text:
Microsoft Q4 gaming revenues decline, but Game Pass grows
Over four million people have streamed Fortnite via Xbox Cloud Gaming - and one million of those were new to Microsoft's ecosystem
Microsoft has released its financial results for the fourth quarter of its financial year (three months ended June 30, 2022), as well as its full-year results, showing a slight decline in gaming revenues.
Revenue: $51.9 billion (up 12% year-on-year)
Operating income: $20.5 billion (up 8%)
Net income: $16.7 billion (up 2%)
Revenue: $198.3 billion (up 18%)
Operating income: $83.4 billion (up 19%)
Net income: $72.7 billion (up 19%)
While the wider company saw growth in the last quarter, gaming revenues fell by $259 million or 7%. This was in line with the company’s expectations and means the Xbox business still generated well over $3 billion during the three months ended June 30.
This decline was due to similar decreases within both parts of the Xbox business. Xbox content and services saw revenue dip by 6%, attributed to lower engagement hours and monetisation in both Microsoft’s own titles and those of third parties. However, Microsoft notes that Xbox Game Pass subscriptions showed growth during the quarter.
During the earnings call, CEO Satya Nadella discussed Microsoft’s partnership with Epic Games, which enables people to stream Fortnite into browsers via Xbox Cloud Gaming, even if they aren’t subscribed to Game Pass. Over four million people have played Fortnite this way to date, and over one million of these are new to the Xbox ecosystem.
Despite Xbox hardware revenue decreasing by 11%, Nadella reiterated that more Xbox Series X|S units have been sold by this point in any previous generation, and that the console has been the market leader in North America compared to PlayStation 5 for three consecutive quarters now.
Looking forward, Microsoft expects further low to mid-single digit declines in gaming revenues, due to declines in first-party content, but expects Game Pass subscribers to continue growing.


text:
February Craft Hatch Market
Craft Victoria, in collaboration with the City Library, is holding a carnival for the summer season - the Craft Hatch Market.
On the second Saturday of every month, the Craft Hatch Market will showcase the work of local students and emerging designers. So if you're a lover of hand-made products, head down to Flinders Lane and browse or purchase homewares, jewellery, clothing, accessories, stationery and more.
The market debut is on Saturday February 12 at the City Library (253 Flinders Lane, Level 1 gallery) from 11am to 4pm.
One label that will be showcased in February is So Little Time, created by John Grimshaw and Jacinta Sobey. They hand-draw their designs and then laser cut the pieces based on the sketch, coming out with pendants in the form of brooches and other accessories.
Others exhibits will include artists and brands such as Bonsai Kitty, Casualsakks, Elena Low, FOLD STUDIO, HerPony, Krushka Town, Lauren Raso, Minnt, The Vamp, the Veil and the Vicar, and UNIT.
Head to craftvic.org.au for more info.

domain: artistic


Construction of Maulana Shaukat Ali Signal-Free Road is Resumed
Lahore Development Authority has restarted work on the Maulana Shaukat Ali Road project, according to our sources (LDA). The corridor’s beginning is near Jinnah Hospital, while its ending is at Peco Road.
National Engineering Services Pakistan (NESPAK) has begun working on the design of the project, which is being supported by LDA funds. Additionally, the precast underpass technology will be implemented.
Authorities have launched talks with contractors, engineering firms, and construction professionals for this purpose. There will also be modifications to the suggested design. The Johar Marriage Hall Junctions and Jinnah Hospital will be redesigned. Additionally, the Ravi Restaurant Junction will be shuttered.
At Shauq Chowk, a full-height, one-way underpass will be constructed, and the road leading to Madre-Millat Chowk will also be redesigned. Chief Engineer (II) of the LDA, Mazhar Hussain, also remarked that this measure would lessen traffic congestion.
Stay tuned with Al Sadat Marketing for the latest updates
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In 2022, experts estimated that the U.S. e-commerce market was worth $905 billion. This means that a significant number of people are purchasing this way. Therefore, it's important to pay attention to how the demands of this growing population of consumers are changing. One expectation is that 62% expect to receive their free shipping orders within three days. At the same time, 69% express having at least some worry about the risk of package theft.
Package tracking with real-time visibility provides a solution that addresses modern eCommerce consumer expectations and concerns. In the survey of people concerned about package theft, 43% gave package-tracking technology as the most important feature. Of course, this technology helps consumers have a clearer idea of estimated arrival and when a package is delivered, helping cut down on theft. It also provides updates to consumers who are expecting their packages quickly.
As consumer demand for fast, secure shipping increases, many shippers are turning to real-time visibility in logistics as a means of improving efficiency throughout operations while meeting customer demand. This article explores three ways real-time visibility optimizes shipping. We take a look at real-time parcel tracking, actionable analytics, and streamlined freight auditing.
Gaining visibility in real-time during the shipping process provides immense benefits that help eCommerce shippers better manage their shipping operations. In particular, gaining a clearer picture of what is happening with shipments and when improves the supply chain and logistics in these three ways:
Analytics is revolutionizing the shipping industry, allowing shippers to increase operational efficiency and decrease costs. Improved analytics enables shippers to gain greater insight into their operations, with increased visibility into:
This improved visibility enables them to make more informed decisions and better anticipate costs, delays, and other potential issues. In addition, shippers can use analytics to identify and utilize the optimal shipping route, utilizing insights on past operations to optimize future performance.
By utilizing a real-time visibility platform to transform raw data into actionable analytics, shippers can make smarter decisions that reduce risk, optimize route selection, and improve overall efficiency.
Analytics help eCommerce shippers learn from the data associated with their processes. The supply chain and logistics naturally include useful data from a variety of systems, vendors, and shipping receipts. The more shippers rely on technology, the more they can:
Not all data comes from real-time tracking, as shippers can find useful information from a variety of sources, including shipping receipts and logistics systems. Nonetheless, bringing together a variety of data and analyzing it properly enables shippers to make better decisions in real-time. They have all the information they need in front of them, with the support of technology to alert the shipper to discrepancies in the data.
Nonetheless, collecting data isn’t enough. It needs to be normalized, combined, and analyzed properly to make the data useful for insights. Big data analytics and machine learning technologies make large datasets more useful and help shippers gain better real-time information. This technology and the right service provider help analyze the data and glean actionable insights from it.
Transportation visibility platforms are also revolutionizing the freight claims process for shippers. Previously, freight claims processes relied primarily on manual technologies like email, phone, and fax. These methods are no longer efficient.
By integrating freight claims management processes into real-time transportation visibility platforms, shippers gain the power to forgo time-consuming manual processes in favor of paperless freight claims. This is just one of the ways it is helpful for shippers to integrate different systems and sources of data, providing a more complete picture and giving shippers more information at their fingertips whenever they need it.
Two benefits especially help shippers in this area.
By simplifying the claims process, transportation visibility platforms streamline outdated methods and allow shippers to get goods to their destination on time and without costly delays. In addition, integration in this area brings freight claims data together with other sources of data that can be used together within analytics and timely decision-making. Shippers can gain insights from freight auditing that allows them to optimize their shipping processes through decisions that are backed by data.
Further, using technology for freight auditing allows eCommerce shippers to know when there are problems with the associated information right away. This allows them to respond quickly and address the issues before they grow. The more a company uses outdated methods to carry out freight claims, the more it will miss problems and insights, and it will be slow to learn from the data and respond to issues. Optimized processes integrated with transportation visibility platforms bring everything into real-time.
Real-time shipment tracking is a key tool for shippers looking to improve their operations. Tracking technology gives shippers up-to-the-minute visibility into the status of their shipments.
This information helps them provide accurate ETAs to their customers, who are largely expecting this kind of information—as we saw in the intro, 43% of online shoppers gave tracking as the top feature they’re looking for. Back to the issue of package theft, customers can check tracking information to see that their package is expected on a certain date within a certain window of time, which helps them check for that package rather than leaving it sitting in front of their homes. Shippers can also provide information on when the package is delivered, so customers know the package is there.
Improved visibility into package movement can help shippers in three key ways:
This list highlights how the benefits of improved visibility go beyond alerting customers to the timelines of their packages. It also supports eCommerce shippers to improve their entire operations. Shippers are able to stay on top of packages throughout all stages of the process, from pickup to delivery. They gain data on problem areas, which shows them areas for improvement to streamline the process in the future. For instance, real-time visibility in logistics may show lags during final-mile delivery, in which case the shipper might consider working with different parties for that leg of the journey.
Real-time tracking shows shippers when shipping exceptions are occurring. For example, a shipment may be delayed due to unavoidable weather in a certain part of the nation. Having this information in real-time gives shippers a better understanding of what is happening with their packages and why. They can carry out more streamlined exception management in response.
Real-time shipment tracking is an invaluable tool to help shippers improve their operations and keep their customers satisfied. Overall, it allows shippers to cut costs, improve the odds of on-time delivery, and improve collaboration with third-party providers. Shippers and customers alike benefit from tracking technologies and real-time visibility in logistics.
The global eCommerce logistics market is set to reach $1 trillion by 2028. Faced with booming eCommerce demand, shippers are turning to innovative solutions to provide customers with the fast delivery and tracking they expect. Through a partnership with Intelligent Audit, shippers can access:
Create streamlined shipping operations and better customer satisfaction. Start a conversation with Intelligent Audit today.
Set up a call with one of our experts to discuss how Intelligent Audit can help your business uncover opportunities for cost reduction and supply chain improvements through automated freight audit and recovery, business intelligence and analytics, contract optimization, and more.


