text:
|By Business Wire||
|May 1, 2014 06:01 AM EDT||
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM), the storage and information management services company announces financial and operating results for the first quarter of 2014.
- Total reported revenues were $770 million, compared with $747 million in 2013. On a constant dollar (C$) basis, total revenue growth was 4.7%, reflecting solid storage rental revenue gains of 5.3% and service revenue growth of 3.8%.
- Adjusted OIBDA was $229 million, compared with $227 million in 2013.
- Adjusted EPS was $0.26 per share ($0.22 per share on a GAAP basis), compared with $0.27 per share ($0.10 per share on a GAAP basis), in 2013.
Reconciliations of supplemental non-GAAP measures to GAAP measures may be found in Appendix A or by visiting the Investor Relations page at www.ironmountain.com under “Supplemental Data.”
“Our first quarter results reflect the durability of our storage rental business and our continued focus on preserving and extending that durability. During the quarter we closed on acquisitions in both developed and emerging markets, maintained our high profitability and delivered solid financial and operating results in line with our expectations,” said William L. Meaney, Iron Mountain’s president and chief executive officer. “We continued to execute on the key pillars of our strategic plan – getting more from our developed markets, extending our reach into emerging markets and capitalizing on emerging business opportunities – and believe our approach will continue to deliver consistent, long-term growth with low volatility and attractive stockholder returns.”
First quarter C$ total storage rental growth reflected strong increases of 12.7% in the company’s International business and growth in the North American Records and Information Management (RIM) and Data Management (DM) segments of 3.0% and 2.8%, respectively. “We are pleased with the performance of the business in the first quarter, as we made progress on integration of acquisitions completed in late 2013 and are beginning to see the benefits of our organizational realignment,” Meaney said.
Since the beginning of 2014, the company has invested more than $60 million in five international storage related businesses and acquired the records inventory of five document storage companies in the United States for an additional $5 million. The international transactions include three deals in Turkey and Poland, which enhanced the company’s leadership position in these emerging markets, and the acquisition of a leading provider of offsite data storage and data protection services in Australia. “These transactions are consistent with our plan to extend our market leadership, support long-term growth and solid returns, and capture a significant amount of un-vended records storage,” Meaney said.
Operating performance for the quarter was in line with expectations, with consistent C$ storage rental revenue growth of 5.3% and service revenue growth of 3.8%. Internal storage rental growth for the quarter was 1.4%, driven by 5.2% gains in the International business and 2.3% internal growth in the North American DM segment, partially offset by flat internal growth in the North American RIM segment. Foreign currency rate changes reduced reported storage rental revenue growth rates by approximately 1.4% for the quarter.
Global records management volume grew by 6.7% on a year-over-year basis, supported by solid 15.2% volume increases in the International business, driven by strong growth from both emerging and developed markets as well as recent acquisitions. Net pricing in North America increased by 0.8% compared with the year-ago period.
As the company has previously noted, service revenues reflect a trend toward reduced retrieval/re-file activity and related transportation revenues; however, this rate of decline has begun to moderate in recent periods. First quarter internal service revenue declined 0.7% compared with the prior-year period. C$ service revenue growth was 3.8%, driven by recent acquisitions with related new incoming volume and transportation fees, growth in imaging projects and an increase in shredding volume with related growth in revenue from paper recycling, offset somewhat by lower recycled paper pricing when compared with prior year averages.
Adjusted OIBDA margins for the first quarter of 2014 decreased by 80 basis points to 29.7%, compared with the first quarter of 2013, primarily due to the recognition of $2.4 million of charges related to the 2013 organizational realignment and $3.5 million for the insurance deductible charge related to the recent fire in Argentina. First quarter Adjusted OIBDA margins in the North American RIM segment remained strong at 37.5%. North American DM Adjusted OIBDA margins were 56.1%, down from the same period in 2013 due to declines in service activity levels as the business becomes more archival in nature. The International business continued to deliver profitability on a portfolio basis in line with the company’s mid-20% target, with Adjusted OIBDA margins of 26.2% for the first quarter.
Free Cash Flow (FCF) for the first quarter before acquisitions, real estate capital expenditures, operating costs and cash taxes related to the proposed conversion to a REIT was $(20) million, compared with $50 million for the same period in 2013. This change was primarily due to higher cash interest expense and the timing of payables. Capital expenditures in the first quarter (excluding $15 million of real estate and $2 million of REIT-related capital expenditures), totaled $47 million, or 6.1% of revenues. The company’s liquidity position remains strong with availability of $556 million and a net total lease adjusted leverage ratio of 5.1x at quarter end, as compared to a maximum allowable ratio of 6.5x. The calculation for this ratio is net debt including the capitalized value of lease obligations divided by EBITDAR as defined in the company’s credit agreement.
On March 14, 2014, Iron Mountain’s board of directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.27 per share for stockholders of record as of March 25, 2014, which was paid on April 15, 2014.
Iron Mountain’s conference call to discuss its first quarter 2014 financial results will be held today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time. The company will simulcast the conference call on its Web site at www.ironmountain.com, the content of which is not part of this earnings release. A slide presentation providing summary financial and statistical information that will be discussed on the conference call will also be posted to the Web site and available for real-time viewing. The slide presentation, replays of the conference call and related transcript will be available on the Web site for future reference.
About Iron Mountain
Iron Mountain Incorporated (NYSE: IRM) is a leading provider of storage and information management services. The company’s real estate network of more than 67 million square feet across more than 1,000 facilities in 36 countries allows it to serve customers around the world. And its solutions for records management, data management, document management, and secure shredding help organizations to lower storage costs, comply with regulations, recover from disaster, and better use their information. Founded in 1951, Iron Mountain stores and protects billions of information assets, including business documents, backup tapes, electronic files and medical data. Visit www.ironmountain.com for more information.
Forward Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and other securities laws and is subject to the safe-harbor created by such Act. Forward-looking statements include our statements regarding our operations, economic performance, financial condition, goals, beliefs, future growth strategies, investment objectives, plans and current expectations, such as projected revenues from our emerging market acquisition pipeline. These forward-looking statements are subject to various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors. When we use words such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates" or similar expressions, we are making forward-looking statements. You should not rely upon forward-looking statements except as statements of our present intentions and of our present expectations, which may or may not occur. Although we believe that our forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, our expected results may not be achieved, and actual results may differ materially from our expectations. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from our other expectations include, among others: (i) the cost to comply with current and future laws, regulations and customer demands relating to privacy issues; (ii) the impact of litigation or disputes that may arise in connection with incidents in which we fail to protect our customers' information; (iii) changes in the price for our storage and information management services relative to the cost of providing such storage and information management services; (iv) changes in customer preferences and demand for our storage and information management services; (v) the adoption of alternative technologies and shifts by our customers to storage of data through non-paper based technologies; (vi) the cost or potential liabilities associated with real estate necessary for our business; (vii) the performance of business partners upon whom we depend for technical assistance or management expertise outside the U.S.; (viii) changes in the political and economic environments in the countries in which our international subsidiaries operate; (ix) claims that our technology violates the intellectual property rights of a third party; (x) changes in the cost of our debt; (xi) the impact of alternative, more attractive investments on dividends; (xii) our ability or inability to complete acquisitions on satisfactory terms and to integrate acquired companies efficiently; (xiii) other trends in competitive or economic conditions affecting our financial condition or results of operations not presently contemplated; and (xiv) other risks described more fully in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on February 28, 2014 under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and other documents that we file with the SEC from time to time. Except as required by law, we undertake no obligation to release publicly the result of any revision to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.
We have presented in this earnings release financial data (Adjusted OIBDA, Adjusted OIBDA Margin %, Adjusted EPS and FCF that exclude certain costs associated with the company’s 2011 proxy contest, the previous work of the former Strategic Review Special Committee of the board of directors and the company’s proposed REIT conversion (collectively, REIT Costs). We believe the adjusted data provides meaningful supplemental information regarding the company’s operating results primarily because they exclude amounts we do not consider part of ongoing operating results when planning, forecasting and assessing the performance of the organization or our individual operating segments. We believe that the adjusted data also facilitates the comparison by management and investors of results for current periods and guidance for future periods with results for past periods.
Selected Financial Data:
|(dollars in millions, except per share data)||Q1/2013||Q1/2014||Inc (Dec)|
|Gross Profit (excluding D&A)||$||426||$||435||2.1||%|
|Gross Margin %||57.0||%||56.5||%|
|Adjusted OIBDA Margin %||30.5||%||29.7||%|
|Interest Expense, net||$||63||$||62||(1.4||)%|
|Income from Continuing Operations||$||18||$||43||132.8||%|
|Adj. EPS from Continuing Operations – FD||$||0.27||$||0.26||(3.7||)%|
We have presented supplemental non-GAAP financial measures as part of this earnings release. Reconciliations of each supplemental non-GAAP measure to its most comparable GAAP measure is presented below and available at the Investor Relations page at www.ironmountain.com under “Supplemental Data.” This presentation of non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation from, or as a substitute for, the most directly comparable GAAP measures. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the company’s operating results primarily because they exclude amounts we do not consider part of ongoing operating results when planning and forecasting and assessing the performance of the organization or our individual operating segments. We believe that our non-GAAP financial measures also facilitate the comparison by management and investors of results for current periods and guidance for future periods with results for past periods.
Adjusted Operating Income Before Depreciation, Amortization, Intangible Impairments, (Gain) Loss on Disposal/Write-down of Property, Plant and Equipment, Net and REIT Costs, or Adjusted OIBDA
Adjusted OIBDA is defined as operating income before depreciation, amortization, intangible impairments, (gain) loss on disposal/write-down of property, plant and equipment, net, and REIT Costs. Adjusted OIBDA Margin is calculated by dividing Adjusted OIBDA by total revenues. These measures are an integral part of the internal reporting system we use to assess and evaluate the operating performance of our business. We use multiples of current or projected Adjusted OIBDA in conjunction with our discounted cash flow models to determine our overall enterprise valuation and to evaluate acquisition targets. We believe Adjusted OIBDA and Adjusted OIBDA Margin provide our current and potential investors with relevant and useful information regarding our ability to generate cash flow to support business investment.
Adjusted Earnings Per Share from Continuing Operations, or Adjusted EPS
Adjusted EPS is defined as reported earnings per share from continuing operations excluding: (1) (gain) loss on the disposal/write-down of property, plant and equipment, net; (2) intangible impairments; (3) other (income) expense, net; (4) REIT Costs; and (5) the tax impact of reconciling items and discrete tax items. We do not believe these excluded items to be indicative of our ongoing operating results, and they are not considered when we are forecasting our future results. We believe Adjusted EPS is of value to our current and potential investors when comparing our results from past, present and future periods.
Free Cash Flows before Acquisitions and Discretionary Investments, or FCF
FCF is defined as Cash Flows from Operating Activities from continuing operations less capital expenditures (excluding real estate and capital expenditures associated with the REIT conversion), net of proceeds from the sales of property and equipment and other, net, and additions to customer relationship and acquisition costs. REIT Costs are also excluded from FCF. Our management uses this measure when evaluating the operating performance of our consolidated business. We believe this measure provides relevant and useful information to our current and potential investors. FCF is a useful measure in determining our ability to generate excess cash that may be used for reinvestment in the business, discretionary deployment in investments such as real estate or acquisition opportunities, returning of capital to our stockholders and voluntary prepayments of indebtedness.
Following are reconciliations of the above-described measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures. Columns may not foot due to rounding.
Operating Income reconciled to Adjusted OIBDA (in millions):
|Three Months Ended March 31,|
|Add: Depreciation & Amortization||80||86|
|Gain on disposal/write-down of PP&E, net||(1||)||(8||)|
Reported EPS from Continuing Operations – Fully Diluted reconciled to Adjusted EPS from Continuing Operations – Fully Diluted:
|Three Months Ended March 31,|
|Reported EPS from Continuing Operations – FD||$||0.10||$||0.22|
|Add: Loss (gain) on disposal/write-down of PP&E, net||--||(0.04||)|
|Other Expense, net||0.01||0.03|
|Tax impact of reconciling items and discrete tax items||0.03||--|
|Adjusted EPS from Continuing Operations – FD||$||0.27||$||0.26|
|Weighted average common shares outstanding – FD (000s)||192,110||193,069|
FCF reconciled to Cash Flows from Operating Activities from Continuing Operations (in millions):
Three Months Ended
|Cash Flows from Operating Activities from Continuing Operations||$||106||$||
|Less: Capital Expenditures (excluding real estate), net||75||75|
Additions to Customer Acquisition Costs
|Add: REIT Conversion Costs, net of tax||18||5|
|REIT Conversion Capital Expenditures||6||2|
|FCF Before Acquisitions and Discretionary Items||$||50||$||(20||)|
IRON MOUNTAIN INCORPORATED
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Amounts in Thousands except Per Share Data)
Three Months Ended
|Cost of Sales (Excluding Depreciation and Amortization)||321,076||335,145|
|Selling, General and Administrative||223,451||214,780|
|Depreciation and Amortization||80,201||86,433|
Gain on Disposal/Write-down of Property, Plant and
|Total Operating Expenses||624,189||628,051|
|INTEREST EXPENSE, NET||63,182||62,312|
|OTHER EXPENSE, NET||2,739||5,317|
|Income from Continuing Operations before Provision|
|for Income Taxes||56,921||74,446|
|PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES||38,571||31,725|
|INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS||18,350||42,721|
|INCOME (LOSS) FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS, NET OF TAX||2,184||(612||)|
Less: Net Income Attributable to Noncontrolling
|Net Income Attributable to Iron Mountain Incorporated||$||19,386||$||41,667|
|EARNINGS (LOSSES) PER SHARE – BASIC:|
|INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS||$||0.10||$||0.22|
|TOTAL INCOME (LOSS) FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS||$||0.01||$||-|
|Net Income Attributable to Iron Mountain Incorporated||$||0.10||$||0.22|
|EARNINGS (LOSSES) PER SHARE – DILUTED:|
|INCOME FROM CONTINUING OPERATIONS||$||0.10||$||0.22|
|TOTAL INCOME (LOSS) FROM DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS||$||0.01||$||-|
|Net Income Attributable to Iron Mountain Incorporated||$||0.10||$||0.22|
|DIVIDENDS DECLARED PER COMMON SHARE||$||0.2700||$||0.2700|
|WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING – BASIC||190,213||191,879|
|WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING – DILUTED||192,110||193,069|
|Adjusted Operating Income before Depreciation and Amortization||$||227,476||$||228,524|
IRON MOUNTAIN INCORPORATED
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Amounts in Thousands)
|Cash and Cash Equivalents||$||120,526||$||169,906|
Accounts Receivable (less allowances of $34,645
and $35,544, respectively)
|Other Current Assets||162,424||157,747|
|Total Current Assets||933,607||987,629|
|PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT:|
|Property, Plant and Equipment at Cost||4,631,067||4,642,183|
|Less: Accumulated Depreciation||(2,052,807||)||(2,080,397||)|
|Property, Plant and Equipment, net||2,578,260||2,561,786|
|Other Non-current Assets, net||_ _ 677,786||_ _ 691,201|
|Total Other Assets||3,141,138||3,157,202|
|LIABILITIES AND EQUITY|
|Current Portion of Long-term Debt||$||52,583||$||55,084|
|Other Current Liabilities||906,518||812,766|
|Total Current Liabilities||959,101||867,850|
|LONG-TERM DEBT, NET OF CURRENT PORTION||4,119,139||4,288,605|
|OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES||516,931||498,991|
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
|TOTAL IRON MOUNTAIN INCORPORATED STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY||1,047,338||1,042,818|
|Total Liabilities and Equity||$||6,653,005||$||6,706,617|
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domain: economics


