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Introduction to Shar Pei Diet
When it comes to our beloved Shar Peis, we want to ensure they’re getting the best. One crucial aspect of their care is their diet. Understanding what your Shar Pei needs to eat can make a significant difference in their health and happiness. In this section, we’ll delve into the importance of a balanced diet for Shar Peis and their unique dietary needs.
- Importance of a Balanced Diet for Shar Peis
- Understanding Shar Pei’s Unique Dietary Needs
Shar Pei Food Recommendations
When it comes to feeding your Shar Pei, it’s essential to provide them with a balanced and nutritious diet. Here are some of the best food recommendations for your furry friend.
Best Food for Shar Peis
There are several types of food that can provide your Shar Pei with the nutrients they need. Here are our top three recommendations:
- High-quality commercial dog food: Not all dog foods are created equal. High-quality commercial dog foods often contain a balanced mix of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, which are essential for your Shar Pei’s health. Look for brands that list real meat as the first ingredient and avoid those with excessive fillers like corn and wheat. Brands like Hill’s Science Diet and Royal Canin are known for their quality ingredients and are often recommended by veterinarians.
- Homemade meals: Preparing homemade meals for your Shar Pei allows you to control the quality of the ingredients. You can include lean meats, vegetables, and whole grains to ensure your dog gets a balanced diet. However, it’s important to consult with your vet to make sure you’re meeting all of your dog’s nutritional needs.
- Raw food diet: Some Shar Pei owners swear by a raw food diet, which typically includes raw meat, bones, fruits, and vegetables. This diet can provide your dog with a range of nutrients in their most natural form. However, it’s crucial to do your research and consult with a vet before switching your dog to a raw food diet, as it can pose some health risks if not properly balanced.
Remember, every Shar Pei is unique and may have different dietary needs. It’s always best to consult with a vet before making any significant changes to your dog’s diet.
Feeding Schedule for Shar Peis
Feeding your Shar Pei at the right times and with the right amount of food is crucial for their health and well-being. Here, we’ll break down the feeding schedules for both puppies and adult Shar Peis.
- Puppy Feeding ScheduleShar Pei puppies are full of energy and need a lot of nutrients to grow. They should be fed 3 to 4 times a day. Here’s a simple schedule you can follow:TimeMeal7:00 AMBreakfast12:00 PMLunch5:00 PMDinner8:00 PMOptional small snackRemember, the amount of food will depend on the puppy’s weight and the recommendations on the food packaging. Always consult with your vet if you’re unsure.
- Adult Feeding ScheduleAs your Shar Pei grows into an adult, their metabolism slows down. This means they don’t need to eat as often. An adult Shar Pei should be fed twice a day. Here’s a suggested schedule:TimeMeal8:00 AMBreakfast6:00 PMDinnerAgain, the amount of food will depend on your dog’s weight and the food’s instructions. It’s always a good idea to check with your vet for the best advice.
Feeding your Shar Pei at the right times and with the right amount can help them stay healthy and happy. Remember, every dog is unique, so these schedules might need to be adjusted to fit your dog’s needs.
Shar Pei Nutrition
Understanding the nutritional needs of your Shar Pei is crucial for their health and well-being. Here, we’ll delve into the key nutritional requirements of this unique breed.
Just like humans, dogs need a balanced diet to stay healthy. For Shar Peis, this includes the right mix of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, and vitamins and minerals. Let’s explore each of these components in detail:
- Vitamins and Minerals
Remember, every dog is unique, and their nutritional needs can vary based on factors like age, size, and health status. Always consult with your vet to determine the best diet for your Shar Pei.
Supplements for Shar Peis
Just like us humans, our furry friends also need a little boost in their diet. Supplements can play a crucial role in maintaining the health and vitality of your Shar Pei. Here are a couple of supplements that are particularly beneficial for this breed:
- Joint Supplements: Shar Peis are known for their adorable wrinkles, but beneath those folds of skin, they can sometimes struggle with joint issues. Joint supplements can help support their bone health. Ingredients like Glucosamine and Chondroitin are often recommended. They help maintain healthy cartilage and can reduce the risk of joint degeneration. Remember, it’s always best to consult with your vet before starting any new supplement regimen.
- Skin and Coat Supplements: Shar Peis have a unique coat that requires special care. Skin and coat supplements can help keep their skin healthy and their coat shiny. Look for supplements that contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids. These nutrients promote skin health and can help combat dryness and irritation. Again, always check with your vet before introducing these supplements to your Shar Pei’s diet.
Supplements can be a great addition to your Shar Pei’s diet, but they should never replace a balanced, nutritious meal. Always aim to provide your pup with a diet that’s rich in high-quality proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, and consult with your vet to determine the best dietary plan for your unique pet.
Feeding a Shar Pei
Feeding your Shar Pei the right way is crucial for their health and happiness. Let’s dive into how to properly feed a Shar Pei puppy.
Feeding a Shar Pei Puppy
Feeding a Shar Pei puppy requires special attention. It’s not just about what you feed them, but also how and when you feed them. Here are some key points to remember:
- Understanding the Shar Pei puppy diet
- Transitioning from mother’s milk to solid food
Feeding your Shar Pei puppy the right way will set them up for a lifetime of good health. Remember, a well-fed puppy is a happy puppy!
Feeding an Adult Shar Pei
When it comes to feeding an adult Shar Pei, there are two main things to keep in mind: maintaining a healthy diet and preventing obesity. Let’s dive into each of these topics.
- Maintaining a Healthy Diet for Shar Pei
- Preventing Obesity in Shar Peis
Feeding your Shar Pei properly and keeping them at a healthy weight is one of the best ways to ensure they live a long, happy, and healthy life. Always monitor your Shar Pei’s weight and adjust their diet and exercise routine as necessary. If you have any concerns about your Shar Pei’s diet or weight, don’t hesitate to consult with your vet.
Shar Pei Dietary Needs
When it comes to feeding your Shar Pei, it’s crucial to understand their specific dietary needs. This breed has unique requirements that can affect their health and happiness. Let’s dive into some special dietary considerations for Shar Peis.
Special Dietary Considerations
- Shar Pei food allergies
- Diet for Shar Peis with specific health conditions
Remember, every Shar Pei is unique, and their dietary needs can vary. Always consult with your vet before making any significant changes to your Shar Pei’s diet. A balanced diet is key to keeping your Shar Pei healthy and happy!
What to Feed Shar Peis
Feeding your Shar Pei the right food is crucial for their health and happiness. Let’s dive into the safe fruits and vegetables that you can include in their diet and the foods you should avoid.
- Safe fruits and vegetablesShar Peis can enjoy a variety of fruits and vegetables. These not only add variety to their diet but also provide essential vitamins and minerals. Here are some safe options:
- Apples (but remember to remove the seeds)
- Green beans
- Unsafe foods to avoidWhile many foods are safe for Shar Peis, there are some you should avoid to keep your dog healthy. These include:
- Chocolate: It’s toxic to dogs and can cause serious health problems.
- Grapes and raisins: These can cause kidney failure in dogs.
- Onions and garlic: These can damage a dog’s red blood cells, leading to anemia.
- Avocado: It contains a toxin that can cause vomiting and diarrhea in dogs.
Feeding your Shar Pei a balanced diet that includes safe fruits and vegetables, while avoiding toxic foods, will help keep them healthy and happy. Remember, every dog is unique, so it’s important to monitor your Shar Pei’s reaction to new foods and adjust their diet as necessary.
Conclusion: Ensuring a Healthy Diet for Your Shar Pei
As we wrap up our discussion on Shar Pei nutrition, it’s clear that a well-balanced diet is crucial for this breed’s overall health and well-being. Let’s summarize the key points we’ve learned and share some final thoughts on feeding a Shar Pei.
- Key takeaways on Shar Pei nutrition:
- Final thoughts on feeding a Shar Pei:
With the right diet and plenty of love and care, your Shar Pei can thrive and enjoy a happy, healthy life. Remember, good nutrition is a key component of your dog’s overall health, so make it a priority.