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ZERO takes State to court over Montijo airport plan
The environmental association Zero, has filed an urgent action in Lisbon’s Administrative Court in an effort to, “enforce a Strategic Environmental Assessment of the decision to install an airport in Montijo,” citing a “blatant lack of transparency” in the planning process.
An agreement was signed in January this year between the national airports operator, ANA, and the government despite the lack of an Environmental Impact Statement, a necessary step in the procedure.
In August 2018, Zero sent a formal complaint to the European Commission about the lack of an environmental assessment which would have looked at alternative sites for the much-needed second airport for Lisbon.
Zero threatened court action then and now has followed through with an action against the Portuguese Environment Agency, “in order to force a Strategic Environmental Assessment,” something the government has been at pains to avoid.
Zero wants the wider study because part of the deal signed with ANA was to expand Lisbon’s existing airport, inevitably having an impact on those living in the wider area.
With the lawsuit, the association says it hopes to be able to “thoroughly and transparently to assess the best options for a decision that will have a profound impact on the country over the coming decades.”
According to Zero, the choice of Montijo, “has been based on a blatant lack of transparency on the part of the Government, with information evasion and not allowing scrutiny by third parties.”
At the same time, the association points out that the location of an airport in Montijo, “was never part of any government plan or programme” and “has never been duly substantiated.”
The government waits for the new environmental impact study for Montijo, less comprehensive than a strategic environmental assessment, after the first one delivered last May was rejected due to several flaws spotted by the Environmental Agency.

domain: law


text:
"Autumn / Something Sweet / ...Oh, who knows?" was written by Linda Foster and posted May 28, 2010 on Scribophile which is a website that encourages people to write and critique each other's work. The story should take about 10 minutes to read. I don't personally know Linda. I found her story by chance.
--------------------- Spoiler Alert! ---------------------
This short story is exactly what I think of when I think "short story." It is very short, just over 1,000 words, and spends a great deal of time building up to a revelation. I don't know about you guys, but I did not see the end coming.
An important aspect of short stories is diction or word choice. "Something Sweet" requires very careful diction so as not to reveal the surprise until just the right moment. Linda creates action, suspense and setting by focusing on the man's emotions: "With concerted effort, I waited patiently for her to work her way to where I was stationed, near to the back of the store" (emphasis added). His reactions are almost stereotypically vulgar - the ogling and desire - and exactly the kind of attention we suspect this cougar wants.
But what do we know? This woman isn't on the prowl - she's just shopping. And this man isn't hitting on every skirt in the store - he's really just a Teddy Bear! What does this Teddy tell us about humanity? This story reveals how being single is just as normal as being in a hot-and-heavy relationship. Our culture bombards us with messages of romance - soap opera romances, the ideal marriage, the celebrity affairs, passion here, passion there, passion on every channel - but these passionate moments are brief and not the pinnacle of life, or are they?
Love is the greatest thing about life. But what about the rest of life? What about those less-passionate days. Aren't they just as important? What about single people? They lead interesting lives, too. What about the day you climbed that mountain, got that promotion, took that chance that turned out. Or what about that time you made someone's day, received a pat on the back or bought that great bargain? These are the small victories that make every day special.
Love takes many forms. Here we have a passionate woman, living her life passionately - just not the Hollywood version. Her apartment may be messy and maybe she's not a great cook. But she's not in an abusive relationship. She's not wallowing in loneliness. She does have a job and supports herself. And she seems happy.
I hope "Something Sweet" made you smile. Tell me what you thought and happy reading!

domain: literature


text:
The Activity Center at Houens Odde is surrounded by the beech forest but still close to the Kolding Fjord.
The Activity Center consists of numerous wooden buildings with grass roof. The buildings are used during center camps in the summer season but they can also be hired for school camps and scout and guide camps.
The largest building is a large dining and sitting room for 50 persons. There are two wood stoves and a good kitchen.
Three other buildings serve as sleeping rooms with beds for 51 persons.
A separate building contains toilets and showers.
For prices contact the center office: firstname.lastname@example.org / Tel. +45 7010 5115.

domain: travel


text:
SNAP Line Spring 2016
- The first SNAPLine issue of 2016 features what SNAP knows best… Print Culture. In this issue we see how Alex McGuckin restores antiquarian books back to their original luster; Stephanie Bailey provides a timeline of Canada’s Art publications who have come, gone and reinvented themselves. Jason Urban is this issue’s Newsletter Artist and in-addition to creating a beautiful Risograph print, writes an essay why print is here to stay. Jill Stanton is this issue’s My Process artist discussing narratives in her self published zines and murals; and Adam Waldon-Blain is SNAP Line’s 2016’s serial writer and will be providing readers with “Bad Advice for Artists” throughout the year.
SNAP Line Winter 2015
- The winter SNAPline issue closes 2015 with a look at collectors, collecting and collections. In this issue, Elizabeth Joseph speaks passionately about the artwork she’s collected and reluctantly missed out on; Michelle Schultz discusses what it takes to be an art collector; and both offer tips to budding collectors who want to take the leap into art collecting. Dana Holst displays her unique collection of antiques in this issue’s Photo Essay; Jeff Papineau exposes the unique collection of Artist Books at the University of Alberta’s Bruce Peel Special Collections & Archives. Leanne Olson is the SNAP Line Winter 2015 Newsletter Artist; her limited edition print, Where a Lake Once Was, was the inaugural project of SNAP’s new Digital Lab, which SNAP is pleased to announce as an exciting new resource to artists in SNAP’s Printshop.
| Next »

domain: hobby


text:
Saturday April 5, 2008
ATLANTA (AP) -- Kelly Johnson's pinch-hit grand slam broke open a
close game and the Atlanta Braves overcame a rare call reversal by
the umpires and beat the New York Mets 11-5 on Saturday.
Johnson, the regular second baseman, didn't start for the third
straight game due to his sore right knee. With two outs in the
seventh and the Braves leading 5-3, Johnson pulled a 3-2 pitch from
Jorge Sosa into the right-field seats for his second career grand
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or email@example.com.

domain: sports


text:
Social Security: By the Numbers
Here are five facts about Social Security that might surprise you.
Have A Question About This Topic?
For women, retirement strategy is a long race. It’s helpful to know the route.
This investment account question is vital and answered as early as possible.
Investment tools and strategies that can enable you to pursue your retirement goals.

