text:
For over 50 years, Bloomberg Tax’s renowned flagship daily news service, Daily Tax Report® has helped leading practitioners and policymakers stay on the cutting edge of taxation and...
March 18 — The IRS released final regulations that continue its efforts to prevent U.S. companies from doing tax-free repatriations and put the brakes on some corporate inversion deals.
The rules (T.D. 9760, RIN 1545-BJ74) are designed to stop domestic companies from escaping taxes through deals involving property transfers to foreign corporations under tax code Section 367.
Issued March 18, the guidance is the final version of 2013 temporary regulations (T.D. 9615) that first took aim at these transfers. The Internal Revenue Service gave no ground on its decision to yank one of two exceptions to a “coordination rule”—exceptions that allow companies to escape taxes on these transactions.
The agency said it will continue to assess whether an exception applies by looking at an entire deal. Taxpayers will still have to use a test that says a domestic transferee company can't have a greater basis in the transferred assets than the transferor.
No Backing Down on Basis Test
“The Treasury Department and the IRS remain concerned that the coordination rule exceptions may be utilized to inappropriately reduce U.S. tax, and therefore decline to liberalize the basis comparison test,” the agency said in the preamble to the guidance.
John Harrington, a partner with Dentons USA LLP, told Bloomberg BNA March 18 that the guidance shows the government's continued determination to fight the flow of money offshore—and stop efforts by U.S. companies to bring offshore earnings home tax-free.
The former Treasury international tax counsel told Bloomberg BNA that while the rules deal with outbound transfers, those transfers are rarely done without the U.S. company getting something back, such as stock, cash or other types of property.
Harrington said the fact that the government issued the rules without substantial changes and didn't back down on any of its positions demonstrates that companies should tread cautiously in these deals.
“You expect to see these rules tightened, not liberalized from a policy standpoint,” he said. Harrington noted that Treasury issued the final rules on the eve of the 2013 rules expiring.
To contact the reporter on this story: Alison Bennett in Washington at firstname.lastname@example.org
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Brett Ferguson at email@example.com
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domain: finance


text:
When warm days of springs come along people are more motivated to eat healthy, however healthy eating can (and should) be done on a consistent basis throughout the year to help increase metabolism. Learn about foods that will help give metabolism an extra boost.
Foods like oranges, grapefruit, lemons and limes contain Vitamin C which helps metabolize fat faster. This is helpful for weight loss. The body needs 60 milligrams (mg) of vitamin C per day to meet basic needs for the body but increasing daily intake to 500 mg can boost fat-burning potential during exercise by 39%. Researchers found those who ate half a grapefruit with each meal in a 12-week period lost an average of 3.6 pounds.
Berries are high in dietary fiber. The body cannot digest fiber but it works to do so and burns calories in the process. One cup of raspberries contains 8g of fiber and 60 calories. Strawberries, blackberries and blueberries are great sources of fiber. Fiber soaks up and removes calories from the digestive tract before the body absorbs them.
A study published found women who ate cereal are less likely to be overweight than those who ate other breakfast foods. High-fiber cereal revs up the metabolism and helps digestion. Fiber helps insulin levels stay steady which helps prevent fat storage.
Lean meats like beef, chicken and turkey help speed up metabolism and burn more fat because it requires so much energy for digestion. Studies show people with a high protein diet burn twice as many calories after a meal than people who follow a high carbohydrate diet. Eating protein helps preserve muscle mass during weight loss, keeping metabolism running at full speed.
Garlic is considered a nutritional powerhouse with many health benefits from immunity boosting to age fighting immunities. Adding garlic to a person’s diet may help shed weight as well. Garlic may increase the number of calories burned during daily activities while decreasing the body’s production of fat.
Healthy eating is not just about what a person eats individually but collectively. Tossing garlic into scrambled eggs can boost protein and health benefits first thing in the morning. Lean proteins combined with the right vegetables can provide a well rounded diet which helps an individual think more clearly and feel better overall. Any diets or changes to eating should be cleared with a doctor prior to consideration and should be used in moderation as part of a healthy lifestyle including exercise, social engagement and, of course, recovery maintenance.
The Villa provides support for individuals living with addiction. If you are seeking healthier ways to live without drugs or alcohol, call us to see how we can help you.

domain: biology


text:
The next Fortnite season could bring a conclusion to Chapter 4. The chapter has been out since December 2022, but it appears that Epic Games will end it soon. Chapter 3 was the shortest in Fortnite history, and it seems that Chapter 4 will follow suit.
According to several reputable leakers, Fortnite Chapter 5 will begin later this year. However, the current season of the battle royale game is set to end in early November, which is quite surprising. Due to this, there’s a good chance that the next season will be the shortest season of all time.
While we currently don’t know Epic’s plan with Chapter 4 – Season 5, the leakers may have revealed the content that will come with it.
Next Fortnite season might last less than a month
If Season 4 ends on November 3, the next Fortnite season will begin either on the same day or a day later. Whatever the case may be, if Epic Games intends to release Chapter 5 in December, the season will last for less than a month.
There has been a lot of talk regarding a Fortnite x Lego collaboration. Many prominent leakers believe that the collab will be massive and last for a month. In addition, some of them believe that Epic will release a new season that is solely focused on the crossover.
While this hasn’t been confirmed yet, there’s a good chance that the Fortnite x Lego collab will arrive in Chapter 4 – Season 5. This could be the reason why the season will be so short as Epic doesn’t want to make it a full-length season.
However, with two more months left in the current season, nothing is certain. Due to this, we will have to wait a while longer to get an official confirmation from Epic Games. Additionally, we may get a few more leaks in the meantime.

domain: news


text:
Hrafnhildur Ragnarsdóttir started her PhD in 2021 focusing on the future of work and economic and social sustainability with a particular focus on public policy. The research will analyse the impact of new technologies on the future of jobs and explain the link between technological and social change, innovation and jobs and the dynamics of job destruction and job creation. The aim of the PhD is also to better understand the country-specific capabilities in selected Northern-European countries to create an economy which encourages an adjustment to new technologies and a job-creating process. An effort will be made to assess whether these countries have political and economic institutions equipped to confront future challenges and whether there are public policies and regulations in place to meet the changes in the working market. The theoretical framework will rely on the literature on socio-technical transitions and techno paradigms, as they provide an important insight into public policies, institutional environment and market conditions. Socio-technical transitions will also be discussed in relation to inclusive economic growth, displaced workers and possibilities of a universal basic income.
Hrafnhildur has over ten years of working experience in the public sector in Iceland, most recently the Director of the Performance Audit Division at the Icelandic National Audit Office. Having specialised in performance audit, she has over 7 years of experience analysing public policies, plans and public expenditure. She has produced numerous reports and recommendation for the Icelandic parliament on the performance of the public sector. In addition, Hrafnhildur has worked for Reykjavik city council managing the service centre and worked as a consultant for PriceWaterhouseCoopers with a particular focus on the public sector.
Hrafnhildur has been active in the women‘s movement. She has served on the board of the Icelandic Women‘s Rights Association and chaired the women‘s movement within the Icelandic Social Democratic Party. Furthermore, she has campaigned on behalf of the Social Democratic Party working closely with politicians both in pre-elections and national elections, as well as been elected to the executive board of the party. She has participated in debates, mostly on women‘s issues, on television, radio and in the newspapers.
Hrafnhildur completed her MSc in Comparative politics at London School of Economics and has a BA in History and Gender Studies from the University of Iceland, where she took part of her history studies at the University of Grenoble in France as an Erasmus student. She also holds a Diploma in Public Administration from the University of Iceland.
She is funded by the Chancellor's International Scholarship from the University of Warwick.
Barnes, S-A., Hogarth, T., Wright, S., Baldauf, B. and Cárdenas Rubio, J. with Ragnarsdottir, H. and Elmezraoui, W. (2023). Labour market information and an assessment of its applications: a series of international case studies. London: Department for Education.

