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This post is also available in: Bosnian
Mladic’s forces cleansed Prijedor of Croats and Muslim Bosniaks early in the war; the area became synonymous with the use of detention camps where killings, torture and brutal interrogations were carried out. January 9 is the day when Bosnian Serbs celebrate the founding declaration of Republika Srpska in 1992 despite the holiday twice being declared unconstitutional by Bosnia’s Constitutional Court.
Redzic posted his video online, and quickly incurred the social media wrath of the organisations behind the march – Samopostovanje [Self-respect] and Princip [Principle], both of which regularly glorify war crimes, express support for Russia’s war in Ukraine, and oppose the marking of White Armband Day, a day of remembrance for the crimes committed in the Prijedor area by Bosnian Serb forces.
“The message sent to me on January 8 was not meant only for me,” Redzic told BIRN. “It was a message for Carsijska Mosque and the ethnic and confessional group that perceives this mosque as its religious and ethnic cultural venue.”
Such messages, however, are likewise not only the work of Samopostovanje and Princip, since both organisations enjoy close ties too with a political party that sits in the government of Bosnia’s mainly Serb-populated Republika Srpska entity, which Prijedor is part of, according to an investigation by BIRN.
At least five officials of Ujedinjena Srpska [United Srpska] from Prijedor are founding members of Princip, while one party member belongs to Samopostovanje, BIRN can reveal.
Indeed, Princip and the Prijedor branch of Ujedinjena Srpska share the same address, while an official of the co-ruling political party has taken credit for financing Princip from the local budget. This, despite the fact that Samopostovanje and Princip, experts say, both bear all the hallmarks of extremist organisations.
“We can conclude from their announcements and activities that they belong to far-right organisations,” said extremism researcher Nejra Veljan. “Their activities not only include denial of war crimes and genocide, but also glorification of criminals and full support to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.”
Trying to ‘trivialise’ war crimes
Members of “Samopoštovanje” at the Republika Srpska Day celebration in Prijedor, January 8, 2022. Photo: Facebook, screenshot
BIRN has reported previously on how members of Princip and Samopostovanje played a part in a ban on this year’s walk marking White Armband Day, so called because of the white armbands that witnesses at the UN tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague said non-Serbs in Prijedor were told to wear during the war. Serbs dispute that any such order was ever issued.
The new investigation by BIRN now reveals the ties between Ujedinjena Srpska, Prijedor local authorities and the two groups, both of which have come out strongly in support of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Prijedor deputy mayor Zarko Kovacevic, a member of Ujedinjena Srpska, has appeared in a number of photos with members of both organisations on social media. Princip leader Milos Savic also heads the Active Youth Council of Ujedinjena Srpska in Prijedor; Princip deputy leader Drasko Topic, as well as Tanja Zec, Luka Drljaca and Leon Maric – who are named in court documents as founding members of Princip and members of its Managing Board – are also involved in the work of Ujedinjena Srpska.
Savic, Zec and Topic previously ran for election in Prijedor on behalf of Ujedinjena Srpska, while Drljaca confirmed to BIRN that he is a member of the party.
None of them agreed to discuss their activities for this story.
Branko Culibrk, an activist of the Kvart youth centre in Prijedor, said that part of Princip’s raison d’etre was to “sabotage White Armband Day,” a day that Culibrk helps organise and for which he too has become a target of Samopostovanje.
Princip, which is listed in court records as sharing the same address – 47 Kralj Aleksandar Street, Prijedor – as the city board of Ujedinjena Srpska, was founded in April 2021.
This year, the organisation made headlines when it announced that its members would take to the streets to mark five years since the first inauguration of Aleksandar Vucic as Serbian president on May 31, the same day as White Armband Day. The announcement, BIRN reported previously, played into a decision by police in Prijedor to ban a traditional walk through the town by participants of White Armband Day.
At the time, BIRN found no members of Princip at the agreed gathering place. Fikret Bacic, one of the organisers of White Armband Day and a representative of parents of children killed in the war, told BIRN that he realised then the announcement had been made simply to disrupt the commemoration.
“It was most probably the first step towards trying to prohibit us from doing it next year,” Bacic said.
Samopostovanje has also made plain on social media that it wants to see White Armband Day banned.
Redzic said that the groups were seeking to “polarise” society and to “trivialise” what went on in the Prijedor region, in the notorious detention camps of Tomasica and Omarska.
Such efforts reveal “a strong cohesive link between those policies and Tomasica and Omarska,” the imam told BIRN.
Funded from public coffers
Princip, which is listed in court records as sharing the same address – 47 Kralj Aleksandar Street, Prijedor – as the city board of Ujedinjena Srpska, was founded in April 2021. Photo: BIRN.
Beyond personnel ties between Princip and Ujedinjena Srpska, Princip has also benefitted from funds allocated by the City of Prijedor, notably when Kovacevic filled in for roughly two months as mayor after Dalibor Pavlovic resigned in October last year.
In November, Kovacevic, who refused to speak on the record for this story, signed off on KM 9,000 [4,600 euros] for an unspecified local project involving Princip, the City Administration told BIRN.
While some members of the local assembly questioned the payout, Kovacevic said it was “as clean as a whistle.”
The Finance Department told BIRN that the money had not been returned but that it was unaware whether a financial report on how it was spent had been submitted.
“What is really problematic is that the funds were paid without following any tender process or public procedure, which hasn’t been the practice so far, at least based on the insight we have into the financing of various organisations in Prijedor,” said Culibrk.
In May, Princip received another KM 600 [307 euros], approved by Pavlovic’s successor as mayor, Slobodan Javor, to offset expenses arising from Republika Srpska Army Day, which was organised jointly by Princip and members of Samopostovanje. Javor thanked both groups on Facebook, while Kovacevic, his deputy, was photographed in the company of members of both organisations.
Princip and Samopostovanje also had the help of the Prijedor branch of Serbian bikers group MC Srbi, which uses the ‘death’s head’, or skull-and-crossbones, image that was used by the Nazi SS divisions during World War Two. One MC Srbi biker, Bojan Desic, has previously expressed support for the notorious neo-Nazi organisation Blood and Honour.
Working to ‘bust the myth’ of White Armband Day
Ujedinjena Srpska leader Nenad Stevandic insisted that members of his party are prohibited from holding management roles in other organisations, but that he cannot stop them from “socialising”.
“I am aware that they [Princip] are good with Zarko Kovacevic and that they are, so to say, on the right of the political spectrum,” he told BIRN. “But the founders of the organisation and its management are not members of Ujedinjena Srpska, because I have prohibited it. But I do not ban them from socialising or promoting each other’s announcements.”
One thing they have in common, he conceded, is opposition to White Armband Day, which they say is based on lies about a decree allegedly broadcast on local radio in 1992 requiring non-Serbs to wear white armbands and/or fly white flags or bed-sheets from the homes, marking them out in a manner reminiscent of the Jews under the Nazis.
“We all think that this White Armband Day in Prijedor was made up; Zarko Kovacevic took that up and was then supported by that organisation, Princip,” Stevandic told BIRN. “In a manner of speaking, it was an unfortunate circumstance that they framed us as some sort of, so to speak, right-wing.”
Historian Boris Radakovic, a prominent member of Samopostovanje, told BIRN: “The facts tell us that there were no white armbands and we consider that the event is used for political purposes and we can with certainty call it anti-Serb.” He confirmed that the organisation had taken part in two “campaigns” as part of the City of Prijedor’s ‘Defence Day’. In mid-August, Samopostovanje launched a documentary under the title Busting the Myth of ‘White Armbands’ in Prijedor in 1992. Radakovic denied too that there were any Serb-run concentration camps in the Prijedor area, calling them ‘assembly camps’; any crimes committed were the work of individuals and had been overblown, he insisted.
Bacic, one of the organisers of White Armband Day, said that the denial of something that is part of at least two war crimes verdicts in The Hague is deeply unsettling for Bosniak returnees to the Prijedor area, as too are the murals of Mladic and other war criminals.
“Around the city of Prijedor many murals have been painted,” he said. “Some citizens and a part of the authorities are trying to prevent that. As for the others, they destroy and remove one, but five new ones appear instead.”
Majda Halilovic of the Atlantic Initiative told BIRN: “Knowing that Samopostovanje group organised a lecture in May this year in the City Construction Institute in Prijedor, it becomes clear that they have approval of city authorities for their activities.”
Another link between Samopostovanje and Ujedinjena Srpska is Dusan Popara, who is a member of both and a long-time associate of Kovacevic, the deputy mayor. Both men were originally politically aligned with ultranationalist Serbian war criminal Vojislav Seselj, but moved to Ujedinjena Srpska in 2018.
Redzic, the imam, said Samopostovanje and Princip were doing untold harm to Prijedor by undermining “basic human values”.
Bacic said that the failure of authorities to punish them sent a powerful message to returnees.
“When you feel something that existed 30 years ago coming back again, provoking us in the same manner, the city authorities should do more to prevent it,” he said. “Such actions should simply be punished, not ignored.”