‘Being able to breastfeed my daughter is the best gift that I can give her’
Flora García is in something of a hurry when she arrives at a bank in the town of Yamaranguila, in La Paz province, Honduras, with her baby daughter, to withdraw her cash transfer. They join a long line of people. To make the most of the wait, Flora pulls up a chair and decides to breastfeed in a designated area, assured that she will not lose their place.
Other mothers are there, too, including Luz Corea, who is breastfeeding her three-month-old daughter — all while they all wait their turn to withdraw money.
Honduras is part of the "Dry Corridor" of Central America, a group of countries susceptible to recurring droughts because of the climate phenomenon El Niño.
Drought has destroyed crops and wrecked harvests in the country — as food supplies go down, people lose their jobs in communities that rely on agriculture for their livelihoods. In fact, 72 percent of families depend on agriculture either as owners of a plot of land or as agricultural day labourers.
Flora, Luz and their babies are among more than 16,000 families affected by the droughts who receive cash to buy food in order to ensure their food security. The beneficiaries of these cash transfers consist of the most vulnerable groups in the communities: elderly and disabled people and pregnant and nursing women.
In addition to the benefits of money transfers, Flora and Luz are part of a group for pregnant and nursing mothers who receive talks about nutrition at the health centre on the importance of breastfeeding.
Nutrition during the first 1,000 days of a child's life — measured from conception until the age of two — is fundamental for their physical and mental development. Good nutrition helps with the development of the brain and body, allowing people to reach their full potential as adults.
In Honduras, nutrition education eludes the poorest who are prone to unhealthy diets. This results in nutritional problems, such as stunted growth (when the child appears much younger, has a short stature and low cognitive development), vitamin and mineral deficiencies or "hidden hunger" (making them susceptible to developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases) and overweight and obesity.
"Thanks to these funds that have been given to us, I can now eat better to produce milk for my baby," says Flora.
She adds: "To be able to feed my daughter with my breastmilk is the best gift that I can give her. Angélica has never gotten sick, and at the health centre, the nurse congratulates me because she has the proper weight and size for her age".
No money for milk
Luz Corea is a young mother from the nearby village of El Pinal. She only feeds her daughter breast milk.
"I feel very happy to be able to nurse my daughter," she says. "I don't have to spend money buying milk and they have also taught us that breast milk is the best food," says Luz.
Thanks to the information about nutrition, these two young mothers know that by feeding themselves well during pregnancy and breastfeeding, they are able to give their daughters the chance to develop to their full potential and break the cycle of poverty that keeps hitting the communities in the Dry Corridor.
Celebrate World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) from the 1-7 August.
Read more about WFP's work in Honduras
Story by Hetze Tosta (translated into English by Arielle Rosenthal)


