Channel width modulation, also known as early voltage effect or drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL), is a phenomenon that occurs in Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor Field-Effect Transistors (MOSFETs). MOSFETs are a type of semiconductor device commonly used in electronic circuits as switches or amplifiers.
In a MOSFET, there are three main terminals: the source (S), the gate (G), and the drain (D). The gate terminal is separated from the channel, which is the semiconductor material between the source and drain, by a thin insulating layer (oxide). The width of the channel refers to the distance between the source and drain terminals along the surface of the semiconductor material.
The operation of a MOSFET is controlled by the voltage applied to the gate terminal. When a positive voltage is applied to the gate with respect to the source, it creates an electric field that forms a conductive channel between the source and drain. This channel allows current to flow from the source to the drain. The width of this conductive channel is proportional to the width of the gate (gate width modulation) and the voltage applied to the gate (gate voltage modulation).
However, as the drain voltage increases, an additional effect comes into play: channel width modulation. This phenomenon is primarily observed in short-channel MOSFETs, where the channel length is comparable to or smaller than the depletion region near the drain.
As the drain voltage increases, the depletion region near the drain extends further into the channel, effectively reducing the available channel width for current flow. This reduction in channel width leads to a decrease in the effective channel conductivity, which in turn causes the MOSFET to exhibit less current gain and reduced output resistance.
In practical terms, channel width modulation results in a phenomenon where the drain current becomes less sensitive to changes in the gate voltage. It also leads to a degradation in the device's performance, such as reduced output resistance and increased distortion in amplifier circuits.
Designers and engineers must take channel width modulation into account when designing integrated circuits to ensure accurate and predictable transistor behavior. Techniques such as adjusting the doping profiles, optimizing the device geometry, and utilizing advanced process technologies are employed to mitigate the effects of channel width modulation and improve the overall performance of MOSFET-based circuits.


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Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been moving quickly to eliminate “negative legacies,” such as those carried over from the years when former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in office.
Kishida is apparently trying to remove, as far as possible, any sources of concern to avoid being grilled by opposition parties at next year’s regular session of parliament.
At a news conference last week, as part of those efforts, Kishida announced a decision to discard cloth face masks the state had secured to cope with a shortage of the protective gear early in the coronavirus pandemic — including “Abenomasks,” which were procured under the Abe administration. The decision was made in light of the huge costs of keeping in storage the numerous Abenomasks that remain in stock.
“I have issued instructions for distributing cloth masks (from stock) to people who need them, and discarding (all remaining masks) by the end of fiscal 2021,” he said at the beginning of the news conference.
But Kishida’s strategy runs the risk of angering Abe, who leads the biggest faction in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.
Since spring 2020, when Japan was hit by a shortage of face masks amid the pandemic, the administration of then Prime Minister Abe purchased about 290 million cloth masks for distribution to all of the nation’s residents.
But as the supply problem was later resolved, many of the masks remained in storage. As of the end of March this year, as many as 82.72 million masks had been piled up in warehouses, and in fiscal 2020 storage fees amounted to about ¥600 million.
The opposition, which blasted the government over the mask issue during the extraordinary Diet session earlier this month, had been planning to continue grilling the ruling parties at the upcoming regular session.
While government agencies and ministries were working to come up with ideas on effective ways to use the masks, such as sending them to developing countries hit by COVID-19 outbreaks, Kishida led the move to get rid of them, according to a government source, who quoted the prime minister as saying, “Let’s discard them quickly.”
Kishida also took action over the Finance Ministry’s tampering of public records on the sale of a state-owned plot of land at a deep discount to school operator Moritomo Gakuen.
Regarding a lawsuit filed by the widow of an employee at the ministry’s Kinki Local Finance Bureau who committed suicide after allegedly being ordered to tamper with documents relating to the land sale, the ministry informed Kishida on Dec. 14 of a plan for the state to admit its responsibility and pay damages to the plaintiff over the suicide, bringing the legal matter to a close.
The day after the prime minister approved the plan, the ministry accepted the plaintiff’s claim for damages. As a result, the lawsuit came to an end, although an opportunity to get to the truth surrounding the ministry employee’s suicide through the courts was lost.
In another matter, Abe, who served as prime minister for nearly eight years until September 2020, came under fire for inviting to annual cherry blossom-viewing parties a number of people related to a group of his supporters.
At a meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives on Dec. 14, Kishida said: “There is a great deal that should be regretted. My Cabinet has no plan to hold such a party.”
Kishida took office in early October and replaced former Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, who succeeded Abe and held the leadership post for about a year.
Some in the LDP believe Abe must be unhappy about Kishida’s moves to eliminate the negative legacies.
According to a source, when Kishida informed Abe over the phone of his decision to discard the cloth masks, before announcing the matter, the only reply the former prime minister made was “Is that so?”
On Thursday, Kishida visited Abe at his office in the building for Lower House members with a gift of smoked oysters in oil.
Upon returning to the prime minister’s office, Kishida told reporters that the visit was for the purpose of a “year-end greeting,” adding, “We didn’t have complicated talks. There is no need to worry.” Oysters are a specialty of Hiroshima Prefecture, where Kishida’s Lower House constituency is located.
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domain: law


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How to Build Chicken Coops includes a complete, customizable construction plan (with step-by-step instructions, photos, a cut list, and diagrams) and extensive how-to information on chicken care.
The Trace & Color series invites artists to discover the world of coloring and painting as they use transferable sketches to create and color beautiful, finished works of art.
Whether you’re new to the kitchen, or new to keeping kosher, you’ll love the array of creative and interesting recipes found in The Modern Kosher Kitchen.
Peter Pan is the beloved story about the boy who never grows up. With 12 illustrations, this cloth-bound hardcover is unabridged and makes a great addition to every child's library.
The Debs of Bletchley Park will tell the stories of the women who worked at Bletchley, how they came to be there, the lives they gave up to do 'their bit' for the war