domain: health


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Arts & Culture/Theater , General , Live Music
Pink Floyd Laserspectacular
Date: Friday, April 21 2017
The cult favorite returns by demand after five sold out appearances! Experience two hours of thrilling visuals choreographed to one of the greatest bands of all time, Pink Floyd! With vivid multi-screen video projections, cutting edge laser technology, and the theatre’s state-of-the-art sound system—it’s got all the excitement of a live concert!
Full Tickets Prices Start At: $35
Visit Website Add To Itinerary
Carpenter Performing Arts Center
8:00 PM to 10:00 PM
6200 Atherton St.
Long Beach, California 90815

domain: artistic


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Tropical plants and cactus' are the rage these days and the trend doesn't look to be fading away soon especially when more and more stores seem to be offering a variety of home & decor products either in their shape or pattern. I thought of giving a tribute to my Monstera plant by making this hot pink monstera leaf doormat
We are want to say thanks if you like to share this post to another people via your facebook, pinterest, google plus or twitter account.
Right Click to save picture or tap and hold for seven second if you are using iphone or ipad.
Source by : enthrallinggumption.com

domain: hobby


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Gaming, Design and Animation
This guide will help you find and use key resources for gaming, design and animation subjects.
Where are my books in the Library?
You will find relevant books throughout the Library, for example:
- Animation: 006.6, level 4 and 741, level 2
- Computer games: 794, level 2
- Computer programming: 005, level 4
For help ask a member of staff on the floor or watch Find a Book in the Library.
Many of our books are online, watch Find and Use ebooks to learn more.
Your lecturer may recommend specific titles but you can also browse our collection to see what journals we have for your subject area.
- Art and design journals
- Audio arts and acoustics journals
- Human computer interaction or graphics journals
- Software engineering journals
Open access journals
- DIGRA: Transactions of the Digital Games Research Association
- International Journal of Computer Games Technology
Databases enable you to do a more strategic search than you can on Discover. They help you find information quickly and efficiently by allowing you to search using a combination of search terms, to filter and narrow your results (by date or subject area for example) and save your searches for later.
If you are looking for journal articles the main databases are:
These databases cover a wide range of subject areas and are a good starting point if you're not sure where to search for information.
- ProQuest Central: an extensive multidisciplinary database covering a wide range of subjects. Use the filters in the results screen to narrow to journal articles, or limit the date range. If ProQuest Central is too general, use the option “change databases” to search just a part of the database, for example try ProQuest Computing or the Design and Applied Arts Index.
- Science Direct: a full text scientific database offering access to peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters focusing on research in science, technology and medicine.
- SpringerLink: access to journals, books, series, protocols and reference works, including a wide range of computer science resources.
- Web of Science: easy to use, high quality sources of scientific research including computing and technology. Features information on the number of times an article has been cited and the journal impact factor.
Gaming, design and animation specialist
These databases are subject specific, offering a more focused search.
- ACM Digital Library: comprehensive full text access to both current and historical Association for Computing Machinery articles and conference proceedings.
- AES e-library: access to Audio Engineering Society conference papers as well as the Journal of the Audio Engineering Society from 1953 to the present.
- IEEE Xplore: access to the full text of Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers content, including articles, books and conference proceedings, published since 1988 as well as selected content published since 1893.
- Lecture notes in computer science: an extensive series of publications reporting the latest results from all areas of computer science and information technology research, development, and education.
- Stash: online collection of more than 5,000 design, animation, and VFX projects.
- Visual Arts Data Service: high quality image online resources for students of the visual arts.
There is some overlap between the databases but every database also has unique content. Some databases provide help guides - these are available within the Discover record for that database. If you need further support, contact your librarian.
Websites can offer a range of information, for example policy documents and statistics, which may be difficult to find elsewhere.
There are lots of useful websites freely available, including those run by practitioner and industry bodies, for example the Independent Game Developers' Association (TIGA), the Association for UK Interactive Entertainment (UKIE) and International Game Developers Association. (IGDA) In recent years, the Game Developers Conference has offered a selection of free content from past events.
With such a wide variety available you need to ensure that the sites you are using are trustworthy. We provide guidance on evaluating websites.

domain: library


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Team Rubicon (TR) unites the skills and experience of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams into crisis situations. TR offers veterans a chance to continue their service by helping and empowering those afflicted by disasters, and also themselves. Through service, veterans gain three things they lose after taking off the uniform: purpose, community, and identity. Veterans and civilians who want to become a member visit: www.TeamRubiconUSA.org
How to Volunteer to Help With Hurricane Ian Relief
From registering to become a disaster response volunteer to deploying on a hurricane relief operation, here’s how to help Florida now: https://teamrubiconusa.org/blog/volunteer-help-hurricane-ian/
A Community Building Resilience
Behind every successful operation is a group of individuals committed to supporting Team Rubicon’s mission of serving global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises. We call them the Support Squad.

domain: sociology


An electronic calculator is a small, portable electronic device used to perform calculations, ranging from basic arithmetic to complex mathematics.
The first solid state electronic calculator was created in the 1960s, building on the extensive history of tools such as the abacus (developed around 2000 BC), and the mechanical calculator (developed in the 17th century AD). It was developed in parallel with the analog computers of the day.
The pocket sized devices became available in the 1970s, especially after the first microprocessor, the Intel 4004, developed by Intel for the Japanese calculator company Busicom. They later became used commonly within the petroleum industry (oil and gas).
Modern electronic calculators vary: from cheap, give-away, credit-card-sized models to sturdy desktop models with built-in printers. They became popular in the mid-1970s (as integrated circuits made their size and cost small). By the end of that decade, calculator prices had reduced to a point where a basic calculator was affordable to most and they became common in schools.
Computer operating systems as far back as early Unix have included interactive calculator programs such as dc and hoc, and calculator functions are included in almost all personal digital assistant (PDA) type devices (save a few dedicated address book and dictionary devices).
In this gallery you can download free PNG images: Calculator PNG image free download
In this gallery "Calculator" we have 49 free PNG images with transparent background.