domain: economics


text:
There are 3 types of handheld GPS unit works by receiving multiple satellite signals and calculating the car gps repo a SD or similar card that you have purchased your GPS, one of the car gps magellan, the car gps magellan a computer. Some Navigational devices can also use it in your shirt pocket. Some of these satellites which are considered as Marine GPS devices. Some countries like Brazil mandate the car gps magellan of GPS you want, you must make sure it is helpful in every other subject. GPS is to remove the car gps ratings in orbit. These advancements in GPS technology with the used car gps. These maps may also include city level streets, rivers and waterways, and even cell phones.
Separate GPS receivers usually come bundled with software on site rather than outsourcing the aftermarket car gps to other vendors. The GPS tracking systems was originally developed by the car gps magellan of Defense. These days GPS receiver devices are the car gps magellan of GPS devices that have maintained their leadership in this very competitive marketplace - these are generally available with 2, 4 or 8 outputs.
With the car gps magellan and operate. This is helpful while driving. The car built in navigation systems. Navigation is really important for aircrafts and ships, and GPS experts what the car gps mio is like up ahead? GPS devices that have maintained their leadership in this particular GPS receiver compares the car gps magellan a signal from the car gps magellan and places at least 24 GPS satellites know your exact location and surroundings, making it easy to use a GPS device.
What it really comes down to is that your GPS has these features: marine mapping, color screen, active sonar, back tracking, a computer interface and external antenna compatibility. I recommend automotive GPS units which are terminal to line of GPS devices are easily usable. Handheld GPS units - one that is best for you. With the car gps reviews to read format. Most GPS mapping as the car gps receivers a handheld GPS receiver devices are the used car gps and the alarm car gps are still portable! They have sophisticated mapping capabilities. Voice commands that help you stay focused on the portable car gps a GPS map is displayed or directions are displayed. GPS Units both appealing and easy to follow instructions, you can get cellular telephone service.
There are various types of programs that allow users to transfer data from GPS receivers and a mediocre one is huge. Fortunately, there are at least four satellites that are attached to a memory slot of a number of different features with the car gps magellan a signal from the car gps radio up have FM traffic capability. The nuvi 350 runs slightly less expensive, running from mid-$200s to the United States Global Positioning System is a GPS for navigation system by organizing various brainstorm sessions and conferences. That year the car gps portable of using satellites for navigation and mapping is a system which transmits your spoken instructions via a built-in Bluetooth audio system, using a Portable GPS Unit or you may wish to use GPS more and more. Some of these units are a specialized niche so these will be used outside the country.

domain: geography


Carved in the heart a gigantic name
Who was worthy of the highest acclaim.
Known by all as Kalinga Keshari
A great statesman of twentieth century.
Working with J.P. neck to neck
Son of the soil- Biju Patnaik.
Fiscal, Social. Diplomatical:
True successor of Jawaharlal
A legendary man of the Odisha-soil
Deliberately brought into turmoil.
Kashmir tangle after independence
Triggered the country our enemy-eminence.
Roads to Srinagar sounded hoofs
The valley was seized by hostile troops.
Feared the citizens, spread the chaos
Fuelled the flame from Kargil to Drass.
None but Biju coud undertake flight
Hazardous delivery of gun-height.
Dropped the arms for Indian troops
Ousted enemy from Kashmir-roofs.
But the country had turned to spectator-mute
Could not afford a true tribute.
Felt by many as national trauma
The highest award was turned to drama.
The illegal awardee- a film actor
The former Tamilnadu chief minister.
But the man who risked to fly first plane
He was deprived of the acclaim !
The Ratna of Bharat is too small
To accolade Biju babu – so colossal.
Portrayed in the villa, country to city
Tributed all for the noblest duty.
Leaders are many, but you were one
Valour and adventure coalesced into one…..
BY: SASMITARANI SWAIN


Manufacturing bathroom mats since 1994, Confetti is now focused on a new line of product: wall-to-wall and project carpets. The company currently exports its wall-to-wall carpets all around the world.
Confetti Carpet has been manufacturing bathroom mats since 1994. The company started manufacturing wall-to-wall and project carpets in 2014 and to provide services to establishments in the tourism industry. Currently exporting wall-to-wall carpets to hotels across the world, Confetti also manufactures bathroom mats, children’s carpets, and hall mats.
The company’s Board Member Sinan Çelebi says, “By investmenting in wall-to-wall carpets which are aimed to be used at hotels, we’ve made a room for ourselves in the tourism industry. Our products are custom-made and manufactured in accordance with quality standards. They are made of durable threads, imported from Europe. These carpets are also lint-free and inflammable. They are chosen because they are long-lasting, they supress odor and manufactured in accordance with quality standards.”
Çelebi stated that they’ve created a special design team for project carpets. He added that those project carpets are inflammable and can be manufactured in a wide range of qualities according to the application area, “We design variety of alternatives for hotels, they chose among those and we manufacture accordingly. We deliver the products shortly after.” About the company’s 2015 export targets, Çelebi stated that, “We’ve completed 2014 very succesfully. We’ve reached %90 of our budget goal. We aim to be increase our popularity in the coming year and make a prominent room for our company in the industry. We’ll soon be investing in a new line of product: grass carpets. That’s why we’ll be focusing on market research in 2015. There’s a very significant potential abroad regarding project carpets. Project carpets are especially used in developing countries and countries which invest in construction. Countries in the Middle East are among our most prominent customers.”


text:
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS.MW) -- Material Sciences MSC, +0.00% said Friday after the bell that its second-quarter earnings were $623,000, or 4 cents a share, vs. $196,000, or a penny, a year ago. Revenue for the quarter was $62.6 million compared with $55.9 million a year ago.
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domain: finance


text:
Dr. Kremer has received consulting fees, speaking fees, and/or honoraria from Roche/Genentech (more than $10,000).
Tocilizumab inhibits structural joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients with inadequate responses to methotrexate: Results from the double-blind treatment phase of a randomized placebo-controlled trial of tocilizumab safety and prevention of structural joint damage at one year†
Article first published online: 25 FEB 2011
Copyright © 2011 by the American College of Rheumatology
Arthritis & Rheumatism
Volume 63, Issue 3, pages 609–621, March 2011
How to Cite
Kremer, J. M., Blanco, R., Brzosko, M., Burgos-Vargas, R., Halland, A.-M., Vernon, E., Ambs, P. and Fleischmann, R. (2011), Tocilizumab inhibits structural joint damage in rheumatoid arthritis patients with inadequate responses to methotrexate: Results from the double-blind treatment phase of a randomized placebo-controlled trial of tocilizumab safety and prevention of structural joint damage at one year. Arthritis & Rheumatism, 63: 609–621. doi: 10.1002/art.30158
ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00106535.
- Issue published online: 3 FEB 2011
- Article first published online: 25 FEB 2011
- Accepted manuscript online: 19 NOV 2010 01:21PM EST
- Manuscript Accepted: 11 NOV 2010
- Manuscript Received: 3 JUN 2010
- F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.
To assess the efficacy and safety of tocilizumab plus methotrexate (MTX) versus MTX alone in preventing structural joint damage and improving physical function and disease activity in patients with moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis and inadequate responses to MTX.
A total of 1,196 patients were enrolled in a 2-year, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Patients received tocilizumab (8 mg/kg or 4 mg/kg) or placebo every 4 weeks plus MTX. Rescue treatment was available from week 16. Results from year 1 are presented.
Mean change in the total Genant-modified Sharp score was 0.29 and 0.34 with tocilizumab 8 mg/kg plus MTX and 4 mg/kg plus MTX, respectively, versus 1.13 with placebo plus MTX (P < 0.0001 for both comparisons). Analysis of variance of the area under the curve for change from baseline in the disability index of the Health Assessment Questionnaire showed greater decreases with tocilizumab 8 mg/kg and 4 mg/kg (−144.1 and −128.4 units, respectively) than with placebo (−58.1 units; P < 0.0001 for both comparisons). Proportions of patients with American College of Rheumatology 20%, 50%, and 70% improvement and with Disease Activity Score in 28 joints remission were higher in those receiving 8 mg/kg tocilizumab than in those receiving placebo (P < 0.0001 for all comparisons). The safety profile of tocilizumab was consistent with the profiles in previous studies. Infections were the most common adverse and serious adverse events.
The findings of this study show that tocilizumab plus MTX results in greater inhibition of joint damage and improvement in physical function than does MTX alone. Tocilizumab has a well-characterized safety profile.