domain: hobby


Solved Which motherboard is better? Tags: Motherboards SATA AMD USB3 Last response: December 21, 2013 11:42 PM in Motherboards Share mlbkid21 December 21, 2013 11:20:39 PM Im not sure which motherboard is best for my build. ASUS M5A97 LE R2.0 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard or MSI 970A-G46 AM3+ AMD 970 SATA 6Gb/s USB 3.0 ATX AMD Motherboard with UEFI BIOS PCPartPicker part list: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2o7d4 Price breakdown by merchant: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2o7d4/by_merchant/ Benchmarks: http://pcpartpicker.com/p/2o7d4/benchmarks/ CPU: AMD FX-8320 3.5GHz 8-Core Processor ($159.99 @ Amazon) CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Hyper 212 Plus 76.8 CFM Sleeve Bearing CPU Cooler ($27.97 @ OutletPC) Motherboard: Asus M5A97 LE R2.0 ATX AM3+ Motherboard ($79.99 @ Newegg) Memory: G.Skill Sniper Series 8GB (2 x 4GB) DDR3-1866 Memory ($68.00 @ Newegg) Storage: Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB 3.5" 7200RPM Internal Hard Drive ($59.99 @ Amazon) Video Card: MSI GeForce GTX 660 2GB Video Card ($164.99 @ Newegg) Case: Rosewill CHALLENGER ATX Mid Tower Case ($45.00) Power Supply: Corsair Builder 600W 80+ Bronze Certified ATX Power Supply ($49.99 @ Newegg) Optical Drive: Samsung SH-224DB/BEBE DVD/CD Writer ($14.99 @ Newegg) Total: $670.91 (Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available.) (Generated by PCPartPicker 2013-12-22 02:20 EST-0500) More about : motherboard Rohit G Nair a b V Motherboard December 21, 2013 11:28:36 PM Go for MSI. m 0 l Best solution IRONBATMAN a b V Motherboard a b À AMD December 21, 2013 11:32:51 PM Hmm....have we met ? anyway, The 2 motherboard have the same 970 chipset and both are from quite reputable companies. But Asus's BIOS seems to be better. Let's do a comparison Asus - 2 More RAM slots - 1 more x16 PCIe slot MSI - more USB ports _________ other than that, they have more or less the same number of internal I/O ports and they both have useful software. I would go with The Asus board Share Can't find your answer ? Ask ! Get the answer envy14tpe a b V Motherboard a b À AMD December 21, 2013 11:42:19 PM These are ok. ASUS M5A97 LE....$80. MSI 970A-G46.....$70 But this is what I'd buy. M5A97 R2.0 It is $85 and a great buy. http://pcpartpicker.com/part/asus-motherboard-m5a97r20 m 0 l Can't find your answer ? Ask ! Publish Related resources SolvedWhich motherboard is better Asus or MSI Forum Solvedwhich motherboard would be a better option Forum SolvedWhich AM3+ Motherboard is better? Forum SolvedWhich AM3+ Motherboard is better? Forum Solvedwhich motherboard is better? Forum SolvedWHICH MOTHERBOARD IS BETTER FOR Gaming? Forum SolvedWhich is better motherboard? Forum Solvedwhich is better i7-4770 or i7-4790and is i7-4790 compatible with gigabyte h87-hd3 motherboard Forum Solvedwhich motherboard is better Forum SolvedWhich Motherboard is Better? Forum SolvedWhich is Better Motherboard ? Forum SolvedWhich motherboard is better? Forum SolvedWhich motherboard is better for gaming? Forum SolvedWhich motherboard is better? Forum SolvedWhich is better motherboard? Forum SolvedWhich motherboard is better? Forum SolvedWhich is the better Motherboard? Forum SolvedWhich motherboard is better Forum SolvedWhich is better?MSI Z87-G45 or ASUS M5A99FX PRO motherboard? Forum Solvedwhich motherboard is better for this apu Forum More resources Read discussions in other Motherboards categories BIOS Boot Chipsets ASRock Asus Chaintech DFI Elitegroup FIC Foxconn Gigabyte Intel MSI-Microstar !


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Photo GalleryNext →
Whether you plan to use an egg coloring kit or dye eggs naturally, get creative this Easter season with these quick and easy DIY tips for coloring and dyeing Easter eggs from HGTV Interior Designer, Sabrina Soto.
Use the eraser end of a pencil to paint perfect polka dots on your egg. Just dip the eraser into acrylic craft paint and dab onto the egg. Make different patterns and use different colors to create your perfect designs!
Add sparkle to your eggs by covering them in your favorite colored glitter. Brush craft glue over the egg until the entire surface is covered. Sprinkle a handful of glitter on paper plates and start rolling!
Kids always have those temporary tattoos lying around their rooms! Why not make egg decorating simple? Apply those same tattoos to your eggs for a professional and easy look that kids will love!
Tie a beautiful ribbon around a dyed egg. Mix colors and patterns for fun visual interest! Adorn with craft or fabric flowers, even buttons. For a more rustic look, use natural fibers such as hemp or twine with dried flowers in place of the ribbons.
Purchase basic spray paint from your local craft store. Begin by spray painting one end of the egg a heavy coat and lightening the coats as you work your way up to the opposite end of the egg. You’ll achieve a beautiful ombre effect. Introduce a new color by spray painting the other end and blending the colors in the middle.
Eggs don’t have to be dyed to look special! Get a thin sharpie and doodle away. Create beautiful designs and patterns around the egg. Paisley and flowers are simple to make. Start with a leaf or a daisy shape and keep building off that design until the egg is fully decorated!

domain: artistic


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The Looney Tunes Golden Collections include a lot of Frank Tashlin (a documentary on vol. 3, and a full disc of his cartoons on vol. 4), but they aren't able to include many clips from his live-action movies, since his best live-action movies are owned by Paramount or Fox. So as a Tashlin maniac, I thought I'd randomly link to one of the great Tashlin scenes: Julie London's cameo appearance singing "Cry Me a River" in The Girl Can't Help It.
The set-up of the scene is that the talent agent played by Tom Ewell used to be in love with Ms. London; he lost her when she became successful, and now he's haunted by her every time he listens to her big hit. The odd thing about the scene is that Tashlin plays it both funny and straight: it's an over-the-top parody of a certain kind of movie melodrama (it takes a standard device -- having a character's lost love appear as a ghostly memory -- and keeps it going so long that it becomes absurd), but Ewell is being directed to play the character's pain and sadness as quite real, and you do sort of feel for him by the end of the scene.
Also, while I linked to this a few months ago, I figured I should put it up again for those who missed it the last time around: the ultimate Tashlin scene -- combining music, fetishism, parody and old-movie references (to Lubitsch's "Beyond the Blue Horizon" number in Monte Carlo) -- "A Day in the Country" from Hollywood or Bust.
A number in which, as Jenny Lerew once remarked, the women all look like "Elvgren pinups come to life."
Update: I forgot to mention, with regard to the scene from The Girl Can't Help It, that this is a perfect example of Tashlin importing animated cartoon gags into his live-action filmmaking. The overriding joke here is a very standard cartoon joke: no matter where one character goes, the other character is always there. It's like a cartoon except that the role of Daffy Duck is played by Julie London.


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The National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology on Tuesday received 7.2 million doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine for children aged five to 11 years old.
The Government’s board for private economic development research (IV Board) has proposed the scrapping of pre-entry COVID-19 testing requirement for foreign arrivals into Việt Nam to stimulate tourism.
Việt Nam has not reported any cases of acute hepatitis of unknown origin in children, but health authorities and medical facilities must closely monitor the disease and immediately report unusual cases,
The hotline number 1022 used for COVID-19 assistance has received 142,000 calls, with 89,300 being transferred to doctors for remote consulting, according to the HCM City Medical Association.
The expansion of the family doctor model is key to improving the capacity of primary healthcare and the management of public health issues, health experts have said.

domain: news


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...Falling, Yes I Am Falling...
This is the place where you can personalize your profile!
By moving, adding and personalizing widgets.
You can drag and drop to rearrange.
You can edit widgets to customize them.
The bottom has widgets you can add!
Some widgets you can only access when you get a premium membership.
Some widgets have options that are only available when you get a premium membership.
We've split the page into zones!
Certain widgets can only be added to certain zones.
"Why," you ask? Because we want profile pages to have freedom of customization, but also to have some consistency. This way, when anyone visits a deviant, they know they can always find the art in the top left, and personal info in the top right.
Don't forget, restraints can bring out the creativity in you!
Now go forth and astound us all with your devious profiles!
So, it's been what, three years since my last journal? I'm horrible.
In that time, I moved to Los Angeles and am pursuing my career, hopefully to wind up writing for and creating childrens and young adult television shows along the lines of Avatar: The Last Airbender, Korra, and Dreamwork's Dragons.
I have been doing lots of drawings and paintings in traditional mediums that I will try to get uploaded sometime soon, and will be finishing a bunch of digital works I've got going on. I also have a graphic novel I am drafting that will be a short, standalone story no more than about 100 pages, if that.
Plus my novels and screenplays and working.
Life is good!
I hope everyone round these parts is fantastic. More coming soon.


