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U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D. (R-OK) released the following statement regarding the resignation of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki:
"The American people and our nation's veterans need reform at the VA, not just resignations. Further, more money is not the answer. Funding for the VA has grown at more than three times the rate of inflation since 2009. My office has also learned that at the end of Fiscal Year 2013, the VA held nearly $35 billion in unspent funds, which is more than the entire annual budget of the National Institutes of Health. It's long past time we gave our veterans the freedom they fought for. I look forward to introducing legislation with Senators McCain and Burr that will accomplish that goal in the coming days," Dr. Coburn said.
At the conclusion of Fiscal Year 2013, the VA held nearly $35 billion in unspent funds. To give this amount some perspective, the entire annual budget of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is $30.1 billion -- billions of dollars less than the excess amount the VA leaves unspent at the end of every year. The department is projected to end 2014 with another larger sum of unspent money, including nearly $5.9 billion in unobligated funds.
The VA "expects to carry over $450 million in medical-care funding from fiscal year 2014 to fiscal year 2015." This is the fifth year in a row the VA has carried over funding for medical care. VA carried over $1.449 billion in medical-care funding from fiscal year 2010 to 2011, $1.163 billion from fiscal year 2011 to fiscal year 2012, $637 million from fiscal year 2012 to 2013, and $543 million from fiscal year 2013 to 2014.


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Over the years, Bollywood actor Ayushmann Khurrana has made a name for himself. With his boy-next-to-door personality and acting skills, he has been lauded throughout the industry. Although he tried something different with Anek, the poor performance of the film left many of his fans disappointed. However, it seems the actor is all set to experiment again, but this time with the action genre.
Ayushmann Khurrana breaks the internet with shirtless photo; drops a hint about his ‘return’
On Friday, the actor took to his official social media handle and shared a photo of himself. Interestingly, he went shirtless for a photo with a cool pose. Meanwhile, the caption of his post read, “May I come in? Time for some action,” followed by a martial arts uniform emoticon.
Not only this, the Vicky Donor The actor further wrote, “I will tell you something soon related to my return,” in Hindi. Since then, his fans went gaga over his post. The comments section was flooded with numerous emoticons, including red heart and fire. Among others, casting director Mukesh Chhabra, Khurrana’s co-star Neena Gupta, and actor Tiger Shroff also reacted to the post.
Coming to his professional front, the 38-year-old actor is currently bagging praises for his latest release, Doctor G. The medical-drama also stars Rakul Preet Singh and Shefali Shah in the lead. The Anubhuti Kashyap directorial explores the story of a titular character Uday Gupta, who has got an admission to the gynaecologist department. The film documents the stereotype and taboo related to a male being a gynaec.
Apart from this, Khurrana has a bunch of projects in his kitty, including a flick titled, An Action Hero. Directed by Anirudh Iyer, it will be produced under T-Series and Color Yellow Productions. The team started shooting in January and it is said to be released on December 2 this year.
Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Ayushmann Khurrana reveals he was offered a blank cheque to sign three films; says, “Mere liye Laxmi ke pehle Saraswati aati hai”
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Catch us for latest Bollywood News, New Bollywood Movies update, Box office collection, New Movies Release , Bollywood News Hindi, Entertainment News, Bollywood Live News Today & upcoming movies 2022 and stay updated with latest hindi movies only on Bollywood Hungama.

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TITLE Boxing Club/BoxUnion Fights U.S. Mental Health Crisis with “Knockout Stigma” Campaign
World’s Largest Fitness Boxing Brand Gathers People around the Globe for a Critical Cause Coming Out of Lockdown
May 04, 2021 // Franchising.com // Santa Monica, CA - As the prolonged stress, grief and isolation of the pandemic has worsened the U.S. mental health crisis, TITLE Boxing Club/BoxUnion is stepping into the ring during Mental Health Awareness Month in May to punch out the stigma surrounding mental illness.
On May 22, 2021, the fitness boxing brand will host both in-person and digital Knockout Stigma classes the entire day, coupled with other efforts throughout the month aimed to start a transparent dialogue around mental illness. Classes will kick off with trainers who volunteered to share their personal struggles with depression, PTSD or anxiety. The classes are open to all members of TITLE Boxing Club and BoxUnion, as well as to non-members, who can sign up and pay for a single class that day.
For each Knockout Stigma class member, TITLE Boxing Club and BoxUnion will donate funds to the nonprofit Bring Change to Mind, an organization founded by actress and activist Glenn Close that’s dedicated to raising awareness, understanding, and empathy through campaigns and youth programs that encourage conversations about mental health.
Mental Health awareness has long been a large focus for TITLE Boxing Club/BoxUnion. There are strong mental benefits surrounding boxing, including stress relief, increased focus and a cathartic outlet. “Members come to our clubs to box after breakups, job losses and other major life events,” said Felicia Alexander, Chief Revenue Officer and Co-founder of BoxUnion Holdings, the parent company of TITLE Boxing Club and BoxUnion. “It’s an empowering experience that builds confidence.”
The cause is personal to Alexander as well. As a young adult, Alexander was diagnosed with depression, but kept it hidden for years out of fear of what others would think. In 2019, tired of hiding behind the shame, she posted a photo of her prescription medicine over social media.
“One in every 4 people will be affected by mental illness at some point in their lives, yet there’s still so much discrimination around it,” Alexander said. “I am among those people. After years of keeping my depression a secret, I no longer wanted to feel this way. I wanted people who chose to follow me to know that I suffer from depression. I wanted to do my small part in helping to knockout the stigma around mental illness.”
Below is an overview of the Knockout Stigma campaign and all it will be doing to promote dialogue around mental illness:
- Knockout Stigma Classes Entire Day Of Saturday, May 22: For every person that joins a Knockout Stigma class at participating TITLE Boxing Club locations or views a LIVE digital class, the company will donate $1 to Bring Change to Mind.
- Talkspace Discount: To provide mental health resources to those in need, TITLE Boxing Club/BoxUnion has partnered with Talkspace, an online and mobile therapy app that helps people connect with a licensed therapist. TITLE Boxing Club will provide members with a promo code throughout the month of May for $100 off their first month of Talkspace.
- Instagram Live “Title Talk” at 7 P.M. EST On May 17: TITLE Boxing Club will be Live on its Instagram @titleboxingclub with an informative, authentic conversation about mental health. Among those joining the TITLE Talk will be Arash Javanbakht, M.D., a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who serves as director of the Stress, Trauma and Anxiety Research Clinic (STARC) at Wayne State University. Dr. Javanbakht recently wrote an article for Psychology Today about How Exercise Protects Your Brain Against Depression and Anxiety, where he discusses his experience with boxing and how it has helped him personally. Joining him will be TITLE Boxing Club/BoxUnion COO Justin Ghadery, a United States Marine Corps veteran who will discuss his personal experiences with PTSD.
- Social Media Awareness: Alexander documented her personal story around mental health and depression in a touching letter that will be posted on TITLE Boxing Club’s and BoxUnion’s social media platforms. In addition, the brands will highlight stories of members and employees throughout the month.
Just like Bring Change to Mind, Alexander said the company shares the belief that opening a dialogue about mental illness will begin to inspire action and structural change creation of new norms.
“The idea of developing new norms begins with youth, which is why I’m thankful that Bring Change to Mind is using our proceeds to specifically go to PSAs and Clubs on high school and college campuses,” Alexander said. “I kept my own mental health issues a secret for so many years and want to prevent any young person from having to feel that way.”
SOURCE TITLE Boxing Club®
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Wednesday with two (2!) RWSs, an old game returns, driving fast and…hey Apple. Mike O’Meara returns tomorrow and we will see you then. Today’s show is brought to you by TLC Laser Eye Center.
Archive for October, 2012
Tuesday with an international call, Oscar vs. Blanche and early voting. Plus Mike’s shoes are great. GREAT! Today’s show is brought to you by TLC Laser Eye Center.
Host Marcus Certa talks with Hank Rueter and Jason Cote. We get a glimpse into fans of The Mike O’Meara Show, The Marc and Lowell Show, Robb Radio, and Tech 411. Podcast: Play in new window | Download this episode
Monday has Haitian correspondence, Oscar cheating death, a blessed wedding and a dog that needs a monocle. Remember you can watch this episode and others on our youtube page! Today’s show is brought to you by Oncor Insurance Services.
Today we discuss Marc’s dog Marley, the current state of Hollywood, the top 5 disgusting things men do, and of course…ball busting! Wanna listen? Visit our e-store or check it out on iTunes! VIP Members listen or watch the recorded video HERE or the Member Home Page. Need some...
Thursday has a creole mailbag, Mike’s Haiti jitters, Oscar is proven wrong and bone picking. Today’s show is brought to you by TryLendingTree.com
Another Ash Wednesday with a Queasy take on the trembler, a new app for ye, Mike the Mechanic plus ads we hate. See you tonight at Quench in Rockville! Today’s show is a service of CB Lucas AC & Heating.
Today we fight the mic stand, spotlight a dinner deal, recap Robb on TV and we enjoy some Candy. This episode and many others are also available to watch via YouTube. Check out our YouTube channel at: youtube.com/MikeOmearaShow This episode of The Mike O’Meara Show is a service of...