text:
Lemon-honey diet is not easy. But it guarantees a good cleansing of the body and weight loss of up to 2 kilograms in 2 days. The average daily caloric content is 907 kcal. The diet is very fast and lasts only for two days, but don’t repeat it more than once a month. It helps the body to get nutrition due to the internal reserves of accumulated fat and remove the excess fluid from the organism.
Menu of such nutrition envisages a complete rejection of food throughout the day and its replacement by liquid with a high acidity. The recipe in the following – you need to mix 3 liters of non-mineralized and non-carbonated water, fresh juice of 15 lemons, 50 grams of honey. Besides this beverage, you can drink ordinary non-mineralized and non-carbonated water or green tea without any restrictions. And that’s all, nothing more is allowed.
Energy value of the lemon-honey mixture is almost equal to zero – the weight loss is fast enough. A large percentage of citric acid in this mixture can reduce the sensation of hunger. Glucose and sucrose of honey, in the case of absence of fats and proteins, provide intensive weight loss due to the body fat reserves.
It is recommended to consult a physician or nutritionist for those who have problems with the acidity in the organism, kidney disease and some other chronic diseases.

domain: food


text:
One of French Broad Outfitter’s favorite things to do is to go tubing. We have sent thousands of tubers down the river, who all come back with big smiles after a few hours of sitting back in the relaxing water. Recently, the city was doing maintenance on the utility lines near us, causing us to have to close for the day. What did our staff do instead? We went tubing!
But who came up with such a wonderful concept? We know the history of kayaking, canoeing, and the much shorter history of stand up paddleboarding (SUP), but the history of sitting in an innertube in a body of water is not well known. While we do not have definitive proof of the origins of the sport, after a little digging, we certainly have a much better idea:
LIFE Magazine ran a photo essay by Alfred Eisenstaedt on July 21, 1941 that is the first published mention of recreational tubing. It details the photographer’s trip to Somerset, Wisconsin, where a man named David Breault was having a 4th of July celebration unlike any other. Breault was the owner of the Terrace Nite Club which bordered the nearby Apple River. He decided to host a “floating party” where around 200 participants were supplied innertubes and would go on a 45 minute float down the river while drinking beer. Once the Terrace Nite Club truck picked them up, they could go again if they wished. While the tubes and transportation were provided for free, Breault reported that once tubing became part of the business, profits tripled. (we’re assuming from alcohol sales)
But was tubing around before the 40’s? Well in the January 4, 1965 issue, Sports Illustrated published a story on the person they credited with being the inventor of the sport: Thailand’s Royal Highness, Princess Panthip Chumbhot of Nagar Svarga. The princess was a known lover of things that brought her joy, which included buying some old innertubes and inviting a few friends to join her in floating on the river through her estate in the Chong Lom valley. There are downsides to being a princess though, several armed guards were charged with the pleasant task of joining the princess and her friends.
After news of the fun was featured on a Thai TV show, hundreds flocked to the southern Nakhon Nayok province wanting to join. The princess’s late husband had been third in line to the throne, so she shrewdly chose to charge 5 baht (about 25¢) each to enter the estate and another 5 to rent a tube. It should be noted that little profit was made, though, as most of the funds were donated to Bangkok’s Chulalongkorn Hospital.
So there you have the stories of the first published mention of river tubing and who Sports Illustrated has credited as the founder. While I’m sure others had the same idea, these two are the ones that history has identified to be associated with the founding of this fun tradition. River tubing has become a tradition on the French Broad only in the last handful of years, but everyone agrees that it’s here to stay. We hope you enjoy sitting back in a tube, enjoying the cool water, while the river slowly brings you downstream as much as we do!
Get more information on FBO’s tubing trips click here, or to make a reservation, call us at (828)505-7371. We hope you’ll join us on the river soon!

domain: history


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P Kannan joins BJP ahead of Puducherry assembly polls
BJP national general secretary Arun Singh welcomed Kannan and his son at the party headquarters.
Ahead of assembly polls in Puducherry, former Puducherry minister P Kannan on Sunday joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the national capital.
Following the declaration of candidates, BJP national general secretary Arun Singh welcomed Kannan and his son at the party headquarters.
Puducherry BJP in-charge Nirmal Kumar Surana on Tuesday had announced that the party has finalised its seat-sharing deal with the NR Congress and All India Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) for the upcoming legislative Assembly elections in the union territory.
"NR Congress, BJP and AIADMK are going to contest the elections together," he said.
"NRC will contest on 16 seats and BJP-AIADMK to contest on 14 seats. We will face elections in Puducherry under the leadership of N Rangaswamy," Surana said adding that the alliance will contest polls under the leadership of NR Congress chief and former CM of the Union Territory N Rangaswamy.
Polling for 30 assembly seats in Puducherry will be held on April 6.
Of the 30 assembly seats, five are reserved for the Scheduled Caste candidates. As many as 10,02,589 electors will choose the candidates for the 15 legislative Assembly of Puducherry.
The Congress-led government in the union territory fell before completing its five-year term under Chief Minister V Narayansamy.
Narayanasamy had resigned on February 22 ahead of a floor test in the 33-member House (including three nominated) following the resignations of five Congress and one Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) legislators. On February 23, President Ram Nath Kovind accepted the resignation of Narayanasamy and his council of ministers.
Kiran Bedi was replaced as Puducherry L-G with Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan being given the additional charge of the union territory.
In the 2016 assembly polls, Congress had won 15 seats, All India NR Congress eight seats, AIADMK got four seats, DMK walked away with two MLAs. BJP could not win any seats. (ANI)


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Ethical Concerns When Calling Security Is Top Tactic to Handle Agitated Patients
Frantic calls for hospital security through overhead pages can be a knee-jerk reaction to patients who are becoming loud, threatening, or aggressive. For Scott Zeller, MD, that is an ethical concern: “The tendency is to look at it as a criminal matter, and that this is a bad person. But they are probably just a regular person who is demonstrating symptoms of a disease state.”
Some hospitals have put in place progressive policies to ethically manage agitated patients. “But my guess is that far too many still have a default plan, that it’s just an automatic call to security, and that’s the way to deal with it,” says Zeller, vice president of acute psychiatric medicine at Vituity in Emeryville, CA.
This underscores how those with psychiatric symptoms are, in many ways, treated differently than other hospital patients. “From an ethical standpoint, that is the one thing that always stands out to me. We don’t get angry at a person for having shortness of breath. We don’t yell at them for having chest pain,” Zeller observes.
Police officers are not mental healthcare professionals, but often are the ones called to help a person in crisis, even if that person is in the hospital at the time. Instead, police should be teamed with a mental health professional to help de-escalate volatile situations, says Dominic A. Sisti, PhD, director of the Scattergood Program for the Applied Ethics of Behavioral Health Care. Co-responder programs exist in several cities and counties across the United States. The programs are helping prevent harm to mentally ill individuals.1
“There’s an important role for medical ethicists — to first observe how these programs function, and then identify common ethical challenges,” says Sisti, assistant professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania. The next step is for ethicists to develop policies and procedures that ensure ethical care for individuals with serious mental illness.
The patient/physician relationship is based on trust, confidentiality, protection of patient autonomy, and the belief that clinicians will act in the best interest of their patients, notes Keren Ladin, PhD, MSc, director of the for Research on Ethics, Aging, and Community Health (REACH) Lab at Tufts University in Medford, MA. “When law enforcement is called in, it can undermine these tenets of the clinician-patient relationship,” Ladin explains.
The same is true if clinicians are constantly calling hospital security on patients. It raises concerns about whether providers are really acting in the best interest of patients. “Clinicians face additional obligations in their capacity as leaders on the healthcare team,” Ladin notes.
There is an ethical obligation to consider the safety of staff and other patients if a patient is behaving in a threatening manner. “Use of security in these circumstances should be guided by the principle of reducing harm to the extent possible for both patients and bystanders,” Ladin says. She recommends these approaches:
- Understand the underlying reason for violence. For example, if agitation is a symptom of illness, treating the cause can prevent a call to security.
- Develop clear policies on how to manage agitated individuals, with input from ethicists and the hospital’s legal and risk management departments.
- Analyze the number of calls to security or law enforcement by race, ethnicity, gender, age, and diagnosis. Bias of some kind may be playing a role in decisions to call security on certain patients. “Clinicians ought to be cognizant of their biases and aware that people may express agitation differently without being dangerous,” Ladin says.
- Use a multidisciplinary team approach, with ethicists, mental health professionals, social workers, community advocates, and patient services teams. “This can help reduce conflict and ensure that patients’ rights are protected while ensuring safety for all,” Ladin offers.
Differences in communication preferences, high levels of untreated pain, alcohol withdrawal, or poorly treated psychiatric conditions all are possible reasons for agitation. “Often, these are best approached with care and compassion, not with law enforcement or hospital security,” Ladin stresses.
Notably, not all hospital personnel have undergone the right training in de-escalation. This is especially important for staff who come into contact with the public and/or see new patients regularly. “That is first and foremost,” Zeller underscores.
Some training focuses mainly on self-defense techniques or how to subdue an attacker. Instead, Zeller says the priority should be on how to calm people. That is something that, at first glance, seems counterintuitive. Staff usually argue that calling security whenever they feel threatened is necessary to protect everyone — until they see the results of de-escalation. “It’s actually just the opposite. The more you reduce security getting involved, you actually have assaults and injuries go way down,” Zeller reports.
Zeller has seen this firsthand as chief of psychiatric emergency services at John George Psychiatric Hospital in San Leandro, CA. Between 1,500 and 1,800 patients on involuntary holds presented each month, brought in by either police or ambulance. By the time they arrived at the hospital, most were angry, paranoid, and anxious — all of the preconditions that put them at risk for becoming violent.
Staff were dedicated to noncoercive interventions, and developed great expertise in these skills. As a result, less than 1% of the highly agitated patients required physical restraints. “And that’s in the highest acuity psychiatric environment that you can imagine,” Zeller adds.
If an agitated person sees someone in a police uniform coming toward them with a badge and handcuffs, he or she is likely to think the only way to respond is violently, Zeller suggests. He recommends staff take the complete opposite approach by giving the person plenty of space and making statements such as “We’re here to help you,” “What do you need?” or “Tell me what we can do for you.”
Zeller says a change in mindset is needed to provide ethical care. Cases should be viewed as behavioral health emergencies. Just as clinicians call a code for heart attack and stroke patients, some hospitals use a “code agitation” team. These teams consist of a group of well-trained volunteers who agree to immediately respond to calls about an agitated individual anywhere in the hospital.
“They are the ones who ‘run the code’ if you will, and follow the prescribed methods of de-agitation and calming,” Zeller explains.
The problem is hospitals often come to this conclusion too late, only after a terrible outcome happens and people are hurt. Administrators may be reluctant to make a financial investment in training proactively. Ethicists can help clinicians make the case that it is a small investment for what could be enormous preventive savings.
“It takes only one incident to get the hospital in all kinds of legal trouble, and ruin the hospital’s reputation,” Zeller adds.
- Wood JD, Watson AC. Improving police interventions during mental health-related encounters: Past, present and future. Policing Soc 2017;27:289-299.
Police officers are not mental healthcare professionals, but often are the ones called to help a person in crisis, even if that person is in the hospital at the time. Instead, police should be teamed with a mental health professional to help de-escalate volatile situations.
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domain: medical