domain: sociology


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Chef and restaurateur Luke Dale-Roberts of reigning number one restaurant in the country, The Test Kitchen, and 2014 nominee The Pot Luck Club, has announced that he plans to open a new space in July, named Naturalis. “I call it my incubation hub,” says Luke. Ever the innovator, Luke intends the space to be his development kitchen – a lab in which he’ll be able to play and experiment, and which will open to the public for special dinners and events.
The chef’s new ‘office’ and events space will be housed in a refurbished set of containers at the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock and will be a model of upcycling and sustainability, giving him an opportunity to work more with fermentation, curing, culturing and drying. “I’m fascinated by the process of fermentation; how it naturally changes the core aspects of an ingredient,” says Luke. “Ingredients will be treated simply; everything is returning back to basics, back to the source.”
In addition to the fermentation room and a cheese room, there are plans for a possible bakery on the top level, along with a roof garden.
As for the public, they’ll be able to visit Naturalis as diners at special events and dinners, where they’ll be seated around a long, central table that looks into the open kitchen. A hatch at the front will also be open for Biscuit Mill visitors to get a glimpse of what’s going on in the kitchen.

domain: news


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ANCHORAGE (AP) -- A new Wal-Mart is scheduled to open in Wasilla on March 29.
The 156,000-square-foot store at 1350 S. Seward Meridian Parkway will be open 24 hours a day, the Bentonville, Ark.-based retailing giant said Monday.
Wal-Mart also is planning to open a store in Ketchikan in the spring of 2001, and a new Wal-Mart store will be opening soon in Eagle River, officials said.
Wal-Mart is the nation's largest retailer. It entered the Alaska market in the early 1990s with two stores in Anchorage and a smaller one in Wasilla. It opened a new store in Kodiak last spring.
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domain: economics