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CLEVELAND (WJW) — From the Rock Hall to Progressive Field to the Playhouse Square District, for more than two months, tourism has been non-existent due to COVID-19, with Cuyahoga County alone losing up to $100 million in hospitality revenue streams.
And now, an aggressive campaign has been unveiled to bring back visitors.
David Gilbert, President & CEO of Destination Cleveland, said, “Lots of real-time studies are showing that we need to be community focused and start with our residents before we invite travelers back.”
The campaign is called, Undefeated. It’s a 3-phase collaboration with Destination Cleveland, city and county leaders, the board of health and all three major hospital systems.
The goal is to jumpstart the local economy, making safety top priority.
“It’s not easy and it’s very unfortunate, but we have to do what we have to do to be responsible. We can’t just bury our heads in the sand,” said Cuyahoga County Executive Armond Budish.
In phase one, pending council approval, Cuyahoga County has committed $700,000 in funding from its Federal Cares Act dollars, to support the Clean Committed program, which will allow for the production and distribution of more than 3,000 clean kits for tourism, restaurants and ultimately residents.
The kits will be equipped with hand sanitizer packets, paper masks and recommended safety practices to follow when out in the community.
“Consumer need visual assurances of cleanliness and that it is being prioritized.”
Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson said, “This is a plan for reopening, and do it right and do it in a way that will be sustainable.”
They’re hoping to ensure locals get back out, inspiring “staycations” with family and friends this summer.
The program gets underway on June 3.
And businesses, including restaurants, hotels and hospitality venues who choose to participate, will have materials to post in their establishments to illustrate clean practices.

domain: news


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Real estate prices in Birmingham will continue to rise in the next 5 years. This conclusion was reached by specialists at JLL, after having analyzed the dynamics of prices in the UK, where they found that housing prices in Birmingham will continue to grow. This will put it ahead of London in terms of the pace of development in the real estate market.
Housing prices in Birmingham are forecast to increase by 19.2% between 2023 and 2027, significantly higher than the national average.
In 2023, residential property prices are expected to fall across most of the UK, but in Birmingham, they will rise. The increase will be 1% in 2023, 2% in 2024, 4% in 2025, 4.5% in 2026 and 6.5% in 2027.


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Daisy Garcia Montoya
The Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy (KCUYA) will be hosting nationally acclaimed Camp Invention.
Camp Invention is a week long summer program for children to explore their creativity, innovation and improve their problem-solving skills. Children participate in hands-on activities to encourage teamwork and entrepreneurship.
The camp will be led by local educators and will follow a specific curriculum designed by the National Inventors Hall of Fame. Participants must be able to attend every day as the curriculum builds upon itself.
The camp will be held in-person on Monday, Aug. 10, through Friday, Aug. 14, at the KCUYA, located at 1622 E. 17th Terr. Registration is open to boys and girls in grades 4 through 6, but will be limited to a capacity of 42 children.
Populous, a global architectural and design firm headquartered in Kansas City, is sponsoring KCUYA as the host site and providing the camp at no cost for participants.
In order to comply with health and safety guidelines due to COVID-19, all participants, staff and volunteers will be required to bring and wear a face covering during the camp. In addition, participants will have their temperature checked before entering the academy.
If their temperature reads above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the participant will not be allowed to participate for the day. Social distancing will also be practiced and increased cleaning and sanitization will take place.
For more information and to register children go to


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PDF pending restoration
ERIC Number: ED246972
Record Type: RIE
Publication Date: 1984-Jul
Reference Count: 0
Vocational-Technical Education in the Community Colleges: A Promising Future.
Long, James P.
Based on testimony delivered at a 1983 American Vocational Association (AVA) hearing on "Vocational Technical Education in the Community College," this draft AVA position paper examines the current status and future of the community college's role in the delivery of vocational education. First, information is presented on the hearing and its objectives, together with a list of presenters, and the development of the position paper is described. The next section begins with statistics on vocational education nationwide and the community college's prominence at the postsecondary level and then summarizes hearing presenters' views on the current state of vocational education. Highlights are the community colleges' responsiveness to quick-start training requests from state departments of commerce; worker retraining and technical assistance to business and industry as major vocational education functions; changes in career counseling; and a sound funding base for vocational education. The next section summarizes the presenters' perceptions of the future, noting the need to equip people to adapt to a variety of jobs; the continuing demand for engineers and engineering technicians; the likelihood of close national scrutiny; and employer demand for advanced level skills from two-year college graduates. Finally, a compilation of the changes suggested by the presenters is provided, including the need to decrease student waiting lists, eliminate governance problems, upgrade technical faculty, and increase company-specific training. (LAL)
Publication Type: Opinion Papers
Education Level: N/A
Authoring Institution: Ohio State Univ., Columbus. National Center for Research in Vocational Education.
Note: Paper developed for the American Vocational Association Board of Directors.

domain: library


For all ambient noise measurement methods, a measured noise spectrum is superimposed on a family of contours (or curves).
Noise Rating NR
(in accordance with ISO 1996)
In Europe, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) defines Noise Rating (NR) as a graphical method for assigning a single number rating to a noise spectrum. It can be used to specify the maximum acceptable level in each octave band of a frequency spectrum, or to assess the acceptability of a noise spectrum for a particular application. The method was originally proposed for use in assessing environmental noise, but it is now used frequently for describing noise from mechanical ventilation systems in buildings. The NR of the spectrum corresponds to the value of the first NR contour that is entirely above the spectrum.
Noise Rating NR32
Noise Criteria NC
(in accordance with ANSI S12.2-2008 and -1995)
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) defines the NC rating to describe the noise in a space by examining a range of frequencies. The NC rating of a spectrum is designated as the value of the lowest NC curve above the measured octave-band spectrum. The measured noise criteria, e.g. NC30, informs that the room performs better than that. The designating number for any NC curve is, approximately, its Speech Interference Level (SIL): the average of the levels in the 500, 1000, 2000 and 4000 Hz octave bands. SIL is a simple metric, which measures the effects of noise on speech intelligibility. The XL2 Analyzer includes the tangency method adaptation in accordance with the standard.
Noise Criteria NC30
Room Noise Criteria RNC
(in accordance with ANSI S12.2-2008)
The RNC method is used to determine noise ratings when the noise from heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems at low frequencies is high, and which is also suspected of containing sizeable fluctuations or surging. It essentially represents a rumble criterion. The RNC curves also provide a procedure that reduces the result essentially back to the NC curves when systems are well designed and acoustically well-behaved.
Room Noise Criteria RNC48
Room Criteria RC
(in accordance with ANSI S12.2-1995)
The RC criterion curves are a system for use in the design of heating, ventilating and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems in office buildings, dwelling units, etc., where the desired mid-frequency levels are in the range of 25 to 50 dB. Each RC criterion curve bears a rating number equal to the level at 1000 Hz.
- Neutral spectrum (N): The levels at 500 Hz and below do not exceed the RC curve corresponding to a sound level spectrum by more than 5 dB; and the spectrum levels in Band 1000 Hz and higher do not exceed the corresponding RC curve by more than 3 dB.
- Rumble (R): Excessive noise in low-frequency band. The level in one or more of the octave bands at and below 500 Hz exceeds the RC curve corresponding to a spectrum by more than 5 dB.
- Hiss (H): Excessive noise in high-frequency bands. The level in one or more of the octave bands at and above 1000 Hz exceeds the RC curve corresponding to a spectrum by more than 3 dB.
- Vibration and rattle (RV): The level in one or more of the octave bands from 16 Hz through 63 Hz exceeds the criterion for moderately noticeable rattle.
Room Criteria RC32
Preferred Noise Criteria PNC
(in accordance with ASA 1971)
The American Statistical Association (ASA) defines the PNC curves as an extension of the basic Noise Criteria system. They have been used in the past to judge the acceptability of ventilation and other background broadband noise.
PNC curves are less often used than Noise Criteria curves because they are more stringent at lower frequencies than the Noise Criteria curves, and also because the latest (2008) version of Noise Criteria curves includes an extended frequency range somewhat mitigating the original motivation for PNC.
Preferred Noise Criteria PNC34


