers are increasingly turning to the use of no-take marine reserves. Guam, for example, recently designated 11% of its coastline as no-take. No-take areas differ from other MPAs in that they permanently protect all species and habitat in specific areas from fishing and other forms of extraction. They are intended to protect ecosystem structure and function while supporting sustainable fisheries and non-consumptive human activities, such as ecotourism, education, recreation, and general appreciation and understanding of marine ecosystems. A large and rapidly growing number of studies, conducted primarily in coral reef environments, are demonstrating the benefits of no-take protection both to the fisheries and to the ecosystems that maintain them (PDT, 1990; Roberts and Polunin, 1991; Dugan and Davis, 1993; Rowley, 1994; Russ and Alcala, 1996; Bohnsack, 1996). These benefits include increased abundance and size of individual fish within the no-take area; emigration of target species to adjacent fishing grounds; increased production of eggs and larvae and export of these to adjacent fisheries; increased fertilization success due to density effects; and protection of habitat for spawning and settlement of eggs and larvae (Domeier and Colin, 1997; Wells, 1998). The National Research Council is currently conducting a study on"Evaluation, Design, and Monitoring of Marine Reserves and Protected Areas in the United States," which will be completed in the summer of 2000.
Undisturbed representative coral reefs are also essential for scientific assessment of human impacts on marine resources. No-take protected areas act as scientific control sites to assess impacts of human use on coral reef ecosystems. They offer support for ecosystem-based management because they provide the basis for understanding ecosystem structure and function and evaluating ecosystem performance under human usage. No-take areas are also necessary for increased human knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of coral reef ecosystems. Marine reserves are especially important for determining the impacts of fishing and other extractive human activities on the marine ecosystem and for distinguishing between natural and human induced changes. The most important use of no-take coral reef reserves remains that of ecosystem protection and management to ensure the persistence of coral reef ecosystems.
Given the benefits, it is remarkable that the majority of U.S. MPA-CRs offer little protection from fishing and other extractive uses. How much of our coral reef habitat needs to be fully protected from any extractive use to ensure the preservation of reef diversity and individual reef structure, function and biodiversity is still at issue. Current estimates have been developed largely from fisheries science. Ballantine (1991; 1995) has long recommended 10% closure of the seas around New Zealand while the Reef Fishery Plan Development Team (PDT, 1990) recommended closing 20% of the shelf area of the southeastern U.S to fishing. More recently, Jane Lubchenco, past president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, called for 20% of the world's seas to be declared no-take by the year 2010. No-take protection of 20% is intended to maintain populations in the face of exploitation pressures in exploited areas (see Appendix II for a detailed discussion). The 20% figure is based primarily on the precautionary principle of leaving some areas free from extractive use until we have a complete understanding of its impacts. While fishing is important, it is also important that fishing not occur everywhere. Equally important is regulation of certain species throughout the conservation area, as well as the use of other conservation strategies such as catch and release fishing. Regulated fisheries are also important to projecting more widely ranging and migratory species.
The U.S. also has a responsibility via the Executive Order to promote protection of coral reefs in international waters, especially to its former Trust Territories in Micronesia, the FAS. In these important reef areas, the U.S. should encourage and support development of a comparable network of MPA-CRs that in many cases could be linked and integrated with U.S. counterparts. Collectively, these three countries possess approximately 15 uninhabited islands and atolls with coral reefs worthy of protection (for example, see Holthus et al. 1993b; Maragos 1994; Maragos and Cook 1995; and Maragos, 1999), as well as many more areas on populated islands that could benefit from this approach. Designation of such areas as MPA-CRs would contribute both to protection of biodiversity and cultural values, and would pose fewer potential issues, compared to MPA-CR designation in populated areas with multiple jurisdictions and conflicts. The re-negotiation of the Compact of Free Association between the U.S. and the FAS could include economic incentives to encourage the FAS to support MPA designation.
Building a national network of MPA-CRs should begin with two types of assessments: 1) a comprehensive assessment of the representativeness of reef types currently included within MPA-CRs, and 2) and assessment of the adequacy of coral reef protection in those areas currently in state, territorial or federal MPA-CRs.
Representative Reef Types - A comprehensive assessment of the representativeness of reef types currently receiving protection and a determination of additional sites needed to insure long-term sustainability of our nation's coral reef biodiversity, will require an extensive compilation of ecological, biological and socio-economic data on all United States and Territorial coral reef areas known to exist. All criteria to be used in the identification and selection of additional MPA-CRs should be included in this assessment. As part of a related initiative, the Ecological Society of America and National Marine Fisheries Service are sponsoring a workshop in Marathon, Florida in late October 1999 to "identify and map marine and estuarine communities, characterize the condition of key habitat types in terms of their biological integrity, and identify gaps in their conservation". This effort will contribute to the evaluation needed to determine an adequate coordinated network of MPA-CRs.
Once gaps have been identified in the existing system of MPA-CRs, selection of additional sites should be based on priorities established regionally and nationally. Priority sites should be selected on a set of criteria such as those identified by the International Group of Experts on
Marine and Coastal Protected Areas (Crosby et. al. 1997; Appendices III and IV). A systematic approach to the selection of biogeographically representative sites should result in the development of an integrated network of MPA-CRs which maintains and enhances the links among sites. To the extent possible, the approach should be developed with a global perspective, taking account of the different local, national and regional needs and opportunities in different areas. Consideration should be given to protecting those areas that are:
- representative regionally (e.g, atolls in Micronesia)
- representative politically (e.g., the FAS)
- representative as a major reef form (fringing reef, barrier reef, atoll)
- representative of a reef habitat or ecosystem type (seagrass beds, lagoons, reef flat, patch reefs, etc.)
- representative of unusual oceanographic or climatic zones (subtropical, upwelling, raised atoll, etc.)
- critical habitat for endangered and threatened species
- essential habitat (such as spawning aggregation sites) for candidate and depleted species
- threatened by development or other human activity
- politically and socially feasible
- economically feasible
- opportunity to serve as"flagship" sites in the network
- condition and/or feasibility of restoration
- potential for multiple use and self sustainability
- size and degree completeness
- ease of surveillance and enforcement
Level of Protection Provided to MPAs - A successful national network of MPA-CRs depends on effective management and level of protection. Management policies and practices should include sufficient levels of protection, from multi-use to no use or no-take, to ensure long-term sustainability. Because coral reefs are shallow-water systems, they are subject to land-based influences, particularly in areas adjacent to human populations. Accordingly, management of the these areas must account for impacts from the coastal zone and be integrated with broader coastal zone management.
To determine whether the current level of management and protection is adequate, an assessment of the current MPAs basic legislative authorities, regulations in force, management capabilities and coordination with other MPAs needs to be completed. Recommendations should then be formulated to bring the overall protection provided our nation's coral reef MPAs up to a level that will insure sustainability of the natural biodiversity of their coral reef resources. This assessment should include the following information as a minimum:
- legislative authorities and/or constraints
- geographical size of area of designation
- kinds of coral reef resources included
- level/type of protection afforded
- nomenclature being used (for designation and for any management zones within the MPA-CR)
- threats or concerns perceived for the resource
- level and type of use ongoing within the MPA-CR
- list of potential external impacts to the MPAs resources (e.g. coastal development & ocean uses)
- MPA-CRs funding sources and amounts
- staffing level and expertise
- level of resource knowledge
- ongoing monitoring programs
A second report in this series "Coral Reef Protected Areas: A Guide for Management" provides suggestions and guidance to park managers to address the above needs.
- Develop an initial inventory of all coral reef habitats in the U.S. in a geo-spatially referenced data base (see CRFT Mapping and Information Synthesis Working Group report; it is important to note, however, that complete, detailed maps and GISs are not necessary to implement MPA-CRs.)
- Compile and document information on reef areas currently in designated protected status including descriptions of reef types, activities occurring, socio-economic conditions, management capabilities, legislated authorities and level of protection provide. (A preliminary listing of areas to be included is shown in Appendix I; Comments and corrections are also currently being solicited from the applicable management authorities.)
- Conduct a"gap analysis" to determine important coral reef habitat types and unique features missing from current MPA-CR protected status. Use of selection criteria for designating new MPA-CRs, such as those outlined in Appendices II and III, will be used during evaluation of candidate areas.
- Assess the degree of protection at existing MPA-CRs and formulate recommendations for additional protection and use appropriate for sustainable management in a national network.
- Set national and regional priorities for establishing additional new MPA-CRs in the Agaps@ identified, and for improving existing management policies.
- Assess any immediate opportunities to establish new coral reef protected areas and strengthen existing areas in the remote atolls and islands under federal jurisdiction in the Pacific (see Appendix V, an evaluation of several specific sites, using the criteria in Appendix III)
- Initiate dialogue with the FAS to determine their interest and priorities in establishing MPA-CRs in their nations, particularly at uninhabited islands and atolls, and as appropriate, propose incentives to FAS to assist in the establishment of new MPA-CRs through the Compacts of Free Association re-negotiation process.
- Implement prioritization process for candidate sites leading to ranking of sites for inclusion in a nationally coordinated MPA-CRs network.
- Develop specific proposals for establishing new MPA-CRs where needed to eliminate gaps and ensure conservation of biodiversity.
- Develop specific proposals for additional protection or changes in management regulations at existing MPA-CRs.
- Initiate budgetary and public processes for establishing new MPA-CRs and strengthening existing MPA-CRs.
- Initiate public hearing processes, regulatory revisions, and if necessary, legislative actions.
- Develop and implement a performance assessment system (e.g., monitoring, health indicators, fisheries stocks, etc.) for evaluating objectives of long-term sustainability and conservation of biological diversity.
- Develop cooperative agreements between the U.S. and FAS to establish new MPA-CRs and coordinate management strategies through a regional network of MPA-CRs.
Recommended Agency Participation:
Federal (Department of the Interior; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
State (Hawaii; Florida)
Insular Area Governments (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
Guam; American Samoa;
U.S. Virgin Islands; Puerto Rico)
Freely Associated States (Republic of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, Republic of the Marshall Islands)
Non-governmental organizations (e.g., The Nature Conservancy, Packard Foundation, Center for Marine Conservation, World Wildlife Fund, Sierra Club, Audubon Society, World Resources Institute, and others)
Regional Fishery Management Councils | Building a National Network of Marine Protected Areas for Coral Reefs
Prepared by the Working Group on Ecosystem Science and Conservation for Presentation to U.S. Coral Reef Task Force November 1999 - SECOND DRAFT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
- PRINCIPLES AND GOALS
- BUILDING A NATIONAL NETWORK OF MPA-CRs
- SPECIFIC ACTIONS AND TIMELINE FOR BUILDING A NATIONAL NETWORK OF MPA-CRs
One of the most powerful acti | {
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(Washington, DC) – Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) today introduced the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Act, bipartisan legislation to spur development of new antibiotics to combat the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Senators Blumenthal and Corker were joined by Senators Bennet (D-CO), Hatch (R-UT), Casey (D-PA), and Alexander (R-TN).
While antibiotics are widely used by doctors to treat common infections, an increasing number of strains of bacterial infections are immune to existing antibiotics. The GAIN Act will provide incentives to increase the commercial value of innovative antibiotic drugs and streamline the regulatory process so that pioneering infectious disease products can reach patients. Antibiotic-resistant infections are on the rise, causing tens of thousands of deaths each year - disproportionately affecting children and the elderly - and leading to $26 billion in extra costs annually to the U.S. health care system.
Blumenthal said, “Superbugs or mutant germs resistant to present antibiotics are a growing public health horror – now targeted through this bipartisan proposal to speed creation and approval of new drugs against them. The threat of these new resistant bacterial infections, particularly threatening to children, seniors, and our returning troops, requires innovative antibiotics. Incentives for research and development and fast track FDA review are needed to stop these bacteria and infections from spreading.”
"Drug-resistant infections in Tennessee and across our country are posing an increasing threat to public health, and the federal government can play a constructive role in helping spur innovation of new drugs for treating these conditions. Without putting any federal dollars at stake, our bill provides meaningful market incentives to encourage development of new antibiotics that will help save lives and reduce health care costs,” Corker said. “By strengthening this segment of the market that currently has only a handful of new drugs in the pipeline, we can help ensure Americans at home and our troops abroad have access to treatments capable of combating these deadly infections.”
“We commend Sen. Blumenthal and Sen. Corker for their bipartisan leadership and are committed to working with them and their colleagues in the Senate and the House to pass the GAIN Act,” said Sharon Ladin, director of the Pew Health Group’s Antibiotics and Innovation Project. “The bill creates incentives to spur antibiotic innovation and brings us one step closer to delivering new, life-saving medicines to the growing number of Americans who urgently need them.”
Antibiotic resistant “superbugs” have been on the rise for the last decade, with the rate of antibiotic resistant Staph infections approaching 50%. Currently, antibiotic-resistant MRSA infections are responsible for over 17,000 deaths in the U.S. each year.
The issue increasingly affects troops returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, as many of them have been exposed to a new, highly-resistant and contagious strain of Acinetobacter bacteria - 89% of infections caused by mutant strains of Acinetobacter are resistant to at least three classes of antibiotics and 15% are resistant to all forms of treatment.
The GAIN Act has been endorsed by 39 groups, including the National Military Vets Alliance, American Medical Association, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Children’s National Medical Center. The GAIN Act was introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives in June, led by Representatives Phil Gingrey (R-GA) and Diana DeGette (D-CO). | (Washington, DC) – Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) and Senator Bob Corker (R-TN) today introduced the Generating Antibiotic Incentives Now (GAIN) Act, bipartisan legislation to spur development of new antibiotics to combat the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria. Senators Blumenthal and Corker were joined by Senators Bennet (D-CO), Hatch (R-UT), Casey (D-PA), and Alexander (R-TN).
While anti | {
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There is something dangerous in Florida's coastal waters. It's small, strong, and almost invisible. Marine animals, and even scuba divers, have been trapped by it and killed. The surprising culprit is nylon monofilament fishing line.
Efforts to establish fishing line recycling programs in a number of Florida's counties have led to a statewide effort to educate the public on the problems the clear or lightly colored line causes in the environment, and to encourage the creation of a network of recycling stations. It is a program, its creators say, that could easily be duplicated anywhere in the country.
"It has application in both freshwater and saltwater, and it can be done on a variety of scales, from one container to 50. Discarded fishing line is a problem everywhere," says Maia McGuire, extension agent with the Florida Sea Grant Program.
McGuire started a monofilament recycling program for fishermen on Florida's northeast coast, and is one of the partners in the statewide Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program, which has created a Web site to help others with their fishing line recycling efforts.
Brevard County created Florida's first fishing line recycling program in 2000. In the first six months of the program, over 1,000 pounds of fishing line was recycled. Using Brevard County's program as a model, McGuire began installing recycling stations in four other coastal counties in 2001.
McGuire says she began by soliciting sponsors, who paid $75 for each recycling station and in return got their name posted at the site. Once she had enough donations, she bought the materials and had the stations constructed and installed.
The stations, which resemble submarine periscopes, are constructed from three-foot sections of PVC-pipe that are mounted on posts or existing structures. They are placed at both saltwater and freshwater boat ramps and fishing piers. Signage lets people know what they can and cannot put in the containers. McGuire cautions that the stations may be used for trash if they are not placed next to garbage cans.
Volunteers empty the stations of the monofilament fishing line, spools, nylon rope, and nylon cast nets, and take the material to collection bins at local tackle shops and marinas. The bins are provided by Pure Fishing, a sporting goods manufacturer that recycles the nylon. The company even provides prepaid labels for returning the bins.
"I got a terrific response from the local communities," notes McGuire, "but also from around the state and around the country from people who said, 'We need this here. How do we do it?'"
A partnership of local, state, and federal agencies, and nonprofit organizations has been working to take the effort statewide and to educate the public about the problems nylon fishing line causes in the environment. The group pooled their resources, developed written educational material, and put together a packet with all the information necessary for creating a recycling program. All the material is now available at the Web site, www.fishinglinerecycling.org.
"Everything is there," says McGuire. "All the resources, what materials you need, where we got the signs and stickers, how much everything cost, volunteer agreements and data sheets, press releases. Anybody who wants to start a program has access to these resources and can contact any of us for further help."
The group has held three workshops around the state on how to start a program, and McGuire notes that in a survey two months later, 60 percent of the people who attended were in the process of implementing recycling programs, and many of the others plan to pursue a program in the future. Information also has been requested from as far away as Bermuda.
"I want to emphasize that people are using these stations," McGuire says. "If you make it convenient for people to do, most people are going to go ahead and use them."
For more information on Florida's Monofilament Recovery and Recycling Program, point your browser to www.fishinglinerecycling.org, or contact Maia McGuire at (904) 824-4564, or [email protected]. | There is something dangerous in Florida's coastal waters. It's small, strong, and almost invisible. Marine animals, and even scuba divers, have been trapped by it and killed. The surprising culprit is nylon monofilament fishing line.
Efforts to establish fishing line recycling programs in a number of Florida's counties have led to a statewide effort to educate the public on the problems the clear | {
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ESA antennas in Spain
Satellites stay in contact with the Earth by means of a ground-station network. Engineers send commands to correct their trajectories, manoeuvre them into different orbits, and operate their instruments. The satellite transmits back to Earth not only the scientific data that it is gathering, but also the ‘housekeeping’ information needed by the operators to check the satellite’s performance.
The scientific data from all astronomy and planetary ESA missions whose Science Operations Centres (SOCs) are housed at ESAC arrive here from the Agency’s European Space Operations Centre (ESOC) in Darmstadt, near Frankfurt.
For these purposes, ESA has a number of antennas located at ESAC in Villafranca, Madrid, with modern electronic telemetry, telecommand and ranging equipment that allows commands to be sent to control the satellites and their payloads, as well as the scientific data to be received on the ground.
The ESAC antennas at Villafranca currently support:
- the Cluster flotilla, four satellites that are studying the Earth’s magnetic field
- SMART-1, the ESA small-satellite mission to the Moon
- Double Star (in support of China)
- occasionally Integral, the gamma-ray telescope
- and occasionally two of ESA’s Earth-observation satellites, Envisat and ERS-2.
ESA also has a deep space antenna located in Cebreros, Ávila. ESA’s next generation of astronomy and planetary missions are highly ambitious. Designed to open up new frontiers in space exploration, many of them will be placed very far away in space, not even orbiting Earth. To communicate with these deep-space missions, ESA is building-up a new network of deep-space antennas.
The powerful new 35-metre antenna at Cebreros is currently one of two ESA deep-space ground stations, the other being at New Norcia in Australia. Cebreros’s first task will be to support the Venus Express mission – the first ESA mission to our nearest neighbouring planet and the hottest in the Solar System – from October 2005. Other interplanetary missions will follow, including BepiColombo, as well as missions orbiting the second Lagrangian point – a point beyond the Moon, 1.5 million kilometres from Earth – such as Herschel, Planck and Gaia.
Last update: 13 February 2006 | ESA antennas in Spain
Satellites stay in contact with the Earth by means of a ground-station network. Engineers send commands to correct their trajectories, manoeuvre them into different orbits, and operate their instruments. The satellite transmits back to Earth not only the scientific data that it is gathering, but also the ‘housekeeping’ information needed by the operators to check the satellit | {
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| || || |
About usEnvironmental Control and Life Support
ECLS ProgrammeAir revitalization
Water recycling and quality controlFoodSolid waste managementContaminants
PerspectivesLife Support Perspectives
| ||Water recycling and quality control|
Water being the largest life support consumable by mass aboard manned space infrastructures, water recovery will become absolutely mandatory to decrease the cost for resupply of long-duration missions.
Also, safety aspects would benefit from a significantly-decreased dependency on resupply for long-range missions.
Typical waste-water streams likely to be used for water recovery are:
Problems for recovering water from the various sources by a regenerative system are typically linked to the presence of low molecular weight volatile compounds difficult to remove either by phase-change or by membrane technologies, to the presence of fouling compounds and, in all cases, to the presence of specific microflora liable to contaminate the water recovery system.
- condensate from the cabin temperature and humidity control system
- hygiene waters from personal hygiene and from dish and clothes washing units
- CO2 reduction water produced by air revitalisation systems
- phase change water from the stabilisation of trash and faeces by desiccation and
- experiment/laboratory water including evapo-transpiration water from experimental or food production green-houses
Studies dealing with water recovery undertaken by ESA have demonstrated the excellent potential of membrane-based technologies for purifying waste waters such as hygiene water and condensation water.
Successive studies have been undertaken by ESA-ESTEC which have demonstrated the excellent adaptation of membrane technologies to produce potable/hygiene water from low polluted waste waters such as shower and condensation waters.
Last update: 18 November 2007
In depthMore information about water recyclingThe test installationWater recycling flow chartFinal design | | || || |
About usEnvironmental Control and Life Support
ECLS ProgrammeAir revitalization
Water recycling and quality controlFoodSolid waste managementContaminants
PerspectivesLife Support Perspectives
| ||Water recycling and quality control|
Water being the largest life support consumable by mass aboard manned space infrastructures, water recovery will become absolutely mandatory to decrease the | {
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Dams provide a range of economic, environmental, and social benefits, including recreation, flood control, water supply, hydroelectric power, waste management, river navigation, and wildlife habitat.
Dams provide prime recreational facilities throughout the United States. Boating, skiing, camping, picnic areas, and boat launch facilities are all supported by dams.
- Flood Control
In addition to helping farmers, dams help prevent the loss of life and property caused by flooding. Flood control dams impound floodwaters and then either release them under control to the river below the dam or store or divert the water for other uses. For centuries, people have built dams to help control devastating floods.
- Water Storage
Dams create reservoirs throughout the United States that supply water for many uses, including industrial, municipal, and agricultural.
Ten percent of American cropland is irrigated using water stored behind dams. Thousands of jobs are tied to producing crops grown with irrigated water.
- Mine Tailings
There are more than 1,300 mine tailings impoundments in the United States that allow the mining and processing of coal and other vital minerals while protecting the environment.
- Electrical Generation
The United States is one of the largest producers of hydropower in the world, second only to Canada. Dams produce over 103,800 megawatts of renewable electricity and meet 8 to 12 percent of the Nation's power needs. Hydropower is considered clean because it does not contribute to global warming, air pollution, acid rain, or ozone depletion.
- Debris Control
In some instances, dams provide enhanced environmental protection, such as the retention of hazardous materials and detrimental sedimentation.
Dams and locks provide for a stable system of inland river transportation throughout the heartland of the Nation.
02/19/2013 - 18:06 | Dams provide a range of economic, environmental, and social benefits, including recreation, flood control, water supply, hydroelectric power, waste management, river navigation, and wildlife habitat.
Dams provide prime recreational facilities throughout the United States. Boating, skiing, camping, picnic areas, and boat launch facilities are all supported by dams.
- Flood Control
In addition to he | {
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|FHWA > Engineering > Pavements > Concrete > Concrete Pavement Technology Update|
Concrete Pavement Technology Update
Pavement Texture Research Enhances Safety
CPTP pavement texture efforts lead to enhanced pavement safety as brought forth in FHWA Technical Advisory T 5040.36 (Surface Texture for Asphalt and Concrete Pavements) issued in June 2005. The technical advisory provides state-of-the-practice information on pavement surface texture/friction and guidance on selecting techniques that will provide adequate wet pavement friction and low tire-surface noise. The advisory is consistent with FHWA pavement policy contained in 23 Code of Federal Regulations 626.3 stating, "Pavement shall be designed to accommodate current and predicted traffic needs in a safe, durable, and cost-effective manner."
With tining, friction and tire-pavement noise in the finished pavement are significantly influenced by spacing, depth, width, and orientation of the tines. Longitudinal tining is the preferred choice for tined surface in many States.
In 1987, the Permanent International Association of Road Congresses (now called the World Road Association) defined three classes of pavement surface texture. Two classes of surface texture affect wet pavement friction: microtexture, with wavelengths of 1 mm to 0.5 mm (0.00004 to 0.020 in.), and macrotexture, with wavelengths of 0.5 to 50 mm (0.02 to 2.00 in.). The first is generally considered to be a function of the fine aggregate used in a concrete pavement mixture, while the second is related to tining or other concrete finishing operations. A third class, megatexture, with wavelengths of 50 to 500 mm (2 to 20 in.), plays a role in tire-pavement noise.
While the advisory points out that safety is paramount, it notes that tire-surface noise also should be considered and that a safe and low-noise surface is achievable with the proper design considerations. The effect of texture on tire-pavement noise is complex. Macrotexture wavelengths of 2 to 10 mm (0.08 to 0.40 in.) tend to decrease the exterior noise generated at the tire-pavement interface, while increased megatexture of 50 to 500 mm (2 to 20 in.) has been shown to increase interior noise in vehicles. The interaction of the three classes of texture raises the possibility that an optimized texture might provide both a safe and quiet pavement surface. Much of the current research is directed at achieving that optimized condition.
While this article focuses primarily on safety issues, a later one will deal more indepth with tire-pavement noise. In fact, Larson, Scofield, and Sorenson (2004) note that because texture has such an effect on both noise and friction, the issues must be considered together to fully address highway users' concerns.
New Construction Texture
Several construction techniques have been found to provide good concrete pavement texture under various conditions:
Restoration of Texture
Restoration techniques identified to restore lost texture on an aging concrete pavement are diamond grinding, transverse or longitudinal grooving, and the application of thin overlays of either epoxy- or asphalt-based materials. The life of both grinding and grooving techniques is heavily dependent on the polishing resistance of the coarse aggregate used in the original pavement surface. Agencies are encouraged to do their own research on the types of rehabilitation approaches yielding the most benefit.
Other site-specific factors to consider when evaluating a pavement texturing approach are splash and spray, climate, traffic volume, traffic speed, roadway geometry, the likelihood of conflicting traffic maneuvers, cost, and the presence of noise-sensitive receptors. The FHWA advisory points out that no one treatment will always be the best choice for a wide range of projects and conditions. They encourage local research and the evaluation of the available literature on setting texture requirements and friction thresholds.
In addition, Larson, Scofield, and Sorenson (2005) point out evidence that suggests increased emphasis on texture/friction at sites with higher accident risk could significantly reduce fatalities, injuries, and resulting traffic delays. Such sites include two-lane roads, intersections, curves, work zones, freeway ramps, and sites where frequent erratic traffic movements occur.
Finally, Larson (2005) notes the importance of comparing the friction demand assumed during pavement design with that actually provided on the pavement surface throughout the pavement's service life, especially at known critical sites. He further points out that, although numerous American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Guides address various aspects of this issue, the amount of information is so voluminous that computer-supported tools are being developed to help apply the results.
Larson, Roger M., Larry Scofield, and James B. Sorenson. 2004. "Pavement Surface Functional Characteristics." Presented at Fifth Symposium on Pavement Surface Characteristics, Toronto, Canada, June 2004.
Larson, Roger M., Larry Scofield, and James B. Sorenson. 2005. "Providing Durable, Safe, and Quiet Highways." Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Concrete Pavements, Vol. II, pp 500-522, Colorado Springs, CO, August 2005. International Society for Concrete Pavements, Bridgeville, PA.
Larson, Roger M. 2005. "Using Friction and Texture Data to Reduce Traffic Fatalities, Serious Injuries, and Traffic Delays." Presented at International Conference on Surface Friction Christchurch, New Zealand, May 2005 . | |FHWA > Engineering > Pavements > Concrete > Concrete Pavement Technology Update|
Concrete Pavement Technology Update
Pavement Texture Research Enhances Safety
CPTP pavement texture efforts lead to enhanced pavement safety as brought forth in FHWA Technical Advisory T 5040.36 (Surface Texture for Asphalt and Concrete Pavements) issued in June 2005. The technical advisory provides state-of-the-prac | {
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|FHWA > Engineering > Pavements > Pavement Recycling Guidelines for State and Local Governments > Chapter 3|
Pavement Recycling Guidelines for State and Local Governments
|Edge Joint Cracks||x||x||x||x|
|Loss of Cover Aggregate||x||x|
The choice of a rehabilitation technique should be based primarily on the condition and performance history of the existing pavement. The major factors should include the following:(5)
The most common factors considered are (1) the present condition of pavement with regard to distress, (2) traffic in terms of equivalent 18-kip axle loads estimated for design period, and (3) structural capacity of existing pavement.(6)
Before choosing a rehabilitation alternative, the designer must evaluate environmental and drainage factors, and practical limitations imposed by contiguous structures. Since different rehabilitation techniques can produce pavements with different life cycle, the designer should consider the expected life of the pavement as well as funds available and user convenience. Design considerations are also dependent on the type of original surface (for example, PCC or asphalt) on which the new overlay will be placed. There is also the question of whether to use a separating course between the old surface and the new overlay. And finally, perhaps the most important consideration should be made of the type, amount and severity of distress conditions of the existing pavement. Since different recycling techniques can remedy different types of distresses, the most appropriate method should be considered.
Overlay design methods for improving the structural capacity of the existing pavement are discussed in chapter 18. These methods, together with methods for the design of new pavements, are also used to determine thickness requirements for recycled pavements.
Recycling techniques can be evaluated on the basis of the cost of the pavements. The cost, or worth, of a pavement can be defined in two ways: (1) present worth (PW), or the present value, and (2) equivalent uniform annual costs (EUAC). Present worth is defined as the money needed at present to fund all costs of the pavement. The equivalent uniform annual cost (EUAC) is an equivalent amount of money spread out over the analysis period.
The advantage of EUAC method is that alternatives with different lives can be conveniently compared, and prices for alternatives are in dollar value ranges that can be easily comprehended.
Life cycle costs of the rehabilitation alternatives must also be considered in economic analysis. The life cycle is the period of time of actual use before replacement, reconstruction, or extensive rehabilitation is required. Life cycle costs include the initial construction cost as well as the cost of maintenance activities during the life cycle.
Appendix A contains a detailed discussion of economic considerations including an example of life cycle cost analysis.
Even though recycling of pavements was performed as early as 1915, it was not until the mid1970s that widespread attention was paid to recycling because of the oil embargo. Recycling of HMA pavements results in a considerable conservation of energy by reducing cost of hauling and production of materials. However, the amount of savings depend on the particular type of recycling used. Energy considerations required for selection of a recycling method include the following operations which consume energy: material manufacture, material transportation, mix production, mix transportation, and mix placement and compaction.
The following energy requirement data for resurfacing and recycling operations have been reported:(3)
The energy requirements for operations 1 to 4 only include energy associated with the equipment used for pavement removal. The preferred approach for calculation of the energy requirements of recycling operations is to use a step-by-step procedure for each phase of the operation using energy data.(3)
The following factors should be considered prior to final selection of the rehabilitation alternative:
If recycling is chosen as a rehabilitation alternative, there is a variety of recycling methods available for rehabilitation of HMA pavements. The primary options are hot mix recycling, hot in-place recycling (HIR), cold in-place recycling (CIR), and full depth reclamation (FDR). These recycling methods offer a number of advantages, which include the following.(7)
The following section is divided into two parts. In the first part, each of the different recycling methods is discussed along with its advantages and disadvantages. In the next part, general guidelines for selection of a recycling process are presented.