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The Andican uprising, 13 May 2005
Karasar, Hasan Ali
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Since the collapse of the Soviet Union state building process in Uzbekistan became subjected to the social, political and economic problems. When all these factors came together Andican Uprising occurred on 13 May 2005. In this thesis I tried to clarify the basic motives behind the Andican Uprising. By investigating these motives, I attempted to shed light on religious fundamentalism that the Government of Uzbekistan faced after the collapse of the Soviet Union. As a part of problematical state building process, role of domestic politics in the emergence of the uprising was also covered by pointing out the characteristics of clan politics and civil society in Uzbekistan. Reasons of the event were also investigated on international level. In this context geopolitical strategy of international actors, the colored revolutions and U.S – Uzbekistan relations were explored. Economic integration of Uzbekistan to world economy and its failing reformation process was explored. While promotion of iv democracy in Uzbekistan was necessitating broader freedom for society, religious fundamentalism led the government to intensify its authoritarian character. These two conflicting characteristics of the country created two sides over which international actors played their cards. While the west insisted on the democratization of the country the east supported the Uzbek government’s harsh measurement over religious groups. Andican Uprising is an important case in which it is possible to find all prominent characteristics of the Uzbek politics, and therefore this thesis can be taken as a laboratory work in which all relevant traces were investigated to understand Uzbekistan.

domain: library


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Scientists say that turbulence in the earth’s liquid core has caused the earth to change where the magnetic north pole has moved from the Canadian Arctic to Siberia in Russia.
From where it was in the Canadian Arctic, the magnetic north pole has moved about 1,400 miles to Siberia as it jumped from moving at a speed of about 9 miles to moving at a speed of 34 miles per year.
According to scientists this is from turbulence within the motion of the hot liquid ocean of iron and nickel in the planet’s core where the motion generates an electric field.
Because of this change in the earth, NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information says it has updated the World Magnetic Model to reflect this change due to unplanned variations in the Arctic region.
So scientists have released a new model of the earth so to more accurately represent the change of the magnetic field of the earth. The scientists say the update was done so to ensure safe navigation for military applications, commercial airlines and search and rescue operations.
This World Magnetic Model is used for navigation by the military, and by NASA for satellite tracking and by the Federal Aviation Administration for air traffic management. Also, smartphone and consumer electronics companies also rely on this for accurate compass apps, maps, and GPS services.
The earth has changed from increased turbulence within its molten core changing where the magnetic North Pole is located by 1,400 miles affecting everything that mankind has in technology and does in navigation upon the earth.
As the prophet Job said of the Lord God in chapter 9, “He shakes the earth out of its place, and its pillars tremble,” and the Apostle Paul in Romans 8 “that the whole creation groans and labors.”
The earth is changing being affected by growing turbulence within as we are waiting for the Glory of God that will be revealed in the Last Days at the moment of rapture in the glorious liberation of the children of God.
Signs of the Last Days ministry practices the Biblical model of freely sharing the signs of prophecy from the Holy Scriptures; no commercial advertisements, selling survival gear, or gold and coins; just trusting viewers to pray for and support the ministry with a tax-deductible offering of any amount so we can continue sharing more signs of Biblical prophecy to the world. Please Give Offering Here.
Or if you believe in ministry sharing the prophetic signs of Jesus’ coming, then please join us as a monthly Partner in Prophecy giving any amount each month to share the signs of His coming. Just check the recurring contribution button on the giving page linked below:
Click below to give any amount as
A Monthly Partner. (on form be sure to click recurring contribution button)
Thank you to all who are giving to this work of ministry, you will be blessed as Lord Jesus said!
Contributions to this non-profit charity are tax-deductible.

domain: geography


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Blame it on the “baked” goods!
A sanitation worker has done the near-impossible after testing positive for pot for a third time — successfully proving that a prankster pal had slipped him “weed brownies” without his knowing.
In recommending the strung-out Strongest not be fired, a city law judge noted that the “innocent ingestion” drug defense almost never works.
But this 17-year veteran trash truck worker’s story was just too good to be untrue, the judge said.
The clincher? A brave pal who admitted on the witness stand that she gave the man a pot-laced brownie at a party “to shut him up,” because he was drunk and wouldn’t stop arguing about basketball.
“It tasted like any other brownie,” the worker, whose name was withheld in court papers, convincingly remembered to Judge Kevin Casey at a trial last month.
Now it’s up to the Sanitation Commissioner to either accept the judge’s recommendation, or tell the worker to hang up his overalls for good under a strict, three-strikes drug policy.
The sanitation worker already has two positive on-the-job pot tests in his history, but after signing a “last chance agreement,” and getting treatment, has had only clean drug tests for a decade, the judge noted in his recent recommendation.
Then, in mid-March of 2014, the worker went to a party and got “kind of drunk,” as he described it to the judge.
At some point, the pal, identified in papers only as “Ms. Harris,” handed the tipsy trash hauler a “weed brownie,” as a “joke,” she testified, “to shut him up” — not telling him of its key ingredient.
He ate the brownie, crashed for the night at the host’s house, and went home in the morning, the worker testified.
The next week, the sanitation worker was “totally bewildered” to learn that he’d tested positive for pot.
He testified at last month’s trial that he thought he was “losing his mind because he knew that he had not smoked marijuana.”
The mystery — if not the dilemma — cleared up a few weeks later, after he discussed the test results at a friend’s house and was overheard by “Ms. Harris.”
She was so filled with regret, she confessed her “childish” prank and then testified on his behalf at trial, court papers said.
“They both testified in a detailed, consistent, and straightforward manner,” the judge wrote.
The Department of Sanitation had argued unsuccessfully that the sanitation worker had failed to produce any of the remaining brownies as evidence.
But the judge noted that the lack of leftovers only proves the sanit worker and his pal weren’t trying to fudge the evidence.
“The point of bringing the brownies to the party in March 2014 was to eat them,” the judge wrote. “It was not until weeks later that Ms. Harris first learned that there was a problem. By then, the brownies were long gone.”
The lawyer for the sanitation worker, Allen Cohen of Kirschner & Cohen, declined to talk about the recommendation pending a final DOS decision, except to say, “We vigorously defend all the men and women of our union, and in this case, fortunately for us, the judge found the facts are in our favor.”
A DOS spokesman said only that the matter is “under review.”