text:
CHANDIGARH: The Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) former Punjab unit convener Gurpreet Singh Waraich “Ghuggi” on Wednesday quit the party blaming its national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for his autocratic attitude and ignorance towards party volunteers.
Ghuggi, who was recently replaced by party leader Bhagwant Mann as the State convener, said he had resigned as the AAP had ditched its ideals.
The former State convener said he resigned in protest against the unfair method of selection of the new State unit convener and blamed Kejriwal for ignoring the opinion of party workers while terming the procedure as arbitrary. He said he would stay in politics but not with the AAP.
Ghuggi, however, didn’t rule out the possibility of joining another political party. He also pointed out that he was not shown the video of the sting operation related to former State convener Sucha Singh Chhotepur.
Both Ghuggi and Sukhpal Khaira, MLA from Bhulath, are unhappy over the way the party high command treated them. Earlier, Khaira too resigned from the posts of party’s Chief Whip and spokesman in protest. Kharar MLA Kanwar Sandhu has also objected to the restructuring of the State unit.
Kejriwal had earlier assured the AAP MLAs from the State that the new State convener Mann will stop drinking and there will be no complaint regarding him in the future.
Meanwhile, the AAP on Wednesday expelled its senior leader from Amritsar Upkar Singh Sandhu over alleged anti-party activities. On Tuesday, Sandhu had condemned the party high command’s move appointing Mann as the State chief saying that it would lead to conflict among volunteers.

domain: news


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powerful new publication series combats stereotypes to uplift poc
February 13, 2018
Since 2015, Nitashia Johnson has known her mission is to uplift Black women. “While working and living as a graduate student at the Rhode Island School of Design,” Johnson explained, “the misrepresentation of Black women became more evident to me than ever before.”
After graduating, Johnson began to notice this misrepresentation outside of the design world, especially in degrading memes that were widely shared across social media. “When I would see degrading memes online about women of color, I would share them on my Facebook page with context in order to explain the underlying damage they caused,” Johnson said. “Soon, I was convinced by a colleague I studied with at the Rhode Island School of Design to tackle the negative connotations by creating popular representations of Black women and Black culture in general through my experimentation with art, design, and photography.”
So in 2016, Johnson came up with the idea for The Self Publication, a series designed to uplift women and men of color. The project was created to combat the harsh stereotypes associated with the Black community. “The outcomes of colorism and racism have crippled the culture in a plethora of ways, and certain methods put in place to pollute it still exists currently,” Johnson said. “This first publication highlights the personal stories of 14 women.”
But in order to make it a reality, the artist is raising funds to bring it to print. You can support the empowering series here, and check out images from it below!
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Two weeks ago, best-selling author Jodi Picoult sent a Tweet in a fit of pique. Upon reading Michiko Kakutani's glowing review of Jonathan Franzen's new novel Freedom in the New York Times, the lady novelist took to her keyboard and typed out the following:
NYT raved about Franzen's new book. Is anyone shocked? Would love to see the NYT rave about authors who aren't white male literary darlings.
Then fellow best-seller Jennifer Weiner revved up her Twitter account, too, and posted about the breathless critical love of Franzen, whose book was still not out yet. She invented the Twitter hashtag #franzenfreude, which she describes thusly: "Schadenfreude is taking pleasure in the pain in others. Franzenfreude is taking pain in the multiple and copious reviews being showered on Jonathan Franzen."
Weiner tweeted prolifically after starting the franzenfreude meme. "In summation: NYT sexist, unfair, loves Gary Shteyngart, hates chick lit, ignores romance. And now, to go weep into my royalty statement," she wrote on Aug. 19. Not everyone felt her pain. Paris Review editor in chief and former Farrar, Straus, and Giroux editor Lorin Stein responded to Weiner and Picoult's complaints on the Atlantic's Web site, slamming their desire for mass-market fiction to be reviewed by the Times as "fake populism" that "pretends to speak for women." After that, Weiner and Picoult gave an interview to the Huffington Post, responding to Stein. Just a few days ago, Weiner and Times book review editor Sam Tanenhaus duked it out on NPR.
The discussion is ongoing, especially now that Franzen's book has finally hit the general population. The bookish blogosphere continues to debate whether the New York Times—and, by extension, other cultural gatekeepers—really does give white male fiction writers preferential coverage over authors of the distaff and ethnicvariety.
Other groups have looked into the Times' record on reviewing political books (95 percent male) and crime novels (66 percent male). And there's a slightly older study from Brown that concluded that 72 percent of all books reviewed in the Times Book Review were written by men. (You can see the full Brown paper at this cached link here). But so far, no one's taken an extended look at the paper of record's general fiction coverage. So we decided to gather some statistics in order to determine whether the Times' book pages really are a boys' club.
Slate associate editor Chris Wilson got us started by putting together a spreadsheet listing every work of adult fiction that's been reviewed in the New York Times in the past two years.
We compared men to women and then highlighted the authors whose books had been singled out for the one-two punch of a weekday review and a review in the Sunday Times Book Review.

domain: literature


Iran plans to take a defensive approach to stave off an enemy threat, deploying an army of combat robots, wheeled tanks, mother drones, and silent submarines.
Some key pieces of what President Hassan Rohani has described as Iran’s “strategy of deterrence” were on parade during Iran’s National Army Day festivities on
Developers went off-track with the Aqareb wheeled tank, armed with a 90 mm main gun and a 12.7 mm machine gun. The odd-looking, eight-wheeled, tank reportedly holds a crew of four. The Nazir is a remote-controlled, four-wheel-drive robot. It can reportedly be programmed for reconnaissance and combat missions within an operational range of 2 kilometers.
Read More:Iran’s Army Of Deterrence.


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This is the BEST snickerdoodle recipe ever. I can't stand sugar cookies that have that bitter aftertaste of terror. These are fluffy and delicious! NO BAD AFTERTASTE.
1 c. shortening (butter flavor or regular)
1 1/2 c. sugar
2 3/4 c. flour
2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract* optional (also good: almond extract! LOVE YOUR EXTRACTS, PEOPLE. IT'S HOW WE MAKE OUR OWN SPECIAL RECIPES!)
Place in a small bowl and set aside:
1 T. cinnamon
4 T. sugar
In a mixing bowl, cream your shortening. That means, mix with an electric mixer until fluffy. Continue creaming and add sugar, add eggs, one at a time until well incorporated. Add vanilla* and fold into mixture.
Sift your dry ingredients together and slowly add to the wet ingredients with a wire whisk. Do not use the electric mixer here! Over mixing is what makes a tough cookie. Good in quotes, not in the mouth.
With a large tablespoon, scoop out dough and roll into a smooth ball. Roll into the sugar/cinnamon mix and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.


