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As a child, I remember my eyes burning under the fluorescent lights in school. The constricting feeling of jeans filled me with panic, so I wore leggings until I was a teen. (Maybe I became a yoga teacher just so I could wear leggings instead of business attire.) As an adult, I still complain about seams in my underwear, and I even wrote a song about it.
I know what it’s like to feel profound empathy toward complete strangers, as well as intense emotional overwhelm about global injustices I read about online. As I sit here writing this post, I’m processing so much in this active mind of mine that it’s hard to write coherent thoughts.
I used to feel like there was something wrong with me. Now I know that what I just described is all simply related to the gift of high sensitivity — even if it doesn’t always feel that way. Highly sensitive people (HSPs) are the 20 percent of the population who feel and process things deeply, from sights to sounds to emotional cues. We read people well, notice details that others miss, and are extremely perceptive, but we also get easily overloaded and overwhelmed.
It took me until my 30s to see my sensitivity as a strength. Today, I lead retreats for highly sensitive people and introverts in order to build a sense of belonging among those of us who feel like outsiders due to our unique traits. Many attendees tell me they leave these retreats with a renewed sense of purpose and hope.
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As a child, my sensitivity was not understood by the adults in my life. I was “too emotional” and needed to “toughen up.” That’s why I’m writing this post. We need to encourage our children to love their sensitivity from a young age. Here are seven things we should communicate to our sensitive children.
What Highly Sensitive Children Need to Hear
1. “All of your emotions are acceptable.”
At some point in our lives, most of us have been told not to cry. While tears might be gaining an iota of societal respect, emotions such as anger, anxiety, and hurt continue to be judged as “unhealthy.” Highly sensitive children (HSCs) are wired to fully experience the entire spectrum of human emotion. When we give HSCs permission to experience their emotions without being told they’re bad, they benefit in a powerful way. Then, we can teach them tools to transform an emotion such as anger into creative fuel to do something constructive.
2. “It’s healthy to experience emotion about injustice.”
As a young child, I got extremely emotional whenever I saw or even heard about bullying or racism. As I got older, political conversations about injustice easily landed me in tears. But I was told I was “overreacting” and needed to let it go — unfortunately, a common experience for many HSCs.
At an early age, HSCs need to hear that it’s okay to get upset when they see others experiencing pain. This is a compassionate response, not an overreaction. Rather than dismissing their experiences, we need to acknowledge the hurt. When the time is right, help your child take meaningful action, such as starting a fundraiser, speaking out, or making a donation to a charitable organization that fights for the cause.
3. “Let others know when you need alone time.”
Highly sensitive adults aren’t the only ones who need alone time. I recently saw a video of a little girl pouting and stating that she “just wants to chill in nature away from people.” It made me laugh, but really, I feel her pain — she’s probably a highly sensitive person, an introvert, or both.
HSCs, whether they are introverts or extroverts, will need alone time after stimulating activities like attending birthday parties or play dates. Even just a normal day at school — with all its noise, activity, and socializing — can be fatiguing and overwhelming for them. Let’s teach HSCs to ask for alone time proactively. That way, it won’t come in the form of a meltdown later.
4. “Listen to your body.”
HSPs are highly intuitive and can naturally sense subtleties. Unfortunately, our conditioning moves us away from listening to what our bodies intuitively tell us, so we may lose this connection as we get older. That’s why we should teach sensitive children to notice how their body feels, for example, when they eat a certain food or hang out with a certain friend. Similarly, when they are overwhelmed, we can teach them to find a place in their body that feels calm (like a finger or toe). This is a powerful grounding skill HSCs can use to regulate their bodies’ responses.
5. “It’s okay to say no.”
Children are accustomed to hearing the word “no,” but they usually don’t get permission to use it themselves. Obviously, it’s up to parents to set their own boundaries for when “no” is acceptable. But consider asking if your child wants to go to Henry’s birthday party before simply sending the RSVP. Certainly, “no” is a delicate balancing act with children, but if encouraged mindfully, it can be an important step in learning healthy boundaries.
6. “Take all the time you need to process.”
Just like adult HSPs, HSCs may require extra time to process information. According to Dr. Elaine Aron in The Highly Sensitive Person, one of the four characteristics of all highly sensitive people is “depth of processing.” This means that when HSCs receive information, they think about it deeply, analyzing the issue from many different angles and connecting it to a larger picture. Depth of processing can make life rich and meaningful for HSPs, but it also slows us down. Simply being patient and allowing your child extra time to process honors this special gift.
7. “The world needs special people like you.”
There’s no question that our world needs more empathy, listening, and understanding. Sensitive children can also be extremely analytical and creative. Let’s show them — through our words and actions — that even though the world is challenging at times, their sensitivity is a gift that can help others in countless ways.
You might like:
- Is Your Child Highly Sensitive?
- What Happens When a Highly Sensitive Person Grows Up With Emotional Neglect?
- 13 Problems Only Highly Sensitive People Will Understand
This article was originally published on IntrovertDear.com.


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When the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) became law in 1970, Congress established five Schedules with specific regulations and oversight and then determined the placement of prescription and illicit drugs into the five classifications. Schedule I was reserved for wholly prohibited drugs that were dangerous and addictive with no medical value. The CSA established a commission to study cannabis and propose placement, but during this research period, Assistant Secretary of Health Roger Egeberg suggested that Congress temporarily make cannabis a Schedule I drug.
The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse, more commonly called the Shafer Commission after its chairman, led the research. Participants included Republican Governor Raymond Shafer, Republican Congressman Tim Lee Carter of Kentucky, Republican Senator Jacob Javits, Democratic Senator Harold Hughes of Iowa and various medical doctors, college presidents, attorneys and psychiatrists. Their findings? Cannabis was plagued by ludicrous propaganda, and Congress should end its constitutionally questionable prohibition. Chairman Shafer, who titled the report "Marihuana, A Signal of Misunderstanding," even seemed to endorse responsible recreational use.
Shafer knew this was not the conclusion that Nixon wanted, and he met with the President in the Oval Office before presenting the report. According to public transcripts, Nixon said those who fight prohibition are “not good people,” and he warned the former Governor against presenting an honest account of the commission’s findings. “You're enough of a pro to know that for you to come out with something that would run counter to what the Congress feels and what the country feels, and what we're planning to do, would make your commission just look bad as hell,” said Nixon.
Shafer, to his credit, delivered the report and called for an end to prohibition, yet cannabis remained a Schedule I drug and a historic racist led a congressional subcommittee that sought to refute the commission two years later. Nixon reportedly ramped up cannabis prohibition for political and racist reasons, and Mississippi Senator James Eastland, who headed up the refutal, is a segregationist who called on the public to defy the Supreme Court ruling that desegregated schools. This rich plantation owner-turned-senator seemed happy to demonize cannabis and support its prohibition.

domain: news


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Jenner & Block Partner Larry P. Ellsworth will be leading a discussion before the DC Bar concerning the consequences of a recent US Supreme Court decision in which, after nearly two decades of silence on the issue, the Court has weighed in on insider trading. Practitioners remain divided on what, if anything, will be different about prosecutions of civil or criminal insider trading cases after Salman. This panel discussion provides the opportunity to hear from both government and private practitioners on outstanding issues. The program, which is sponsored by the Broker-Dealer Regulation and SEC Enforcement Committee of the D.C. Bar Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section, will be held on Tuesday, February 28, 2017, from noon to 1:30 pm at the D.C. Bar Conference Center, 1101 K Street, NW, Washington DC.
Mr. Ellsworth is a partner in the firm's Litigation Department and a member of its Securities Litigation and Enforcement and Class Action Practices. He is a former assistant chief litigation counsel for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Trial Unit. Mr. Ellsworth is a former chairman of the DC Bar’s Broker-Dealer Regulation and SEC Enforcement Committee and previously served as Chairman of the DC Bar’s Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section and of the Administrative Law Section. He now serves on the Steering Committee for the Corporation, Finance and Securities Law Section.