domain: law


New cafe venture for Toowoomba Hospital Foundation
THE Toowoomba Hospital Foundation has added another string to its bow, officially taking on the lease for the Toowoomba Hospital's cafe on Monday.
Formerly operated by Compass Group, the new Wellbean Co Cafe adds another revenue stream to the hospital foundation's income, in addition to the parking, accommodation, and vending machine services it already provides.
Foundation CEO Alison Kennedy said the cafe's popularity made the decision to take on the lease an easy one.
"The foundation ... always looks at opportunities to be sustainable into the future," Mrs Kennedy said.
"Eventually as we know the hospital will move to Baillie Henderson and create a new fantastic space and the foundation really wants the opportunity to look at future business. If we do move to Baillie, why wouldn't we run the cafes as an income source for (Darling Downs Health)?"
Mrs Kennedy said there would be some significant changes at the new cafe, with chef Mick Smith joining the team.
"We want to, with our chef onboard, change up the menu so there's really fresh produce," she said.
"We're even changing the suppliers that we've used in the past so all our meat is now coming from local sources.
"It costs us a little more but we really want to support the people who support us, so you'll see a lot more fresh fruit and vegetable items on the menu, and everything is made daily by the chef."
Additionally, a survey of hospital staff is under way to determine which brand of coffee beans they want served up.
The foundation is also investing $160,000 from its commercial base into a much-needed upgrade of the hospital's staff dining area.
Changes to the cafe's menu and the renovation of the dining area is expected to be complete by the end of July, ready for the official opening of Wellbean Co.
The Toowoomba Hospital Foundation's fundraising provides state-of-the-art equipment, research, and staff development for Toowoomba's public health services.