domain: sociology


INTEL Corperation 82852/855GM Intel Graphics Device (rev 02)
ajax at nwnk.net
Wed Mar 16 09:24:18 PDT 2011
On 3/16/11 4:39 AM, Edward Dumay wrote:
> but in the /var/log/Xorg.0.log file
> I can see that the driver is started
> intel: Driver for Intel Integrated Graphics Chipset : 810, i810-dc100
> ,,,, 852GM/855GM ..
> but in it was also the following text.
> No devices detected
> Fatal server error
> No screens found
If I had to guess, you don't have the DRM driver loaded for some reason,
possibly because you booted with 'nomodeset' on the kernel command line.
More information about the xorg


text: Though our Lord Jesus Christ was despised, rejected, ridiculed, shamefully mistreated, and murdered by wicked men, yet it brought about the greatest good to the world. The good news of salvation has been despised, rejected, ridiculed, and opposed since it was first proclaimed. Those saved by the grace of the gospel through the work of the Holy Spirit should not be surprised or overwhelmed by the opposition, but rejoice that Christ is delivering those who oppose themselves (2 Tim. 2:25) unto the glorious liberty of the sons of God. Trust him who is still working through you and Speak the Truth in love.

domain: literature


text:
Geographic disparities in COVID-19 testing and outcomes in Florida
BMC Public Health volume 23, Article number: 79 (2023)
Understanding geographic disparities in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing and outcomes at the local level during the early stages of the pandemic can guide policies, inform allocation of control and prevention resources, and provide valuable baseline data to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions for mitigating health, economic and social impacts. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify geographic disparities in COVID-19 testing, incidence, hospitalizations, and deaths during the first five months of the pandemic in Florida.
Florida county-level COVID-19 data for the time period March-July 2020 were used to compute various COVID-19 metrics including testing rates, positivity rates, incidence risks, percent of hospitalized cases, hospitalization risks, case-fatality rates, and mortality risks. High or low risk clusters were identified using either Kulldorff’s circular spatial scan statistics or Tango’s flexible spatial scan statistics and their locations were visually displayed using QGIS.
Visual examination of spatial patterns showed high estimates of all COVID-19 metrics for Southern Florida. Similar to the spatial patterns, high-risk clusters for testing and positivity rates and all COVID-19 outcomes (i.e. hospitalizations and deaths) were concentrated in Southern Florida. The distributions of these metrics in the other parts of Florida were more heterogeneous. For instance, testing rates for parts of Northwest Florida were well below the state median (11,697 tests/100,000 persons) but they were above the state median for North Central Florida. The incidence risks for Northwest Florida were equal to or above the state median incidence risk (878 cases/100,000 persons), but the converse was true for parts of North Central Florida. Consequently, a cluster of high testing rates was identified in North Central Florida, while a cluster of low testing rate and 1–3 clusters of high incidence risks, percent of hospitalized cases, hospitalization risks, and case fatality rates were identified in Northwest Florida. Central Florida had low-rate clusters of testing and positivity rates but it had a high-risk cluster of percent of hospitalized cases.
Substantial disparities in the spatial distribution of COVID-19 outcomes and testing and positivity rates exist in Florida, with Southern Florida counties generally having higher testing and positivity rates and more severe outcomes (i.e. hospitalizations and deaths) compared to Northern Florida. These findings provide valuable baseline data that is useful for assessing the effectiveness of preventive interventions, such as vaccinations, in various geographic locations in the state. Future studies will need to assess changes in spatial patterns over time at lower geographical scales and determinants of any identified patterns.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), is currently the most serious challenge to global health. In the U.S, the first COVID-19 infections were reported in the West Coast , after which the disease rapidly spread to the Northeastern followed by the Southeastern parts of the country [2,3,4]. The U.S. has recorded more cases and deaths than any other country, with 3,472,234 confirmed cases, 175,924 hospitalizations, and 129,584 deaths as of July 15, 2020 .
The spread of the disease to Southeastern U.S. is particularly concerning due to the higher prevalence of several pre-existing health conditions that places many individuals in this region at higher risk of both COVID-19 infection and more severe outcomes compared to those in the rest of the country [6, 7]. The higher prevalence of comorbidities in Southeastern U.S. may be attributable to large proportions of older (> 65 years old) residents as well as large rural and minority populations with limited access to preventive healthcare [8,9,10]. Moreover, there is evidence that the risk factors for COVID-19 are disproportionately distributed geographically, with a tendency to cluster in certain areas defined by racial/ethnic, rural and socioeconomic characteristics . This may result in disparities in COVID testing, higher incidence of disease and more adverse health outcomes in some locations compared to others [12,13,14,15,16]. Identifying communities that are at significantly higher risk of the disease and severe outcomes can help guide policies around testing and COVID-19 prevention and control. It can also provide baseline data to better understand the spatial dynamics of the pandemic and help public health officials gauge how mitigation efforts have impacted the disease burden in different populations across the U.S. Therefore, the objective of this study was to identify disparities in COVID-19 testing, incidence/cases, hospitalizations, deaths, and case fatality rates in Florida using the data of the first five months of the pandemic that were available at the time of analysis.
Materials and methods
This study was reviewed and approved by the University of Tennessee Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB number is UTK IRB-20–06,105.
Study design, area, and population
This is a retrospective ecological study conducted at the county level in the state of Florida using publicly available COVID-19 data collected from March 1 to July 15, 2020. Florida is the 3rd most populous state in the U.S., with approximately 20.9 million people distributed as follows; 49% male, 22.3% (0–19 years old), 57.7% (20–64 years old), and 20% (≥ 65 years old) (Florida Department of Health, 2019). The majority (77.4%) of the population are White, 16.9% are Black, and all other races comprise 5.7% of the population. By ethnicity, 25.7% of the population is Hispanic-Latino and the rest is non-Hispanic . These demographic characteristics foreshadow the demographic changes predicted for the U.S. population by 2050 . Approximately 44% of the counties in Florida are classified as rural (Fig. 1), with Miami-Dade being the most urban (0.4% rural population) and most densely populated county (1430/square mile), and Lafayette in North Central Florida being the most rural (100% rural population) and the most sparsely populated (16/square mile) county [19, 20].
County-level data for total number of: persons who tested positive for COVID-19, persons who tested negative for COVID-19, hospitalized cases, and deaths among Florida residents were extracted from Florida Department of Health (DOH) COVID-19 dashboard . Total number of tests was defined as the sum of number of persons with positive and negative COVID-19 tests. Population estimates for 2018 for each of the 67 counties were obtained from Florida Population Atlas . County-level cartographic boundary shape files were downloaded from the United States Census Bureau TIGER Geodatabase .
Data preparation and descriptive analysis
The following COVID-19 metrics were computed cumulatively for the study period for each county:
(a) Testing rate = no. COVID-19 tests/2018 county population*100,000;
(b) Positivity rate = no. positive COVID-19 tests/all people tested in the county*100;
(c) Incidence risk = no. COVID-19 cases/all people at risk in the county (i.e. 2018 county population) *100,000;
(d) Percent of hospitalized COVID-19 cases = no. COVID-19 cases hospitalized/no. COVID-19 cases in the county*100;
(e) Hospitalization risks = no. COVID-19 cases hospitalized/all people at risk in the county (i.e. 2018 county population) *100,000;
(f) Case-fatality rates = no. COVID-19 deaths/no. COVID-19 cases in the county*100;
(g) COVID-19 mortality risks = no. COVID-19 deaths/all people at risk in the county (i.e. 2018 county population) *100,000.
All descriptive analyses-including mean, standard deviation, median, lower quartile, upper quartile, and interquartile range were performed in SAS 9.4 . All variables were assessed for normality using the Shapiro–Wilk test. Means and standard deviations were used to summarize normally distributed variables, while medians and lower and upper quartiles were used to summarize non-normally distributed variables.