Hot mix recycling or hot recycling is a method in which the RAP is combined with new aggregate and an asphalt cement or recycling agent to produce hot mix asphalt (HMA). Both batch and drum type hot mix plants are used to produce recycled mix. The RAP is obtained from pavement milling with a rotary drum cold planing machine and may be further processed by ripping and crushing operations, if needed. The mix laydown and compaction equipment and procedures are same as for conventional HMA. The ratio of RAP to new aggregates depends on the mix design, on the type of hot mix asphalt plants, and on the quality of stack emission generated. Typical RAP to aggregate proportions vary between 10:90 to 30:70, although a maximum of 50:50 have been reported for drum mix plants. The use of microwave technology has allowed the use of a higher amount of RAP, because the RAP can be preheated. The advantages of hot mix recycling are as follows.(8)
Hot in-place recycling is a method which is performed on site with the RAP material obtained from the existing pavement. The deteriorated asphalt pavement is heated and softened to allow it to be scarified or mixed to a specified depth. If required, new hot mix material and/or recycling agent is added to the RAP material. In this method, the existing pavement is typically processed to a depth of 20 mm (¾ in) to 40 mm (1½ in). The process can be carried out as a single-pass or as a multiple-pass operation. In the single-pass operation, the scarified existing pavement material is combined with new material, if needed, and compacted. In a multiple-pass operation, the scarified material is recompacted and then the new wearing surface is applied after a prescribed interval. The advantages offered by this method include the following:(9)
In the cold in-place recycling method, existing pavement materials are used along with recycling agent. The depth of treatment is typically from 75-100 mm (3-4 in). Although, in some cases, virgin aggregate may be added to the recycled material to change or improve the RAP characteristics, normally this procedure is carried out without transportation of any material except the recycling agent. The technique consists of pulverization of the existing pavement, sizing of the RAP, addition of recycling agent and the placement and compaction of the recycled mix. The newly developed recycling trains consist of large cold milling machine with a screening and crushing unit, and a mixing device attached to it. Conventional HMA laydown and compaction equipment are used to pick up the processed material from windrow, and subsequent placement and compaction. The advantages of cold in-place recycling include the following:(10)
Full depth reclamation is a recycling technique in which all of the HMA layer and a predetermined amount of underlying materials are treated to produce a stabilized base course. The different types of additives which can be used for improving the quality of the base include asphalt emulsion and chemical agents such as calcium chloride, portland cement, fly ash, and lime. In some cases, new material is added to obtain a required depth of the improved base. In general, the technique consists of pulverization, introduction of additive, shaping, compaction, and application of a surface or wearing course. The advantages offered by full depth reclamation include the following:(11)
All of the different recycling techniques offer some advantages over conventional rehabilitation techniques. However, the choice of a particular recycling method should be primarily on the basis of the type of distress shown by the existing pavement. This is because all of the recycling methods are not equally suited for treating different types of distress, and hence the choice must be made for the particular method which is capable of rectifying the existing distress conditions. The applicability of a particular recycling technique not only depends on the pavement defect, but also on the extent and severity of the distress. For this reason, a comprehensive evaluation of the existing pavement is necessary before attempting any recycling process. Once the type, extent and diversity of distresses have been identified, candidate recycling procedures should be evaluated on the basis of their effectiveness and cost. The type of distresses recognized by ARRA are discussed in the following sections.(9) Attempt should be made to quantify pavement distress by using available methods such as SHRP pavement distress manual SHRP-LTPP/FR-90-001.(12)
Pavement distresses can be primarily grouped into six categories: (1) surface defects, (2) deformation, (3) cracking, (4) maintenance patching, (5) base/subgrade problems, and (6) poor ride/roughness.(1) The different terms are explained in the following sections.
Figure 3-5. Raveling.
Figure 3-6. Surface bleeding.
Shoving occurs as localized bulging of the pavement surface. A typical example is shown in figure 3-8. The cause of this type of distress is a lack of mix stability.
Rutting is the occurrence of longitudinal surface depressions or channels in the wheel path. Figure 3-9 shows an example of rutting. This distress may be caused by an unstable mixture with very low air voids or excessive wheel loads and tire pressure.
Figure 3-7. Corrugation.
Figure 3-8. Shoving.
Figure 3-9. Rutting.
Alligator cracking is shown in figure 3-10. These are interconnected cracks that create a series of small pieces resembling an alligator's skin or chicken wire. This type of distress may be caused by excessive deflection of the pavement surface over an unstable subgrade or base courses of the pavement, or due to repeated loads that exceed the load-carrying capability of the pavement.
Wheel path cracks appear as fractures or separation within the wheel paths. The cracking begins as single or multiple longitudinal cracks and progresses with time to a pattern resembling alligator cracking.
Pavement edge cracks are longitudinal cracks within 0.3 to 0.6 mm (1 to 2 ft) of the outer edge of the pavement or at the joint between a pavement and widening. The cracking is due to the lack of lateral (shoulder) support, base weakness frost action, and inadequate drainage.
Slippage cracks are typically crescent or half-moon shaped cracks produced when vehicles brake or turn which cause the pavement surface to slide or push. This is caused by a low strength HMA or a lack of bond between surface and lower courses.
Block cracks are interconnected large cracks with sharp angles or corners. Figure 3-11 shows a typical block cracking. Such cracks occur due to shrinkage of asphalt mix because of volume changes in the base or subgrade.
Longitudinal joint cracks develop at construction joints because of poorly paved joint or improper construction technique. A typical example is shown in figure 3-12.
Transverse cracks occur across the pavement centerline and are caused by shrinkage from temperature changes and/or hardening of asphalt. Figure 3-13 shows a pavement with transverse cracks.
Reflection cracks are cracks in asphalt overlays caused by cracks in the pavement structure underneath. A typical example is shown in figure 3-14.
Figure 3-10. Alligator cracking.
Figure 3-11. Block cracking.
Figure 3-12. Longitudinal joint cracking.
Figure 3-13. Transverse cracking.
Figure 3-14. Reflection cracking.
Maintenance Patching: A patch is an area of distressed pavement which has been repaired with new mixture (deep or pothole patching) or the placement of a thin overlay (skin patching).
The patching may be only a seal coating of the distressed area (spray patching). Figure 3-15 shows an example of maintenance patching.
Figure 3-15. Maintenance patching.
Problem Base/Subgrade: An unstabilized or poorly drained base or subgrade can result in severe cracking, settlement and rutting of an asphalt pavement. A wet, soft base or subgrade can result in very low strength and possible pumping/displacement of materials to the surface through cracks in the pavement.
High spots are high areas in the pavement caused by paving operation or frost heaving or swelling of the subgrade soil.
|Type of Pavement Distress||Hot Recycling||Hot In-Place Recycling||Cold In-Place Recycling||Full Depth Reclamation|
|Rutting - shallow3||x||x5|
|Rutting - deep||x||x6||x6,7|
|Longitudinal - wheel path||x||x8||x||x|
|Deep (hot mix)||x||x||x|
|Problem Base/Subgrade (Soft, Wet)||x|
|High spots (heaving)||x12||x12||x14|
|1. Hot Mix Recycling||Can be used to treat surface defects, deformation, load and non-load associated cracks, and maintenance patching. Material obtained from an existing pavement can be stockpiled for future use. Also, stockpiled RAP material can be carefully blended in a plant with other materials to achieve proper mix.||Percentage of RAP that can be used depends on recycling mix properties and the type of hot mix plant. RAP/virgin material blend is typically 10:90 to 30:70, with a maximum of 50:50 (drum plant).|
|2. Hot In-Place Recycling||Can be used to treat surface defects, corrugation and surface rutting, and longitudinal and slippage cracking up to 50 mm (2 in) depth. The existing pavement material can be used fully, resulting in a minimal demand for virgin materials. Hence, substantial savings in transportation cost can be realized. This method can reduce rehabilitation time significantly, and is particularly suitable for busy highways or streets which cannot be kept closed for a long time.||Hot in-place recycling can involve significant amounts of heavy machinery and equipment. Because of high mobilization costs, there should be enough work in a particular area (either for a single project or for a number of projects) to make this process cost effective. Also, since this method frequently involves long equipment trains, it may not be suitable for local residential streets with very limited space for maneuvering of equipment . This process can produce air quality problems, for pavements with a significant amount of patches made with liquid bituminous materials and/or crack sealing material.|
|3. Cold In-Place Recycling||Can be used to treat rutting in asphalt layers below the surface; load associated block and thermal cracks; and maintenance patching. The existing pavement material can be used fully and, therefore, substantial savings can be achieved by avoiding transportation of new materials. Also, since no heat is used in this technique, there are no air quality concerns associated with it, and savings are also realized in energy and money. This method can improve the structural capacity on an existing pavement. Also, disturbance to traffic is limited and can be used for busy highways which cannot be kept closed for a long time.||In most cases cold in-place recycled materials require a curing period, followed by an application of a wearing course. Although smaller machines are available, this technique can involve long trains which may not be suitable for local residential streets with very limited space for maneuvering of equipment.|
|4. Full Depth Reclamation (FDR)||Can be used to treat rutting in layers below the surface, including base; load associated, block and thermal cracking; and maintenance patching. This technique is particularly suitable for pavements with base problems or insufficient structural capacity. Since this is basically a cold in-place process, it has all the advantages of cold in-place recycling, including savings in transportation cost and energy and no occurrence of air quality problems due to emissions. Different manufacturers have large single machines which can complete this process in a single pass.||Full depth reclamation usually results in a new base, which must be covered with an appropriate wearing course. As in cold in-place recycling, a significant amount of curing period may be required. At present, there is a lack of proper construction guidelines and specifications for FDR, and the whole process must be supervised by an experienced person. Since in this method, a part of non-asphalt layer is also recycled, the resulting mix must be carefully monitored for any contamination by undesirable material (such as vegetation or large chunks of RAP).|
Recycling is one of the many alternatives available for rehabilitation of pavements. Rehabilitation is required to keep pavements at a serviceable condition in terms of surface roughness, distress or frictional resistance. Without rehabilitation, pavements can deteriorate at a faster rate and ultimately cost much more to maintain than pavements maintained at a certain level of serviceability with the help of proper rehabilitation. Different rehabilitation alternatives include various types of seal coats. The particular choice of the rehabilitation technique should be based on life cycle costs and the one with the lowest life cycle cost should be considered. But simultaneously, engineering considerations should also be made. The important engineering consideration include present quality of pavement, type, extent and severity of distress, the amount of traffic, and the structural condition of the pavement. Economic considerations can be made by evaluating the cost of the pavement by any of the different methods such as present worth or equivalent uniform annual cost. The user costs and salvage value of the pavement should be accounted for. Consideration to energy requirements can also be made by calculating energy expenditure for each phase of operation. The choice of a particular technique also depends on availability of equipment, experienced contractor, initial cost, and construction impact on traffic. Except asphalt surface recycling, all other types of recycling can substantially improve the structural capacity of a pavement. In addition, recycling offers substantial savings in cost of material and haulage, helps in resource conservation, can improve pavement performance, and help maintain original pavement geometries and thickness. Recycling can be combined with overlays also. The relative advantages and disadvantages of the different recycling alternatives should be considered before making a decision. Among other things, the merits and demerits should include considerations about economy, removal of distress, effective quality control and traffic disruptions.
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Office of Asset Management, Pavement, and Construction | |FHWA > Engineering > Pavements > Pavement Recycling Guidelines for State and Local Governments > Chapter 3|
Pavement Recycling Guidelines for State and Local Governments
|Edge Joint Cracks||x||x||x||x|
|Loss of Cover Aggregate||x||x|
The choice of a rehabilitation technique should be based primarily on the condition and performance history of the existing pavement. The major factors should includ | {
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Connect With Us
Partnerships Power Relicensing Negotiations for Missouri Hydro Project
by Georgia Parham
Lake of the Ozarks is known far and wide as a prime destination for anglers, boaters, and outdoor recreationists from around the country. Located in south-central Missouri, the lake was formed with the completion in 1931 of Bagnell Dam on the Osage River, part of the Osage Hydroelectric Project, now owned and operated by AmerenUE. While the lake offers more than 55,000 acres of surface water and 1,150 miles of shoreline for recreation, the presence of the dam and hydroelectric facility likewise offers a number of challenges to fish and wildlife resource managers, particularly in the Osage River downstream from the dam. Among the concerns are altered flow regimes, bank and channel erosion, impacts on aquatic habitats, low dissolved oxygen, fish mortality at the dam, and impacts to freshwater mussels including two endangered species.
These challenges were met early and head on by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Ecological Ser- Partnerships Power Relicensing Negotiations for Missouri Hydro Project vice field office in Columbia, Mo., as AmerenUE sought relicensing under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Although the current license does not expire until early 2006, the Service and other stakeholders began working with AmerenUE in 1999, concentrating efforts on impacts to fish and mussels and fish protection in the lake. With the Missouri’s Departments of Conservation and Natural Resources, the National Park Service, the Service and AmerenUE worked together to develop a settlement agreement prior to relicensing that addresses concerns for freshwater mussels, habitat, and fish mortality associated with the project.
The lower Osage River supports populations of native Ozark stream fish as well as big river species, some of them of special concern, such as the paddlefish and sturgeon. The lower river is also the highest priority stream in the Osage Basin for mussel conservation and is among the most important mussel streams in Missouri. Thirty-nine mussel species have been found in the river, including two federally listed species (the pink mucket and the scaleshell), one federal candidate, four state-endangered, and several species of concern. The pink mucket population in the lower Osage River is one of the most significant in the species’ range and is the largest population west of the Mississippi River.
Through comments on AmerenUE’s Preliminary Draft Environmental Assessment of the project, the Service and its partners evaluated project mitigation measures proposed by AmerenUE and identified areas where more work was needed. The stakeholders and AmerenUE then began intensive negotiations toward a settlement agreement that would satisfy all major environmental concerns while providing for energy needs, protecting critical lake levels for recreation and addressing downstream landowner needs.
Resource Protection Measures to be Taken by AmerenUE Include:
· Improved stream flows and increased minimum flow in the Lower Osage River. This provides spawning flows, seasonal variations, and flows that will increase aquatic habitat for downstream species, including endangered mussels.
· Measures to reduce bank and channel erosion during flood flows.
· Improvements to fish protection, including a barrier net that reduces or prevents fish mortality due to turbine or dam operation.
· Funding to Missouri Department of Conservation for fish production for Lake of the Ozarks.
· Funding to the Service for administration and implementation of an aquatic habitat and species restoration and enhancement program that focuses on mussels in the Lower Osage River.
· A shoreline management plan to protect terrestrial habitat along the shore used by bald eagles for nesting and roosting.
· Increased dissolved oxygen levels in the lower river during project operation, enhancing conditions for mussels and fish.
FERC License to AmerenUE for Bagnell Dam (91-page PDF) | Connect With Us
Partnerships Power Relicensing Negotiations for Missouri Hydro Project
by Georgia Parham
Lake of the Ozarks is known far and wide as a prime destination for anglers, boaters, and outdoor recreationists from around the country. Located in south-central Missouri, the lake was formed with the completion in 1931 of Bagnell Dam on the Osage River, part of the Osage Hydroelectric Project | {
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Field surveys of seven large-scale (greater than one acre) sites in the Houston-Galveston area provided an interesting comparison of design types, criteria, and site characteristics. Two of the sites were primarily fill sites, two were fill and shape sites, two were scrape-down sites, and one was a natural substrate with shore protection.
Frequently inundated organically rich muds seemed to have the most potential for relatively rapid growth and development of vegetation. In contrast, low-organic, dewatered Pleistocene clays at scrape-down sites may take time to become fertile enough for a more rapid spread in vegetation.
Subsidence could be a threat in all areas if rates don’t remain low, but in terms of shoreline stability, all sites had design criteria to guard against erosion.
Both scrape-down and fill sites, plus combinations of the two, have potential for large-scale development. Scrape-down sites are usually developed in uplands so there is the potential of adding wetlands without displacing aquatic habitats, thus expanding wetland habitats in a bay system. In fill sites, vast quantities of dredged material from navigation channels provide a potential source of fill for large-scale development.
The criteria and techniques identified for large-scale marsh development in the Galveston-Trinity bay system have potential for application in other bay-estuary-lagoon systems. | Field surveys of seven large-scale (greater than one acre) sites in the Houston-Galveston area provided an interesting comparison of design types, criteria, and site characteristics. Two of the sites were primarily fill sites, two were fill and shape sites, two were scrape-down sites, and one was a natural substrate with shore protection.
Frequently inundated organically rich muds seemed to have t | {
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/ Home / Your Council / News / News Releases / 2010 / October
Litter purge begins in Highland communities (18/10/10)
Those intent on dropping litter and fly tipping are being given advance notice that enforcement teams will be in Dingwall, Fort William and Inverness over the next two weeks beginning on Monday 25 October – and they will be adopting a zero tolerance approach.
Anyone found dropping litter or fly-tipping will be presented with an on-the-spot fixed penalty notice of £50.
The purge on littering follows a recent decision by The Highland Council to get tough on people who drop litter and fly-tip, shifting the focus from education to enforcement.
This will be the first of regular litter patrols to keep Highland streets tidy.
The number of fixed penalty notices issued will be published.
Councillor John Laing, Chairman of the TEC Services Committee, said: “We are giving those intent on dropping litter in Dingwall, Fort William and Inverness good notice of our vigilance on littering so no one will have any excuse for being spotted dropping litter or cigarette ends or fly-tipping. We will continue to work with the police and other agencies to promote a litter free Highlands.”
Councillor Michael Foxley, Leader of the Council’s Administration, fully supports the zero tolerance policy. He said: “While we continue pressing home the message in schools and in our communities, we now need to show that we mean business by taking enforcement action. We need to create a culture of cleanliness and this will be the first in an ongoing series of vigilance. There is a real potential to divert the significant sums we spend on cleaning up people’s litter to other worthwhile services.”
Provost Jimmy Gray, Chairman of the Council’s Inverness City Committee, said: “Inverness depends so much on presenting a clean image to the many visitors who visit our city, therefore I fully support any move that will reduce the amount of litter on our streets. I would appeal to everyone to show respect for their community by keeping our streets free of litter.”
The Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 introduced fixed penalty notices for littering and fly-tipping. The penalty is £50. | / Home / Your Council / News / News Releases / 2010 / October
Litter purge begins in Highland communities (18/10/10)
Those intent on dropping litter and fly tipping are being given advance notice that enforcement teams will be in Dingwall, Fort William and Inverness over the next two weeks beginning on Monday 25 October – and they will be adopting a zero tolerance approach.
Anyone found dropping l | {
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Overnight "Day Care" Offers Safe and Stimulating Environment to Those With Severe Dementia, Respite to Overburdened Caregivers
An overnight "daycare" program offers a safe, stimulating environment to those with severe dementia who face challenges at night, providing respite to overburdened caregivers and delaying the need for nursing home placement.
Weekly Group Storytelling Enhances Verbal Skills, Encourages Positive Behavior Change, and Reduces Confusion in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia
The Timeslips program uses group storytelling to enhance the lives of people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementia.
Group Visits Expand Capacity to Serve Dementia Patients and Caregivers, Result in High Levels of Patient and Provider Satisfaction
Group visits allow substantially more patients with dementia to be served with only a modest increase in clinician time, leading to high levels of patient, caregiver, and provider satisfaction.
Patients With Crohn’s Disease Report Symptoms and Behaviors Through Computer Applications, Leading to Better Self-Management and Provider–Patient Communication
Patients with Crohn’s disease reported information on nine observations of daily living (cues about health experienced in everyday living) using applications on a tablet computer, leading to more tracking of symptoms and health-related behaviors, better patient self-management and patient-provider communication, and high levels of patient satisfaction.
Nonprofit Organization Enhances Access to Medical and Dental Care for Those With Disabilities by Helping Them Overcome Their Fears
A nonprofit organization enhances access to medical, dental, and personal care for individuals with disabilities by training them to overcome their fears, offering procedures by trained providers, sponsoring patient education programs, and training local health care professionals on caring for those with disabilities.
Show Innovation Attempts
Show Policy Profiles
Dementia Capability Toolkit
The Dementia Capability Toolkit identifies resources that States and communities can use to design initiatives to ensure that programs are dementia-capable.
Enhancing the Management of Neuropathic Pain in the Long-Term Care Setting
This toolkit provides strategies and templates to help long-term care facilities and their clinicians implement a performance improvement project. The goal of this project is to help clinicians accurately and appropriately manage residents with neuropathic or persistent pain.
Monmouth Transient Ischemic Attack and Minor Stroke Rapid Evaluation Center Referral Form
This referral form for emergency physicians or other specialists, helps assess a patient who recently suffered a TIA or a minor stroke.
Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers (INTERACT) Tools
INTERACT is a quality improvement program designed to improve the early identification, assessment, documentation, and communication about changes in the status of residents in skilled nursing facilities. The goal of INTERACT is to improve care and reduce the frequency of potentially avoidable transfers to the acute hospital.
Safe Sleep For Your Baby: Reduce the Risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) (African American Outreach)
This brochure is part of the Back to Sleep campaign, an effort to educate families and caregivers about putting healthy infants on their backs to sleep to help reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). The brochure explains ways to reduce the risk of SIDS and provide a safe sleep environment for infants. | Overnight "Day Care" Offers Safe and Stimulating Environment to Those With Severe Dementia, Respite to Overburdened Caregivers
An overnight "daycare" program offers a safe, stimulating environment to those with severe dementia who face challenges at night, providing respite to overburdened caregivers and delaying the need for nursing home placement.
Weekly Group Storytelling Enhances Verbal Skills | {
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Design of Experiments
Capobianco, T. E., Splett, J. D. and Iyer, H. K. "Eddy Current Probe Sensitivity as a Function of Coil Construction Parameters," Research in Nondestructive Evaluation, Vol. 2, pp. 169-186, December 1990.
Conner, W. S. and Young, Shirley, (1961). "Fractional Factorial Designs for Experiments With Factors at Two and Three Levels," NBS Applied Mathematics Series 58, September.
Fenimore, Charles, Ramboz, John and Schiller, Susannah. (1991). "Qualifying Watthour Meters for Use as MAP Transport Standards." IEEE Transactions on Instrumentation and Measurement, V. 40, No. 2.
Ghosh, S. and Lagergren, E. S. (1990). "Dispersion Models and Estimation of Dispersion Effects in Replicated Factorial Experiments." Journal of Statistical Planning and Inference 26, pp. 253-262.
Ghosh, S. and Lagergren, E. S. (1990). "Measuring Dispersion Effects of Factors in Factorial Experiments." Chapter 16 of Statistical Design and Analysis of Experiments, (Monograph), Ghosh, S., ed., Marcel Dekker, New York, NY.
John, J. A., Wolock, F. W. and David, H. A. (with an appendix by Cameron, J. M. and Speckman, J. A.), (1972). "Cyclic Designs," NBS Applied Mathematics Series 62.
Jones, H. C., Lacasse, N. L., Weatherford, F. B., and Liggett, W. S. (1977), "Experimental Air Exclusion System for Field Studies of SO2 Effects on Crop Productivity," TVA/EPA Report E-EP-77-5, Tennessee Valley Authority, Chattanooga, TN.
Kacker, Raghu N. (1993). Chapter on "Stratified Replications" in Quality Through Engineering Design, eds. (Monograph), Way Kuo and M. M. Pierson; Elsevier: Advances in Industrial Engineering.
Kacker, Raghu N. (1993). "Stratified Replications," Quality in Engineering Design: Proceedings of a Conference held in India, pp. 127-140.
Kacker, Raghu N., Lagergren, E. S. and Filliben, J. J. (1991). "Taguchi's Orthogonal Arrays Are Classical Designs of Experiments," Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 96, pp. 577-591.
Kacker, Raghu N., Lagergren, E. S. and Filliben, J. J. (1991). "Taguchi's Fixed Element Arrays are Fractional Factorials," Journal of Quality Technology 23, pp. 107-116.
Kacker, Raghu N., Lagergren, E. S., Hill, M. D., Wong-Ng, Winnie, Chiang, C. K. and Fuller, Jr., E. R. (1991). "An Efficient Experiment to Study Super- conducting Ceramics," Communications in Statistics - Theory and Methods, 20, pp. 441-456.
Kacker, Raghu N. and Tsui, K. L. (1990). "Interaction Graphs: Graphical Aids for Planning Experiments," Journal of Quality Technology, 22, pp. 1-14.
Kacker, Raghu N. and Harville, D. A. (1984). "Approximations for Standard Errors of Estimators of Fixed and Random Effects in Mixed Linear Models," Journal of American Statistical Association, 79, pp. 853-862.
Kacker, Raghu N. and Harville, D. A. (1981). Unbiasedness of Two-State Estimation and Prediction Procedures for Mixed Linear Models, Communications in Statistics - Theory and Methods, A 10 (13), pp. 1249-1261.
Kacker, Raghu N. (1983). "The Use of Factorial Experiments for Improving Production Processes" (Abstract)" Statistics: An Appraisal, (Monograph), eds. H.A. David and H.T. David, Iowa State University Press, p. 653.
Kacker, R. N., Lagergren, E. S. (with Hill, M. D.; Wong-Ng, W.; Chiang, C. K.; Fuller, E. R., Jr.). (1991). "An efficient experiment to study superconducting ceramics." Communications in Statistics - Theory and Methods 22: 441-456.
Kacker, R. N., Lagergren E. S., Filliben, J. J. (1991). "Taguchi's orthogonal arrays are classical designs of experiment." J. Res Nat. Nat. Inst. of Stand. and Tech. 96(5): 557-591.
Kacker, R. N., Lagergren E. S., Filliben, J. J. (1991). "Taguchi's Fixed-Element Arrays are Fractional Factorials." Journal of Quality Technology 23, pp. 107-116.
Lagergren, E. S., Martzloff, F. D., Parker, M. E., Schiller, S. B. (1992). "The Effect of Repetitive Swells on Metal-Oxide Varistors." Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Power Quality: End-Use Application and Perspectives, September 28-30; Atlanta, GA.
Lagergren, E. S., Kacker, R. N. (with Hill, M. D.; Wong-Ng, W.K.; Chiang, C.K.; Fuller, E. R., Jr., Paretzkin, B., Blendell, J. E.) (1992). "Effect of Composition on Superconducting Properties in the System Ba-Y-Gd-Cu-O." Journal of the American Ceramic Society 75: 2390-2394.
Lagergren, E. S., Kacker, R. N. (with Malghan, S. G., Lum, L. H., Kelly, J.). (1992). "Statistical Analysis of Parameters Affecting Measurement of Particle- Size Distribution of Silicon Nitride Powders By Sedigraph." Powder Technology 73: 271-280.
Lagergren E. S., Schiller, S. B. (with Martzloff, F. D., Parker, M. E.). (1992). "The Effect of Repetitive Swells on Metal-Oxide Varistors." Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Power Quality: End-Use Application and Perspectives, September 28-30; Atlanta, GA. C-13: 1-10.
Lechner, J. A. (1964). "Optimality and the OC curve for the Wald SPRT." Journal of the American Statistical Association, 464-468.
Lechner, J. A. and Ginsberg, H. (1963). "Sequential 3-way classification of lot quality." Proceedings of the 9th National Symposium on Reliability and Quality Control, 257-269.
Lechner, J. A. (1962). "Optimal decision procedures for a Poisson process parameter." Annals of Mathematical Statistics, 1384-1402.
Liggett, W. S. (1994), "Functional Errors-in-Variables Models in Measurement Optimization Experiments," in 1994 Proceedings of the Section on Physical and Engineering Sciences, Alexandria, VA: American Statistical Association. To appear.
Liggett, W. S. (1992), "Empirical Optimization of Measurement Systems," in Proceedings of the 1992 Measurement Science Conference, Anaheim, CA: Measurement Science Conference.
Liggett, W. S. (1988), "Review of the Experimental Design Package ECHIP," American Statistician, 42, 155-157.
Liggett, W. S. (1986), "Designs for Assessment of Measurement Uncertainty: Experience in the Eastern Lake Survey," in Proceedings of the Thirteenth International Biometric Conference, Washington, DC: Biometric Society.
Lyon, Gordon and Kacker, Raghu N. (October 24-26, 1994). "A simple Scalability Test for MIMD Code," Proceedings of the Second International Symposium on Software Metrics, IEEE Computer Society, London, UK.
Lyon, Gordon, Snelick, Robert and Kacker, Raghu N. (1992). "Time- Perturbation Tuning of MIMD Programs," Proceeding of the Sixth International Conference on Modelling Techniques and Tools for Computer Performance Evaluation.
Malghan, S.G., Minor, D.B., Pei, P.T., and Schiller, S. B. (1994). "An Assessment of Repeatability in the Milling of Silicon Nitride Powders in a High Energy Agitation Ball Mill," AIChE Proceedings of the First International Powder Technology Conference, Denver, CO.
Phadke, M. S., Speeney, D. V., Kacker, Raghu N. and Grieco, M. J. (1983). "Off-line Quality Control in Integrated Circuit Fabrication Using Experimental Design," Bell System Technical Journal, 62, pp. 1273-1309.
Sacks, Jerome, Schiller, Susannah and Welch, William. (1989). "Design of Computer Experiments." Technometrics.
Sacks, Jerome and Schiller, Susannah. (1987). "Spatial Designs." Statistical Decision Theory and Related Topics IV.
Statistical Engineering Laboratory, (1957). "Fractional Factorial Experiment Designs for Factors at Two Levels," NBS Applied Mathematics Series 48, issued April 1957 (reprinted with corrections 1962).
Date created: 6/5/2001 | Design of Experiments
Capobianco, T. E., Splett, J. D. and Iyer, H. K. "Eddy Current Probe Sensitivity as a Function of Coil Construction Parameters," Research in Nondestructive Evaluation, Vol. 2, pp. 169-186, December 1990.
Conner, W. S. and Young, Shirley, (1961). "Fractional Factorial Designs for Experiments With Factors at Two and Three Levels," NBS Applied Mathematics Series 58, September.
F | {
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Regional Cancer Centre
|Medical College Campus||Medical College Campus, |
The Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Thiruvananthapuram, was established in 1981 by the Government of Kerala and Government of India. From a modest beginning, the Regional Cancer Centre has evolved into an internationally recognized centre for conducting a wide range of cancer research and providing state-of-the-art facilities for cancer diagnosis, treatment, palliation and rehabilitation. The Regional Cancer Centre undertakes basic, translational and clinical research and disseminate the knowledge. The Regional Cancer Centre generates trained manpower for the region in various specialties of oncology-medical, Para-medical and non-medical. | Regional Cancer Centre
|Medical College Campus||Medical College Campus, |
The Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), Thiruvananthapuram, was established in 1981 by the Government of Kerala and Government of India. From a modest beginning, the Regional Cancer Centre has evolved into an internationally recognized centre for conducting a wide range of cancer research and providing state-of-the-art facilities | {
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- Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As made) - English
- Original (As made) - Welsh
This is the original version (as it was originally made). Wales Statutory Instruments are not carried in their revised form on this site.
Welsh Statutory Instruments
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, WALES
26th June 2001
Coming into force
27 June 2001
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Prescribed Waste (Wales) (Revocation) Regulations 2001.
(2) These Regulations shall come into force on 27 June 2001.
(3) These Regulations apply to Wales.
2.—(1) The Prescribed Waste (Wales) Regulations 2001(3) are hereby revoked.
Signed on behalf of the National Assembly for Wales under section 66(1) of the Government of Wales Act 1998(4)
The Presiding Officer of the National Assembly
Dated 26th June 2001
(This note is not part of the Regulations)
These Regulations, which apply to Wales, revoke the Prescribed Waste (Wales) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/1506 (W. 104)), which enabled the National Assembly for Wales to direct the holder of a waste management licence to accept and keep, or accept and treat or dispose of the caracasses (or part of caracasses) of certain types of animal which had been slaughtered as a result of measures taken in connection with foot-and-mouth disease.