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When I was a little girl, I adored mermaids. Even as a grown-up, I still love the mystique and idea of beautiful mermaids swimming in our oceans. What’s the next best thing to a real siren of the sea? A studio shoot mermaid session where your little person gets to pretend – with a gorgeous tail! After doing a few a these, it makes me sad I never captured one with my own daughter. I have never seen kids laugh and enjoy themselves so much! It’s truly not just a photography session, it’s really a time for kids to feel as though they are a mermaid.
For the month of June, I’ll be offering specially priced mermaid sessions on two dates: June 19th and June 25th. During these 20 minute photo sessions, your little person will get to play in bubbles, hold sea shells, wear crowns, and flop their little tails to their heart’s content. I have two brightly colored backdrops I’ll be using, so you’ll get a great variety of smiles and fun. These sessions will help create lifelong memories for your little one, because we have so much fun during them.
To book your own mermaid session, please send me a message or book your own session time through this link. If you have any questions, or need a recommendation where to buy your own tail, let me know! You are free to borrow my tails and crowns. My tails fit up to about a size 5T, depending on the size of your little one. They are super stretchy and may even fit a tad bigger.
Have any questions? Feel free to contact me :-). I’d love to hear from you and get you your own mermaid session!
Leave a Reply

domain: artistic


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With a stay at Belizean Shores Resort in San Pedro (Ambergris Caye), you'll be close to GoFish Belize. This beach resort is within the vicinity of Belizean Melody Art Gallery and Ambergris Museum.
Make yourself at home in one of the 48 air-conditioned rooms featuring kitchens with full-sized refrigerators/freezers and stovetops. Your room comes with a memory foam bed. Rooms have private balconies or patios. 40-inch LCD televisions are provided, with cable programming available.
Rec, Spa, Premium Amenities
Enjoy a range of recreational amenities, including an outdoor pool, a spa tub, and an outdoor tennis court. Additional amenities include babysitting/childcare (surcharge), gift shops/newsstands, and wedding services.
Grab a bite to eat at the resort's restaurant, which features a bar and a pool view. You can also stay in and take advantage of room service (during limited hours). Relax with your favorite drink at a bar/lounge or a swim-up bar. Breakfast is available for a fee.
Business, Other Amenities
Featured amenities include a business center, a computer station, and multilingual staff. Planning an event in San Pedro? This resort has 2500 square feet (232 square meters) of space consisting of conference space and meeting rooms. A roundtrip airport shuttle is complimentary at scheduled times.
We just got home from a 6 day vacation with our 2 teenage sons. We had fun kayaking to the reef to snorkel, renting bikes, cave tubing and enjoying the pool. We felt safe letting them wonder on their own. Staff was super and the room was spacious. Way cheaper and less uppity than sister hotel Coco Beach. There is no such thing as a true beach anywhere on the island so don't let that review be a deterrent. All restaurants on the island are pricey as well as the grocery stores.
Nice but not the best. The restaurant is mediocre. There are too many mosquitos...bring a lot of bug spray. The rooms are condos and nice but can get even more for your money. The staff attempts to be pleasant...but most of them seem preoccupied with other things on their mind. I would stay at the sister hotel cocoa beach; but even though the condo was nice not there again. I loved going into town- on the water taxis to San Pedro and Caye Caulkner. The beach at the hotel is filthy. I would never stay here again
Staff was great and room was very good. Although there were a lot of storms and heavy rains the staff made the trip enjoyable. Water taxi is a quick trip to town. We took the day drip sailing and snorkeling and had a good time, crew was great, lunch was great. The air cconditioner tripped the breaker a couple of times. Once we found where it was, easy to reset.
Overall we had a great experience. The only negative was that you had to take a water taxi to get to town which only ran every hour or so therefore you really had to plan around the taxi schedule to get to town.
Clean and spacious accommodation at a modern condo complex in a quiet location several miles north of San Pedro. Friendly staff responsive and helpful. Emails replied to! Call ahead for complimentary pick up to and from San Pedro airport. Great pool with a very small bar good if not inexpensive food in the third floor restaurant with terrific views the bar and restaurant close early so its fairly quiet there at night. All condos face the ocean and all are well-furnished with full kitchen utensils. Bring your own late-night snacks. The upper units all have a large balcony and an open sleeping loft - ideal for kids. Theres a large pier at the entrance to the property where kayaks are available and where the boats to town stop. The tour operators office is on the pier theyre knowledgeable and resourceful. Nobody bothered or tried to sell us anything the whole stay... how refreshing is that? Overall a really nice tranquil place to stay at on Ambergris Caye.
This place is a hidden jem...away from the hustle and bustle of San Pedro, its quiet and relaxing. However, one need only walk onto the dock and consult the Tuff E'Nuff staff to make your trip exciting and fullfilling. They hooked us up with a great scuba dive master, a great mainland tour of cave tubing and Mayan ruins, and had a variety of other options for our time there. Relax or play, you can do it at Belizean Shores. The rooms were spacious, clean and had full kitchens if you wanted to 'stay in'. If not, you are a 10 minute boat ride from town, or a short walk on the beach from some great restaurants. The staff is friendly and helpful, and the swim up bar is what the doctor ordered! We are actually trying to find a time to get back- We were very happy with Belizean Shores!
My husband and I stayed at Belizean Shores for 9 days just recently. We really enjoyed the stay. The staff was incredibly helpful and so nice. The pool and swim up bar are beautiful. We met a lot people hanging out there:) The grounds and the condos are very clean and gorgeous. The Upper Deck restaurant that is above the lobby really had the best food in area. It was very authentic and delicious. The staff in restaurant was great! We organized nearly all of our adventures through the guys at the Tuff n' Enff shop at the Belizean Shores boat dock. Every trip that we went on, arranged through them, was awesome! Belizean Shores is about 4 miles from San Pedro, so we would suggest purchasing the water taxi pass, otherwise you pay each time. We will defintely be back to Belizean Shores!!
Have stayed at Belizean Shores twice, enjoyed and loved each time. Enjoyed the seclusion of the resort. The walk to town was enjoyable; we stopped along the way to rest and have a drink. Took the water boat back to the resort. Staff was very friendly and helpful in arrangng a fishing/snorkeling trip. Plan to go back every year.
We went to San Pedro number one to dive and second to enjoy the night life. This hotel is almost 4 miles or a 15 minute water taxi ride from town. The water taxis run on the hour and stop running at 10 PM. So you need to plan around them. The cost was $11 Belizean each. (Buy tokens at the dock!!) You can get a private boat to take you to the hotel after 10 PM, but they ranged from $35 - $50 Belizean. The road is in VERY poor condition so don't plan on getting into town via golf carts or regular taxi - they won't North of the bridge. The hotel restaruant and bar closed early (8 PM) every night. The room was nice and the staff were very friendly but next time we'll stay closer in town for ease of getting around. The diving was fantastic!!
Staff was the greatest. Made you feel like you were a VIP. The grounds were immaculate and the pool is fantastic. People to socialize with, but definitely not crowded as some I have been to. \n\nAccommodations were spotless with all the amenities of home.\n\nMore activities than we could find time to do. So, we relaxed and went at our own pace, deciding we would definitely come back and do the activities we didn't get to on our next visit or the one after that. \n\nWe are hooked and look forward to seeing our new Belizean friends again.\n

domain: travel


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Finished the book and was absolutely blown away by it! One of my favorite reads in a while. On a separate note to either Mrs. Beyer or anyone who knows, what was her role on General Hospital? My cousin is a huge fan of the show and recognized her but couldn't figure out who she was.
Wow. Weird. My mother watched the show. I totally recognize that face!
Really loved the book. What an excellent entry. I only wish we knew when the next book was coming out.
On a personal note, this book was bought and read while one of my parents was in hospital dying. I just want to say that of all of the ST books currently out there that I could have picked up, this one was one was a perfect choice
. An inspired choice. There were more than a handful of times that had me in tears. But really hopeful tears. Just thinking of O' Donnell makes me tear up right here. Thank you Ms. Beyer!

domain: literature


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Retirement Accounts When You Change Your Job
This video discusses issues related to your retirement accounts when you move on from your job.
Have A Question About This Topic?
Learn how to address the challenges that women face when planning for retirement.
Pundits go on and on about how “terrible” or “wonderful” annuities are, but they never talk about whether annuities are right.
Help determine the required minimum distribution from an IRA or other qualified retirement plan.

domain: economics


Apple might excite people with the new iPhone 8 and iPhone X smartphones, but Samsung is the company that is out-innovating the South Korean electronics giant right now.
Samsung has teased that it will be releasing a bendable smartphone in 2018, with Koh Dong-jin - president of mobile business at Samsung Electronics, said that there are multiple problems to overcome first. Dong-jin explained: "As the head of the business, I can say our current goal is next year. When we can overcome some problems for sure, we will launch the product".
The problems that Samsung faces to reach a bendable smartphone include the company getting to the point of mass-producing a foldable smartphone that is not just thin, but feature-packed isn't easy. We should expect to hear more about Samsung's plans soon, where I'm hoping to see something shown off at CES 2018 in January.
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Recent studies suggest that hydrogen has great therapeutic and prophylactic potential against organ injury caused by oxidative stress and inflammation. Here authors investigated the effect of hydrogen-rich saline on airway inflammation and remodeling in a murine model of asthma. Asthma was induced by ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and challenge. Then mice were treated with normal saline or hydrogen-rich saline at low and high doses. Cell counts and cytokine levels in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were determined, bronchial tissue was analyzed for pathology, and expression of MUC5AC, collagen III, VEGF, and total and phosphorylated NF-κB p65 was measured. Immunohistochemistry was used to identify levels and localization of VEGF expression in lung. The results showed that hydrogen-rich saline reduced cell counts and levels of cytokines IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and TNF-α in BALF. Hydrogen-rich saline treatment also significantly decreased mucus index, collagen deposition, and expression of MUC5AC, collagen III and VEGF. The ratio of phospho-NF-κB p65 to total NF-κB p65 was much lower in mice treated with hydrogen-rich saline than in untreated mice. These effects of hydrogen-rich saline on airway inflammation and remodeling were dose-dependent. These findings suggest that hydrogen-rich saline reduces airway inflammation and remodeling in OVA-exposed mice by inhibiting NF-κB.
Xiao M, Zhu T, Wang T, Wen FQ. Hydrogen-rich saline reduces airway remodeling via inactivation of NF-κB in a murine model of asthma. Eur Rev Med Pharmacol Sci. 2013 Apr;17(8):1033-43.