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Weight: 1.35 kg
In stock, immediate despatch
Brand: Plant MagicSize: 1 Litre
A magnesium and calcium additive that can be used throughout the entire growing cycle, but is particularly effective when used alongside a PK booster during the flowering stage.
Magne-Cal+ will prevent deficiencies and also assist in the uptake of potassium, enhancing the effect of the booster.
Magne-Cal+ is particularly popular with Coco growers, as the nature of coco can generally lead to magnesium and calcium deficiencies
Magne-Cal + works alongside the PK to aid with the uptake of these vital elements as well as giving the plant a surge of trace elements.
Brands we love:
© Animal and Garden Supplies Ltd. eCommerce Software by Bluepark
Home > Garden > Nutrients > Plant Magic

domain: chemistry


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Mediation is an informal and confidential process in which a third party (mediator) facilitates settlement negotiations between the parties. Mediation is mandatory in all counties in South Carolina before a case may proceed to trial.
Mediation is a form of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) that involves a neutral third party, known as a mediator, helping to facilitate a conversation between two or more parties who are in conflict or dispute. The goal of mediation is to help the parties find a mutually acceptable resolution to their dispute without having to go to court.
In mediation, the mediator acts as a facilitator and helps the parties identify and communicate their interests, needs, and concerns. The mediator does not make a decision or impose a solution on the parties, but rather helps them find a solution that works for everyone involved.
Mediation is often used in family law disputes, such as divorce or child custody cases, as well as in employment disputes, business disputes, and other types of civil disputes. It can also be used to resolve community disputes, such as neighbor-to-neighbor conflicts.
Mediation has several advantages over traditional litigation. It is typically faster, less expensive, and less adversarial than going to court. It can also help preserve relationships between the parties, which can be important in family and business disputes. Additionally, mediation is confidential, which can encourage parties to be more open and honest in their discussions.
However, mediation may not be appropriate for all disputes. If one party is unwilling to participate in the process or if there is a significant power imbalance between the parties, mediation may not be effective. It's essential to consult with a qualified mediator or attorney to determine if mediation is appropriate for your situation.

domain: law


Among his many responsibilities with the Department of Education, Haun provides technical assistance to the Virginia Board of Education and facilitates policy development and implementation. He must be conversant across the gamut of issues under the DOE’s purview, including Virginia’s educational accountability program, curriculum and instructional practices, federal accountability requirements, local, state, and federal education policies and procedures, and uses of educational technology for teaching and learning.
Currently, he says, his most influential work is assisting the Board of Education with revising the Standards of Accreditation. “The SOAs are designed to provide an essential foundation of educational programs of high quality in all schools for all students,” Haun explains. They determine standards, guidelines, and regulations in areas such as school accreditation, graduation requirements, teacher licensure, and standards of learning.
“The skills that today’s students need to be career and college ready differ,” he says. “Changes to the SOAs are necessary to enable our schools to adequately prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs.”
Working with Virginia’s challenged school divisions has been most rewarding for him so far. “Students cannot come to school and learn if they are homeless, hungry, and lack basic medical attention,” Haun says. A team of representatives from all state agencies has been created to assist schools in challenged communities with wraparound support and services.
Since taking this position in fall 2014, he sees his greatest success as working with school divisions to develop and implement alternative assessments to replace the five SOL multiple-choice assessments that were removed.
“The VDOE was able to provide grants to the eight superintendents’ regions to support this work,” he says. “In October 2015, VDOE partnered with Virginia ASCD, the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, and the Virginia School-University Partnership to host an Alternative Assessment Summit for schools and regions to share and learn from each other.”
Changes to the SOAs are necessary to enable our schools to adequately prepare today’s students for tomorrow’s jobs.
The Curry School’s Role
“I do feel my experiences at Curry School helped to prepare me for leadership,” he says. “Two skills that students were expected to use in every class were being analytical and good communicators. The professors that I interacted with at Curry School were persistent about being good thinkers, asking great questions and being effective communicators. These are two of the skills that I use almost daily and must have to be an effective leader.”
The Career Path
From 2009 to 2014 Haun was the Assistant Superintendent for Student Learning for Albemarle County Public Schools. He joined ACPS in 1994 as a math teacher and the varsity football coach at Western Albemarle High School. He was named an assistant principal at Western three years later, principal of Walton Middle School in 2000, and principal at Monticello High School in 2003.
“I have known Dr. Haun since his early days as a principal, and his leadership capabilities easily were obvious,” said Albemarle County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Pamela Moran (M.Ed. ’80 Sci Ed; Ed.D. ’97 Admin & Supv). “He not only has a deep commitment to student-centered learning, but also is a leader who is able to turn that drive into meaningful programs that change young lives.”


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STUDIO CITY (KCAL9) — Actor James Van Der Beek stopped by KCAL9 Monday to raise awareness for ulcerative colitis and talk about his adventure as a new dad.
His mother suffers from the condition. Many UC patients are often too embarrassed to talk about this disease so the actor is lending his voice to the cause.
Van Der Beek is well known for his leading role on “Dawson’s Creek.” He has also been seen starring in several hit films over the past couple of years, including “Varsity Blues” and “Texas Rangers.”
To learn more about ulcerative colitis, click here.