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Man Seriously Hurt in Fireworks Accident
MANSFIELD — A man in Massachusetts has been injured in a fireworks accident.
Authorities say a 38-year-old Blackstone man was attempting to light a consumer-grade firework in a commuter rail parking lot when it exploded on Friday.
A Mansfield police officer was on duty nearby, heard the explosion, and applied a tourniquet to the victim's arm to slow bleeding. Police say he has suffered a ``significant hand injury,'' and was taken to an area trauma center.
Massachusetts State Police also responded and determined the area was safe and free from other explosives.
An investigation continues into why the man was lighting the firework in a parking lot. No further information is available on the man's identity or his condition.


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Survey findings for Hong Kong
Modest increase in B2B credit sales, particularly in the domestic market
Hong Kong has suffered from far fewer infections than many other territories, although industry – especially tourism and retail – have been hit hard. Responses to our survey reflect an economy that was already in recession, caused by many months of social unrests, increased US-China trade quotas, and the impact (albeit not yet fully realised) of the pandemic.
Despite such difficult times for the economy, responses to the survey point to a modest increase in the percentage of B2B sales made on credit. Interestingly, the 3% increase in credit sales (an average of 60% versus 57% last year), corresponds exactly with a 3% decrease in cash sales (40% vs 43% in 2019), suggesting that many B2B sales previously made in cash last year have moved to credit transactions this year.
Hong Kong businesses strengthened their credit risk management processes in order to better handle the risk of liquidity constraints from customers.
This move towards an increase in credit sales could be caused by cash flow issues in Hong Kong’s economy with B2B buyers needing suppliers to fill a gap in short-term trade financing. However, the modest increase in the use of trade credit may be the result of Hong Kong respondents’ strong focus on insurance and credit control (see below in this report). This is not surprising considering that this small, open economy is deeply intertwined in global supply chains and trade practices. In addition, this is consistent with the survey findings that show that as much as two thirds of credit-based transactions can be found in the domestic market.
Against this backdrop dominated by a high degree of uncertainty over the economic recovery, Hong Kong businesses strengthened their credit risk management processes in order to better handle the risk of liquidity constraints from customers. Amid concerns over a forthcoming deterioration of payment practices in B2B trade, as highlighted in our survey, Hong Kong businesses confirmed their interest in credit insurance as the most comprehensive tool for safe growth while pursuing the improvement in business performance they expect to reach over the next 12 months.
Vincent Ku, Country Manager for Atradius in Hong Kong and Taiwan
Far longer payment terms suggest key role of trade credit as source of short-term finance
Along with the increased use of trade credit in B2B sales, survey findings highlight that B2B customers of respondents in Hong Kong enjoy significantly longer payment terms than last year. These are on average two weeks longer, at 43 days from the invoice date. This corroborates the above-mentioned assumption that B2B buyers need suppliers to fill a gap in short-term trade financing in times of severe cash flow issues.
When asked about the underlying criteria for setting payment terms, 38% of Hong Kong respondents reported that they set payment terms in accordance with their company standards and internal business practices, while 31% do so in accordance with industry standards. One quarter of the respondents set individual payment terms, customised according to credit risk and trade relationship with each B2B customer.
Almost all businesses strengthen B2B credit risk management
96% of survey respondents in Hong Kong reported that they strengthened their credit risk management processes in order to better handle the risk of liquidity constraints caused by payment default from their B2B customers.
These most often include self-insurance and trade credit insurance (61% of respondents in each case). This is particularly the case for respondents from large businesses and in the wholesale trade sector. Additional credit risk management techniques cited by Hong Kong respondents include the request of guarantees of payment (reported by 60% of respondents) and of letters of credit (52%).
of respondents in Hong Kong strengthened their credit risk management processes in order to better handle the risk of liquidity constraints caused by payment default from their B2B customers.
Atradius Payment Practices Barometer – June 2020
Upswing in B2B late payments and delays in invoice-to-cash turnaround
According to survey findings, Hong Kong businesses experienced a significant increase in late payments. An average of 48% of the total value of B2B invoices issued by Hong Kong respondents were overdue (far above the 35% recorded last year). This compares to the 52% average for Asia. Long-term overdue invoices (still outstanding after 90 days past due, with a high likelihood of turning into bad debts) amount to 7% of the total value of B2B invoices issued by respondents (significantly above the nearly 3% average of last year). This is well below the 15% average for the region.
Overdue invoices are cashed in within 27 days of the invoice due date, significantly longer than the 16-day average of one year ago, but consistent with the current average for Asia. Hong Kong respondents reported having written off 1% of overdue receivables as uncollectable (below the 2% average of last year and the 3% current average for Asia). This indicates an improved efficiency in debt collection, which is consistent with the strong focus on credit management displayed by Hong Kong respondents. Of note, survey responses show that collecting outstanding debts was most difficult for the ICT/electronics, chemicals and consumer durables industries.
Payment duration in Hong Kong
d = average days Sample: companies interviewed (active in domestic and foreign markets) Source: Atradius Payment Practices Barometer – June 2020
When asked about the reasons for payment delays from their B2B customers, 50% of Hong Kong respondents stated that B2B customers delay payments mainly due to inefficiencies of their internal payment process. A sizeable percentage of respondents (48%) said that B2B customers use outstanding invoices as a form of financing, while 41% that customers pay invoices late due to disputes over the quality of goods or services provided.
In order to manage the risk of liquidity shortages caused by delayed B2B payments, 33% of the respondents said that they needed to increase time, resources and costs to chase overdue invoices, 31% postponed payment of invoices to their own suppliers, while one quarter of the respondents said they needed to request a bank overdraft extension.
B2B customers’ payment practices are expected to deteriorate than to improve
35% of respondents in Hong Kong anticipate deterioration in the payment practices of their B2B customers over the next 12 months, while a notably lower percentage (22%) anticipate improvement. The remaining 43% anticipate no significant change. However, to strengthen their credit management going forward, Hong Kong respondents say they will either ask for guarantees of payment more often or start using credit insurance.
Pointing to current economic challenges, including the ongoing economic uncertainties associated with the coronavirus pandemic, survey respondents, particularly from mid-sized companies and in the manufacturing sector, expressed concern over their cash flow and working capital financing. For 53% of respondents, this will increase businesses’ indebtedness consequently dependence on bank finance. However, half of the Hong Kong respondents believe that the banking system will inject liquidity in the economy in order to offset the impact of the economic crisis on the business community.
of respondents in Hong Kong said that B2B customers use outstanding invoices as a form of financing
Atradius Payment Practices Barometer – June 2020
Uncollectable B2B receivables in Hong Kong
(% of total value of B2B receivables)
Sample: companies interviewed (active in domestic and foreign markets) Source: Atradius Payment Practices Barometer – June 2020
Although a sizeable percentage of respondents in Hong Kong (36%) see a growing threat to their profitability going forward caused by disruptions in global trade, on a positive note, more respondents (47%) anticipate an improvement in the business performance of their industry (in terms of sales and profits) over the next 12 months than those anticipating a worsening (26%).