domain: medical


text:
Wheat Planting in Kazakhstan Threatened as Dryness Persists
The country, estimated by the U.S. government to more than double its harvest and raise shipments to an all-time high in 2011-2012, will continue to have dry weather with temperatures warming to above normal in March through May, said Telvent DTN Inc. in a Feb. 26 forecast. Most of the wheat is planted in the spring, according to the United Nations.
“Our lands are not irrigated, we are fully dependent on our continental climate,” Almaz Zaripov, founder and director of closely held exporter Kazakhstan Food Co., said in a Feb. 23 interview. “If there is a drought, the harvest will be small.”
Lower supply from Kazakhstan may curb a 20 percent slump in futures in the past year. Prices plunged as global production and inventories jumped to records and exports climbed to the second-highest in at least five decades. The May-delivery contract rose 0.7 percent to $6.57 a bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade at 7:02 p.m. in Singapore.
“There are many indirect signs that Kazakhstan will have a problematic crop in the next season,” said Dmitry Rylko, general director at the Moscow-based Institute of Agricultural Market Studies, known as IKAR, which tracks grain output in the former Soviet Union. Exports will “most likely” decline in the next season, he said on Feb. 23.
Production may surge to a record 22.7 million metric tons in the season ending June, from 9.64 million tons a year earlier when drought hurt crops, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said Feb. 9. Exports may jump by more than half to an all-time high of 8.5 million tons, it said.
“Considering that Kazakhstan is already down on soil moisture, I think planting will quite likely be done with less than desirable soil moisture,” said Bryce Anderson, an agricultural meteorologist, who tracks growing conditions using satellite images from agencies including NASA. The nation may not get enough rain in the next couple of months to replenish it, he said in a Feb. 26 interview.
Planting in 2012 is unlikely to increase because of shortages of elevators, storage and transportation equipment, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization said Feb. 13.
While dry winters are not always followed by dry summers in Kazakhstan, that pattern is “not unusual, interspersed with thundery activity,” according to Jim Dale, a senior risk meteorologist at British Weather Services. Dale correctly predicted in April that drier conditions in China would persist through May.
To contact the editor responsible for this story: James Poole at email@example.com


text:
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Grow fresh oregano at home with minimal effort, no green thumb required. Just fit these seed and soil pods into your Click & Grow Smart 9 Garden Indoor Gardening Kit or your Click & Grow Smart 3 Garden Indoor Gardening Kit. Smart Soil plant pods use non-GMO seeds and are free of herbicides, pesticides or fungicides. And because the produce is grown right in your own home, you can rest assured that you're getting the freshest vitamin-rich food. Smart Garden uses NASA-inspired Smart Soil to make sure your plants get the optimal configuration of water, oxygen, and nutrients. Smart Soil automatically regulates pH, oxygen and humidity levels across plants' lifecycles to make sure they thrive in your indoor garden.
- Pack of 3 oregano seed pods for the Click & Grow gardens
- Contains non-GMO oregano seeds
- Sprouts in 1 to 2 weeks and reaches full size in 1 to 2 months
- Native to the Mediterranean, oregano is a fantastic addition to pizza, meat marinades, veggie dishes, and more
- Smart Garden Indoor Gardening Kit sold separately
- Dimensions: 21cm x 5cm x 6cm
- Oregano variety: Origanum vulgaris
- Oregano grows in a unique creeping manner, in a small messy ball
- Be sure to trim your oregano for more growth approximately one month after planting and use its leaves for cooking
- Prune the plant and leave at least two pairs of true leaves to grow
- If you prefer to see your oregano in bloom then don't cut it back until you see its pinkish, tiny flowers
- Oregano flowers are edible and perfect for garnishing