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Chinese electric automaker NIO (NYSE: NIO) has undergone a dramatic change in fortunes this year. After its share price surged to near all-time highs in March, investors lost their enthusiasm, and in recent weeks, the stock has plumbed the lowest prices of NIO's short publicly traded tenure.
The reasons for pessimism are varied, and even though the start-up has a lot going for it, its path forward will be challenging. However, the next year could go a long way toward clearing the air about which direction NIO is headed. For investors who are willing to live with a lot of negativity -- and who don't mind extreme uncertainty -- now might be a good time to jump in.
Auto manufacturing woes and economic troubles
To understand where NIO is going, let's first review to where it has been in the recent past. The electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer got off to a hot start last year with deliveries of its first mass-market ES8 premium SUV. But its deliveries have already begun to trail off.
First two months of Q2 2019
Data source: NIO.
Management has said that the slowdown in China's economy -- exacerbated by its trade war with the U.S. -- is to blame for those falling sales. That is only part of the story, though. The government in Beijing also scaled back its EV subsidies by 50% in March, and plans to phase them out further next year. Granted, the path to EV ownership in China is still much easier and usually cheaper than buying a traditional combustion engine vehicle, but the reduction in financial encouragement from the government has nevertheless been a near-term headwind. https://www.fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2019/05/28/nio-inc-nio-q1-2019-earnings-call-transcript.aspx?source=isesitlnk0000001&mrr=1.00 https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-03-26/china-scales-back-subsidies-for-electric-cars-to-spur-innovation
If that wasn't enough, investors have also begun to worry about the rate at which NIO is hemorrhaging cash -- and rightfully so. During the first quarter, gross profit margin on vehicles sold was negative 13.4% (which means the company is losing money whenever it makes a sale), and net losses totaled $395 million. It hasn't come anywhere close to reaching profitable scale, and the fact that it outsources manufacturing to China's JAC Motors isn't helping. NIO's plans for its own factory (as well as its first sedan option) are on hold, so there's little visibility as to when these steep losses on its vehicles will cease.
The NIO ES6. Image source: NIO.
The immediate road ahead
But here's the good news: In June, NIO began delivering the ES6 -- its compact and more affordable SUV -- to customers. During the first quarter conference call, the company said it had received over 12,000 pre-orders for the ES6. That could mean a rebound in sales is right around the corner.
Though we lack details about when a NIO-owned factory might come online, and its sedan is on pause, a third vehicle option is reportedly in the works. It will be based on the ES8 platform (implying another SUV of some sort), and management said it should go into production in 2020. Given that its EV sales have been falling of late, it seems likely that driving down costs for customers is the company's primary goal right now, which would encourage more orders and help the NIO dig itself out of the red.
Also, its efforts to gobble up market share make sense. Even as it's cutting subsidies, the Chinese government continues to encourage people to buy EVs by keeping the associated costs low. Some forecasts estimate that by 2025, EV sales will account for about 50% of the total Chinese auto industry. (In 2018, 23.7 million passenger vehicles were sold in the country.) NIO could be in prime position to benefit from that long-term trend.
Thus, though dark clouds have gathered around this company in 2019 where there were clear skies before, in a year's time, much of the uncertainty could clear up. By 2020, NIO should have three models for Chinese drivers to choose from, and some clarity on its factory plans (and lower manufacturing costs) should be forthcoming too.
But even though 2020 looks likely to hold more promise than 2019 has so far for NIO, that doesn't necessarily mean investors should rush out and purchase shares. Only those with the stomach to endure serious volatility, and the ability to build a position in this automaker gradually over time -- so as to buy the dips on what is sure to be a wild roller-coaster ride -- should even think about investing in NIO stock.
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Sales are underway in Phase 2 at Chasemoor of Burr Ridge, a 201-unit development of single-family attached Countryhomes in the west suburb. The project is being developed by owner Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. and development consultant Burr Ridge Associates, one of the James Companies of Illinois.
Phase 1, which began last October, is more than 85 percent sold. The sales pace has led to an earlier-than-planned release of units in Phase 2.
The 43 1/2-acre project features attached two-story and single-level Countryhomes arranged in clusters around waterways and culs-de-sac. They range in size from 1,665 to 2,800 square feet and in price from $219,990 to $407,400. The units have two or three bedrooms, many with first-floor master bedroom suites, and all have two-car garages and tile roofs.
Models are planned to open this fall. First occupancy is scheduled for September. The Chasemoor sales center is on Lincolnshire Drive just east of County Line Road.
MEADOW LAKE ADDS LOTS Meadow Lake, a development of 131 single-family houses in northwest suburban Palatine, is adding 18 homesites. Frank Fisher, general sales manager of Pasquinelli Construction Co., the developer, said six of the 131 houses in the original plan also are available.
Three furnished models are open: The Sequoia, a two-story with four bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and 2,100 square feet, priced from $152,990; the Redwood, another two-story with three bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths and 1,750 square feet, priced from $141,990; and the Evergreen, a split-level with three bedrooms, two baths and 1,600 square feet, priced from $136,990.
All of the houses have two-car garages with interior entries. Basements are options.
Standard features include carpeting, double-paned wood windows with screens, wood railings, tile entry, kitchen cabinetry, double stainless steel sink, range with hood, dishwasher, disposer and ceramic tile tub and shower surrounds.
Meadow Lake is on Baldwin Road just south of Rand Road.
SIX UNITS LEFT AT 900 PLACE Six of 10 units are still available at 900 Place, a townhouse development at 900 Central Ave. in north suburban Highland Park. All are 2,200-square-foot, three-story units and are priced from $229,500. Each has its own elevator, complete with telephones, as well as entry-level two-car garage, first-floor family room and laundry room, second-floor living and dining room and kitchen with breakfast area, walk-in closets in the three bedrooms on the third floor and a whirlpool tub in the bath off the master bedroom.
``Most of our buyers are empty-nesters from the North Shore who want to stay in the area but no longer need a big single-family house,`` said Don Olsen of Capstone Development, which opened the building last November.
KENSINGTON NEARS SELLOUT The final phase of construction is underway at Kensington Place, a development of 145 townhouses in west suburban Downers Grove. With just 15 units remaining to be sold, developer Thomas Shannon expects Kensington Place to be sold out by November, two years after it opened. Two- and three-bedroom townhouses remain, with up to 1,500 square feet. Prices start at $99,900. Kensington Place is on Woodward Avenue just south of 63d Street.
SAVINGS AT PINEHURST Robert C. Ranquist and Co. Inc. is offering immediate occupancy at Pinehurst, a development of 65 single-family houses in west suburban Darien. Prices range from $244,900 to $284,900. Pinehurst is at Bailey Road and Lake View Drive in Darien.


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PIER 17 are delighted to be participating in this years’ Taste Guernsey Food Festival and we hope you are too.
Indulge your taste buds in the delectable flavours of Guernsey produce at PIER 17, which is proud to be a part of the Taste Guernsey Food Festival running throughout April 2023. Celebrating the very best local ingredients, this festival is organised by the Guernsey Hospitality Association and features local chefs showcasing their creativity and skills.
Come and taste our specially crafted menu, made with the finest local ingredients that showcase the diverse flavours of Guernsey, and don’t forget to vote for your favourite dishes online at tasteguernseyfoodfestival.gg for a chance to win £1,200 in dining vouchers. Join us for a culinary experience like no other!

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Oedipus the king religion essay
Oedipus rex, sophocles - power of the gods and religion in oedipus the king. Free oedipus the king essays for students use my essay services papers to help you. Essays from bookrags provide great ideas for oedipus the king essays and paper topics like essay view this student essay about oedipus the king.
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Oedipus the king unfolds as a murder mystery, a political thriller, and a psychological whodunit full glossary for the oedipus trilogy essay questions. Suggested essay topics and the security of the state makes all of human life—including family life and religion in oedipus the king, oedipus fastens onto a. Oedipus rex persuasive essay essays and research papers convey religion oedipus rex 2012 king oedipus- essay what walks on four legs at dawn. Oedipus life was wonderful until the plague hit thebes and there forth the cookie crumbled “the point of many of our tragedies seems to be that, since the.