domain: finance


So what are you doing this decade? Astronomers have decided that they plan to discover alternate Earths and figure out the origins of the first stars, galaxies and black holes.
Every decade, U.S. astronomers prioritize their goals and the gadgets, spacecraft and telescopes needed to reach them. In a new National Research Council report, "New Worlds, New Horizons in Astronomy and Astrophysics," astronomers plot their astrophysics agenda from 2012 to 2022.
"It is a consensus achieved through commitment," involving hundreds of astronomers, says Ralph Cicerone, head of the National Academy of Sciences, which oversaw the report's preparation. Some research topics - exploded stars, called supernovas, and alien planets - emerge as winners, while others are pushed to the next decade.
The report sets as a primary goal learning how the first stars formed, finding the "closest habitable Earth-like planets beyond the solar system," and probing "dark energy," a mysterious force that's accelerating expansion of the cosmos.
"So much is going on in astronomy, it's a golden age," says astronomer Catherine Pilachowski of Indiana University in Bloomington.
Top survey priorities include:
The Wide-Field Infrared Survey Telescope (WFIRST), a $1.6 billion space telescope that will eyeball exploding stars and gravity-distorted views of galaxies for clues to dark energy, as well as detect habitable worlds orbiting stars in the center of our Milky Way galaxy. Due for 2020.
The Large Synoptic Survey Telescope, a $465 million telescope in Chile that by 2018 would investigate the report's priority areas, as well as near-Earth asteroids and dwarf planets beyond Neptune in our solar system.
New Worlds, a $4 million-per-year study to design telescopes that will be able to directly see habitable planets detected by missions such as WFIRST and the now-orbiting Kepler space telescope.
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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Ridership on Metro Vancouver transit has taken a hit over the past year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and new figures show just how much.
As more people turned to cars or bikes to get around, or even stayed home altogether, TransLink says the network retained 48 per cent of its ridership in 2020.
The West Coast Express saw the largest drop in ridership in the fall of 2020, with passenger levels dropping to just 17 per cent of the pre-pandemic rate.
Commuters continued to ride the bus more than other modes of transit during that same period, with 44 per cent ridership compared to pre-pandemic levels. The Expo and Millennium Lines came in closely behind at 39 per cent, HandyDART followed at 37 per cent, and the Canada Line and SeaBus came in at 32 per cent and 30 per cent respectively.
However, while the figures show just how hard the health crisis has impacted transit systems, TransLink says Metro Vancouver has fared relatively well compared to other networks.
The region is second only to Los Angeles in Canada and the U.S. when it comes to passenger ridership retention through 2020, compared to 2019 levels.
TransLink says emergency funding from the federal and provincial governments has helped the transit authority “maintain near-normal service levels” through the pandemic.2020-transit-service-performance-review

domain: economics


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Starting from Reykjavik our route will take us to the Thjorsardalur valley where we’ll have our first stop at Hjálparfoss waterfall , which directly translated mans “The Helping Falls”. The name comes from the old times when travelers arriving at this abundant area let their horses graze and recover.
After Hjálparfoss we'll be leaving the green farmlands of the lowland and heading for the highlands with their stunning wilderness. The highlands are the super jeep's natural habitat. We will cross rivers and drive on coarse gravel roads on our way to Landmannalaugar, an experience to remember. Our next stop is at Ljótipollur Crater Lake, formed in 1477 and now filled with a cobalt-blue deep waters. We’ll also stop at lake Frostastaðavatn, before reaching our main destination.
Landmannalaugar is a region forged by varied and fascinating geological elements, such as extensive lava fields and multicoloured rhyolite mountains. The mountains are a true rainbow of colors, ranging from pink to brown and green, with bursts of blue, yellow, purple and black in between. Here you’ll have a good opportunity to take out your lunch-packs or snacks and have a picnic upon arrival at Landmannalaugar, before we take off for a short hike.
If you don’t feel like a hike you can go straight to the pool for a relaxing bath. Those who join the hour’s hike can also unwind in the pool afterwards or explore the area on their own before we head back to Reykjavik.
On our way to town we will follow the Dómadalur route that takes us through lava fields and between the mountains, truly a unique scenery. In the old days,vikings would drown thieves there by binding their hands and feet and throwing them into the falls from the high cliff. We will also stop by the Hekla volcano and walk through the lava fields. Hekla was nicknamed "the Gateway to Hell" in the Middle Ages for good reason – it's Iceland’s most active volcano with the last eruption as recent as the year 2000. We’ll head back to the city in the evening sun.
The Geothermal PoolMake sure to bring a swimsuit and grab the chance to bathe in this warm natural pool. The colourful rhyolite mountains that fill the view at Landmannalaugar indicate the ever present geothermal activity. We hope that the memories of Landmannalaugar's magnificent scenery and the thrilling super jeep excursion will stay with you forever.

domain: travel


Mar. 20, 2019
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile sits outside of Gannett Hall on Tuesday afternoon. The Oscar Mayer ‘hotdogger’ team came to MU to recruit upcoming graduates to apply to drive the Wienermobile and promote Oscar Mayer for a whole year.
Sophomore Zack Stoller watches as the meeting for Greeks Going Green begins on Tuesday in Strickland Hall. Members enjoyed free pizza and soda while they learned about member responsibilities.
Jeff Williams, assistant to the provost, passes out agendas to the Citizen Oversight Committee Thursday evening at Daniel Boone City Building. The committee discussed developing a civilian review board.
MU Faculty Council members gather at Memorial Union on Thursday. After meeting with officials at University Hall, the council passed revisions to the previously approved grievance policy.
MU College Democrats President Caitlin Ellis writes the names of those running for delegate positions in support of Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., on Thursday at Rock Bridge High School. Fifteen delegates were chosen for Obama and 16 for Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., to reflect Boone County’s Democratic primary results.
Missourians for Safe Energy co-founder Mark Haim speaks against the potential construction of a nuclear power plant in Callaway County at the Boone County Government Center on Wednesday. Haim cited economic and political disadvantages related to the construction of the plant.
Senior Allison Horne speaks with mathematics professor Jason Aubrey about the use and abuse of classroom technology during the Mutual Expectations discussion on Thursday in Memorial Union. The Mutual Expectations dialogues are designed so put students and faculty can address issues face-to-face.
A slot machine glows at the Isle of Capri Casino in Boonville on Monday. The state senate is considering eliminating loss limits at Missouri casinos.
Junior Ellis Atchison deals a hand of poker at the Lakota Coffee Co. on Tuesday night. The coffee house hosts open poker nights every week for people of all experience levels.
Hulett House Gym members Kevin Croom and Ira Moseley participate in an endurance exercise that involves throwing punches across the length of the gym floor with 10-pound weights in each hand on Feb. 16 in Key Largo Fitness & Tanning.
Missouri Students Association Senate Speaker Jonathan Mays presides over Wednesday’s Senate session while Department of Student Activities Director Rachel Parrish speaks in Stotler Lounge. At the meeting, Mays was elected for his second consecutive term as Senate speaker.
Leaning over a workstation, graduate student Courtney Flatt videotapes professor Kirsteen Buchann as she examines the coat Maggie Robey designed as part of her senior class project at Stephens College. Flatt is filming a documentary for the True/False Film Fest-sponsored class, Documentary Film and History.
UM system President Gary Forsee speaks at a welcome reception Tuesday in Stotler Lounge. Forsee, whose term began Feb. 18, is the former chief executive of Sprint Nextel.
Pianist Bruce Barth accompanies jazz trumpeter Terell Stafford during an MU Studio Jazz Band rehearsal Monday. Members of the band listened to a performance by the Terell Stafford Quintet before the professional jazz musicians answered questions from the students.
Jazz trumpeter Terell Stafford offers stylistic suggestions to the MU Concert Jazz Band after the band performed John Clayton’s ‘I Be Serious ‘Bout Dem Blues’ at rehearsal on Monday. The clinic was part of the educational aspect of Stafford’s residency, which will also include programs at elementary schools and a lecture-demonstration at the Columbia Public Library.
Jazz trumpeter Terell Stafford listens as fellow musician Tim Warfield improvises on the tenor saxophone during a packed matinee performance by the Terell Stafford Quintet at Murry’s Restaurant Sunday. The quintet’s two 'Sundays at Murry’s' performances began Stafford’s three-day residency in Columbia, presented by the 'We Always Swing' Jazz Series.
Sophomore guard J.T. Tiller dribbles during Saturday’s game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers won the game 60-53 and now hold a 4-0 winning streak over the Buffaloes.
Sophomore Sarah Shire backflips on the balance beam Friday night at the Hearnes Center. Shire scored a 9.900 on beam and vault, with an all-around score of 39.325.
Kansas sophomore guard Sade Morris dribbles the ball upcourt against Missouri junior guard Alyssa Hollins' defense Sunday in Mizzou Arena. The Tigers snapped their 10-game losing streak after defeating the Jayhawks 62-59.
Namette Chun-Ming Ward, program coordinator for the Columbia Human Rights Commission, gives the opening remarks for the annual 'Let's Talk, Columbia!' community forum at the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church on Friday. The meeting brought teenagers and adults together for an open dialogue on teen violence.