Clusters of testing rates and positivity rates were investigated using Kulldorff’s circular spatial scan statistics (CSSS), a spatial epidemiological tool for detecting and identifying circular clusters. This was implemented in SaTScan version 9.6 . A discrete Poisson probability model specifying circular non-overlapping high or low risk purely spatial clusters was used. The circular window size was set at 13.5% of the population at risk. This window size was selected based on the population of Miami-Dade County, which has the largest population in Florida. This window size was selected to ensure that all spatial units, including the largest unit (i.e. Miami-Dade County), had a chance to be identified as a cluster. The likelihood ratio test and 999 Monte Carlo replications were used for statistical inference. Clusters were considered significant if the p-value for the relative risk was less than or equal to 0.05. Only low-risk clusters with relative risk ≤ 0.8 and high-risk clusters with relative risk ≥ 1.2 were considered meaningful .
Clusters for COVID-19 outcomes were investigated using Tango’s flexible spatial scan statistics (FSSS), a spatial epidemiological tool for detecting and identifying circular and irregularly shaped high-risk clusters. This was implemented in FleXScan v 3.1.2 [27, 28]. Poisson probability models with a restricted log likelihood (LLR) ratio (specifying an alpha of 0.2) and a maximum cluster size of 15 counties were specified to preclude potential inclusion of counties with non-elevated estimates of outcome variables. For statistical inference, 999 Monte Carlo replications were used and statistical significance was assessed using a critical p-value of 0.05.
QGIS version 3.22.0 was used to display the geographic distribution of all COVID-19 metrics and the location of spatial clusters . Jenk’s optimization classification scheme was used to determine critical intervals for displaying the geographic distribution of COVID-19 metrics as choropleth maps.
The median testing rate for the state of Florida was 11,697 tests per 100,000 persons, and testing rates varied from 6,071 to 30,133 per 100,000 persons across the state (Fig. 2a, Table 1). Counties with testing rates above the state median were concentrated in North Central, Central, and Southeastern Florida while those with testing rates below the state median were concentrated in Northwest and Central Florida (Fig. 2a). The lightest colors represent low testing rates while dark blue colors represent high testing rates.
Two clusters of high testing rates and three clusters of low testing rates were identified (Fig. 3a). High testing rate clusters were located in North Central and Southeast Florida. These clusters had 15,912 and 19,992 COVID-19 tests per 100,000 persons, and relative risks (RR) of 1.3 and 1.6, respectively (Fig. 3a, Table 2). Low testing rate clusters were located in counties in Northwest, West Central, and East Central Florida. These clusters had 9,072 to 10,237 COVID-19 tests per 100,000 persons and RR of 0.7 to 0.8 (Fig. 3a, Table 2).
The percent of persons with positive tests also varied widely across the state, ranging from 2.7% to 26.6% (Fig. 2b, Table 1). A total of 61 of the 67 (91%) counties in Florida had more than 5% positive tests. Fifty percent of the counties had at least 9% of total persons tested being positive. These counties were concentrated in North Central, Central and Southern Florida regions (Figs. 1 and 2b).
Only one cluster with a high positivity rate (% of positive tests = 14.2%; RR = 1.3) was identified, and it was located in Miami-Dade County in Southern Florida (Fig. 3b). However, FSSS identified 2 additional high positivity rate clusters in Hamilton and Suwanee counties in North Central Florida, and in Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and DeSoto counties in Southern Florida (results not presented). A total of 6 low positivity rate clusters with rates ranging from 6.1—8.4% were identified. The largest low positivity rate cluster was identified in predominantly rural counties in the Panhandle and the Big Bend region. However, an irregularly shaped high positivity rate cluster comprising Hamilton and Suwanee counties was included in that cluster (results not shown). A few other low positivity rate clusters were located in Central East and Southeast Florida (Table 2; Fig. 3b).
The median COVID-19 incidence risk was 878 cases per 100,000 persons with wide variations across the state (372 to 3,246 cases per 100,000 persons) (Table 1). The highest incidence risks were concentrated in Southern, Central and a few counties in North Central and Northwest Florida, while the lowest risks were concentrated in Central Florida and the Panhandle region (Fig. 2c).
The geographic distribution of COVID-19 incidence risks overlaps in space with the distribution of testing rates, with areas with the highest testing rates also having the highest incidence risks and vice versa (Figs. 2a, c). However, a number of counties in North Central Florida had the lowest incidence risks (< 705 cases/100,000 persons) but their testing rates were equal to or greater than the median (i.e. 11,697 tests/100,000 persons) testing rate for Florida. On the other hand, the incidence risks for a number of Northwest Florida counties was equal to or above the median incidence risk (878 cases/100,000 persons) for the state (Figs. 2a, b and c) but the testing rates were well below 11,697 tests/100,000 persons.
A total of 4 clusters with high COVID-19 incidence risks were identified (Fig. 3c). Almost all Southern Florida counties, with the exception of Monroe County, were within the high-risk clusters (Fig. 3c). Three small high-risk clusters, each comprising 1—2 counties, were identified in the North Central Florida.
Percent of hospitalized cases
The percent of hospitalized cases varied from 1.78% to 14.9% (Mean = 7.4%) (Fig. 2, Table 1). The percent of hospitalized cases in both Central and South Florida were above the state average (Fig. 2d).
A total of 4 high-risk clusters of percentage of hospitalized cases were identified. The largest high-risk cluster was located in South Florida and smaller clusters were identified in North Florida (Fig. 3d and Table 3). Additionally, a high-risk cluster of percent of hospitalized cases was identified in Central Florida.
Hospitalization risks varied from 17 to 282 cases/100,000 (Median = 66) (Fig. 2, Table 1). South Florida had the highest hospitalization risks (> 162 cases/100,000 persons) (Fig. 2e). However, hospitalization risks for the majority of Central Florida and Panhandle counties were below the state median, with Gilchrist County recording the lowest risk (17 cases/100,000) (Fig. 1 and 2e).
A total of 3 clusters of high hospitalization risks were identified. Similar to the clustering patterns observed for percent of hospitalized cases, the largest high-risk clusters were identified in South Florida (Figs. 3d and e) and smaller clusters were identified in North Florida (Fig. 3e and Table 3). Unlike percent of hospitalized cases, no clusters of high hospitalization risks were identified in Central Florida.
Case fatality rates and mortality risks
Four clusters of high case fatality rates were identified in Florida (Fig. 3f and Table 4). Three of those clusters were located in Southern Florida (Fig. 3f). The relative risks for clusters of high case fatality rates ranged from 1.65 to 4.10 (Fig. 3f).
The mortality risk varied from 0 to 76 deaths per 100,000 persons (Median = 11.7) across the state (Fig. 2g and Table 1). As with case fatality rates, the mortality risks for Southern Florida counties were above the state median, while those for counties in Central and North Florida were below the state median (Fig. 2g).
The locations of high mortality risk clusters generally mirrored those of high case fatality rates, with all high mortality risks clusters being located in Southern Florida (Figs. 3f, 3g, and Table 4). The relative risks for clusters of high mortality risks ranged from 1.33 to 1.65 (Fig. 3g).
In summary, estimates of all COVID-19 metrics for Southern Florida counties were generally above the state average or median. However, while testing rates, positivity rates and percent of hospitalized cases for a number of rural counties in Northern Florida were above the state average, the incidence risks, hospitalization risks, case fatality rates, and mortality risks for most counties in that region were below the state average. Both circular and irregularly-shaped high-risk clusters for all COVID-19 metrics were concentrated in Southern Florida, with a few clusters of high incidence risks, percent of hospitalized cases, hospitalization risks and case fatality rates in the Northwest and Central Florida. A single high-risk cluster of percent of hospitalized cases was identified in Central Florida. Low testing and positivity rate clusters were concentrated in predominantly rural counties in Northern Florida.
This study retrospectively investigated geographic disparities in COVID-19 testing and positivity rates; incidence, hospitalization and mortality risks; and percent of hospitalized and fatal cases in Florida during the first five months of the pandemic. Study findings will provide useful baseline data to advance our understanding of the spatial dynamics of the pandemic because these findings could be compared to the findings of similar studies using the recent data in Florida. Study findings will also help public health officials gauge the impact of mitigation efforts on the disease burden. Furthermore, Florida’s current age structure and ethnic/racial composition  foreshadow the demographic changes projected for the rest of the U.S. by 2050 . Therefore, study findings may provide useful information that may inform response efforts to reduce health disparities across the country.
Identification of low testing rate clusters in rural counties of Northwest Florida and high testing rate clusters in the predominantly urban Miami-Dade county is consistent with findings from other studies that reported lowest COVID-19 testing rates in rural areas, areas with high poverty levels, and/or large proportions of Black and Hispanic populations, particularly during the early stages of the pandemic [30,31,32,33,34].