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By Didier Quemener
“These are recipes you will truly do, and the chef offers effortless instructions... good performed Chef Q!” – Janice MacLeod, writer of recent York instances most sensible vendor Paris Letters
You don’t need to go back and forth to Paris to consume like a Parisian! as an alternative, choose up Chef Q in Paris: the autumn Collection for speedy, scrumptious and simple recipes that would have you ever purchasing and cooking like a Parisian very quickly. during this pleasant cookbook, Parisian deepest chef Didier Quémener stocks recipes and cooking guidance that may upload a few oh los angeles la in your culinary repertoire.
This choice of artistic and foreign appetizers, mains and muffins additionally features:
- Secrets to cooking in “papillote” and assistance for the creamiest soups
- Desserts which are scrumptious and sturdy for you
- Anecdotes that shipping you to France and counsel for buying the easiest seasonal produce—wherever you live
- A Thanksgiving wine record made from Chef Didier’s own reviews spent having fun with his favourite vacation within the U.S.
Check out Chef Q in Paris: the autumn Collection, the publication that demystifies French cooking and is helping you arrange clean, tasty nutrients that would depart your site visitors shouting encore!
Why did you opt to target seasonal cooking?
Seasonal items are the foremost to nice cooking! to really get pleasure from nutrition at its most sensible, we need to delight in what nature provides us—and on the time while it is able to be on our plates. for example, i cannot see myself cooking a cherry pie in December or a French apple tart in June! stick with the seasons, and logically your food might be tastier.
French delicacies sounds scrumptious yet French cooking sounds demanding. Are your recipes effortless? concerned? someplace in-between?
That's one other delusion that wishes a very good debunking! like several nice food during this global, French delicacies begun within the geographical region the place humans needed to be clever and frugal, utilizing items to be had to them at a given time. at the present time, French "haute-cuisine" is a special ballgame, but if it involves conventional, unique and attractive French cooking, there's not anything complex approximately it. The recipe? somewhat time, the correct items and the ideal method!
You're a French-American chef dwelling in Paris who occasionally works within the U.K. and sometimes travels the realm. i am guessing i'm going to locate overseas affects on your cookbook, and never simply French recipes, right?
You're right! that is what i like approximately touring: being uncovered to various cuisines, items, tales in the back of recipes, and so forth. i admire to benefit approximately new meals and constituents, and spot how the locals use them of their cooking. Then I convey my discoveries again to my very own kitchen!
Read or Download Chef Q in Paris: The Fall Collection PDF
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Additional info for Chef Q in Paris: The Fall Collection
Chef Q in Paris: The Fall Collection by Didier Quemener

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Save the Children Sweden
In the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), children live in a precarious and unsafe environment, denied the enjoyment of many of their basic rights on a daily basis. The purpose of this Child Rights Situation Analysis (CRSA) is to analyze the situation of children’s rights in the oPt in order to assist child rights actors to shape their strategies towards enhancing, advocating for and ensuring a better realization of Palestinian children’s rights in the oPt. Gaps in the fulfillment of children’s rights can easier be spotted through an analysis that bears a rights based as a fundament. Both the legislation and its realization (or the lack thereof) are part of this analysis and therefore essential in mapping and addressing child rights violations. This CRSA serves as an advocacy basis to urge governments to allocate the needed attention and funds on the most pressing subjects that need to be addressed in order to improve the situation for children in oPt. This is a review of the first CRSA developed in 2008.


Kickapoo Casino – Harrah Okla.
This unique structure, made from fabric, includes a gaming floor, porte-cochere, bar, restaurant, administration area, and parking. Because the walls aren’t tied to the structure in a typical manner, the lighting is anchored differently and flexible ductwork is incorporated into the structure. Because of it’s rural location, the project includes a fully-contained water distribution system.
Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma
Selser Schaefer Architects, The Friedmutter Group
CM - At Risk


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Hong Kong may have missed the boat with Gordon Tietjens, but they must find a ready-made replacement for Gareth Baber
With Ben Ryan on the market and Ben Gollings close by in mainland China, the hunt for a new coach is on and the union need to find an experienced campaigner to step in
Gareth Baber is out at the end of the year and one can’t help but think – did Fiji’s sluggishness in announcing a new coach cost Hong Kong a crack at Gordon Tietjens?
Tietjens – the most successful sevens coach ever – stood down in early September, calling to an end 22 years at the helm of New Zealand after a poor showing at this year’s Rio Olympics.
By mid-October Tietjens had accepted a role as coach of Samoa.
Ben Ryan also stepped down from his job with Fiji at the start of September, although it took them until the end of October to replace him.
Maybe, just maybe, if Hong Kong were in the market for a coach a bit earlier they may have had a chance to land “Titch”.
Wishful thinking, perhaps, but the chances of Hong Kong landing a genuine big name to replace Baber is not.
The team are quite well placed and, after narrowly missing a spot on the world series at this year’s qualifying tournament, should enter next year’s event in a position to go one better.
Portugal, last season’s relegated team, and Spain, who won the Olympic repechage before a tough campaign in Rio, are the main dangers, but with no Japan, Hong Kong have every right to be confident.
However, the departure of Baber will make the lead-up to next year’s sevens an interesting one and landing the right replacement is crucial.
Hong Kong coach Gareth Baber to replace Ben Ryan as coach of Fiji in the most sought-after job in rugby sevens
Everything seemed to be going swimmingly and the continued improvement Baber was so hot on was there, however gradual, until Fiji pulled one out of left field.
For Baber the move was a no-brainer, while it also shines a very positive light on Hong Kong rugby and the progress made in sevens here.
The reality of sport is that coaches move on and the benefits of Baber’s three-year stint are obvious, but one can’t help but feel that his departure has come at an awkward time.
The Hong Kong Rugby Union has said former Wales international Jevon Groves – who recently came on as assistant – will act as interim while it searches for a permanent replacement.
Baber said he expected things to carry on as normal under Groves and he has created such a well-drilled environment that he could be right.
But whether that happens is another thing and what looked to be Hong Kong’s best chance yet of earning a spot on the world series now faces uncertainty.
One would think the union will want an experienced replacement to keep the side moving forward.
They surely have the resources to chase a big name and the fact that Hong Kong has long been known as the home of sevens could well act as a draw card.
Throw in the fact that Hong Kong are almost within touching distance of a world series berth and there might be enough there to convince an established coach to take them on.
Ryan is obviously the biggest name on the market, but he looks to be favouring consultancy roles for the time being.
The lure of Hong Kong would certainly be there for Ryan, having seen the love affair the Fijians have with the city and it would be a more stable position than the one he has just exited.
Another name that springs to mind is Ben Gollings, who is coaching sevens in China. He is one of the best sevens players of all time and is regarded as a fantastic tactician.
One way of another, it would seem that nothing short of a ready-made coach will fill the void left by Baber.
It is now up to the union to get Baber’s replacement right, or risk losing some of the ground they have worked so hard for.


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HARYANA FINANCE Minister Captain Abhimanyu on Thursday said the state was faring better on all fiscal parameters now than it did during the previous Congress regime. He pointed out that the government has brought down the revenue deficit from 1.9 per cent, during the Congress government’s reign to 0.94 per cent in the state budget for the year 2017-18. A target has been fixed to make it zero per cent by 2019, the minister asserted.
What else is making news:
Congress MLAs staged a walkout, saying the finance minister did not have any satisfactory reply to the questions raised by them. Replying to the discussion on budget in the Assembly, Captain Abhimanyu said the opposition cannot find a reason to criticise the budget and claimed that the state was in a debt trap. Dismissing all allegations as baseless, he said the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the state, which was 5.7 per cent in 2014-15 first went up to 8.7 per cent last year and GDP of nine per cent is projected for 2017-18.
“The Congress government had taken huge loans that were in the accounts of power companies. We took over the loans and are paying lesser interest now. Still they are blaming us. In the present budget, we have taken the capital expenditure up to 21 per cent which is a record,” said Abhimanyu. He further said that post-demonetisation, VAT collection has increased by 16.7 per cent. Earlier in the day, calling it a hollow and directionless budget, Choudhry described it as a “rudderless ship with no anchorage”. “Unfortunately, the finance minister is saying that the economy is in the pink of health. This is the third budget that the government is presenting and cannot hide behind the reason that this is the legacy of the previous government. I want to compliment the FM for making the best of a bad job,” she said.
The CLP leader said the excise policy during the Congress tenure ended cartelisation. However, the excise policy announced recently had reversed this. Besides, under the Fasal Bima Yojana, premium was taken from farmers but they have not been compensated for crop loss, added Choudhry. Another BJP MLA Kamal Gupta said concerns raised by the opposition about increasing debt were unfounded.