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Xenia-Gaming Transformer Model Release
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There’s no better medium for art or graphic design than canvas. Our prints are solid yet refined works of art in their own right. Add a striking and unique masterpiece to any room.
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Mozambique announces new bond deal
Mozambique has reached a new agreement in principle with holders of its US$727.5 million Eurobonds, after abandoning a debt-for-gas swap deal reached last November.
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Collection of peer reviewed web sites as part of program from the National STEM Digital Library, USA.
Resource for chemoluminescence, analytical instrumentation, primers, animations and audio files for students, publications and research in environmental chemistry, maintained at Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX.
Virtual community for the laboratory industry with daily news and product updates from Vert Tech LLC, Wilmington, Delaware.
Articles in PDF, book reviews, news, meeting announcements and reports, with options to register for email update and hardcopy edition, with ads aimed at the European market, from UK.
Cookie-dependent email discussion list for posting questions about analytical spectroscopic methods at Yahoo! Inc.
Thanks to DMOZ, which built a great web directory for nearly two decades and freely shared it with the web. About us


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Blake Master, the front-runner in the GOP primary to run for Senate in Arizona, suggested that Social Security should be privatized.
Arizona Republicans recently gave the state’s wealthiest a major tax cut. Now, their national counterparts want to raise taxes for everyone else.
President Trump said he wouldn’t cut Medicare or Social Security on the campaign trail, but his 2020 budget said otherwise.
Here’s what Arizona senior advocates, lawmakers, and senior residents are saying after Trump announced potential cuts to Medicare and Social Security.
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Veepeak Mini Bluetooth OBD2 OBD II Scanner Review
How far have you gone in maximizing the performance of your smartphone? With the introduction of Bluetooth diagnostic scanner, smartphones can now be used as a diagnostic tool. You can now clear codes, see exactly where the fault might come from without taking it to the mechanic shop.
There are several manufacturers of Bluetooth Adapter out there each promising optimum solution and performance for your vehicle, but how do you choose the right one? Here at xlraceparts, we do the review one of the best product in the market putting in some vital consideration like quality, performance, customer ratings, the manufacturer’s history and other factors that affect purchasing and usage. Here is what we consider the best:
Veepeak Mini Bluetooth
Veepeak is an automotive company that manufactures Bluetooth Scanner for OBD II compliant cars and light trucks all over the world. For more than a decade now, the company has been providing high-quality products and reliable service for mechanics and “do it yourself” automotive mechanics who enjoy working on cars. The company’s products are usually affordable and last for an extended period. By manufacturing the best product in the market, Veepeak has gained a long lasting reputation. Their device can be fixed to cars easily, comes with a power safer, reads and diagnose error codes in a matter of minutes. Their device will work on OBDII complaint cars that are manufactured from 1996 or newer. Their Bluetooth adapter has the latest improvement, and it’s compatible with Androids, tablets, pc and windows phone. Though not compatible with iOS phones.
Veepeak Mini Bluetooth OBD2 OBD II Scanner Car Engine Code Reader
The Veepeak Mini Bluetooth Scanner for Android is easy to use for professional mechanics and “do it yourself mechanics” who love working on their car. The Bluetooth scanner works on cars made in the United States from 1996 and beyond or made in Asia or EU and supports your Andriod, iOS as well as multiple languages including English, Russian, French, German and Spanish. The device has a white display backlight for easy visibility even in dim lighting. The Veepeak can turn off that annoying check engine displayed on the dashboard of your car. The scanner works on light trucks and other brands of cars. This scanner is affordable, quick and easy to diagnose and troubleshoot car error codes. It works for all OBDII compliant cars and light trucks. The scanner supports multiple error codes including manufacturer-specific codes, generic codes and pending codes. The Veepeak offers a 30-day money back guarantee for default products and a year hassle-free replacement warranty.View on Amazon.com
The Veepeak Mini Bluetooth Scanner read, clear and reset check engine light using your smartphone and an OBD II app. This scanner saves time and money by finding out why the check error code is on. The scanner allows you to get a lot of information about your car directly from your mobile device, tablet, and PC. View car performance, sensor data, O2 Readings, Speed, EOT, Throttle, EGT, Fuel Trim e.t.c monitor fuel economy, smog test and discover more using this Bluetooth scanner. OBD II complaints vehicles from other regions are also supported. It supports the five (5) protocols J1850 VPW, KWP2000, KWP2000, ISO9141-2 and CAN. It also supports Windows, Andriod, and third-party OBD apps like Fusion, Torque Pro, and DashCommand. The affordable Bluetooth device remains the best in the market that offers the best performance for your vehicle.
- Brand: Veepeak
- Item Weight: 1.12 ounces
- Size: Bluetooth 3.0 for Android ONLY
- Package Dimensions: 2.8 x 2.8 x 1.2 inches
- Folding: No
Unlike some products in the market, the Veepeak Mini Bluetooth Scanner can easily read and erase engine fault codes; it detects check engine light easily. The scanner is easy and straightforward to install. Simply locate the OBD II port in your car (usually under the dashboard in driver’s compartment), plug the device and wait until it completed its installation (installation shouldn’t take more than three minutes), connect the device with your phone using the Bluetooth. The Veepeak also shows live vehicle sensor data in graphical format, which is an additional tool to figure out the problem of your car. The Veepeak Mini Bluetooth comes with a 2-year warranty and an instructional manual to assist you during installation and usage.