Yet another Democrat has been accused of sexual harassment, but this time his party didn’t hesitate to call for the resignation of first term Nevada Rep. Ruben Kihuen.
Kihuen was accused by his campaign finance director, known only as Samantha, of making unwanted sexual advances and asking for dates that were continually rejected, Buzzfeed reported on Friday.
Samantha, who quit the campaign because she said she was uncomfortable, also said that Kihuen touched her thigh twice.
“The staff member in question was a valued member of my team. I sincerely apologize for anything that I may have said or done that made her feel uncomfortable. I take this matter seriously as it is not indicative of who I am. I was raised in a strong family that taught me to treat women with the utmost dignity and respect. I have spent my fifteen years in public service fighting for women’s equality, and I will continue to do so,” Kihuen said in a statement to Buzzfeed.
But, unlike long serving Sen. Al Franken and Rep. John Conyers, as a first term representative Kihuen is an easy sacrificial lamb and Democrats wasted no time turning on him.
“In Congress, no one should face sexual harassment in order to work in an office or in a campaign. The young woman’s documented account is convincing, and I commend her for the courage it took to come forward,” Rep. Nancy Pelosi said in a statement on Saturday. “In light of these upsetting allegations, Congressman Kihuen should resign.”
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chair Ben Ray Luján also called for Kihuen’s resignation.
“Members and candidates must be held to the highest standard. If anyone is guilty of sexual harassment or sexual assault, they should not hold elected office. Congressman Kihuen should resign,” he told Buzzfeed in a statement.
Samantha told Buzzfeed that Kihuen walked her to her car on Feb. 6, 2016, after they attended a fundraiser, when he first allegedly asked her out.
“He followed me to my car and said, ‘You look really good, I’d like to take you out if you didn’t work for me,'” she said.
She told him she had a boyfriend and she left, but his advances allegedly continued in the following weeks.
Samantha described the events to Buzzfeed:
On Feb. 19, Samantha says she accompanied Kihuen to a meeting with Rep. Tony Cárdenas at the Aria Hotel. Cárdenas was in town to support presidential candidate Hillary Clinton ahead of the Nevada caucuses. Cárdenas’ office confirmed that he and his wife stayed in the hotel that weekend. In the elevator on the way to the meeting, Samantha said Kihuen told her, “We should get a hotel room here.”
“I said ‘no’ very firmly and he just laughed at me. It was humiliating,” she told BuzzFeed News.
Kihuen drove on the way back from the meeting to their campaign office, with Samantha in the passenger seat. Samantha said Kihuen again asked if she’d ever cheated on her boyfriend, and started touching her thigh. She told him to stop, and said she said “no” and began talking about her boyfriend.
A separate time, in March, Kihuen asked for help with something on the computer during “call time” — when a candidate makes fundraising calls — and Samantha alleges he grabbed the back of her thigh while she looked at the screen.
“I asked him what he was doing and he stopped.” Samantha left the campaign soon after.
Kihuen, who was endorsed by Hillary Clinton, has given no indication that he will resign.
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Dubai is known for its vibrant fashion scene and its ability to set the trends in the industry. When it comes to color, Dubai’s fashionistas are not afraid to make a statement. From bold and bright shades to unexpected color combinations, Dubai’s fashion scene is a playground of endless possibilities. In this article, we will take a glimpse into the latest color trends that are currently dominating Dubai’s fashion landscape.
One of the standout color trends in Dubai right now is the use of vibrant neon hues. Whether it’s a neon yellow dress or a pair of neon pink heels, the people of Dubai are embracing these attention-grabbing shades with open arms. These bold colors are often seen paired with more subtle tones to create a striking contrast.
Another popular color trend in Dubai is the use of metallic shades. From shimmering silver to glistening gold, metallics are taking the fashion world by storm. Whether it’s a metallic skirt or a sequined top, these eye-catching pieces add a touch of glamour to any outfit.
Dubai’s fashion scene also embraces the power of pastels. Soft pinks, lilacs, and powder blues are seen adorning dresses, blouses, and even accessories. These delicate hues exude femininity and give off an elegant and sophisticated vibe.
In conclusion, Dubai’s fashion scene is a melting pot of colors. Whether you prefer vibrant neons, bold metallics, or soft pastels, there is something for everyone in this city’s fashion landscape. Stay tuned for more updates on Dubai’s latest color trends in the world of fashion.
The Influence of Dubai’s Fashion Scene on Color Trends
Dubai’s fashion scene has been making waves in the industry, not only through its luxurious designs and extravagant events, but also through its vibrant color choices. The city’s fashion influencers have been setting trends and inspiring the global fashion community with their bold and unique color palettes.
The latest color trends emerging from Dubai showcase a fusion of traditional Middle Eastern hues with modern and edgy shades. From rich jewel tones like sapphire blue and emerald green to warm desert-inspired tones like burnt orange and sandy beige, Dubai’s fashion scene is continuously pushing boundaries and experimenting with new color combinations.
Moreover, Dubai’s multicultural environment plays a significant role in shaping its color trends. The city’s diverse population brings together various cultural influences, resulting in an eclectic mix of vibrant and unconventional color choices.
In conclusion, Dubai’s fashion scene is a major driving force behind color trends in the industry. Its fashion influencers and designers are continuously pushing boundaries and inspiring the global fashion community with their vibrant and bold color choices. Keep an eye on Dubai for the latest color trends!
The Hottest Color Trends of the Season
Dubai’s fashion scene is known for its vibrant and diverse color palettes. From the luxurious fabrics to the intricate designs, everything about Dubai fashion exudes boldness and confidence.
This season, the latest color trends in Dubai are all about making a statement. Vibrant hues like emerald green, royal blue, and fiery red dominate the runways and streets. These colors not only capture attention but also express individuality and a willingness to take fashion risks.
In addition to these bold and lively shades, metallic tones are also gaining popularity in Dubai’s fashion scene. Gold, silver, and bronze add a touch of glamour and sophistication to any outfit, elevating it from ordinary to extraordinary.
Dubai’s fashion designers and enthusiasts are not afraid to play with different color combinations and experiment with unique shades. Whether it’s contrasting bright colors or mixing unexpected tones, the fashion scene in Dubai is a melting pot of creativity and innovation.
If you want to stay on top of the hottest color trends, look no further than Dubai’s vibrant fashion scene. It’s the perfect inspiration to embrace bold colors and make a fashion statement of your own.
Bold and Playful Colors for Dubai’s Summer Fashion
Dubai’s summer fashion scene is heating up with bold and playful colors. From vibrant reds and electric blues to sunny yellows and tropical greens, the latest color trends are all about making a statement. Dubai’s fashionistas are embracing colorful outfits that reflect the city’s vibrant energy. Whether it’s a bold, head-to-toe monochrome look or a mix of contrasting shades, Dubai’s fashion scene is all about confidence and self-expression. Designers in Dubai are known for their exuberant use of color, and this summer is no exception. Runways are filled with eye-catching prints and patterns, ranging from abstract geometrics to floral motifs. Accessories are also getting a colorful makeover, with statement jewelry, bags, and shoes adding a pop of color to any outfit. From oversized earrings in bright hues to neon handbags, Dubai’s fashionistas know how to have fun with their accessories.
So, if you’re looking to embrace the latest summer fashion trends, take a cue from Dubai’s vibrant fashion scene and experiment with bold and playful colors. Let your outfit be a reflection of your personality and get ready to turn heads wherever you go!
Elegant and Sophisticated Colors for Dubai’s High-End Fashion
Dubai’s high-end fashion scene is known for its elegant and sophisticated colors. From luxurious reds and regal purples to classy blacks and timeless whites, the fashion industry in this vibrant city embraces a wide range of hues.
Elegant colors play a significant role in defining the style and personality of Dubai’s fashionistas. The color palette often reflects the opulence and glamor associated with the city’s luxurious lifestyle. Designers and fashion photographers in Dubai experiment with rich shades like deep burgundy, royal blue, and emerald green, adding a touch of luxury and allure to their creations.
One of the trending colors in Dubai’s fashion scene is gold. Symbolizing wealth and prosperity, this color is frequently incorporated in high-end fashion designs. From golden embellishments to metallic fabrics, gold adds a luxurious touch that resonates with Dubai’s glamorous spirit.
Another popular color choice for Dubai’s high-end fashion is white. Seen as a symbol of purity and elegance, white is often used to create sophisticated and timeless looks. Whether it’s a flowing white gown or a crisp white suit, this color exudes a sense of sophistication and refinement.
Dubai’s fashion scene continues to evolve, offering a diverse range of colors that cater to different preferences and styles. Whether you prefer bold and vibrant shades or understated and classic tones, Dubai’s fashion industry has something for everyone. So, embrace the elegant and sophisticated colors of Dubai’s high-end fashion and elevate your personal style to new heights.
Incorporating Color Trends into Jewelry Photography in Dubai
In Dubai, fashion photography is thriving, with photographers capturing the essence of the city’s vibrant fashion scene. One important element in fashion photography is color trends, which play a significant role in creating visually stunning and captivating images.
As a jewelry photographer in Dubai, it is crucial to stay updated with the latest color trends and incorporate them into our work. By doing so, we can add a unique and modern touch to our jewelry photography, making it more appealing to our target audience.
The latest color trends in Dubai embrace a wide spectrum of shades, from bold and vibrant hues to soft and pastel tones. These trends reflect the city’s diverse culture and cosmopolitan lifestyle. As photographers, we can experiment with these colors by choosing backdrops, props, and lighting techniques that complement the jewelry pieces being photographed.
Incorporating color trends into our jewelry photography elevates the overall aesthetic and tells a story about the piece being showcased. It adds depth, dimension, and a sense of realism to the images, making them more engaging and impactful.
As a jewelry photographer in Dubai, I strive to capture the essence of the city’s vibrant fashion scene by incorporating the latest color trends into my work. By staying connected to the ever-changing fashion landscape, I can create visually stunning images that resonate with my clients and the fashion-forward individuals of Dubai.
The Impact of Color Trends on Dubai’s Fashion Industry
Color trends play a crucial role in the Dubai fashion industry. Dubai is known for its vibrant and lively fashion scene, and color is at the heart of it all. From the runways to the streets, the fashion-conscious residents of Dubai are always on top of the latest color trends.
The impact of color trends on the Dubai fashion industry cannot be underestimated. Trends set the tone for the entire industry, influencing designers, retailers, and consumers alike. The right choice of colors can make or break a collection, and Dubai’s fashion designers are well-aware of this fact.
There is a strong demand for bold and vibrant colors in Dubai. The city’s eclectic blend of cultures and influences is reflected in its fashion choices. From vibrant reds and pinks to bright yellows and blues, Dubai’s fashion scene is never dull.
Color trends in Dubai are not just limited to clothing. Accessories and beauty products also follow the latest color trends. From statement handbags to bold lipsticks, residents of Dubai have a penchant for staying on-trend from head to toe.
In conclusion, color trends have a significant impact on Dubai’s fashion industry. The vibrant and diverse nature of the city is perfectly showcased through the choices of colors embraced by its fashion-conscious residents.
The Latest Color Trends: A Glimpse into Dubai’s Vibrant Fashion Scene
Dubai fashion is known for pushing boundaries and setting new trends in the fashion industry. One of the key elements that defines the fashion scene in Dubai is the use of vibrant and bold colors. From bright yellows to striking pinks, Dubai designers are not afraid to experiment with color.
In recent years, the fashion industry in Dubai has witnessed a surge in popularity, thanks to its unique approach to fashion and its ability to blend traditional Middle Eastern aesthetics with modern influences. This fusion of cultures is also reflected in the color choices made by Dubai’s fashion designers.
To stay on top of the latest color trends in Dubai, fashion enthusiasts and professionals need to keep a close eye on the runways and fashion events that take place in the city. These events showcase the creativity and innovation that Dubai has to offer, making it an exciting destination for fashion lovers.
Whether you’re a fan of bold and vibrant colors or prefer more subtle and muted tones, Dubai’s fashion scene has something for everyone. The city’s fashion industry continues to evolve and push boundaries, making it one of the most exciting and dynamic fashion scenes in the world.