text:
ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Many Americans are showing support in many ways for Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has also inspired people with ties to other former Eastern Bloc nations concerned that their homelands could be one of the next targets.
It’s been said that music is the strongest form of magic, and a great uniter.
“I think music is an international language,” said Paulius Klimas, as he prepared to record a song with a group of Rochester area musicians at Dynamic Recording, a studio in Greece.
Klimas assembled a group of musicians to display the power of music in a fight against a dictator. Klimas wrote a song called “Putin’s War.” It is a show of solidarity for the people of Ukraine. It’s also his way of firing back against the Russian leader, Vladimir Putin.
“I obviously can't be a soldier,” said Klimas. “But with my music and my written word, I'm fighting against Putin.”
Klimas is a first-generation Lithuanian American activist, and he’s worried. So, he writes about it – a song of support for a free Ukraine.
“I know my relatives in Lithuania are worried,” he said. “I can't sleep at night thinking about it.”
Klimas recently recorded the song, which can be found here. Putin’s war puts a target squarely on the Russian leader’s back.
“He is a maniac,” said Klimas. “He just wants power. He wants to rebuild the Soviet empire. He doesn't realize it's not 1940 anymore.”
Klimas believes military force may very well be necessary to stop Putin and Russia not only in the invasion of Ukraine, but also what he fears might become military aggression toward other countries.
“You have to stop him,” he said. “It may even take military efforts to stop him, but we have to do that.”
Klimas finds it baffling that anyone would side with Putin, or that some think America should just sit this one out.
“Unfortunately, propaganda is the strongest weapon,” said Klimas. “And some people are duped into believing his lies. We have to realize what he's trying to do.”
It’s a protest song of resistance, and, at the same time, unity.
“We're in this together,” he said. “As it was a world, as a country, as a nation. And we have to help them now, not wait.”


text:
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domain: chemistry


text:
The Future of Foster Care: October/November 2009
New state efforts aim to reduce the length of time children spend in care.
By Nina Williams-Mbengue
Stacey had been in foster care in Austin, Texas, for three years. The 11-year-old hadn’t seen her mother in two years and her father, who still had legal rights to her, was on his way to prison. Stacey, not her real name, wanted to be adopted by her foster parents, but was in long-term foster care where she normally would have stayed until she was 18.
A new initiative in Austin in 2007, however, started looking at cases like Stacey’s. Child protective officials wanted to find permanent homes for kids who had been in care for long periods of time because they had no home to return to, no relative to live with or almost no chance at adoption. Stacey was finally adopted by her foster parents, saving the state of Texas thousands of dollars and giving Stacey a chance at a better life.
Stacey’s situation is hardly unique. States and localities nationwide want to reduce the number of children in foster care. There also is a push from the federal government to find safe, permanent homes for these kids. States spend $25.7 billion a year in federal, state and local funds on child welfare, including foster care, adoption and keeping biological families together and safe. With nearly 500,000 children in care on any given day, it’s no easy task. The good news is that foster care caseloads have dropped nationally from 523,000 in 2002 to 496,000 in 2007. The average length of time that children stay in care has also been declining, from 20 months in 1998 to 15 months in 2006.
Large numbers of children still enter care each year, however, and many children remain far too long. Close to 25 percent of children in foster care in 2006 had been in care for more than three years.
The longer children remain in care and the more moves they make from one foster placement to another, the higher the risk for emotional and behavioral problems, poor academic performance, pregnancy, homelessness, unemployment and incarceration, according to research.
Caselaods have dropped in a number of states in recent years, and several—including California, Florida, Illinois, New York and Texas—are seeing significant declines. Some states took advantage of federal government “waiver programs” that allowed them to use some foster care maintenance program funds on demonstration projects to test ways to safely lower caseloads.
Other states have tried to address some of the problems facing children who have spent the longest amount of time in foster care. Michigan, Texas and Washington have looked at why minority children are overrepresented and stay longer in foster care than white children. Many states have teamed with private foundations, universities and others to devise new ways to prevent children’s entry into care, shorten the time spent, and help children be adopted or move to other permanent living situations.
Since 2006, Florida has used a federal waiver to redesign its system to focus on reducing the number of children who enter care. Federal money traditionally had been restricted to children in foster care, but under the state’s plan, child welfare dollars follow the child, rather than the placement of the child. Money can be spent to keep children with their families with services ranging from parenting classes to economic assistance and substance abuse and mental health treatment.
As a result, children were removed from their homes less often and caseworkers made faster decisions on whether kids should be reunified or adopted.
As of August, nearly 10,000 fewer children are in foster care compared to December 2006. The number went from 29,255 to 19,436, a 33.5 percent reduction. Adoptions of foster children are at an all-time high, with 7,451 children adopted in fiscal years 2008 and 2009. Florida just received $9.75 million in bonus funds from the federal government for its increase in adoptions of children from foster care.
“We’ve been able to see a reduction of children in care,” says Senator Ronda Storms, who chairs Florida’s Children, Families and Elder Affairs Committee. “Reduction of foster care is critical. More important are strategies to help families raise children in the best possible environment. We need to make sure we’re adopting practices to strengthen families.”
Even with the state’s success so far, Storms is concerned about children when they leave foster care.
“If a child has been removed from home, there’s usually a good reason,” she says. “We need to make sure that our measurements are accurate so that we know if kids come back into care. We want to make sure that the intervention is effective and that we are not returning the children to the system in worse shape.”
Strides in Georgia
A recent federal review of Georgia’s child welfare system and the most recent findings of the court monitor charged with overseeing the state’s progress gave high marks to the state’s Division of Family and Child Services on child safety, finding permanent homes for children, reducing the number of children who re-enter foster care and education for children in care.
“Today, there are fewer children in foster care, more children are being placed with relatives, the recurrence of child maltreatment is well below the national average, and the average caseload per caseworker has significantly decreased,” says B.J. Walker, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Human Resources. “These aren’t just figures on a piece of paper. These are achievements that have enhanced the lives of Georgia’s children and their families.”
A 2002 class action lawsuit filed on behalf of children in foster care resulted in a ruling requiring the state to improve how it handled foster children. The state’s foster care population is now beginning to decline and counties continue to be successful at finding permanent homes for children who have recently entered care.
Finding homes for children who have been in care for more than a year is difficult, so the state is developing a new unit that will work to find permanent placements for children. It will focus on providing services to strengthen families, increase its use of family team meetings, do a better job of searching for relatives, and work with private agencies experienced in finding homes for children in long-term care.
Representative Judy Manning, chairman of the House Children and Youth Committee, says the state has made great strides, but still faces challenges.
“There continues to be a problem with placing children quickly into good homes and making sure the placement is good and stable and paying for the placement,” Manning says. “We want to make sure the children are taken care of. We don’t want to endanger them further.”
The state, working with the Casey Family Programs foundation, gathered a team of caseworkers, supervisors and other experts to examine more than 500 long-term cases over a five-week period. They looked at what could be done that had not been done before, how to involve kids in the process and what it would take to find each child a home. The state expanded the project to review 2,000 additional cases, and several other states are now considering a similar approach.
“It gave us a chance to look at all elements of each case, big and small, so that what we were trying to accomplish didn’t look insurmountable anymore,” says Carnella Harvey, a case supervisor for Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services.
William C. Bell, president and chief executive of the Casey Family Programs, says giving states the “policies, practices, tools and resources” they need is key to safely reducing the number of children in foster care. “State legislators and administrators are uniquely positioned to lay a solid policy foundation upon which progress can be accomplished and success sustained over time.”
Children of Color
A number of child welfare experts argue that any effort to safely reduce the numbers of children in foster care should begin with an examination of the fate of children of color, especially African-American children, in state child welfare systems.
Thirty-three percent of kids in foster care are African American but they make up only 15 percent of the child population. Yet a series of large, federally mandated studies found minority parents are no more likely than white parents to abuse or neglect their children. The studies showed no significant difference in overall abuse rates between black and white families.
Mindful of these disparities, Texas legislators in 2007 authorized a study that found more African-American children were removed from their homes, fewer were returned to their biological families, and more children aged out of foster care without an adoptive family.
Texas’ study mirrors African-American childrens’ foster care experiences nationwide. Experts disagree on the causes. Some believe the issue is economic, not racial since African-American families and neighborhoods are disproportionately poor and poverty is correlated with a higher risk of abuse.
“A couple of years ago, 15,920 Texas kids were removed from their homes, of which 4,201, or 26 percent, were African American,” says Representative Dawnna Dukes, vice chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services. “We found that African-American children spend more time in foster care, are less likely to be reunited with their families, and wait longer for adoption than other ethnic groups.”
To address the problem, lawmakers required staff in each region of the state to find ways at each stage of the decision making process that would work to reduce the overrepresentation of minority children. The state developed five county pilot projects, hired specialized staff, developed community advisory groups and trained protective service workers to ferret out bias in practice. In four of the five counties, and statewide, the imbalance between white and minority children in foster care has gone down.
Overall, Texas has seen a noteworthy reduction of children in foster care, from 33,615 children in 2007 to 31,058 in 2008, according to a Casey Family Programs analysis. There was a 31 percent increase in adoptions from foster care in 2007 and 2008.
State officials attribute the results to increased involvement of families in decision making, improved services, better screening of child abuse and neglect reports, additional staff, emphasis on placing children with relatives and a leadership focus on reducing foster care.
Keeping Kids in Mind
New federal legislation—The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008—offers states opportunities to improve results for children in care, improves incentives for adoption, and helps support relatives who care for children, and keeping them out of foster care.
More and more, state lawmakers are looking at using flexibility in federal regulations, other ways to preventing children from going into foster care in the first place, and reducing how long they spend there. Legislators have enacted laws to strengthen child welfare agencies and the courts, authorized commissions and task forces to examine foster care, and mandated prevention programs.
Lawmakers ultimately want to be assured that children are safe whether they end up with their biological families, legal guardians or adoptive families. Even as legislators continue to face serious budget problems, they need to keep the welfare of children in mind, says Dukes.
“We must focus additional resources on programs that will prevent child abuse and neglect before they occur,” she says. “The most important resource in our states is our children, and ensuring their welfare must be a priority.”
Federal Law Offers Flexibility
The federal Fostering Connections to Success Act of 2008 aims to improve the well-being of children served by public child welfare agencies, particularly children in foster care, those who leave foster care in their late teens, and American Indian and Alaskan Native children. The law:
- Allows states to provide payments and receive federal reimbursement for relatives who are legal guardians, and provides grants so states can offer services to relatives caring for children.
- Authorizes tribes to have direct access to federal funding to operate foster care, adoption assistance and kinship guardianship programs.
- Expands federal support for adoption assistance.
- Gives states the option to receive federal reimbursement for kids in foster care to age 21.
- Requires that relatives be told when children are placed in care, siblings be kept together and transition planning is provided for older children who are about to leave foster care.
- Requires plans for health care for children in foster care.
- Requires states to consider children’s educational needs when they are placed in foster care.
Nina Williams-Mbengue tracks foster care issues for NCSL.