The powers of the Secretary of State in so far as exercisable in relation to Wales have been transferred to the National Assembly of Wales: see Article 2 of and Schedule 1 to the National Assembly for Wales (Transfer of Functions) Order 1999 (S.I. 1999/672)
Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. The revised version is currently only available in English.
Original (As Enacted or Made) - English:The original English language version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
Original (As Enacted or Made) - Welsh:The original Welsh language version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.
Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including: | - Latest available (Revised)
- Original (As made) - English
- Original (As made) - Welsh
This is the original version (as it was originally made). Wales Statutory Instruments are not carried in their revised form on this site.
Welsh Statutory Instruments
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, WALES
26th June 2001
Coming into force
27 June 2001
1.—(1) These Regulations may be cited as the Prescribed Waste (Wale | {
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Center Snapshot: Sarah Hargrove
Image above: Sarah Hargrove is an enthusiastic designer and carries that enthusiasm to classrooms of children as a member of Langley's Speakers Bureau. Credit: NASA/Sean Smith
By: Denise Lineberry
Sarah Hargrove has a talent for designing, whether it is rocket hardware elements or the inside of a house.
If she wasn’t spending her days working as a designer on the Ares 1-X Crew Module/Launch Abort System (CM/LAS) project, she admits that she would likely be an interior designer.
"My kitchen has been four colors in two years," Hargrove said.
But interior design doesn’t have quite the impact that designing for a back-to-the-moon rocket does.
"I am really inspired by the manned space program, and I love the attitude around a research center," she said.
As a member of the NASA Langley Speaker’s Bureau, she enjoys sharing her work experience with classrooms of children.
"The children get really excited, and everyone raises their hands to ask a question and I often abandon what I prepared to talked about," Hargrove said.
She has been a member of the Society of Women Engineers since her freshman year in college. Her membership has led her to schools and events such as a Girl Scout Engineering Patch Day, which is held every October.
"I try to inspire them to look into things themselves," she said. "I always try to mention things that may interest them to become involved, such as the NASA student programs."
Hargrove was motivated as a child. She grew up in Austin, Texas, and was raised in a family that valued education. Hargrove earned her BSME from the University of Texas, and she is pursuing her master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Georgia Tech.
She thrives on knowledge.
"I like to be involved and find out more than what’s just required to do my job. Being exposed to information involving my project and getting access to places where I can learn and see more about what’s going on around NASA is very interesting to me," she said.
"I’ve got my feelers out for good research opportunities. My sister is pursuing her PhD in biology right now, and I can’t let her be the only Dr. Hargrove."
Her sister, Leah, who is a year younger, is her only sibling.
Hargrove enjoys playing sand soccer, something she wasn’t able to do in Austin. But she does miss Texas' taco shops or "taquerias."
"Virginia needs to import some good Mexican food," she said.
Hargrove returns to Texas once or twice a year to visit with her family… and the taco shops. | Center Snapshot: Sarah Hargrove
Image above: Sarah Hargrove is an enthusiastic designer and carries that enthusiasm to classrooms of children as a member of Langley's Speakers Bureau. Credit: NASA/Sean Smith
By: Denise Lineberry
Sarah Hargrove has a talent for designing, whether it is rocket hardware elements or the inside of a house.
If she wasn’t spending her days working as a designer on the Ar | {
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Social Networking Media
Stay connected and learn what is happening in and around Dinosaur National Monument. We want to connect with you, and keep you connected to us, whether you are a frequent Dinosaur visitor or live on the other side of the world! We continue to look for new ways to communicate our messages, news, stories and ideas about this very special place. If we join new social media avenues, you will hear about it here.
Did You Know?
Dinosaurs were a remarkably successful group of animals. They lived on the Earth for 160 million years. The fossils at Dinosaur National Monument represent only 10 of the many dinosaur species that existed during that long era. | Social Networking Media
Stay connected and learn what is happening in and around Dinosaur National Monument. We want to connect with you, and keep you connected to us, whether you are a frequent Dinosaur visitor or live on the other side of the world! We continue to look for new ways to communicate our messages, news, stories and ideas about this very special place. If we join new social media ave | {
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Kaposia Indian Site
The village was originally located on the east bank of the river where Central Avenue intersects with Chicago Northwestern Railroad tracks, below present-day Indian Mounds Park.
During the early 1800s, over 400 Dakota made their home in the seasonal village. The people of Kaposia lived there mainly during the warmer months of the year.
Near the time of the Treaty of 1837, the Kaposia village was moved from the east to the west side of the river. In 1853 the people of Kaposia were again required to move because of the Treaty of Mendota, which opened the land west of the Mississippi to white settlers. As a result, the Mdewakanton migrated to a Minnesota River reservation over the next two years.
The Mississippi River, known as "HA-HA WA-KPA" (river of the falls) to the Dakota, was important to the Kaposia people. It provided water for drinking and bathing, fish and other animals to eat, and a "highway" for transportation. They also used the rich soil in the area for gardening.
Related Activities: History & Culture
Did You Know?
Sixty percent of all grain exported from the United States is transported and shipped on the Mississippi River. | Kaposia Indian Site
The village was originally located on the east bank of the river where Central Avenue intersects with Chicago Northwestern Railroad tracks, below present-day Indian Mounds Park.
During the early 1800s, over 400 Dakota made their home in the seasonal village. The people of Kaposia lived there mainly during the warmer months of the year.
Near the time of the Treaty of 1837, the K | {
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On August 16, 1997, at 1530 central daylight time(cdt), a Grumman American G-164B, N7016Y, operated by Ag Aviation Service, Inc., collided with a deer and nosed over while taking off from a grass airstrip in Burlington, Wisconsin. The 14 CFR Part 137 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially damaged. The flight was originating at the time of the accident. Use your browsers 'back' function to return to synopsisReturn to Query Page
The pilot reported that he was taking off on a heading of 270 degrees from a private airstrip when the accident occurred. He reported that the airstrip had a corn field bordering the south side of the runway. According to the pilot, a deer ran out of the corn field and contacted the left main landing gear just after the airplane rotated for takeoff. The airplane then contacted a corn crop and nosed over at the end of the runway. | On August 16, 1997, at 1530 central daylight time(cdt), a Grumman American G-164B, N7016Y, operated by Ag Aviation Service, Inc., collided with a deer and nosed over while taking off from a grass airstrip in Burlington, Wisconsin. The 14 CFR Part 137 flight was operating in visual meteorological conditions without a flight plan. The commercial pilot was not injured. The airplane was substantially | {
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SENATOR GOLDEN VOTES TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF DOGS AND CATS SOLD BY PET STORES
The New York State Senate today gave final legislative passage to a bill S.7268A, that will ensure improved health and safety of pets sold in stores. Senator Marty Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn) joined his colleagues in the Senate for a discussion and vote on this bill on New York State Animal Advocacy Day at the Capitol, where legislators and animal advocates network, share ideas, and lobby for stronger anti-cruelty laws.
Senator Golden stated, “As a dog owner, I am proud to have supported this important legislation that will improve the standards of care that must be followed by pet dealers to improve the health, safety and well-being of the animals. Dogs and cats that are sold by some pet stores receive inadequate exercise, veterinary care, and protection from the spread of disease. This will protect pets and help to make sure that consumers will receive healthy animals that they can care for, love and respect."
This legislation will provide that any licensed pet dealer must:
· Designate a veterinarian to care for the animals at the facility, who will be available for emergency, weekend and holiday care, as well as regular visitation;
· Develop a program to prevent, control and respond to diseases and injuries;
· Provide an isolation area for animals that exhibit symptoms of contagious disease or illness in order to prevent or reduce the spread of disease to healthy animals;
· Designate an employee to provide daily observation of all animals to assess their health and well-being;
· Maintain a daily exercise plan for dogs;
· Vaccinate as required by the state or local law all animals;
· Not sell any animal that has been diagnosed with a congenital condition or contagious disease.
The bill will be sent to the Governor for his consideration. | SENATOR GOLDEN VOTES TO IMPROVE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF DOGS AND CATS SOLD BY PET STORES
The New York State Senate today gave final legislative passage to a bill S.7268A, that will ensure improved health and safety of pets sold in stores. Senator Marty Golden (R-C-I, Brooklyn) joined his colleagues in the Senate for a discussion and vote on this bill on New York State Animal Advocacy Day at the Capit | {
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The first Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) scheme ran from 2002 to 2005 and the second ran from 2005 to 2008. As with the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), an overall target was set by Defra, and this was apportioned to individual gas and electricity suppliers in relation to the supplier’s domestic consumer numbers, by Ofgem.
The forerunner of EEC was the ‘Energy Efficiency Standards of Performance’ (EESoP), which ran from 1994 to 2002 and was jointly developed and managed by Ofgem (initially Offer) and the Energy Saving Trust. EESoP1 ran from 1994 to 1998 and set targets for electricity suppliers, with the majority of measures being provided to disadvantaged customers.
EESoP2 ran from 1998 to 2000 with targets set for electricity suppliers. EESoP3 ran from 2000 to 2002, and extended the targets to gas, as well as electricity, suppliers. In both EESoP2 and EESoP3 the suppliers were required to focus around two thirds of their expenditure on disadvantaged customers.
EEC, while differing in several important ways, built on the success and basic methodology of EESoP. The targets for the first EEC were over three times those for EESoP3, and equivalent to around a 1 per cent reduction in carbon emissions from domestic sources.
EEC2 was the second phase of EEC and ran from 2005 to 2008. EEC2 had a similar structure to EEC although the target was more than double (130TWh). EEC2 required at least 50 per cent of the target to be met in relation to Priority Group consumers, defined as those in receipt of certain income-related benefits and tax credits.
CERT, the current energy efficiency programme, now counts savings in terms of carbon and has a target of 154 million tonnes of carbon dioxide (lifetime). | The first Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) scheme ran from 2002 to 2005 and the second ran from 2005 to 2008. As with the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), an overall target was set by Defra, and this was apportioned to individual gas and electricity suppliers in relation to the supplier’s domestic consumer numbers, by Ofgem.
The forerunner of EEC was the ‘Energy Efficiency Standards of | {
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Foreign Travel Immunizations
Traveling? Check your Immunizations!
San Antonio Metro Health Foreign Travel Clinic offers immunizations, education, and specialized medical expertise for people planning travel of all types -- leisure, business, relocation, study abroad, volunteer service, and international adoptions.
Americans make an estimated 45 million trips to international destinations each year -- 20 million of them to rural settings or developing countries. Staying healthy during foreign travel requires more than vaccinations. Careful planning is key. International travelers should be advised to contact the SAMHD Foreign Travel Clinic at least 6 weeks prior to departure. To ensure an accurate assessment of individual health needs, travelers should have the following information available:
- A trip itinerary to include all countries that will be traveled and duration of visit.
- Planned activities to assess for increased risk.
- Information on accomodations and transportation.
Travelers who do not have the required vaccinations upon entering a country may be subject to vaccination, medical follow-up, isolation, or combination of these. In a few countries, unvaccinated travelers are denied entry.
Regulations adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO) are to ensure maximum security against the international spread of disease. As a result of these regulations, some countries require an International Certificate of Vaccination against Yellow Fever as a condition of entry.
Validation of the International Certificate of Vaccination can be provided by SAMHD’s Foreign Travel Clinic. Travelers can be advised regarding travel to Yellow Fever or Malaria endemic areas. Anti-malarial prescriptions are also available through the clinic.
SAMHD has two International Travel Clinic locations available by appointment only:
Main Immunization Clinic
345 W. Commerce
San Antonio, TX 78205
Monday-Friday 8:00 A.M.-4:00 P.M. (Except: 2nd Thursday of the month, no appointment)
Valley View Foreign Travel Clinic
8523 Blanco Rd.
San Antonio, TX 78216
Monday-Friday 9:00 A.M.-5:00 P.M. (Except: 2nd Thursday of the month, 1:30 to 5:00 pm) | Foreign Travel Immunizations
Traveling? Check your Immunizations!
San Antonio Metro Health Foreign Travel Clinic offers immunizations, education, and specialized medical expertise for people planning travel of all types -- leisure, business, relocation, study abroad, volunteer service, and international adoptions.
Americans make an estimated 45 million trips to international destinations each year | {
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The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice.
There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion; however, the Government reportedly favors Muslims over non-Muslims.
Relations between the various religions generally are amicable; however, in some areas, strong social pressure discourages non-Muslims from practicing their religion openly, and the Government tends to defer to local Muslim sensibilities.
The U.S. Government discusses religious freedom issues with the Government in the context of its overall dialog and policy of promoting human rights.
Section I. Religious Demography
The country has a total area of 94,926 square miles, and its population is 7,164,823. Islam is demographically, socially, and culturally the dominant religion. According to credible estimates, approximately 85 percent of the population adheres to Islam, 10 percent follow various Christian faiths, and 5 percent hold traditional indigenous beliefs. Muslims in the country generally adhere to the Sunni branch of Islam; adherents of the Shi'a branch remain relatively few, although they are increasing in number. Among the Christian groups, there are Roman Catholic, Anglican, Baptist, Jehovah's Witnesses, Seventh-Day Adventist, and other Christian evangelical churches active in the country and recognized by the Government. There is a small Baha'i community. There are small numbers of Hindus, Buddhists, and practitioners of traditional Chinese religions among the expatriate community. Few citizens, if any, profess atheism.
Although there are no known organized heterogeneous or syncretistic religious communities, both Islam and Christianity have developed syncretistic tendencies, which reflect the continuing influence and acceptability of traditional indigenous beliefs and rituals.
Geographically, Muslims are a majority in all four major regions. Christians are most numerous in the capital, in the southern part of the country, and in the eastern forest region. Christians are found in all large towns throughout the country, with the exception of the Fouta Jallon region in the middle of the country, where the deep cultural entrenchment of Islam in Pular (or Fulani or Peuli) society makes it difficult for other religions to establish religious communities. Traditional indigenous religions are most prevalent in the forest region.
No data is available regarding active participation in formal religious services or rituals; however, the National Islamic League (NIL) estimates that 70 percent of Muslims practice their faith regularly.
The country's large immigrant and refugee populations generally practice the same faiths as citizens, although those from neighboring Liberia and Sierra Leone have higher percentages of Christians and adherents of traditional indigenous religions.
Foreign missionary groups are active in the country and include Roman Catholic, Philafricaine, Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada, and many American missionary societies.
Section II. Status of Religious Freedom
The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice. The Government at all levels strives to protect this right in full, and does not tolerate its abuse, either by governmental or private actors. There is no state religion; however, the Government reportedly favors Muslims over non-Muslims.
The Government requires that all recognized Christian churches join the Association of Churches and Missions in order to benefit from certain government privileges such as tax benefits and energy subsidies.
The small Baha'i community practices its faith openly and freely, although it is not officially recognized; it is unknown whether the community has asked for official recognition.
Missionary groups are required to make a declaration of their aims and activities to the Ministry of Interior or to the NIL. With rare exceptions, foreign missionary groups and church-affiliated relief agencies operate freely in the country. There were no reports during the period covered by this report that government officials obstructed or limited missionary activities by Jehovah's Witnesses, although they reported isolated instances of harassment in the past.
There were no reports that the Government required government ministers to take an oath on either the Koran or the Bible, a requirement that provoked criticism when it was imposed--apparently for the only time--in April 1999.
The government-controlled official press reports on religious events involving both Islamic and Christian groups.
There is a general tradition of Koranic schools, particularly strong in the Fouta Djalon region that was ruled during the 18th century as an Islamic theocracy. There also are a few scattered "Madrassa" schools, usually associated with a mosque in the northern part of the country. Private radical Islamic groups sponsor such schools with foreign funds. The schools have no link with the public school system and are not recognized by the Government.
Missionaries also run their own schools with no interference from the Government. Catholic and Protestant schools exist primarily in Conakry, but some exist throughout the country as well. They teach the National Curriculum (which is not influenced by religion), and there is a special education component for Christians. Lack of government investment in education infrastructure makes any kind of schooling attractive for citizens.
Both Muslim and Christian holidays are recognized by the Government and celebrated by the population.
The Government does not have a specific program to promote interfaith understanding; however, the Government uses all religious groups in its civic education efforts and national prayers for peace.
Restrictions on Religious Freedom
The NIL, a government-sponsored organization, represents the country's Sunni Muslim majority, which comprises approximately 85 percent of the population. The NIL's stated policy is to promote better relations with other religious denominations and dialog aimed at ameliorating interethnic and interreligious tensions. The Government and the NIL have spoken out against the proliferation of Shi'a fundamentalist groups on the grounds that they "generate confusion and deviation" within the country's Islamic family. On at least one occasion, they have refused to allow the opening of a foreign-funded Shi'a Islamic school, but otherwise have not restricted the religious activities of these groups.
Government support of the powerful, semi-official NIL has led some non-Muslims to claim that the Government uses its influence to favor Muslims over non-Muslims, although non-Muslims are represented in the Cabinet, administrative bureaucracy, and the armed forces. Conversions of senior officials to Islam, such as the former Defense Minister, are ascribed to the NIL's efforts to influence the religious beliefs of senior government leaders. The Government refrains from appointing non-Muslims to important administrative positions in certain parts of the country, in deference to the particularly strong social dominance of Islam in these regions. In July 2000, the Government announced that it would finance the renovation of Conakry's grand mosque at which President Conte worships; however, no action was taken during the period covered by this report and the mosque still is unrepaired.
There were no reports of religious prisoners or detainees.
Forced Religious Conversion
There were no reports of forced religious conversion, including of minor U.S. citizens who had been abducted or illegally removed from the United States, or of the refusal to allow such citizens to be returned to the United States.
Section III. Societal Attitudes
Relations between the various religions generally are amicable; however, in some parts of the country, Islam's dominance is such that there is strong social pressure that discourages non-Muslims from practicing their religion openly.
In January 2000, violent clashes between Christian and Muslim villages in the forest region left 30 persons dead. According to both the Secretary General of the Islamic League and the Archbishop of Conakry, the tensions were due primarily to a long-running land dispute and were not based on religion. Instigators of the event were arrested, and in July 2001, were tried. Six persons were convicted and sentenced to death. There were no reports of clashes between Christian and Muslim groups during the period covered by this report.
Section IV. U.S. Government Policy
The U.S. Government maintains contact with clergy and religious leaders from all major religious communities, monitors developments affecting religious freedom, and discusses religious freedom issues with the Government in the context of its overall dialog and policy of promoting human rights. | The Constitution provides for freedom of religion, and the Government generally respects this right in practice.
There was no change in the status of respect for religious freedom during the period covered by this report, and government policy continued to contribute to the generally free practice of religion; however, the Government reportedly favors Muslims over non-Muslims.
Relations between th | {
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Access to InfoBank, an online data catalog, to browse or retrieve coastal and marine geology program information, images, and data on gravity, bathymetry, seismic activity, magnetics, samples, facilities, cruises and equipment.
Describes the content metadata standard used by the Marine Realms Information Bank, a distributed geolibrary that catalogues and provides access to information about marine, coastal, and lake environments.
Use of diatoms in biostratigraphy, coastal and estuarine studies, paleoceanology, paleoliminology, earthquake studies, environmental quality and forensic studies. Includes listing of USGS diatom projects and links to other diatom websites.
Direct measurement of an important indicator of interannual variability is extended, using geological proxy measures, farther back in time to well before modern measurements were made. This tells us about the history of climate variability.
This updated global inventory reports on natural gas hydrate recovered or inferred from geophysical, geochemical, or geological evidence. Includes links to world location maps, inventories, references and posters. Also in PDF format files.
Downloadable data with software showing composite average ocean characteristics (sea-surface temperature and sea-ice concentration). Includes documentation, source code, data, and executable programs for Linux and Microsoft Windows. | Access to InfoBank, an online data catalog, to browse or retrieve coastal and marine geology program information, images, and data on gravity, bathymetry, seismic activity, magnetics, samples, facilities, cruises and equipment.
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- School Related Information
- Active Schools
- Applying for a place in a school or nursery
- Citizenship education
- Grant-Aided Schools
- School Performance Data
- School rules, attendance and behaviour
- Schools - additional support needs
- Schools - excellence-sport
- Schools - general information
- Schools - grants and benefits
- Schools - health
- Schools - travel and trips
- Wraparound Care
Excellence in School Sport Programme
The vision for the Excellence in School Sport Programme (ESSP) is to provide a co-ordinated and planned approach to high quality sports coaching for talented student athletes during curricular and extra curricular school, as part of a balanced curriculum.
The programme aims to help our most talented sporting pupils to achieve their full potential by assessing opportunity for high quality training within West Lothian, whilst obtaining academic qualifications. We also hope that our talented sports pupils can help inspire other pupils and help create a strong and vibrant sporting ethos within secondary schools.
The programme has close links with the Sportscotland Institute in Sport Network who help in an advisor capacity to help us ensure that the support we are giving our athletes are in line with the national practices, therefore ensuring our programme best supports our local talent.
The Excellence in School Sport programme takes place at a number of different schools, venues and facilities and includes the following core sports:
. Girl's Football
High quality specialist coaches will support the athletes to improve their individual skills within their chosen sport. As well as this each athlete will receive a tailored support programme that will include strength and conditioning, physio support, injury prevention workshops, nutrition workshops and psychology support.
Support is also offered to student athletes in other sports currently not in the ESSP core sports. Athletes in these sports can access the support services the programme has to offer.
The programme is aimed at pupils currently competing at national/British standard in their sport. We receive applications throughout the year, you can download an application form at the bottom of the page.
For Further Information contact:
Sport and Outdoor Education
19/21 North Bridge Street
Last Updated: 14/02/2013 | - School Related Information
- Active Schools
- Applying for a place in a school or nursery
- Citizenship education
- Grant-Aided Schools
- School Performance Data
- School rules, attendance and behaviour
- Schools - additional support needs
- Schools - excellence-sport
- Schools - general information
- Schools - grants and benefits
- Schools - health
- Schools - travel and trips
- Wraparound Care | {
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Captain Jason Berry
Government and Media Relations
(360) 596-4010 – office
(360) 596-4015 – fax
*** For Immediate Release***
May 5, 2011
Contact: Trooper Guy Gill
Phone: (253) 606-1998
If It Moves, It Moves Off the Freeway
State troopers have reduced collision road closure times by 30 percent. Troopers have always worked hard to ensure closures are kept to a minimum. So far in 2011 they have been able to reduce that time even further in Thurston and Pierce counties.
Troopers are clearing roads faster by using their patrol cars to push vehicles out of the roadway and utilizing Washington State Department of Transportation (W.S.D.O.T) cameras to get pinpoint collision locations and information to improve response times. Troopers are also working saturation patrols in specific problem areas in a further attempt to reduce or eliminate collisions all together.
State Route 101 at the I-5 interchange in Thurston County is just one of the problem areas where we’ve seen a high number of blocking collisions. Targeted enforcement efforts in that area have definitely helped and have shown a 45 percent collision reduction year to date.
Sitting in traffic jams is not only frustrating for commuters but, for a lot of people who are transporting goods and services for a living, “time is money.”
Drivers need to remember, if you’re involved in a collision and your vehicles are still drivable please move them out of the roadway and onto the shoulder. If you’re able to communicate and arrange it with the other driver involved, try to move your vehicles completely off the freeway and/or state route by taking the closest exit ramp. Reducing the amount of time a road closed is a team effort. If we work together, we can keep blockages and closures to a minimum and keep traffic flowing smoothly. | Captain Jason Berry
Government and Media Relations
(360) 596-4010 – office
(360) 596-4015 – fax
*** For Immediate Release***
May 5, 2011
Contact: Trooper Guy Gill
Phone: (253) 606-1998
If It Moves, It Moves Off the Freeway
State troopers have reduced collision road closure times by 30 percent. Troopers have always worked hard to ensure closures are kept to a minimum. So far in 2011 they have been | {
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Volume 5, Number 6—December 1999
Proficiency in Detecting Vancomycin Resistance in Enterococci among Clinical Laboratories in Santiago, Chile
To the Editor: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) can be difficult to detect because of limitations in the susceptibility testing methods commonly used in clinical laboratories. Although VRE have not been reported in Chile, clinical isolates have been reported in Argentina (1) and Brazil (2). It is important to detect vancomycin resistance as early as possible, so infection control preventive measures can be instituted when they have their greatest impact. The microbiology laboratory is the first line of defense against VRE, as it plays a critical role in its recognition. In Chile, most laboratories follow the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards recommendations for antimicrobial susceptibility testing and use disk-diffusion methods (3); however, these methods have limitations in detecting low levels of resistance to vancomycin in enterococci.
We evaluated the ability of referral microbiology laboratories in Chile to detect vancomycin resistance in five Enteroccocus spp. isolates with different susceptibility patterns for vancomycin, penicillin, and ampicillin. Of six referral laboratories that agreed to participate, four used the disk-diffusion method to evaluate antimicrobial susceptibility. Two used an agar dilution minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) method, one as the only susceptibility testing method and the other in addition to disk diffusion. The participants correctly evaluated vancomycin susceptibility in 17 (57%) of 30 isolates.
The accuracy of detecting vancomycin resistance varied according to the level of resistance. Isolate 1, which had a high level of resistance (Van A phenotype, MIC 256 µg/ml), was evaluated correctly in 5 (83%) of 6 laboratories. Isolate 2, with a lower level of resistance (Van B, MIC 64 µg/ml), was evaluated correctly in 4 (67%) of 6 laboratories. Isolates 3 and 4, both with intermediate resistance (Van B, MIC 16-32 µg/ml, and Van C, MIC 8 µg/ml, respectively), were evaluated correctly by one laboratory each. Isolate 5 (vancomycin susceptible) was evaluated correctly by all laboratories. Susceptibility to penicillin and ampicillin was correctly identified in 53 (96.4%) of 55 isolates. Although laboratories correctly identified E. faecium and E. faecalis to the species level, most (4 of 5) did not correctly identify E. gallinarum (three misidentified it as E. casseliflavus and one as E. faecalis).
The results of this study are consistent with those of previous studies in the United States (4,5), South America (6), Spain (7), and Mexico (8). Although in countries like Chile, disk diffusion is practical and reliable for most susceptibility testing, detecting low-level vancomycin resistance in enterocci is difficult without supplementary testing. In Chile, as in other countries, strategies should be implemented to improve detection of these strains, including improvement of phenotypical and genotypical methods for VRE detection and species identification. Documentation of proficiency in detecting VRE is important for improving laboratory performance, detecting clinical isolates, and accurate and reliable reporting to local, national, and international surveillance systems.
- Marin ME, Mera JR, Arduino RC, Correa AP, Coque TM, Stambulian D, First report of vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium isolated in Argentina. Clin Infect Dis. 1998;26:235–6.
- Cereda RF, Medeiros EA, Vinagre A, Rego ST, Hashimoto A, Febre N, Epidemiologic analysis for acquisition of vancomycin-resistant enterococcus (VRE) in an intensive care unit in Brazil. In: Proceedings of the Eighth Annual Meeting of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America; 1998; São Paulo, Brazil.
- National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards (NCCLS). Performance standards for antimicrobial disk susceptibility tests: approved standard M2-A6, 6th ed. Villanova (PA): The Committee.
- Tenover FC, Tokars J, Swenson J, Paul S, Spitalny K, Jarvis WR. Ability of clinical laboratories to detect antimicrobial agent-resistant enterococci. J Clin Microbiol. 1993;31:1695–9.
- Rosenberg J, Tenover FC, Wong J, Jarvis W, Vugia DJ. Are clinical laboratories in California accurately reporting vancomycin-resistant enterococci? J Clin Microbiol. 1997;35:2526–30.
- Cookson ST, Lopardo H, Marin M, Arduino R, Rial MJ, Altschuler M, Study to determine the ability of clinical laboratories to detect antimicrobial-resistant Enterococcus spp. in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Diagn Microbiol Infect Dis. 1997;29:107–9.
- Alonso-Echanove J, Robles B, Jarvis WR. Proficiency of clinical laboratories in Spain in detecting vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus spp. The Spanish VRE Study Group. J Clin Microbiol. 1999;37:2148–52.
- McDonald LC, Garza LR, Jarvis WR. Proficiency of clinical laboratories in and near Monterrey, Mexico, to detect vancomycin-resistant enterococci. Emerg Infect Dis. 1999;5:143–6.
Suggested citation: Labarca JA, McDonald LC, Pinto ME, Palavecino E, González P, Cona E, et al. Proficiency in Detecting Vancomycin Resistance in Enterococci among Clinical Laboratories in Santiago, Chile [letter]. Emerg Infect Dis [serial on the Internet]. 1999, Dec [date cited]. Available from http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/5/6/99-0623.htm
Zombies—A Pop Culture Resource for Public Health Awareness | Volume 5, Number 6—December 1999
Proficiency in Detecting Vancomycin Resistance in Enterococci among Clinical Laboratories in Santiago, Chile
To the Editor: Vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) can be difficult to detect because of limitations in the susceptibility testing methods commonly used in clinical laboratories. Although VRE have not been reported in Chile, clinical isolates have been re | {
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Despite over a decade in helping users understand information management and getting them to accept that shaping information in the way you need to use it can actually make them happier… it doesn’t matter. The only time I’ve ever seen users not default to a shared drive is if they are less than ten feet from a printer.
Applications have become richer in their functionality and what they can interoperate with to deliver ever more developed workflows and case management. There are tools which provide an entire platform that can let you do just about anything with information, from web publishing to day-to-day processing.
Still it doesn’t matter; shared drives trump everything, all the time, everywhere in the world. This blog post isn’t big enough to explore all the reasons why users do this (and there are many). But what I do have space for is this; two challenges – one for us and one for developers.
Challenge 1 – Us
Turning off the shared drive! I mean the complete shut down of the NTFS – no corporate drive and no user drives… nothing. Could it be done without risking information management and digital continuity? Would users spontaneously combust?
So the Opening up Archives programme is in its eighth month – we’ve passed the halfway mark and over half of us trainees have blogged here in our very own Trainee Tuesday slot. We’ve had posts on digital preservation, augmented reality, and we’ve learnt about projects and collections within our hosts’ archives, in Leicester Records Office and in London Metropolitan Archives. Oh, and we also learnt that one of our fellow trainees likes to masquerade as a frustrated 18th century spinster online. Well, to each their own.
A lot of collections we’ve seen so far are rooted in the 20th century onwards, but my traineeship goes back a little further than that. I and my fellow trainee, Amy, are based at the Borthwick Institute for Archives undergoing a traineeship that could easily be titled ‘learning to read really old things’. In fact that’s how I describe it to people who ask. Ours is the only traineeship which focuses mainly on these more ‘traditional’ skills: palaeography (the writing), diplomatic (the format), and Latin (the dead language).
And it makes sense really, when you think of the Borthwick’s holdings: an enormous collection of ecclesiastical records including parish registers, visitations, church court records, vast collections of diocesan records and probate records. Many of the documents we are interested in date back to medieval times. Don’t get me wrong, we do have records which date from – gasp – this century; we have a digital archivist and we even have a twitter account! However, in order for us to get anywhere in our traineeship we definitely need the skills we are learning.
In order for us to learn these skills we have to practice, and we’ve found that the best documents to practice with are Cause Papers and wills. The Cause Papers in particular feature a variety of English and Latin, follow a set format and often they can feature narratives which could rival a soap opera’s.
A boy who has found a horse. Document reference: CN 8/1/37 (detail)
My inspiration for today’s blog post comes from two things that stuck in my head when I read them. The first is a pearl of wisdom from the fictional detective Miss Marple, which I will quote later. The second is a recent comment made in response to a colleague’s post on this blog: ‘how can you research a record or collection if you do not know it exists?’