domain: news


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COLUMN | Pandora’s Box opens up more corruption in the oil industry [Offshore Accounts]
Another year, another wave of allegations of corruption in the oil and gas industry, as the leaks in the Pandora Papers come to light. A year ago we wrote about the first three convictions by the Serious Fraud Office in the UK in the Unaoil scandal (here), where the Monaco-based brokerage paid large bribes on behalf of Leighton Offshore and SBM Offshore to Iraqi officials to win US$1.7 billion in contracts to rebuild the export terminal at Basra. The fourth accused in the case, Paul Bond, was sentenced to three and a half years in prison in the UK after a retrial in London this February (SFO statement here).
In the same piece we highlighted how SBM had also been found guilty of paying massive bribes to various Sonangol officials in Angola for historic FPSO contracts through a Panamanian company called Mardrill, and how the former boss of Mexico’s state oil company Pemex, Emilio Lozoya, testified that he had channelled bribes to three former presidents of his country. Mr Lozoya recently caused scandal in Mexico by dining with friends at one of the country’s finest restaurants, at a time when the attorney general has signally failed to secure any jail time for the leading politicians accused of using Pemex as a cash cow for corruption (here).
His impunity and the failure of the Mexican authorities to hold to account those receiving bribes and embezzling cash from Pemex is not surprising. Everywhere there is corruption, there are delays and excuses.
For example, the private secretary to the former president of Mozambique has insisted there was no link between her arranging meetings with shipbuilding group Privinvest and her receiving over US$800,000 from Privinvest via an intermediary (here).
So much corruption, so much oil
One of the hardest parts writing this column is which corruption stories to cover. There are so many. They are all complicated and they are all contested. They all take forever to get to court. Bribes paid today will probably come to court in 2028, if at all.
In March, we featured (here) the lengthy and tortuous case of former Nigerian oil minister Dan Ete and the case of offshore deepwater block OPL 245, which led to Shell and ENI being accused, then acquitted, of wrongdoing over the payment of over one billion US dollars to the Nigerian government, which was then misappropriated under the watchful eye of President Goodluck Jonathan. Last year we were covering the explosive Petrobras corruption scandal in Brazil, which drew in several rig building companies, including SembMarine and Keppel (here and here).
In 2019, we were writing about the corruption allegations against ENI CEO Claudio Descalzi (here), and the claims that a McDermott subsidiary had paid US$16 million to sex workers in Colombia as part of a concerted campaign to corruptly win construction contracts on a refinery there (here). That McDermott case is still unresolved as far as we know.
Petrofac guilty, pays US$105 million in penalties
The latest company to plead guilty of corruption is Petrofac, the British-listed oilfield services company, which admitted seven counts of failing to prevent its former employees from offering or making payments to agents in relation to projects awarded between 2012 and 2015 in Iraq, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. The company admitted it had violated the UK Bribery Act 2010 between 2011 and 2017, but reassured investors that “all employees involved in the charges have left the business.” (here). They always say that. The prosecution claimed that Petrofac paid US$44 million in bribes to secure the Middle Eastern contracts worth over US$3 billion.
Chairman Renè Midori published a lengthy statement saying that Petrofac was now a completely different company.
“This was a deeply regrettable period of Petrofac’s history,” wrote Mr Midori. “We are committed to ensuring it will never happen again. We have fundamentally overhauled our compliance regime, as well as the people, and the culture that supports it.”
Mr Afsari remains on board
This claim that everything at Petrofac is new and different might be plausible. We note the fact that the company’s founder, and the CEO at the time the corruption was taking place, Ayman Afsari, remains a director of the company, and is the company’s largest shareholder, with 19 per cent of the company’s shares held by him and his family.
Mr Afsari stepped down as CEO last year but kept his board seat. The SFO had interviewed Mr Afsari in May 2017 about the corruption, just days after he made a large donation to the ruling Conservative Party in the UK. It is a matter of public record that in total Ayman Afsari and his wife Sawsan donated over a million US dollars to Boris Johnson’s Conservative party between 2009 and 2017 (here). The timing of the donation could be a complete co-incidence, of course. The thread of co-incidence runs strongly through this piece.
On October 4, Petrofac was fined US$64 million, hit with a US$31 million confiscation order, and was ordered to pay US$10 million of the SFO’s costs in the case. David Lufkin, Petrofac’s former Head of Sales, was also sentenced that day, and received a two-year custodial sentence, which was suspended for 18 months, for committing 14 acts of bribery. Lufkin had co-operated with SFO investigators and assisted with the investigation.
The SFO’s statement on the fines and sentencing is here.
Judge says Petrofac should remain a viable business
The Financial Times reported that Judge Deborah Taylor commented the corruption in Petrofac had been “systemic, serious and grave,” but she took into account Petrofac’s co-operation and its precarious financial situation. Petrofac required UK government support during the pandemic and still has loans to the British state to repay.
Heaven knows why a company that had been paying massive bribes for six years should be allowed to go bust. If Brazilian prosecutors had taken such a lenient position, Odebracht, the company at the heart of the Operation Car Wash scandal, would not have gone into bankruptcy protection in 2019 (Reuters report here). If corruption is to be combated, the penalties should be severe.
In fact, stock market investors were so relieved that the sentence on Petrofac was so lenient, and that the company could continue bidding new contracts, that the shares shot up. In the last month, Petrofac shares have risen from 98 pence (US$1.34) to 168 pence (US$2.31) apiece at close on Friday, October 15, increasing the value of the Afsari family’s stake by over US$60 million. Nice!
SFO also takes down Amec Foster Wheeler Energy
The SFO also scored a major success when it secured a Deferred Prosecution Agreement (known as a DPA – but as far away from the other DPA under shipping’s ISM code as can be imagined) with Amec Foster Wheeler Energy (AFWEL) on July 1. This DPA related to the company’s use of corrupt agents in the oil and gas sector (see here). Corrupt agents in the oil and gas sector. Well, who would guess that?
Under the terms of the DPA, AFWEL will pay a financial penalty and costs amounting to £103 million (US$141 million) in the UK to form part of a US$177 million global settlement with the British, American, and Brazilian authorities. The amounts to be paid by AFWEL in the UK include payment of the SFO’s costs of around US$5 million and payment of compensation to the people of Nigeria of just under US$300,000. Quite what the people of Nigeria will do with this rather paltry windfall is not known. But we have some idea (see below).
In entering into the DPA, AFWEL took responsibility for ten offences of corruption that spanned from 1996 to 2014 and took place across the world, in Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, India and Brazil.
In October 2017, the Wood Group purchased Amec Foster Wheeler, including its corrupt subsidiary AFWEL, in an all-share, no-cash deal, which valued its rival at US$2.7 billion (Reuters report here). The SFO was at pains to emphasise that the Wood Group was not involved in the indicted conduct, and has co-operated fully with the SFO’s investigation. Today the Wood Group as a whole is worth less than the price it paid for Amec Foster Wheeler.
Deferred prosecution is deferred justice?
As part of the DPA, the Wood Group agrees to ongoing co-operation with the SFO and other law enforcement and regulatory authorities. The Wood Group will report annually to the SFO on its group-wide ethics and compliance programme.
In return for this co-operation and the payment of the costs and penalties, no criminal prosecution of AFWEL will occur. And no findings of any kind were made against any individual, not even those who negotiated and paid the bribes for which the penalties applied.
“Over a period of 18 years,” said Lisa Osofsky, the Director of the Serious Fraud Office, “Foster Wheeler Energy brazenly and calculatedly paid bribes to officials around the world to cut corners and secure contracts, going to great lengths to conceal its corrupt conduct.”
People paid the bribes, but who exactly?
However, when approving the DPA, the court did not make findings of fact. The SFO admits that “no process took place by which the culpability of individual people was determined or assessed.”
So, millions in bribes were paid in many countries over many years by AFWEL, but nobody, not one individual, has been charged, let alone found guilty of corruption, in the case. Instead, the parent company pays a fine, agrees to be good in future, and everyone is happy. Well, certainly the SFO is happy because the fine paid for more than twice its annual operating costs, so the DPA was an excellent return on investment.
Those looking for answers over what went on can wait, because without the disclosure of a trial, what exactly happened in AFWEL over two decades remains veiled in secrecy.
It gets worse for Isabel Dos Santos, better for Angola
Now further allegations have emerged of corruption in yet more oil-producing nations, and of brazen money laundering in several European countries.
For many years, Angola has been at the centre of allegations that the state oil company Sonangol has acted as a piggy bank for the country’s elite who have embezzled money from it with impunity and used it as a mechanism to extort bribes from its business partners and contractors. SBM Offshore’s commission payments to offshore companies connected to senior Angolan officials were among the reasons the firm was fined hundreds of millions and its former CEO jailed.
When he took over in 2017, Angolan President João Lourenço said that no one was too powerful to jail for corruption. His administration claims that at least US$24 billion had been stolen under the previous regime led by his predecessor, José Eduardo dos Santos. That’s billion with a “b”.
In August, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists reported that the former Angolan president’s daughter, Isabel Dos Santos, has been ordered by an international tribunal to hand back to the government of Angola a US$500 million shareholding in the Portuguese energy company Galp (here). Ms Dos Santos had claimed to be Africa’s richest woman, and a self-made entrepreneur, despite her father’s convenient job as head of state (her hilarious defence here).