domain: sociology


text:
I was sent a copy of the title featuring the historical disaster of the Dust Bowl for review. The story begins with a dramatic recounting of the dust storms and what it was like to experience one. However, the main focus of this title is a little different than most historical disaster books. The geography of the great plains and the history of white settlement, emphasizing the planting of wheat, is covered in detail. A massive drought, combined with the economic turmoil of the Great Depression, started the disaster. This might have been mitigated by the natural protections of the plains; however, lacking the native grasses, the topsoil simply dried up and blew away. Millions of pounds of dust was blown off of the prairie, blackening the sky and coating cities as far away as New York. The human and economic cost of the disaster is shown in vintage photographs and quotes from people living in the Dust Bowl. Finally, in 1940, the combination of the economic impact of the New Deal and the return of the rain ended the drought and the black blizzards. However, the story doesn't end there. Long-term changes in farming practices and from the migration of farmers to the cities changed history once again.
Back matter includes a discussion of measures taken to prevent similar catastrophes as well as a brief discussion of the possibility of similar or even worse events in the future due to climate change. A glossary, brief bibliography, and further reading is also included.
This is not a comprehensive history of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, or the environmental changes and farming choices that led to the ecological disaster. It's an introduction meant to capture the interest of struggling readers and give them a basic overview of the topic as well as encourage students to complete further research on the many topics presented. As such, it's an excellent resource.
Verdict: As I'm updating my resources on weather, history, and natural disasters, I think this is an excellent series that will see a lot of use both by individual students and in the classroom.
ISBN: 9781684022236; Published 2017 by Bearport; Review copy provided by publisher