domain: artistic


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Spectacular Iron Age hillfort overlooking the Blackmore Vale. The locations of Iron Age huts can be seen in the interior, and there is an earlier Neolithic long barrow inside the fort too.
With nearby Hod Hill and Bulbarrow, this trio of hill forts all give you views over Blackmore Vale and the chalk ridges of Cranborne Chase.
- Grid reference: ST845124
- Location: Off minor road to Child Okeford from A350 Blandford-Shaftesbury road, just north of Stourpaine.
- Access information: Free access at all times. Limited parking available at entrance to Hod Hill, further along road.

domain: history


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Actor Daniel Baldwin's wife said she and her husband are attempting to reconcile and are dropping divorce filings.
Joanne Baldwin said that "we have a lot of work to do in our marriage and a lot of healing to do".
Daniel Baldwin filed for divorce last month and was granted a restraining order against his 41-year-old wife.
The Oregonian newspaper reports a Clackamas County court recently dismissed the restraining order.
Joanne was jailed on July 13 after her husband reported she became violent when she drank and had threatened to kill him.

domain: sociology


Jejomar Binay, Mar Roxas, Grace Poe, Miriam Santiago and Rodrigo Duterte (as replacement?) had filed COC as President of the Republic of the Philippines, who will win the 2016 National Philippine Presidential Election? This survey poll is unofficial, informal, nor scientific but it reflects opinions of voters. The result is a good indication who is leading the presidential race. Vote for your Philippine President 2016!
Granting of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)
His Excellency BENIGNO S. AQUINO III
President of the Philippines
During the Granting of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), led by the Department of Social Welfare and Development
[September 15, 2010, Cebu Coliseum, Cebu City]
Maayong adlaw sa imong a tanan.
Lahat po tayo ay nangangarap na mamuhay nang marangal at may dignidad. Tinuruan tayo ng ating mga magulang na gawin ang tama upang makamit natin ang isang magandang kinabukasan. Upang mamuhay nang wasto, tinatawag tayo upang sundin ang mga patakaran at maging tapat sa ating lipunan.
Subalit paano ito magagawa kung sa simula pa lamang, ipinagkait na sa atin ang karapatang mamuhay nang may dangal at may kaayusan dahil sa nakamulatang kahirapan? Dagdag pa po rito, parang ubos na ang tiwala natin sa gobyerno—gobyernong nagisnan nating inuuna ang sarili, bago pangalagaan ang interes ng mga maralita.
In my State of the Nation Address, I exposed to you the lavish and irregular expenditures of the last administration. The culture of corruption that it bequeathed to us has infected our society, corrupting our moral fiber by creating the belief that the only means to move forward is through connections to people in high places, or through reckless spending of taxpayer’s money.
We are trying to undo this mindset by filling cases against the corrupt. We are currently investigating the wrongdoings of the previous administration, and once proven guilty, we will punish them to the full extent of the law. We are undertaking these efforts to show that the straight and honest path can lead to progress; that our lives can improve through honesty and hard work. Our administration is committed to helping you tread the righteous path, by helping our people rise above poverty.
We are doing this through our Conditional Cash Transfer program, through the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, and by increasing investments in education, health and nutrition.
I am aware that these programs can be improved. There have been complaints about payment issues such as lower-entitlement and no cash in card. Missing names in the payroll list or delay in the delivery of cash grants are hindrances to the program’s objectives. I am happy to report that we are fine-tuning the mechanisms of this initiative. We will solve these problems, undo the bottlenecks, and make this program more effective.
Secretary Dinky Soliman and the Department of Social Welfare and Development are implementing the National Household Targeting System to identify the families that most urgently need assistance. This ensures that social funds are spent wisely on the most vulnerable members of our society. A well-targeted CCT program will truly afford the poor’s opportunity to enjoy basic human services that were once extremely difficult to avail.
Sa atin pong pagtugon sa inyong mga hinaing, sinisiguro po nating maaalis ang mga nang-aabuso at nandadaya lamang bilang mga benepisyaryo. Makakamtan po ng mga nararapat na mapagkalooban ang suportang-pinansyal. Hindi natin kukunsintihin ang mga nagsasabwatan sa pagbibigay ng salapi upang sila lamang ang makinabang.
Our country is beginning to see better days ahead. I have already submitted the budget for 2011 to Congress. This reform budget, which will fund urgently needed programs on education, health and job generation, is the realization of our platform of government.
As part of our commitment to improve the lives of the people, we have allocated 21.2 billion pesos for CCT which will be distributed to 2.3 million household beneficiaries. I am hoping that our allies in the House of Representatives and Senate will support us in this time of sacrifice by undertaking the necessary steps to pass this budget. We have also received generous grants from Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and Asian Development Bank (ADB).
But I must warn you that not everyone shares our goal of reform. Already the enemies of reform seek to politicize the conditional cash transfer program and question the legality of our Truth Commission. They are organized, well-funded and determined. We need your help and your support in order to succeed in our mission of transforming our country.
Hindi po nagbabago ang ating ipinaglalaban: kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap. Ang pera ng taumbayan ay para sa taumbayan lamang. Tutulungan natin ang mga nangangailangan, bibigyang-lakas natin ang mga nahihirapan. Nalalapit na po ang katuparan ng mga pangarap nating magkaroon ng isang bansang masagana.
Sama-sama po nating tahakin ang matuwid na landas. Panahon na po upang tanggalin ang mga tiwali at itama ang mali. Panahon na upang makamit ang pagbabago. Susuklian po ng inyong goberyno ng tapat na paglilingkod ang inyong pagtitiwala. Kayo pa rin po ang aking boss. Kayo pa rin po ang aking lakas.
Maraming maraming salamat po at mabuhay po kayong lahat!


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By Father Bud Grant
Last month, as at the beginning of every school year, I offered what my students have come to call the “doomsday speech” in my Environmental Ethics class.
The fact that this is the 16th version, and that the news isn’t any better, adds a whole layer of “doom” that, frankly, hits me harder than it can the fresh crop of kids. This leads me to consider the Christian virtues of hope and courage, not to be confused with their secular counterparts.
Over 30 years ago the father of Libyan novelist Hisham Matar was “disappeared” in Egypt where the family had been living in exile from Kaddafi’s regime. His father was extradited to Tripoli. Hisham’s never-stilled hope has been fanned by the liberation of that city. Could his father emerge from some hellish underground prison? He knows this to be exceedingly unlikely. Moreover, he adds, living with vague and dubious hope is something of a curse. Here are his words: “Living in hope is a really terrible thing, people speak about hope most of the time as a very positive thing. … [But] it’s a very dispossessing thing, it’s a very difficult thing to live with. When you’ve been living in hope for a long time, as I have, suddenly you realize that certainty is far more desirable than hope.”
Can you grasp that? Secular hope is a breed of desire; that the worst has not happened, that the situation can be pulled back from the abyss. Clinging to that hope (especially for a long time, especially if it is so tenuous) is a burden. It taints every other life experience with a bitter flatness.
Christian hope is exactly the opposite: it is a yoke borne lightly because it clings to nothing … it has already died. Christians do not grasp at straws to keep desire alive, but rather, we have let go. Our hope isn’t that death won’t happen, but that resurrection will. And this hope is sure.
What does that mean as a Christian environmentalist? Well, for example, it means admitting that anthropogenic global warming is a fact and that it is well progressed. It is causing refugees to leave their homes, ecosystems to unravel and economies to creak under the stress. Hope means that we have obligations to adapt to this new world, not deny it. Christian hope empowers us because it is forward thinking: what will life be like on the other side of a very painful adjustment? How can we ease the burden for those who suffer the most: the poor, other species, future generations? Now, let us get on with it, which requires Christian courage.
Even secular courage is too often “Hollywood miscast” as fearlessness when it is, in fact, overcoming fear. It is finding the reserves, resources and resolve within oneself to accomplish far beyond what one would have thought possible. This is noble. Christian courage is another thing, however. It means acting in compassion for others and for the earth, despite not having the resources and without counting the costs.
Christian courage means letting go of one’s own concerns, even if they are serious; letting go of one’s judgments of those served, even if justified; letting go of all the rationalizations that would impede us from reaching out. For Christian courage is impeded not only by what we think we lack in order to do good, but by what we possess that we don’t want to surrender for the sake of the greater good. Christian courage is doing what is one’s duty as a disciple of Christ the Courageous without thinking about the consequences.
Concerning the courage of Christ: being the Incarnate Son of God must be terribly difficult if, as I suspect, this does not come with guarantees, magic power or perfect knowledge. If, as I suspect, it comes laden with human emotions, physical vulnerabilities and all the limits imposed by one’s moment in history, cultural baggage and social constrictions. Imagine, then, being endowed with cosmic love … and nothing else. This is Christ’s courage. This, then, is Christian courage.
What does this mean for a Christian environmentalist? It means not thinking about the end-game, which means we can skip over all the daunting obstacles between us and it. This, like Christian hope, is liberating. We are freed to act on what we know to be our duty rather than to act only expediently, pragmatically, romantically or idealistically. We do what we know needs to be done, no matter how difficult. “And thus,” to quote John F. Kennedy in his Profiles of Courage (a book that today’s politicians might read!) “in the days ahead, only the very courageous will be able to take the hard and unpopular decisions necessary for our survival in the struggle with a powerful enemy…”
(Father Bud Grant is an assistant professor of theology at St. Ambrose University in Davenport.)