The location of COVID-19 testing sites in the U.S. was initially based on the location of existing healthcare infrastructure, which resulted in communities with already low access to healthcare having fewer COVID-19 testing sites per capita [35, 36]. For instance, Tao and co-workers reported that the spatial accessibility to testing sites varied substantially across Florida, with cities having better accessibility and many rural areas being testing deserts . Moreover, the closing of several community health centers and federally qualified health centers during the pandemic left many vulnerable communities without access to timely testing [38, 39]. Thus, the clustering of low testing rates observed in rural counties in Northwest Florida may be attributable to limited access to COVID-19 testing sites in that region. Limited testing capacity, lack of private vehicles, and old age constrained accessibility in a number of densely-populated large cities, resulting in low accessibility in some urban areas as well [37, 40]. Furthermore, minority communities in the more densely-populated U.S. counties/cities had longer travel times for a COVID-19 test than majority-white communities, even after adjusting for median income . Low income black residents were more likely to live in dense urban areas with many testing sites but their accessibility to testing sites was limited by lack of private vehicles . These may account for the low testing rate cluster identified in urban counties in parts of Central Florida.
The results of this study showing geographic disparities in positivity rates across Florida are in agreement with those of other ecologic studies [33, 41]. The disparities may be due to differences in social mobility and in the geographic distribution of sociodemographic factors [33, 42,43,44]. The clustering of high positivity rates in Southern Florida counties suggests widespread infections due to high transmission rates in that community . Due to scarcity of testing resources at existing sites earlier in the pandemic, testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus was largely limited to diagnostic testing of symptomatic persons [34, 37, 46]. Thus, clustering of high positivity rates may also be attributable to exclusive testing of more advanced cases, thereby leaving out mild and asymptomatic cases, particularly in younger patients [47, 48]. The clustering of low positivity rates in Northern Florida counties, on the other hand, suggests low rates of coronavirus transmission relative to the amount of testing in those counties.
High-density living settings and high population density have been associated with high SARS-CoV-2 infection rates [49,50,51,52]. Consequently, low population densities in predominantly rural Northern Florida counties may account for the clustering of low COVID-19 incidence risks in that region. Additionally, lack of transportation and low availability of testing sites might have negatively affected the number of rural residents tested for SARS-CoV-2 [37, 53], leading to underreporting of cases, which in turn contributed to the observed clustering of low incidence risks in rural counties of the north.
Southern Florida, on the other hand, has large proportions of Hispanic and non-White immigrant populations, a large proportion of whom live in multigenerational overcrowded households in densely populated areas [52, 54,55,56,57,58,59,60]. These groups are also more likely to rely on public or shared modes of transportation, and to work in low-income, essential jobs in public-facing sectors that make it difficult or impossible to adopt COVID-19 preventive measures such as telecommuting and social distancing [61,62,63]. These conditions favor connectivity and higher contact rates, potentially increasing exposure level of the population to the virus [57, 64, 65], thereby resulting in higher COVID-19 incidence risks in counties with large proportions of these communities [66, 67]. Thus, the clustering of high COVID-19 risks in Southern Florida likely reflects higher infection rates among Hispanic/Latino and foreign-born residents due to higher risks of exposure to the SARS-COV-2 virus at work as well as crowded living and transportation settings. Similar to the findings of this study, hotspots of high COVID-19 risks were reported for areas with large household sizes and/or high concentrations of service workers and socioeconomically disadvantaged minority groups in Chicago and New York [58, 68]. Low socioeconomic status [67, 69, 70] may also have contributed to higher SARS-CoV-2 virus transmission rates and hence clustering of high COVID-19 risks in that region.
It has been postulated that a high incidence of COVID-19 in certain areas could be due to high testing rates in those areas . However, this is not consistent with the findings of the current study that revealed: (i) clustering of high COVID-19 incidence risks but not of high testing rates in a number of Northern and Southern Florida counties and (ii) clustering of high testing rates but not of high incidence risks in Alachua County.
Hospitalization and mortality risks
The identified high-risk hospitalization and mortality clusters in this study parallel reports from other studies examining placed-based inequities in these COVID-19 outcomes both in the US [50, 67, 68, 72] and other countries [73, 74].
The clustering of high COVID-19 hospitalization and mortality risks in Southern Florida may be a reflection of the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 borne by Black and non-white Hispanic/Latino communities [75, 76]. These communities are particularly vulnerable to severe illness and death due to higher rates of medical risk factors for COVID-19 morbidity and mortality, such as diabetes mellitus, obesity, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and lung disease [77,78,79,80,81]; high rates of tobacco smoking ; limited access to high quality healthcare [34, 83, 84]; and higher levels of ambient pollution, such as NO2 and PM 2.5, due to residence in close proximity to sources of air pollution and longer distance from regulatory air quality monitoring compared to white communities [85,86,87]. This is in spite of substantial reductions (~ 50%) in passenger vehicle traffic in the least white urban communities during the lockdown period . These factors are positively associated with increased severity and risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes [88,89,90,91,92,93]. Socioeconomic factors such as high poverty and limited access to healthy foods, household- and county-level overcrowding [74, 94,95,96] may also have contributed to clustering of adverse COVID-19 outcomes in Southern Florida. In addition, counties in Southern Florida have higher burden of older population (≥ 65 years old) compared to counties in Northern Florida . Since older individuals are more likely to have two or more comorbidities, they have high risk of adverse COVID-19 outcomes. It has been reported that persons age 65 years or older had strikingly higher COVID-19 mortality rates compared to younger individuals . Therefore, high proportion of older population contribute to high-risk clusters of hospitalization and mortality in Southern Florida.
Percent of hospitalized cases and case fatality rate
The fact that Miami-Dade, Collier, and Lee Counties were not included in the high-risk cluster in Southern Florida when hospitalized cases were divided by total cases, but the converse was true when incident and hospitalized cases were divided by county population suggests that a large proportion of the incident cases were not severe enough to warrant hospitalization. These urban counties have a relatively younger population, implying that a large proportion of the cases were less susceptible to severe disease compared to the rest of Florida. This explanation is bolstered by the absence of clusters of high case fatality rates in those counties. Surprisingly, the opposite trend was observed for St. Lucie County, which is also an urban county in Southeast Florida. Potential reasons for high susceptibility to more adverse COVID-19 outcomes in St. Lucie County include high percentage of individuals living below the federal poverty limit, low healthcare accessibility, and high burden of comorbidities. Not surprisingly, the average life expectancy in St. Lucie is consistently lower than that for Miami-Dade, Collier, and Lee counties . The clustering of high case fatality rates in several Southern Florida countries may be due to limited access to healthcare facilities with intensive care unit (ICU) beds in those counties . Many areas in Southern Florida, particularly those with large Latino or Hispanic populations, were reported to be more likely to have lower access to resources for critical healthcare compared to other regions during the COVID-19 pandemic [83, 84].
The identification of high-risk clusters in Calhoun, Gadsden, and Jackson counties in Northwest Florida both when hospitalized cases were -divided by the total number of cases and by the county population suggests that despite the lower COVID-19 incidence risks in Northwest Florida compared to Southern Florida, a large proportion of the cases in Northwest Florida were severe enough to warrant hospitalization. Northwest Florida is a predominantly rural region with large proportions of black and older residents, and high burdens of comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease [81, 100,101,102]. Moreover, similar to what was reported for black patients in California , limited access to outpatient testing sites in Northwest Florida  may result in a large proportion of black segments of the population accessing testing in hospitals when symptoms are already severe. These, coupled with low access to healthcare and low socioeconomic status or high social vulnerability [83, 104] are associated with higher risks of more severe COVID-19 outcomes [68, 88, 105], and they may account for clustering of high hospitalization risks and percent of hospitalized cases in those counties.