Instead, the ICIJ revealed in its Luanda Leaks study that Ms Dos Santos and her husband, the Congolese art collector Sindika Dokolo, had obtained the stake in Galp for just a US$15 million initial deposit, in a controversial deal made with Sonangol. Strange, since she had told the Financial Times in 2013, “Yes, the oil industry is ‘politically driven'”, but she insisted to her interviewer that she steers well clear of it. In her sectors, “politics don’t come into it”, she said.
Unfortunately, the deal to buy the Galp stake “cannot be explained but for grand corruption by the daughter of a head of state and her husband,” the tribunal ruled, and declared it “null and void.”
The ruling was made public last week by Dutch newspaper and ICIJ partner Het Financieele Dagblad.
Ms Dos Santos has been having rather a bad run of luck recently, and was bereaved in 2020 when her husband, and co-accused embezzler, Sindika Dokolo died. He drowned in a mysterious free diving accident off the coast of Dubai. Fortunately, the Emirati police have found no signs that the death of a man wanted for stealing millions of dollars of Angolan government money was anything other than an accident (here).
Accidents happen when people try to hold their breath underwater for long periods.
Vicente also holds his breath
Last month three non-governmental groups filed an official criminal complaint in Portugal against Manuel Domingos Vicente, then chairman of the Board of Directors of Sonangol (and vice president of Angola under President Dos Santos) and three former Sonangol executives, Baptista Sumbe, José Benge, and Fernando Osvaldo dos Santos. The claim relates to payments totaling almost US$54 million between 2005 and 2012 to various companies created in Panama by the accused.
Voa Portugues reported here that the plaintiffs’ spokesperson, attorney Salvador Freire, said the complaint was filed in Portugal because “the transaction bank is based in Portugal, and the organisations have sufficient evidence.”
“Portugal was the laundry room of corruption in Angola,” Freire continued. “It has been like that, in fact, for several years. This type of crime transcends national borders, so we want to hold the beneficiaries and facilitators accountable.”
Cobalt crashes, lawyers win class action
In 2014, Mr Vicente was caught up in a nasty corruption allegation involving Cobalt International Energy when it turned out that he himself and two senior Angolan generals had held previously concealed stakes in Nazaki Oil and Gás, Cobalt’s local partner in Angola (here).
At the time the venture was launched in 2010, Mr Vicente was running Sonangol, which awarded Cobalt its concession. In 2017, Cobalt filed for bankruptcy in the US after an abortive attempt to sell its Angolan assets to… Sonangol. In 2019, a Texas federal judge approved US$173.8 million in settlements of investor class action claims stemming from the bribery allegations against Cobalt, plus US$43.45 million in fees for the lawyers leading the action, including Bernstein, Litowitz, Berger and Grossmann, Entwistle and Cappucci, and others.
US District Court Judge Nancy Atlas said the request for 25 per cent of the settlement funds plus just under US$2 million in expenses was reasonable, considering the work the lawyers had put into the case and the outcome they achieved for the plaintiffs (here). That’s a legal win in so many ways.
“The government is really serious”
Mr Vicente has always denied wrongdoing, as he told the Financial Times in 2014 (here).
“The government is really serious, engaged in combating poverty,” he said. “I’m a Christian guy. It doesn’t work if you are OK and the people around have nothing to eat. You don’t feel comfortable.”
Unfortunately, despite his godly ethics, court filings in Switzerland have shown that Mr Vicente has amassed a personal fortune of over US$1 billion, demonstrating how President Dos Santos’ government was very effective at combating the poverty of its cronies, rather than the population as a whole. In Angola, GDP per capita is just US$2,000 according to the World Bank (here). However, income is highly unequal, and four out of ten Angolans have a consumption level below the poverty line of 12,181 kwanzas (US$21) per month, according to the 2020 Poverty Report for Angola (here).
It transpired that Mr Vicente ran an insurance company called AAA International, which sold hundreds of millions of dollars of cover to Sonangol, the same company he was tasked with running (here). He has been jailed on suspicion of corruption in Angola since late in 2020, but has described the transfers between 2012 to 2019 to his Swiss bank accounts, which have now been frozen, as “legitimate reimbursement for loans he had made earlier.”
London, the great money laundry
The fact that NGOs are now forcing the Portuguese government to take responsibility for the massive money laundering that went on by the Angolan elite under its nose should compel other European states to look hard at transactions that have occurred in their jurisdictions.
Particularly the UK. The great flood of information about offshore companies contained in the recent Pandora Papers leak of the confidential records of various Caribbean professional services firms, which set up Cayman Island, Panamanian, and British Virgin Island shell companies, have exposed just how much tainted cash of dubious provenance from the elite of various oil and gas producers has flooded into London.
The Aliyev family’s properties in London
The Pandora Papers revealed (here) that President Aliyev of Azerbaijan’s “two daughters, his son, his father-in-law, and two of the family’s close business associates have held US$694 million worth of London real estate” through secretive offshore shell companies set up in the Caribbean. The portfolio includes prominent historical buildings, commercial developments, and luxury apartments in prestigious neighbourhoods close to Harrods supermarket, OCCRP reported. These kids might look at the example of disgraced Isabel Dos Santos and ask a few questions. But probably not.
But where did the funds come from to pay for it? Surely not from the state budget or from state companies? Who knows? And the British authorities don’t seem too keen to ask, given that BP operates Azerbaijan’s largest oil and gas fields, ACG and Shah Deniz.
Unexplained wealth orders for the small fry
Strangely, Britain’s National Crime Agency was quite keen to slap an Unexplained Wealth Order on the wife of the former chairman of Azerbaijan’s biggest bank, the state-owned International Bank of Azerbaijan, after he was jailed on fraud and embezzlement charges. Zamira Haciyeva had spent more than US$21 million over a decade in London’s Harrods department store and lost her final appeal at the UK supreme court earlier this year against the order to reveal that the source of her money is legitimate.
Since her husband is in prison in Baku for stealing from the government-controlled bank, this may prove difficult. As a result, Mrs Haciyeva may now lose her home in London’s exclusive Knightsbridge district, and a separate golf course in the county of Berkshire that she owns, if she can’t explain the source of the funds that paid for them.
I’m eager to hear her explanation. Surely, she won a lottery, completely unrelated to her husband’s former role at the bank? Or perhaps she was lucky on the horses at Royal Ascot, the racecourse near her own golf course?
Nigerians own big, too
If the National Crime Agency starts to dig into how much crooked oil and gas money has washed back into London in the past few years, it may perhaps be handing out dozens of Unexplained Wealth Orders.
The Pandora Papers showed (here) that in the last three decades, at least 233 properties were bought in the UK by 166 offshore companies with a combined worth today of over US$500 million. The Premium Times reported that behind these companies were 137 influential Nigerians.
Strangely, the bulk of the purchases happened between 2010 and 2015 when Goodluck Jonathan was president of Nigeria, the same time that the mysterious billion dollars got lost out of the Nigerian treasury from the payment by Shell and ENI for the OPL 246 block.
Why are the British authorities permitting so much cash of unknown provenance to be “invested” (or laundered, if you are cynical) through Caribbean shell companies into London property?
You’d have to ask them. But since major donors of the Conservative Party were also found in the Pandora Papers to be advising on deals where US$200 million bribes were paid (see here), you might spend a long time waiting for the answer.
Jonathan Taylor – whistleblower returns to Monaco
Finally, we were delighted and relieved when the man who exposed the pervasive bribery in SBM, Jonathan Taylor, was released this July from Croatia. He had been held there for fifty weeks under an Interpol Red Notice from the Monaco authorities, who wanted to question him relating to claims that he had tried to blackmail SBM after discovering the corruption. Finally, the Croatian Justice Minister overturned the extradition request from Monaco and Mr Taylor could leave the country to go home to England, after a traumatic and stressful legal battle, and an involuntary night in a psychiatric facility.
Last week, Mr Taylor voluntarily returned to Monaco, and met with the authorities there to answer over five hours of questions about the allegations that he had sought to extort money from the oilfield services company that employed him. His French lawyer had negotiated that Taylor would be free to leave if he attended the cross-examination with investigating judge Ludovic Leclerk.
Mr Taylor has now received confirmation that both the international arrest warrant and the Monaco national arrest warrant against him have both been rescinded. He is also submitting a formal request that the case against him is dropped, and is confident that the Monaco authorities will have closed the matter by the end of this year. That’s great news.
Protection for whistleblowers in needed
Mr Taylor will now be devoting time on efforts to reform whistleblowing laws to provide further protection for those who discover and expose corruption, bribery, and corporate malfeasance. His own case exposed some of the biggest bribery incidents in the industry to date, and saw massive penalties levied on SBM.
However, Mr Taylor paid a huge personal price when he exposed the bribery at SBM – despite a settlement with his former employer, he has fought seven years of legal battles in Monaco and the Netherlands, he divorced during the time he was detained in Croatia, and he is now unemployed.
Whistleblowers deserve protection so that more corruption can be exposed. There’s too much dirty money in oil and gas, and too much money laundering by enablers and middle men in respectable developed countries, including the US and the UK. The Pandora Papers, the Panama Papers, and the Luanda Leaks reveal the extent to which the oil and gas industry must change and root out corruption.
But don’t hold your breath.
Deferred Prosecution Agreements are relatively new and rare in England and Wales, but have been widely used in the US for many years. This piece explains the differences between how DPAs are used in the two jurisdictions – here.
The ICIJ’s Pandora Papers coverage starts here – please support their excellent work.