domain: geography


Outreach Community Nurse MhAP Program
- Part-time, Fixed term Position (22.8 hours per week until 30th June 2020)
- Based in Footscray
- Make a difference in the lives of others!
What We Offer
You will be joining a dedicated and caring team of professionals, you will also enjoy:
- The opportunity to join one of Melbourne's most respected non-profit organisations
- Role diversity and internal career progression opportunities
- Keep your work-life balance in check with the flexibility of part-time hours
- Generous salary packaging options, which will significantly increase the value of take-home pay
About the program
The Mobile health Access Point (MhAP) Program is an assertive outreach mobile health service that is funded by the North-Western Primary Health Network and delivered in partnership with Youth Support & Advocacy Service (YSAS).
The program offers a ‘soft entry point' into primary health care services for young people with health concerns by engaging them in locations in the Western Metropolitan Region of Melbourne where they are known to frequent. The health care model of this program is based on evidence-based principles of harm minimisation, client-centred care, brief intervention, care coordination, and cultural safety.
About the role
The role of the MhAP Community Outreach Nurse is to provide clinical leadership and primary health intervention for consumers engaging with the MhAP program.
This role reports to the MhAP Team Leader and is responsible for working collaboratively with other MhAP team members on elements of day-to-day service delivery to ensure the provision of high-quality, evidence-based services for consumers.
Your daily duties will be diverse, however, will include:
- Ensuring clinical practice meets Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia codes of conduct, professional standards, guidelines, legislation, and regulations
- Providing culturally-appropriate, goal-directed and client-focused engagement, assessment, treatment and support services for consumers
- Facilitating a range of responses to meet the needs of the clients, including brief interventions, primary health support, AOD / mental health support, advocacy, and referrals to a range of youth and mainstream services as required
- Working in conjunction with specialist medical, allied health and welfare service providers in the community
- Working within a harm minimisation framework and provide clients with support to make informed decisions
- Developing strategies and interventions that connect and engage young people with their local communities and relevant support networks
- Implementing health promotion activities in conjunction with other MhAP staff and in consultation with service users and local stakeholders
- Modelling appropriate behaviour and facilitate positive communication with young people
- Ensuring client data and clinical notes are up to date, accurate and meet organisational and legislative requirements
- Contributing to reporting processes for both partner organisations and funders as required
- Maintaining clinical supplies and equipment to ensure smooth operation of the outreach clinic
- Participating in the identification of risks to the program and organisation
- Contributing to continuous quality improvement activities relating to service delivery
- Undertaking promotional activities in the community to enhance program awareness and engagement
- Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with relevant stakeholders, (including funders, partner organisations, and other community and government-based agencies) to enhance program awareness and effectiveness
- Attending relevant network meetings as required
- Contributing to, and participating in, the evaluation of the MhAP program
- Registered Nurse Division 1 with current practicing registration with AHPRA
- Experience working in a community setting with marginalised and disadvantaged population groups, particularly those who are young and/or those with complex needs
- Experience in responding to AOD, mental health and sexual health needs
- Demonstrated understanding of, and commitment to, effective clinical governance and continuous quality improvement
- Models appropriate behaviours and has the ability to motivate young people
- Demonstrate integrity and reliability, and foster open honest communication
- Capacity and willingness to work flexible hours, including evening work
- Commitment to cohealth values and a working style that reflects this
- Demonstrated understanding of adolescent development and the key issues facing young people, including those from CALD communities
- Demonstrated understanding of the Child Safe Standards and how this informs practice
- Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to the philosophy of Harm Reduction, especially as it applies to people who use drugs
- Demonstrated experience responding to crises and accessing other support services, especially when a young person's safety is of concern
- Demonstrated experience collaborating with other service providers (incl youth justice, police, child protection, AOD, mental health, out of home care providers) and community
- Current Victorian Light Rigid drivers' licence, or a willingness to gain this licence
If you have the passion, dedication and drive to make a difference in achieving high quality care with demonstrated success in working with clients then capitalise on this great opportunity, apply today!
Additional information can be obtained from the attached position description.
Applications from people of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds; equity target groups including women, people with disabilities, people who identify as LGBTIQ; and people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent, are encouraged.
Who is cohealth?
We believe in developing our people, to assist in driving continuous improvement within the organisation. At the same time, we're dedicated to creating a working culture where staff members can flourish. We work hard to ensure that all our positions are challenging and rewarding, where you can utilise and further develop your skills to truly make a difference.
For more information about cohealth and the services provided, please visit our website: www.cohealth.org.au
People accepting employment with cohealth are unable to access our services, some exemptions may apply.
The successful candidate will be subject to the relevant pre-employment checks for appointment to positions (including provision of a valid Working with Children Check clearance number and criminal record history check)


text:
Are you considering getting a DNA paternity test soon? Today, purchasing a kit is straightforward by visiting your neighbourhood pharmacy, grocery shop, or online pharmacy.
Before taking a paternity test in Melbourne, knowing whether the test is appropriate for your needs and how to administer it properly is essential because the results can have significant ramifications.
Why are paternity tests in Melbourne necessary?
Determining paternity can be necessary for specific purposes and in certain circumstances:
- To find out your legal choices for an inheritance, social security, child support, and custody.
- To investigate the antecedents of any probably inherited health conditions that might affect you in the future.
How much does a paternity test in Melbourne cost?
If you conduct it yourself, a test might cost between $60 and $200. (including the kit cost). You might have to pay an additional $500 for a legal trial at a hospital. These costs are not included in health insurance coverage.
How precisely does one prove paternity?
One of the many processes carried out in the lab is DNA sequencing. By comparing the child’s genetic makeup to the father’s, these tests can determine if a child is the father’s. You are sure of the father’s identity when there is a match.
Is it possible to identify the father while the mother still carries the child?
There are three different ways to do prenatal paternity tests. The outcomes are just as trustworthy as those that follow a child’s birth. To list the three methods:
- A non-invasive prenatal paternity test (NIPP) can be carried out during the first trimester of pregnancy by examining the mother’s blood for foetal DNA. A lab worker compares the DNA from the potential father’s cheek cell sample to the blood cells of the foetus.
- By using chorionic villus sampling, placental tissue is obtained (CVS). In this instance, an entry site is either the mother’s cervix or abdomen. In a lab, the DNA of the sample is compared to that of the mother and a potential father. CVS often occurs 10 to 13 weeks after a woman’s last period.
- Amniocentesis is a process where a little amount of amniotic fluid is extracted from the uterus by a medical practitioner. As with every medical procedure, there is a slight danger of pregnancy loss or miscarriage as a result of this test. The mother’s abdomen is pierced with a needle to do the test. A lab receives the fluid sample and compares it to the mother’s and perhaps the father’s.
The two paternity tests in Melbourne are equally trustworthy:
- A medical facility administers blood tests to the infant and potential father. Swabs are taken from the possible father and the child’s cheeks to collect buccal (cheek) cells for further analysis, and the facility sends the samples to an outside laboratory.
- An authorised research centre receives the cotton swab applicators by mail. It is common practice for medical facilities to transmit swab samples collected in this manner to a lab for analysis.
Court verification in Melbourne
One should know that if the DNA samples are taken at the residence of a person, they cannot be used in court. It is mainly due to the inability of the court to test the authenticity of the reports. There are many fraud cases regarding identity.
The Best Laboratory to Use for Your Paternity Tests
Do not compromise in choosing the lab. Always choose a trusted and highly rated lab or clinic to do a paternity test in Melbourne. This is because the test results are highly crucial and determine many things. Professional care must be received so that the results are accurate and precise.

domain: medical


text:
Literary walks: Walk on
Bodleian Library Walking Tour
A visit to one of Europe’s oldest libraries, including the stunning medieval Divinity School and the 17th-century Convocation House.
Tuesday, March 23, Wednesday, March 24 and Thursday, March 25, 10am and 2pm
Ashmolean Museum Walking Tours
A series of talks and tours by gallery curators.
Between the Classical and the Modern: Tuesday, March 23 and Wednesday, March 24, 11.30am
Two Art Tours: Wednesday, March 24, 2.30pm
Dressing for the Great Game and Fragments of Splendour: Wednesday, March 24 and Thursday, March 25, 2.30pm
The “Alice” Tour of Christ Church
A walk round one of Oxford’s most famous colleges, in the footsteps of Lewis Carroll.
Tuesday, March 23, Wednesday, March 24 and Thursday, March 25, 10am
From Dandies and Aesthetes to Angry