domain: literature


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|Publication number||US4194168 A|
|Application number||US 05/854,517|
|Publication date||Mar 18, 1980|
|Filing date||Nov 25, 1977|
|Priority date||Nov 25, 1977|
|Publication number||05854517, 854517, US 4194168 A, US 4194168A, US-A-4194168, US4194168 A, US4194168A|
|Inventors||Steven M. Jarrett, Michael W. Leitner|
|Original Assignee||Spectra-Physics, Inc.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (3), Referenced by (29), Classifications (15), Legal Events (1)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This invention relates to ring lasers capable of supporting running waves in multidirection of operation, and in particular, relates to a method and apparatus for operating ring lasers in single mode, frequency and unidirection of propagation. The present invention finds particular application to dye lasers of the type in which a laser is used to pump a liquid dye contained within a resonator cavity.
In a normal dye laser the amount of single frequency power available is limited by spatial hole burning. Typically, several standing wave modes of resonance of a laser light beam are established and form nodes and anti-nodes within the gain medium and new modes appear at the places where the original mode had a node of the electric field. These detract from the power output capability of the laser in single frequency operation. An improved form of dye laser takes the form of a ring laser which consists of a plurality of laser mirror elements disposed to support laser oscillation in both the forward and backward mode in the form of running waves so that ring lasers are capable of maintaining a greater portion of the gain medium in single frequency oscillation and therefore are capable of higher power outputs by eliminating spatial hole burning. The running waves in ring lasers are counter-rotating and termed herein forward and backward waves, i.e., clockwise and counterclockwise which can be shown to be necessary to obtain single frequency operation. However, in order to obtain maximum, single frequency output of such a device, it is desired that one of the running waves predominate and that the output be taken from the predominant wave.
Attempts to achieve predominance of one wave over the other have not been completely successful and therefore unidirectional stable operation of such ring lasers has not been achieved in a satisfactory manner. In the ring laser a plurality of mirrors are utilized, three being the theoretical minimum but four being typical in order to more conveniently arrange the laser along a linear path. The laser beam passes clockwise (forward) or counterclockwise (backward) between the mirrors. If an extra mirror is placed behind one of the ring cavity mirrors which is allowed to have a transmission characteristic, selective retroreflection of radiation from behind the one mirror may be arranged and this procedure would appear to make the ring laser operate in a single direction. However, it appears that it is very difficult to simultaneously obtain single frequency operation of the ring laser by that procedure. There is, therefore, a need for a new and improved method and apparatus for controlling ring lasers which will provide for single mode, single frequency, and single direction of operation of uniform, high output.
In general it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved method and apparatus for controlling operation of ring lasers to overcome the foregoing limitations and disadvantages.
A further object of the invention is to provide a ring laser and operating procedure by which most of the power available within the laser can be channelled into a single direction operating mode and becomes available at a well controlled, single frequency of operation.
Another object of the invention is to provide a ring laser of the dye laser type and which provides an increase in single frequency power and which is capable of operation in a single mode and direction.
Another object of the invention is to provide a ring laser and method and apparatus for its operation of the above character which is sufficiently free of overall frequency sensitivity to be capable of being tuned across a broad range of frequencies while inherently maintaining single frequency, single direction mode of operation despite dispersion effects.
Another object of the invention is to provide a ring laser and method and apparatus for its operation of the above character which achieves the foregoing objects with a device of very small loss.
The foregoing objects are achieved in a ring laser structure having a plurality of mirrors arranged to establish a resonant laser cavity capable of supporting backward and forward laser oscillations, and including a laser active media disposed within the resonator and coupled thereto together with means for pumping the laser active media to develop plane polarized running laser beam waves propagating in both forward and backward directions within the resonator. In accordance with the present invention, means are provided for introducing a substantial shift in the character of one of the laser beam propagating waves, so that, as it passes through the resonator structure, it is sufficiently changed that its loss in multiple passes through the structure is substantially increased. The same means leaves the other of the waves substantially unaffected and therefore capable of reinforcement and development of single direction laser oscillation within the ring structure. In particular, it has been found by the use of a pair of polarization rotator devices that it is possible to achieve selective polarization rotation in one direction only for one of the forward or backward waves while substantially maintaining the polarization in the other direction unaffected. It has been determined that a relatively small degree of rotation is adequate to defeat reinforcement and build-up of laser oscillation for waves propagating in one of the directions while permitting the wave in the opposite direction to build up because its polarization is substantially unaltered. As will be explained herein, the present invention operates even when the unaltered wave is shifted substantially in frequency by a tuning mechanism.
In the specific method and apparatus disclosed and claimed, a Faraday rotator coupled with a natural polarization rotator combine to provide a unidirectional or assymetrical device by which the plane of polarization of a forward wave is rotated by the sum of the rotations while the rotation of the polarization of the opposite wave is the difference. By making each of the rotators approximately equal, the difference becomes approximately nil and therefore such wave is unaffected and reinforced upon successive passes in the cavity.
These and other objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a ring laser constructed in accordance with the present invention.
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of a unidirectional rotator used in the ring laser of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of a unidirectional rotator of FIGS. 1 and 2.
Referring now to FIG. 1, there is shown a schematic diagram of the present invention which includes means of forming a resonator cavity consisting of a plurality of mirror elements disposed to support laser oscillation between them. The arrangement is a typical crossed ring laser arrangement which facilitates separation of the beams while generally arranging the same as a linear form. Thus, mirrors M-1, 2, 3 and 4 are disposed to form the resonator. Mirrors M-1, 2 and 3 are spherical while mirror M-4 is flat. Additional mirrors M-0 and M-5 serve as injection mirror and UV output folding mirror respectively.
Means forming a laser active media 10 is disposed in the beam path within the resonator structure and can consist, for example, of a stream of suitable dye having a high laser gain as, for example, rhodamine 6 G dissolved in ethylene glycol, arranged to form a flowing jet through the resonator beam path.
Means is provided for pumping the dye to develop running laser beam waves propagating within the resonator structure and can consist of, for example, suitable optical pumping arrangement such as provided by an argon laser 12. Suitable argon laser is model 171 as manufactured by Spectra-Physics, Inc. of Mountain View, California.
Means is provided for establishing roughly single frequency of operation and can include gross tuner 14 together with an etalon 16 disposed in series in the beam path within the resonator structure. Typically, a three plate birefringent filter is used as the gross, frequency selective tuner. The etalon is used to provide frequency selection and is typically 25 gigahertz band width. The etalon is generally a coated device having 20-30% reflectivity or uncoated device of low loss, low finesse. Typically, the etalon is formed of fused silica having highly parallel surfaces.
A second harmonic generator 18 is typically employed for generating UV radiation from the visible (VS) of the ring laser itself, the UV output being taken through UV transparent mirror M-3 and focused by folding mirror M-5. Visible output is taken from partially transparent mirror M-4.
Means is disposed in the resonator cavity for introducing a substantial shift in the polarization characteristic of one of the running waves of the laser beam selectively as the same passes through the resonator structure while simultaneously leaving the other of the wave substantially unaffected so that selective constructive reinforcement and development of laser power occurs for the unaffected wave as the same passes around the laser cavity. In the present invention the specific structure for accomplishing the foregoing includes Faraday rotator means 20 for introducing a rotation of the polarization of the forward and backward running laser beams together with normal polarization rotator means 22 for cancelling the rotation for a beam of one direction while adding to the rotation for a beam of another direction. More specifically, the means for introducing a rotation in either direction consists of a magnetically biased Faraday rotator 20 while the means for introducing a rotation which is equal but opposite depending upon the direction of propagation of the running wave consists of a normal polarization rotator 22 which may be constructed of high quality crystalline quartz utlizing optical activity. In operation, the crystalline quartz element introduces a rotation which is dependent upon the direction of propagation of the light through the quartz element.
The following specifications have been found satisfactory for normal polarization rotator of the present invention: material highest quality crystalline quartz shaped in the form of a circular disc approximately 0.125 mm thick and having a diameter of approximately 10 mm crystal orientation C axis (Z axis) perpendicular to side faces within ±1°. The faces are anti-reflection coated to reduce reflection losses in the cavity.
In operation the quartz element exhibits optical activity so that the light beam travelling in one direction along the crystal axis of the crystalline quartz has its plane of polarization rotated in one direction if it enters the rotator from one side and is rotated in the opposite direction if it enters the opposite way. By way of example, a preferred form of the present invention utilized a crystalline quartz rotator of the above specifications, the output of which results in an optical rotation of -2.5° for a forward travelling wave and a +2.5° rotation for a backward travelling wave.
The means for cooperating with the normal rotator for developing a rotation of the waves which is the same in either direction preferably consists of a Faraday rod rotator, magnetically biased. The faces of the Faraday rod are anti-reflection coated to reduce reflection losses in the laser cavity. As is known, particular forms of glass when placed in a strong magnetic field, cause rotation of the plane of polarization of plane polarized light if the same is passed in a direction in which the biasing magnetic field has a component. This effect is known for many solids, liquids and gases and in general, if H is the magnetic intensity parallel to the direction of propagation of the light, the rotation of the plane of polarization for a given wave length is given by θ=VH1 where 1 is the length of the path in the field and V is Verdet's constant. V is attributed to the substance itself and is different depending upon the material employed. It is important to note that the magnetic rotation with this effect the direction of rotation does not depend upon the direction of propagation. Consequently, the forward laser wave and the backward laser wave both are rotated the same amount in contrast to natural rotation (optical activity) of the crystalline rotator previously described which changes direction with the change in direction of the backward and forward waves. As a practical matter, both of the rotation devices employed preferably in the present invention should be selected from among those providing the least possible loss so that the system as a whole will develop the highest obtainable power. It is an additional requirement of the present invention that the devices have similar dispersion and that the dispersion be maintained within limits such that the possible necessity for adjustment of the strength of magnetic biasing fields and other variables can be avoided. In this way, the method and apparatus of the present invention may be constructed in such a way that once assembled no further adjustment of the parameters are necessary and wavelength tuning through a range of operation of the ring laser device may be accomplished without readjustment or retuning of any other feature of the unidirectional device. In order to accomplish the foregoing, the Faraday rotator and quartz polarization rotator have been especially selected.