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HYPALON has outstanding resistance to most chemicals; heat and oil are among the most important characteristics. Further, HYPALON is flame resistant, offers excellent color stability, weather and abrasion resistance. Low moisture absorption, good dielectric qualities, and high abrasion resistance are among its other features. Like most synthetics, HYPALON® is superior to NATURAL RUBBER in temperature, oil and resistance to the effect of ozone.
HYPALON was DuPont’s trade name for “CSM” Chlorosulfonated Polyethelene. DuPont stopped producing HYPALON “CSM” in 2010. CSM resin is still being produced by some chemical manufacturers. CSM has an operating temperature of -20 to 200°F.
HYPALON “CSM” can be molded into parts extruded in profiles or tubing or calendared into sheet goods.
HYPALON is generally attacked by concentrated oxidizing acids, esters, ketones, chlorinated, aromatic and nitro hydrocarbons.
Hypalon Chemical Designation: Chlorosulfonated Polyethylene


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If you’re having trouble navigating your personal finances, you’re not alone. Many people feel lost when it comes to searching for ways to save money. There are however, a few simple strategies for navigating your way towards greater financial freedom.
Find a better grocery groove.
For most people, the most immediate and flexible way they can begin to carve out extra cash is by finding more room in their grocery budget. Embracing cheap food doesn’t have to be boring or short on nutrition. Many of the most affordably-nutrition food items are often overlooked by home cooks who are unaware of the flexibility they offer. A creative collection of split pea recipes and learning more ways to cook with cauliflower for example can go a long way towards expanding your dinner repertoire with menu items that range from roasted cauliflower steaks to split pea falafel.
Learn how to power shop.
No, I’m not talking about maxing out your credit card on the latest shoe styles from Gucci. I’m talking about treating the purchasing process you use for your household expenditures like the job it is. If you approach your shopping needs from this perspective, you’ll be amazed at the savings opportunities you’ll discover. From finding savings percentages that rival stock market ROIs with various bargain shopping methods to bulk buying with precision, developing mad shopping skills will help you out greatly on your road to financial stability.
Keep your business on a budget as well.
It’s no secret that having even a smaller, sideline business is a great way to gain tax deductions and earn additional income that can range from a bit of extra cash to a full salary. The trick however, is in not overspending in the excitement of starting your own freelance gig. A few budget strategies for business owners include creative control of cash flow, avoiding unnecessary office supplies and knowing when to outsource.
Approach business travel with organization and accountability.
Even with the best of intentions, keeping track of receipts on the road while meeting all of your other professional obligations can seem like an insurmountable task. Rainy dashes to the taxi cab, food cart lunches on the fly and more can make building an expense report a major ordeal. Setting aside catch up time each day to get your paperwork and purchase notes in order will help you feel more in control. So will finding a money app or two that meet your unique needs. Being able to catch up on a few reporting tasks from your smartphone enables you to use transportation time as efficiently as possible.
Navigating a new budget might be challenging, but it’s far from impossible. Using these four tips will get you well on your way, and leave you feeling more in control.
Photo Credit: iStock