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Harper Lee and Mark Twain banned by Minnesota schools over racial slurs
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Both To Kill a Mockingbird, a Pulitzer-prize winning novel depicting racial injustice in Alabama, and Huckleberry Finn, which deals with slavery in pre-Civil War America, include racist characters who regularly use offensive language, including the N-word.
The two novels have been listed among the most banned or challenged books from 2001 to 2009 by the American Library Association, in large part because of their uncomfortable language.
According to the association, many of the complaints about Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird came from black parents concerned about a book containing a racial slur being taught in the classroom.
However, the texts are both widely considered to be anti-racist texts, using historically accurate language and characters to highlight and address the issue.
Mr Cary told local paper the Bemidji Pioneer: “We felt that we could still teach the same standards and expectations through other novels that didn’t require students to feel humiliated or marginalised by the use of racial slurs”.
The decision had come in response to complaints about the books' offensive language over the years, rather than a specific complaint by a student, Mr Cary said.
The National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People has supported the decision, saying it was long over due.
Stephan Witherspoon, the president of the local branch, said the books were “just hurtful”, adding that they use “hurtful language that has oppressed the people for over 200 years”.
Марк Твен и Харпър Ли...However, free speech organisations have criticised the move, with the National Coalition Against Censorship, saying it was “deeply disturbed” by the decision.
“Rather than ignore difficult speech, educators should create spaces for open dialogue that teaches students to confront the vestiges of racism and the oppression of people of colour,” a spokesperson for the organisation said.