In a particular form, a Faraday rod was constructed having approximately the following physical characteristics: material Hoya FR-5 Faraday rotator glass, finished in the form of a cylindrical disc having a thickness of approximately 1.45 mm and approximately 5 mm in diameter. The finish, figure, and wedge characteristics are of high optical quality suitable for laser intracavity use. This rotator is disposed in a magnetic field of approximately 3,500 to 4,000 gauss. The Hoya FR-5 glass is obtainable from Hoya Glass Works, Optical Division, Tokyo, Japan. It is believed that other Faraday rotator glass materials would be operative in the present invention. However, the particular glass selected and given here has a high Verdet constant and appears to have the lowest loss of presently commercially available Faraday rotator glasses. It has also been used as a Faraday rotator in other laser devices of different type with good experience and therefore suggests itself to the present application. Other glasses of similar character are manufactured by Schott Company as SF-6 and Corning, designated 8363. In addition to glasses, other materials are known to possess significant Faraday rotation characteristics but they are also known to exhibit losses which make them less desirable than the FR-5 glass specified above. Generically, the glasses which exhibit the Faraday rotation effect usually have a relatively high lead oxide content and are generally described in the literature.
The Faraday rotator is disposed in a small, compact mounting 30 (FIGS. 2 and 3) which also encloses a pair of magnets which establish a symmetric magnetic field through the Faraday rotator. Such magnets may be selected from a variety of permanent magnet materials, however, one very suitable structure which is relatively inexpensive but provides a high field consists of samarium cobalt disc magnets. A pair of such magnets provides the field strength given above. Such disc magnets are provided with apertures centrally disposed therein and aligned along the beam path of the optical cavity for permitting the same to pass through the rotator device.
The following is a comparison of the properties of the above Faraday rotation glasses:
__________________________________________________________________________Hoya FR-5 Schott SF-6 8363 (Corning)__________________________________________________________________________VerdetConstant 632.8mm 1.06μ 632.8mm 1.06μ 632.8mm 1.06μ(min/Oe-cm) -0.251 -0.0826 0.093 0.028 0.093 0.028AbsorptionCoeff. 0.0291 0.0086 0.0092 0.0065 0.035 0.015(cm-1)__________________________________________________________________________
By way of example, the following operational specifications were found for one embodiment of the present invention
laser media--rhodamine 6 G dye,
laser pump--4 watt argon ion laser,
dye material, rhodamine 6 G in ethylene glycol,
gross filter, three plate birefringent,
etalon 25 gigahertz pass band or free spectral range,
rotation caused by crystalline quartz normal rotator 2.5° forward direction, -2.5° reverse direction,
rotation caused by Faraday rotator approximately 2.5° in each direction,
power output 900 milliwatts, single frequency, one way 1.3 watts, multifrequency, sum of both ways.
The limits of rotation which are recommended in the present invention are related to loss factors. For constant magnetic field, a longer rod gives more rotation but also more optical loss. If larger rotations are utilized one finds by experiment that 5° rotation of each of the rotators will operate satisfactorily and the loss will not be undue. However, with larger rotations the loss becomes significant and should be avoided. In addition, the cost of materials for such rotators is higher than necessary. Therefore, experimentally, it has been found that 2.5° rotation per rotator device also provided entirely satisfactory operation. The physical dimension of the device becomes so small at 2.5° that the further reduction in size does not provide significant advantage when considerations of the ease of handling and fabricating materials is also taken into account. Accordingly, 2.5° rotation represents a reasonably small rotation capable of accomplishing all of the desired features of the present invention but not making the optical components so small that they are difficult to manufacture and handle. In addition, for the device described the implementation of the biasing magnetic field perpendicular to the polished faces of the Faraday rotator disc is straightforward.
The normal rotator and the Faraday rotator of the present invention may conveniently be incorporated in a unitary structure as exemplified in FIGS. 2 and 3. Thus, as shown, there is provided an outer housing 30 containing a pair of fixture clamps in the form of circular discs having inwardly extending projections 32a, 34a therefrom which supports the samarium cobalt magnets 36, 38. The crystal quartz rotator 22 rests in a recess provided in the end of one of the discs and is held therein by an O-ring seal 40. The Faraday rotator glass element 42 is held between the projections 34a, 36a of the fixtures in a recess together with an O-ring seal 44 for taking up compression. The entire device is easily assembled by sliding the parts together in the relative position shown in FIG. 2 and fixing the same with a suitable set screw 46 passing through the side of the housing and locking the outer fixture and clamp 34 in place. FIG. 3 shows this unidirectional device assembled with all parts in final operating position and also illustrates the aligned aperture through the device through which the beam passes in traversing the rotators.
Thus, there has been provided an improved ring laser structure incorporating unidirectional device for establishing single frequency, single direction oscillation within the cavity. The device has an acceptably low insertion loss and nearly, of itself, provides nearly single frequency operation without the use of an etalon (although an etalon has been shown in the preferred form of the invention to provide assurance of single frequency operation). The device employs normal optical activity and the Faraday effect to achieve selective rotation of the plane of polarization of the backward running wave within the ring structure to thereby cause that running wave to fail to be amplified in successive passes and therefore to die out relative to the unaffected forward wave. It is to be understood that both in normal optical activity and in the Faraday effect, there is significant dispersion, that is to say, the degree of rotation of the normal materials depend upon the wave length as does the Verdet constant of a Faraday rod. In accordance with this invention, these are matched over a wide range of frequencies in such a way that the device works without adjustment of the biasing magnetic field or any other element over the complete tuning range of, for example, rhodamine 6 G dye and is expected also to work in the same way for other frequency ranges of operation with other dyes. Thus, there has been provided a single non-adjustable device incorporated within the ring laser structure free of adjustments to magnetic fields or thicknesses of the components, which device works to render the ring laser unidirectional in operation over the complete tuning range of the dye used. It should also be understood that the degree of match of the dispersion is not highly critical, that is to say, a dispersion range from 2° rotation at 6,000 angstroms might develop to 4° at 5,000 angstroms and the tracking of the dispersion will still be within 0.5°, for example. While this is not theoretically desired, it is still found to be an acceptable level of rotation and is within a normal operating range of the device for maintenance of oscillation of the forward wave. Thus, it is found that dispersions, while not exact, nevertheless track sufficiently well to permit operation over the entire range without adjustment.
|Cited Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US3456210 *||May 1, 1963||Jul 15, 1969||Raytheon Co||Traveling wave single mode laser|
|US3584312 *||Oct 20, 1969||Jun 8, 1971||Raytheon Co||Spikeless single-mode laser|
|US3824492 *||Jun 22, 1972||Jul 16, 1974||United Aircraft Corp||Solid state single frequency laser|
|Citing Patent||Filing date||Publication date||Applicant||Title|
|US4272734 *||May 29, 1979||Jun 9, 1981||Spectra-Physics, Inc.||Dual reference interferometer for dye laser stabilization|
|US4389617 *||Mar 13, 1981||Jun 21, 1983||The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy||Combination ring cavity and backward Raman waveguide amplifier|
|US4466102 *||May 21, 1981||Aug 14, 1984||Lexel Corporation||Modular dye laser|
|US4949358 *||Apr 25, 1988||Aug 14, 1990||Coherent, Inc.||Ring laser with improved beam quality|
|US5018163 *||Apr 26, 1990||May 21, 1991||The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Army||Gatling gun laser pulse amplifier using an optical diode|
|US5022033 *||Oct 30, 1989||Jun 4, 1991||The United States Of America As Represented By The United States Department Of Energy||Ring laser having an output at a single frequency|
|US5068546 *||Aug 27, 1990||Nov 26, 1991||Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Wissenschaften E.V.||Solid state laser operating with frequency doubling and stabilized by an external resonator|
|US5164954 *||May 9, 1991||Nov 17, 1992||The Texas A&M University System||Wavelength-tunable traveling-wave semiconductor ring-laser|
|US5206868 *||Jan 24, 1992||Apr 27, 1993||Deacon Research||Resonant nonlinear laser beam converter|
|US5764681 *||Nov 1, 1996||Jun 9, 1998||Cornell Research Foundation, Inc.||Directional control method and apparatus for ring laser|
|US5784397 *||Nov 16, 1995||Jul 21, 1998||University Of Central Florida||Bulk semiconductor lasers at submillimeter/far infrared wavelengths using a regular permanent magnet|
|US6920169 *||Apr 25, 2000||Jul 19, 2005||Laser Quantum Limited||Laser cavity|
|US6965472||Mar 22, 2004||Nov 15, 2005||Raytheon Company||Nonreciprocal optical element with independent control of transmission opposite directions|
|US7068700 *||Nov 14, 2003||Jun 27, 2006||Honeywell International Inc.||Optical bench for diode-pumped solid state lasers in field applications|
|US7130321 *||Apr 16, 2004||Oct 31, 2006||Coherent, Inc.||Intracavity frequency-tripled CW laser with traveling-wave ring-resonator|
|US7199864||Jan 23, 2006||Apr 3, 2007||Carl-Zeiss Smt Ag||Polarization rotator and a crystalline-quartz plate for use in an optical imaging system|
|US7916764 *||Oct 25, 2006||Mar 29, 2011||Coherent, Inc.||Output power control for harmonic-generating laser|
|US7961298||Jun 14, 2011||Carl Zeiss Smt Gmbh||Polarization rotator and a crystalline-quartz plate for use in an optical imaging system|
|US20040240073 *||Jul 6, 2004||Dec 2, 2004||Carl Zeiss Smt Ag||Polarization rotator and a crystalline-quartz plate for use in an optical imaging system|
|US20050129083 *||Nov 14, 2003||Jun 16, 2005||Rapoport William R.||Optical bench for diode-pumped solid state lasers in field applications|
|US20050163187 *||Apr 16, 2004||Jul 28, 2005||Spinelli Luis A.||Intracavity frequency-tripled CW laser with traveling-wave ring-resonator|
|US20050207009 *||Mar 22, 2004||Sep 22, 2005||Efimov Oleg M||Nonreciprocal optical element with independent control of transmission opposite directions|
|US20060119826 *||Jan 23, 2006||Jun 8, 2006||Carl Zeiss Smt Ag||Polarization rotator and a crystalline-quartz plate for use in an optical imaging system|
|US20070139636 *||Feb 16, 2007||Jun 21, 2007||Carl Zeiss Smt Ag||Polarization rotator and a crystalline-quartz plate for use in an optical imaging system|
|US20080101424 *||Oct 25, 2006||May 1, 2008||Charles Xiaoyi Wang||Output power control for harmonic-generating laser|
|US20080186469 *||Apr 8, 2008||Aug 7, 2008||Carl Zeiss Smt Ag||Polarization rotator and a crystalline-quartz plate for use in an optical imaging system|
|US20100027571 *||Feb 4, 2010||Murdoch Keith M||Stabilized near-infrared laser|
|DE3019193A1 *||May 16, 1980||Dec 11, 1980||Spectra Physics||Stabilisierung eines lasers, insbesondere eines farbstofflasers|
|EP0452069A2 *||Apr 8, 1991||Oct 16, 1991||Coherent, Inc.||Ring laser|
|U.S. Classification||372/94, 372/22, 372/23, 372/5, 372/98, 372/105|
|International Classification||H01S3/083, G02F1/09, H01S3/108|
|Cooperative Classification||H01S3/083, G02F1/09, H01S3/108|
|European Classification||H01S3/083, G02F1/09, H01S3/108|
|Jan 25, 1988||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: SPECTRA-PHYSICS (DELAWARE) INC. A CORP. OF DE
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST.;ASSIGNOR:SPECTRA-PHYSICS, INC., (A CA CORP.) (MERGED INTO);REEL/FRAME:004854/0640
Effective date: 19870128
Owner name: SPECTRA-PHYSICS, INC.,
Free format text: MERGER;ASSIGNOR:SPECTRA-PHYSICS, INC., (A DE. CORP.) MERGED INTO) SUNSHINE ACQUISITION CORP. (DELAWARE) (A DE. CORP.) (CHANGED TO);REEL/FRAME:004854/0651
Effective date: 19870805
Owner name: SPECTRA-PHYSICS, INC., (A CORP. OF DE)
Free format text: CHANGE OF NAME;ASSIGNOR:SPECTRA-PHYSICS (DELAWARE), INC., A CORP. OF DE (CHANGED TO);REEL/FRAME:004854/0646
Effective date: 19870213