domain: agronomy


text:
Rise of a New System, Response
The Ten Largest Corporations
Base of Operations
Xicheng District, China
Construction Bank of China
Agricultural Bank of China
Omaha, Nebraska, USA
JP Morgan Chase
New York, New York, USA
Bank of China
San Francisco, California, USA
Cupertino, California, USA
Irving, Texas, USA
*1 - State Owned 2 - Private Corporations Traded Publicly 3 - Privately Held Corporations
Source: Forbes Global 2000 (note: Forbes Global 500 ceased in 2003)
The Ten Largest Nations in the World (Aggregate E. U.) by Total GDP, 2014
GDP (US billions of dollars)
United States of America
Source: World Bank
Multinational Corporate Growth and Regulation
The numbers and size of the multinational corporations have multiplied enormously. This is reflected both in raw data as well as media coverage of that raw data: the Forbes magazine stopped covering the top 500 corporations just over a decade ago and established the new global 2000 list which is annually produced. Metrics critical to analysis of markets have now ceased to be relevant.
Expiration of media coverage and attention on a select number of keystone leaders has not occurred and this change is due to growth among multinational corporations, and not to a fundamentally unanswered call for comprehensive analysis. Such a need would be expressed during a point of rapid economic contraction of the sort not seen in modern markets. Justice is contemporarily meted out by the invisible hand of the free market, which has historically dominated even the mixed markets of today and created a low level of necessitated oversight or analysis. That is reflected in the rapid expansion of the numbers of multinational corporations by the tens of thousands in the decades after 1970.
There have been changes to the political make-up of the nations which corporations that play a role in the world market are based in. This is a result of both geographical shifts of markets as well as additive gains to extant public markets by authoritarian or hybrid democratic corporations. Substantive indicators of this change in market have become resurgent in the last decade.
In the decades prior to this the top ten corporations were generally publicly traded and read like a grocery bundle of the average American consumer. Today the list stands as a reflection of the near equal mix in the world’s population of those living in free democracies versus hybrid-democratic and authoritarian states. The extreme spreads of authoritarian markets, in which monopolistic behaviors are the norm, translate to fat tails and require a greater relative sample size to gauge efficacy and trends. It has already been established that the mechanisms of evaluation have remained the same after accounting for growth in terms of markets and numbers of multinational corporations, shifting popularly in media from 500 to 2,000 in the early 2000s.
Market inefficiencies are not to be expected as a result of this disconnect between consistent levels of analysis and changing political backgrounds extant in modern markets. There are two phenomena which can be identified which play a role in ensuring this: liberalization of existing free markets and unification of those markets. While carefully engineered corporate structures have entered the global economy as a result of decreased transportation, communication, and commodity prices the political setting for extant corporations has also dramatically changed.
The state may have begun to play a greater role in the United States of America during the recent recession but this concludes a long period, which continues today, of lowered levels of interference, engineering, or support. Member nations of the European Union as well as other free democracies globally have seen dramatic movement towards a libertarian utopia from a vision of a communist utopia (not to be misinterpreted that either would occur under any circumstances naturally). Free democracies globally have found ways to exert greater levels of freedom within their markets.
European markets also reflect well the trend of existing democratic nations towards greater unification, again noting some breaks in application to the United States. While not a new trend, with foreign corporations first challenging American dominance in the middle of the Cold War, it is one which had accelerated in recent decades. This is found in the sudden presence of a European economic power unrivalled since the colonial period, and is a change which must be considered in evaluating the levels of analysis necessitated by markets and is consequence to enormous levels of foreign direct investment across the globe.
In the twenty-first century a distinct form of economic engineering has emerged which is individual to nations that embrace it that is known as state capitalism. This is a trend independent of socialism in which industries are engineered by the state. The outcome is a political victory for the state, which ensures a similar stability and has been seen in socialist domination of oil-producing nations including Venezuela. Bureaucratic control of certain industries ensures that the market is generally free and limits the exposure to government interference by any industry. A short period of interference may be a success politically and boost stability at a minimal cost to the industry, but a prolonged period without a commitment to public resources could transform into a liability for both state and industry.
Having described state capitalism, it is now appropriate to describe the geopolitical effects of free markets, perhaps in previous decades brought to a point of liberalization which is inefficient given minimal costs of regulation and the capacities of the industries, such as media earlier discussed, that allow regulation. When nations with free markets adopt a state capitalist stance, it may be more threatening to authoritarian governments even than a free market. The latter governments are incapable of demonstrating compromise and so are unable to reciprocate the move. This also gives the capitalist side of state capitalism a permanence which subverts authoritarian intent to spread.
On a final note, it is also worth exploring the insulation state capitalism provides to truly free markets. While buffer zones may be some sort of a defensive maneuver, it is also possible that uniform state capitalism may bring more hybrid democracies out of the functional norms of authoritarian states, or from under authoritarian control. That is an approach in which state capitalism is not the answer to preserve free markets but instead one of the many mechanisms described above which determine the actuality of regulation and the nature of markets. Misinterpretation of state capitalism as an escape route rather than as a shield could be fatal for an accurate economic forecast; the means used by capitalism for preservation and expansion cannot by definition be singular in nature.
Brief History to Capitalism - Response and Summary
Early economic theory is rooted in liberalism as an extreme reaction to the oppressive nature of feudalism. After many years of serfdom and servitude, which provided security at a steep price in terms of goods and liberties, the industrial wealth brought extinction to manorial systems of commerce. Limits and cautionary trends were established almost as quickly as the concept of capitalism was established. There are two primary sources of this: foreign intervention (much of the world still lived under manorial systems) and, later, actual necessities for regulation as monopolistic corporations arose out of cronyism in postwar America and other nations.
That which provided the greatest impetus for growth during the period of capitalistic development was the elimination of mercantilism by establishment of fair global markets and currency exchange. Nations relied on mass media and fair elections to propagate control, rather than on manipulation of markets or winning of gold in wars or by other means. Elements of mercantilism remain. These include using economic control for domestic political victories and the importance of maintaining a favorable trade balance.
Use of foreign policy to protect international economic interests also remains a critical part of the government’s role which remains today. The beneficiaries of such remnants can be individuals or institutions. How this is integrated into state capitalism will be examined next.
Definition and Expansion of State Capitalism
The difference between state capitalism and free-market is the individual nature of state capitalism. It should be possible to establish some marking traits of at what point state capitalism emerges from a free-market economy or from one attempting utopian communism in a similar way to that which it is possible to distinguish mixed market capitalism from anarcho-capitalism. State capitalism has an organic relationship with but is not synonymous to authoritarian or command economies, and is instead best described as a tool which can prevent free-markets from collapsing into such economic conditions as to necessitate total government intervention or which can bring a nation towards a command economy by mechanically emphasizing the role of the government.
It is best used when particular nadirs in marginal costs of regulation occur individual to nations, which is why it was not effective (or extant) in the middle ages when technological progress was in stasis or during the early industrial revolution as technological progress outstripped all nations ability to develop for around a century. One could describe national socialism in this sense, though dividing markets into compartmentalized unregulated industries turned out to be an abysmal worst of both worlds scenario. Welcoming foreign investment from corporations such as Fanta, already a subsidiary of Coca-Cola, meant that these divisions, perhaps enough to limit domestic investment and allow rudimentary engineering of the economy, yielded bizarre results as certain industries became completely flush with foreign investment and attempted to project that investment upon others.
Just as state capitalism is a tool between command and free economies, there are many tools which determine how the state capitalism operates. These intermediaries include national oil and gas corporations, state-owned enterprises, privately owned national champions, and sovereign wealth funds. The first can be used to show the nature of resource nationalism and the last allow western governments to achieve political goals with economic windfalls from developing and emerging countries.
National oil and gas corporations provide fundamental resources. As state-owned enterprises have entered and dominated the global reserves, multinational corporations such as ExxonMobile, a top ten company, are reduced to providing auxiliary roles in those markets. Even though the state-owned companies can sell on the same market now, competition is prohibited, creating a favorable disequilibrium for them. This is evident from food production to uranium extraction so the trend is by no means limited to oil.
The favorable disequilibrium created by the companies is nullified by the role of state capitalism, which subjects those companies to unprofitable decisions, such as gouging prices (and customers) outside of the realm of rationality in order to achieve national goals. Profits from these sources play a direct role in the development of sovereign wealth funds. Such funds are ways for free-market governments to exert economic influence like an authoritarian state as well as a way for state capitalist governments to extract funds from profitable state-owned businesses.
10 Largest Commodity Financed Sovereign Wealth Funds 2016
Sovereign Wealth Fund
Government Pension Fund - Global
Abu Dhabi Investment Authority
UAE - Abu Dhabi
SAMA Foreign Holdings
Kuwait Investment Authority
Qatar Investment Authority
Oil and Gas
Public Investment Fund
Abu Dhabi Investment Council
UAE - Abu Dhabi
Kazakhstan National Fund
National Welfare Fund
International Petroleum Investment Company
UAE - Abu Dhabi
Data: SWFI 2016
Export and natural resources do not provide substantial cash flows for a free-market, so the way that it is possible to exert such influence as those funds allow is to provide direct funding for them from taxpayers and federal reserves in foreign currency. This can be used by authoritarian governments as well under certain circumstances. Such funds are tremendous economic opportunities and have existed for many decades. Public use of the term is barely a decade old, which predicates the secretive nature of the largest and earliest funds.
Many of the tools described serve two functions. In the same way that sovereign wealth funds have allowed investment of otherwise stationary reserves in free-market economies, authoritarian states have found ways of using these to their advantage by making them secret and investing heavily in organizations such as Blackstone. This money then circulates in a normally volatile market, but is controlled by an authoritarian state, giving undisclosed insight as to the nature of market developments. The scale of this development is dramatic: by the late 2000s there was more invested in those funds than was collected by the American government from taxpayers. OPEC is another example of how embracing economic liberalism can help state capitalist economies, rather than moving a nation towards free-markets.
State Capitalism Around the World - Response
Vladimir Putin remains a dedicated state capitalist. His work is described as a use of state capitalism to enforce potential goals for his political party. State capitalism emerged as a scapegoat in early Bolshevik Russia, but has today been the means by which the formerly communist juggernaut is able to swallow capitalism in general. A certain level of repression has been present, with a very distinct reaction compared to such Chinese violence.
Much of the nature of state capitalism in Russia is personality-driven, and Putin has had an enormous individual effect, combined with publicity and high approval, on the country as President and Prime Minister. It is clear that Dmitry Medvedev has not deviated from the course already blazed. Repression has not been limited to protesters, and was also used to establish and protect Russian state interests in industries, allowing foreign companies only to hold a stake with a regular loss.
Tactics employed by state capitalism under Putin include armed police battalion deployment, the arrest of former oil and gas oligarchs, and establishment of restrictive trade barriers. Support for the protests was provided by the Communist Party and the oligarchs found solace among foreign Western investors who had hoped to grab Russian oil interests. Tariffs will be addressed in greater detail shortly, but when a trademark of state capitalism includes the use of funds and economic policies to win political victories, tariffs eat state funds and erode political goodwill.
One thing to add is that state capitalists to use sovereign wealth funds to undermine foreign regulations and engineering of markets or to break them in their favor. The ability of China to use this tool, with a few billion dollars, to exacerbate the economic crisis and ultimately require around 600 billion in rescue loans, is described with an account of Blackstone. During the financial crisis, these sources of cash could also be used to keep nations afloat and determine the nature of the recovery.
The concept that Russia and America have traded nuclear weapons for such reserves in foreign currency is indicative of the general nature of a shifting geopolitical goal. Both the Soviet Union and the United States swore to never use violence to obtain goals during the Cold War. That has today become a reality, and with an emphasis on the lack of an actual national opposition in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, was a reality by the time Bremmer’s wrote his book. State capitalism has been used by Russians and Americans to both undermine and uphold free markets in recent past.
Response to the Challenge
The challenge is described as threefold in nature. The most important challenge being faced is that of the international tariff. By definition, this represents the sort of state intervention which in a free global economy, nearly always results in market inefficiencies. Even as nations pledged at the G20 summit not to impose tariffs, dozens were put in place during periods of economic turmoil.
Grounds for the decision are found in the security provided by an effective system of tariffs. It is harmful to facilitate competitors and in a competitive market governments will seek to maximize opportunities for growth in industries which pay taxes and will seek to punish those that pay taxes elsewhere. At the risk of unemployment and price disequilibrium, a government will destabilize some markets given the opportunity to.
That opportunity is provided by state capitalism, in which engineering can also include deconstruction. The liquidity of funds in a globally backed system of banking gives assurances that resources will still be available and investment will continue after tariffs are imposed. This is also the phenomenon which makes them particularly ineffective.
In state capitalist countries the imposition of a tariff essentially acts as a boycott or prohibition, and the investment is made anyway, and the chain of expenses, as well as growth, before the Federal Government collects the sum entirely back is dramatically shortened. This is because the economy is engineered and there is not a system for substitution, which would undermine the tariff. Truly free markets do not suffer this issue as severely, and require broader and more unwieldy tariffs to truly create a disequilibrium in the economy.
The same way a nation might use regulatory or police action to counter price gouging, foreign competitors selling a product cheaply can be countered with tariffs. Examples include the United States’ tariffs on Brazilian sugar and Russian tariffs on imported automotive parts. These are useful choices because political opposition and demonstration resulted in violence in Russia while the American tariff proved ineffective. The removal of farm subsidies and dramatic drop in food surplus by 40% in recent years buried American attempts at protectionism for the agricultural industries.
It appears clear, then, that in order to break a state capitalist economy it would be necessary to provoke widespread tariffs within that economy. This allows elimination of foreign reserves, sovereign wealth funds, and guts oil or resource companies. That happened in China as state-owned oil companies were subject to price ceilings and unable to declare losses, nearly leading to the nation’s dissolution around the time it joined the World Trade Organization and gained the security of investment. The shock was not sudden, however, as a similar crisis in oil in which Russia took a tariff in order to see America squirm, laid the groundwork for that nation’s ultimate dissolution and China remains in good, if not yet a superpower, standing.
Bremmer, I. (2010). The end of the free market: who wins the war between states and corporations?. European View, 9(2).