The identification of a high-risk cluster of percent of hospitalized COVID-19 cases in parts of Central Florida around Gainesville may be due to higher level of accessibility of healthcare facilities equipped with ICU beds in that region [83, 84]. Additionally, this being a predominantly urban area, the median household incomes, health insurance rates, proportion of younger (< 65 years) residents, education attainment levels, and socioeconomic status are generally higher than those for rural areas . These factors, coupled with higher quality of healthcare and a higher tendency for urban residents to seek healthcare may increase healthcare utilization rates [106, 107], and contribute to clustering of high percent of COVID-19 hospitalization risks in North Central Florida. Furthermore, the lack of clustering of high case fatality rates in parts of North Central Florida provides further evidence that access to healthcare is the most likely explanation for clustering of high percent of hospitalized cases in that region.
Incidence, hospitalization, and mortality risks in rural Florida
The identification of low-risk clusters of percent of positive tests and only a few high-risk clusters of incidence, hospitalization, and mortality risks in rural counties in Northern Florida suggests that the impact of COVID-19 was lower in rural areas than in urban areas during the study period. These results are consistent with those of other area-level studies reporting lower COVID-19 incidence and deaths in the most socioeconomically vulnerable counties during the early stage of the pandemic [108,109,110,111,112,113]. The lower COVID-19 incidence and hospitalization and risks in rural Florida counties may be attributed to low population density in those counties  which resulted in lower contact rates thereby decreasing opportunities for transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus [56, 57, 115]. Additionally, preventive measures that limited movement and social interactions may also have contributed to low COVID-19 infection risks in the already sparsely populated rural counties . However, lower access to testing in under resourced rural counties with a high prevalence of risk factors may lead to fewer deaths attributable to COVID-19 and bias results towards the null.
It is worth noting that despite reduced opportunities for the SARS-COV-2 virus to spread in the sparsely populated rural Florida counties, these locales have, on average, larger proportions of older (> 65 years) residents and higher burdens of underlying chronic health conditions such as obesity  diabetes [81, 101], hypertension , and heart disease [102, 118, 119] compared to urban counties. Rural areas also tend to have low health insurance rates and a less robust healthcare infrastructure [120,121,122,123]. All of these factors make rural communities uniquely vulnerable to severe disease and death from COVID-19 . Thus, similar to other studies showing substantially higher COVID-19 incidence and death risks in U.S. metro/urban areas compared to nonmetro/rural areas earlier in the pandemic but higher risks of these in the latter stages of the pandemic [108,109,110,111,112], rural Florida counties may have disproportionately higher COVID 19 incidence and death risks compared to their urban counterparts in the later stages of the pandemic. Northwest Florida is particularly vulnerable to poorer outcomes due to a shortage of healthcare resources with capacity to handle a large number of cases [83, 125].
Study strengths and limitations
The use of rigorous spatial epidemiological tools (FSSS and CSSS) coupled with the investigation of disparities in COVID-19 testing and positivity rates and several of its outcomes enabled this study to obtain a more comprehensive picture of the burden of COVID-19 in Florida during the early stage of the pandemic. The FSSS method identified irregularly shaped local clusters that would otherwise be missed by the CSSS method, which is used by most studies for identifying local spatial clusters. A limitation of the study is the potential for an underreporting of COVID-19 incidence, hospitalization, and mortality risks and an overestimation of case fatality rates. This is because the number of cases diagnosed was contingent on local SARS-CoV-2 testing availability and guidelines, which varied across the state and evolved during the study period as the understanding of COVID-19 clinical presentations and its risk factors improved. Additionally, we did not identify the contextual factors that may be associated with the identified disparities. Therefore, our discussion is based on our knowledge of the underlying population groups in areas with high COVID-19 incidence and death risks and low testing. Identifying determinants may aid in the development of novel approaches to reduce the disproportionate burden of COVID-19 in some populations to achieve greater health equity. Additionally, the FSSS analysis failed to run when we attempted to detect high testing rate clusters, hence it is likely that irregularly shaped clusters were missed.
Finally, aggregating data by county may obscure substantial local heterogeneities that may be present at a lower spatial scale [126, 127]. Thus, an analysis at a lower geographic level, such as the Zip Code or Census Tract, may provide a more comprehensive picture of the COVID-19 burden and enable more efficient targeting of place-based initiatives.
Substantial geographic disparities in COVID-19 testing and positivity rates; incidence, hospitalization and mortality risks; and percent of hospitalized and fatal cases exist across Florida early in the pandemic, with counties in Southern Florida generally having higher testing rates and poorer outcomes compared to those in the Northern Florida. These findings may provide baseline data to evaluate the effectiveness of interventions aimed at controlling the pandemic and reducing health disparities in Florida. Future studies will need to assess changes in spatial patterns over time at lower geographical scales and determinants of any identified patterns.
Availability of data and materials
All study data have been included in the submission.
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Filipp SL, Cardel M, Hall J, Essner RZ, Lemas DJ, Janicke DM, et al. Characterization of adult obesity in Florida using the OneFlorida clinical research consortium. Obes Sci Pract. 2018;4:308.
Casper M, Kramer MR, Quick H, Schieb LJ, Vaughan AS, Greer S. Changes in the geographic patterns of heart disease mortality in the United States: 1973 to 2010. Circulation. 2016;133:1171–80.
Odoi EW, Nagle N, Roberson S, Kintziger KW. Geographic disparities and temporal changes in risk of death from myocardial infarction in Florida, 2000–2014. BMC Public Health. 2019;19:505. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-019-6850-x.
Keenan TA. Health Care in Rural America: Use, Affordability, and Access. Washington, DC; 2021. https://doi.org/10.26419/res.00447.001.
Artiga S, Damico A, Garfield R. The Impact of the Coverage Gap for Adults in States not Expanding Medicaid by Race and Ethnicity. 2015. https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/issue-brief/the-impact-of-the-coverage-gap-in-states-not-expandingmedicaid-by-race-and-ethnicity/. Accessed 8 Jan 2023.
Caldwell JT, Ford CL, Wallace SP, Wang MC, Takahashi LM. Intersection of living in a rural versus urban area and race/ethnicity in explaining access to health care in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2016;106:1463–9. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303212.
Vogels EA. Some digital divides persist between rural, urban, and suburban America. Washington, DC; 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/08/19/some-digital-divides-persist-between-rural-urban-and-suburban-america/. Accessed 8 Jan 2023.
Stokes EK. Coronavirus Disease 2019 Case Surveillance — United States, January 22–May 30, 2020. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69:759–65.
Ji Y, Ma Z, Peppelenbosch MP, Pan Q. Potential association between COVID-19 mortality and health-care resource availability. Lancet Glob Heal. 2020;8:e480.
Haddow AD, Jones CJ, Odoi A. Assessing Risk in Focal Arboviral Infections: Are We Missing the Big or Little Picture? PLoS ONE. 2009;4:e6954. https://doi.org/10.1371/JOURNAL.PONE.0006954.
Delmelle EM, Desjardins MR, Jung P, Owusu C, Lan Y, Hohl A, et al. Uncertainty in geospatial health: challenges and opportunities ahead. Ann Epidemiol. 2022;65:15–30.
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This study was reviewed and approved by the University of Tennessee Institutional Review Board (IRB). The IRB number is UTK IRB-20–06105. All study methods were carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines and regulations. The study used anonymized publicly available data. The identity of human subjects cannot be ascertained directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects. The investigators did not contact the subjects and did not re-identify subjects. Since the study used secondary data, no human participants were recruited and a waiver for consent to participate was granted by the University of Tennessee IRB.
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Khan, M.M., Odoi, A. & Odoi, E.W. Geographic disparities in COVID-19 testing and outcomes in Florida. BMC Public Health 23, 79 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-14450-9