The trivial answer to this question is, of course, that you can’t. It does, however, prompt another, more complicated question: how can you find archival sources that are relevant for your research?
In previous blog posts, I’ve given some hints on how to get started and noted some attributes of really successful researchers. For this post, I’ve decided to offer a brief outline of three different ways of locating and identifying interesting records: serendipity, ‘brute force’ and archival logic. In practice, most people’s experience of using archives tends to involve some combination of these three. Continue reading »
Usually when I sit down to write a blog post, I begin by reflecting on the projects and work I have been involved in recently, to share the discoveries and events along the way.
This week however, I was inspired by another blogger – Claire Newing – and her post on ‘Disability in the UK Government Web Archive’ on Wednesday. Claire talked about the various ways website design is geared towards providing additional assistance to those that need it. This made me think of the British Sign Language (BSL) video podcasts available on our media player that deserve highlighting.
‘Introduction to Family History – British Sign Language video’ podcast
According to Action on Hearing Loss (formerly RNID), there are an estimated 9 million people in the UK who are deaf or hard of hearing, and a number of our users both online and in person may need assistance due to this. We have hearing aid loops in our Reading Rooms and staff trained in BSL to assist people onsite. Our podcast series is designed to share our collections more widely offsite, and using BSL interpreters on some of them means this can be as inclusive as possible.
Continue reading »
Western tentacles of the Great Western Railway (reference RAIL 936/48)
Edward Thomas (1878-1917), who was killed in action during the First World War, was a poet and essayist chiefly remembered for his poem Adlestrop which recalled the sudden peace and serenity of a village railway station in the days prior to the First World War.
Adlestrop by Edward Thomas
Yes, I remember Adlestrop –
the name, because one afternoon
Of heat the express-train drew up there
Unwontedly. It was late June.
The steam hissed. Someone cleared his throat.
No one left and no one came
On the bare platform. What I saw
Was Adlestrop – only the name
And willows, willow-herb, and grass,
And meadowsweet, and haycocks dry,
No whit less still and lonely fair
Than the high cloudlets in the sky.
And for that minute a blackbird sang
Close by, and round him, mistier,
Farther and farther, all the birds
Of Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire.
But was the train due to stop at Adlestrop anyway? Continue reading »
Today, we’ve published the beta version of a new standard licence which has been developed for use by public sector bodies which have reason to charge for the re-use of the information they produce or hold. The licence will form part of the UK Government Licensing Framework.
This new licence - under the working title of ‘Charged Licence’ - along with the Open Government Licence and the Non-Commercial Government Licence, will form a suite of ‘specified licences’ provided for in amendments to the Freedom of Information Act by the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012.
The publication of the new licence links in with the Cabinet Office’s consultation on a new Code of Practice under section 45 of the Freedom of Information Act, which was launched today, 22 November 2012. The Code of Practice provides guidance to public bodies in meeting their new obligations to make available certain datasets under a specified licence.
At the same time as the Cabinet Office consultation we are seeking views on the new licence, and in particular we would welcome your views on the following:
- Do these simplified terms and conditions meet your needs either as a licensor or a re-user?
- The working title for the licence is the ‘Charged Licence’. Is there an alternative title you would like us to consider that better describes its purpose?
Continue reading »
Last week was Diversity Week at The National Archives – a week in which we celebrate the diversity of our collections. This made me think about how the UK Government Web Archive is capturing ways that the UK Central Government web estate is being used to communicate with one minority group - disabled people. In writing this post I am aware that the term ’disabled people’ encompasses a wide range of very different people with many different needs. I will only be able to focus on a few specific examples in this short post.
The web teams responsible for UK government websites work to ensure that sites are as accessible as possible. Guidance about designing accessible websites is provided in the Cabinet Office (formerly Central Office of Information) Web standards and guidelines on delivering inclusive websites. Additionally, most websites in scope for our web archive include a page describing provisions made to ensure the website is accessible. We will have captured these pages as part of our regular archiving schedule. For example, the page below in an archived version of the Directgov website from December 2008 describes the accessibility features of the site.
Directgov - Accessibility features - archived December 2008
Interestingly, the page includes two audio files. In my opinion, one of the great benefits of the internet is the ability to communicate information to users in different ways. Whereas in the past a blind or partially-sighted person would have had to source specialist material, such as a leaflet printed in Braille or an audio book, they can now use inexpensive and commonly available technology such as a screen reader or changing the text size in a browser to access most information on the internet. This is made easier by careful website design.
Continue reading »
Turning paper graveyards into community hubs
Following the post from my fellow trainee Kasia about her work with the Polish community in Leicestershire, I would like to expand upon the topic of archives and the community where I work at Surrey History Centre.
It’s probably fair to say that most people in Surrey have never visited an archive, and it’s easy to see why. As a history lover, I love the idea of rummaging through old documents but, for a research novice, it’s easy to think of an archive building as a kind of paper graveyard, where documents belonging to people who are no longer around, or companies that no longer exist, are left in dusty boxes only to be looked at occasionally by a scholar or academic, if at all.
My traineeship works to challenge this image. We encourage people to take an interest in our collections, to use us for research and to deposit items and collections they think might be important to the history of Surrey in our archive. We need to show that even though the items stored are objects of history, the collections are still socially relevant today.
The main issue, which I am sure many archives would agree with, is that the demographic of users is made up mostly of white, middle-class people, often retired. However, the history of Surrey is full of other cultures, nationalities, and identities that need to be drawn out of the archives and made visible to the wider community.
I would like to pull out two examples that I have been working on during my traineeship. Continue reading »
All family historians use the census, and most of us find most of what we want, most of the time. This is of course due to the fact that every census for England and Wales has been indexed; sometimes you even have a number of versions to choose from, so if you don’t find a person on one website, you might find them on another. Where the handwriting is hard to read, it all comes down to interpretation.
But sometimes, despite your best efforts, a person or a family stubbornly refuses to be found. You might even have tried searching for them ‘the old-fashioned way’. That is, searching by address, assuming you have some indication of where they were living at the time of the census, and that they either lived in a village or there is a street index for their town. That was the usual way of finding someone in the census until just over a decade ago.
If you have exhausted all the possibilities of using name indexes, including possible mis-spellings and mis-transcriptions, you are left with a dwindling number of possibilities, which fall into three catagories:
- They are there, you just can’t see them
- They are missing from the census altogether
- They are, or rather were, in the census but in a part of it that has since gone missing Continue reading »
Last week’s presidential elections in the United States were as enthralling as ever. As the polls showed a closing gap between the candidates in the preceding weeks, and media attention sky-rocketed, tensions were high by the time the votes were being counted. The announcement of the victor (it was Barack Obama, by the way) led, the next day, to the expression of many messages of congratulation. One thing has always intrigued me: how do the telephone calls of congratulations between world leaders go? Do these messages really express a desire to reaffirm special relationships, or are they more bland?
Churchill congratulates Eisenhower in 1952 (PREM 11/572)
A couple of Prime Minister’s Office files – PREM 11/572 and PREM 15/1980 – detail two very different communications between the political leaders of the United Kingdom and the United States, even if some of the underlying aims of their ongoing co-operation are remarkably familiar.
Continue reading » | Despite over a decade in helping users understand information management and getting them to accept that shaping information in the way you need to use it can actually make them happier… it doesn’t matter. The only time I’ve ever seen users not default to a shared drive is if they are less than ten feet from a printer.
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Hood River County Circuit Court
Named after Hood River and Oregon’s famous Mount Hood, Hood River County was officially created on June 23rd, 1908. The County seat is the town of Hood River which was first platted in 1881. The Hood River Valley is known for fertile orchards which produce apples, cherries, peaches and pears. In fact, more pears are grown in Hood River County than any other county in the United States. Hood River is well known for the variety of sports available in the area. Of note, the county offers windsurfing and kiteboarding in the warmer months and snow sports on Mount Hood in the winter months.
The Hood River County Courthouse is located at 309 State St., Hood River, Oregon 97031
Photos and information from the Oregon Secretary of State Archives Division and The Oregon Blue Book, 2007-2008. | Hood River County Circuit Court
Named after Hood River and Oregon’s famous Mount Hood, Hood River County was officially created on June 23rd, 1908. The County seat is the town of Hood River which was first platted in 1881. The Hood River Valley is known for fertile orchards which produce apples, cherries, peaches and pears. In fact, more pears are grown in Hood River County than any other county i | {
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September 27, 2012.
© 2012 Linda Vanasupa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
This work was made possible in part by grants from the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education, DUE#0717428, DUE#0717556 and DUE#1004410.
NOTE: File is large and may take a few moments to download.
This video serves as an introduction to global energy resources. Based on the work of Wes Hermann, of the Global Climate Energy Project at Stanford University, it explores the categories of energy by global resource compartment and replenishment timescale. This videos is based on the Sustainability Learning Suites created by Jane Qiong Zhang and Linda Vanasupa in association with Julie Zimmerman and Jim Mihelcic.
Curriculum and Social Inquiry | Materials Science and Engineering | September 27, 2012.
© 2012 Linda Vanasupa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
This work was made possible in part by grants from the National Science Foundation Division of Undergraduate Education, DUE#0717428, DUE#0717556 and DUE#1004410.
NOTE: File is large and may take a few moments to download.
This video serves as an introduction to g | {
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American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Missouri Schools and Local Governments
2% APR Loans for Energy Efficiency Retrofits
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources provided over $14.5 million in low interest loans of 2 percent for energy efficiency projects through the Energize Missouri Schools and Local Governments program. Eligible loans were $30,000 to $2.5 million per project. Recipients received 100 percent of the funds upfront and zero interest during construction.
The department made the loan program available through funding received from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
Loan recipients benefited from increased occupant comfort in their buildings and reduced energy costs. The financing also freed up tax dollars that school districts, higher education facilities and local governments could use for essential services or other capital improvements. Loan recipients will repay the loan with money saved on energy costs as a result of implementing the energy-efficiency projects. These loans were not defined as debt, so the loan financing did not count against debt limits or require a public vote or bond issuance.
Examples of eligible projects included:
- Heating and air conditioning upgrades.
- Lighting improvements.
- Chillers insulation.
- Window replacements.
Applications were reviewed on a competitive basis until all available funds were awarded .
Webinar: ARRA Requirements and Guidelines for Energy Efficiency Loan Recipients
The Department of Natural Resources' Division of Energy hosted a webinar on Wednesday, August 22, 2012, detailing the requirement and guidelines for ARRA-funded Energy Efficiency projects. To view the webinar, click this link.
For more information about the Energize Missouri Schools and Local Government Loan Program, please submit an email inquiry to [email protected] or call 573-751-3443.
Missouri Department of Natural Resources
Division of Energy
1101 Riverside Drive, P.O. Box 176
Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176
800-361-4827 or 573-751-3443 | American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Missouri Schools and Local Governments
2% APR Loans for Energy Efficiency Retrofits
The Missouri Department of Natural Resources provided over $14.5 million in low interest loans of 2 percent for energy efficiency projects through the Energize Missouri Schools and Local Governments program. Eligible loans were $30,000 to $2.5 million per project. Recipients r | {
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Reforms By Type - CleanupsThese reforms aim to expedite site cleanups, primarily by addressing remedy selection issues and setting risk-based cleanup priorities. Ultimately these initiatives help reduce cleanup costs, promote consistency at sites nationwide, and lead to better protection of human health and the environment.
Reform 3-1a: Establish National Remedy Review Board
EPA established a national review board composed of senior Agency experts to review and analyze proposed site-specific cleanup strategies.
Reforms 3-1b: Establish New Remedy Selection Management Flags
EPA developed remedy selection rules to promote cost-effectiveness and consistency, and to flag potentially "controversial" cleanup decisions for senior management review.
Reform 3-2: Update Remedy Decisions at Select Sites
EPA encourages the Regions to revisit remedy decisions at certain sites where significant new scientific information, technological advancements, or other considerations will allow the current level of protectiveness of human health and the environment to be achieved in a more cost-effective manner.
Reform 3-3a: Clarify the Role of Cost in the Remedy Selection Process
This reform clarifies the role of cost in developing cleanup options and selecting remedies as established in existing law, regulation, and policy.
Reform 3-3b: Directive on National Consistency in Remedy Selection
This directive emphasizes the critical importance of national consistency in the Superfund remedy selection process, and encourages program managers to make full use of existing tools and consultation opportunities to promote such consistency.
Reform 3-4: Clarify Information Regarding Remedy Selection Decisions
The goal of this reform is to design a tool for clearly presenting, in a standardized format, the context, basis, and rationale for site-specific Superfund remedy selection decisions. Originally conceived of as a summary sheet, the final product of this reform will be a comprehensive guidance document on preparing Superfund decision documents.
Reform 3-7: Establish Lead Regulator for Federal Facilities
To eliminate overlap and duplication of effort, EPA developed guidance to establish a lead regulator at each site undergoing cleanup activities under competing Federal and State authorities.
Reform 3-8: Consider Response Actions Prior to NPL Listing
This initiative ensures that response actions taken up to the time of listing are considered in the Hazard Ranking System (HRS) score, which is used to determine whether a site qualifies for the National Priorities List (NPL).
Reform 3-10a: Promote Risk-Based Priority Setting at Federal Facility Sites
EPA is developing guidance to address the role of risk and other factors in setting priorities at Federal facility sites.
Reform 3-10b: Promote Risk-Based Priority for NPL Sites
EPA has established a National Risk-Based Priority Panel to evaluate the priority order of NPL sites.
Reform 2-8: Guidance for Remedy Selection
EPA has produced a number of guidance documents to improve consistency and help streamline site characterization and remedy selection. | Reforms By Type - CleanupsThese reforms aim to expedite site cleanups, primarily by addressing remedy selection issues and setting risk-based cleanup priorities. Ultimately these initiatives help reduce cleanup costs, promote consistency at sites nationwide, and lead to better protection of human health and the environment.
Reform 3-1a: Establish National Remedy Review Board
EPA established a nati | {
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Energy is what makes Europe tick. It is essential, then, for the European Union (EU) to address the major energy challenges facing us today, i.e. climate change, our increasing dependence on imports, the strain on energy resources and access for all users to affordable, secure energy. The EU is putting in place an ambitious energy policy - covering the full range of energy sources from fossil fuels (oil, gas and coal) to nuclear energy and renewables (solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, hydro-electric and tidal) - in a bid to spark a new industrial revolution that will deliver a low-energy economy, whilst making the energy we do consume more secure, competitive and sustainable.
European energy policy
Energy policy for Europe, Market-based instruments, Energy technologies, Financial instruments
Internal energy market
The market in gas and in electricity, Trans-European energy networks, Infrastructure, Security of supply, Public procurement, Taxation
Energy efficiency of products, Buildings and services
Electricity, Heating and cooling, Biofuels
Euratom, Research and technology, Safety, Waste
Security of supply, external dimension and enlargement
Security of supply, External relations, European Energy Charter, Treaty establishing the Energy Community, Enlargement
- Overviews of European Union: .
- Further information can be found on the website of the Energy Directorate-General of the European Commission. | Energy is what makes Europe tick. It is essential, then, for the European Union (EU) to address the major energy challenges facing us today, i.e. climate change, our increasing dependence on imports, the strain on energy resources and access for all users to affordable, secure energy. The EU is putting in place an ambitious energy policy - covering the full range of energy sources from fossil fuel | {
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Remarks by Ambassador King on Global Health Diplomacy
June 18, 2012
Thank you Professor Kickbusch, Ambassador Silberschmidt, for inviting me here today. Good morning colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.
I was pleased to be asked to help set the stage for your course this week by providing some context to the challenges and opportunities of global health. It’s been my honor and privilege to spend the greater part of my adult life focused on just these issues and whether it is original Millennium Development Goals, the agreement last year at WHO on pandemic influenza preparedness, or looking ahead to new challenges such as non-communicable diseases and scaling up toward universal health coverage, my aim has been find ways to enable the multilateral system to successfully address shared public health challenges.
From increasing prevention of diseases such as polio and heart disease, to conducting lifesaving research, to strengthening our humanitarian response and protection of vulnerable and marginalized populations, all of our efforts are enhanced through our partnership in the United Nations, and in particular the WHO. But make no mistake, the challenges we face are significant and the political divisions are real. Any of these can and do threaten to derail the important global health work of WHO, which is why I believe courses like this are so important.
Global Health Diplomacy
I think this phrase is interesting. Many of us who will be speaking to you this week use it regularly, but I wonder if it is meant to be “diplomacy” in the service of “health” or “health” in the service of “diplomacy.” I think that it is too often the latter, but that we strive, particularly in this Administration, for the former.
Late last year, under Secretary Sebelius, the Department of Health and Human Services published its first ever Global Health Strategy as a way to help sort out U.S. priorities and approaches on global health diplomacy. Goal three of this new strategy is particularly interesting and states that we will: Advance United States interests in international diplomacy, development and security through global health action. The strategy points out the growing recognition that global health engagement is a necessary component of international diplomacy, development and security. Disease surveillance and health system response capability to protect the health security of all people by reducing risks and responding to crises, whether natural, accidental, or deliberate is a fundamental challenge faced by all countries and any action that strengthens the weakest of us, strengthens us all.
The 194 Member States of WHO face many different challenges related to our unique populations, climates and geography. But one challenge we all face is how to keep our nations healthy and how to make sure all our people can access the care they need when they get sick.
United States Health Care Context
In the United States, we just marked the two-year anniversary of a historic health care law.
The law is our country’s most significant step towards universal health coverage in nearly 50 years and it will expand coverage to 33 million Americans who have been unable to access health insurance. It moves us toward justice and equity.
Under the law, we’ve taken steps to improve our health system by putting individuals and families on even footing with their insurance companies. And the biggest changes will come in 2014, when each state will have an insurance marketplace that gives every resident the ability to find health coverage that fits their needs.
But we know that to improve health we have to do more than expand coverage. Health is affected by the food we eat, the air or smoke we breathe, and the communities where we live.
If we want our children to eat healthier food, we need to work with schools to serve healthier meals. If we want people to get more exercise, we need to work with transportation planners to design neighborhoods where it’s easier to walk or bike. We have adopted our first ever National Prevention Strategy to promote these actions domestically.
Social Determinants of Health
Internationally, we have been strong supporters of the Rio Conference on Social Determinants of Health, held last year in Rio. I joined HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius where together with more than 100 nations we adopted the Rio Political Declaration on Social Determinants of Health that enshrines the philosophy of “health in all policies” into the work of WHO. Health in all policies is the idea that any time a government makes a decision, we should be asking: what are the health consequences?
In all these efforts domestically and abroad, we recognize that poverty and poor health are closely linked. People who live in underserved communities have less access to medical care and good nutrition, face greater environmental health hazards, and are harder to reach through outreach and education efforts.
So we’ve made a special commitment to address these social and economic factors that put people at greater risk for both chronic and infectious diseases. Our new health care law has already extended critical preventive services to millions of the most vulnerable Americans and through President Obama’s Global Health Initiative we are promoting greater access to primary health care services and a more integrated approach to health assistance abroad.
Trade, Intellectual Property and Health
One of the most challenging aspects of global health diplomacy is finding a coherent and rational approach to trade, intellectual property and health. Here in Geneva if you go to one forum where one of these three is discussed, you will inevitably find the others and there is an intense focus on improving access to quality, safe, effective and affordable medicines. This is difficult because national interests are at stake for all countries and so it can be the case that health arguments are used and abused to promote national interests.
We are lucky that in the heads of WHO, WIPO and WTO, we have leaders who are interested in finding ways forward for their Member States on this issue and we salute the creative approaches that they are finding to work together, sometimes leading to real innovations such as the WIPO Re:Search initiative that seeks to promote innovation for neglected tropical diseases.
In seeking to find solutions to global health challenges, we have to be careful about spending scarce resources on ideas with a low probability of success. One such case was last month at the Health Assembly, where we considered the results of a Consultative Expert Working Group (CEWG) on research and development financing. The main recommendation of that group as I’m sure you all know was for WHO to begin negotiations on a legally binding convention that would require a certain percentage of GDP to be invested in R&D financing for diseases primarily affecting developing countries.
While the United States, through the NIH primarily, would already be in compliance with the proposed Convention, we vigorously opposed, and continue to oppose the idea as expensive and wrong-headed in this era of challenge. We appreciate the analysis done by the CEWG on the need to improve coordination and promote greater incentives for R&D of neglected diseases, but our view is we should focus on practical and affordable solutions rather than spend 4-6 years negotiating a convention that may likely never even enter into force.
Before and during the WHA, we have heard Ambassador Silberschmidt calling for policy coherence and a sober look at these issues. We highly support his approach and will take that attitude forward into the fall, on this and other issues on WHO’s full plate of activity.
All of these various health challenges test countries of every size and at every stage in development. And we have our best chance of addressing them if we work together, share ideas and help each other succeed. That is why we remain committed to this work and why even in times of budget challenges at home, the President and Congress remain committed to our work in global health.Print | Remarks by Ambassador King on Global Health Diplomacy
June 18, 2012
Thank you Professor Kickbusch, Ambassador Silberschmidt, for inviting me here today. Good morning colleagues, ladies and gentlemen.
I was pleased to be asked to help set the stage for your course this week by providing some context to the challenges and opportunities of global health. It’s been my honor and privilege to spend the | {
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Iloilo City is indeed a repository of ancient and historical heritage. Every visitor can not miss-out the iconic imagery that these structures impose on the viewers’ perception. The mixture of its colonial past and western influence is a unique feature of Iloilo City’s line-up of cultural and ar! s! c treasures.
The stand-out Baroque architectural design of Molo Church (St. Anne
Parish) reflects the dominant influence of Catholicism in the Iloilo. From
an early place used to be known as a Chinese Ghetto to the seat of
Spanish authority in the south western side of Iloilo, Molo Church is
astonishingly a surviving heritage of Iloilo City. It resembles the deep
spirituality of the Ilonggos and an enduring legacy of majestic artistry
handed down from generations to generations, from the complexities
of a colonial past.
Historical records attest to the fact that Iloilo City had been a prominent
place hos! ng the religious-political power of the Spanish Authority
during the colonial period. Of course we can’t deny the fact that the
first political structure of Spanish Colonial Power in the entire Philippine
Archipelago was established in the town of Oton, Iloilo, (the site of first
“Encomienda System”). So it is not surprising if a lot of districts in Iloilo
City had been adjunct of this Center of colonial political authority. Molo
District and Jaro are the most commonly referred to as the place of
The famous Jaro Cathedral and the prominent Jaro Belfry across it are
among the monuments of religious heritage in Iloilo City. Until today,
Jaro Cathedral still symbolizes and literally hosts the main Catholic
Church’s hierarchical center of authority. The Jaro Belfry survived a
major earthquake disaster some! me before the outbreak of World War
II. Presently , it is a symbol of strong colonial heritage in the city.
Calle Real or the main downtown area of Iloilo City does not only host the
traditional trading bazaars of old entrepreneurial Chinese families. Old
Spanish Houses of the “illustrados” (the rich Spanish mes! zo families)
still adorn its far end area along the road going to Plaza Libertad ( JM
Basa St.) These colonial houses which age more than a century since
they were first built have their counterparts in the old mansions of the
Montinola, and Lizares in Jaro District.
The glorious and colorful history of Iloilo City is more vividly preserved
in the monuments of heritage that continue to amaze visitors who come
to the city. Written historical records may only possess the informa! on
of the past but they can never take the place of living heritage as
undying tes! monies of a people, their struggles, aspira! ons dreams
and their cultural uniqueness. This is the living testimony of Iloilo City’s
ancient and historical heritage. | Iloilo City is indeed a repository of ancient and historical heritage. Every visitor can not miss-out the iconic imagery that these structures impose on the viewers’ perception. The mixture of its colonial past and western influence is a unique feature of Iloilo City’s line-up of cultural and ar! s! c treasures.
The stand-out Baroque architectural design of Molo Church (St. Anne
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The following table lists the fourth- and eighth-grade target student sample sizes for the five Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) districts.
|TUDA1 District||Fourth-grade student target||Eighth-grade student target|
|Los Angeles, CA||4,667||4,667|
|New York City, NY||3,150||3,150|
|1 Trial Urban District Assessment
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Education Statistics, National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), 2002. | The following table lists the fourth- and eighth-grade target student sample sizes for the five Trial Urban District Assessment (TUDA) districts.
|TUDA1 District||Fourth-grade student target||Eighth-grade student target|
|Los Angeles, CA||4,667||4,667|
|New York City, NY||3,150||3,150|
|1 Trial Urban District Assessment
SOURCE: U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, Nationa | {
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The Oklahoma State Department of Education is in the process of developing certification for instructors of Native American Languages in Oklahoma public schools. A committee will be formed to review past certification in our state, investigate similar certification in other states, and work to develop the new certification standards in collaboration with Oklahoma’s Tribes. All interested parties wishing to be part of the committee may complete an application by October 17, 2012, to apply. Download an application form here. Contact either of the following people for additional information:
Today's students must be prepared to operate in a global society, and language study is an important part of preparing them to meet the demands of an ever-changing world. As stated in the profession's national goals, communication is at the heart of second language study, whether the communication takes place face-to-face, in writing, or across centuries through reading of literature. Through the study of other languages, students gain a knowledge and understanding of the cultures that use that language; in fact, students cannot truly master the language until they have also mastered the cultural contexts in which the language occurs. Learning languages provides connections to additional bodies of knowledge that are unavailable to monolingual English speakers. Through comparisons and contrasts with the language studied, students develop greater insight into their own language and culture and realize that multiple ways of viewing the world exist. Together, these elements enable the student of languages to participate in multilingual communities at home and around the world in a variety of contexts and in culturally appropriate ways. As is apparent, none of these goals can be separated from the other. (National Standards in Foreign Language Education Project, 2006, p. 31)
The Office of Standards and Curriculum is available to provide professional development to teachers in their local area, either face-to-face or through videoconference or webinar (point-to-point/distance learning) technology. In order for the professional development to have as much impact as possible, for face-to-face interactions, groups need to include representation from at at least 5 districts, an entire county, or that contain at least 45 teachers. For point-to-point/distance learning technology interactions any size group can be accommodated.
|Center for Advanced Research on Language Acquisition (CARLA) at the University of Minnesota|
|Center for Language Education and Research (CLEAR) at Michigan State University|
|National Middle East Language Resource Center (NMELRC) at Brigham Young University|
For More Information, Contact:
Desa Dawson, Director of World Languages, SDE, (405) 521-3035 | The Oklahoma State Department of Education is in the process of developing certification for instructors of Native American Languages in Oklahoma public schools. A committee will be formed to review past certification in our state, investigate similar certification in other states, and work to develop the new certification standards in collaboration with Oklahoma’s Tribes. All interested parties w | {
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| || Synthesis of corrosion resistant nanocrystalline Nickle Copper alloy coatings by pulse plating technique
Author : Ghosh, S. K.;Grover, A. K. ;Dey, G. K.;Suri, A. K.
Source : Defence Science Journal ; Vol:55(1) ; 2005 ; pp 63-74
Subject : 623.8 Naval Science
Keywords : Monel-400 alloy;Corrosion resistant alloys;Nickel-Copper alloys;Pulse electrolysis;Nanocrystalline alloys;Nanocrystals;Pulse currentplating technique;Corrosion current density;Direct current plating technique
Abstract : "Bright and smooth nanocrystalline Monel-type Ni-Cu alloy gets deposited from complex citrate electrolyte by pulse electrolysis. Transmission electron microscopy studies have revealed that the deposited Ni-Cu alloy was nanocrystalline in nature and it comprised a two-phase (fcc+L1o) mixture. The presence of twins could be seen in the nanocrystals. The Ni-Cu alloys prepared by pulse electrolysis were finer grained (~ 2.5-28.5 nm) than those deposited by direct current method. Nelson-Riley function has been used to calculate the lattice parameters for both the pulse current-plated and direct current-plated alloys from x-ray diffraction analysis. The microhardness values for pulse current-plated alloys were higher than for the direct current-plated alloys. The internal stresses of both the pulse current deposited and the direct current- deposited alloys have also been measured; the values were lower for pulse current-plated alloys. Potentiodynamic polarisation studies were carried out in aerated and deaerated neutral 3.0 Wt per cent NaCl solution and instantaneous corrosion current density of the plated alloy was determined and compared with the Monel-400 alloy. It was found that nanocrystalline pulse current-Ni-35.8 Wt per cent copper alloy exhibited lower instantaneous value of corrosion current density than that of specimens with direct current method and Monel-400 alloy. The dissolution behaviour of the deposited nanocrystalline material was found to be more like general corrosion rather than localised corrosion as in the case of Monel-400 alloy. " | | || Synthesis of corrosion resistant nanocrystalline Nickle Copper alloy coatings by pulse plating technique
Author : Ghosh, S. K.;Grover, A. K. ;Dey, G. K.;Suri, A. K.
Source : Defence Science Journal ; Vol:55(1) ; 2005 ; pp 63-74
Subject : 623.8 Naval Science
Keywords : Monel-400 alloy;Corrosion resistant alloys;Nickel-Copper alloys;Pulse electrolysis;Nanocrystalline alloys;Nanocrystals;Pulse c | {
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How Tightly Do Cells Stick to a Surface?
Inside the cell spinner
Plate containing cells sits on a disk holder
Disk holder spins inside a chamber filled with liquid
Spinning disk generates a 3-dimensional flow pattern that applies precise pressure detachment forces to the cells
Adhesion strength is calculated by counting cells remaining adhered after spinning stops.
Answering research question #1 | How Tightly Do Cells Stick to a Surface?
Inside the cell spinner
Plate containing cells sits on a disk holder
Disk holder spins inside a chamber filled with liquid
Spinning disk generates a 3-dimensional flow pattern that applies precise pressure detachment forces to the cells
Adhesion strength is calculated by counting cells remaining adhered after spinning stops.
Answering research question #1 | {
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Statement of Significance (as of designation - April 5, 2005):
The Bethel Baptist Church, Parsonage, and Guardhouse are associated with the first organized movement of the modern civil rights movement that attacked multiple aspects of segregation. While earlier organized movements focused on bus segregation, the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR), headquartered in Bethel from 1956-1961, applied both legal and nonviolent direct action against segregated accommodations, transportation, schools and employment discrimination. This method would serve as a model for later movements, including the 1963 Birmingham demonstrations that led to the Civil Rights act of 1964. The church and its parsonage played a crucial role in the 1961 Freedom Ride that traveled from Washington, DC to Mississippi, and resulted in federal enforcement of US Supreme Court and Interstate Commerce Commission rulings to desegregate public transportation. As the bus ride's designated point of contact in Alabama, the church and parsonage were places of refuge for wounded and stranded riders rescued by ACMHR members, and where activist Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth coordinated with the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) and the Kennedy administration to continue the ride on to Montgomery. | Statement of Significance (as of designation - April 5, 2005):
The Bethel Baptist Church, Parsonage, and Guardhouse are associated with the first organized movement of the modern civil rights movement that attacked multiple aspects of segregation. While earlier organized movements focused on bus segregation, the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights (ACMHR), headquartered in Bethel from 1956 | {
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The Source of Our Water
by John Bidwell, Segou, Mali
During the rainy season (July–September), the stream next to Nampossela is used to wash clothes, but most people get their water from one of the many village wells. The most popular are the ones repaired by the Peace Corps. This is due not only to the fact that they are safer and provide cleaner water, but that they are centrally located and rarely dry up. For drinking water, almost everybody uses one of the village's three pumps. A pump is the best source for clean water. At the height of the dry season when most of the wells are dry, the pumps get a lot of use and can break. | The Source of Our Water
by John Bidwell, Segou, Mali
During the rainy season (July–September), the stream next to Nampossela is used to wash clothes, but most people get their water from one of the many village wells. The most popular are the ones repaired by the Peace Corps. This is due not only to the fact that they are safer and provide cleaner water, but that they are centrally located and rar | {
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Florida State University Project Relate
Florida State University (FSU) is an internationally recognized teaching and research institution committed to preparing its graduates for the ever-expanding opportunities of a global society. Located in the Florida capital of Tallahassee, FSU hosts a total of 41,000 students representing all 50 states and 129 countries.