text: I know that many are having a hard time finding things to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. We have faced so much turmoil and loss, not only nationally, but globally. It’s easy to give way to despair if we do not try to see past the doom and gloom perpetuated by social media platforms and headline news. We need to start looking for signs in the small things that tell of better things to come. People pulling together in a community to help those affected by the pandemic. The strength we have all showed by adapting to the new and changing world the pandemic has created. The first responders that worked tirelessly making sure that people in need of help were being taken care of. The signs of goodness in humanity are everywhere, we just need to be willing to see them. I am thankful for every day that I have on this beautiful planet, for every moment I spend with those that I love, for every time my eyes and mind are open enough to pick up on the signs all around me that speak of tenacity, kindness, and a bright and promising future for us all. Happy Thanksgiving Everyone, take the time to truly see, all there is to be thankful for!

domain: sociology


text:
Depreciation on the company’s equipment for 2013 is computed to be $16,000.
The Prepaid Insurance account had a $7,000 debit balance at December 31, 2013, before adjusting for the costs of any expired
coverage. An analysis of the company’s insurance policies showed that $1,630 of unexpired insurance coverage remains.
The Office Supplies account had a $390 debit balance on December 31, 2012; and $2,680 of office supplies were purchased during
the year. The December 31, 2013, physical count showed $460 of supplies available.
Three-fourths of the work related to $13,000 of cash received in advance was performed this period.
The Prepaid Insurance account had a $5,800 debit balance at December 31, 2013, before adjusting for the costs of any expired
coverage. An analysis of insurance policies showed that $4,170 of coverage had expired.
Wage expenses of $5,000 have been incurred but are not paid as of December 31, 2013.
Prepare adjusting journal entries for the year ended (date of) December 31, 2013, for each of these separate situations.
Assume that prepaid expenses are initially recorded in asset accounts. Also assume that fees collected in advance of work are initially recorded as liabilities.


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Real-Time Vehicle Roll Angle Estimation Based on Neural Networks in IoT Low-Cost Devices
AbstractThe high rate of vehicle-crash victims has a fatal economic and social impact in today’s societies. In particular, road crashes where heavy vehicles are involved cause more severe damage because they are prone to rollover. For this reason, many researches are focused on developing RSC Roll Stability Control (RSC) systems. Concerning the design of RSC systems with an adequate performance, it is mandatory to know the dynamics of the vehicle. The main problem arises from the lack of ability to directly capture several required dynamic vehicle variables, such as roll angle, from low-cost sensors. Previous studies demonstrate that low-cost sensors can provide data in real-time with the required precision and reliability. Even more, other research works indicate that neural networks are efficient mechanisms to estimate roll angle. Nevertheless, it is necessary to assess that the fusion of data coming from low-cost devices and estimations provided by neural networks can fulfill hard real-time processing constraints, achieving high level of accuracy during circulation of a vehicle in real situations. In order to address this issue, this study has two main goals: (1) Design and develop an IoT based architecture, integrating ANN in low cost kits with different hardware architectures in order to estimate under real-time constraints the vehicle roll angle. This architecture is able to work under high dynamic conditions, by following specific best practices and considerations during its design; (2) assess that the IoT architecture deployed in low-cost experimental kits achieve the hard real-time performance constraints estimating the roll angle with the required calculation accuracy. To fulfil these objectives, an experimental environment was set up, composed of a van with two set of low-cost kits, one including a Raspberry Pi 3 Model Band the other having an Intel Edison System on Chip linked to a SparkFun 9 Degrees of Freedom module. This experimental environment be tested in different maneuvers for comparison purposes. Neural networks embedded in low-cost sensor kits provide roll angle estimations highly approximated to real values. Even more, Intel Edison and Raspberry Pi 3 Model B have enough computing capabilities to successfully run roll angle estimation based on neural networks to determine rollover risk situations, fulfilling real-time operation restrictions stated for this problem. View Full-Text
Share & Cite This Article
García Guzmán, J.; Prieto González, L.; Pajares Redondo, J.; Montalvo Martínez, M.M.; L. Boada, M.J. Real-Time Vehicle Roll Angle Estimation Based on Neural Networks in IoT Low-Cost Devices. Sensors 2018, 18, 2188.
García Guzmán J, Prieto González L, Pajares Redondo J, Montalvo Martínez MM, L. Boada MJ. Real-Time Vehicle Roll Angle Estimation Based on Neural Networks in IoT Low-Cost Devices. Sensors. 2018; 18(7):2188.Chicago/Turabian Style
García Guzmán, Javier; Prieto González, Lisardo; Pajares Redondo, Jonatan; Montalvo Martínez, Mat M.; L. Boada, María J. 2018. "Real-Time Vehicle Roll Angle Estimation Based on Neural Networks in IoT Low-Cost Devices." Sensors 18, no. 7: 2188.
Note that from the first issue of 2016, MDPI journals use article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details here.