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[Lisztomania] carries the photographic splendours of The Devils and Tommy to their absurdist limits. Russell's professed intention to deflate the pomposity of his musical subjects has taken many forms over the years…. Lisztomania again breaks new ground: this time there is no underlying affection for the artist in question, merely a desire to use his name, a few of his compositions, and some of the personalia of the period, to forge a celebration of the rock scene in nineteenth-century dress. Russell is still working in a post-Tommy haze, and it is almost coincidence that his subject is from the field of classical music….
To parallel Liszt with the modern pop performer is not an idea original to Russell, but the glove fits well. Where Russell scores above others, however, is in taking the idea to its most outrageous limit—and beyond….
Lisztomania is for much of the time a delight to watch, and even when the mind is left uncatered for, the eyeball is always amused…. The majority of the clichés are familiar from Russell's other films, and tell us more about him than his various subjects, but, as always, there is always a grain of truth (and little more than that) to support his fantasies. But while trading freely on popular myth, Russell also mixes in a strong amount of more factual material, seeking contemporary parallels to make the esoteric accessible to the general viewer…. For the rest, however, fantasy takes over, and much of this is superb. (p. 32)
Derek Elley, "'Lisztomania' and 'The Loves of Liszt'" (© copyright Derek Elley 1976; reprinted with permission), in Films and Filming, Vol. 22, No. 4, January, 1976, pp. 31-3.∗

domain: artistic


text:
by Kazuo Ishiguro
Reviewed by Janet:
When fourteen-year-old Josie chooses Klara to be her AF (Artificial Friend), Klara uses her acute powers of observation and empathy to become the friend that lonely Josie needs. Reliant on solar power herself, Klara makes a bargain with the Sun for help when Josie’s illness becomes serious. Slowly revealing his near-future world, but never fully explaining it, the author draws the reader into this intimate exploration of love, friendship, sacrifice, and what it is that makes each of us unique and special.


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Faraday Discussions is pleased to support the Molecular Photophysics Conference II on 10 October 2017. The meeting will cover both experimental and theoretical aspects of the photophysical properties of organic and inorganic compounds and materials with a main focus on topics such as luminescence, nonradiative transitions, light-induced electron transfer, electronic energy transfer and photochemical energy conversion.
The main aim of the meeting is bring together researchers at differen tlevels of their career from academia as well as industry, and to stimulate cooperation and collaboration between research laboratories working in the area of molecular photophysics and to promote new applications for the research. This year the speakers include:
- Martin R. Bryce (University of Durham)
- Richard Cogdell (Glasgow University)
- Zhiji Han (University og Newcastle)
- Anita C. Jones (University of Edinburgh)
- Anthony Harriman (University of Newcastle)
… and many more. For more information and to register please visit the website.

domain: chemistry


In coming years there will be a need for ever more high voltage and extra high voltage cable connections and among the most important applications will be submarine cables to off shore wind parks. Moreover, long distance land transmission by cable and use of EHV cables to supply major urban centres will also become major factors in power system development. For short distances, such as when supplying a megalopolis, AC cable is the preferred solution. Here, cable design has moved decisively away from paper insulated and toward polymeric insulated types. By contrast, for longer distances and for numerous special applications there is now strong incentive to use HVDC cable systems. However, the decision between different insulation alternatives for these types of cable is more complex than for AC. For example, material selection will depend on the applicable converter technology (LCC or VSC), maximum voltage, cable weight, transmission capacity of the system and on the increasing influence of protecting the environment.
A review of different HVDC cable insulation materials highlights some of their relative advantages and disadvantages and also the main design requirements for their accessories:
The oldest technology – paper insulated, oil-filled cable – has had long and mostly positive service experience in AC as well as DC and is suitable for both converter types. Voltage level is up to 800 kV and cross-sections go to 3000 mm². When applied to HVDC, this insulation system has high power transmission capacity but problems include limitation in system length to about 80 km due to need for pumping stations while, in some cases, the lead sheath and oil in the cable are seen as drawbacks.
Mass impregnated, non-draining compound (MIND) insulation is another cable technology (see Fig. 1) that also has had more than 60 years of service experience but has no limitations when it comes to length. Voltage level can go up to 550 kV and cross-section diameter to 2500 mm², enabling high power transmission capacity. Disadvantages include the lead sheath, the impregnation compound and a maximum operating temperature of 55°C in the case of paper insulation. Switching from paper to paper/polypropylene laminate (PPL) allows increasing conductor temperature up to 85°C.
XLPE cable Insulation (see Fig. 2) has had relatively short service experience but is suitable for voltage source converters. Voltage level can go as high as 525 kV and cross-sections up to 2500 mm² with an operating temperature up to 90°C, thereby enabling high power transmission capacity. The main advantages are no lead sheath, no oil or mass-impregnating compound and no limitation in cable length.
High performance thermoplastic elastomer (HPTE) is a new polypropylene insulation that has already been used for years at medium voltages and also in 110 kV AC applications. The material has also been qualified since 2015 for DC cables up to 320 kV and cross-section diameters up to 2500 mm². Operating temperature can be as high as 90°C. The main advantages include no oil or mass impregnating compound, no lead sheath, no limitation in length, easier production without need for cross-linking and, unlike XLPE, no gas generated during vulcanization.
Despite only relatively short service history, extruded polymeric cable insulation represents the future not only for AC but also for HVDC systems. These types also offer the possibility to use pre-molded components for joints and terminations but the space charge phenomenon requires careful selection of materials.
For AC joints, silicone is the most widely used material at high voltages. But this same construction can cause problems in the case of DC joints. One solution is using EPDM, which, due to lower volume resistivity, reduces presence of space charges in HVDC joints, especially at 500 kV. Another solution, applied in 320 kV HVDC joints, is treatment of the silicone with nano-scale fillers. Design of terminations for HVDC polymeric cables can use existing material knowledge in joints when it comes to dimensioning their pre-molded stress control devices. Furthermore, termination design in general, especially for 500 kV XLPE cable, will increasingly shift from oil-filled porcelain insulators toward gas-filled composite housings.
Professor Klaus-Dieter Haim


The Chicago Transit Authority granted approval to begin the process of acquiring property near its 95th/Dan Ryan Terminal on Chicago's South Side as part of the 95th Street Terminal Improvement Project. The project is an estimated $240-million initiative that will expand and improve the 95th/Dan Ryan Terminal. The nine properties identified for acquisition are located directly off the expressway and are primarily commercial properties with a few vacant lots. This allows the CTA to begin the acquisition process, subject to the requirements of federal and state law. Any purchase of a property by CTA, whether by negotiation or court order, cannot take place without subsequent board action. The 95th/Dan Ryan Terminal is one of CTA's busiest, with 24-hour Red Line service and more than 1,000 CTA and Pace bus trips on a typical weekday. The current configuration does not have adequate capacity to efficiently serve customers, which number around 20,000 on an average weekday.
The terminal design process is anticipated to begin later this year. Construction is expected to begin in 2014. Funding is provided through a variety of federal, state and local sources.
The CTA also approved the award of a contract for the Red Line South reconstruction.
The project, which begins in spring 2013, will completely rebuild the 43-year-old Red Line South, including all track, ties, ballast and drainage systems, from Cermak/Chinatown to 95th Street.
Kiewit Infrastructure Corporation of Chicago submitted the lowest bid for the trackwork component of project at $220.1 million and was found to be the most qualified. The bid was below project estimates and the next lowest bidder was 20 percent higher than Kiewit’s submission.
Kiewit also slightly exceeded the CTA’s target of 28 percent Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) participation, reaching 29.3 percent, by engaging the services of 23 DBE subcontractors, more than 50 percent of which are based in Chicago.
CTA is currently soliciting proposals for the station improvement portion of the project, which includes the renewal and improvement of the eight stations along the project footprint. Improvements will include three new elevators at the Garfield, 63rd and 87th Street stations, painting and lighting, bus bridge improvements and new roofs and canopies at some stations. CTA has established a 40 percent DBE participation goal for station work.
The overall estimated budget for the project, including design, construction and additional CTA service, is $425 million. The project is part of more than $1 billion in federal, state and local funds being invested in the Red Line.