Project Relate targets young adults in college, a key demographic group for future marriage, using premarital education and marriage skills training. The overarching goal of the project is to strengthen and support marriage by giving young adults the skills and knowledge to make informed decisions about healthy relationships.
I had a wonderful experience while taking this course. When I first read the course outline, I assumed much of the content would be old news to me, but I was wrong. Delving into the many challenges that relationships present was so much more informative than anything I had heard before. In this class, we were taught structured techniques versus the general rules regarding communication. We always hear that communication is key and that in all relationships (whether with family, friends, or romantic partners) you must have open lines of communication. This statement is easier said than done, especially when emotions get involved.
My boyfriend and I got married in August of 2008, and when we are struggling with a decision, we use the “speaker-listener” technique we learned in class. The instructor taught the technique very well and showed us that it works as long as we are committed to doing it properly. She showed us plenty of situations with videos as well as through class skits. She applied the technique to all relationships in our lives, even those we have with roommates. The class as a whole was great and taught me many things, but this technique stood out because it applied to a situation I was dealing with at the time. My husband thought I was crazy back then, but now even he likes the technique. Now I need a technique to get him to stop leaving his socks all over the house!
I LOVED the class and LOVED our breakout sessions. From what I learned over the semester, I now take a much less confrontational approach to disagreements and issues that may arise in my life. I never really felt that the class had much of an impact on me, but now that I have been given this chance to reflect on the past month since the end of the class, I realize that even though I may not explicitly try to implement “time-outs” or “giving the floor,” these and all of the rest of the techniques that were taught seem to have subconsciously taken root and help me in various situations. So many people use a multitude of clichés such as “walk a mile in their shoes,” but in this class I was able to gain more insights into the spheres of others, the way they act in situations, and the way I may react to their situations. This ultimately helps me be a better person, whether it be in a friendship or a romantic relationship. | Florida State University Project Relate
Florida State University (FSU) is an internationally recognized teaching and research institution committed to preparing its graduates for the ever-expanding opportunities of a global society. Located in the Florida capital of Tallahassee, FSU hosts a total of 41,000 students representing all 50 states and 129 countries.
Project Relate targets young adults i | {
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121.5 x 50.7cm
Shengzhu is the alter ego of Yu Huang (the Jade Emperor). Yu Huang was the supreme deity of the universe. Yu Huang came to prominence during the Tang dynasty when Daoism absorbed some Indian Buddhist concepts into its beliefs. Both Shengzhu and Yu Huang wear an imperial cap and hold a gui ceremonial tablet, while they are distinguished by the colour of their robes - the former always wears yellow, the latter green. It is believed Yu Huang appointed Shengzhu the 'Heavenly Worthy and Perfect Lord'.
Reference: Jacques Lemoine, 'Yao Ceremonial Paintings'. 1982.
Asian Art Department, AGNSW, 2007. | 121.5 x 50.7cm
Shengzhu is the alter ego of Yu Huang (the Jade Emperor). Yu Huang was the supreme deity of the universe. Yu Huang came to prominence during the Tang dynasty when Daoism absorbed some Indian Buddhist concepts into its beliefs. Both Shengzhu and Yu Huang wear an imperial cap and hold a gui ceremonial tablet, while they are distinguished by the colour of their robes - the former alway | {
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Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning
National Center for Environmental Health/
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention
Designated Federal Officer – Paula Burgess, M.D., M.P.H.
The Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
shall provide advice and guidance to the Secretary, HHS; the
Assistant Secretary for Health; and the Director, Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, regarding new scientific knowledge
and technological developments and their practical implications for
childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts. The committee shall
also review and report regularly on childhood lead poisoning
prevention practices and recommend improvements in national
childhood lead poisoning prevention efforts.
Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Website | Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning
National Center for Environmental Health/
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention
Designated Federal Officer – Paula Burgess, M.D., M.P.H.
The Advisory Committee on Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
shall provide advice and guidance to the Secretary, HHS; the
Assistant Secre | {
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More Women in Special Ops Forces, Gates Predicts
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2010 Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday he anticipates that more women will serve in military special operations in the future.
ROTC cadets from Duke University, University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University and North Carolina Central University listen as Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates speaks at Duke University in Durham, N.C., Sept. 29, 2010. DOD photo by Cherie Cullen
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
“My guess at some point is that there will be a careful step in that direction with the special operations forces,” Gates told about 300 ROTC students here at Duke University.
Women already serve in a limited capacity within the special operations community -- primarily in civil affairs, mission information support and aviation capacities, a U.S. Special Operations Command official confirmed. However, most special operations billets, including Navy Sea, Air and Land teams, more commonly known as SEAL teams, and Special Forces A-teams, are limited to males.
The military, Gates predicted, likely will use lessons learned by the Navy as it introduces women into its submarine force to guide any similar changes within special operations.
He noted that only women officers will be assigned to submarines, and that they’ll serve only on Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines large enough to provide them separate living facilities.
And, he said, females assigned to submarine duty will have a mentor aboard -- a senior woman officer who has served aboard a surface ship at least at department-head level.
“And we will learn from that [submarine] experience,” Gates said.
Gates discussed another issue being debated across the special operations community: Should civil affairs capabilities remain in specialized units within special operations, or be extended more widely across the force?
“My own bias is that we ought to spread those skills -- and language skills -- more broadly in the Army than just special operations forces,” the secretary told the cadets.
In many ways, he said, the discussion has become academic.
“The reality is, in both Iraq and Afghanistan, we have ended up using regular, conventional forces in ways that special operations forces used to do by themselves,” Gates told the cadets. “A lot of regular Army infantry units are doing civil affairs, are doing development, along with fighting the fight.”
“We have to keep the SOF capability,” he continued. “But when it comes to civil affairs and so on, do you spread those capabilities more widely in the Army?”
Not one ROTC cadet, nor any of the 1,200 other people who attended Gates’ lecture at Duke University’s Page Auditorium posed a question about the possible repeal of the ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ law that bans gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military.
Gates, who supports the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” acknowledged during his lecture that some elite universities use the law as a rationale for banning ROTC on their campuses.
Duke, he said, is a “notable and admirable exception,” with its Army, Navy and Air Force ROTC programs. | More Women in Special Ops Forces, Gates Predicts
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 2010 Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said yesterday he anticipates that more women will serve in military special operations in the future.
ROTC cadets from Duke University, University of North Carolina, North Carolina State University and North Carolina Central University listen a | {
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Blue plaques are a way of highlighting Victoria's diverse heritage places, and the stories and history behind them.
Blue plaques are used by tourists, visitors and those interested in the history of their local areas. Anyone passing by has the chance to read the plaques and learn more of the rich heritage that surrounds them.
Owners and managers of these properties also benefit. Many owners are proud of the way their buildings contribute to the heritage of the State and are happy for their home or property to be celebrated but please respect the privacy of private home owners.
A growing number of places have been adapted for commercial use as galleries, restaurants, accommodation venues or are in some way open to the public. Others, such as court houses, museums, public gardens, archaeological sites are in public ownership but their significance is not always acknowledged.
Where possible the plaque should be affixed to something other than the actual historic fabric. We can provide advice on the best way to attach the plaques to your property. Plaques are easy to clean and require virtually no maintenance.
Who gets a blue plaque?
All places and objects added to the Victorian Heritage Register are automatically entitled to a blue plaque. We invite all owners of registered places and objects to participate in the blue plaque program. If you are interested in getting a plaque for your State-registered property or object, please contact us on 03 9208 3333 or [email protected].
The Heritage Council of Victoria supplies the blue plaque free of charge. | Blue plaques are a way of highlighting Victoria's diverse heritage places, and the stories and history behind them.
Blue plaques are used by tourists, visitors and those interested in the history of their local areas. Anyone passing by has the chance to read the plaques and learn more of the rich heritage that surrounds them.
Owners and managers of these properties also benefit. Many owners are pr | {
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No one will ever hear you outside this chamber
Mars Express launch diary 4
This week John Reddy, Principal Electrical Systems Engineer, reports on testing activities.
"We have now successfully completed the System Radiated Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) Test programme. Using radio frequency (RF) transmitters and receivers, we test the satellite systems and instruments to ensure that there is no electrical interference between them. The goal is to avoid anomalous behaviour on the spacecraft.
"We have a special chamber that shields the spacecraft receivers from outside transmitters (such as local TV broadcast stations). At the same time, the chamber allows the transmitters, for example, the communications system, to send their signals normally. Engineers call this kind of chamber an 'anechoic' (meaning no reflections) chamber.
"The walls of the chamber contain a carbon-filled foam that absorbs radio frequency waves by multiple reflections through the material. The shape of the material aids the reflections while the carbon/foam combination takes care of the absorption. The Fire Department of Toulouse helped us during a part of the test to ensure that the absorbers did not catch fire due to the absorption of the spacecraft RF emissions.
"Mars Express has an instrument on board called MARSIS which is a radar-operating system. It operates within a very sensitive region of the radio spectrum and we had to be very sure MARSIS would not be affected by the satellite electronics. We also had to ensure that the radar pulses coming from its 40- metre dipole antenna do not affect the satellite.
"We're proud that the whole test programme was a great success. It confirms that we have a payload complement that is compatible within itself as well as with the spacecraft as a whole.
"Now that we have these tests out of the way, we can put the finishing touches to the external thermal control surfaces and to the Integrated System Tests or ISTs, as we call them.
"Why do we do these tests? Simple! We put the satellite through normal and critical mission phases to ensure that the satellite electronics operate as they should. You always need to check that the avionics behaviour is normal, given all the complex interactions.
"As the date for shipping the spacecraft to Baikonur draws closer, the stress and tension levels have increased dramatically, of course. The shipment date is now fixed for early March 2003. We need to complete all development, integration, and testing activities before the spacecraft leaves Europe. Delays of minutes rather than hours or even days now take on a new and sometimes frightening significance.
"Time waits for no man, or spacecraft. There is an urgency for the spacecraft to catch the transport plane. Equally well there is a rush to ensure that the operations centre at ESOC is properly prepared to operate the spacecraft from the moment it becomes separated from the launcher.
"We have checked all the control and operations hardware. What we now have to do is train the Flight Control Team via a long and intensive simulations campaign. Such a campaign simulates normal operations but also trains the teams how to react when there are operational emergencies. More about this in a later edition." | No one will ever hear you outside this chamber
Mars Express launch diary 4
This week John Reddy, Principal Electrical Systems Engineer, reports on testing activities.
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Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Back to News Release List
Q. I harvested a moose this year, but when I tried to file my harvest report online it was rejected. Why?
A. That's because reporting requirements for moose are different from elk, deer and pronghorn. Successful moose hunters must complete a big game mortality report within 10 days of the date of the kill. Forms are available at Fish and Game regional offices, from conservation officers, taxidermists and meat processors. All hunters who have harvested either an antlered or antlerless moose must complete this report. Antlers must be presented at Idaho Fish and Game regional offices or official check point or to a conservation officer within 10 days of the date of the kill. Unsuccessful hunters must present or mail their unused tags to a Fish and Game office within 10 days after the close of the season for which the tag was valid. Cancelled tags will be returned to the hunter upon request. Failure to report may result in future ineligibility in moose drawings. | Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Back to News Release List
Q. I harvested a moose this year, but when I tried to file my harvest report online it was rejected. Why?
A. That's because reporting requirements for moose are different from elk, deer and pronghorn. Successful moose hunters must complete a big game mortality report within 10 days of the date of the kill. Forms are available at Fish and Game regiona | {
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Parks, After School, Recreation & Community Services
The after school hours play a critical role in the lives of Fresno high school and middle school students as they make choices about their future, explore their leadership abilities and embark on entrepreneurial ventures. The BEST (Building Everyone's Skills for Tomorrow) Program is designed to utilize that time to prepare students for their next step in life and guide them to post graduation success.
The Fresno BEST Core elements:
1) Academic Improvement- Navigation 101
Students personalize, plan, and demonstrate their paths for their future. The hands-on curriculum empowers our students to choose their own pathways and underlies the American School Counselor Association (ASCA) National Model.
2) Positive Social Behavior-Community Outreach
Our students learn to channel their energy and time towards positive activities that can help them in the future. Students learn importance of volunteering their time and explore many different organizations. Fresno BEST Students have volunteered over 15,000 hours of service for community organizations.
3) Building Personal Skills- Empowering Students
Through team building exercises and other social activities, Fresno BEST students learn to work with their peers and learn the value of being a great citizen in their community. Fresno BEST teaches their students how to properly resolve situations while boosting the students confidence.
For more information Contact:
[email protected] ; 559-621-6606
[email protected] ; 559-621-6620
[email protected] ; 559-621-6604
FUSD High Schools
Edison High School
Fresno High School
McLane High School
Roosevelt High School
Sunnyside High School
FUSD Middle Schools
Ahwahnee Middle School
Computech Middle School
Cooper Middle School
West Fresno Unified
West Fresno Middle School | Parks, After School, Recreation & Community Services
The after school hours play a critical role in the lives of Fresno high school and middle school students as they make choices about their future, explore their leadership abilities and embark on entrepreneurial ventures. The BEST (Building Everyone's Skills for Tomorrow) Program is designed to utilize that time to prepare students for their nex | {
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Lake Erie Watersnake Recovered, Endangered Species Act Protection Removed
On August 16, 2011, the Department of the Interior removed the Lake Erie watersnake, (a harmless species found on offshore islands in western Lake Erie in Ohio and Ontario), from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife (News Release) (101k PDF). The snake becomes the 23rd species to be delisted due to recovery. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listed the Lake Erie watersnake as a threatened species in 1999. Threats to the species included intentional killing and loss of its shoreline habitat to development.
The Service finalized a recovery plan in 2003 that called for protecting habitat and providing outreach to reduce threats to the species. In cooperation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife (ODNR) and other partners, biologists worked to minimize and reduce the threats to the snake by sustaining and protecting summer and hibernation habitat and ensuring the permanent protection of shoreline habitat. Critical research, including an annual intensive Lake Erie watersnake census begun in 2001, provided data that identified when the species had achieved its population goal and threats to its survival had been reduced. In addition, public outreach programs provide awareness of the snake, its plight and its role in the ecosystem.
Recovery criteria include a combined population of at least 5,555 snakes on the U.S. islands, sustained for six years, and protection of key habitat.
Through continued habitat protection and public education, the Lake Erie watersnake population grew to about 11,980 in 2009, and has exceeded the minimum recovery level since 2002. About 300 acres of inland habitat and 11 miles of shoreline have been protected for the snake since it was listed. Partners in the efforts to recover the Lake Erie watersnake include the ODNR, Northern Illinois University, Lake Erie Islands Chapter of the Black Swamp Conservancy, Western Reserve Land Conservancy, Put-in-Bay Township Park District, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and The Ohio State University Stone Laboratory.
The Act requires that a species be monitored for a minimum of 5 years after delisting to ensure that the species remains stable after its protections are removed. The Service and the ODNR have developed a post-delisting monitoring plan (348k PDF) to verify that the species remains secure from risk of extinction after the protections of the ESA no longer apply. Lake Erie watersnakes are still listed as endangered by the state of Ohio so killing them would be illegal under state law. Furthermore, the Service continues to recommend that residents implement voluntary conservation actions during construction and land management activities (Guidelines) (99k PDF) to ensure that the Watersnake population remains at recovery levels.
Appearance: Adult Lake Erie Watersnakes are uniform gray in color or have incomplete band patterns. They resemble the closely related northern Watersnake (Nerodia sipedon sipedon), but often lack the body markings, or have only a pale version of those patterns. Lake Erie Watersnakes grow to 1 1/2 to 3 1/2 feet in length. They are not poisonous.
Habitat: The snakes live on the cliffs and rocky shorelines of limestone islands.
Reproduction: Young snakes are born mid-August through September. The average litter size is 23 young.
Feeding Habits: The snakes feed on fish and amphibians.
Range: Lake Erie Watersnakes live on a group of limestone islands in western Lake Erie that are located more than one mile from the Ohio and Canada mainlands. All Lake Erie Watersnakes found on those islands are protected under the Endangered Species Act. Watersnakes on the Ohio mainland, Mouse Island, and Johnson's Island are not protected under the Endangered Species Act. | Lake Erie Watersnake Recovered, Endangered Species Act Protection Removed
On August 16, 2011, the Department of the Interior removed the Lake Erie watersnake, (a harmless species found on offshore islands in western Lake Erie in Ohio and Ontario), from the Federal List of Threatened and Endangered Wildlife (News Release) (101k PDF). The snake becomes the 23rd species to be delisted due to recovery | {
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About Site Map Contact Us
|A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine®|
On this page:
Reviewed August 2012
What is the official name of the EDNRB gene?
The official name of this gene is “endothelin receptor type B.”
EDNRB is the gene's official symbol. The EDNRB gene is also known by other names, listed below.
Read more about gene names and symbols on the About page.
What is the normal function of the EDNRB gene?
The EDNRB gene provides instructions for making a protein called endothelin receptor type B. This protein is located on the surface of cells and functions as a signaling mechanism, transmitting information from outside the cell to inside the cell. The receptor interacts with proteins called endothelins to regulate several critical biological processes, including the development and function of blood vessels, the production of certain hormones, and the stimulation of cell growth and division.
Endothelin 3 (produced from the EDN3 gene) is one of the proteins that interacts with endothelin receptor type B. During early development before birth (embryonic development), endothelin 3 and endothelin receptor type B together play an important role in neural crest cells. These cells migrate from the developing spinal cord to specific regions in the embryo, where they give rise to many different types of cells. In particular, endothelin 3 and its receptor are essential for the normal formation of nerves in the intestine (enteric nerves) and melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce melanin, a pigment that contributes to skin, hair, and eye color. Melanin is also involved in the normal function of the inner ear.
Does the EDNRB gene share characteristics with other genes?
The EDNRB gene belongs to a family of genes called GPCR (G protein-coupled receptors).
A gene family is a group of genes that share important characteristics. Classifying individual genes into families helps researchers describe how genes are related to each other. For more information, see What are gene families? in the Handbook.
How are changes in the EDNRB gene related to health conditions?
Where is the EDNRB gene located?
Cytogenetic Location: 13q22
Molecular Location on chromosome 13: base pairs 78,469,615 to 78,549,663
The EDNRB gene is located on the long (q) arm of chromosome 13 at position 22.
More precisely, the EDNRB gene is located from base pair 78,469,615 to base pair 78,549,663 on chromosome 13.
See How do geneticists indicate the location of a gene? in the Handbook.
Where can I find additional information about EDNRB?
You and your healthcare professional may find the following resources about EDNRB helpful.
You may also be interested in these resources, which are designed for genetics professionals and researchers.
What other names do people use for the EDNRB gene or gene products?
See How are genetic conditions and genes named? in the Handbook.
Where can I find general information about genes?
The Handbook provides basic information about genetics in clear language.
These links provide additional genetics resources that may be useful.
What glossary definitions help with understanding EDNRB?
You may find definitions for these and many other terms in the Genetics Home Reference Glossary.
See also Understanding Medical Terminology.
References (14 links)
The resources on this site should not be used as a substitute for professional medical care or advice. Users seeking information about a personal genetic disease, syndrome, or condition should consult with a qualified healthcare professional. See How can I find a genetics professional in my area? in the Handbook. | About Site Map Contact Us
|A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine®|
On this page:
Reviewed August 2012
What is the official name of the EDNRB gene?
The official name of this gene is “endothelin receptor type B.”
EDNRB is the gene's official symbol. The EDNRB gene is also known by other names, listed below.
Read more about gene names and symbols on the About page.
What is the normal fun | {
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For more than 26 years in the U.S. Senate, Senator Grassley has taken on a sometimes overlooked and many times unglamorous part of a lawmaker’s job: congressional oversight. The three branches of the federal government operate on a system of checks and balances. From Senator Grassley's position in the legislative branch, he keeps close tabs on the other two branches to make sure the federal government works for, by and of the people.
As a taxpayer watchdog, Senator Grassley scrupulously searches for unscrupulous use of tax dollars. Every tax dollar lost to waste, fraud or abuse cheats the taxpaying public and prevents the federal government from serving the public good.
An anti-fraud tool that Senator Grassley secured into law 20 years ago is described by the U .S. Justice Department as the federal government’s best weapon against fraud. He salutes whistleblowers who come forward to expose wrongdoing and will continue to serve as an advocate for whistleblowers and advance legal protections for those who come forward with the truth.
Senator Grassley's oversight crusade goes well beyond protecting the public purse. He rides herd on federal agencies to make sure they are serving the public. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Republican-led administration or an executive branch taking marching orders from a Democrat in the Oval Office. Mismanagement is a non-partisan problem. Senator Grassley works to build accountability by letting more sunshine in on how the government conducts the people’s business.
Senator Grassley's spotlight also targets Congress. For starters, the Grassley-sponsored landmark Congressional Accountability Act enacted 10 years ago puts Capitol Hill under the same workplace safety and civil rights laws that impact Main Street businesses. Today he is pushing to provide whistleblower protections to employees of the legislative branch based on the proposition that opening up the people’s business to the light of day will strengthen representative government. Senator Grassley is committed to putting an end to "secret holds" in the U.S. Senate and allowing cameras into federal courts.
Senator Grassley introduced a comprehensive bill in January, which would get at the heart of fraud against Medicare by allowing the government more time to delay payment to Medicare providers when waste, fraud or abuse is suspected. Right now, a prompt-payment rule leads to pay-and-chase, rather than fraud prevention. Also this year, Grassley won passage of updates to False Claims Act provisions he got enacted in 1986 to fight fraud by government contractors. These whistleblower provisions have returned $22 billion to taxpayers that would otherwise be lost to fraud. The provisions have proven to be the government’s best weapon against health care fraud. Over time, the courts have weakened those provisions. Grassley makes sure they stay strong. Every Medicare dollar lost to fraud is a dollar that doesn’t serve beneficiaries as intended.
For whistleblowers interested in contacting Senator Grassley’s oversight staff, click here. | For more than 26 years in the U.S. Senate, Senator Grassley has taken on a sometimes overlooked and many times unglamorous part of a lawmaker’s job: congressional oversight. The three branches of the federal government operate on a system of checks and balances. From Senator Grassley's position in the legislative branch, he keeps close tabs on the other two branches to make sure the federal govern | {
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Jonathan A. Silk. Riven by Lust: Incest and Schism in Indian Buddhist Legend and Historiography. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2008. Charts. 368 pp. $55.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-8248-3090-8.
Reviewed by Douglas Osto (Massey University)
Published on H-Buddhism (October, 2009)
Commissioned by Daniel A. Arnold
A Comparative Look at Buddhist Incest Narratives
Riven by Lust is a book concerned not so much with schism, legend, or historiography, as with incest--and particularly with Buddhist stories about mother-son incest. In this regard, Jonathan A. Silk has produced an innovative comparative study of narratives about transgressive sexuality ranging across centuries, cultures, languages, and continents. With a philological acumen rarely matched these days in Buddhist studies, the author translates and analyzes incest stories (both Buddhist and non-Buddhist) from India, China, Tibet, Japan, and Europe. Sadly, the author’s editions of the original texts have not been included in the book, although Silk has promised to post them on a Web site “in the near future” (p. xiii). While many specialist scholars might have been dissuaded from undertaking such a broad-based study, Silk rises to the challenge, making Riven by Lust an enjoyable and engaging read through his lucid writing style and his well-crafted arrangement of the monograph into twenty short chapters.
In chapter 1, “Incest and Schism,” Silk begins with the story of primary interest, which may be summarized as follows. Once long ago there was the son of a merchant from Mathurā called Mahādeva. With his father off in foreign lands, Mahādeva grows to manhood and “defiles” his mother. When his father returns, Mahādeva and his mother conspire to kill him, which Mahādeva does. Having fled to Paṭaliputra, mother and son seclude themselves. When a saintly monk recognizes him, Mahādeva, fearing their crime would be discovered, murders him. Later, finding his mother has been “unfaithful” to him, he kills her, too. Coming to regret these misdeeds, Mahādeva overhears a Buddhist monk reciting a hymn about how the karmic effects of crimes may be eradicated by cultivating goodness. He then visits the monk and convinces him to ordain him without the usual background investigation.
Having introduced this tale, Silk offers some comments on his theoretical approach to his sources. To this end, he discusses a challenge that the historian of Buddhism (and other religions) faces “if he would attempt to address that tradition according to the canons of historical criticism applicable to all other sorts of mundane phenomena”; in short, “he must honor the facts, but he must animate them” (p. 4). In this regard, Silk proffers a caveat to historians of religion that illuminates his own positivist approach: “If in reading between the lines they allow themselves to imagine the transcendent elements of a religious tradition as if they have the same reality as facts that can be seen and verified in this world, their work cannot help but move from the realm of careful, justifiable reconstruction to that of fiction--interesting, even stimulating, but ephemeral and imaginary” (p. 5). For the theologically minded or deconstructionist historian, however, this statement may seem either to set up a “straw man” or beg the question.
Few theologians (Buddhist or otherwise) would attribute to claims such as “God exists” or “all phenomena are empty of inherent existence” the same status they would allow for claims like “the Battle of Hastings was in 1066,” or “some century or so after the Buddha there ruled in India an emperor named Aśoka who had rock and pillar edicts constructed.” The first two claims likely would be considered transcendent, ahistorical truths, while the latter two represent contingent, historical truths. The imagined theologically oriented historian who treats transcendental truths “as if they have the same reality as facts” is Silk’s straw man. Likewise, Silk’s statement would be equally objectionable to deconstructionist historians. For many deconstructionists any writing of history is itself a narrative about the past. History qua narrative employs literary tropes that do more than animate the facts toward an accurate reconstruction of the past, but in effect construct “a past” in which story and facts are inextricably intertwined. One of the tropes thus used by Silk and common to what Alun Munslow calls “reconstructionist historians” is the “trope of the real”--the representation of one’s project as guided only by unbiased fidelity to objective history. However, the ability to reconstruct an objective past is exactly where reconstructionists like Silk and deconstructionists part company. Nonetheless, those sympathetic to Silk’s positivism will find much to admire in the author’s careful examination and insightful analysis of his sources.
The next five chapters of Riven by Lust set the stage for chapter 7. In chapters 2-3, Silk introduces the polemical context of early Indian Buddhist sectarianism and its relation to the Mahādeva story as found in an important scholastic text of the period, the *Abhidharma Mahāvibhāṣā (often referred to simply as the Vibhāṣā). Chapter 4 discusses Indian Buddhist views of Mahādeva’s crimes, among which incest seems not to have been considered as serious as his murders. Chapter 5 looks at East Asian and Tibetan versions of the story. Chapter 6 examines the Buddhist doxographies recounting the central role of Mahādeva in the initial schism of the hitherto unified monastic community.
Chapter 7 is then pivotal for Silk’s overall project. In this chapter, Silk introduces the story of Dharmaruci from the Divyāvadāna collection. In this story, the Buddha tells the past-life story of one Dharmaruci, who was a merchant’s son during the mythical eon of the Buddha Krakucchanda. The story of Dharmaruci is remarkably similar to the story of Mahādeva: he has sex with his mother, kills his father, kills a saintly monk, and kills his mother. Then after being refused ordination by many monks (whom he also kills by setting fire to their monasteries), he is ordained by the Bodhisattva who is the future Buddha, and finally stops his killing. The story ends by explaining that during the intervening eons, the Bodhisattva perfects his virtues and becomes the Buddha, while Dharmaruci suffers for his crimes in hell. After translating this tale, Silk points out a fundamental difference between the narratives of Mahādeva and Dharmaruci: Mahādeva is the instigator of sex with his mother, while Dharmaruci is seduced by his mother. This and other differences have the effect that while Mahādeva is portrayed “in a radically monochromatic fashion” as the complete antihero, Dharmaruci’s role is much more ambiguous--he is both villain and victim (p. 73).
Stating the centrality of this difference, Silk says: “To formalize the central hypothesis I have alluded to several times already: those [Sarvāstivādin authors of the Vibhāṣā] who attacked the Five Theses [of the Mahāsaṃghikas] added to their criticisms of the content of those theses an ad hominem attack upon their putative author [Mahādeva]” (p. 64). Thus the Vibhāṣā’s authors adapted a preexisting story about Dharmaruci for the polemical, sectarian purpose of demonizing Mahādeva, who is represented as the instigator of an Oedipal calamity. Of the direction of borrowing, Silk states, “There can be virtually no doubt that the Mahādeva stories we have examined are, if not based directly upon this specific version of the tale of Dharmaruci, at least ultimately dependent on precisely the same narrative tradition” (p. 72). Regardless of whether Silk’s level of certitude here is shared by every reader (at what point does probability become proof?), few would doubt that this scenario is entirely plausible, if not highly likely, based on the evidence presented.
In many ways, the remaining chapters of Riven by Lust add to this basic argument by examining related stories and placing such narratives within a broader comparative framework. Of particular interest to the Indologist will be chapters 15-17, wherein Silk investigates incest in ancient Hindu sources. These chapters offer a challenge to the hypotheses of A. K. Ramanujan and Robert Goldman concerning Ramanujan’s conception of the “Indian Oedipal.” Those interested in comparative studies on incest will find chapter 9 (on “Persian Perversities”) and chapter 18 (on the “Medieval European Oedipal Judas”) particularly illuminating. And for those interested in relating these various incest narratives to contemporary psychological literature dealing with incest, Silk provides admirable treatments in chapter 8 (“Abuse and Victimhood”) and chapter 19 (“Why Incest Taboos?”).
In his concluding chapter, Silk writes, “Having studied both the ‘unrevised’ story of Dharmaruci and the recast story of Mahādeva, it seems to us quite clear that the latter is a recreation of the former with its protagonist suitably demonized” (p. 226). However, Riven by Lust does much more than provide arguments toward this conclusion. The popular saying “It’s the journey that counts” definitely applies in this case. The greatest strength of this book is not its theoretical sophistication or startling conclusions, but the way it skillfully guides the reader in a highly engaging manner into the vast labyrinth of Buddhist, Indian, and European narratives focusing on the motif of incest.
. See Alun Munslow, Deconstructing History, 2nd. ed. (London: Routledge, 2006), 65.
If there is additional discussion of this review, you may access it through the list discussion logs at: http://h-net.msu.edu/cgi-bin/logbrowse.pl.
Douglas Osto. Review of Silk, Jonathan A., Riven by Lust: Incest and Schism in Indian Buddhist Legend and Historiography.
H-Buddhism, H-Net Reviews.
|This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.| | Jonathan A. Silk. Riven by Lust: Incest and Schism in Indian Buddhist Legend and Historiography. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2008. Charts. 368 pp. $55.00 (cloth), ISBN 978-0-8248-3090-8.
Reviewed by Douglas Osto (Massey University)
Published on H-Buddhism (October, 2009)
Commissioned by Daniel A. Arnold
A Comparative Look at Buddhist Incest Narratives
Riven by Lust is a book concerned no | {
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DATAPLOT Unix Executables
We provide pre-built Dataplot executables for a number of
Unix platforms. The list of supported executables is determined
by what I have access to at NIST, and is therefore subject to
change as the available platforms at NIST change.