text:
Khajjair is a popular hill station of Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh. This popular hill station is situated at a height of 6500 feet with natural beauty and pleasant climate. Khajjair is also known as 'Mini Switzerland', given by Vice Counselor and Head of Chancery of Switzerland Mr. Willy T. Blazer. In present days , this hill station considered as a perfect meadow picnic spot. This place has all the variety of forests, lakes, gardens, temple and pastures. Every year thousands of people visit the place for some relaxation.
Best Time To Visit :
The best time to fulfill your tour perfectly is in winter season. Because in this time the weather of the place remains very pleasant and also very ideal for sightseeing. In this time you can also enjoy the outdoor activities.
Attractions Of Khajjair :
Khajjair is such a place where you can found all the variety of foods and lakes and other accommodations. Places to visit are - Kalatop Wildlife Sanctuary, Khajjair Lake, Khajjair Naga Temple, Chamba, Kangra, Dharmasala.
Hotels Near Khajjair :
1. Mohan Palace Dalhousies Khajjair Road, Dalhousie
2. Hotel Spring Khajjair Road, Dalhousie
3. Hotel Comfort Inn Khajjair Road, Dalhousie
4. Pine Tree Cottages Khajjair Road, Dalhousie
5. Anand Bhawan Cottage Khajjair Road, Dalhousie
6. Grace Mount Hotel Khajjair Road, Dalhousie
7. Hotel Satyam International Khajjair Road, Dalhousie
8. Chobhyal Cottage Khajjair Road, Dalhousie
How To Reach :
By Air : The nearest airport is Gaggal airport in Dharmasala located 122 km from the main city. This airport is well connected with major cities of India like Delhi, Chandigarh, Kullu, Mumbai, Kolkata etc. All the flights like kingfisher, Air India are available daily. From the airport you can get a taxi or a local vehicle to reach your destinetion place.
By Train : The nearest railway station is Pathankot which is 118 km from the main city of Dalhousie. There are a variety of trains daily from this station to other like, Jammu, Udhampur, Delhi, Bhatinda, Ahmadabad, Kolkata, etc. Taxi's are available from the station.
By Road : Khajjair is well linked with other places of India by Road network. State govt buses are available from this place toShimla, Chamba, Dalhousie etc.

domain: geography


text:
NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Washington State's Life Sciences Discovery Fund has awarded $15 million to Sage Bionetworks, the University of Washington, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
The Seattle-based funding branch of the Washington State government said that the collaborative research initiatives will enhance the diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other major diseases.
Sage Bionetworks, a non-profit research organization focused on creating open-access disease-modeling tools, will use its $5 million grant to develop a computing infrastructure to deliver scalable network data models and analyses to collaborators. Sage will also use the funding to create the Washington Partners Program, which will engage academic and biotechnology communities in systems biology research.
Thomas Matula, a physics and engineering researcher at the University of Washington, will use his $5 million grant to develop, translate, and commercialize new ultrasound techniques for use in molecular imaging and therapy.
Using ultrasound tools in combination with advanced molecular approaches could enable clinicians to target specific molecules in tissues for more precise imaging and for drug delivery. This award will also create the Washington Molecular Imaging and Therapy Center, which will develop and commercialize these new ultrasound tools.
Fred Hutchinson researcher Peggy Porter will use her $5 million award to develop a biospecimen collection and distribution system that links regional investigators with specimens. Porter’s lab will host the Consortium Biospecimen Program, which will include a cross-institution informatics platform and standardized practices for transferring materials and managing intellectual property.
This program will use resources already funded by LSDF, including the Phase 1 Clinical Trials Program and the Northwest Institute of Genetic Medicine. The consortium includes the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, the University of Washington, and Seattle Children’s Hospital and Research Institute.