domain: finance


When it comes to portable speakers, the Soundbot SB340 is a standout choice. This compact speaker delivers high-quality sound that’s perfect for on-the-go listening. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the Soundbot SB340 and explore what makes it such an excellent choice for music lovers who want great sound quality without sacrificing portability.
## The Design of the Soundbot SB340
The first thing you’ll notice about the Soundbot SB340 is how compact it is. Its small size makes it easy to carry around wherever you go, whether you’re heading to the beach or going for a hike. Despite its size, however, this speaker packs a punch when it comes to sound quality.
The design of the Soundbot SB340 is sleek and modern, with a stainless steel grill and rubberized exterior that provides protection against bumps and scratches. The stylish design ensures that this speaker will look good no matter where you take it.
## High-Quality Audio Performance
One of the most impressive features of the Soundbot SB340 is its audio performance. It delivers clear and powerful sound that’s well-balanced across all frequencies. With dual 40mm drivers and an advanced bass enhancement technology, this speaker can easily fill any room with rich, detailed audio.
One advantage of this speaker over other portable options is how crisp vocals come through as if they are right there in front of you – making your voice calls much better than some built-in microphones in smartphones.
The built-in rechargeable battery allows for up to six hours of continuous playback time on a single charge. Additionally, the Bluetooth 4.1 technology allows for seamless pairing with your smartphone or other device from up to 33 feet away.
## Convenient Features
Along with its impressive audio performance, the Soundbot SB340 also includes several convenient features designed to make your listening experience more enjoyable. For instance, the speaker includes a built-in microphone that allows you to take hands-free phone calls.
The control buttons on the top of the device are large and easy to use, making it simple to adjust volume or skip tracks with just a button press. Additionally, this speaker is compatible with Siri or your phone’s voice assistant feature, allowing you to make voice commands without having to touch your phone.
## Compatibility with Multiple Devices
One of the Soundbot SB340’s most significant benefits is its compatibility with multiple devices. The speaker can connect via Bluetooth technology, but it also has an aux-in port that makes it possible for you to connect directly to any device that has an audio jack.
In addition, this speaker is fully compatible with both iOS and Android devices, as well as other platforms like Windows and Mac OS. This enables users to seamlessly transition between different devices for their music needs without any hassle.
## Final Thoughts
If you’re looking for a portable speaker that delivers high-quality sound in a compact design, look no further than the Soundbot SB340. With its advanced audio technology, convenient features, and versatility in connectivity options – ranging from wireless connection through Bluetooth technology or wired through auxiliary cable – this speaker will satisfy all of your music-related needs while on-the-go.
In summary: The Soundbot SB340 is an excellent choice for anyone who wants high-quality sound in a compact package. Its sleek design ensures good looks on-the-go while still providing the kind of audio performance required by audiophiles. Additionally, its compatibility with multiple devices makes it easy for users to switch between platforms whenever they need without sacrificing quality or convenience.


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Assessment of genetic divergence in wheat lines (Triticum aestivum L.) involving biochemical and protein markers in rainfed conditions
Keywords:antioxidant, diversity, flavonoid, phenolic, SDS PAGE
Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is the important and strategic cereal crop for the majority of world’s populations. It is significant staple food of about two billion people. In next few years, world demand for wheat is expected to be 40 percent higher than that of its level today. Keeping in view the importance of the crop research work was conducted in the laboratory of Plant Breeding and Molecular Genetics, University of Poonch Rawalakot, AJK, Pakistan. The aim of the research was to find out the genetic diversity of different wheat lines. In the experiment, 50 different lines of wheat species (Triticum aestivum L.) was used to detect genetic diversity by utilizing Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis and biochemical analysis. On the basis of biochemical analysis lines 3111 and 3123 was diverse among 50 lines for antioxidant activity by using DPPH radical and 3135 and 3139 for phenolic contents and for flavonoid 3148 and 3107 was found more promising. Molecular characterization by SDS PAGE showed diversity in three wheat lines 3136, 3138 and 3110. These wheat lines could be our potential lines for future wheat improvement program as they were also promising regarding to the high yields.
Autran JC, Pogna NE, Kudryavtsev AM, Navilov NI (1995). Use of genetic variation in the improvement of quality in durum wheat. In: Di Fonzo N, Kaan F, Nachit M (Edd). Durum wheat quality in the Mediterranean region. Zaragoza: CIHEAM (Mediterranean Options: Series A. Mediterranean Seminars; n. 22). Seminar on Durum Wheat Quality in the Mediterranean Region, 17-19 Nov 1993, Zaragoza (Spain), pp 173-180.
Ayed S, Karmous C, Slim A, Amara HS (2010). Genetic variation of durum wheat landraces and cultivars using morphological and protein markers. African Journal of Biotechnology 9:8277-8282. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJB09.1862
Bartosova ML, Kosik T, Kobida L (2013). Free flavonoid content and antioxidant activity of winter wheat in Sustainable Farming System Journal of Microbiology, Biotechnology and Food Sciences 2:2099-2107.
Belcredi NB, Ehrenbergerova J, Fiedlerova V, Belakova S, Vaculova K (2010). Antioxidant vitamins in barley green biomass. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 58:11755-11761. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf1014389
Benmoussa M, Vezina LP, Page M, Yelle S, Laberge S (2000). Genetic polymorphism in low-molecular-weight gluten in genes from Triticum aestivum, variety Chinese Spring. Theoretical and Applied Genetics 100(5):789-793. https://doi.org/10.1007/s001220051353
Bietz JA, Wall JS (1972). Wheat gluten subunits: Molecular weights determined by sodium sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Cereal Chemistry 49:416-430.
Chang CC, Yang MH, Wen HM, Chern JC (2002). Estimation of total flavonoids contents in propils by two complementary colorimetric methods. Analytical Journal of Food Drug 10:178-182. https://doi.org/10.38212/2224-6614.2748
Ehrenbergerova J, Belcredi BN, Kopacek J, Melisova L, Hrstkova P, Macuchov S, Vaculova K, Paulickova I (2009). Antioxidant enzymes in barley green biomass. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition 64:122128. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11130-009-0113-4
Feillet P (2000). The grain of wheat; composition and utilization. Edition INRA, France. Pp 308.
Ghafoor K and Choi YH, Jeon JY, Jeo IH (2009). Optimization of ultrasound assisted extraction of phenolic compounds and antioxidants from grape seeds. Journal of Agriculture and Chemistry 57(11):4988-4994. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf9001439
Gianibelli MC, Gupta RB, Lafiandra D, Margiotta B, MacRitchie F (2001). Polymorphism of high Mr. glutenin subunits in Triticumtauschii: characterization by chromatography and electrophoretic methods. Journal of Cereal Science 33:39-52. https://doi.org/10.1006/jcrs.2000.0328
Hammer O, Harper DAT, Ryan PD (2001). PAST: Paleantological statistics software package for education and data analysis. Palaeontologia Electronica 4(1):9.
Hatano T, Kagawa H, Yasuhara T, Okuda T (1988). Two new flavonoids and other constituents in licorice root; their relative astringency and radical scavenging effects. Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin 36:2090-2097. https://doi.org/10.1248/cpb.36.2090
Koleva II, Beek TAV, Linseen JPH, Groot AD, Evstatieva LN (2002). Screening of plant extracts for antioxidant activity: a comparative study on three testing methods. Phytochemical Analysis 13: 8-17. https://doi.org/10.1002/pca.611
Liu RH (2007). Whole grain phytochemical and health. Journal of Cereal Science 46:207-219. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcs.2007.06.010
Nakamura H (2001). Genetic diversity of high-molecular-weight gluten in subunit compositions in landraces of hexaploid wheat from Japan. Euphotic 120:227-234. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1017514423061
Payne PI, Holt LM, Jackson EA, Law CN (1984). Wheat storage proteins: their genetics and their potential for manipulation by plant breeding. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society London 304:1120. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1984.0031
Picard P, Greneche DMB, Zivy M (2005). Potential of two-dimensional electrophoresis in routine identification of closely related durum wheat lines. Electrophoresis 18:174-181. https://doi.org/10.1002/elps.1150180131
Porto CD, Calligaris S, Celloti E, Nicoli MC (2000). Antiradical properties of commercial cognacs assessed by the DPPH test. Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry 48:4241-4245. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf000167b
Ruiz M, Quijano MR, Metakovsky EV, Vazquez F, Carrillo JM (2002). Polymorphism variation and genetic identity of Spanish common wheat germplasm based on the gliadin alleles. Field Crops Research 185-196. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-4290(2)00139-9
Sneath PHA, Sokal RR (1973). The principles and practices of numerical classification. Numerical Taxonomy: W. F and Co. Freeman, San Francisco.
Starovicova M, Galova Z, Knoblochova H (2003). Identification of glutenin markers in cultivars of three wheat species. Czech Journal of Plant Breeding 39:51-57. https://doi.org/10.17221/379-CJGPB:
How to Cite
Copyright (c) 2023 Mehvish RAMZAN, Wang LIHONG, Huma TARIQ, Syed F.A. GILLANI, Saima SHAFIQUE, Adnan RASHEED, Mahmoud F. SELEIMAN
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Open Access Journal:
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domain: biology


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Ghanian singer Becca releases the official video for her S.A House single “Move” featuring Kwaito Guru, Uhuru. The video was shot in South Africa with cameo appearances from Hugh Masekela & Yvonne Chaka.
I love this song, Becca is one of my favorite when it comes to sensational joints… ?
Did you miss the AUDIO? get it HERE!