Sometimes there are compatibility issues if you are running a different level of the operating system. Problems are more likely if you are running an older version of the operating system. My recommendation is to try using the pre-built executable. If it does not work, then you will have to download and build from the source. Our site tends to stay current with the operating systems.
Also, I use static, rather than shared, libraries whenever possible. This is done to minimize problems for sites that may not have the appropriate libraries (in particular, many sites do not have the Fortran runtime libraries). However, on some platforms, the X11 library is only available as a shared library. This should not present a problem as the needed X11 library should be available as part of the standard operating system.
I no longer have access to some of these platforms. I provide the most recent executable that I have. For these platforms, you might want to download the executable to get started. However, I recommend that you download the source and build from the source in order to have a more current version.
Red Hat Linux - Fedora - CentOS
Red Hat Linux
There are a number of Linux vendors (Red Hat, Mandrake, SuSE,
Debian, etc.). I currently build the 64-bit executable on
a CentOS system (using gcc/gfortran version 4.1.2) and the 32-bit
executable on a Fedora system (using gcc/gfortran version 4.3.2).
If your system is running gcc version 3.x (use "gcc -v" to check),
you will need to build Dataplot from source as the run time
libraries will not be compatible. If you run a different variant
of Linux, the provided executables may or may not work. We
recommend checking the version of gcc first. If you are running
version 4.x of gcc, then you can try running the pre-built
executable first. If this pre-built executable does not run
on your system, then you will need to
download the source
and build Dataplot from the source code.
32-bit Linux: Last updated 08/21/2009. Linux Red Hat Fedora executable (built with gfortran rather than g77 on Fedora 5).
64-bit Linux: Last updated 08/21/2009. 64-bit Linux (built on CentOS) executable
Cygwin is freely downloadable software that provides a
Linux-like environment on a Windows platforms. Note that the
Dataplot Red Hat Linux executable does not run under cygwin.
You have to use the executable that was explicitly built for
Typically, you will want to run Dataplot using X11 for cygwin. So you should install the cygwin X11 software if you haven't already done so. See the cygwin web site for more information.
NOTE: Last updated 08/21/2009. Cygwin executable
Other Unix Systems
Other Unix Systems
I no longer have acces to Solaris, SGI, AIX, DEC, or HP
workstations. For these systems, you need to download
the source and build the Dataplot executable from the source.
A Solaris executable is still available (this will be removed
sometime in 2010). Executables for other Unix systems
(SGI, AIX, HP, DEC) are sufficiently old that we have removed
them from the ftp site.
The Solaris executable may be useful for a "quick start". However, to have the most current version you will need to build Dataplot from the source code.
You can download the most recent executables that I have for:
If you do build an executable from the source code for one of these unsupported systems and would like to make it available to others, please contact Alan Heckert.
Date created: 6/5/2001
|[ Dataplot | Dataplot Downloading | Unix Downloading | Auxillary Files | Sourc Files ]| | DATAPLOT Unix Executables
We provide pre-built Dataplot executables for a number of
Unix platforms. The list of supported executables is determined
by what I have access to at NIST, and is therefore subject to
change as the available platforms at NIST change.
Sometimes there are compatibility issues if you are running a different level of the operating system. Problems are more likely if you are r | {
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FY 2010 Committee of Supply Debate: 2nd Reply by Senior Minister of State Ms Grace Fu on PERI Updates, General Education Matters, Enhancing CL Teaching and Learning and Enhancing Special Education
(I) PERI Updates
Dr Maliki Osman asked for an update on PERI’s recommendations.
The Programme for Active Learning, or PAL, was introduced to strengthen the emphasis on non-academic programmes within the curriculum. Under PAL, Primary 1 and 2 students would be exposed early to activities that further school efforts in developing character and life-skills. MOE has begun prototyping PAL modules in 12 schools this year, and we have developed some very good ideas on PAL.
New Town Primary, for example, has implemented a Music and Movement module comprising games, movement and singing to allow students to develop body and spatial awareness and improve body coordination. Teamwork and discipline are also strengthened.
Jurong West Primary has introduced the Gymkidz PAL Programme to enable their students to acquire basic movements and skills in a fun and creative way. A mobile playground has been set up in the school, allowing students to learn a range of movements and skills by manoeuvring around obstacles such as ladders, slides and trampolines. The teaching of social emotional competencies is also woven into the programme by incorporating reflection time for the children.
Members would be happy to note that PAL is built into the curriculum, so that learning in a fun way is institutionalised.
Form Teacher Guidance Period
MOE has also introduced the Form Teacher Guidance Period within the primary school curriculum time in the 12 PAL prototype schools. Form Teachers play a central role in shaping the development of their young charges, and it is important to devote sufficient attention to their development. The additional one period per week gives them time to interact with the students and pay attention to the child’s holistic development. MOE intends to introduce the Form Teacher Guidance Period to all primary schools by 2012.
In addition, MOE is working with 16 primary schools to prototype the use of assessment practices that focus more on developmental objectives. For Primary 1, all 16 prototype schools have done away with high-stakes examinations, and replaced them with bite-sized forms of assessments which place greater emphasis on learning rather than grades alone. At Primary 2, the schools have retained the end-of-year examinations while having a range of topical tests and other assessment tasks across Terms 1 to 3.
MOE will share these best practices with all primary schools starting from the middle of this year, and regularly provide schools with more assessment exemplars as they are developed. We will also create a dedicated ‘holistic assessment’ website to enable all teachers to access these resources easily. Over the next 3 years, we expect all primary schools to embark on the holistic assessment journey.
Enhancing Primary School Infrastructure
We have also made progress on infrastructural enhancements. This year, 7 more schools moved to single session, bringing the total number of single session primary schools to 83, out of 178 schools. 28 existing primary schools will proceed with their upgrading plans this year, while 5 new schools will be ready in 2012.
We are currently refining the new-generation primary school building norms, which will be rolled out in phases to all primary schools. Here are two examples of the new facilities. First is a Fitness Playground, which provides a safe environment for students to learn basic movements, develop their physical skills and play together. Second is a Teaching Laboratory, which facilitates lesson observations and professional sharing among teachers. The classroom is also being redesigned with more effective layouts and fittings to support pedagogical needs.
Edusave Scholarship for Lower Primary Students
These “hardware” and “software” enhancements will put us in good stead to deliver holistic outcomes in primary education. Mr Lim Biow Chuan’s suggestion of extending the Edusave Scholarships, which reward academic achievements, to lower primary students hence may not be optimal, as we would need to subject the lower primary students to examinations and ranking. This would work against PERI’s recommendation to rebalance the curriculum towards skills and character development. Lower primary students who have shown good improvements, or those from lower-income households who have performed well, can continue to benefit from the Good Progress Award and Edusave Merit Bursary.
(II) General Education Matters
Values, Character Building, Role of Parents and Community, Sexuality Education, and Secondary School Start Time
Mr Lim Biow Chuan, Mdm Cynthia Phua, Mrs Mildred Tan and Ms Irene Ng asked about the teaching of values and character building. We fully agree that these are fundamental to holistic education, which was a key theme of my Minister’s speech. Civics and Moral Education (CME) is one of the key platforms for delivery within curriculum time. School programmes such as CCAs and Community Involvement Programmes provide opportunities outside curriculum time as well. To cater to different student interests, schools have on average about 30 to 35 CCAs, with at least 8 to 10 sports and games. And as Minister said yesterday, more opportunities will be created for students as more emphasis is placed on PE, Art and Music. I would like to assure Members that there are opportunities for the development of soft skills embedded throughout the “total curriculum”. MOE has also developed a Character Development Award framework to encourage schools to integrate character development into the school culture and processes. In other words, we want school leaders to pay attention and institutionalise the necessary processes. Mdm Cynthia Phua asked about secondary school hours. Schools already have the flexibility to decide on the start and end times of their school day, taking into account local conditions as well as stakeholders considerations. Schools can plan their CCA schedule around the school hours
But while schools play an important role, the inculcation of sound values and good character in our students must be the primary responsibility of parents, as Mrs Mildred Tan correctly pointed out. Schools will continue to engage parents through Parent Support Groups and Parent-Teacher Associations and MOE will continue to engage stakeholders through the COMPASS initiative. The COMPASS Parent Ambassadors Taskforce formed last year would help to encourage parents to play an active role in the education of their children. Mrs Tan suggested a tri-partite mechanism to address issues such as teenage sexuality and gambling. We can consider this suggestion using COMPASS as the platform. As Mr Viswa Sadasivan suggested, schools can tap on community resources to support students’ social and emotional development. And I agree that alumni can be a helpful resource for schools and we in MOE appreciate the contribution of the alumni. In 2008, COMPASS published an Alumni Handbook, celebrating the many bonds that alumni have with their schools. The book has on its cover the tag-line, It Starts with a Passion, and ends with, It Ends with the Ties that Bind, describing vividly how many of us felt about our alma mater. We encourage alumni to come forward and start alumni movements in the schools. COMPASS will continue to harness the involvement of the community and parents in support of our schools.
Mrs Mildred Tan brought up the issue of sexuality education. She mentioned a case yesterday about a 9-year old girl who became pregnant. I believe she referred to a newspaper article in 2007. In response to that article, in March 2007, MCYS had a discussion with the counsellor and journalist who published this story. It turned out that the counsellor was neither able to verify the identity nor the age of the girl who was supposedly pregnant. The counsellor was not medically trained and was not able to verify the pregnancy. Consequently, we should not speculate on conclusions on this case. It is really, as it stands, hearsay.
Nevertheless, the point remains that our children must develop a sense of right and wrong. This is something that parents and families need to take a lead on. Values and morals are sensitive issues that are best decided by parents. MOE’s sexuality education programme aims to complement parents’ role in helping students make informed, responsible and values-based decisions regarding sexuality. Our framework for sexuality education reflects the mainstream views and values of the Singapore society. We promote abstinence, but at the same time, teach forms of contraception to protect youths against diseases and unwanted pregnancy. We have put up more information on the MOE and schools’ websites, to inform parents about the programmes conducted in schools.
Ms Irene Ng raised the issue of developing political awareness in our students. This is currently done through the Social Studies curriculum, where students learn about governance, the Singapore election process, the concept of nationhood and national identity, including the significance of national symbols such as the Pledge. Case studies of other societies are included so that students learn about the principles of governance in different contexts. On the teaching of History and Literature, our current syllabi do present opportunities for students to explore moral dilemmas that shape the outcome of events, issues and actions. Students learn to exercise moral judgment, think critically and draw conclusions about national issues. Students also learn about our founding fathers like S. Rajaratnam, and political figures like Lim Chin Siong and Lee Siew Choh, to understand Singapore’s journey towards self-government and independence.
Quality of Teaching
Ms Josceline Yeo is right in saying that the quality of learning is much more important than the quantity of learning. This is, in fact, embodied in the Teach Less Learn More movement (TLLM), which seeks to bring about more effective and engaged learning. As part of TLLM, judicious reductions have also been made to the curriculum content, up to 30%, to provide teachers with more scope for innovation in their teaching, and to give students more time to take part in learning activities that would hone critical thinking and other key 21st Century competencies.
Ms Denise Phua asked about the sharing of online resources. MOE already has edumall 2.0, an online repository that provides teachers with digital resources. It also allows schools to share their good ICT classroom practices and lessons. In addition, school clusters have their own resource repository, iSHARE, for school-created teaching and learning resources.
(III) Enhancing CL Teaching and Learning
I will next touch on the teaching and learning of CL, which several Members like Mrs Josephine Teo, Mr Ong Kian Min, Mr Baey Yam Keng, and Mr Low Thia Kiang have spoken about.
Sir, in Mandarin, please.
部长在较早时提到,我们在进行华文教学的时候,必须清楚地认识到学生掌握母语的能力不同，他们的家庭语言背景差异也很大。过去五年来,来自英语家庭背景的小一学生比例逐年增加。与此同时,也有更多华文能力比较强的学生选择修读高级华文。因此教育部必须制定一套能满足不同学习需求的华文教学框架，根据以学生不同的起点，采用适当的教学策略来帮助他们提升语文能力，加强他们的自信心，以达到因材施教，各尽所能的效果。(Translation: As Minister mentioned yesterday, our approach to teaching CL must take cognisance of the diverse language abilities of our students and the increasingly varied language backgrounds. The proportion of Chinese P1 students from predominantly EL speaking homes has increased over the past 5 years. At the same time, more able students are pursuing CL at a higher level. There is therefore a need for a more customised CL teaching framework that would recognise the different starting points of students, and to devise different teaching strategies to help everyone become more proficient and confident in the language, and to reach as high a level as they are able to.)
议员们也反映了社会人士关注的问题—如，教育部会不会降低整体学生的语文水平来解决部分学生的学习问题? 我们要如何激发语文能力较强的学生，继续保持对华文学习的兴趣和提高他们的华文水平?如何培养企业所需的人才？在此, 我要声明，教育部将继续努力协助每一个学生学习语文，以期充分发挥他们的潜能，达到竭尽所能的高水平。然而，我们必须认清的一点就是学生的学习起点、能力各有差异，在十到十二年的学习过程中所能达致的语文水平也各有不同. 张议员阐述了企业界和文化界对华文教育的期盼，教育部将加倍努力，投入更多资源，例如通过特选课程学校，以及开办双文化课程等方式,协助这一批学生在学习华文与文化方面精益求精。我们的特选学校表现出色，每年都吸引到许多优秀，并且喜欢华文学习氛围的学生到特选学校就读。教育部正在考虑是否有必要再增设一所特选学校。(Translation: Members have raised concerns on whether we will address the problem for the minority by lowering the standards across the board and if not, how we will motivate high-ability students to go further. How do we groom talents which the business community needs? I would like to assure Members that MOE will maintain our efforts to help everyone learn the language to as high a level as they can go. We must acknowledge differences in starting points, abilities and hence also what standards different students can attain within 10 to 12 years of education. There are high expectations on CL education, as expressed by Mr Teo Siong Seng. We will redouble our efforts and put in the resources to help those students who are able to progress as far as they can, e.g. through the Special Assistance Plan (SAP) schools and the Bicultural Studies Programme (BSP). Our SAP schools are doing well and are attracting many good students who wish to benefit from a strong Chinese programme. MOE is currently considering if there is demand for an additional SAP school.)
我们的双文化课程自开办以来,每年的收生人数也不断增加,从2005年的290名增加到2010年的470名。每年发出的奖学金可高达100份。我们会时刻关注,并进行检讨,必要时再增加学生和奖学金的名额。(Translation: Since the launch of the Bicultural Studies Programme, the student enrolment has increased every year, from 290 in 2005 to 470 in 2010. Up to 100 scholarships are also awarded each year. We will monitor and review if there is a need to expand the enrolment and scholarship scheme.)
在此同时，教育部的重点将会是逐步地为学校提供更多的资源，以帮助老师提升教学能力，为配合新的华文教学模式， 做好准备。我们也会加强和新加坡华文教研中心的合作，为华文教师的培训以及教学研究，加快步伐。教育部也将会继续与民间团体和学术机构， 例如推广华语学习委员会、通商中国、推广华语理事会等机构合作，通过以华文华语为交流媒介的活动，携手推广华语华文的学习，进而造就一批双语双文化的人才。(Translation: At the same time, we will enhance our support to schools, and build up our teachers’ professional expertise to prepare them for the new CL learning approach. We will further strengthen our collaboration with the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language on teacher training and research. MOE will also work with bodies like the Committee to Promote Chinese Language Learning, Business China and Promote Mandarin Council to organise Chinese-related activities and promote CL learning, to help us groom a core of bilingual, bicultural elite.)
Enhancing Modular Curriculum
Mr Ong Kian Min asked for an update on changes made to the CL curriculum. The Primary modular CL curriculum has been fully implemented across all levels. Feedback from teachers has been most positive. A study by NIE has found that the modular approach has been effective in improving oral proficiency among students. Another study by NTU further showed that students demonstrated better character recognition using this approach.
To better assess the students’ language ability, so as to apply appropriate teaching approaches, schools today conduct banding of students for the Bridging, Core and Enrichment modules after having observed their students’ CL learning and aptitude for 1 semester. MOE will be collaborating with the Singapore Centre for Chinese Language to develop a diagnostic tool to assess students’ oracy competence to facilitate the grouping into the different modules. The diagnostic tool, which would be developed and prototyped this year, can also be used for developmental assessment throughout the year.
MOE will also be providing schools with a high concentration of students from EL-speaking homes with an additional CL teacher, on top of the two additional teachers all primary schools received in 2007 for the CL modular curriculum. This will allow these schools to further customise their teaching.
There will be more extensive use of EL to teach students with greater needs in the learning of CL, which has proven to be a useful approach. Greater curricular support and in-service training will be provided for teachers to use the bilingual approach. A CL-EL glossary of selected vocabulary will also be developed by 2011 for students in the Chinese Language and Foundation Chinese courses.
We are receptive to Mr Baey Yam Keng’s suggestion of incorporating contemporary Chinese culture in the syllabus. Many teachers do use this to enhance the learning of CL. For the new syllabus, MOE will be including in the Teachers’ Guide a list of recommended materials, such as the award winning China production «漂亮妈妈» (“Breaking the Silence”), which teachers could use to make the lessons more engaging for students.
Use of ICT
With new media and technologies vastly changing the way our students acquire knowledge, there is room to leverage more on ICT tools and applications to enhance and engage students in CL learning. ICT facilitates the functional use of the language, creates authentic settings, and enables customized and active learning. It provides immediate feedback to students, which is important in the acquisition of oral-aural skills. Going forward, MOE intends to incorporate more ICT-based language learning into the syllabus design so that it forms a bigger proportion of the learning experience. An ICT-based language resource package constituting 10-15% of MTL curriculum for all levels will be provided to all schools.
In addition, MOE intends to develop a web-based MTL portal to promote oracy learning and strengthen assessment practices for students from P4 to Pre-University levels. Teachers can assign oral learning tasks to students who can upload their completed product at the portal in the form of audio/video files. Through the portal, students can review their own or their peers’ presentations, and teachers can grade and provide feedback to students. The portal will also be equipped with text-to-speech technology that automatically evaluates the student’s pronunciation after the student reads out a passage. This will enable students to practise and evaluate their oral presentations at their own pace and convenience. As you can see, the potential of such an application is immense. The MTL portal will be rolled out to schools in phases starting from 2012.
Enhancing CL ‘B’
For students who face exceptional difficulties coping with the learning of CL, they would be better served by CL ‘B’. Mr Low Thia Kiang had remarked that the CL ‘B’ option would erode CL standards. CL ‘B’ was introduced 9 years ago. Prior to that, students who were weak in CL were taught and tested in the same way as students with stronger CL ability. It did not work. On the contrary, these students continued to fail CL and were put off learning the language altogether. Our goal in MOE is to keep these CL ‘B’ students interested in the language, so that instead of being discouraged for not being able to meet the requirement, they will go on to acquire a basic but functional command of the language. With an interest in the language, we hope that they will continue using and learning the language after they have left school. The high rate of enrolment in courses mentioned by Mr Teo Siong Seng may not be a bad thing, seen in the light of lifelong learning.
The percentage of students taking CL ’B’ at ‘O’ Level has increased from 2% to 4% between 2001 and 2009, while the percentage offering CL ’B’ at ‘A’ Level has stayed around 2% orabout 250 students. Passing rate is high, over 95% for both ‘O’ and ‘A’ Levels in 2009. In case Mr Low will draw the conclusion from the high passing rate that the standard is questionable, I have circulated a sample of an ‘O’ Level CL ‘B’ paper. And as you can see from the sample questions, students are expected to achieve a reasonable standard in the language. Mr Low’s concern that it will become an easy option for students is therefore unfounded.
Many students are benefiting from CL ‘B’. I understand that students are enjoying the lessons so much that in some cases, even those who had been exempted from CL are asking to join the classes! The students tell us that they recognise the importance of being able to communicate verbally in CL, and that the content of the CL ‘B’ lessons is pitched at a suitable level.
With more students coming from predominantly EL-speaking homes, we expect that there will be more students offering CL ‘B’ in future. To enhance the accessibility of CL ‘B’ instruction, MOE has established 3 additional zonal CL ‘B’ centres, and will also support secondary schools with a high concentration of students weak in CL to offer school-based CL ‘B’ lessons. At the JC/CI level, MOE will relax the eligibility criteria, from the current ‘O’ level E8 grade or below, to D7 grade or below, to allow more students to benefit from taking ‘A’ Level CL ‘B’.
(IV) Enhancing Special Education
Let me now turn to the topic of Special Education (SPED).
MOE will continue to oversee the educational aspects in SPED schools by providing training, professional and funding support. However, children with special needs often need support in areas such as paramedical and social support that cannot be catered for by MOE alone. This is the reason that the ‘Many Helping Hands’ approach is required and MOE works closely with NCSS and the VWOs to enhance the quality of the SPED sector. We should continue with this tripartite partnership which has served us well. We will also continue to work closely with the hospitals and the parent support groups of the VWOs to engage parents and assist them in developing a greater understanding of their children’s learning needs and experiences.
In terms of educational aspects, we are starting to see results in SPED schools—there are more professional exchanges amongst SPED schools and with mainstream schools. SPED school leaders have buddies in the mainstream schools for professional support, and they are invited to attend Cluster Board meetings and relevant cluster programmes. There are also more opportunities for SPED school teachers to upgrade themselves professionally. To date, about 85% of SPED teachers have completed teacher training courses at NIE (i.e. the Diploma in Special Education, Specialist Diploma in Special Education and Specialist Post-graduate Diploma in Special Education). MOE also actively helps the VWOs build and refurbish school buildings, with 95% of the construction and equipment cost paid for by MOE.
Ms Denise Phua highlighted the need to streamline the accountability processes. I am glad to report that good progress has been made. With the MOE-NCSS Quality Assurance Framework (QAF), which schools have begun using for self-evaluation this year, agencies have worked closely to ensure that requirements are streamlined and duplication eliminated.
Funding Support—School-Based Awards to Recognise SPED Achievement and Progress
Over the years, we see that more SPED students are doing well. The number of SPED students accessing the mainstream curriculum has gone up since 2007. We want to continue to motivate all SPED students to strive to do well.
MOE will be providing each SPED school with a lump-sum grant to establish school-based awards for students who are Singapore citizens. As the profile of students and the type of curriculum offered across the SPED schools are very diverse, each school will have the flexibility to establish its own criteria for the awards, whether to recognise achievements and progress made in the students’ learning, development of skills, or contributions to the school community. Schools will also determine the number and quantum of awards to be given out. The grants will be funded from the Edusave Endowment Fund, and be disbursed starting from this year.
Revision of Edusave Pupils Fund and Edusave Grants
Currently, SPED students receive the Edusave Pupils Fund in Edusave accounts which they can use to pay for school fees and enrichment programmes. The schools also benefit from the Edusave Grant to pay for enrichment programmes or to purchase additional resources. With the increase in the number of SPED students taking the mainstream secondary curriculum and vocational education programmes, MOE will be revising the quanta of the Edusave Pupils Fund and Edusave Grants for these students from Jan 2011. Based on current rates for mainstream secondary level, the quanta will be increased from $200 to $240 for the Edusave Pupils Fund, and from $50 to $90 for the Edusave Grant.
Professional Support—Direct Instruction Reading and Language Programme to SPED Schools
Next, I will touch on the professional support provided to SPED schools. Functional literacy is one of the key skill sets we seek to develop in SPED students, as it helps them learn and communicate effectively, and find gainful employment. Currently, SPED schools adopt or develop their own literacy curricula. However, with limited curricular and pedagogical expertise in the schools, the quality of literacy teaching is rather varied and uneven.
Since last year, specialists from MOE’s Special Education Branch have been working closely with teachers in 7 SPED schools to pilot a Direct Instruction reading and language programme for lower primary students with Intellectual Disabilities (ID).
Direct Instruction is a clear and explicit teaching approach in which reading skills are carefully taught in a step by step manner until the child masters the skills. Students first learn the sounds of letters, and how to blend the sounds to read words. Armed with the basic building blocks of reading, they are then guided to read books independently, and to comprehend what they read.
This method is particularly suited to the learning needs of SPED students and the results of the pilot have been very positive, with teachers observing that the students demonstrated greater interest and motivation to read, and became more attentive and focused in other lessons.
Given the benefits, MOE will be rolling out the Direct Instruction programme to students with mild to moderate ID progressively at all SPED schools from 2010. We will also work with the schools to pilot other Direct Instruction programmes for oral and writing skills.
Greater Opportunities for Meaningful Integration Between Children from SPED and Mainstream Schools
As learning disabilities and the degree of severity of special needs children are on a continuum, we must continue to adopt differentiated approaches to meet the wide range of needs.
Since 2007, MOE has worked with two SPED schools to prototype satellite partnerships to provide opportunities for purposeful interactions between SPED students and their mainstream peers.
Moving forward, MOE intends to facilitate more partnerships between SPED schools that are co-located with mainstream schools. In 2010, Pathlight School will have a second secondary satellite site with another mainstream partner, Bishan Park Secondary. Resources such as funding and manpower will be provided to help sustain these partnerships and achieve the desired objectives. MOE specialists will also guide the schools in planning integration activities and monitor its impact on pupils.
We thank Ms Denise Phua for her suggestions of providing learning support professionals in IHLs and setting up an Institute of Special Education modelled after the ITE. MOE is currently collaborating with ITE to better understand the needs of students, and the forms of support that would be most appropriate in ITE. We are also facilitating the training of ITE staff in the area of special needs such as dyslexia and autism.
Our approach towards post-secondary education is to enhance the employability of our students. Instead of adopting an education goal of keeping the students in schools until 21 years old, as Ms Phua has suggested, we want to make education worthwhile for them. To this end, Metta and Delta Senior Schools are currently offering accredited vocational education programmes, in partnership with ITE and WDA respectively. This is a more meaningful approach, as after going through the programmes, students graduate with nationally recognised vocational certifications that enhance their employability. MOE is now looking further upstream, and has begun a second phase of preparing SPED students for vocational training in Metta and Delta Senior Schools. We are prototyping in 4 SPED schools, catering to students as early as 13 years of age.
Sir, it is our goal to nurture the potential of all our children. Whether it is in the area of languages, or independent living and employment skills for those with special needs, we want to develop them to the fullest so that our children can go as far as they can. MOE will continue to work with the stakeholders and the community to support our students, so as to give them the best possible education to prepare them for the future. | FY 2010 Committee of Supply Debate: 2nd Reply by Senior Minister of State Ms Grace Fu on PERI Updates, General Education Matters, Enhancing CL Teaching and Learning and Enhancing Special Education
(I) PERI Updates
Dr Maliki Osman asked for an update on PERI’s recommendations.
The Programme for Active Learning, or PAL, was introduced to strengthen the emphasis on non-academic programmes within the | {
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"Fossil Water" in Libya
In the 1950s, oil exploration in Libya turned up another valuable resource: water. Huge aquifers, underground deposits of sand and rock that also contain water, lurked underneath the scorching sands. The Libyan government weighed the costs of bringing water up from the aquifers against transporting water from Europe and desalination of salt water, and chose the aquifers as the most cost-effective option.
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite captured this image on April 10, 2006. This image is of Libya's massive water project, known as the Grand Omar Mukhtar, near the city of Suluq. Plans are afoot to make the Grand Omar Mukhtar the country's largest man-made reservoir. Water residing in reservoirs appears at the bottom of this image in dark blue. In this false-color image, vegetation appears red, and the brighter the red, the more robust the vegetation. In this arid place, the vegetation results from irrigated agriculture, so the areas of red appear in the crisp geometric shapes of carefully planned fields. The circular spots of red almost certainly result from center-pivot irrigation. Cityscape structures such as pavement and buildings appear in gray. Bare ground appears tan or beige.
Water hiding in aquifers can actually be cleaner than water resting in above-ground reservoirs because the process of percolating through soil and rock can remove impurities. Water can rest underground in aquifers for thousands or even millions of years. When geologic changes seal the aquifer off from further "recharging," the water inside is sometimes called "fossil water." Radiocarbon dating has revealed that some Libya's aquifer water has been there for 40,000 years, since before the end of the last ice age.
Image Credit: NASA/GSFC/METI/ERSDAC/JAROS, and U.S./Japan ASTER Science Team | "Fossil Water" in Libya
In the 1950s, oil exploration in Libya turned up another valuable resource: water. Huge aquifers, underground deposits of sand and rock that also contain water, lurked underneath the scorching sands. The Libyan government weighed the costs of bringing water up from the aquifers against transporting water from Europe and desalination of salt water, and chose the aquifers as | {
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|New Director to Advance NIGMS Computational
Karin Remington, Ph.D., a leader in genomics research and the
development of computational tools, today begins her new position
as director of the Center for Bioinfomatics and Computational Biology
(CBCB) at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS),
a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Remington will oversee more than 1,300 research and training grants
totaling about $89 million to support projects that join biology
with computer sciences, engineering, mathematics, and physics.
Research activities range from software development to modeling
and simulation, computational genomics, database design, and high-throughput
data. CBCB also oversees NIH’s Biomedical Information Science and
Technology Initiative and partners with the National Science Foundation
(NSF) to support research and training in mathematical biology.
“To take advantage of all the data being generated by today’s
biological scientists, we need to develop the tools and methods
that synthesize this information into new understanding of basic
biology and, ultimately, human health,” said NIGMS Director Jeremy
M. Berg, Ph.D. “Karin Remington has the skills and vision to contribute
greatly to these endeavors.”
Before joining NIH, Remington served as the project manager for
the National Ecological Observatory Network, or NEON, Inc., a $300
million effort supported by NSF to construct ecological data collection
facilities across the contiguous United States, Hawaii, Alaska,
and Puerto Rico. As vice president of bioinformatics research at
The Venter Institute from 2002 to 2006, she led an NIH-supported
large-scale genome sequencing production center and spearheaded
a traveling laboratory-based educational program for public school
students in Washington, D.C. At Celera Genomics from 1999 to 2002,
Remington developed mathematical methods and computation leading
to the completed sequences of the fruit fly, human, and mouse genomes.
“Computational biology faces the challenge of bringing together
different disciplines in effective and energizing ways,” said Remington. “With
its cross-cutting nature, CBCB has the ability to coordinate and
foster this interdisciplinary synergy.”
Existing interdisciplinary programs under CBCB that Remington
will oversee include the Models of Infectious Disease Agent Study,
which builds computer models to improve the detection, control,
and prevention of emerging infectious diseases; the National Centers
for Systems Biology, which focus on the systems-level analysis
of biological phenomena; and the National Centers for Biomedical
Computing, an NIH Roadmap for Medical Research initiative to develop
and implement a universal computing infrastructure for the biomedical
Remington graduated magna cum laude in 1985 from the
College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University in her home state
of Minnesota and in 1991 received a doctorate in mathematics from
the University of Kentucky. She completed postdoctorate work at
the University of Minnesota and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
She is a member of numerous professional societies, including the
American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American
Association of University Women.