text:
South Africa’s poultry master plan has delivered some notable successes, but there is an urgent need for the implementation of important aspects that have fallen behind.
This was the message from panellists during the FairPlay – Farmer’s Weekly digital summit on the master plan last week.
More than 350 people registered to attend and hundreds listened to the online discussion, hosted by FairPlay founder Francois Baird and moderated by Farmer’s Weekly editor Janine Ryan.
The areas singled out for a lack of action included implementation of anti-dumping duties on chicken imports which the government has suspended, the export drive which has yet to take off, and support for small-scale black poultry farmers who are feeling left out.
In addition, panellists noted a lack of communication over the past year from Trade, Industry and Competition Minister Ebrahim Patel, who has been the driving the master plans for the poultry sector – and other industries – and had previously had regular interactions with master plan stakeholders.
The main discussion and action points are being collated into a joint statement to be agreed by the panellists, after which it will be sent to Minister Patel.
It’s a big plan with big impact
The master plan successes were highlighted by Izaak Breitenbach of the SA Poultry Association (SAPA).
He said that by the end of 2023, the industry would have invested some R2.4 billion in upgrading and expanding poultry production, much of it to accommodate new supplies from black contract growers. This is way in excess of the industry’s R1.5 billion commitment in the master plan.
The result would be the creation of 2 600 jobs and a 10% increase in chicken production. The industry’s annual turnover, estimated at R50 billion, would rise by about R2 billion, and growth created space for transformation.
So far 18 new contract growers had been established out of the planned 50. These are substantial operations – each contract grower takes about R35 million to set up, with funds provided by the Land Bank and the Industrial Development Corporation.
More than 1 000 people have been through skills training programmes.
“We produce the cheapest chicken your rands can buy,” Breitenbach said. “We have been supplying cheap chicken since 1904.”
Progress was being hampered by the suspension of approved anti-dumping duties on chicken imports from Brazil, by a lack of progress on exports and by the government’s failure to announce a restructuring of import tariffs, despite an investigation being completed.
Breitenbach said success of the master plan was essential for South Africa’s poultry industry. “This is a big programme that has a big impact. We can’t afford not to have it.”
Exports are the master plan’s unfinished business
The failure to develop a significant and growing chicken export operation was identified as one of the big unfulfilled objectives of the poultry master plan.
The export drive is an important focus of the master plan, which envisages chicken exports doubling in the three years to 2023, redoubling by 2028 and continuing to grow after that. The result would be a substantial portion of expanded local chicken production aimed at the export market.
Instead of growing, chicken exports have dropped every year since the master plan was signed in 2019.
A major drawback has been the lack of state veterinary resources to provide the health certificates required for export, particularly of raw chicken meat to the EU. In addition, new export markets need to be developed for the export of cooked or partially cooked chicken to the Middle East and elsewhere.
Everything has taken longer than expected, but the local poultry industry says it will be “export ready” by the end of this year. SAPA’s Izaak Breitenbach told the online discussion that exports were a strategic need, and a lot of planning had been done in the last two years on the export of cooked chicken and on facilitating exports to the EU.
However, increased government capacity to support exports was “desperately needed”.
De Wet Boshoff, CEO of the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA) said the poultry industry needed to export if it was to grow. If the industry expanded without export markets to take the excess, local producers would be competing against each other in the South African market and “prices will implode”.
Trade advisor Donald MacKay said South Africa’s infrastructure problems were a “competitive hindrance” to exports because they added to producer costs. Water and electricity supply problems and poor roads also put an “automatic cap” on industry growth.
These additional costs mattered. Even though South African chicken would have duty free access to the EU, and would get premium prices, it would still have to compete there with chicken from EU producers and other countries.
“It is a pity the government is not here today, because they have arguably the most important role to play in making sure that the economic basics are in play, that the ports work, that the roads work, that electricity works, in order to get a truly competitive chicken sector,” MacKay said.
Minister Patel on radio silence
Two master plan signatories – Izaak Breitenbach of the SA Poultry Association (SAPA) and Vuka Chonco of the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU) – said master plan progress was being hampered by a lack of any interaction with Minister Patel.
Both said there had in the past been frequent meetings with Minister Patel, such as meetings of the master plan oversight committee. This had stopped more than a year ago, without explanation.
Breitenbach said the committee met every quarter for the first two years, and had included government, producers, labour unions, small farmer representatives and importers.
Unfortunately, that has stopped and we don’t have that interaction with the minister. “We are unable to get a meeting with Minister Patel to discuss various issues relating to the master plan such as tariffs, and we need help with exports”.
Chonco said the trade union had been given no reason for the sudden lack of transparency.
“We used to sit on committees and subcommittees, and there was progress because we discussed how far we have gone with the master plan. That is no longer taking place.” Chonco said FAWU would write to Minister Patel proposing that the committee meetings be revived.
Master plan overlooks small-scale farmers
The poultry master plan needed to pay far more attention to the needs of small-scale farmers, said Amanda Mdodana, who farms near Emalahleni in Mpumalanga.
She said small-scale farmers should be far more involved in the implementation of the master plan. Small scale farmers like her did not qualify for the support going to contract growers who operated on a much larger scale.
Small-scale farmers were battling to keep their businesses running. Feed and electricity prices were rising and “we are close to making no money at all”. She had had to install a solar plant because of regular electricity outages.
“We have not received anything because the system is flawed. It would be great to receive some of the things promised in the master plan.”
It would be incredibly difficult for a small-scale farmer producing 5 000 to 10 000 birds per cycle to scale up to 200 000 birds per cycle.
Izaak Breitenbach of SAPA agreed it was difficult to scale up “from small to big”, but said SAPA had supported a number of small-scale poultry farmers who wanted to expand. There was also a poultry fund at the Industrial Development Corporation to which famers could apply.
Tariff suspension will hurt small-scale farmers
Minister Patel’s suspension of anti-dumping duties against Brazil and other countries would hurt South Africa’s small-scale farmers, according to Vuka Chonco of the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU).
He recalled that when the poultry master plan was signed in 2019, Minister Patel had described it as “a licence for us to start protecting the sector and the economy.”
Chonco said FAWU had already expressed “a high level of discontent” at the decision not to implement the anti-dumping duties immediately. Importers were likely to take advantage of the situation and there could be an influx of chicken imports.
Referring to the difficulties being experienced by small-scale farmers such as Amanda Mdodana, he asked how she would compete against imports that were “way cheaper” than the chicken she was trying to sell. “Most likely, in the long run she will have to close her business.”
Instead of suspending the anti-dumping duties, Minister Patel should have protected local suppliers, Chonco said.
Don’t wait for benefits from the African Free Trade Agreement
Trade advisor Donald MacKay advised exporters to concentrate on neighbouring countries rather than hoping that the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) would soon facilitate trade to countries further afield.
The Africa-wide agreement officially commenced in January 2021. It is the world’s largest free trade area by number of states, and was signed by 44 of the 55 member states of the African Union. It aims to eliminate tariffs on most goods and services over a number of years, boosting intra-African trade by 52% and lifting more than 30 million Africans out of extreme poverty.
Unfortunately, that’s not going to happen any time soon, MacKay told the online discussion.
“That agreement is so far behind that we should not expect any short-term benefits to flow from it,” he said, advising exporters to take advantage instead of the existing Southern African Development Community (SADC) trade agreement.
“Trade is more likely to happen with countries close to us, and the farther away you go the harder it becomes, especially in Africa where the cost of transport is crippling.
“We should not forget what is on our doorstep. We have a functioning SADC agreement and we are part of a customs union. Those opportunities should be explored,” MacKay advised.
Government and importers were not there
Missing from the discussion on the poultry master plan were three important signatories – two government ministers and the association representing chicken importers.
They were Minister of Trade, Industry and Competition, Ebrahim Patel, the Minister of Agriculture, Rural Development and Land Reform, Thoko Didiza, and the CEO of the Association of Meat Importers and Exporters, Paul Matthew.
All were invited and none accepted. FairPlay founder Francois Baird expressed disappointment, saying it seemed government had decided that negotiation, consultation and communication were no longer needed.
He also singled out the three parties as those that had not fulfilled their commitments in terms of the master plan they had signed. Most of the outstanding actions were their responsibility.
“It is no good having a plan if the participants to the plan don’t implement it. Both importers/exporters and the government have failed miserably,” he said.
There was no need for a new master plan. The focus should be on executing the plan to which everyone had agreed.
Then Baird referred to the decision by Minister Patel to approve but to suspend for 12 months the implementation of anti-dumping duties against Brazil and four European Union countries – Denmark, Ireland, Poland and Spain.
“Part of that (master) plan is to contain imports by ending dumping. Dumping is not illegal, but it is wrong, and it is against the rules of the World Trade Organisation. Therefore the minister did a wrong thing. He acted against international rules by provisionally allowing dumping.”
Baird said the government was acting unilaterally against an agreement it had made.
Look to the value chain
The importance of the poultry value chain was stressed by De Wet Boshoff, CEO of the Animal Feed Manufacturers Association (AFMA).
He noted that the poultry industry took 31% of South African maize available for processing, 97% of the soya and 78% of sunflower production available for processing.
Therefore the growth of the poultry industry, and development of export markets, would benefit grain farmers, and jobs would be created on their farms. An expanding poultry industry would lead to growth in the feed industry, and support others in the poultry value chain.
Boshoff also produced calculations on the amount of local feed production displaced by chicken imports, and the jobs not created as a result.
In 2017, chicken imports had displaced the production of 13 averaged-size feed mills, and 2 289 jobs, he said. In 2021, it was 6 feed mills and 1 165 jobs.
He said it was unrealistic to expect all imports to be stopped, as some imports were necessary, but the imports needed to be fair.
Feed will remain expensive
International feed prices will stabilise but remain high, according to projections by the Animal Feed Manufactures Association (AFMA).
De Wet Boshoff said prices had shot up earlier this year following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Both countries are major grain producers and exporters.
Without any unforeseen developments, markets would now stabilise but were unlikely to go down.
There was huge demand for maize and soya from China, European buyers who could not get wheat had switched to maize, and crops in Brazil and Argentina had been affected by weather. All this resulted in more pressure on maize prices. “I can’t imagine prices going back to previous levels. They will remain at high levels,” he said.
Support for VAT-free chicken and feed
Several panellists agreed on the need to remove South Africa’s 15% value added tax (VAT) from chicken portions and from chicken feed for small-scale farmers.
The FairPlay proposal was supported by trade advisor Donald MacKay, Thabile Nkunjana from the National Agricultural Marketing Council (NAMC), Amanda Mdodana, a small-scale poultry farmer and Vuka Chonco of the Food and Allied Workers Union (FAWU).
Thabile Nkunjana said that poultry demand was increasing and would continue to do so, specifically for South Africans, as it was affordable. “The issue of VAT-free chicken will gain momentum in the near future,” he said.
FairPlay founder Francois Baird said the principle of VAT-free chicken was accepted. The detail of which portions were to be zero-rated, and whether it was local chicken or all chicken, could be worked out at a later stage.
It could be contained to the portions most bought by poor people, for whom “an immediate discount of 15% on consumer prices, retail prices, by scrapping VAT is the simplest, most effective and immediate relief”.
Meanwhile a petition is circulating calling on government to scrap VAT on feed for small-scale farmers.
It is being promoted by Ade Camngca, a small-sale poultry farmer from Nigel, east of Johannesburg.
The petition says 5 000 small-scale farmers would benefit from the removal of VAT on feed, which makes up 65% to 70% of their input costs. It has so far been signed by 3 897 people and they are aiming for at least 5 000 signatories.
A joint statement is being compiled setting out the main points agreed during the discussion and the actions needed. It is being circulated to all panellists to ensure that everything is covered.
FairPlay founder Francois Baird said the document would then be sent to Minister Patel and Minister Didiza and the directors-general of their departments “so that they can understand there is a real job to be done”.
The parties to the discussion, both panellists and the wider audience, had a real stake in what had to happen to implement the poultry master plan.
“We need urgency. We need execution,” he concluded.