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New androgen prostate cancer pathway found
U.S. scientists have discovered a specific biochemical pathway involved in the development of prostate cancer.
The pathway is used by the sex hormone androgen, which increases levels of harmful chemicals called reactive oxygen species in the prostate gland that play a role in the development of prostate cancer.
The scientists at the Carbone Comprehensive Cancer Center in Madison, Wis., found a drug that blocks the pathway significantly prolonged survival and inhibited tumor development in mice that were genetically engineered to spontaneously develop prostate cancer and die of the disease.
The hope is that the drug can eventually be used to treat men at high risk of developing prostate cancer and to prevent recurrences in men already treated for primary tumors.
The research was presented Wednesday by the study's principal investigator, Dr. Hirak Basu, during an international cancer conference in Prague, Czech Republic.
Copyright 2006 by United Press International

domain: medical


For the past month-plus, Microscan has been teasing a product release, withits marketing pieces using terms like "intuitive, small, and agile" to describe a barcode reader product. Now, the company has finally provided a few details, noting that the product will be a miniaturized (compared to current models) barcode reading solution.
Coming this fall, Microscan will release barcode reading and industrial identification solution products that feature a device-agnostic user interface that will add to the Microscan product portfolio.
Microscan says the platform will be its easiest-to-use product yet, and the most "ground-breaking engineering throughout its history of industrial identification development." The next generation barcode imagers and user interface, according to the company, will allow anyone without barcode reading experience to “to easily install a device into new or existing systems to outperform competitive operations for speed, precision, and adaptability to changing criteria.”
Users will be able to select from a range of hardware configurations as well as choose their device capability—from basic barcode reading to full industrial X-mode high-performance decoding, IP-rated sealing, and Ethernet connectivity —without increasing physical footprint.
According to an email sent out on September 2, the product line is set to launch in 11 days. To receive updates, click here.
View more information on Microscan.
Share your vision-related news by contacting James Carroll, Senior Web Editor, Vision Systems Design
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Lamborghini Huracan Evo
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Lamborghini Huracan Evo Description
Lamborghini Huracan Evo finally presents the superfine evolution of the most dynamic V10 in the history of Lamborghini. We can call it the enhancement of the existing features and dynamics of the Huracan Evo model with a newer efficiency and exteriors. Overall, it stands out for its capability to mesmerize the driver in synchronous harmony with the genetics of the Lamborghini. The competitors of this fearsome supercar are Ferrari 488 GTB and Mc Laren 720S.
Lamborghini Huracan Evo ExteriorThe all-new Lamborghini Huracan Evo exteriors do not represent a transformation but quietly introduce modern aerodynamic solutions alongside sticking to the iconic Lambo design. The front bumper of the Huracan Evo represents flawless cues, like the iconic Y-shaped design, bonnet lines which are inspired by the Countach, skirt air ducts which resemble the Murciélago and elevated exhaust tailpipes. Additionally, the Lamborghini Huracan Evo features the latest 20 inches Aesir rims and the Ad Personam colours for the first time for the exterior paints, which includes Arancio Xanto (Orange).
Lamborghini Huracan Evo InteriorThe all-new Lamborghini Huracan Evo interior boasts a tip-of-the-iceberg 8.4-inch touchscreen system, which makes it easy to touch toggle between entertainment functions while driving. The extravagant interior caters to the original Italian design, which is built with the top-notch quality materials. The upholstery of this beauty is presented in leather made of Alcantara and Carbon Skin for the very first time. These are amongst the very creative carbon fibre material made for Lamborghini exclusively. These precious materials when used in the interiors make it a premium cockpit.
Lamborghini Huracan Evo Engine & TransmissionThe Lamborghini Huracan Evo specifications include an almighty 5.2-litre V10 engine that empowers the supercar and calibrates the output of 28 bhp of extra power at 631 bhp @ 8000 rpm along with a max torque of 600 Nm @ 6500 rpm.
Lamborghini Huracan Evo MileageThe Lamborghini new car does not do any good with fuel efficiency figures, nor do the buyers ever care about it considering that they are fine with the Lamborghini Huracan Evo price in India. Having said that, Lamborghini Huracan Evo mileage is somewhere around 8-9 kmpl.
Lamborghini Huracan Evo Braking and SafetyThe Lamborghini Huracan Evo features carbon ceramic brakes with fixed monoblock callipers couples with 6 pistons in the front and 4 pistons at the rear made out of aluminium. There are airbags present for the driver, passengers, side and knee (in selected markets), side protection system, and electronic stability control, which is integrated with ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) and TCS (Traction Control System).
Lamborghini Huracan Evo Performance and HandlingThe Lamborghini Huracan Evo performance boats of its innate ability to reach to 100 km/h from a standstill within 2.9 seconds of time, which is even 0.3 seconds quicker than prior, but the top speed still stays at 323.5 km/h. It features a dual-clutch gearbox LDF (Lamborghini Dorpia Frizione) coupled with 7-speed transmission for smoother shifting of gears.
The vertical dynamics of Huracan Evo are well taken care of by the magnetorheological suspension system. Moreover, the steering system engages all the 4 wheels via the Lamborghini Dynamic Steering (LDS) and the Lamborghini All-Wheel Steering (LAWS) system, which is further helped by the equitable distribution of torque amongst the two axles and the torque vectoring system. The Lamborghini Integrated Vehicle Dynamics system monitors a central controller, which is capable of apprehending the driver’s intent and simultaneously adapt to the vehicle’s behaviour to it. Thus, the driving instinct stays unparalleled amongst the same segment.
Lamborghini Huracan Evo VerdictThe Lamborghini Huracan Evo 2019 is the beast on the road, which comes with a load of extravagant features and dynamics. This is one of the fastest supercars to be ever produced on the entire planet and will definitely give a fearsome cut-throat competition to its rivals catering to the same segment.
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Wednesday, June 08, 2011
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BREMERTON – The old SR 303 Manette Bridge in Kitsap County was closed to motorists today after crews discovered a crack along a 20-foot section of the bridge.
The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) closed the bridge as a precaution until engineers can fully inspect the structure. Because the sidewalks are not affected, bicyclists and pedestrians can still cross the bridge. Inspection crews will be on site this evening.
“We need to keep the bridge closed until the inspection analysis shows it is safe to reopen,” said Kevin Dayton, WSDOT regional administrator. “Until then, we have no choice but to put safety first and keep vehicular traffic off the bridge.”
During the closure, the 12,000 daily drivers who use the bridge will detour onto the Warren Avenue Bridge, which is about a mile away.
The Manette Bridge was built in 1930 and has been showing its age. A new, wider bridge is being built to current codes and engineering standards, and will better accommodate drivers, bicyclists and pedestrians.
The $57.8 million Manette Bridge Replacement Project began in August 2010 and is scheduled to be completed in late 2011. For more information, visit www.wsdot.wa.gov/projects/sr303/manettebridgereplacement/.
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One painting I have been working on recently depicts a stretch of submerged fenceline along Interstate 80 heading eastbound near Grantsville, in Tooele County about 40 miles west of Salt Lake City. I’ve done a similar smaller painting in the past. There is a large, shallow (I guess) salt water lagoon south of where the interstate crosses the southern reaches of the Great Salt Lake. I assume that at some time in the past, when the lake was particularly low, the fenceline divided a playa or pasture alongside the highway. But as long as I have lived in Salt Lake the fence has been under water even though the lake has dropped something like 11 feet since I first moved here. In the background are the Oquirrh Mountains that lie between the Salt Lake Valley and the Tooele Valley. The location for the image is near the thermal salt water scuba diving and fish ponds at Sea Base at the northwestern end of the Tooele Valley near the exit for Stansbury Island.
I’ve been by this area many times as it lies on the main road to Wendover, the Deep Creek Mountains, Nevada and northern California. The water is often smooth and mirror like because it is protected from wind by the berms of the highway and the surrounding mountains. Sometimes when it is extremely cold for a period it will freeze up in part because it has a lower salinity than the main lake. I find the image attractive in a conventional landscape sense, mountains and sunset reflections off of the water. The contrast between the light orange/scarlet tending areas of reflection in the sky and water versus the dark violet/blue areas in shadow makes a nice formal contrast.