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It’s incredible to learn what certain foods can do to our bodies. Food is how we fuel ourselves, and I think it’s really important to view food in that way – as an energy source. Having this perspective on food causes us to make the effort to supply our bodies with the best ingredients, making us feel excellent – both physically and mentally. I was recently researching methods for improving memory, and realized that the food we eat plays a big role in this. Read on to discover 4 foods that will help improve your memory – plus some ideas on how to incorporate each one into your diet!
The benefits of tea seem to be endless – and its effect on memory is certainly one of them. The antioxidants found in tea — polyphenols – have been shown to improve memory, as well as cognitive function. In addition, both green tea and black tea inhibit the activity of two enzymes (acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase), which are associated with the development of Alzheimer’s Disease. If you’re looking to add this memory enhancer into your diet, take it one step further and make your own tea! This way you can customize your own blend by mixing your favorite herbs together. :)
Studies have shown that even just the smell of rosemary can help improve your long-term and short-term memory, as well as mental arithmetic, due to certain compounds found in the aroma. To bring the scent of rosemary into your home this fall, you can use it to make potpourri. And one way to incorporate rosemary into your diet is by using it in an herb-infused olive oil.
Nitrate-rich foods, such as beets, have been shown to increase blood flow, keeping your mind sharp and even protecting you against dementia. We love this spicy beet lemonade – and if you have any leftover beets, you can use them to make this natural lip and cheek stain!
Nuts and seeds supply your body with omega-3 fatty acids, which is known to improve memory. In addition, seeds – like sunflower seeds — are an excellent source of vitamin E, which helps protect nerve cells in the brain from damage. To get some nuts and seeds into your life, we love this delicious energy bar recipe.
All of these foods are excellent ingredients to incorporate into your everyday meals. Their memory-boosting qualities are just a small part of their total health benefits! Please join me on a mission to view the food we eat as a way to make ourselves stronger, healthier, and happier.
Follow FP Brigette on Twitter.


text:
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ISBN-10/ISBN-13: 031023087X / 978-0310230878 / Awaken the Leader Within / William Perkins 0310231043 / 978-0310231042 / My Fathers Angels / Gloria Gaither 0310231132 / 978-0310231134 / Christ-Centered Therapy / Neil T. Anderson, Terry Zuehlke, Julianne S. Zuehlke, Dr. Terry Zuehlke, Dr. Neil Anderson, Julianne Zuehlke 0310231159 / 978-0310231158 / Videos That Teach / Doug Fields, Eddie James 0310231205 / 978-0310231202 / In His Arms (Coming to America #3) / Robin Lee Hatcher 0310231256 / 978-0310231257 / Extravagant Grace / Barbara Johnson, Marilyn Meberg, Luci Swindoll, Sheila Walsh, Thelma Wells 0310231515 / 978-0310231516 / Growing Godly: Studies on Bible Women / Diane Brummel Bloem 0310232058 / 978-0310232056 / Little Jesus, Little Me (Mothers of Preschoolers (Mops)) / Doris Rikkers 0310232104 / 978-0310232100 / See the Country, See the City (Mothers of Preschoolers (Mops)) / Crystal Bowman 0310232163 / 978-0310232162 / Praying the Scriptures for Your Children / Jodie Berndt 0310232953 / 978-0310232957 / Raising Great Kids for Parents of Preschoolers Participant's Guide / Dr. Henry Cloud, Dr. John Townsend 9993032220 / 978-9993032229 / Annual Report, 1992: Fiscal Year Oct 1-Sept 30 / 4800004466 0872174581 / 978-0872174580 / Corporate Affiliations 2004 / N/A 0195059204 / 978-0195059205 / The Adams Women: Abigail and Louisa Adams, Their Sisters and Daughters / Paul C. Nagel 0030596769 / 978-0030596766 / Introduction to Chemistry (Saunders Golden Sunburst Series) / William L. Masterton, Stanley M. Cherim 0538717599 / 978-0538717595 / Basic English Review:: English the Easy Way / Norman Schachter, Clark, Karen Schneiter Williams B000H0YI38 / Art Journal: Fall 1998, Vol. 57, No. 3: Race and Representation / James Smalls, Kenseth Armstead, Eduardo de Jesus Douglas, Ellen McBreen, Norman L. Kleeblatt, Magli M. Carrera, Karen K. Kosasa, Herman Pi'ikea Clark, April A. H. Drexel, Jeannene M. Przyblyski 0070051143 / 978-0070051140 / Oncologic Imaging: A Clinical Perspective / Claudia G. Berman, Norman J. Brodsky, Robert A. Clark 019500227X / 978-0195002270 / Seventeenth Century (Galaxy Books) / Sir George Norman Clark 0789709139 / 978-0789709134 / Using Isapi (Using ... (Que)) / Stephen Genusa, Bobby, Jr. Addison, Allen Clark, Dean Cleaver, Kevin Flick, Thomas Leroux, Martin J. Norman, Tom Parkinson, Paul P., Jr. Parrone, Michael Regelski, Andrew D. Smith, David A. Torres 083859638X / 978-0838596388 / Williams Obstetrics, 20th Edition / Paul C., M.D. Macdonald, Norman F. Gant, Kenneth J., M.D. Leveno, Larry C. Gilstrap, Norman F., M.D. Gant, Kenneth, M.D. Leveno, Larry C. III, M.D. Gilstrap, Gary DV, M.D. Hankins, Steven L., M.D. Clark 1858982731 / 978-1858982731 / Evolutionary Dynamics and Sustainable Development: A Systems Approach / Norman Clark, Francisco Perez-Trejo, Peter M. Allen B000S9FLEI / Ghosts / Peter (Editor) Tyson Blue, Don D'Ammassa, Lawrence Greenberg, Kathe Koje, Norman Partridge, Chet Williamson, Alan Rogers, Brad Linaeaver, Thomas F. Monteleone, Paul M. Sammon, Clark Perry, Gor Straub 0875952569 / 978-0875952567 / Oregon Main Street: A Rephotographic Survey / James B. Norman, Rosalind Clark Keeney 1881475077 / 978-1881475071 / Slippin' Into Darkness / Norman Partridge 0310233771 / 978-0310233770 / Wcsk First Day Jitters (Willow Creek Drama) / Willow Creek Association 0310234255 / 978-0310234258 / Downloading the Bible Old Testament / Jonathan Brant 0310234263 / 978-0310234265 / Downloading the Bible New Testament / Jonathan Brant 0310234476 / 978-0310234470 / Women Of Faith Bible Study Series - 8 Pack / Zondervan Publishing 0310235014 / 978-0310235019 / Romans - Galatians (The Expositor's Bible Commentary) /
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The Hayes CollectionCombined with refined rustic wood finishes and classic veneers, the Hayes collection from Suite Bebé offers a modern take on an inspired rustic nursery. With contrasting wire brushed wood panels, the Hayes presents a stylish and safe haven for your child for years to come. The 4-in-1 Lifetime™ crib grows with your child, easily converting to a toddler bed, day bed, and full size bed with the addition of the guard rail and conversion kit. Complete your baby’s charming nursery with the matching changing table or 6-drawer double dresser and changing station.
Showing items 1-4 of 4.

domain: design


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What is Video Editing?
Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging video shots to create a final product. It involves trimming, adding effects, transitions, and audio to enhance the visual storytelling. With the right tools and techniques, anyone can become a proficient video editor.
Why is Video Editing Important?
Video editing plays a crucial role in delivering a compelling message to the audience. It helps in refining the raw footage, removing mistakes, and creating a cohesive narrative. Whether you are a content creator, filmmaker, or business owner, video editing can elevate your content and leave a lasting impact on your viewers.
Choosing the Right Video Editing Software
When starting with video editing, it's essential to choose the right software that suits your needs. Our products offer a user-friendly interface, powerful features, and a wide range of editing tools. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced editor, our software provides the flexibility and functionality to bring your vision to life.
Understanding the Basics
Before diving into video editing, it's crucial to understand the basics. Familiarize yourself with the timeline, where you arrange and edit your clips. Learn about different types of cuts, such as the standard cut, jump cut, and crossfade. Experiment with transitions, effects, and color grading to enhance the visual appeal of your videos.
Mastering the Art of Storytelling
Video editing is not just about technical skills; it's also about storytelling. Learn how to structure your videos, create a narrative arc, and evoke emotions in your audience. Use the power of editing to engage your viewers and keep them hooked from start to finish.
Utilizing Advanced Techniques
Once you have a solid foundation in video editing, you can explore advanced techniques to take your videos to the next level. Experiment with motion graphics, green screen effects, and sound design to add a professional touch to your projects. Stay updated with the latest trends and continuously improve your skills.
Video editing is a creative and rewarding process that allows you to bring your ideas to life. With our products and the knowledge gained from this beginner's guide, you are well-equipped to embark on your video editing journey. Remember to practice, experiment, and never stop learning. Happy editing!