domain: politics


text:
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — The University of Alabama’s Office of Archaeological Research, in partnership with several federal and state agencies and Indian tribes, received a national award for efforts in saving a set of centuries-old Native American petroglyphs, pictographs and historic signatures in Alabama.
The Advisory Council on Historic Preservation’s Chairman’s Award for Achievement in Historic Preservation was presented Wednesday at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C.
The project brought together the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Alabama Historical Commission, 15 federally recognized Indian tribes, researchers and volunteers from UA’s Office of Archaeological Research and the University of Tennessee, and local volunteers to camouflage and remove graffiti that had impacted the images located at the Painted Bluff site in Marshall County, just to the west of Guntersville Dam, on land owned by TVA.
“The prehistoric artwork was in danger of being lost,” said Matt Gage, director of UA’s Office of Archaeological Research. “The graffiti was covering the artwork and damaging it … TVA wanted to protect that artwork.”
In 2004, archaeologists from the University of Tennessee visited the site and began to document the range of images. The team found more than 80 images on the cliffs, dating back 600 years – making it one of the country’s most significant rock art treasures.
The team also found Painted Bluff was under threat from natural weathering and damage caused by graffiti, rock climbing and vandalism, despite the site being protected under the Archaeological Resources Protection Act, and being eligible for listing on the National Register of Historic Places.
Thus, in 2013 the Alabama Historical Commission named Painted Bluff to its “Places in Peril” list, which highlights the most significant endangered landmarks in the state.
In 2014, TVA hired consultant Johannes Loubser and his firm Stratum Unlimited to study the site. Loubser’s report recommended a multifaceted approach to resolving the problems, including removal and camouflaging of the existing graffiti, along with more public involvement and outreach.
TVA next consulted with the Alabama Historical Commission and 15 federally recognized Indian tribes on restoration of the petroglyphs and pictographs. The tribes recommended that artwork impacted through natural means be left alone, and that the focus should instead be on ongoing human impacts to the site – in particular, those caused by rock climbing.
Any dates or names 50 years or older were left in place pending further archival research, while any disturbance less than 50 years old was removed or camouflaged. Ultimately, graffiti was removed or camouflaged from more than 120 different surfaces at the site.
TVA also collaborated with Southeastern Climbers Coalition to close climbing routes located along the bluff. The Coalition created signs alerting climbers of the closures.
“The Painted Bluff project fulfills a number of the objectives we honor through the Chairman’s Award, including the rehabilitation and stewardship of historic resources, as well as the public involvement of partners and stakeholders in preserving those resources,” said Milford Wayne Donaldson, chairman, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation.
“Preserving the prehistoric artwork was a priority for OAR and UA,” Gage said. “We took that responsibility very seriously and are lucky to have had the opportunity to work with the other partners.”
Kim Eaton, UA media relations, 205/348-8325 or email@example.com


text:
Signs and symptoms of pheochromocytomas often include:
- High blood pressure
- Rapid or forceful heartbeat
- Profound sweating
- Severe headache
- Paleness in the face
- Shortness of breath
Less common signs or symptoms may include:
- Anxiety or sense of doom
- Abdominal pain
- Weight loss
These signs and symptoms often occur in brief spells of 15 to 20 minutes. Spells can happen several times a day or less often. Your blood pressure may be within the normal range or remain elevated between spells.
Triggers of symptomatic spells
Spells may occur spontaneously or may be triggered by such factors as:
- Physical exertion
- Anxiety or stress
- Changes in body position
- Bowel movement
- Labor and delivery
Foods high in tyramine, a substance that affects blood pressure, also can trigger a spell. Tyramine is common in foods that are fermented, aged, pickled, cured, overripe or spoiled. These foods may include:
- Some cheeses
- Some beers and wines
- Dried or smoked meats
- Avocados, bananas and fava beans
- Pickled fish
- Sauerkraut or kimchi
Certain medications that can trigger a symptomatic spell include:
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), such as phenelzine (Nardil), tranylcypromine (Parnate) and isocarboxazid (Marplan)
- Stimulants, such as amphetamines or cocaine
When to see a doctor
The signs and symptoms of pheochromocytoma can be caused by a number of different conditions. Therefore, it's important to get a prompt diagnosis.
Although high blood pressure is a primary sign of a pheochromocytoma, most people with high blood pressure don't have an adrenal tumor. Talk to your doctor if any of the following factors are relevant to you:
May 02, 2014
- Difficulty controlling high blood pressure with current treatment plan
- A family history of pheochromocytoma
- A family history of a related genetic disorder: multiple endocrine neoplasia, type II (MEN II); von Hippel-Lindau disease; familial paraganglioma or neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1)
- Pheochromocytoma. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Health Care Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/endocrine_and_metabolic_disorders/adrenal_disorders/pheochromocytoma.html?qt=pheochromocytoma&alt=sh. Accessed Dec. 4, 2013.
- Pheochromocytoma and paraganglioma treatment (PDQ®): Health professional version. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/pheochromocytoma/HealthProfessional. Accessed Dec. 3, 2013.
- Chen H, et al. The North American Neuroendocrine Tumor Society consensus guideline for the diagnosis and management of neuroendocrine tumors: Pheochromocytoma, paraganglioma, and medullary thyroid cancer. Pancreas 2010;39:775.
- Young WF, Jr. Paragangliomas: Clinical overview. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 2006;1073:21.
- Avoid food-drug interactions: A guide from the National Consumers League and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. National Consumers League and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Drugs/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/BuyingUsingMedicineSafely/EnsuringSafeUseofMedicine/GeneralUseofMedicine/UCM229033.pdf. Accessed Dec. 5, 2013.
- Grossman E, et al. Drug-induced hypertension: An unappreciated cause of secondary hypertension. The American Journal of Medicine 2012;125:14.
- Joynt KE, et al. Paragangliomas: Etiology, presentation, and management. Cardiology in Review 2009;17:159.
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia type II. National Center for Biotechnology Medicine. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1257. Accessed Dec. 11, 2013.
- Von Hippel-Landau disease. National Center for Biotechnology Medicine. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1463. Accessed Dec. 11, 2013.
- Neurofibromatosis 1. National Center for Biotechnology Medicine. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1109. Accessed Dec. 11, 2013.
- Hereditary paraganglioma-pheochromocytoma syndromes. National Center for Biotechnology Medicine. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1548. Accessed Dec. 11, 2013.
- Overview of hypertension. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Health Care Professionals. http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/cardiovascular_disorders/hypertension/overview_of_hypertension.html. Accessed Dec. 4, 2013.
- Jimenez C, et al. Current and future treatments for malignant pheochromocytoma and sympathetic paraganglioma. Current Oncology Reports 2013;15:356.
- High blood pressure—Medicines to help you. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/forconsumers/byaudience/forwomen/ucm118594.htm. Accessed Dec. 10, 2013.
- Nippoldt TB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dec. 19, 2013.

domain: medical


text:
Sovereign credit risk evolution is considered a major driver of economic cycles and an indicator of financial stress. Such crises have arisen more frequently in emerging markets in recent years. For this reason, Chukwuma Dim (George Washington University) and his peers Kevin Koerner, Marcin Wolski, and Sanne Zwart (European Investment Bank) have worked develop a new way to track the risks associated with sovereign debt default as discussed in their research ‘Hot Off the Press: News-Implied Sovereign Default Risk’.
Mr. Dim presented the research during the Inquire Europe Spring Seminar in March. For those of you who missed it, we’ve created a synopsis.
“We have seen a huge increase in sovereign debt, and this is troublesome because debt crises and elevated sovereign risk have far-reaching adverse implications for local as well as global economic and financial stability.
Rising interest rates and a surge in sovereign debt from upwards of 60% of global GDP in 2009 to 110% in 2021 have sparked a lot of concerns about the risks associated with excessive debt. The ongoing debate about how much government debt is sustainable misses the crucial issue of adapting sovereign risk measurement to today’s fast-paced and highly interconnected financial system.
Those attempting to track sovereign default risk currently rely on two standard approaches: one is analyzing macroeconomic fundamentals, which is backward-looking and relies on low-frequency information; the other is to look at market-based measures, most commonly Credit Default Swaps (CDS) spreads. While these measures are highly informative and useful in different contexts, we think that there are important shortcomings in relying solely on them.
For instance, when relying on low-frequency macroeconomic indicators, one is not gathering information consistently, and this can lead to reactive policy decisions. On the other hand, market-based measurements simply aren’t available for the vast majority of countries. Therefore, there is huge potential to apply unstructured and high-frequency data in the form of news text, as this will overcome these previously mentioned limitations.
It is shown that news media text condenses information that is highly useful, reflecting concerns and perceptions of future risks. Furthermore, it is observable in real-time and is obtainable for most countries. We have developed a high-frequency text-based measure of sovereign default risk called the News-implied Sovereign Risk Index (NSRI); it can be computed for any country in real-time by applying natural language processing techniques to news text. This technique is not impeded by liquidity problems in the same way that CDS spreads are.
Our risk index, NSRI, tracks sovereign default risk by doing multiple things: it correlates with and predicts monthly CDS spreads’ dynamics; predicts future sovereign rating downgrades up to six months in advance; predicts sovereign default that could happen in the coming two years; and importantly, it provides incremental information in addition to other variables – such as CDS spreads and macroeconomic fundamentals.
We also apply the NSRI to revisit theoretical predictions on how sovereign default risk spills over to different segments of the economy even when unaccompanied by a realized default. We show that our NSRI predicts an increase in firm-level default probability and default protection cost as well as a decrease equity valuation.
The following charts provide a good visualization of how the NSRI tracks the sovereign default risk evolution for Argentina, Italy and Spain:
As well as global debt crises:
To conclude, we are able to establish that the NSRI is informative about future sovereign risk evolution – not only by supplementing existing measures– but can also be used as a standalone high-frequency sovereign default risk indicator. This makes our index particularly valuable for emerging markets that lack market-based measures. The NSRI does support theoretical predictions on the micro-economic and equity market spillover effects of sovereign default risk. And finally, we confirm that news media narratives do contain valuable information about specific countries which can be useful for tracking default concerns in real-time.”
Inquire Europe members can access the research and the presentation slides via: https://www.inquire-europe.org/event/joint-spring-seminar-2023/

domain: finance


text:
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domain: travel