Finding ways to cut the time it takes to perform a task while maintaining accuracy in the work is a big job that hospital and medical facilities administrators typically undertake. One big improvement over decades past in medical care came with the advent of the reduction in price of electronic equipment, and thus medical digital imaging was born. One integral component that helps to improve speed, accuracy and communications capabilities is the use of a radiology PACS system.The radiology PACS is used after the raw digital data is gathered to allow physicians and other medical technicians to view, send and receive as well as store the digital medical images. It is for this very reason that hospitals and other medical facilities that process many thousands of digital images each year often utilize a PACS as a router.The digital data that is captured must be correct if the patient is to receive excellent patient care, and this is handled by the computed radiography imagers in place. Computed radiography systems such as the Fujifilm CR units take fast, high-resolution images that you can view in seconds after the image is taken, enabling you to take others immediately if the early ones are not of excellent quality for diagnostic purposes. Systems such as those provided by Fujifilm CR also offer an affordable option for small and mid-sized medical clinics to add digital imaging to their full range of diagnostic tools.The PACS system enables enhanced viewing of digital medical images. Digital images from a variety of modalities can be viewed using pan and zoom features, while accurate digital measurements can be made as well. Three-dimensional digital images may also be displayed on a clinical workstation, allowing for even more information necessary for precise diagnoses.Communications are also enhanced through the use of a PACS appliance. Digital images can be sent and received over the internet, shaving valuable time off each instance that a digital image is processed. Physicians and other authorized personnel with an administered username and password can access the system through a local-area network, wide-area network or even a virtual-private network, so that consultations can happen in a matter of seconds rather than days, and for a much lower cost than meeting in person.A PACS, and a mini-PACS, can be scaled to suit your specific medical facilities’ needs in terms of speed, accuracy and communications, and offer an affordable value.
fujifilm cr,computed radiography,radiology PACS,health


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A recent LA Times article misunderstands how renewables are integrated onto the electric grid. While the topic is admittedly complicated, this article gets almost everything incorrect. Here is a point-by-point correction of the errors in the LA Times piece along with an overview of recent analysis from the grid operator in California (the California Independent System Operator, or CAISO).
The article makes several incorrect and unsupported assertions, addressed below:
Fact #1: It is unlikely that the state will experience a shortage of flexible power by 2017.
Last year, the California Public Utilities Commission required the grid operator to examine the need for flexible reserve needs in four scenarios in which renewable energy provides 33% of California’s electricity, and in all four cases it found zero additional need for flexible reserves to accommodate 33% renewables. This finding was documented in a 2011 regulatory filing that was endorsed by the California grid operator and all major utilities in California.
Fact #2: Nuclear and fossil fuel power plants can go offline much more rapidly than renewable energy.
In California, nuclear and fossil-fired power plants can take 2800 MW of generation offline in 1/60th of a second, which is a far greater challenge for grid operators and at a far greater cost for the power system. The 1000 MW change in wind output can be forecast using weather modeling; the failure of a fossil or nuclear plant cannot.
Fact #3: Adding renewable energy will not increase the use of fossil fuels.
As explained above, the addition of renewables has no major impact on the need for reserves in the state, far less than the effect of fossil and nuclear generators on reserve needs. Regardless, even if renewables did cause a significantly increased need for reserve capacity, that would not increase the use of fossil fuels. There is no fuel use or emissions associated with a power plant that is providing capacity or reserves, as any output that it provides directly offsets an equivalent amount of fuel and use and emissions that would have come from another source.
Fact #4: Integrating renewable energy will not affect California’s reserve margin.
Fact #5: The California Public Utility Commission does not expect a sharp rise in electricity prices in the coming years.
The PUC’s Energy Division has been working on a five-year rate forecasting project and found that, overall, utility rates are expected to increase by just 2 to 3 percent a year over the next five years. “This tracks inflation,” said Terrie Prosper, a spokesperson for the PUC. “The drivers of the rate increase are the general need for infrastructure improvements, most of which would be needed even if there was not a (renewable energy) mandate.”
Fact #6: Renewable energy output does not change significantly on a second-to-second time-frame, while the output of nuclear and fossil plants does.
Wind and solar output do not change significantly on a second-to-second time-frame, more on the hour-to-hour timescale. However, nuclear and fossil plants do.
Dozens of wind integration studies, including many conducted in California, have confirmed that adding wind and solar to the grid only results in modest increases in total system variability. This is partly because changes in wind and solar output occur slowly, as it takes hours for a weather system to move the hundreds of miles necessary to affect a large share of a region’s renewable energy capacity. In addition, changes in wind or solar output are often canceled out by opposite changes at other wind or solar plants, or by opposite changes in other sources of electricity supply or demand. Moreover, changes in wind and solar output can be forecast by using advanced weather models, allowing grid operators to plan ahead and even more readily accommodate their output. Any incremental variability that is not accommodated through these factors can then be addressed by using slightly more of the same type of reserves that are already used to accommodate the variability and uncertainty that has always been on the power system.
In contrast, failures at large fossil and nuclear power plants occur instantaneously and without warning, requiring grid operators to keep large quantities of expensive, fast-acting reserves on hand 24/7/365 to be ready in case an outage occurs. For example, in February of last year, dozens of fossil-fired power plants failed in a cold snap in Texas, causing rolling blackouts. In another example, earlier this year, a nuclear power plant in California had to be taken offline after jellyfish clogged its water intake equipment.
Fact #7: “Spinning reserves” are gradually added into the grid to accommodate changes in demand, regardless of the mix of electricity generation.
Spinning reserves are power plants that are producing but at less than their maximum output so that they have room to ramp up their output if needed. Power plants can provide spinning reserve with virtually no decline in efficiency. Spinning reserves are used to accommodate all changes on the power system, not just changes in renewables, and the CAISO analysis discussed below indicates that renewables are a very small contributor to spinning reserve needs.
Reserve plants do not activate just in time to avoid blackouts; rather, there is and always has been a continual adjustment process to accommodate constant fluctuations in supply and demand.
Overview of recent CAISO integration analysis
Analysis conducted for the CAISO earlier this year further documents that the reserve needs in a 33% renewable energy future are only slightly higher than in the status quo, and that large fossil and nuclear power plants impose a reserve requirement that is a dozen times larger.
The CAISO February 2012 analysis compared the reserve needs and challenges associated with reliably accommodating two different generation mixes for the state. In one scenario, all of the state’s electricity needs were met from natural gas, while the other scenario 33% of California’s electricity was obtained from renewables plus shutting down many of the state’s conventional power plants with once-through cooling systems.
Analysis of data in the report indicates that moving to a 33% renewable system from an all-gas system causes a 3-4% increase in total system reserve costs. In 2010, all of these reserve costs accounted for less than 1% of the total cost of energy in the California electricity market. Therefore, on an average household’s monthly electric bill of $100, the increase in reserve costs in the renewables case would work out to an increase of around 3-4 cents!
Moreover, it is important to point out that the cost of the contingency reserves needed to accommodate large fossil and nuclear power plants account for around 45% of the total reserve costs for the state, while in the renewables case the incremental reserve need for wind and solar amounted to 3.7% of total reserve costs. Thus, the total reserve costs for large fossil and nuclear plants are therefore a dozen times larger.
Most importantly, adding renewable energy to the power system drives down the energy costs that make up 99% of the electricity market costs in California, yielding consumers significant savings on net. Wind and solar energy have no fuel costs and adding them to the grid displaces the most expensive power plant that is currently operating. A study from earlier this year found that adding wind energy to the grid in the Midwest would save consumers between $5 and $15 per month.
CAISO is already implementing a number of market reforms to make its system work more efficiently and better accommodate large amounts of renewable energy. They are also implementing faster transmission scheduling to allow more efficient movement of power within California and between California and its neighbors. By making their market mechanisms work faster and more efficiently, CAISO will help reduce the cost of accommodating all sources of variability on the power system. Finally, CAISO has also been a leader in using wind energy forecasting.
Wind and solar energy have no fuel costs, and adding them to the grid displaces the most expensive power plant that is currently operating. Adding renewable energy to the power system drives down the energy costs, yielding consumers’ significant net savings.
To learn more about wind power’s reliability visit Truthaboutwindpower.com.
The additional scenario that was not required by the CPUC looked at a large increase in electricity demand in the state, and found that with higher electricity demand there would be an increase in the need for flexible reserves. However, that increase in reserves should not be attributed to the increase in renewables energy use, as the four renewable-only cases did not find any increase in need for flexible reserves. Even under the high load growth assumption, almost half of the needed capacity had to be built anyway to meet local voltage support needs due to conventional power plant retirements.
Contingency reserves are fast-acting, expensive reserves needed to reliably accommodate the unexpected failures of large fossil and nuclear power plants. Regulation reserves are fast-acting, expensive reserves used to accommodate variability in all sources of supply and demand on the power system. Load following reserves are slower, lower-cost reserves used to accommodate slower variability in all sources of supply and demand on the power system. Contingency reserves are provided half by spinning and half by non-spinning reserves. Load following reserves were assumed to be provided by non-spinning reserves.
In California in 2010, regulation reserves cost $10.6/MWh, spinning reserves cost $4.1/MWh, and slower-acting non-spin reserves cost $0.6/MWh on average. Including the costs for these reserves allows for a direct comparison between the reserve cost for the all-gas case versus the renewables case, which shows a 3.7% increase in reserve costs for the 33% renewables case:
All Gas = $14,317 per hour
Renewables = $14,850 per hour
Even if California had a capacity market like some other regions, rather than an energy-only market, the total cost of the additional 300 MW of reserve capacity needed in the 33% renewable case, at capacity market costs, would add about 17 cents per electric bill, for a total cost of 20 cents per electric bill (see math below). Of course, the capacity costs for large fossil and nuclear power plants’ contingency reserves would also be a dozen times higher.
300 MW x 365 days x PJM capacity cost of $136/MW-day = $14.9 million/year divided by $8.6 billion total CAISO market cost = 17 cents per $100 electric bill.