text: Results 1–10 of 55 for "Continuing Education Program"X related to "Colds and cognition" Refine Your Search Refine Your Search TopicTherapy (7)Education (4)Addictions (3)Ethics (3)Emotional health (2) 16 more... [+] Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (2)Sleep (2)Trauma (2)ADHD (1)Aging (1)Bipolar disorder (1)Children (1)Disability (1)Hypnosis (1)Military (1)Parenting (1)Race (1)Sex (1)Sexuality (1)Suicide (1)Testing issues (1)Hide detailsDocument TypeContinuing Education ProgramXYear2014 (2)2013 (5)2012 (6)2011 (17)2010 (4)Author/ContributorAshby, Jeff (1)Behnke, Stephen (1)Borresen, Dorothy (1)Brim, William (1)Carter, Jean (1) 33 more... [+] Chiu, Eddie Yu-Wai (1)Crabtree, Valerie M. (1)Cumming, Geoff (1)Danish, Steven J. (1)Domenici, Paula (1)Drozd, John F. (1)Foy, David W. (1)Glynn, Shirley M. (1)Gunn, William (1)Hodge, Ken (1)Holmes, Dorothy (1)Kelly, Shannon (1)Kuba, Sue A. (1)Maroda, Karen (1)Martin, Julia (1)McWilliams, Spencer (1)Meredith, James M. (1)Mollen, Debra (1)Muran, Chris (1)Niles, Barbara L. (1)Nofziger, Debra (1)O'Toole, Siobhan K. (1)Olkin, Rhoda (1)Pigeon, Wilfred R. (1)Ridley, Charles R. (1)Riggs, David S. (1)Ruddy, Nancy B. (1)Taylor, Daniel J. (1)Unger, William S. (1)Wattenberg, Melissa S. (1)Wolf, Abe (1)Youngstrom, Eric A. (1)Zelman, Diane (1)Hide details Results 1–10 of 55 Previous 1 2 3 ... Next Relevance Title A-Z Title Z-A Newest First Oldest First Sort by: 1.Aging and Cognition: Research Methodologies and Empirical AdvancesAging and Cognition explores methods for measuring cognitive change and the social and psycological factors associated with cognitive aging.Continuing Education Program 2.A Social Cognitive Perspective on Coping with Cancer: Theory, Research and InterventionComprehend the social cognitive model of restorative well being, and identify the various variables that contribute to long-term post-treatment adjustment in this article from The Counseling Psychologist.Continuing Education Program (February 2013)3.Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children: Research on the Family Life CycleAging and Cognition explores methods for measuring cognitive change and the social and psycological factors associated with cognitive aging.This book provides a comprehensive overview of the research on same-sex parenthood, exploring ways in which lesbian and gay parents resist, accommodate, and transform fundamental notions of gender, parenting, and family.Continuing Education Program 4.Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Special Populations: A Cognitive Restructuring ProgramIdentify treatments for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) that have received the most empirical support, explain the concept of "complex" PTSD and describe the criteria for making a diagnosis of PTSD.Continuing Education Program (July 2010)5.Improving LearningThis course helps identify learning principles grounded in cognitive science and describes computer-based learning environments that use them.Continuing Education Program (July 2011)6.Antidepressant Treatment Update: Integration of Psychopharmacology and CBTThis intermediate workshop presents practical information for practicing psychologists about the effects of common antidepressant, how to best explain these medications and their effects to patients, and how to employ cognitive-behavioral principles and practices to enhance pharmacotherapy. Part of the APA Online Academy Convention Workshop Presentations Campus.Continuing Education Program 7.Malleable Minds: Translating Insights From Psychology and Neuroscience to Gifted EducationThis volume offers insights from social and cognitive psychologists and cognitive neuroscientists as they share and connect their research findings and perspectives with experts in gifted and talented education.Continuing Education Program (October 2013)8.Emotions, Aggression and Morality in Children: Bridging Development and PsychopathologyThe chapters demonstrate how early affective experiences and relationships provide a foundation for children's subsequent social cognitive understanding of victimization, harm and moral intentionality.Continuing Education Program (July 2012)9.Bipolar Disorder in Children and AdolescentsBipolar disorder is a controversial and high-stakes diagnosis in children and adolescents. New and updated content includes new measures and treatment implications of mania versus depression. Part of the APA Online Academy Convention Workshop Presentations Campus.Continuing Education Program 10.Sexual Hook-up CultureThe authors review the literature on sexual hook-ups and consider the research on the psychological consequences of casual sex in this article from the February APA Monitor on Psychology.Continuing Education Program (February 2013) Previous 1 2 3 ... Next Relevance Title A-Z Title Z-A Newest First Oldest First Sort by: ADVERTISEMENT Results 1–10 of 55 for "Continuing Education Program"X related to "Colds and cognition"


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Fall sports practice start August 13
July 8, 2021
Don’t look now but high school sports are already sneaking up on us.
Back to almost-normal after more than a year of dealing with COVID-19 and the myriad ways it affected prep sports, the Montana High School Association has released official dates for the start of the fall seasons.
The MHSA i...
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domain: sports


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“When home-care costs go through the roof,” by Donald Jay Korn, Financial Planning
“For clients who need long-term attention, the home-sweet-home solution unfortunately may be a money pit. . . . Advisers can become part of the solution by apprising clients of the possible costs involved, and starting early with a financial plan designed to help clients stay put as long as possible.”
LTC Comment (from Stephen A. Moses, President, Center for Long-Term Care Reform):
Article urges early LTC planning and recommends LTC insurance and home equity conversion.

domain: finance


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Bengaluru: Ecommerce shipping and enablement firm Shiprocket on Friday said it will acquire a 75% stake in customer data platform Wigzo Tech. The company did not disclose the value of investment, but said it will expand its product line-up for online retailers who joined the platform through this partnership.
Shiprocket is backed by Zomato Ltd, Temasek Holdings, Lightrock India, 9Unicorns, InfoEdge Ventures, Moore Strategic Ventures and March Capital. Prominent individual investors include Brijesh Agrawal (IndiaMart), Peyush Bansal (Lenskart), Sanil Sachar (Huddle Ventures), Varun Alagh (Mamaearth), Sameer Mehta and Aman Gupta (Boat Electronics) and Ashish Gupta (Helion Ventures).
New Delhi-based Shiprocket aims to help direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands by ramping up their technology stack to strengthen marketing conversions.
Operated by Bigfoot Retail Solutions, Shiprocket was founded in 2017 by Saahil Goel, Gautam Kapoor and Vishesh Khurana. It provides small businesses, retailers and social commerce sellers shipping and fulfilment solutions across 29,000 pin codes in India and 220 countries. The startup also offers a cash-on-delivery gateway. Shiprocket claims to deliver shipments to more than 66 million consumers annually and is growing 3x year-on-year.
Wigzo Tech, started by Umair Mohammed, Himanshu Kaushik and Mohammed Atyab, serves over 400 e-commerce and D2C companies, including Leaf Studios, Power Gummies, Stitch Clothing, House of Rare, Morphy Richards, Forest Essentials, Ethos Watches and Basics Life.
“India’s D2C space is showcasing massive growth. India has over 10,000 D2C brands, with the sector projected to touch $100 billion by 2025. For D2C brands, leveraging data can play a pivotal role in having an edge over contemporaries. Suffice to say, modern consumers are drawn to brands that take a carefully tailored approach to their buying experience. This is where Wigzo is proving a game-changer in assisting D2C brands,” said Goel, co-founder and CEO, Shiprocket.
“With its underlying customer data platform rails and other applications such as business intelligence, consumer behaviour, data analytics and automated assistance, Wigzo packs a cutting-edge platform enabling every D2C brand to create tailored and personalized experiences for target customers. It also helps brands analyse data in real-time through big data and AI or ML algorithms with just a few clicks,” he added.
Shiprocket has also partnered with Mumbai Angels Network, a platform for early-stage investments as the latest partner for its co-investment programme. In December, Shiprocket raised ₹1,380 crore from Zomato as part of its Series E funding round.In July 2021, it had raised ₹305 crore in a Series D round co-led by PayPal Ventures, Info Edge Ventures and Bertelsmann. In February 2021, it had raised ₹200 crore in an extended Series C round co-led by Tribe Capital and new investor March Capital.
Shiprocket’s net sales more than doubled to ₹161 crore in FY20 from ₹58.8 crore in FY19, according to VCCEdge
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This week's Pet of the Week is Bailey.
Reader Jane sent in the 21 month old shih tzu dog.
She said: "Bailey is a Shih Tzu. He is 21 months old.
"He loves playing with his Canadian 'blue jays' ball, and loves lots of fun and attention.
"He is loveable and has lots of friends."

domain: pet


OX7 offer complex functions like gap, edge or height measurement, preconfigured in an easy-to-operate, compact sensor. Thanks to their intelligent evaluation within the sensor, their standardized operating concept and robust housing, OX7 sensors are the ideal solution for measuring and inspection tasks.
Ready for immediate use thanks to fast setup
Optimum design thanks to optically aligned axis (qTarget)
Fast sensor alignment thanks to visible laser line and LED indicators
Mounting at any angle within ±30°
Sensor operation does not require reflector
Easy adaptation in any application
Predefined measuring functions for selected applications
No external software required
Measured value output in millimeters thanks to calibrated sensor
Simple parameterization and operation for precisely fitting measurement solutions via Webinterface
Accurate measuring results even under demanding conditions
Accurate measurements even on high-gloss, black or very uneven surfaces
High measuring rates for fast-moving objects
Immune to ambient light impacts
Ethernet interface with OPC UA and Modbus TCP
Easy integration into network structures
Width measurement of tapes independent of radial run-out (OXE7)
Reliable, fast measurements on absorbent materials like rubber belts (OXH7)
Flexible mounting for optimal integration into the machine
OX7 sensors can be positioned laterally at an angle of ± 30° above the object. This allows avoidance of disruptive installation obstacles, greatly extending the range of applications.
Easy alignment of the sensor by design
The qTarget design of the OX7 sensors is referencing the optical axis to the mounting holes. This enables system integration already in the CAD stage. No later mechanical adjustments or alignments in the application are necessary.
Measurement independent of object positions
An appropriate object can move within the measuring field without having any impact on the measurement. This absence of sensitivity makes a significant contribution to the reliable functioning of the sensor in the application.