domain: economics


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Drag Race UK winner and all round legend Danny Beard is set to join Radio 1 as host
Iconic drag queen Danny Beard is set to join Radio 1 from next week, and we are officially living for it.
The radio station has undergone a shake-up in recent days, with Jordan North leaving to join Capital, and, in July, queer presenter Dean McCullough‘s show moving to the early-breakfast slot (5am to 7am).
In an extra dose of sparkle for the station, Beard, who won season four of Drag Race UK, is to fill in until the station’s new permanent schedule comes into effect.
An announcement posted on the official X/Twitter account for station’s press office today (28 February), read: “Drag queen icon and comedy genius Danny Beard will be joining Radio 1 to take on the hosting duties of weekend shows (10.30-13.00 Friday-Saturday) from 8 March, until Vicky Hawkesworth and Nat O’Leary’s new show in July.”
Speaking about the announcement, Beard said: “Katie [Thistleton]’s show is one of my favourites to listen to on Radio 1, and I can’t wait to get stuck in with the listeners and hear all about their weekend antics, while keeping them entertained and plied with excellent music.
“Bringing some Danny Beard magic to the daylight hours and Radio 1 is a real honour for me and I cannot wait to get started.”
You may like to watch
The head of BBC Radio 1, Aled Haydn Jones, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Danny to the station, they’re a comedy and drag queen icon. Audiences are going to love their quick wit and humour while they keep the weekend seat warm over the next few months.”
And on X, Haydn Jones had another message for Danny, writing: “Welcome to the team – keep it clean.”
Full details of the schedule shake-up announcement can be found here.


Working on the day of voting on changes to the Constitution will receive higher wages. As reported by RIA “Novosti”, said the head of the social Committee of the Federation Council Inna Svyatenko.
“For work on the voting day, provided payment in the increased size,” she said.
on 1 July in connection with the vote on the amendments to the Constitution — day.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a decree on postponement of the nationwide vote on the issue of approval of amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation from 22 April to 1 July. On the national ballot submitted one question: “do You approve the amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation?”.
One of the amendments, which allows Putin to be elected for a new presidential term, caused a public outcry. Appeared petition, which the authors spoke out against such changes.
Stories about how you tried to get help from the Russian state in terms of coronaries and what came of it, email it to COVIDemail@example.com


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Believe Fitness Studio
$33 for 3 Anti-Gravity Yoga classes (reg. $66)
- 3 one-hour classes
- One of the only SoCal studios licensed for Anti-Gravity yoga!
- Newly renovated, 8,000 sq. ft. facility
- State-of-the-art equipment
- Private locker rooms & showers
- No experience necessary
If you want a game changer, this is it! Believe Fitness is one of the only local studios offering a new way to exercise that trumps those tired old gym routines. Send your body and spirits soaring with these unique classes that combine yoga, aerial arts, Pilates and dance - a total body workout for better alignment, flexibility, balance, toning, sculpting and stretching. Employing a soft hammock for support, you’ll master a variety of suspension techniques and inverted poses that incorporate gymnastics and strength training to tighten and torch unsightly bulges standing between you and your bikini body. Classes are open to all fitness levels so don’t worry – you can totally do this! So if you’re done with Downward Dog and looking to take it up a notch, sign up today!
THE FINE PRINT
- Expires 1/3/13
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- May purchase 3 vouchers as gifts for others
- Vouchers purchased as gifts for others must be in gift recipient's name
- Limit 1 voucher per transaction
- Not valid in combination with any other offers, promotions or discounts
- Voucher is non-transferrable
- Please call studio to schedule class: 310-648-8023
- 24-hour advance notice policy for cancellation/rescheduling or voucher subject to forfeiture
- Please print and present voucher to merchant
- Please go to www.believefitnessstudio.com to read additional terms & conditions under "class description(s)"


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My Guide Website?
Take a walk in the peaceful Aistear Park. This 4.5 acre park is located in the middle of Mountshannon Village and has plenty to keep the whole family entertained.
Appreciate the hundreds of trees, shrubs and flowers as you take a wander through the park. There are a number of features that the kids will love, including the playground and the maze.
Designed to pay homage to Ireland's spiritual history, the maze has numerous artifacts and relics that pave the way from prehistoric Ireland right through to the modern era. All of these artifacts and relics have been replicated from actual architectural finds and stay true to the history of the land.
It is a perfect way to get close to nature and appreciate Ireland's vast and varied history.