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It used to be that when people thought about wine tasting, they thought about swirling expensive glasses while snacking on brie in Napa Valley. It was a boujee, sophisticated weekend activity reserved for wealthy couples and the occasional bachelorette party. Now, literally every state in America has a wine region, even Alaska. So while the image of high-class leisure may be a bit diluted, the experience is far more accessible.
Belle Joli Winery has experienced some milestones over the years, but being part of the recent christening of the USS South Dakota submarine could be the high-water mark.

domain: geography


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From The National Law Journal:
Noriko Uno did everything she could to stop her 2006 Camry. She steered away from oncoming traffic and slammed the brakes. When her foot got stuck under the brake pedal, she engaged the emergency brake.
“She was doing the best she could to control the runaway rocket she was strapped to,” attorney Garo Mardirossian told a Los Angeles jury on Monday during closing arguments against Toyota Motor Corp.
But Uno died after her car slammed into two telephone poles and eventually collided with a pepper tree. Mardirossian represents Uno’s husband and son, whose case against Toyota is the subject of the opening bellwether trial over sudden acceleration defects.
Toyota’s attorney, Vincent Galvin, managing partner of the San Jose, Calif., office of Bowman and Brooke, insisted that the plaintiffs hadn’t proved their case, which centers on whether Uno’s foot got stuck under the brake pedal, causing the car to lose control.
“That’s the basis of their case,” he said. “The stuck foot theory the plaintiffs have doesn’t cause acceleration the way the plaintiffs claim.”
Hundreds of similar lawsuits against Toyota are pending in Los Angeles County, Calif., Superior Court before Judge Lee Smalley Edmon, who is overseeing the consolidated litigation in California state court cases. A bellwether is defined as a case selected, usually by mutual agreement of both parties, to go to trial ahead of similar cases because the facts best represent the mass tort litigation as a whole. That means a verdict in the case could serve as a barometer for the rest of the California cases, and for hundreds of personal injury or wrongful death cases across the nation.
Hundreds more cases have been coordinated in multidistrict litigation before U.S. District Judge James Selna in Santa Ana, Calif., who is scheduled to hear the first trial in that proceeding on November 5.
Additional trials are scheduled this year in state courts in Oklahoma, where the first trial was scheduled to begin on October 7, and in Michigan, beginning on November 5.
Most of the litigation has alleged defects with the electronic throttle control system, not the accelerator pedals or floor mats that led to the recall of nearly 10 million vehicles.
Uno’s survivors, however, have centered on the lack of a brake override safety system that would have automatically put the engine into idle, possibly saving her life. Mardirossian seeks $20 million in damages.
He emphasized to jurors that photos taken soon after the accident showed that the emergency brake in Uno’s car had been depressed. He criticized Toyota’s experts, claiming they were paid $1.5 million for their testimony, and tried to deflect an allegation that Uno, who was diabetic, was responsible for the crash.
“She never had an episode of hypoglycemia in her life, and yet they want to blame her,” Mardirossian said.
After hearing two months of testimony, a jury now will decides who is responsible for the 2009 accident and, ultimately, Uno’s death.
Galvin told the jury that the crash caused so much damage that Uno’s foot got stuck under the pedal upon impact, not half a mile up the road. He also defended the vehicle’s brakes, which he claims Uno didn’t use.
“There’s no claim that this brake system is defective at all,” he said. “If she had used the brakes, the vehicle would have stopped.”
The case also involves claims against Olga Bello, 86, whose 2003 Lexus struck Uno’s vehicle minutes before it began racing down a residential road in Upland, Calif.

domain: law


Kim Kardashian Freaks Out Over Baby Shower on KUWTK (VIDEO)
4:15 pm, September 27th, 2013VIDEO
Kim Kardashian freaks out over her baby shower on Sunday’s upcoming episode of “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” after her family gets too “controlling” in the party planning process.
In a preview, the reality star snarks at Khloe and Kourtney Kardashian, who are arranging the shower, telling them, “I already bought everything on my registry.”
Check out the video below!
“Keeping Up With the Kardashians” airs Sunday at 9 p.m. on E!
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DUBLIN (Reuters) - Apple ditched plans to build an 850 million euro ($1 billion) data center in Ireland because of delays in the approval process that have stalled the project for more than three years, the iPhone maker said on Thursday. FILE PHOTO - An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Apple announced plans in February 2015 to build the facility in the rural western town of Athenry to take advantage of green energy sources nearby, but a series of planning appeals, chiefly from two individuals, delayed its approval. Ireland’s High Court ruled in October that the data center could proceed, dismissing the appellants who then took their case to the country’s Supreme Court. “Despite our best efforts, delays in the approval process have forced us to make other plans and we will not be able to move forward with the data centre,” Apple … [Read more...] about Apple scraps $1 billion Irish data center over planning delays
BusinessTechnologyWorldNationalMedia & CultureOpinionSportsLuxury Newsletter Signup Technology By The Motley Fool 07/07/17 AT 9:40 AM This article was originally published on the Motley Fool.Pandora Media (NYSE:P) was the first big player in the digital music-streaming space, but it has quickly fallen behind on-demand streaming competitors.In this clip from Industry Focus: Tech, Motley Fool analyst Dylan Lewis and senior tech specialist Evan Niu explain how players like Spotify and Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) Music have picked up Pandora's slack to become market leaders, how Pandora is just now starting to try to close that gap, and what management has said on the matter.A full transcript follows.Dylan Lewis: The push for the company over the next couple years is going to be on-demand streaming in the United States. And that space is absolutely dominated by Spotify and Apple Music right now.Evan Niu: Right. None of these … [Read more...] about Why Apple And Spotify Are Beating Pandora In The Music Streaming Race
DUBLIN (Reuters) - Apple (AAPL.O) will not proceed with a planned data center in Athenry, Ireland, because of delays in the planning approval process, RTE reported on Thursday citing a company statement. FILE PHOTO - An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. REUTERS/Mike Segar/File Photo Apple had announced plans in February 2015 to build the facility in a rural location in the west of Ireland to take advantage of green energy sources nearby, but the project has faced a two-year delay due to planning objections. Reporting by Padraic Halpin, writing by Estelle Shirbon,; Editing by Alistair Smout … [Read more...] about Apple drops plans for data center in Ireland due to planning…
Published May 09, 2018 Markets Motley Fool Facebook Twitter Comments Print Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) knocked its earnings report out of the park, but a couple of numbers seemed a little alarming at first glance. In this Industry Focus: Tech clip, analysts Dylan Lewis and Evan Niu explain why a spike in Apple's inventory isn't as bad as it sounds, and is actually more of a smart, planned decision. They also discuss why Apple's ding from foreign exchange is nothing for investors to worry about. Continue Reading Below A full transcript follows the video. 10 stocks we like better than AppleWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has quadrupled the market.* David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Apple wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are … [Read more...] about What’s Going On With Apple’s Inventory?
0 View Comments IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) — A top aide to Gov. Kim Reynolds took a management job with tech giant Apple months after helping promote a $208 million incentive package for the company's planned Iowa data center as a good deal for taxpayers. Tim Albrecht left as Reynolds' deputy chief of staff to begin work at Apple in March as a regional manager of strategic initiatives. Albrecht's position is "unrelated" to the $1.3 billion complex the company is building outside Des Moines, a deal the administration negotiated, announced and defended when Albrecht was Reynolds' senior adviser, according to the governor's office. Supporters of the Apple project have argued that it's a landmark development for the fast-growing city of Waukee that will strengthen the state's tech industry. Critics, including some economists and Democrats running for governor, have blasted the $208 million in tax breaks pledged by the city and state, saying they're far too generous for a project that … [Read more...] about Aide to Iowa governor touts Apple deal, gets job at company