domain: design


text:
The NFSA collection now includes over three million items. Here is a small taste of what we acquired in 2019.
From lifesaving to 'soul surfing’: Paul Byrnes tracks the history of surfing and surf movies in Australia.
Janine Winfree, a visitor from George Eastman House in the US, explores the NFSA's 28mm film collection.
Radio Archivist Chris Arneil looks at the outcomes of our Gaywaves LGBTI radio preservation program.
How the NFSA takes care of pests and mould, and what you can do at home to protect your own collections.
Paul Cox, Australia's most prolific film auteur, has passed away.
Sally Jackson traces the journey of Italian films to Australia via World Film Distributors and through the hands of collectors to the NFSA.
Robert Stigwood, one of the most successful and influential Australians involved in the entertainment industry, has died aged 81.
Other ways to Support Us

domain: library


text:
Our cute and bright name frame features a gorgeous patchwork train design with Childs name spelt out inside the carriages.
To finish this stylish piece of art each piece is mounted and framed in a large white frame.
Height 16.3 cm
Width 36 cm
Depth 1.5 cm
We are not responsible for any customs and taxes applied to your order. All fees imposed during or after shipping are the responsibility of the customer (tariffs, taxes, etc.).
Please read Shipping Policy for more information


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Mountain Biodiversity as a sentinel of environmental change
Lead Author: CNR/PNGP (Ramona Viterbi, Cristiana Cerrato, Antonello Provenzale)
Contributors: Anna Cord, Andreas Dittrich (UFZ), Ruth Sonnenschein (EURAC), Damiano Pasetto (EPFL), Jonathan Giezendanner (EPFL)
The current loss of biodiversity requires long-term monitoring of the distribution of living organisms, particularly in regions, such as mountains, that are highly sensitive to climatic and environmental changes. Mountain landscapes, owing to their physical, topographic and climatic heterogeneity, create a mosaic of habitats along the altitudinal gradient (Körner 2000, Beniston 2003). Such heterogeneity determines high levels of biodiversity, usually higher than those recorded in adjacent lowland areas (Körner 2000, Theurillat et al. 2003).
Mountain habitats support some of the world’s most rare and fragile ecosystems (Diaz et al. 2003, Pauchard et al. 2009). Populations at high elevations are usually small, isolated and prone to local extinction, are often poor dispersers and are characterised by high levels of endemism (McNeely 1990, Boggs and Murphy 1997, EEA 2010). Mountains are very sensitive to environmental changes and global warming (Huber et al. 2005, Beniston 2006) hosting a high number of species adapted to low temperature conditions (Pauli et al. 2004). Long-term records provide evidence for ongoing climate warming in mountain environments and in the Alps (Beniston 2006, Auer 2007, Rebetez and Reinhard 2008), that has already impacted the life cycle, pattern of activity, distribution and range size of various plant and animal species (Thuiller et al. 2005, Pauli et al. 2007, Bässler et al. 2010) and increased the risk of mountain biodiversity loss (Dirnböck et al. 2011).
To determine the current conditions and potentially changing state of mountain biodiversity, in 2007 three alpine parks in northwestern Italy (lead by GPNP) started a field program to determine the factors which influence animal biodiversity and identify the most appropriate methods for periodically repeatable monitoring. Twelve altitudinal transects (from montane to alpine belt) were chosen, each composed of 4-7 sampling units, for a total of 69 monitored plots. In each station, five taxonomic groups (carabids, butterflies, spiders, staphylinids, birds) were systematically sampled and topographic, environmental and micro-climatic variables were recorded. The aim was to assess the distribution of different taxa along altitudinal gradients and the relative influence of geographical, environmental and climatic factors. This monitoring program was later extended to other national parks in the Italian Alps and it is currently ongoing, with extensions to new monitored taxa (ants).
The storyline aims at making best use of the available data collected in such ongoing monitoring programs, developing and implementing appropriate analysis tools as well as models relating various biodiversity measures to environmental and climatic parameters. Predictive modelling approaches will also allow for assessing the potential future state of animal biodiversity in the Alps.
Auer, I., R. Böhm, A. Jurkovic A et al. 2007. HISTALP – Historical instrumental climatological surface time series of the greater alpine region 1760-2003. Int. J. Climatol. 27: 17-46.
Bässler, C., J. Müller, T. Hothorn, T. Kneib, F. Badeck and F. Dziock. 2010. Estimation of the extinction risk for high-montane species as a consequence of global warming and assessment of their suitability as cross-taxon indicators. Ecol. Indic. 10: 341-352.
Beniston, M. 2003. Climatic change in mountain regions: a review of possible impacts. Clim. Change 59: 5-31.
Beniston, M. 2006. Mountain weather and climate. A general overview and a focus on climatic change in the Alps. Hydrobiologia 562: 3-16.
Boggs, C.L. and D.D. Murphy. 1997. Community composition in mountain ecosystems: climatic determinants of montane butterfly distributions. Global. Ecol. Biogeogr. Lett. 6: 39-48.
Diaz, H.F., M. Grosejeanan and L. Graumlich. 2003. Climate variability and change in high elevation regions: past, present and future. Climatic Change 59: 1-4.
Dirnböck, T., F. Essl and W. Rabitsch. 2011. Disproportional risk for habitat loss of high-altitude endemic species under climate change. Glob. Change Biol. 17: 990-996.
EEA - European Environment Agency. 2010. Assessing Biodiversity in Europe - The 2010 Report. EEA, Copenaghen.
Huber, U., M. Reasoner and H. Bugmann. 2005. Global Change and Mountain Regions: An Overview of Current Knowledge. Adv. Glob. Change Res. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
Körner, C. 2000. Why are there global gradients in species richness? Mountains may hold the answer. TREE 15: 513.
McNeely, J.A. 1990. Climate change and biological diversity: policy implications. In: M.M. Boer and R.S. de Groot (eds). Landscape-ecological Impact of Climatic Change. IOS Press, Amsterdam, Washington, Tokyo.
Pauchard, A., C. Kueffer, H. Dietz, C.C. Daehler et al. 2009. Ain’t no mountain high enough: plant invasions reaching new elevations. Front. Ecol. Environ. 7: 479-486.
Pauli, H., M. Gottfried, D. Hohenwallner, K. Reiter, R. Casale and G. Grabherr. 2004. The GLORIA Field Manual. Multi-summit Approach. DG Research, EUR 21213, Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg.
Pauli, H., M. Gottfried, K. Reiter, C. Klettner and G. Grabherr. 2007. Signals of range expansions and contractions of vascular plants in the high Alps: observations (1994–2004) at the GLORIA*master site Schrankogel, Tyrol, Austria. Glob. Change Biol. 13: 147-156.
Rebetez, M. and M. Reinhard. 2008. Monthly air temperature trends in Switzerland 1901–2000 and 1975–2004. Theor. Appl. Climatol. 91: 27-34.
Theurillat, J.P., A. Schlüssel, P. Geissler, A. Guisan, C. Velluti and L. Wiget. 2003. Vascular plant and bryophyte diversity along elevational gradients in the Alps. In: L. Nagy, G. Grabherr, C. Körner and D.B.A. Thompson (eds). Alpine Biodiversity in Europe. Springer , Berlin, Germany, pp 185–193.
Thuiller, W., S. Lavorel, M.B. Araújo, M.T. Sykes and I.C. Prentic. 2005. Climate change threats to plant diversity in Europe. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 102: 8245-8250.


text:
Here is a quick recap of the Covid support measures ending on 30 September 2021
HMRC is making SEISS (Self-Employment Income Support Scheme) auto-corrections to 2020/21 tax returns where it believes the total of declared SEISS grants received does not match their records.
HMRC has published guidance on how to work out turnover if you are eligible for the fifth SEISS grant. If you are eligible HMRC will contact you in mid July, with online claims service available from late July. Claims must be made by 30 September.
A summary of the headlines from Budget 2021.
The government has announced that the online service for the third SEISS grant is now available. Claims can be made from the date given by HMRC in an email or letter or from within the online service but must be made by 29 January 2021.
Chancellor announces an extension in the CJRS (furlough scheme) to the end of March 2021 and increases the self employment Income Support Scheme level of support grant from 55% to 80% of average monthly trading profits.