domain: geography


Cloud collaboration company ownCloud has announced that it will make version 5 of its open source ownCloud Enterprise product available at the beginning of July. A release candidate for the software is now available for customers wanting to try out the new features. Building on ownCloud Community Edition 5, which appeared in March, the Enterprise Edition adds Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server backends, a provisioning API, mobile applications, anonymous uploads without an ownCloud account, and home directory mounting. Enterprise Edition customers will benefit from support for the platform, which has been tested explicitly for production use in enterprise deployments, and also from access to the ownCloud developers.
The recent agreement between the US and the EU is the third attempt to secure the transfer of personal data from Europe to the US. Holger Dyroff, co-founder and COO of ownCloud, does not see the new regulatory attempt as a satisfactory solution.


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A couple familiar names popped up on the USA U-18 National Team roster announced earlier this week. Current USA NTDP player and Colonials alum Jack DeBoer was named to the 23 player roster as forward. Newly elected New Jersey Colonials Board of Directors member, Dr. Steven Stecker is part of the medical team. Best wishes to both as they travel to Magnitigorsk and Chelyabinsk, Russia to compete in the IIHF U-18 World Championships this April 19-29, 2018.
For more information on the team and tournament, click here for the USA Hockey Page: https://teamusa.usahockey.com/2018u18mensworlds
For complete scores and schedule during the tournament, click here for the IIHF U18 home page: http://u18worlds2018.iihf.hockey/


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All forms of harassment are contrary to basic standards of conduct between individuals and are prohibited by state and federal law, as well as this policy, and will not be tolerated. The District is committed to providing an academic and work environment that respects the dignity of individuals and groups. The District shall be free of sexual harassment and all forms of sexual intimidation and exploitation. It shall also be free of other unlawful harassment, including that which is based on any of the following statuses: national origin, religion, age, sex (gender), race, color, medical condition, Vietnam era Veteran status, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, physical or mental disability, or because he or she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics.
The District seeks to foster an environment in which all employees and students feel free to report incidents of harassment without fear of retaliation or reprisal. Therefore, the District also strictly prohibits retaliation against any individual for filing a complaint of harassment or for participating in a harassment investigation. Such conduct is illegal and constitutes a violation of this policy. All allegations of retaliation will be swiftly and thoroughly investigated. If the District determines that retaliation has occurred, it will take all reasonable steps within its power to stop such conduct. Individuals who engage in retaliatory conduct are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination or expulsion.
The written policy and procedures for filing and processing complaints for unlawful discrimination and sexual harassment are contained in the District's Policy and Procedures for Unlawful Discrimination Under Title 5, Sections 59300 et seq.
Human Resources Office
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Dr. Victor Jaime
Telephone: (760) 355-6219
A community college district employee may also file his or her employment-related complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (http://www.eeoc.gov/) and/or the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH). (http://www.dfeh.ca.gov/) 1-800-884-1684;
Community college students may also file an unlawful discrimination complaint with the Office for Civil Rights of the U.S. Department of Education (OCR). (http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocr/index.html);
For more information, please visit CA Community College System Office website here.


This concert featured two Russian composers who both had to beware of offending a certain critic named Josef Stalin, plus an American whose style was created in the musical melting pot of an exuberant early 20th century USA, writes William Marshall.
There was no large-scale symphonic work, but there was plenty of musical interest and fascinating scorings that challenged all sections of the Slaithwaite Philharmonic, conducted by Benjamin Ellin.
The centrepiece was George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, effectively a mini, one-movement piano concerto. Despite its blue notes and syncopations, it is definitely not jazz music – too galumphing for that – but it is a product of the Jazz Age. With its famous opening clarinet glissando and its passages for growling, wah-wah muted brass, the score is a celebration of the soundscape of the popular music of the period.
The players proved adept at capturing this, especially principal clarinet Max Benn. In addition to that gliss, he also emulated the throaty rasp of the early New Orleans players of his instrument and the articulation of the Jewish klezmer clarinettists who were also an influence on jazz and swing music.
The piano soloist was Olga Jegunova, who earned an appropriately rapturous response from the substantial audience. She had the power and virtuosity to hammer out some of Gershwin’s heavier-handed passages, but also displayed loads of lyricism and introspection in the more reflective, solo sequences that are at the heart of the work.
The concert concluded with two suites from Prokofiev’s beautiful ballet score for Romeo and Juliet, with perhaps the best-known except being the music for the fateful ball given by the Capulets. Its famous theme is underpinned by the fatalistic thud of bass trombone and tuba, played very powerfully.
There were some intriguing combinations, including a lovely duet for bassoon and bass clarinet in the Friar Laurence passage, and the string stratospherics in a sequence depicting the young lovers themselves was highly atmospheric. Also, the performance ended on a soft and beautifully in-tune chord that earned an appreciative silence from the audience before the applause started.
The concert began with what actually might have been the most uplifting work of the evening. Strange then that it came from Shostakovich, whose career-long dread of a knock on the door in the night is so well known.
The work was his Jazz Suite No 2, although – as the programme pointed out – it should more appropriately be known as a Variety Suite, consisting of music drawn from the composer’s work for popular entertainment such as film soundtracks.
The suite opens with such exuberance that, this being Shostakovich, one immediately suspects a deeply ironic sub-text. But the orchestra, augmented by saxophones and an accordion, gave a thoroughly enjoyable account of the suite and there were plenty of stand-out individual contributions, such as the superb side-drumming that propelled the final movement.
Overall, the concert, because of the choice of repertoire, was inevitably fragmentary, but Benjamin Ellen remained in complete control of music that was often deceptively complex and featured many unusual sonorities.