The world has been experiencing the pros of technological advancements in every sector, be it digital or any industry for that matter. Each one has established its unique position in the market for its specialized features.
In the world of transportation and logistics, the goal is to minimize human workers, make it more efficient, and ease operations on the floor. Additionally, utilizing autonomous robots in the supply chain at the storage facilities and making the process much easier and more productive.
With a similar belief, to enhance the operation and establish exceptional logistics, Jeroen Dekker, the Founder, accompanied by his business partner, Jean Lahaye, gave birth to an e-fulfillment logistics company named Active Ants.
As the name implies, Active Ants are work-around autonomous mobile robots, also referred to as AMRs. The warehouse has four ants working with precision. These include Worker Ants, Carry Ants, and Packing Ants, with just one human worker as an Active Ant.
Active Ant warehouses have a capacity of 200,000 bins in a fully functional 20,000 square meters of pure e-commerce logistics. The transportation within the storage is also executed by AMRs to minimize human error while maximizing proficiency in operations.
The machinery is so prompt and effortless in automated packing, customized printing, automated sorting, and much more. The operations are tailored for sustainability with qualitative efficiency, also called “Webshop Fulfillment.” Sounds interesting, right?
Let’s take a magnified look at the AMR-centered logistics of Active Ants and learn more through the interview highlights:
Please brief our audience about Active Ants, its USPs, and how it is currently positioned as one of the most reliable companies in the fulfillment services sector.
Active Ants is currently the most Efficient and Innovative E-fulfilment company on the market. Our high adoption of robots and automatization through machines makes us one of the most reliable fulfillment companies in the sector. It all started around 7 years ago when we integrated the AutoStore, one of our biggest USPs, into our process.
The AutoStore, a cube-shaped framework in which plastic bins are placed on top and next to each other, gives us the possibility to store products 600% more efficiently than traditional warehouse solutions. On top of the framework, drive robots that bring the separate bins with products to our operators in the picking stations.
Because every robot knows exactly which product lies in which bin, our picking process is flawless. Next to that, because of the robots, our employees don’t have to walk for miles through traditional shelves to pick (complete) orders.
Once the AutoStore became a huge success, we decided to take it one step further. The processing of the orders, from picking to packing and eventually shipping, could be (more, better and more efficiently) automated as well. Therefore, we decided to make the whole process, from picking to sorting, automated.
It starts with 3D cameras that measure every product going into the AutoStore. Once an order comes in, a program starts to ‘play Tetris’ with the ordered products to choose the smallest shipping box possible. This shipping box is set up by a machine and picked up by an AMR robot.
The AMR robot brings the open shipping box to the picking station. At the picking station, the products are picked directly into the shipping box. Once complete, the AMR robot brings the box to the automated packing machines.
Here, the machines first measure how much ‘room’ is left in the shipping box. The sides of the box get cut accordingly and folded inside to pack as less air as possible. This way, we save at least 30% per package in excess air and, therefore, room in the Delivery Trucks.
The shipping box is sealed by a lid. The shipping label is printed directly on this lid, which saves excess labels. Apart from that, the rest of the lid can be printed in full color, completely to the liking of our client. Design can be changed within hours, which gives our clients huge possibilities concerning customer experience and building a relationship with the customer. Once the order is packed by the machines, the AMR robot will sort the package to the proper last-mile carrier.
Share with us your mission and vision statements.
More efficient and higher quality order processing through automation and robotization.
Tell us more about your service and solutions offerings. Also, what are the key benefits offered by your company to its clients?
We offer multi-client e-commerce fulfillment for small to medium webshops. We offer higher-quality fulfillment because our process is (almost) completely automated. This minimizes the chance of mistakes.
Next to that, our cross-border expertise is a big advantage for our clients. We can give them better prices for last-mile delivery and much more (international) options.
Also, with different facilities throughout Europe, we are now able to offer a multi-warehouse solution. This means we allow our clients to divide their stock over our different facilities, and therefore being closer to their (international) end-consumers.
Lastly, the possibility to personalize packaging through our automated packing machines is a huge advantage for webshops. First and foremost because it helps with the customer experience and customer retention, but also because it’s way easier and cheaper to brand the packaging.
Otherwise, webshops would have to do everything themselves and then also pay for the storage of their branded packaging.
Please tell us about your (featured person’s) journey and how you have helped with the development and enhancement of the outreach of your company.
Jeroen Dekker is the founder, together with his business partner, Jean Lahaye, of Active Ants. After they developed and managed the first webshop (ever!) in the Netherlands, they found that the logistical processes behind these webshops still lacked the needed capacity and know-how. They took their learnings from their webshop and started building Active Ants, still named Alpak Shop services at that time.
Their main thought was, ‘How amazing would it be if we could automate the complete logistical (order) process for webshops.’ And so, it started. First, a Warehouse Management System was built, Maya, which is still the key software component of the company. After that, they started innovating more with the implementation of the AutoStore and now the completely automated warehouses that we’ve opened in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, and shortly the United Kingdom.
As an experienced leader, share your opinion on how the adoption of advanced technologies has impacted the fulfillment services sector and how your company is adapting to the change.
We ARE the change. We were one of the first companies to implement the AutoStore in such a way that we do. And we are the first company to have a completely automated processing of orders in place. The use of AMR robots, the way that we do, is unprecedented. These last few years, we’ve seen other companies make big strides as well, although they are mainly focused on one aspect of the process and not the process as a whole. However, we do believe these changes are needed in every business. As the workforce grows slimmer and the motivation for people to work in places such as a warehouse is declining rapidly, we need sustainable solutions for the future. The use of robots and automation within E-fulfilment is that solution. Employees walking for miles through isles without bathroom breaks, and stressing out because of unreasonable KPIs, should be something of the past and these solutions will make that possible.
In your view, what are the existing challenges for the fulfillment services sector in your operating region? And how are you strategizing your company’s operations to overcome them?
Sustainability as a whole. In the first place, the employees deserve proper working conditions. On the other hand, the environment itself. E-commerce is still growing and will keep growing exponentially in the coming years. A sustainable solution to reduce the footprint of all the companies involved in E-commerce is much needed because order volumes will only increase. And with that also the amount of waste, delivery trucks, and other unwanted CO2 emissions.
We as a company are in very close contact with all of our clients to reduce our footprint more and more. The way we pack our orders, and the general set-up of our process, already contribute a lot, but we want to take further responsibility. Therefore we actively advise clients on how they can reduce their footprint, like signing up for a Recycle program in the countries they operate.
And, of course, we keep looking at how we can reduce our footprint. That’s why we’ve, for example, rented a BREAM-certified warehouse in the UK and achieved the same certification for our facility in Roosendaal, the Netherlands.
As an established industry leader, what would be your advice to budding entrepreneurs and enthusiasts aspiring to venture into the fulfillment services sector?
Think hard about which kind of clients you’d like to service. Starting with the question if you’d want to go for ‘contract logistics’ or ‘multi-client logistics.’ And after that, which ‘niche’ you’d like to focus on? The number of webshops is still growing in every country, but the market is getting more mature.
Webshop entrepreneurs know better and better what they want and how they want to position themselves. The era of the ‘attic-webshop-entrepreneurs’ is slowly passing, and professionalism within the market is rising quickly. As a fulfillment provider, this means that one solution doesn’t fit all anymore. You’d have to find out what are key ingredients for your target (niche) group are and focus on that.
How do you envision scaling Active Ant’s services in 2022 and beyond?
We’re far from done. After our expansion to the UK, many other countries are still on the agenda. And, as said, we keep looking for ways to innovate further within our processes, so we can keep reducing our footprint and make it more employee-friendly.
Please give us a few testimonials from your clients/customers and a list of awards/recognitions that accurately highlight your organization’s position in the market.
Awards: Second place on the Transport & Logistics Awards in Belgium in the category Logistics Project of the Year 2022.


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I write articles, book chapters, columns and my own books.
In 2023, the book 'Rechten voor de Natuur' will be published by Lemniscaat. It is a book full of examples and stories of Rights for Nature around the world. From Mother Earth in Ecuador to the Whanganui River in New Zealand. This book shows that anyone can get started with Rights for Nature, not just lawyers.
Previously, I co-wrote with Dr. Laura Burgers the compendium 'Rights for Nature: case studies of six continents' for the Embassy of the North Sea. You can order the compendium here. I also contributed to the books Jongeren. Klimaat. Nu' (Lemniscaat 2021), Voor altijd Jan' (The Optimist 2021), 'Narratives of the forest' (Elmo Vermijs 2021) and many more.
I also write articles. One of my best-read articles is the plea for De Correspondent: Onze planeet leefbaar houden? Geef bossen en rivieren rechten.
You can read my columns about Rights for Nature and my personal experiences for the platform 'VanafHier' here.
Feel free to contact me for collaborations or ideas:


Plantronics Voyager Legend headset drains battery
Anyone using a Plantronics Voyager Legend headset with their Galaxy S5? Im on conference calls about 5-7hrs a day and about 2-3weeks ago got this headset to replace my drying Plantronics Voyager Pro HD headset. The Legend works great but what I notice in the battery usage section, Bluetooth shows as highest usage when Im on say 4hrs of calls and that's about all the battery lasts.
If I go back to my Plantronics Voyager Pro HD and take the same level of calls, I can easily go 4-5hrs and Bluetooth is no where on the top of the list of the battery usage. Also have more battery left over say like 40% still left over. My Voyager Pro HD only lasts about 3.5-4hrs now, battery isn't as good as before where it would go 6hrs solid. The Legend goes 7hrs but kills the phone in the process.
Something with how it seems the Legend connects to the S5 and causes it to use more power. I cant find specs on the Legend or Pro HD to see what Bluetooth levels they operate on.