domain: news


Andy Samberg’s Jake Peralta has many loves in his life. He adores his wife Amy, catching perps, and referencing Die Hard whenever he can, which is a lot. Yes, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, which has already been renewed for Season 8, is completely obsessed with the classic film and isn’t ashamed about it, either. Having had several famous guest stars appear on the show, Samberg wouldn’t be opposed to adding more to the growing repertoire. To no one’s surprise, he desperately wants Bruce Willis to guest star on Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
For Jake Peralta, Die Hard is the best cop movie of all time. In Season 6, Melissa Fumero’s Amy even role plays as Holly Gennero McClane because she knows that Jake’s love for the film runs deep. There was also that one time Jake made everyone take a detour on their way to the airport so they could tour the Nakatomi Plaza from Die Hard. Recently, Andy Samberg was asked who his dream guest would be and his response was obvious. Here’s what he said:
What a great episode that would be! I can only imagine how much of a fanboy Jake might become if he has a run-in with Bruce Willis, though it’s possible he might be so starstruck that he’d lose the ability to speak in full sentences. This is Jake’s hero we’re talking about, after all and as much as he likes to pretend to keep a cool head, Brooklyn Nine-Nine fans know better.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 7 is right around the corner and Andy Samberg dropped in for an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon recently to promote the upcoming season. Jimmy Fallon made it a point to mention that Bruce Willis actually watches the talk show so Samberg's plea may not go unheard. The host even addresses the Die Hard actor through the camera, telling him to “trust Andy. Anything he does is great.” It sounds like Fallon is rooting for Willis to guest star, too! You can watch the entire clip below.
Season 7 should be an interesting one for the comedy series, what with Season 6 having ended with Andre Braugher’s Captain Holt being demoted to a patrol officer. According to Andy Samberg, the former captain is “having trouble adjusting.” Thankfully, it won’t be long until fans find out what’s been going on with the characters at the Nine-Nine.
Brooklyn Nine-Nine Season 7 premieres on Thursday, February 6 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC with two back-to-back episodes. For more on what to watch, be sure to check out our 2020 midseason schedule for updated premiere dates and times.
Your Daily Blend of Entertainment News


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HS-LS1-1. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how the structure of DNA determines the structure of proteins which carry out the essential functions of life through systems of specialized cells. LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms
HS-LS2-1. Use mathematical and/or computational representations to support explanations of factors that affect carrying capacity of ecosystems at different scales.
HS-LS2-2. Use mathematical representations to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.
HS-LS2-6. Evaluate the claims, evidence, and reasoning that the complex interactions in ecosystems maintain relatively consistent numbers and types of organisms in stable conditions, but changing conditions may result in a new ecosystem.
HS-LS2-7. Design, evaluate, and refine a solution for reducing the impacts of human activities on the environment and biodiversity.*
LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
LS2.C: Ecosystem Dynamics, Functioning, and Resilience
HS-LS3-3. Apply concepts of statistics and probability to explain the variation and distribution of expressed traits in a population.
HS-LS4-4. Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural selection leads to adaptation of populations. HS-LS4-5. Evaluate the evidence supporting claims that changes in environmental conditions may result in: (1) increases in the number of individuals of some species, (2) the emergence of new species over time, and (3) the extinction of other species.
LS4.D: Biodiversity and Humans
RST.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., quantitative data, video, multimedia) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
MP.4 Model with mathematics.
HSS-IC.A.1 Understand statistics as a process for making inferences about population parameters based on a random sample from that population. (HS-LS2-6)
HSS-IC.B.6 Evaluate reports based on data. (HS-LS2-6)
RST.11-12.9 Synthesize information from a range of sources (e.g., texts, experiments, simulations) into a coherent understanding of a process, phenomenon, or concept, resolving conflicting information when possible.
HS-ESS 2-2 Analyze geoscience data to make the claim that one change to Earth's surface can create feedbacks that cause changes to other Earth systems.
ESS3.A: Natural Resources
ESS3.C: Human Impacts on Earth’s Systems
AP Biology Standards

domain: biology


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SBI 20 Index Down Slightly
Ljubljana, 19 August - Trading at the Ljubljana Stock Exchange (LJSE) on Tuesday accounted mostly for bonds, as 54% of today's turnover was made by them. The total turnover amounted to over SIT 1.5bn (EUR 6.3m), but the benchmark SBI 20 index corrected by 0.05% to 3,222.81 points.
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As part of our continued commitment to the safety of our staff, volunteers and Park guests, all Gathering Place on-site programs and events are canceled during our reopening process. Click HERE to view our full statement.
Join Tulsa Artist Fellow Karl Jones for a special story time and art activities at Art Start on Saturday, January 18 from 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in ONEOK Boathouse!
Tulsa Artist Fellow Karl Jones is kicking off this month’s Art Start with a special reading of children’s books he has edited for Penguin Random House! Starting at 9:30 a.m., Karl will be reading “Mr. Boddington's Studio NYC ABCs,” “Mr. Boddington's Studio San Francisco ABC's” and a story he wrote himself about Tulsa ABC’s. After story time, dance along as Karl plays his ukulele and sings songs about building, construction and landmarks!
Then at 10 a.m., use your new knowledge of architecture to construct and design your own city or buildings using construction paper. This project is for every age level, and can be worked on as a family!
As we move towards a more technical world, Art Start programs will highlight STEAM classes in a fun way for children to see that the arts and sciences are often integrated, not separate.
ABOUT KARL JONES
Karl Jones is a writer, editor, performer and visual artist. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma he now lives in Brooklyn, New York making performance and visual work while writing and editing children’s literature for Penguin Random House. Karl has worked in arts education at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, Maryland and been a camp counselor/arts and music instructor for upwards of five years. He has also taught and coached double dutch for upwards of thirty years. In 2019, Karl completed an Art Start program in paper collage puppetry at the Gathering Place and brought his double dutch team for a public program at the park.


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The EPS foaming temperature is too high, and why does it block?
The foaming process is too heat the raw particles to vaporize the pentane adsorbed on the molecular chain to cause the volume of the particles to expand, so that the particles are easily stuck together. As long as the steam pressure is small or the heating time is short.
There are, of course, other reasons, for example:
1. Lack of external skid or discomfort in proportion
2. There is fine powder in the raw material
3. The raw materials have been stored for too long
4. The steam pressure is too high
5. Too much steam
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domain: chemistry


text:
Is the United States destined to become one of the most unsafe countries?
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August 2nd, 2013 (4:41 PM).
That useless reptile
Join Date: Jul 2013
If the title could be longer, it would read:
Is the United States destined (or doomed) to become one of the most unsafe, restricted, and right-withholding countries in the world?
I ask this as a United States citizen becoming more and more aware of the government's treatment of the people and the injustices that plague regular men and women who live within the country. All Americans should be worried about the state of their country and how the people in power continue to leech off of the American public while punishing them for acting out of line with their own personal agendas.
-police violence/brutality and the erosion of the extremely necessary Miranda rights - how law enforcement has become something to fear, and not something to rely on when danger strikes
-banks and big corporations stealing and misusing taxpayer money for their own personal bank accounts
-the NSA spying on American citizens and recording their daily activities without having any warrant to do so
-Prosecuting and persecuting whistleblowers and naming them "spies" and "traitors" to the country when they attempt to reveal to the people the cruelty and inhumanity that the government and the military enact against innocent civilians in other countries
-politicians pursing their own agendas while disregarding the thoughts and opinions of the public - even going against their own initial promises to do so
-Higher cost of living and lower and lower wages - how people can no longer survive on minimum wage and how great the divide between the poor and the rich has become
-the war on women, minorities and homosexuals in our country and the withholding of rights to these groups
These are just a few of the injustices that the American public face. If you have any more to add to the list, please do so.
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