domain: library


China in Africa: Documentary on Al-Jazeera
Al-Jazeera produced this interesting investigative piece on Chinese businessmen and migrants living and working in Senegal, provocativlely titled, “The Colony.”
It’s interesting to compare this take on overseas Chinese migration with a recent article in the New York Times about how tens of thousands of Chinese migrants have transformed the Italian city of Prato into a low-end textile and garment hub of Europe, with mixed-to-negative reactions by the Italian locals.
But for all the talk of how the impact of Chinese foreign commerce and migrant labor is being felt around the world, there is much-needed activity happening in the opposite direction, as China serves as a destination for both commercial and cultural exchange. We’ve reported earlier about the interesting “Raiding Africa” project funded by the Rotterdam Film Festival and spearheaded by Gertjan Zuilhof. He’s submitted several updates on the project during its summer run: entries five and six are particularly interesting in describing how visiting African filmmakers are encountering China, interacting with local Chinese and filming their experiences.
#christianity #zhaodayong #migrantlabor #missionaries #christian #aljazeera #italy #china #africa #senegal #guangzhou #church #nigeria #religion #myfathershouse #gertjanzuilhof #rotterdam #raidingafrica #prato


text:
When Leigh’s mother dies by suicide she leaves only a scribbled note – I want you to remember.
Leigh doesn’t understand its meaning and wishes she could turn to her best friend, Axel – if only she hadn’t kissed him and changed everything between them.
Guided by a mysterious red bird, Leigh travels to Taiwan to meet her grandparents for the first time. There, Leigh retreats into art and memories, where colours collide, the rules of reality are broken and the ghosts of the past refuse to rest…
But Leigh is determined to unlock her family’s secrets.
I was lucky enough to win a copy of The Astonishing Colour of After by Emily X R Pan in a giveaway run by one of my absolute faves, Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books. Thanks Marie!
And I am so glad because 1. I NEVER win anything so it was very exciting and 2. I absolutely adored this beautiful book, even though by the end it had me sobbing. SOBBING.*
*for the sake of transparency I should note making me cry is very easy. Like, if I’m watching a TV show, even if I don’t even really care about what’s happening, if one of the characters starts crying I will get choked up. Yeah. There might be something a bit wrong with me. That said, this book is very emotional and if you don’t cry… well, I might judge you a little bit for that.
The Astonishing Colour of After is a heart-rending, magical read about grief, love, family, art and identity. Leigh’s world is shattered when her mother dies by suicide. Things between her and her dad are strained – they were before her mother’s death – as they come to terms with their loss, and her relationship with her best friend Axel is in a strange, confused place. They kissed on the day of her mother’s death and ever since she has found herself totally unable to deal with him. With anyone, really.
So Leigh finds herself isolated, grief-stricken and in complete confusion when her mother returns to her in the form of a bird, a streak of scarlet dancing away into the sky whenever Leigh gets close.
This is just the start of the mysterious magic that creeps into Leigh’s life.
Emily X R Pan expertly weaves the story through various different timelines – Leigh in Taiwan, struggling to connect with her mother’s estranged family, the two years leading to her mother’s suicide and her journey into her mother’s family history, which she can access by burning photographs, a necklace or a letter, and be transported into the memory by the flames. As grief and insomnia take their toll on Leigh’s own mental health, as the reader you find yourself constantly questioning what’s actually happening, or what is just in Leigh’s mind as she isolates herself and spirals down under the weight of her pain and trauma.
It’s a novel consumed by grief, but The Astonishing Colour of After is also a mystery. Leigh’s mother was long estranged from her family in Taiwan to the point that she refused to even teach her daughter to speak Mandarin. The reasons for this are slowly revealed as the novel progresses, and watching Leigh navigate her own racial identity without her mother as her guide was a uniquely painful experience to read. Leigh is mixed race, and often called “exotic” by her white peers in America. In Taiwan, she’s dismayed to find that she is exoticised in much the same manner as in the US – people point and whisper, hunxie, a word she soon learns describes someone biracial. This, combined with the language barrier between herself and her grandparents she is meeting for the first time only adds to her sense of isolation and loneliness.
I loved the way that Pan included Chinese mythology in the story – particularly Ghost Month, the seventh month in the lunar calendar, when ghosts roam the earth like “brushstrokes across a canvas”. I also really appreciated the way that she wrote about suicide. One of my various jobs is with a CIC that deliver suicide awareness and suicide first aid training, and since I’ve become more involved with media representation of suicide I’ve become very concerned with the way it is often over simplified for the sake of a clickable headline. Pan doesn’t do that. She pointedly makes the choice not to assign a reason for Dory’s suicide. She has had some traumatic life experiences, yes, but her depression is an illness, not something that can be blamed on any one person or event.
I was happy to see that Pan also avoided using the phrase “committed suicide”. It’s one of those things that we say without really thinking about it, but it’s actually very stigmatising. “Died by suicide” or even “suicided” are much better terms to use. There’s a pretty good article here for anyone interested in learning more about this.
The Astonishing Colour of After is an unforgettable, emotive novel that handles its subject matter with compassion and understanding. It delves deep into family estrangement and how that pain can echo across generations decades later. It is probably my favourite YA read so far this year.

domain: literature


text:
Lecture highlights the early Lewiston/Boise rivalry
While the Civil War was raging thousands of miles away, another war was brewing in the Idaho Territory.
Historian John A. Mock discussed the bitter battle between Lewiston and Boise for the title of capital of the new territory in his lecture "Lewiston and the Great Seal: The Territorial Capital is Moved to Boise" Thursday night on the Lewis-Clark State College Campus. The lecture was part of a series of talks commemorating Lewiston's sesquicentennial.
"It was one of the most exciting periods of Idaho history," he said. "There's a continuing rivalry between north and south Idaho today."
In 1863, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Organic Act, which created the Idaho Territory out of a 325,000-square-mile area that is now Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Lincoln named William H. Wallace as the first governor of the territory, and Wallace chose Lewiston as the new capital. The Seal of the Territory of Idaho was also designed in Lewiston in 1863, Mock said. It included the words "The Union" to indicate where the territory stood in the war between the states.
"In 1862, Lewiston had more people than Portland, Olympia and Seattle combined," Mock said.
The first territorial capitol building of Idaho was a rough-hewn timber structure on the northwest side of Third Street. According to Mock, the building was still standing in 1913. The historic Luna House was located across the street, and legislators often stayed there, Mock said.
In 1864, the president appointed Caleb Lyon of New York - whom Mock considers a "scoundrel" - as second governor of the territory.
"It's a story of heroes and villains," Mock said.
A bill to change the location of the capital was introduced and fast tracked through the Legislature by Lyon, but Probate Judge John G. Berry issued an injunction against removal of the territorial seal and archives from Lewiston, Mock said. Lyon soon left the area, presumably back to the East Coast.
Meanwhile, the seal and archives were protected by six armed citizens, thwarting the first Boise attempt to steal them on Dec. 31, 1864.
However, in 1865, acting governor and territorial secretary Clinton DeWitt Smith and a military guard from Fort Lapwai successfully stole the great seal and archives and brought them to Boise.
In 1864, First Judicial District Judge Thomas M. Pomeroy and Territorial Judge Alleck C. Smith both ruled that the territory's capital would remain Lewiston, but on June 14, 1866, the newly formed Idaho Territorial Supreme Court reversed the action, making Boise the capital in law and fact, Mock said. The decision, however, was recorded only in court minutes, and an official opinion was never written.
"These people went against not only a probate judge, but also a District Court judge," Mock said.
The great territorial seal also subsequently disappeared and has not been found since, Mock said.
Mock is also part of the First Territorial Capitol of Idaho Revitalization Project. The group's objective is to construct a replica of the first territorial capitol and learning center next to the Nez Perce County Museum on Third Street in Lewiston. For more information, visit their website at www.lewistonschools.net/staff/sbranting/capitol/cap1.htm.
Gaboury may be contacted at email@example.com or (208) 848-2275.

domain: history