To arrange an interview with CBCB Director Karin Remington, Ph.D.,
contact the NIGMS Office of Communications and Public Liaison at
A high-resolution photograph of Remington is available at http://www.nigms.nih.gov/About/Remington.htm.
supports basic biomedical research that is the foundation for advances
in disease diagnosis, treatment, and prevention.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) — The Nation's
Medical Research Agency — includes 27 Institutes and
Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. It is the primary federal agency for conducting
and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research,
and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both
common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and
its programs, visit www.nih.gov. | |New Director to Advance NIGMS Computational
Karin Remington, Ph.D., a leader in genomics research and the
development of computational tools, today begins her new position
as director of the Center for Bioinfomatics and Computational Biology
(CBCB) at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS),
a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Remington will oversee more tha | {
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NIH Investigators Find Link Between DNA Damage and Immune Response – 2
Narrator: This is NIH Health Matters. I’m Joe Balintfy. The innate immune system deals with a set of standard kinds of threats to the body.
Resnick: It can be bacteria, it could be viruses, it could be different kinds of fungi and so on.
Narrator: Dr. Michael Resnick is a principal investigator at the National Institutes of Health.
Resnick: Now when they come into the body they represent a threat.Narrator: The threat is met by a family of genes known as Toll-like receptors. Toll-like receptors are proteins that play a role by defending the body from threats. New research is showing DNA damage changes how Toll-like receptors work. For details on this research, visit www.niehs.nih.gov. Health Matters is produced by the National Institutes of Health, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
About NIH Radio
NIH Radio offers free audio news programs from the National Institutes of Health, your reliable source for health information.
All NIH Radio content is in the public domain and can be used without charge or restriction provided that it is not used to misrepresent our agency nor used to suggest we endorse any private organization, product, or service.
NIH Radio is a service of the Office of Communications & Public Liaison. | NIH Investigators Find Link Between DNA Damage and Immune Response – 2
Narrator: This is NIH Health Matters. I’m Joe Balintfy. The innate immune system deals with a set of standard kinds of threats to the body.
Resnick: It can be bacteria, it could be viruses, it could be different kinds of fungi and so on.
Narrator: Dr. Michael Resnick is a principal investigator at the National Institutes of Hea | {
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HISTORY OF FLIGHT Use your browsers 'back' function to return to synopsisReturn to Query Page
On March 18, 1994, about 1126 eastern standard time, an Aerostar 601P, N36444, owned by K&L Micro-Wave Electronics and piloted by Frederick G. Erb, was destroyed when it struck the ground during initial climb-out, about 1 mile from the Pottstown- Limerick Airport (PTW), Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured and a second passenger received serious injuries. An instrument flight plan had been filed for the flight operating under 14 CFR 91.
The airplane was based at the Salisbury (SBY) Airport, Salisbury, Maryland. The pilot and two passengers were employed by the same company and the flight originated that morning from SBY. The airplane arrived at PTW about 0815. Upon arrival at PTW, the passengers confirmed the expected departure time from PTW was 1100, and then departed by ground vehicle for their scheduled business meeting. According to personnel at the airport, the pilot met with local friends at the airport.
At 1040, Mr. Erb telephoned the Salisbury Flight Service Station (FSS). He requested an abbreviated briefing for an instrument flight from PTW to the South Jersey Regional Airport (7MY), Mount Holly, New Jersey. Mr. Erb was given the weather requested, which included an AIRMET for icing. He did not file a flight plan at that time.
The passengers arrived back at PTW at 1055. The pilot advised the passengers that due to weather, it would be "safer" to fly back to SBY and not make the planned stop at 7MY. The passengers agreed that the stop at 7MY was not essential.
At 1100, Mr. Erb called the Salisbury FSS. He stated that the weather was worse than he expected and filed an instrument flight plan from PTW to SBY, with a proposed off time of 1100.
After filing the flight plan, the pilot escorted the passengers to the airplane. When the passengers and cargo were secured in the airplane, the pilot returned to the hanger where he returned with a line service person (lineman) and a broom.
According to the lineman, the pilot entered the hanger and asked him to clean snow off of the wings of the airplane. The pilot and lineman returned to the airplane where the pilot observed the lineman remove some of the snow with a broom and then told the lineman, "I'll get in and get setup till you finish."
In a telephone interview on March 19, 1994, the lineman stated that he had swept the right wing and nacelle clean of snow without a problem. He then swept the left nacelle clean, but the left wing had little patches of ice on it. He pointed at it to the pilot who was at the controls. He offered to pull the aircraft into the hanger, but the pilot stated no, it was "OK."
In his written statement submitted on March 31, 1994, the lineman stated:
"...I finished up [brushing the snow] and he looked out. I pointed to the wing, he shook his head, I stepped back and he started the engines...I observed a little flaky ice on [the] right wing, [the] left wing was clear. He did not ask me to clean anything else. I observed him working the controls systems and [they] seemed to work OK...I just glanced up when he took off and saw his nose gear lift off (2000 - 2500 feet)...Saw him at end of runway very low, then he disappeared into the snow."
The surviving passenger stated that he had flown in this airplane on several occasions. In his written statement he stated:
"...The man with the broom began to remove the snow off the wings. The amount of snow was about 1/4 to 1/2 inch. I did not see any ice nor did I pay attention to how much snow remained ...The time from when the snow had been removed, taxing to the runway, and clearance for takeoff was approximately 5 to 10 minutes...the takeoff was normal...Shortly after takeoff we lost the lift in the plane, and twisted very slightly to the left, maybe 5 to 10 degrees...I don't think we lost any altitude, but just stopped gaining altitude. Fred did some adjustments...we started to ascend again after a few seconds...Once Fred regained lift, roughly 30 seconds later, the plane did the same thing as before but more drastic. What I mean...is...the plane began losing altitude and twisted to the left more. The twist was 45 degrees or more this time with an abnormal vibration...I saw power lines through the front windows...I saw ...a field below us and the plane falling while it twisted. I can't say if we were turning hard to make the field or just twisting..."
A witness driving by on a highway, 1/4 mile from the departure end of the runway, observed the airplane fly overhead. He stated:
"...I would say the plane was roughly around 100 feet, heading down, banking towards its left (about 20 to 30 degrees roughly banking). Noticed no landing gear...Engine noise was extremely loud...Losing altitude fast. Weather condition was rain and snow mixed, icy patches forming on road.
In the police report, a witness on the ground at the accident site stated:
"He saw the plane over the trees. It was very low. [He] didn't hear anything out of the ordinary. Next, he saw the plane drop (as if pushed downward). Then, the left wing tilted downward. 'He hit and skidded (to point of rest)'."
The accident occurred during the hours of daylight at approximately 40 degrees, 14 minutes north latitude, and 75 degrees, 20 minutes west longitude.
The pilot, Mr. Frederick G. Erb, held an Airline Transport Pilot Certificate with ratings for airplane multiengine land, a Commercial Pilot Certificate for airplane single engine land and glider, and a Flight Instructor Certificate with ratings for airplane single and multiengine land, and instrument airplane.
His most recent Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) First Class Medical Certificate was issue on November 15, 1993.
Mr. Erb's total flight time was estimated to be 19,950 hours. He had logged about 7,500 hours in Aerostars.
The following weather reports and forecasts were available to the pilot of N36444, by the SBY FSS at the 1040 briefing:
Philadelphia (PHL), 15 miles west of 7MY - Record Special 0951 EDT, Ceiling measured 1,700 broken, 3,500 overcast, visibility 2 1/2 miles, light snow, temperature 35 degrees fahrenheit (F), and winds from 270 degrees at 6 knots.
PHL Forecast: Until 1300 EDT, 4,000 overcast, visibility 3 miles, light snow, occasionally 1,500 overcast, visibility 1 1/2 miles, light snow and fog. After 1300 until 1500 EDT, 2,500 overcast, 3 miles, light snow, occasionally 1,000 overcast, 1 mile visibility, light rain, light snow and fog, with a chance of 300 sky obscured, 1/2 mile visibility and snow.
North Philadelphia (PNE), 11 miles north west of 7MY - Record 0950 EDT, Ceiling estimated 12,000 overcast, visibility 12 miles, temperature 34 degrees F, and winds from 210 degrees at 5 knots.
PNE Forecast: From 1100 until 1300 EDT, 4,000 overcast, occasionally 2,500 overcast, visibility 3 miles, light snow. After 1300 until 1500 EDT, 2,500 overcast, 3 miles, light snow, occasionally 1,000 overcast, 1 mile visibility, light rain, light snow and fog, with a chance of 300 sky obscured, 1/2 mile visibility and snow.
Salisbury (SBY), Record 0948 EDT, Ceiling estimated 7,000 overcast, visibility 10 miles, temperature 37 degrees F, and winds from 160 degrees at 10 knots.
SBY Forecast: Until 1300 EDT, 25,000 thin broken. After 1300 until 1500 EDT, 3,500 scattered, 7,000 overcast, with winds from 220 degrees at 12 knots, gusting to 22 knots, occasionally 3,500 overcast, 3 miles visibility, light rain and fog.
The following weather reports were for the indicated periods near the time of the accident:
Navy Willow Grove (NXX): 1200 EDT, indefinite ceiling 500 obscured, 1/2 mile visibility, light snow and fog, temperature 31 degrees F, winds from 190 degrees at 5 knots.
Reading Regional (RDG): 1145 EDT, partial obscuration measured 1,200 overcast, 1 1/2 miles visibility, light snow and fog, temperature 31 degrees F, winds from 160 degrees at 6 knots.
The airplane wreckage was examined at the accident site on March 19, 1994. From the time of the accident, to the time of examination, about 4 inches of snow had fallen on the wreckage. The examination revealed that all major components of the airplane were accounted for at the scene.
The airplane came to rest upright at the edge of an open field, adjacent to a paved road, and about 60 feet from high tension power lines. Two 769 foot cooling towers, for the Limerick Nuclear Power Plant, were visible approximately 2,100 feet west of the wreckage site. The airplane came to rest on a magnetic bearing of 350 degrees.
The initial ground scars start approximately 105 feet from the wreckage, and were on a general magnetic bearing of 140 degrees. The ground scar contained pools of blue tinted liquid with the odor of fuel. Numerous pieces of sheet metal and lens glass, identified as belonging to the left wing, were found in the ground scar. The top section of the left engine cowling was also in the vicinity of the ground scar, about 30 feet from the wreckage.
The main fuselage was intact. The upper left area of the nose section was mud covered. The sheet metal and structural components were torn and compress inward and aft. Mud was imbedded in the torn sheet metal. The underside of the nose section and the remaining fuselage showed minimal damage. The landing gear was retracted. The flaps were at a 20 degree down setting.
The left wing was bent up and rearward outboard of the left engine. Sheet metal of the left wing section was ripped and bent backward from the wings leading edge. Mud was found imbedded throughout the left wing section.
The left engine was attached and twisted on the left wing. The engine was pointing downward about 60 degrees, with the top of the engine facing aft. Mud was observed imbedded in the forward and top sections of the engine.
The right wing remained attached to the fuselage. The sheet metal of the right wing was wrinkled and buckled along the upper and lower surface. The leading edge of the right wing remained intact.
The right engine was attached to the right wing. Both upper and lower engine cowling were in place and undamaged.
Both the left and right engines were removed for further testing. Fuel was observed in both the left and right fuel lines when they were detached from their respective engines.
Fuel was drained from the left, right, and center fuel sumps of the main fuselage. When tested with water finding paste the fuel was found absent of water.
The propeller blades of both engines displayed chord wise twisting and chord wise scratches.
Control continuity was established through the toque tubes from the elevator and rudder to the center of the fuselage. The torque tubes were compressed and separated in the lower fuselage.
Control continuity could not be confirmed to the ailerons due to compression of the wings and fuselage onto the torque tubes.
MEDICAL AND PATHOLOGICAL INFORMATION
An autopsy was performed on Mr. Frederick Erb, on March 19, 1994, by Dr. Ian C. Hood, for the Montgomery County Coroner's Office, Norristown, Pennsylvania. The results indicated that Mr. Erb died of, "multiple injuries".
The toxicological testing report from the FAA Civil Aeromedical Institute (CAMI), Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, revealed negative for carbon monoxide, cyanide and ethanol for Mr. Erb. A positive result was confirmed for 0.157 (ug/ml, ug/g) of diazepam detected in the blood.
According to Dr. Charles DeJohn, of CAMI:
"...The blood level reported for diazepam was 0.157 ug/ml. This is within the therapeutic range for the drug...Diazepam, commonly marketed as Valium, belongs to a group of drugs known as benzodiazepines, which are classified as hypnotics and sedatives.
All drugs belonging to this group affect motor and mental performance. Unlike barbiturates, metabolic conversion of benzodiazepines yields derivatives which have similar pharmacological activities and potencies to those of the parent compounds. The three metabolites of diazepam are nordiazepam, temazepam, and oxazepam...The most frequent side effect of benzodiazepines is drowsiness, which in some cases may be associated with ataxia (muscular incoordination), and confusion. In addition, parenteral (oral) administration of benzodoazepines may cause amnesia. In drug study volunteers given parenteral diazepam, performance on various tests of psychomotor functioning has shown significant degrees of impairment. These effects may occur at doses which are below the usual therapeutic range and the patient may not be aware of them."
TESTS AND RESEARCH
The engines were removed from the wreckage and shipped to the Textron-Lycoming Plant, Williamsport, Pennsylvania. On April 19, 1994, the left engine was uncrated in the presences of the NTSB. All components of the turbo-charger system were removed. The upper spark plug from each cylinder was removed and the engine was rotated by hand to check compression and valve train continuity. The damaged spark plug wiring harness was replaced, but the magnetos were not disturbed. The number two intake pipe was replaced. All other components remained as found. The engine was mounted on a test stand. The engine was started and run for over 15 minutes. Less than a 100 RPM drop was observed during a left and right high magneto check. No abnormalities were detected during the engine run.
The right engine was uncrated on April 20, 1994, in the presences of the NTSB. All components of the turbo-charger system were removed. The upper spark plug from each cylinder was removed and the engine was rotated by hand to check compression and valve train continuity. No components of the right engine were replaced. The engine was mounted on a test stand. The engine was started and run for over 15 minutes. Less than a 100 RPM drop was observed during a left and right high magneto check. No abnormalities were detected during the engine run.
The propeller governors were removed from the left and right engines and shipped to Hartzell Propeller Inc., Piqua, Ohio. The governors were unpacked and tested on June 15, 1994, in the presences of Mr. Ronald Fosnut of the FAA MIDO, Vandalia, Ohio.
The results of the testing revealed that both governors operated satisfactorily and within specifications.
Weather and Icing
Airplane icing was reported on the ground by another pilot at Pottstown Municipal Airport (N47), located about 3 miles from PTW. The pilot reported that he took his twin-engine airplane from the hanger to the ramp about 0945, March 18, 1994. At 1015, the pilot went out and checked on the condition of the airplane because it had started snowing when they pulled the airplane out at 0945.
According to the pilot's statement:
"...the temperature was above 32 degrees F. at this time and all the precipitation on the wing was water and I thought there would be no problem taking off...At about 1100...we loaded it up. It was still snowing pretty hard at the time, so I was going to brush all the snow off the aircraft before I tookoff. However, the water under the snow had turned to ice...so I could not get all the snow off because it had adhered to the ice on top of the wings. Also the ice would not come off the wings and was quite thick and irregular in shape (maybe 1/8 inch thick). The aircraft had to be put into our hangar to get the ice and snow off...we delayed our flight about 2 1/2 hours..."
According to the Textbook, Aerodynamics for Naval Aviators:
"...If a heavy coat of hard frost exist on the wing upper surface, a typical reduction in CL max, would cause a 5 to 10 percent increase in the airplane stall speed. Because of this magnitude of effect, the effect of frost on takeoff performance may not be realized until too late...The increase in drag during takeoff roll due to frost or ice is not considerable and there will not be any significant effect on the initial acceleration during takeoff. Thus, the effect of frost or ice will be most apparent during the later portions of takeoff if the airplane is unable to become airborne or if insufficient margin above stall speed prevents successful initial climb. In no circumstances should a formation of ice or frost be allowed to remain on the airplane wing surfaces prior to takeoff..."
Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) 91.527 states that no pilot may takeoff an airplane that has: "(2) Snow or ice adhering to the wings or stabilizing or control surfaces;"
The pilot's briefcase was examined at the accident scene and found to contain over the counter drugs of Afrin Nasal Spray, Robutusson D.M., Tylenol and Tums. It also contained three prescription drugs. One drug, Diazepam, was filled in February 1994, and listed the prescribing doctor as Donald Wood.
HCTZ/Reserpine, a diuretic used for high blood pressure, was filled in January 1994 with an original issue date of June 1993. Ery-Tab, an antibiotic, was issued in February 1994. Both the HCTZ/Reserpine and the Ery-Tab prescription bottles listed the prescribing doctor as N.M. Warner.
Reviewing Mr. Erb's FAA Medical Records revealed that he had certified for the previous 23 years that he had not had any eye trouble, high blood pressure or taken any medication. According to these FAA Medical Records, Dr. N.M. Warner was the Aviation Medical Examiner who personally reviewed the medical history and examined Mr. Erb for 20 flight physicals, between October 1979 and November 1993. No abnormalities or disqualifying defects were noted during these physical. There also was no mention of medical treatment, drugs or operations.
At the request of the Investigator-In-Charge, Dr. Warner was asked to provide all documents pertaining to diagnosis, treatment or prescriptions for Mr. Erb, for the period from October 1979 through March 1994. In a letter submitted by Dr. Warner, he stated that during the January 1990, routine second class flight physical, he noted that Mr. Erb had blurred and decreased vision in the left eye. He stated that Mr. Erb was sent to John Hopkins Medical Center, where he was operated on for a tumor of the optic nerve. Further, he stated that during the November 1993 flight physical, Mr.Erb had a severe pulmonary infection with pneumonia in the right upper lobe. None of this information was noted on any of Mr. Erb's FAA Medical Records.
In a letter submitted by Dr. Charles A. DeJohn, of CAMI, he stated:
"...While horizontal stabilizer and/or elevator icing are involved in this accident, the ability of the pilot to effectively deal with the emergency situation he encountered certainly could have been adversely affected by the blood levels of diazepam and its active metabolites present at the time...The pilot's decision to fly after taking Valium, his apparent withholding of significant medical information from the FAA, and his decision to depart during known icing conditions, suggests a pattern of questionable pilot decision making skills..."
The Code of Federal Regulations 14 CFR 67 is the Medical Standards and Certification section of the regulations. Part 67.20 deals with applications, certificates, logbooks, reports, and records: Falsification, reproduction, or alteration. This section states, "...No person may make or cause to be made...Any fraudulent or intentionally false statement on any application for a medical certificate under this part...The commission by any person of an act prohibited under paragraph (a) of this section is a basis for suspending or revoking any airman...medical certificate or rating held by that person."
Part 67.15 states that to be eligible for a second-class medical certificate, and applicant must meet the requirements "...(4) No pathology of the eye."
Part 91.17 states, "...No person may act or attempt to act as a crewmember of a civil aircraft...While using any drug that affects the person's faculties in any way contrary to safety..."
The airplane wreckage was released, minus the engines and propeller governors on March 19, 1994, to Mr. Chuck Bowman, a representative of the owners insurance company. The engines were released to Mr. Bowman on June 21, 1994, and the governors were released on July 22, 1994. | HISTORY OF FLIGHT Use your browsers 'back' function to return to synopsisReturn to Query Page
On March 18, 1994, about 1126 eastern standard time, an Aerostar 601P, N36444, owned by K&L Micro-Wave Electronics and piloted by Frederick G. Erb, was destroyed when it struck the ground during initial climb-out, about 1 mile from the Pottstown- Limerick Airport (PTW), Pottstown, Pennsylvania. The pilot | {
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Senator Lanza said today that thousands drug felons will be much closer to being set free and put back into our communities, as a result of drug law changes that Senate Democrats pushed through as part of the 2009-10 state budget. Senator Lanza voted against the changes in the law.
Senate Democrats and Governor Paterson came under strong criticism from District Attorneys across the state who opposed the relaxation of the state’s drug laws.
“The argument that the drug law changes only impact low-level drug users is a myth,” Senator Lanza said. “These so-called ‘reforms’ will hand dangerous criminals, who have been convicted of serious felonies, a get out of jail free card with no input from the law enforcement officials who put them behind bars in the first place.”
"Drugs destroy families and destroy communities," said Lanza. "They lead to burglaries, murder, rape, drive-by shootings and the list goes on and on. We should not be reducing prison sentences for criminals who put dangerous narcotics into the hands of our children.,” said Lanza.
The changes taking effect this week could result in the release of thousands of drug dealers who were convicted of serious class B drug felonies and are serving prison sentences for selling significant quantities of illegal drugs including heroin and cocaine. The changes allow drug offenders to apply for resentencing to have their prison time shortened. In addition, Judges will have discretion to send new offenders to drug treatment instead of prison.
In addition to shortening the prison time for drug criminals, the Democrats’ changes will allow judges to seal the criminal records of drug felons for their current crime and up to three prior misdemeanors, following the completion of drug court. Therefore, potential employers will be kept in the dark regarding the seriousness of the applicant’s criminal history and whether or not the individual should even be allowed to hold the job in the first place.
“Once a felon completes drug court, a judge could seal his criminal record from background checks so no prospective employer would know if he operated a meth lab, or was convicted of burglary or grand larceny,” Senator Lanza said. “These background check laws were originally enacted to protect employers such as schools, nursing homes, banks and others, from hiring criminals who could put people at risk.”
Senate Republicans proposed a bill to repeal the section of the law that allowed criminal records to be hidden from employment background checks. The bill was opposed by Senate Democrats.
“The roll back of the state’s drug laws is more evidence that Senate Democrats are trying to ease the state’s criminal justice laws and allow offenders get out of prison and get back on the streets as soon as possible,” Senator Lanza. “This completely goes against the facts that show that crime is down and our communities are safer when criminals are kept behind bars.” | Senator Lanza said today that thousands drug felons will be much closer to being set free and put back into our communities, as a result of drug law changes that Senate Democrats pushed through as part of the 2009-10 state budget. Senator Lanza voted against the changes in the law.
Senate Democrats and Governor Paterson came under strong criticism from District Attorneys across the state who oppos | {
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Earlier this month, the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) prize, one of the biggest awards in international education, was given to Madhav Chavan. The award recognizes Chavan for his long-time work to provide basic education to millions of poverty-stricken people in India. With an additional prize of almost $500,000, Chavan expressed his desire to continue providing lessons in literacy and numeracy to the slum community of his country.
After receiving his Ph.D. in the United States, Chavan returned to India. While teaching at Mumbai University, he realized that lack of education was the main barrier to the country’s development. Working with UNICEF and city authorities, he set out to provide lessons for people at a low cost. Through his charity, called Partham, not only did he increase numbers of available lessons, but Chavan also ensured a better quality of education. He had a philosophy to have “every child in school and learning well.”
Partham Lessons are held in temples, offices, and homes in communities. They are often taught by local volunteers. Today, Chavan’s charity has expanded to 17 of India’s 28 states. It has became the country’s largest non-governmental education provider for underprivileged children. A study shows that preschool students from Partham are more likely to attend primary schools and score higher on tests than other children their age.
“This prize is a major landmark that reminds me how much more remains to be done. It is an enormous honour for me to be recognised by this unique community of innovators,” said Dr Chavan.
Creative Commons Love: Skoll World Forum on Flickr.com | Earlier this month, the World Innovation Summit for Education (WISE) prize, one of the biggest awards in international education, was given to Madhav Chavan. The award recognizes Chavan for his long-time work to provide basic education to millions of poverty-stricken people in India. With an additional prize of almost $500,000, Chavan expressed his desire to continue providing lessons in literacy | {
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Resolution passed: Senate, Dec 9, 1861; House, Dec 10, 1861
Final report issued : May 22, 1865
Chairman: Senator Benjamin Wade (R-OH)
Zachariah Chandler (Senate, R-MI)
John Covode (House, R-PA); replaced by Benjamin Loan (R-MO)
Daniel Gooch (House, R-MA)
Andrew Johnson (Senate,D-TN); replaced by Joseph Wright (Unionist-IN); replaced by Benjamin Harding (D-OR)
George Julian (House, R-IN)
Moses Odell (House, D-NY)
Chapter 1: Origins
Chapter 2: Process
Chapter 3: Public Relations
Chapter 4: Investigation
Chapter 5: Outcome
On Sunday, July 21, 1861, several members of Congress journeyed from Washington, D.C., to Centreville, Virginia, to watch the Union Army march into battle. On a hill overlooking Bull Run Creek, lawmakers, joined by journalists and other curious civilians, ate picnic lunches as they watched the battle (thus known as the "Picnic Battle"). As journalist Benjamin Perley Poore commented, spectators gathered "as they would have gone to see a horse-race or to witness a Fourth of July procession." The Union Army performed well in the morning, but by early afternoon the Confederates had turned the tide with reinforcements. When Union generals finally called retreat around 4:00 p.m., the frightened soldiers fled for their lives, sweeping up civilians in their retreat back to Washington.
Near the battlefield, a group of senators heard a loud noise and looked around to see the road filled with retreating soldiers, horses, and wagons. "Turn back, turn back, we're whipped," Union soldiers cried as they ran past the spectators. Startled, Michigan senator Zachariah Chandler tried to block the road to stop the retreat. Senator Benjamin Wade of Ohio, sensing a humiliating defeat, picked up a discarded rifle and threatened to shoot any soldier who ran. While Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts distributed sandwiches, a Confederate shell destroyed his buggy, forcing him to escape on a stray mule. Iowa senator James Grimes barely avoided capture and vowed never to go near another battlefield. Dismayed, senators returned to Washington to deliver eyewitness accounts to a stunned President Lincoln.
To the dismay of many northerners, the defeat at Bull Run was the first in a series of Union military disasters. Casualities mounted and in October Senator Edward D. Baker of Oregon, a close friend to President Lincoln, died at the Battle of Ball's Bluff. In the opening days of the 37th Congress (1861-1863), the public and elected officials called for an inquiry into events surrounding the dramatic defeats suffered by the Union Army. Senator William Pitt Fessenden of Maine articulated the thoughts of many when he said, "We see many things done which do not meet the public approbation. We see some things done which we do not approve ourselves, and which evidently call for an investigation, or, at any rate, call for such an explanation as shall satisfy the people." In that spirit, Senator Chandler introduced a resolution on December 5, 1861, to investigate the battles at Bull Run and Ball's Bluff, while other senators demanded a broad inquiry into the conduct of the war. Consequently, Senator Grimes amended the resolution, calling for a joint committee to examine all aspects of the war. The concurrent resolution, passed on December 10, 1861, created a joint committee comprised of three senators and four representatives and granted its members the power to "inquire into the conduct of the present war and to send for persons and papers." Five Republicans and two Democrats served on the committee, reflecting Republican control of the Civil War era Congress. Traditionally, the senator who proposed the resolution chaired the committee, but Chandler deferred to his close friend and colleague Senator Wade, believing that the Ohioan's legal background made him particularly well suited for directing the investigation.
Members of the joint committee agreed to keep their deliberations secret. Meeting in a Senate committee room, the joint committee held no public hearings and forbade those who testified from speaking with the press. Committee members regularly broke their own rules, however, leaking information to newspapers to generate public support for their efforts. In March of 1862, for example, committee members leaked the written statement of General John C. Frémont, commander of the Western Department and a favorite of the committee, to the New York Daily Tribune. They hoped to enlist public opinion behind General Frémont's controversial actions in the field, and to draw upon this well of public support to lobby Lincoln for Frémont's reappointment.
Committee investigations were driven, in part, by allegations published in popular newspapers about the performance of commanders and conditions in the field. Following newspaper accounts that General William R. Montgomery treated soldiers "inhumanely and disloyal men and women very leniently," the Joint Committee called on Montgomery to testify to the charges.
Abolitionists known as "Radical Republicans" dominated the committee and frequently criticized the president's war strategy as not being aggressive enough. Senator Wade, irritated by the president's gradual approach to emancipation and equality for African Americans, dismissed Lincoln as "a fool." The joint committee itself faced criticism from Washington insiders who decried its work as misguided and ill-informed. Critics noted that the joint committee was well-intentioned, but that its members had no military experience and seemed unqualified to analyze war-related decisions and commanders who made them. Some military leaders dismissed the inquiry as partisan or ideological and not in the nation's best interenst. Benjamin Perley Poore denounced the committee as "a mischievous organization, which assumed dictatorial powers."
Regardless of such criticism, the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War pursued a broad investigatory agenda. In addition to examining failed military campaigns, the committee scrutinized a number of wide-ranging issues, including corruption in military supply contracts, the mistreatment of Union prisoners by Confederate forces, the massacre of Cheyenne Indians, Union trade activities, and gunboat construction, to name just a few. The joint committee worked through two Congresses, meeting 272 times over four years. Subcommittees were formed to maximize time and resources and meet with as many witnesses as possible. Members frequently traveled outside of Washington, D.C., recording testimony from witnesses and making first-hand assessments of the war effort. One inquiry included a visit to a nearby army convalescent center in Alexandria, Virginia, to document the treatment of Union soldiers by medical teams.
Despite Senator Wade's withering assessment of Lincoln, the joint committee maintained friendly relations with the executive branch. President Lincoln and his successor Andrew Johnson (a former member of the joint committee), and their cabinets, complied with committee requests for meetings and access to information. Members of the joint committee frequently blamed military commanders for Union losses, often accusing them of disloyalty to the government, and they pressed for changes in military command. They strongly encouraged Lincoln to remove Major General George McClellan from his command of the Army of the Potomac after successive losses early in the war. The president eventually relieved McClellan in November of 1862, but he did so on his own terms, largely disregarding the joint committee's recommendations. The joint committee proved more convincing in another case, however, and the president acquiesced to its demands that he approve the arrest and imprisonment of Brigadier General Charles Pomeroy Stone. The committee had long questioned Stone's loyalty, and blamed him for Union defeats.
The Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War produced volumes of copious reports based on its field work and the testimony of dozens of witnesses. Published periodically throughout the committee's four-year tenure, these reports were often summarized in newspapers. Nevertheless, in comparison to other congressional investigations, the work of the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War remained mostly unknown to the American public. Despite this low-profile status, the committee's investigations fulfilled the congressional responsibility for oversight during a time of national crisis. Committee members felt satisfied that their inquiry prompted President Lincoln to more carefully consider the strategy and evaluate the performance of his top field commanders. Interviews with military commanders provided detailed accounts of action in the field, while creating a record of wartime events which otherwise would not have been preserved.
Print Version with Footnotes
Return to "A History of Notable Senate Investigations" | Resolution passed: Senate, Dec 9, 1861; House, Dec 10, 1861
Final report issued : May 22, 1865
Chairman: Senator Benjamin Wade (R-OH)
Zachariah Chandler (Senate, R-MI)
John Covode (House, R-PA); replaced by Benjamin Loan (R-MO)
Daniel Gooch (House, R-MA)
Andrew Johnson (Senate,D-TN); replaced by Joseph Wright (Unionist-IN); replaced by Benjamin Harding (D-OR)
George Julian (House, R-IN)
Moses Odel | {
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- Business and trade
- Building Standards
- Building Standards - demolitions, defective and dangerous structures
- Building Standards - licences
- Local and statutory development plans
- Planning - applications
- Planning - consultations
- Planning - decisions, appeals and reviews
- Planning - listed buildings and conservation areas
- Planning - long term and area policies
- Planning - policies, advice and service levels
Planning and Building Standards
If you intend to alter (internally or externally), extend, erect, demolish or convert a building, you can find guidance on making a Building Warrant application.
You can find information about Building Standards including staff contact details.
You can view and comment on a planning application online. Type in the street name or application number that interests you, here you can view each document relating to the site and if you are within the consultation period, you can comment on the application (when commenting, your name and address is necessary to complete the submission).