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Reconceptualizing blight: A geographical and economic analysis of urban housing code violations in Buffalo, NY
Weaver, R. C.
MetadataShow full item record
The concept of urban blight lacks an objective identity both in theory and practice. Neither policymakers nor social scientists have settled on a definition of the phenomenon, despite the ongoing, decades-long crusade against it initiated by the urban renewal programs of the mid-20 th Century. On top of this is, however, perhaps a more important issue: there is no collective appetence in either political circles or the academic literature to ascribe a standardized meaning to the concept. Explicitly, under current institutional arrangements elected officials often benefit from the ambiguity inherent to the blight concept, as they hold considerable discretion over anti-blight expenditures and projects, and thus they have little incentive to change the status quo. Urban scholars, on the other hand, who regularly criticize the arbitrary nature of most blight policies, often seek to preserve the phenomenon's subjective existence as a complex idea held in the minds of city stakeholders. For these reasons there is decidedly little empirical research on the topic, and efforts to evaluate blight policies are made difficult by a lack of quantifiable goals and objectives. In response to these issues, this project consists of a series of concentrated efforts geared toward three enterprises intended to improve prospects for more efficient blight policy and more frequent and transferable empirical blight research: consistent conceptualization, operationalization, and analysis. First, a thorough review of blight literature suggests several common conceptual elements that inform the development of an appealing operational definition. Next, this definition is contextualized within a unique framework designed to illustrate that operationalizing blight need not disavow the concept from its complex origins and interrelationships with other urban socioeconomic phenomena. Following this discussion, the proposed blight definition is employed in spatial and economic analyses of the problem in Buffalo, NY. Several methods of cluster detection illuminate patterns of blight in the city, and formal hedonic modeling reveals individual level preferences for local quantities of blight throughout Buffalo. The findings suggest that the proposed definition is an appropriate quantifiable surrogate for blight. Insofar as blight has evaded consistent quantification and measurement since its promotion to the national policy agenda in the 1940s, this represents a significant contribution to the literature. Furthermore, it offers several implications for public policy, especially with respect to recalibrating policy tools with set criteria and measurable objectives.

domain: geography


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Carly Gelsinger lives in California with her husband and two daughters. She holds a master’s in journalism and runs a small business helping people write their stories. This is her first book.
The darkly intense Irish-American family drama come alive like never before in this "virtuosic meta-memoir" (Publishers Weekly, starred review).“The blood-red of Manhattan, the brilliant green of an Irish-American wake, the blue-rinsed divas of the opera and the bathhouse alike” (Michael Gorra) are hypnotically rendered in this “astoundingly smart book” (John Waters). With some of the most lyrical cadences in recent literature, the legendary James McCourt animates twentieth-century New York through a “kaleidoscope of sharp-edged, brilliantly colored memories” (J. D. McClatchy) and with “dynamic prose and high-brow erudition that has gone the way of the dodo” (Publishers Weekly). Braiding a nostalgic portrait of the eternal city with a boy’s funny, guttersnipe precocity and outrageous coming-of-age in the 1940s and 1950s, McCourt revisits the fantasy city of his youth with Proustian memories of steam calliopes in Central Park, Hiroshima “obliterated in a flash of light,” and closing his mother’s eyes for the last time. As sensational as it is satisfying, Lasting City, a profoundly American work, identifies the spot where genius and madness meet.
I Have Fun Everywhere I Go combines the fear and loathing of Hunter Thompson's journalistic thrill rides with the acerbic insider voice of Toby Young. It's an eye-opening, gleeful view of life on the edge—and the outlaws and oddballs encountered there.
“Wall’s story couldn’t be more timely.”
Stolen Innocence is the gripping New York Times bestselling memoir of Elissa Wall, the courageous former member of Utah’s infamous FLDS polygamist sect whose powerful courtroom testimony helped convict controversial sect leader Warren Jeffs in September 2007. At once shocking, heartbreaking, and inspiring, Wall’s story of subjugation and survival exposes the darkness at the root of this rebel offshoot of the Mormon faith.
Born into the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Rachel Jeffs was raised in a strict patriarchal culture defined by subordinate sister wives and men they must obey. No one in this radical splinter sect of the Mormon Church was more powerful or terrifying than its leader Warren Jeffs—Rachel’s father.
Living outside mainstream Mormonism and federal law, Jeffs arranged marriages between under-age girls and middle-aged and elderly members of his congregation. In 2006, he gained international notoriety when the FBI placed him on its Ten Most Wanted List. Though he is serving a life sentence for child sexual assault, Jeffs’ iron grip on the church remains firm, and his edicts to his followers increasingly restrictive and bizarre.
In Breaking Free, Rachel blows the lid off this taciturn community made famous by Jon Krakauer’s bestselling Under the Banner of Heaven to offer a harrowing look at her life with Warren Jeffs, and the years of physical and emotional abuse she suffered. Sexually assaulted, compelled into an arranged polygamous marriage, locked away in "houses of hiding" as punishment for perceived transgressions, and physically separated from her children, Rachel, Jeffs’ first plural daughter by his second of more than fifty wives, eventually found the courage to leave the church in 2015. But Breaking Free is not only her story—Rachel’s experiences illuminate those of her family and the countless others who remain trapped in the strange world she left behind.
A shocking and mesmerizing memoir of faith, abuse, courage, and freedom, Breaking Free is an expose of religious extremism and a beacon of hope for anyone trying to overcome personal obstacles.
This widely sought work is restored to print after many years with a new preface by the author, as well as the more than sixty-five rare photographs from the original volume.


Arutz Sheva: Israeli Firefighters Get Some American Help
Published on 13/12/10:
Help has been pouring in from around the world to aid in wake of the tragedy in the Carmel forest, as the fire that has been raging since Thursday continues to eat away at one of the prettiest spots in Israel.
Over the weekend, firefighting planes equipped with water and chemicals have been working to prevent the spread of the fire, and over the coming days, firefighters will be entering the thick of the blaze in order to douse the remaining pockets of fire.
Click here for the full article


The Differences Between Toads and Frogs
Toads and frogs belong to the same family, but if we look closely, we can distinguish them. We’ll give you the keys to find the differences between toads and frogs, as it’s not always easy!
The complicated differences between toads and frogs
Frogs and toads belong to the same family of amphibians: the anurans. They have a few characteristics in common, and a few differences that divide them.
Both toads and frogs are amphibians and have a short, round body. Both have four legs, of which the hind legs are stronger. They have large, lively eyes, but, unlike salamanders, they don’t have tails. They can be of many different colors and have a similar diet, based on insects and other small animals.
In addition to all these similarities, we can notice a few differences between toads and frogs. There are a few characteristics that we can notice at first glance and others that require more in-depth study.
The appearance of the skin
One of the most obvious differences between toads and frogs is their skin. Frogs have smooth, shiny skin, which usually appears to be moist. In addition, they can be of very different colors. Some of the most colorful animals on the planet are frogs, such as poison dart frogs. Common frogs found in wetlands will be bright green and yellow.
Toads, on the other hand, have rough skin that looks rather dry. As for their colors, toads aren’t as bright as frogs, being brownish and dull. This can be explained by their different habitats.
Although both species are amphibians, frogs live in wetter areas than toads, which can go without water for longer periods of time.
Frogs live in rivers and ponds, or anywhere with sufficient moisture. Their skin looks wet because it is, in fact, damp. Frogs don’t usually stay away from their aquatic habitat for too long, although they may make short trips on land in search of food.
Toads, on the other hand, may stay away from the water much longer. Sometimes they hide in the ground and stay away for hours or days from rivers or ponds; thanks to their brownish color they go unnoticed very easily.
At the same time, both species reproduce in water. Both frogs and toads deposit their eggs in water and, when they hatch, produce tadpoles. During the first weeks of life, before they develop legs and lungs, they can only live underwater.
Webbed feet and toes
If we come across an anuran and want to know if it’s a toad or a frog, and neither the habitat nor the appearance of the skin gives us the clues, there are other differences between toads and frogs that we can take into account. For example, their legs.
Frog’s legs are stronger and more dexterous than those of toads and, because of this, frogs can make long leaps to move around. On the other hand, toads’ legs are only capable of propelling them by small hops, and they will have a hard time climbing trees or bushes.
Another subtle difference is in their toes. Frogs usually have webbed feet, meaning that between their toes they have a membrane. Thanks to this, it’s much easier for them to manage in the water. Toads, because they’re better prepared to move on land, lack this membrane.
The ultimate proof: DNA
Despite all this, there are species where the differences between toads and frogs are unclear or confusing. For example, there are species of toads with smooth, shiny skin, and species of frogs with short, weak legs.
Therefore, the definitive test to know if an animal belongs to the frog or the toad family is a DNA test. Some species can be distinguished only at a genetic level.
The differences between toads and frogs are many. Their skin and their legs are clues that we can use to identify them. However, some species are ambiguous and we’ll need the help of an expert to determine which species each animal belongs to.