A Florida jury has awarded more than $1.1 billion to a man whose mother fell victim to nursing home negligence.
Our Port St. Lucie nursing home abuse lawyers understand that the jury spent little more than an hour in deliberations before deciding on $110 million in compensatory damages and $1 billion in punitive damages. It’s unclear how much of that judgement, if any, is actually going to be recovered.
A separate 2010 case lodged against this same defendant resulted in a $114 million verdict, though efforts to collect on those damages are still pending. Two other cases against the same company are still awaiting trial.
The hope is at the very least that this facility won’t be in a position to put anyone else’s loved one in harm’s way.
The case stems from the death of a 69-year-old woman who was being cared for at Auburndale Oaks Healthcare Center in Polk County. Her stay there lasted from 2004 until her death three years later.
During that time, the woman reportedly suffered 17 falls as a result of improper supervision at the nursing home.
Care at the home was supervised by Trans Healthcare Inc. and Trans Healthcare Management. Attorneys for the plaintiff say these were for-profit companies, part of conglomerate that took over the nursing home, “looted assets, short-staffed it, under-budgeted it and as a result, the nursing home residents were suffering.”
Sadly, this is not an uncommon story when it comes to for-profit nursing home facilities. Last year, federal health care inspectors issued a report indicating that the U.S. nursing home industry overbills some $1.5 billion annually for treatment that patients either don’t need or don’t get. Later, Bloomberg News conducted a more in-depth analysis of those figures and determined that for-profit nursing homes were the larger culprit, with 30 percent of their claims improper, versus 12 percent of non-profit nursing home care facilities’ claims.
The other issue that arises in this case is the seriousness of falls for elderly patients.
We don’t know all the circumstances behind each fall, but we do know that the last one resulted in a hip fracture for the patient. She was reportedly left in her hospital bed for four days before ultimately being transported to a hospital.
Staffers blamed the lack of available staff to not only supervise but also to respond to an emergency.
Falls account for more than a third of preventable hospital emergency room visits made by nursing home residents. Fall-related injuries are responsible for the deaths of approximately 1,800 nursing home residents annually. Many of those instances are preventable.
It’s estimated that in a typical, 100-bed nursing home facility, there are between 100 and 200 falls reported each year. That’s especially troubling when you consider that many times, falls aren’t reported.
Falls are dangerous to older residents as it is. In fact, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that falls are the No. 1 cause of death from injury among people over the age of 65. Twenty to 30 percent of all falls among seniors result in serious injury, such as head trauma or hip fractures.
It’s more dangerous if that individual lives in a nursing home. Adults over the age of 65 who live in a nursing home are twice as likely to suffer a fall as those who are cared for elsewhere. They are also four times as likely to die of a fall-related injury if they live in a nursing home.
Nursing homes have a responsibility to ensure not only that there are adequate prevention measures in place to prevent falls and that there is adequate staff to supervise patients in case of a fall. When facilities fail in this regard, they need to be held accountable.
Freeman, Mallard, Sharp & Gonzalez — 1-800-561-7777 for a free appointment to discuss your rights.
Polk Jury Awards $1.1 Billion Verdict in Nursing Home Negligence Case, July 22, 2013, By Jason Geary The Ledger
More Blog Entries:
Bed Sores Are Common Sign of Nursing Home Neglect, July 25, 2013, Port St. Lucie Nursing Home Negligence Lawyer Blog


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Hayley Atwell has been cast as Captain America’s love interest Peggy Carter in The First Avenger: Captain America.
Marvel Studios announced today that Hayley Atwell has been cast to star as Peggy Carter in the studio’s highly anticipated movie CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE FIRST AVENGER opposite Chris Evans. In the early comics, Peggy Carter fell in love with Captain America while they fought together in the war effort. The character will be updated for the feature adaptation.
Hayley Atwell is a British actress who played Lucy in The Prisoner remake, and has also been featured in movies like The Duchess and The Brideshead Revisited. I’ve never seen her act, but my sources say she’s more than perfect for the role. My sources, of course, are my eyeballs.

domain: artistic


Collaboration with FirstElement Fuel Inc and Mitsui & Co., Ltd.
Norwegian Hydrogen AS announces Nordic collaboration with FirstElement Fuel Inc and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. to forge a network of hydrogen refuelling stations and accelerate the zero-emission hydrogen transportation market in the Nordic countries. Together, the team will forge a network of hydrogen refuelling stations capable of refuelling 100,000 hydrogen powered vehicles in the Nordic region.
Norwegian Hydrogen and FirstElement Fuel will work together to accelerate the expansion of the hydrogen network throughout the entire Nordic region. The team will be joined by Mitsui, adding their strength in global infrastructure expansion to leverage the vast experience gained by FirstElement Fuel in California USA. The co-operation agreement struck by the three parties outlines how each plan to leverage their best-in-class experience and know-how to develop hydrogen refuelling infrastructure in the Nordic countries, with a focus on the end-user.


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The Duke of Wellington has been given a new look today - and all in support of Scotland's World Cup bid.
Shelley Kerr's Scotland Women's team are currently in France preparing to compete against the best sides from across the globe as they go for glory.
And Glasgow has today thrown its weight behind Shelley and the girls, by giving a makeover to one of our city's favourite sights.
Glasgow Live reader Bethan passed by the great Duke earlier today, taking to social media to post the snap with the caption: "Wellington’s dressed up in his Scotland shirt ready for the women’s world cup #WomensWorldCup"
Scotland kick off their World Cup campaign with a crunch clash against the Auld Enemy in Nice on Sunday.
Our team will also be aiming to beat fellow Group D hopefuls Japan - in Rennes - and Argentina - in Paris - to progress to the next phase of the competition - let's hope Scotland go all the way to the final in the French capital on July 7.


London, Jun 12 (PTI) Filmmaker David Furnish says he was "scared and frightened" when his husband Elton John was struck down with a potentially-deadly infection.
The "Rocket Man" hitmaker spent a few nights in intensive care in April after he fell ill while travelling on a flight back to the UK from Santiago, Chile.
Furnish, who has sons Zachary, six, and Elijah, four, with John, says it was a testing time for the family, reported Daily Mirror.
"We were all very frightened and very scared. The kids understood daddy wasnt well. They didnt know the seriousness of it, obviously, but they came to visit him in hospital as that was an important part of keeping the patients spirits up.
"We didnt give them the full lowdown because we didnt want to overwhelm them," Furnish says. PTI SHD JCH


text: Hi - I'm arriving on a Friday morning via an overnight bus from Arequipa. Hoping to walk around Ica during the day and dun buggying/sandboarding in the evening, and then the Ballestas Islands the next morning and off to Lima. For Friday night, would you recommend staying over in Huacachina or Paracas? I've heard Paracas is higher end, but in terms of nightlife, value/costs, food, and scheduling, which would you recommend? Thanks!


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Click on the image to enlarge
In the summer of 2008, my family and I watched way too many episodes of Stargate SG1. Many of the plot lines involved a group of explorers would retrieve an artifact from a very distant planet that would cause trouble for the balance of the story.
This piece is made from Canarywood, Mexican Royal Ebony, Mahogany, and Acrylic. It has L.E.D. Lights that light up blue at the touch of a button on top.
22 x 22 x 15 $3600

domain: design