If you are a frequent user of the online planning site, the following link will take you directly to it (for those needing guidance please use the above link).
If you want to build something, change the use of land or a building, or extend your house you will probably need planning permission. Here you can find guidance on making an application and the application forms.
Development plans outline how West Lothian should develop and affect the planning application process.
Conservation areas are areas of special historic or architectural interest, the character of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance. You can also find out about listed buildings.
Planning and Economic Development Management Plan
Planning Performance Framework
Each council is required to publish an annual report on performance and to produce an improvement plan for making the services it provides better for customers. The first annual report, covering the 12 months to 31 March 2012, was published on 30 September.
Customer care and complaints
We have a procedure for dealing with any formal comments or complaints relating to our service and have produced a statement of the level of care customers can expect. | - Business and trade
- Building Standards
- Building Standards - demolitions, defective and dangerous structures
- Building Standards - licences
- Local and statutory development plans
- Planning - applications
- Planning - consultations
- Planning - decisions, appeals and reviews
- Planning - listed buildings and conservation areas
- Planning - long term and area policies
- Planning - policies, a | {
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Avian influenza – situation in Pakistan
15 December 2007
The Ministry of Health in Pakistan has informed WHO of 8 suspected human cases of H5N1 avian influenza infection in the Peshawar area of the country. These cases were detected following a series of culling operations in response to outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry. One of the cases has now recovered and a further two suspected cases have since died.
Samples taken from the suspected cases have tested positive for H5N1 in the national laboratory and are being forwarded to a WHO H5 Reference Laboratory for confirmation and further analysis. The MoH is taking steps to investigate and contain this event, including case isolation and contact tracing and monitoring, detailed epidemiological investigations, providing oseltamivir for case management and prophylaxis, reviewing hospital infection control measures and enhancing health care-based and community-based surveillance for acute respiratory infections.
WHO is providing technical support to the MoH in epidemiological investigations, reviewing the surveillance, prevention and control measures that have been implemented and carrying out viral sequencing of avian and human isolates.
Multiple poultry outbreaks of H5N1 influenza have been occurring in Pakistan since 2006. In 2007, there have also been outbreaks in wild birds. A majority of the outbreaks discovered have been in the ‘poultry belt’ of North-West Frontier Province, particularly in the Abbottabad and Mansehra area and cases of infection in wild birds have been identified in the Islamabad Capital Territory. | Avian influenza – situation in Pakistan
15 December 2007
The Ministry of Health in Pakistan has informed WHO of 8 suspected human cases of H5N1 avian influenza infection in the Peshawar area of the country. These cases were detected following a series of culling operations in response to outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry. One of the cases has now recovered and a further two suspected cases have since d | {
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The purpose of the Child Health Service is to ensure that every child has the best possible chance to learn, without health problems getting in the way. To achieve this, all schools are visited by doctors and nurses who arrange health assessments for children and screening for problems with hearing, vision, growth, speech and general development so that any health problems can be identified early. They also act in an advisory capacity to parents and teachers so that the implications of a child's health problems can be fully understood, with help and support being arranged where necessary.
School doctors or nurses also give children a complete check-up around the time they start school. After this, they arrange further check-ups if it is desirable because of the results of a previous medical review, if the child develops a new problem or parents or teachers are concerned that something may be wrong; parents are encouraged to attend these.
The Child Health Service also ensures that children are fully immunised to protect them from serious infectious diseases. Where necessary, immunisation is offered through local clinics or in the schools.
The service is funded by the Health Authority. | The purpose of the Child Health Service is to ensure that every child has the best possible chance to learn, without health problems getting in the way. To achieve this, all schools are visited by doctors and nurses who arrange health assessments for children and screening for problems with hearing, vision, growth, speech and general development so that any health problems can be identified early. | {
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Drummond's Wattle (Acacia drummondii) grows wild among the undershrubs in the forests of south-west Australia and is one of many Western Australian plants which will grow in Canberra, given a little care. Though not new in cultivation it is one of the lesser known wattles; a beautiful, delicate shrub useful where space is limited in the garden.
lt is tender to frost, wind and summer sun, all of which have caused losses in exposed positions. For the first few winters it must be protected from frost with a covering such as hessian. This should be thrown over nightly, supported on three stakes in the ground and not touching the plant. Shrubs when about 75 cm high may not need covering as only tip growth will be killed.
Taller shrubs, trees or rocks give excellent shelter where plants can develop to perfection. If away from other plants the form is upright and either compact or slightly arching, with a number of thin reddish main branches from ground level. lt reaches 1 .8 m high and the same in width.
Variations in form are known, including a prostrate one which could make a useful ground cover. If crowded among other plants this dwarf wattle spreads forward gracefully, and would adapt to a sloping wall or large rockery. It may also be grown in tubs and in mild districts as a hedge, lightly trimmed.
The foliage is ornamental and neat, midgreen or slightly bluish. Close inspection shows much divided though not feathery leaves, about 2.5 cm long, and facing upwards along the stems. Flower buds for next spring may be seen forming in summer along the entire length of the stems, each spike held well out on a stalk, one to each axil. From late September to early November flowers open rather unevenly, becoming profuse in October. The spikes are from 2 cm to 4 cm long, outstanding in quality and softness of appearance. They are a clear canary yellow, and scentless.
The species usually sets some seed in Canberra and this should be harvested when the pods are hard and brown. The germination rate can be improved if the hard seed coat is first softened with boiling water or scratched slightly before sowing with a file or sandpaper to admit water. Seedlings are susceptible to damping off and over-watering should be avoided.
Acacia drummondii has been grown from cuttings, but without special facilities this is not easy. Young plants may be obtained from most nurseries dealing in native plants. Most soils with good drainage are suitable, including local and clay soils. The plant's position is most important. Growth is rapid and light pruning after flowering helps to maintain bushy and long-lived specimens. This is not a good wattle for cut flowers, but presses beautifully.
Based on text by Irene Beeton (1971)
Name meaning: Acacia drummondii
Acacia - generally believed to be from a Greek word meaning to sharpen, alluding to the prickliness of the first species discovered; another opinion refers to the 'Egyptian Thorn' (akakia) a species of Acacia yielding gum-arabic;
drummondii - after J. Drummond, first Government botanist of Western Australia | Drummond's Wattle (Acacia drummondii) grows wild among the undershrubs in the forests of south-west Australia and is one of many Western Australian plants which will grow in Canberra, given a little care. Though not new in cultivation it is one of the lesser known wattles; a beautiful, delicate shrub useful where space is limited in the garden.
lt is tender to frost, wind and summer sun, all of wh | {
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Renewable Energy outlines requirements and best practices for utilizing renewable energy for electricity, heating, cooling, and other applications at Federal facilities.
First Thursday Seminars are FEMP training opportunities targeting Federal energy, environmental, and fleet professionals offered at no cost by leading experts. The training sessions are delivered live via satellite or through streaming media at your desktop.
- Dr. Andy Walker , Principal Engineer , National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). Read bio.
- Anne Crawley , Federal Energy Management Program. Read bio.
|Before the Training||Take the Training||After the Training|
Video with Audio
|Take Exam and Get Certificate|
For course questions, contact Joe Konrade at 202-586-8039 or [email protected].
You might also be interested in the following course(s):
FEMP First Thursday Seminars provide training for Federal energy and environmental professionals. Leading experts address timely topics in 90-minute sessions, offered live via satellite or through streaming video at your desktop. This seminar will explore solid-state and LED lighting developments, with an emphasis on indoor and troffer applications.
This course covers PV technologies typically installed at Federal sites along with installation options, PV module ratings and testing, and warranties. Roof vs. ground mounted PV arrays, fixed vs. tracked PV arrays, and other options are discussed in terms of logistical, technical, and economic considerations. | Renewable Energy outlines requirements and best practices for utilizing renewable energy for electricity, heating, cooling, and other applications at Federal facilities.
First Thursday Seminars are FEMP training opportunities targeting Federal energy, environmental, and fleet professionals offered at no cost by leading experts. The training sessions are delivered live via satellite or through stre | {
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This item is available under a Creative Commons License for non-commercial use only
Business and Management.
In supply chain management literature, there has been little empirical research on consortium
purchasing focusing on a detailed analysis of information and communication (ICT) based
procurement strategies. Based on the exploration of academic literature and two surveys among
purchasing organisations as well as e-Marketplaces / procurement service providers (PSPs) in the
automotive and electronics industry sectors, the research methodology assesses the overall
statement: ‘Effective participation in electronic purchasing consortia (EPC) has the potential to
enhance competitive advantage. Implementation requires a clear and detailed understanding of the
major process structures and drivers, based upon the technology-organisation-environment
framework’. Key factors and structures that affect the adoption and diffusion of EPC and the
performance impact of adoption are investigated, which can be a valuable starting point to EPC
Huber, B., Sweeney, E., Smyth, A. Towards a conceptual framework of electronic purchasing consortia.In Enhancing Competitive Advantage through Supply Chain Innovation, Proceedings of the 9th Annual Conference of the Logistics Research Network (LRN2004), pp.276-283. Dublin, September 2004. | This item is available under a Creative Commons License for non-commercial use only
Business and Management.
In supply chain management literature, there has been little empirical research on consortium
purchasing focusing on a detailed analysis of information and communication (ICT) based
procurement strategies. Based on the exploration of academic literature and two surveys among
purchasing orga | {
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I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) Farmer Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award than Paul Kaiser of Singing Frogs Farm in Sebastopol, California. That’s why I was so excited when I found out he would be receiving the award in 2010!
The NACD-NAPPC Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award is given every year to a farmer or rancher who has contributed significantly to pollinator species protection and conservation on working and wild lands. This award is part of an international effort to promote public awareness of and action about pollinators—bees, birds, bats, butterflies, beetles and many other animals that enable more than three-fourths of the world’s plants to reproduce. Paul was nominated by the North Coast Resource Conservation & Development Council.
Paul and his family uphold or exceed all of the standards of organic farming and are incorporating soil best management practices. They have also planted almost 2,000 native perennials that bloom sequentially throughout the year, providing food for many species of native bees as well as the honey bees kept on the farm. These plants were placed along creeks and rivers to form expanded riparian corridors, adjacent to seasonal ponds and along the borders and interiors of crop fields.
About half of the plants were purchased with funds from the Environmental Quality Incentives Program provided by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and obtained by the Goldridge Resource Conservation District in Sonoma County. (The other half of the plants were grown on the farm from seeds, cuttings and root suckers.)
The over 100 varieties of fruits, berries, vegetables, herbs and flowers grown on Singing Frogs Farm are provided to Bay Area residents through community supported agriculture (CSA), a kind of farm subscription program.
In fact, because they so strongly believe in the farm’s work, members of the Singing Frogs Farm CSA contributed the money needed to send Paul to the conservation award ceremony at USDA in Washington, D.C. in October last week.
Singing Frogs Farm and farms like it are important not just for the food and habitat they provide, but also because they educate people. Paul and his family also host tours and open houses every week, helping to spread the word about the role that pollinators play in agriculture and the actions we all can take to protect and support them.
Follow NRCS on Twitter.
Check out other conservation stories on the USDA blog. | I can’t think of anyone more deserving of the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) and North American Pollinator Protection Campaign (NAPPC) Farmer Rancher Pollinator Conservation Award than Paul Kaiser of Singing Frogs Farm in Sebastopol, California. That’s why I was so excited when I found out he would be receiving the award in 2010!
The NACD-NAPPC Farmer-Rancher Pollinator Cons | {
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Endangered species; International affairs; Law enforcement; Tourism;
This is a booklet describing laws pertinent to the importation and exportation of endangered animals--alive or dead--and animal parts and products. It includes contact information for obtaining more specific information on the subject.
This is a contact sheet listing key figures in endangered species program. It includes contact information for applicable offices in each region. **This material may be dated so check the FWS Resource link for most updated names and contacts.**
Endangered species; Fisheries management; Fishes; Fishing; Overfishing; Population control; Work of the Service; History
This is a description of the inception, history and continuing work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Fisheries Program. It explains briefly what the program is doing to help remove overfished species from the endangered species list.
Brochure about careers with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. To accomplish its mission, the Service employs many of the country’s best biologists, wildlife managers, engineers, realty specialists, educators, law enforcement agents, and others...
Law enforcement; International affairs; Employees (USFWS);
General brochure about wildlife inspection as a career. Wildlife inspectors of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service are the front-line defense against the illegal wildlife trade, a criminal enterprise that threatens species worldwide. These... | Endangered species; International affairs; Law enforcement; Tourism;
This is a booklet describing laws pertinent to the importation and exportation of endangered animals--alive or dead--and animal parts and products. It includes contact information for obtaining more specific information on the subject.
This is a contact sheet listing key figures in endangered species program. It includes contact | {
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Working closely with our partners to rehabilitate degraded habitat, improved bar quality and to plant disease-free hatchery oysters
Helping individuals or business persons apply for leases
Provide resources to watermen about the public oyster fishery
Monitoring and Assessment
Collecting data to guide decisions regarding protection, restoration and commercial harvest of oysters in Maryland.
Initiated in 2008, the citizen outreach program know as Marylanders Grow Oysters is managed by the Maryland Department of Natural Resources in conjunction with the Oyster Recovery Partnership, the University of Maryland and local organizations.
Secretary Griffin’s Response to Dr. Michael Wilberg’s Scientific Oyster Findings | (09/01/2011)
“It is the goal of Maryland to develop an abundant, self-sustaining native oyster population in the Chesapeake Bay; one that will be an ecological, economic and cultural resource for the Bay and for Maryland citizens. The scientific findings of Dr. Michael Wil...
Governor Martin O'Malley Announces Streamlined Aquaculture Permitting | (8/15/2011)
Army Corps of Engineers Expedites Approval ProcessGovernor Martin O’Malley today announced a new streamlined and centralized aquaculture permitting process for Marylanders interested in growing oysters and other shellfish in Maryland waters. Thanks to a realig...
Standardization of Bushel Containers and Oyster Tagging | (7/29/2011)
Standardization of Bushel Containers and Oyster Tagging The Department is proposing to add new regulations to bring Maryland in line with FDA requirements under the National Shellfish Sanitation Program's shellstock identification and traceabilit...
Clam Declaration | (7/29/2011)
Clam Declaration The action would require an individual to declare their intent to harvest clams. There will be no fee for this declaration. This would allow the Department to determine the licensees that should be submitting clam reports and who sho...
DNR Announces Aquaculture Opportunities in Sanctuaries | (7/22/2011)
New Leases will Help Foster Aquaculture and Develop Productive BottomThe Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Aquaculture Division will begin accepting limited applications for new aquaculture leases within oyster sanctuaries on August 1, 2011. The G...
View Old News | Working closely with our partners to rehabilitate degraded habitat, improved bar quality and to plant disease-free hatchery oysters
Helping individuals or business persons apply for leases
Provide resources to watermen about the public oyster fishery
Monitoring and Assessment
Collecting data to guide decisions regarding protection, restoration and commercial harvest of oysters in Maryland.
Initiat | {
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Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the unofficial beginning of summer. And soon, by the millions, our families, friends, and neighbors will hit the road for a vacation across the country or a barbecue across town.
This morning, I was pleased to join National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland and Chief James Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department to officially launch the 2011 “Click It or Ticket” seat belt enforcement campaign. I am particularly grateful to the officers from area law enforcement agencies for coming down to DOT headquarters on their own time to show their support for this campaign.
Through June 5, 10,000 police departments coast-to-coast will be out in force writing tickets if you’re not wearing a seat belt. Their message is simple: If you’re not buckled up, they will ticket you--every single time they catch you driving or riding unbelted in your car.
But, as Chief Johnson and Administrator Strickland both said, this campaign is not about writing tickets. It's about saving lives.
Yet, amazingly, some 45 million Americans still won’t buckle up. Our friends and neighbors are still dying unnecessarily.
Now, when you put together the fact that only 15 percent of Americans don't buckle up, yet 53 percent of all fatal crash victims in 2009 were unbuckled, you can see how over-represented the unbuckled are in our most tragic crash statistics.
Young people–especially men–are particularly at risk. In fact, 58 percent of men who died in a traffic crash in 2009 weren’t wearing their seat belt. That's why we're making a concerted effort to reach young drivers and encourage them to change their behavior.
The use of seat belts is also particularly limited among African Americans and Latinos. In fact, more than half of all African American children who die in traffic accidents were unrestrained, the highest percentage among any race or ethnicity.
That’s why DOT is working with the Department of Health and Human Services National Partnership for Action to End Health Disparities.
Wearing your seat belt takes a second and costs you nothing. Not wearing one may cost you everything.
This holiday weekend and every time you get in the car, put safety first. That means buckling up, turning off your cell phone, and and putting it in the glove box. And remember, if you're over the limit, you're under arrest. | Memorial Day weekend traditionally marks the unofficial beginning of summer. And soon, by the millions, our families, friends, and neighbors will hit the road for a vacation across the country or a barbecue across town.
This morning, I was pleased to join National Highway Traffic Safety Administrator David Strickland and Chief James Johnson of the Baltimore County Police Department to officially l | {
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Record Search Query: ServiceParameters>MODELS
North American Drought Atlas: A History of Meteorological Drought Reconstructed from 835 Tree-Ring Chronologies for the past 2005 years
Entry ID: LDEO_NADA
Abstract: The North American Drought Atlas, is an HTML web browser program that provides
access to 286 annual drought reconstructions extending as far back as 1,992
years into the past. The reconstructions are derived from 835 exactly dated,
annual tree-ring chronologies. Data consists of the Palmer Drought Severity
This Atlas was developed by Paul J. Krusic and ... Edward R. Cook, Tree-Ring
Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades,
NY USA through support from the National Science Foundation, Division of
Atmospheric Sciences, Award ATM 03-22403.
The North American instrumental PDSI grid developed and used in the Atlas for
reconstruction has a resolution of 2.5 degrees latitude by 2.5 degrees
longitude. It is patterned after a global study of drought by Dai et al.
(1998). The Atlas grid is composed of 286 grid points covering most of North
Dai, A., K.E. Trenberth, and T.R. Karl. 1998. Global Variations in Droughts and
Wet Spells: 1900-1995. J. Geophysical Research, 27(17): 3367-3370.
Acuna-Soto, R.A., Stahle, D.W., Cleaveland, M.K. and Therrell, M.D. 2002.
Megadrought and megadeath in 16th century Mexico. Emerging Infectious Diseases
Cook, E.R., Meko, D.M., Stahle, D.W. and ... Cleaveland, M.K. 1999. Drought
reconstructions for the continental United States. Journal of Climate
Stahle, D.W., Cleaveland, M.K, Blanton, D.B., Therrell, M.D. and Gay, D.A.
1998. The lost colony and Jamestown droughts. Science 280:564-567.
Stahle, D.W., Cook, E.R., Cleaveland, M.K, Therrell, M.D., Meko, D.M.,
Grissino-Mayer, H.D., Watson, E. and Luckman, B.H. 2000. Tree-ring data
document 16th century megadrought over North America. Eos, Transactions,
American Geophysical Union, 81:121-125.
Woodhouse, C.A. and Overpeck, J.T. 1998. 2000 years of drought variability in
the central United States. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society
Creation and Review Dates | Record Search Query: ServiceParameters>MODELS
North American Drought Atlas: A History of Meteorological Drought Reconstructed from 835 Tree-Ring Chronologies for the past 2005 years
Entry ID: LDEO_NADA
Abstract: The North American Drought Atlas, is an HTML web browser program that provides
access to 286 annual drought reconstructions extending as far back as 1,992
years into the past. The reconstr | {
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The Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD) is a large boreal wetland located in northeastern Alberta, Canada at the confluence of the Peace and Athabasca Rivers with Lake Athabasca (Figures 1 and 2). A Ramsar Convention wetland and UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is among the world's most ecologically significant wetlands. This data set contains four comma-delimited ASCII files, two of which contain water ... surface elevation site and measurement information and two contain water quality and ancillary parameter location and measurement data for 120 sites within the PAD. Data archived include water surface elevation and water quality parameters measured at points throughout the Delta during summers 2006 and 2007. These data sets were originally collected to improve understanding of hydrologic recharge processes in low-relief environments and to provide ground-based measurements to validate satellite observations of inundation and sediment transport. All work was supported by the NASA Terrestrial Hydrology Program under grant NNG06GE05G to the Department of Geography, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California. | The Peace-Athabasca Delta (PAD) is a large boreal wetland located in northeastern Alberta, Canada at the confluence of the Peace and Athabasca Rivers with Lake Athabasca (Figures 1 and 2). A Ramsar Convention wetland and UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is among the world's most ecologically significant wetlands. This data set contains four comma-delimited ASCII files, two of which contain water ... | {
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News & Policies >
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 9, 2008
President Bush Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
2:10 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hola! Siéntese. Bienvenidos a la Casa Blanca. (Laughter.) Éste es el último "Mes de la Hispanidad" que paso como presidente -- y por eso, le dije a mi personal que hoy quería hablarles sólo en español. (Applause.) Me contestaron: "Señor presidente, antes de dar un discurso en español, ¿por qué no llega primero a dominar el inglés?" (Applause and laughter.)
I am proud to be with you. I am proud to be with current and former Latino members of my administration. (Applause.) I want to thank the ambassadors from the Diplomatic Corps for joining us today. We're proud to be your friends. I want to thank the members of the United States Armed Forces who have joined us. I want to thank my friend Emilio Estefan, President of Estefan Enterprises. (Applause.) And I want to thank Andrés Cabas, from Colombia, who is going to sing a couple of songs for us. Thank you and your band for joining us. (Applause.)
Every year at this time, we recognize the great contributions Hispanic Americans make to our country. And we should. From coast to coast, people of Hispanic descent enrich our culture and make our nation a better place. They serve in top positions throughout business and government. They bring their strong values of faith and family to our communities. My family is proud to have Latino blood -- mi cuñada. (Applause.) Jeb and I both married very well. (Laughter.) Hispanic Americans cherish the limitless promise of our nation. During the past eight years, I've been proud to work with you to ensure que -- ensure que todos puedan alcanzar las promesas de los Estados Unidos. (Applause.)
One promise is good education. I mean, you can't have a hopeful nation unless you've got a good education system. So we worked with Congress to pass the No Child Left Behind Act. This act raises standards and accountability across schools in the country, and I'm pleased to report Hispanic students are scoring at all-time highs on tests, and therefore an achievement gap is narrowing.
For hundreds of thousands of Hispanic children, the best hope for good education is found in America's faith-based schools. Earlier this year, I proposed a new program called Pell Grants for Kids, which would help low-income children in underperforming public schools attend a private, a parochial, or out-of-district public school of their choice. (Applause.)
Earlier this year I met a very interesting young woman at the White House Summit on Inner-City Children and Faith-Based Schools. The whole purpose was to help these schools realize a comeback and make sure our communities were able to have these schools as a part of their future. The woman I met is a woman named Katrina [sic] Ramírez. She grew up in a Chicago neighborhood. It was plagued by gang violence, and she had a tough time in school because she didn't speak English. But at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, Karina received a top-notch education. She received real work experience, and she got herself a ticket to college. Karina says, "My dad went from garbage picking in Mexico to having a daughter going to Georgetown." Karina, thank you for coming. (Applause.) She is proof that el Sueño Americano es para todos. (Applause.)
Economic opportunity is a promise of our country. And the truth of the matter is, for generations people have found opportunities in this country that would have been impossible in the places where they were born, and that has made us a vibrant country and it's encouraged entrepreneurship. Today, the economy obviously is going through a very tough stretch, and that's why the administration will work with Congress to pass a financial rescue plan.
The goal of this plan is to free up the flow of capital to help all Americans get the capital and loans necessary to help weather these difficult times. Part of the plan is to free up capital for small businesses. After all, small businesses are the backbone of our economy, and interestingly enough, according to the most recent data, more than 1.5 million small businesses are owned by Hispanic owners. (Applause.)
In times of economic uncertainty, we need to be promoting free trade, particularly with friends in our neighborhood. During my time as President, we've opened up trade agreements with a lot of nations, including nations in Central America and in South America. But there's a couple of them that need to be approved by the United States Congress. We approved the free trade agreement with Peru, but waiting on Congress to approve the free trade agreements with Panama and Colombia. (Applause.)
I'm confident in our economy's long-term prospects. We'll get through this deal. And the reason why I'm confident is because we got the most talented and productive workers in the world. And many are Hispanic men and women who work hard every single day to support their families. (Applause.)
One promise of America is the compassion of our people. During my time in office I've been proud to work with Hispanic Americans to lift up nuestros hermanos y hermanas in need. I established the USA Freedom Corps to foster a culture of citizenship and responsibility and service. And today nearly 61 million Americans volunteer their time to help our fellow citizens -- many of them Hispanics.
Through our Faith-Based and Community Initiative, we are harnessing the compassion of religious groups to reduce homelessness and break the chains of addiction, give prisoners a second chance, and alleviate suffering at home and abroad.
Recently I met a woman from San Diego whose life has been transformed by America's armies of compassion. Edith Espinoza suffered terrible abuse from her husband. She turned to "El Nido" program, an interfaith shelter network supported by the Faith-Based and Community Initiative. "El Nido" is a place where Edith received counseling and learned how to get a job and save money. She and her daughters now live in an apartment that she pays on her own. Her goal is to become a social worker so she can help other families like hers. She is showing that because of the good hearts of our citizens, el sueño Americano es por todos. (Applause.)
One promise of America's freedom -- freedom for all. Hispanic Americans are extending this country's promise of freedom and liberty to others. Hispanics serving in Afghanistan and Iraq, to help those young democracies realize the blessings of freedom. I particularly want to thank those who are working to hasten the day of freedom for the Cuban people. (Applause.)
I'm especially proud to be the Commander-In-Chief of a military in which there's 225,000 Hispanic men and women. (Applause.) One of these hispanos is an Army Lieutenant Colonel named Enrique Guerra. Listen to his story. Enrique fled Cuba with his parents when he was an infant. They wanted their young child to grow up in a society that was free and hopeful. He spent more than 22 years in the Army National Guard and the Army Reserve. Today, he is a battalion commander at Camp Cropper in Iraq, helping the people in the Middle East secure their own freedom and therefore lay the foundation of peace for generations to come.
Enrique puts it this way: "As a Cuban America [sic], I was born with a strong sense of patriotism, and that is why I serve." And today I'm proud to honor his service, and the service of all Hispanic Americans, who ensure that freedom is available to all. Enrique, bienvenidos. Thank you for coming. (Applause.) Thank you, sir.
And so today we celebrate the many contributions that generations of Hispanics have made to the American Dream. Their creativity and determination help our country to live up to its promise of opportunity and prosperity and freedom for all our citizens.
During Hispanic Heritage Month we give thanks for these blessings and we ask for God's continued blessings on you and your families, y los Estados Unidos.
And now it's my honor to welcome one of Latin America's most popular young vocalists, Colombia's Andrés Cabas. (Applause.)
END 2:13 P.M. EDT | News & Policies >
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 9, 2008
President Bush Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
2:10 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Hola! Siéntese. Bienvenidos a la Casa Blanca. (Laughter.) Éste es el último "Mes de la Hispanidad" que paso como presidente -- y por eso, le dije a mi personal que hoy quería hablarles sólo en español. (Applause.) Me contestaron: "Seño | {
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The Workforce Investment Act is a federally funded program designed to assist eligible youth in achieving academic and employment success. Services are designed to meet the needs of students, high school graduates, dropouts, and others who are in need of employment and training assistance.
The WIA youth program provides education, training, and employment opportunities for low-income youth. Services are tailored to meet the specific needs of the individual and may include:
- Tutoring, study skills training, and instruction leading to completion of secondary school, including dropout prevention strategies
- Alternative school services
- Summer employment opportunities that are linked to academic and occupational learning
- Paid and unpaid work experience to include job shadowing and internships
- Occupational skills training such as vocational classes or on-the-job training
- Leadership development opportunities
- Supportive services such as transportation and childcare
- Adult mentoring
- Follow-up services to help individuals who have completed the program
- Guidance and counseling
An individual must meet the following criteria to be eligible to receive services:
- 14 through 21 years of age; and
- US citizen or eligible to work in the US; and
- Comply with Selective Service registration requirements when appropriate; and
- Comply with local or state residency requirements when imposed; and
- Meet low income requirements (with limited exceptions); and
- Need assistance as demonstrated by one of six factors.
Note: Documents that confirm an individual’s eligibility for WIA services will be required during the application process. Examples include but are not limited to: birth certificate, social security card, pay stubs, etc.
To apply or for more information contact:
Idaho Works Service Providers Directory | The Workforce Investment Act is a federally funded program designed to assist eligible youth in achieving academic and employment success. Services are designed to meet the needs of students, high school graduates, dropouts, and others who are in need of employment and training assistance.
The WIA youth program provides education, training, and employment opportunities for low-income youth. Servic | {
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Farewell to the Otter Show
reach about two years of age. After that, they are aggressive and dangerous.
Even the Chambers, who hand-reared their otters from puppies, are not immune to attack as the animals mature. Glenn’s arms and hands bear the marks of many bites. Babyface, one of the Chambers’ second pair of otters, was only two years old when she bit Jeannie on the throat, barely missing her carotid artery.
Besides not having the disposition to be pets, otters are enormously expensive to keep. Buying one is just the beginning. Captive otters require special equipment and veterinary care. They eat a mixture of 96-percent lean ground sirloin, shredded carrots, commercial mink meal, tomato juice, eggs, cod liver oil and whole fish. Feeding them costs more than $4,000 per otter annually.
Several things led the Chambers to end their otters’ performing careers. For one thing, Jon McRoberts, the MU graduate student who has been their indispensable assistant, will graduate in December and leave to pursue his own career. Splash and Slide also are at the end of their manageable years on the road.
The Otter Message
Although the Chambers’ live-otter programs were tremendous fun, they also delivered three educational messages:
- River otters are wonderful animals that were eliminated from Missouri by unregulated trapping and habitat destruction.
- The Conservation Department brought otters back through a major restoration effort and now manages their numbers through a carefully regulated trapping season.
- Otters are not pets. “They don’t want to be petted. They don’t want to be held,” said Glenn. “They just want to be otters.”
Finally, Glenn and Jeannie both admit that they’ve grown tired of the grind. They’ve had just one vacation in 13 years. “The Boys,” as they call the otters, will still require daily attention, but Glenn and Jeannie plan to take day trips within Missouri and develop other interests. Glenn has become an avid sporting clays shooter.
Captive otters live up to 19 years. When the Chambers’ four previous show otters became too aggressive and unmanageable for performances, they placed them in zoos, but the separations were wrenching for everyone. One otter died not long after leaving. Glenn, a hard-nosed biologist who is not prone to make animals into people, is certain the cause was a broken heart.
“That’s not going to happen again,” said Glenn.“Splash and Slide will stay with us until they die of old age.”
Splash’s last program marked the end of an era, but it coincided with the start of a new one. The intensive restoration effort for which the Chambers’ otters were poster children has succeeded beyond everyone’s wildest dreams. Missourians now routinely see otters in the wild, something that was impossible 20 years ago.
“It has been a good run,” said Glenn. “We’ll miss the smiles and laughter of the crowds, but there’s a lot of satisfaction in knowing we played a part in an important story." | Farewell to the Otter Show
reach about two years of age. After that, they are aggressive and dangerous.
Even the Chambers, who hand-reared their otters from puppies, are not immune to attack as the animals mature. Glenn’s arms and hands bear the marks of many bites. Babyface, one of the Chambers’ second pair of otters, was only two years old when she bit Jeannie on the throat, barely missing her c | {
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Subsets and Splits