domain: geography


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Avoyelles Police Jury pleased with ‘no-negatives’ audit
Usually when financial figures are discussed, the Avoyelles Police Jury is a sea of “frowny faces.”
Police Jury President Charles Jones was all smiles about the recent audit report for the 2018 budget year -- not so much for what is in the report, but for what isn’t.
“The auditor told me this is one of the best audits the jury has had,” Jones said.
The audit report was presented to jurors at the July 3 committee meeting by the accounting firm of Kolder, Slaven & Company. The jury adopted the report at this past Tuesday’s jury meeting.
In summary, there were no problems found with the parish finances. There were a few technical “internal control” issues. The jury showed progress in addressing past findings.
In other words, if you can’t get a really positive financial report, make the best of a “no-negatives’ one.
The auditor reported there was inadequate documentation to support the eligibility of four of 17 Section 8 tenants in the HUD program.
The auditor recommended the jury “implement and enforce adequate internal controls over record retentions and conduct a periodic review of the tenant files to ensure that proper documentation is being retained.”
In its response, the Police Jury said HUD has been contacted for guidance on addressing the missing documentation in the four tenants in the auditor’s sample group.
“We will continue to monitor compliance for tenant eligibility according to the program requirements and attempt to identify any additional individuals who are missing original documentation,” the jury said in its written response.
There were two findings that are reported on almost every local government audit.
One is for “inadequate segregation of accounting functions.”
Auditors routinely tell the governing bodies that such segregation of duties is not economically feasible for small local governments and should not be considered a problem.
The auditors must note the finding and request the government’s response.
In the jury’s response to the finding, Jones said it is not cost-effective to hire more clerical staff to attain full segregation of duties.
The other recurring finding was that the jury does not have in-house staff to handle financial transactions and prepare financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
Jones’ response was that it is best for the jury to outsource this task to independent auditors and to carefully review draft financial statements and notes prior to approving them. He said the jury accepts responsibility for the statements’ contents and presentation. This is also a frequent finding on local audits.
The audit reflected the Police Jury addressed a 2017 audit finding by adopting a capital improvement program as required by state law.
The good news included no finding of non-compliance in the budgeting process and bid law, which has been a problem in the past.
For example, the 2017 budgets for the General Fund, Health Unit Fund and Library Fund were all 5 percent off from the actual year-end results, in violation of the budgeting requirements.
There was no such finding this year.
In 2017, the auditor found the jury had purchased $100,000 of crushed concrete without advertising for and accepting bids, in violation of state law.
There was no recurrence of such an issue in 2018.
An interesting feature of the report was a five-year comparison of income/expenditures and the source of the jury’s income.
For “Total Government Revenue,” the report showed income rose from $10,067,601 in 2014 to $11,430,597 in 2018.
There was a spike in 2015 to $11,182,653 that fell to $10,897,419 in 2016 and rose again to $11,253,719 in 2017.
Expenses followed that same pattern, rising from $8,978,839 in 2014 to $11,005,069 in 2018.
Costs were $10,281,652 in 2015, $9,633,080 in 2016 and $9,761,348 in 2017.
The Police Jury has been doing a good job of gradually building up reserves in its various operating funds.
It must be noted that many of the reserve funds are dedicated to specific costs and cannot be “loaned” to the jury’s core needs of General Fund, Road & Bridge, Drainage and Solid Waste.
The goal is to have enough reserve to keep the government operating for several months in the event there is a catastrophic loss of income.
In past financial reports, it has been noted that the Police Jury’s reserve is still not where it should be, but does put this parish in better financial position than some parishes.
The Total Government Fund Balance has improved from $11,207,670 in 2014 to $16,651,639 in 2018.
Sales taxes provided $4,528,828 in 2014. That declined slightly to $4,526,804 in 2018.
Property taxes increased from $1,956,172 to $3,123,931. A large part of that increase is due to a 30-mill property tax approved in Road District 2, which includes four east Avoyelles wards.
Public Works took 57 percent of the expenditures in 2014 and 59 percent in 2018 -- probably also due in part to more road projects funded in Road District 2.
General Government’s share of the expenditures dropped slightly, from 17 percent in 2014 to 16 percent in 2018.
Public Safety received 7 percent of the budget in 2014 and 5 percent in 2018.
Health & Welfare stayed at 9 percent and Culture & Recreation remained at 7 percent of the costs.
“Other” costs were 3 percent in 2014 and 4 percent in 2018.


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The purpose of this FOA is to protect the public health and safety of the American people by enhancing the capacity of public health agencies to effectively detect, respond, prevent and control known and emerging (or re-emerging) infectious diseases.
Capacity is defined as the ability to conduct
work; a stronger infrastructure leads to increased capacity.
This is accomplished by providing financial and technical resources to (1) strengthen epidemiologic capacity; (2) enhance laboratory capacity; (3) improve information systems; and (4) enhance collaboration among epidemiology, laboratory, and information systems components of public health departments.
While discrete areas of emphasis, they are inter-related.
The first three are the cornerstones of the ELC and independent areas for building capacity while the fourth is fundamental to the approach work in all these areas of emphasis.
As such, while ELC resources may support each of these individually (e.g., dedicated funding for microbiologists, epidemiologists, lab supplies, informatics hardware/software, etc.), it is only through integration that these complementary cornerstones are optimized.
For example, public health labs play an indispensable role in infectious disease public health work by determining and providing essential information for epidemiology surveillance and outbreak activities.
Therefore, ELC strives to build and strengthen public health laboratories that are equipped with the latest diagnostic technologies, highly trained staff, and systems that can efficiently transmit, receive and digest electronic data.

domain: medical


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DYERSVILLE - With their home field almost under water due to all the locally heavy rain in the last week and completely unplayable, Midland officials knew they weren’t going to be able to host their scheduled game with Central Elkader Friday, Sept. 11.
That left the Eagles scrambling for sites, and they eventually settled in Dyersville Saturday, Sept. 12, playing on Beckman’s beautiful turf field, yet still in rainy, wet conditions.
“I have to thank Beckman for allowing us to play in their beautiful stadium and letting us get this game in,” said Midland football coach Lennie Miller, as his team overcame a bit of a slow start and rolled past the Warriors claiming a 78-12 decision.
“Overall, our goal coming into the game wasn’t to pay any attention to the scoreboard but to just our execution and effort all game long. For the most part, I thought we were able to do exactly that. Our blocking execution was a lot better in this game than it was last week against Tripoli, and defensively we were solid as usual.
“I think we’re going to be a defensive-minded team this year. Each of the first two games we’ve been led by our defense and I think we’re only going to keep getting better and stronger on that side, too.”
The Midland (1-1) offense wasn’t too shabby either against Central Elkader, taking the opening drive of the game and marching 12 plays into the end zone culminating with an Iziek Soper 12-yard touchdown run.
The Eagles would never lose the lead the rest of the way.
The Warriors answered the Midland score with one of their own on their opening drive but after a missed two-point conversion try, Midland led 8-6.
The Eagles added another first quarter touchdown when quarterback Carson Hunter found Jamisen Dodge open for a four-yard pass play, and at the first horn the hosts on the scoreboard led 14-6.
From there, the rout was on.
Cayden Miller tallied two second-quarter touchdowns while Caden Ballou picked off a Warrior pass and raced three-yards and into the end zone for yet another score.
After Soper scored his second touchdown of the game with 2:07 left in the half, Midland had a commanding 46-12 lead at the break.
“We were pretty much able to do just about anything we wanted in the run game,” said Miller, as his rushing attack accounted for 324 yards in the game.
“Iziek is so incredibly fast and athletic for his size and is so tough to bring down, especially when he gets a head of steam. Cayden was a workhorse against Elkader. We asked him to pound the rock and that’s exactly what he did.”
Coming out of the half the Eagles took right over where they left off as Soper tallied his third touchdown to get things started before Kole Michaud added a big 28-yard scoring scamper to push the Midland lead to 62-12.
Jake Arnell added a seven-yard touchdown run with seven-seconds left in the third before Miller emptied his bench in a final frame that saw quarterback Owen Sterk complete a 13-yard touchdown toss to Shayden Hansen.
“We played the game in the rain and mist pretty much all the way through and as we walked off the field, the sky opened up and the sun finally came out,” said Miller, as the game kicked-off at 10 a.m.
“It was a little tougher playing 8-player (80-yard) football on a 100-yard, 11-player field, but we were able to make the adjustments. It was a fun day all the way around. We were able to do some things and get some confidence going forward. We’ve got some pretty tough games ahead.”
Cayden Miller led the Midland ground game rushing for 128 yards while Soper added 96 more.
Soper was also all over the field defensively, coming up with a team-high 14 tackles while Ballou and Zain Sauer tallied 11 more each. Jensen Orr chipped in with nine tackles.