|Publication number||US5354962 A|
|Application number||US 08/182,539|
|Publication date||Oct 11, 1994|
|Filing date||Jan 14, 1994|
|Priority date||Nov 10, 1988|
|Also published as||CA2002616A1, CA2002616C, US5026464|
|Publication number||08182539, 182539, US 5354962 A, US 5354962A, US-A-5354962, US5354962 A, US5354962A|
|Inventors||Koichi Mizuno, Takeshige Wakabayashi, Yutaka Koinuma, Reiji Aizawa, Satoshi Kushiyama, Satoru Kobayashi, Hideo Ohuchi, Toyonobu Yoshida, Yoshiro Kubota, Takanobu Amano, Hisashi Komaki, Shoji Hirakawa|
|Original Assignee||Agency Of Industrical Science And Technology, Toyonobu Yoshida, Jeol Ltd.|
|Export Citation||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Patent Citations (4), Referenced by (11), Classifications (27), Legal Events (5)|
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet|
This is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No. 07/964,512, now abandoned, filed on Oct. 21, 1992 originally entitled "Method and Apparatus for Decomposing Halogenated Organic Compound" amended to "Apparatus for Decomposing Halogenated Organic Compound" which was a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/684,006, filed Apr. 11, 1991, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,187,344 which was a division of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/433,361, filed Nov. 7, 1989, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,026,464.
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for efficiently decomposing halogenated organic compounds which are organic compounds, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and trichloroethylene, containing fluorine, chlorine, or bromine.
Halogenated organic compounds, which are organic compounds, such as CFCs and trichloroethylene, containing fluorine, chlorine, or bromine, find wide use as solvents, refrigerants, and fire extinguishing agents, and are employed in large quantities. Therefore, they are of importance in the industry. However, these compounds are volatile, and many of the halogenated organic compounds used in the industry are emitted to the environment such as the atmosphere, water, or soil. It has been pointed out that such emissions destroy the stratospheric ozone layer and generate carcinogenic substances, thus seriously affecting the environment.
Where used, halogenated organic compounds should be disposed of, no appropriate method of decomposing them is currently available because their reactivity is extremely low.
The decomposition techniques which have been heretofore reported are mainly combustion techniques at high temperatures. One example of decomposition of hazardous organic wastes using such techniques is described in an article entitled "Laboratory Investigation of Thermal Degradation of a Mixture of Hazardous Organic Compounds" by John L. Graham, Douglas L. Hall, and Barry Dellinger, in Environ. Sci. Technol., Vol. 20, No. 7, 1986, pp. 703-710. In this method, however, the energy efficiency is extremely low, because halogenated organic compounds are burned together with a large amount of fuel, such as hydrocarbon. Further, the whole apparatus cannot be made in small size, since the fuel tank and the incinerator are large. In addition, free halogens produced by combustion come into contact with the wall of the incinerator that is at high temperatures to thereby attack the incinerator. This phenomenon is especially conspicuous where organic fluorine compounds are burned.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of efficiently decomposing halogenated organic compounds, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and trichloroethylene, by plasma reaction.
It is another object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for efficiently decomposing halogenated organic compounds by efficiently supplying the compounds in a liquid phase into a plasma.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an apparatus capable of decomposing halogenated organic compounds without producing hazardous by-products.
The present inventors have investigated a method capable of easily decomposing halogenated organic compounds and have found a method of decomposition using a plasma produced either by induction heating making use of radio-frequency waves or microwaves or by DC heating. The present invention utilizes the fact that substances are very reactive in the plasma state. Even chemicals resistant to decomposition such as halogenated organic compounds can be decomposed in a short time. In particular, within a plasma with a temperature as high as 10,000° C., almost all molecules are considered to dissociate into atoms.
In accordance with the present invention, halogenated organic compounds are introduced into a plasma to decompose them. In one embodiment of the invention, a halogenated organic compound is introduced into a plasma, together with a substance for reacting with the decomposed halogenated organic compound, such as water. The decomposed compound is caused to react with water to prevent the decomposed compound from returning to its original state.
A preferred method according to this invention comprises bubbling a carrier gas through the halogenated organic compound that is in liquid phase, so that the compound is contained in the carrier gas, bubbling the carrier gas through a liquid substance for reacting with the decomposed halogenated organic compound so that the liquid substance may be contained in the carrier gas, and mixing the carrier gas containing the halogenated organic compound with the carrier gas containing the liquid substance. The mixture is then introduced into a plasma.
In accordance with this invention, there is also provided an apparatus for decomposing halogenated organic compounds. The apparatus comprises a chamber, for example, a cylindrical tube, and a gas supply nozzle opening into the tube. An RF coil is wound around the tube so that when excited it will heat the contents of the tube to the plasma state. A first container is provided for containing the halogenated organic compound in liquid phase. A carrier gas inlet tube is arranged to introduce a carrier gas source into the first container. A second container is provided to contain water. A carrier cas inlet tube is arranged to introduce carrier gas source into the second container. A gas mixer mixes the gas from the first container with the gas from the second container and forces the resulting mixture into the gas supply nozzle.
According to a preferred embodiment of the apparatus for decomposing halogenated organic compounds, a liquid intake tube is mounted in the gas supply nozzle into which a liquid to be supplied to the plasma formed in the chamber.
According to yet another preferred embodiment of the apparatus, means are provided for ejecting a gas or liquid into a portion of the plasma to extinguish the portion of the plasma.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system for decomposing a halogenated organic compound, the system being fabricated in accordance with the invention;
FIGS. 2 and 3 are schematic diagrams of other systems according to the invention for decomposing a halogenated organic compound; and
FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of a further system according to the invention for preventing generation of hazardous by-products.
Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a system according to the invention. This system has a torch 1 for producing a plasma by induction. The torch 1 comprises a cylindrical tube 2 made from an insulating material such as quartz, a gas supply nozzle 3, and an RF coil 4 wound around the tube 2. The nozzle 3 is provided with an annular groove 5. An annular plate 6 is welded to the outside of the groove 5. The plate 6 is provided with a number of minute holes 7. The groove 5 is connected with one end of a hole 8 formed in the nozzle 3. The other end of the hole 8 is connected with a tube 9 at the top of the nozzle 3.
The tube 9 branches into a first tubing extending into a first container 10 and a second tubing extending into a second container 11. The first container 10 holds a halogenated organic compound 12, such as CFC, to be decomposed and is in liquid phase. One end of a carrier gas supply tube 13 is inserted in the halogenated organic compound contained in the first container 10. The other end of the supply tube 13 is connected with an argon gas source 15 via a flow controller 14. The second container 11 contains water 16 in which one end of another carrier gas supply tube 17 is inserted, while the other end is connected with the argon gas source 15 via a flow controller 18.
A selector valve 19 is mounted in the tube 9 to force either gas coming from the first container 10 and the second container 11 or gas coming from the argon gas source 20 into the hole 8 formed in the nozzle 3. The flow of gas from the argon gas source 20 is controlled by the flow controller 21.
The cylindrical tube 2 forming the plasma torch 1 has an opening 22 near its lower end. An exhaust tube 23 that it connected with a cyclone 24 is connected with the opening 22. The cyclone 24 acts to trap powdered material contained in the exhaust fumes. The exhaust fumes passed through the cyclone 24 is guided into a tube 25 which extends into a container 27. An alkaline water solution 26 such as potassium hydroxide (KOH) is contained in the container 27. A tube 28 for discharging internal gas extends from the top of the container 27. The discharge tube 28 is connected with another container 30 near its bottom. The container 30 holds an alkaline solid 29, such as calcium oxide (CaO). The gas passed through the interstices among the particles of the solid 29 is allowed to escape through a discharge tube 31 extending from the top of the container 30.
The operation of the system constructed as described above is now described. In the initial state, the selector valve 19 mounted in the tube 9 is so operated that argon gas from the argon gas source 20 is supplied into the groove 5 via the hole 8 formed in the nozzle 3. The gas then passes through the numerous minute holes 7 formed in the plate 6, and are injected into the cylindrical tube 2. Under this condition, RF waves are supplied to the RF coil 4 to produce a plasma P by an igniting mechanism (not shown).
Subsequently, the selector valve 19 is switched to the other state so that the gases from the first container 10 and the second container 11 may be supplied into the groove 5 via the hole 8 in the nozzle 3, instead of the argon gas from the argon gas source 20. In the first container 10, the carrier gas supply tube 13 connected with the argon gas source 15 is immersed in the halogenated organic compound solution 12 contained in the container. The argon gas is ejected from the end of the tube 13 which opens into the compound solution 12, at a flow rate controlled by the flow controller 14. Since the argon gas is bubbled through the organic compound solution 12, the vaporized organic compound is contained in the gaseous argon and discharged into the tube 9 from the first container 10. In the second container 11, the carrier gas supply tube 17 connected with the argon gas source 15 is inserted in the water 16 contained in the container. The argon gas is ejected from the end of the tube 17 that opens into the water 16, at a suitable flow rate controlled by the flow controller 18. Because the argon gas is bubbled through the water, the vaporized water is contained in the gaseous argon and discharged into the tube 9 from the second container 11.
The argon gas containing the vapor of halogenated organic compound is mixed with the argon gas containing the water vapor, at the branching point J of the tube 9. The mixture gas is forced into the groove 5 via the hole 8 in the nozzle 3. The mixture gas then passes through the numerous minute holes 7 formed in the plate 6 and is ejected into the tube 2. Finally, the mixture gas is admitted into the plasma P. At this time, the temperature of the plasma is between 10,000° C. and 15,000° C. The halogenated organic compound introduced into the plasma P are decomposed at a high efficiency because of the high temperature and caused to react.
Where trichlorofluoromethane (Freon 11) CCl3 F is decomposed as a halogenated organic compound within the plasma, the compound reacts with water as given by
CCl3 F+2H2 O=CO2 +3 HCl+HF (1)
The exhaust fumes containing the decomposed molecules are sent to the cyclone 24 through the exhaust tube 23 from the opening 22 of the tube 2 that is located close to the bottom of the tube 2. At this time, if the water is insufficient in quantity as compared with the Freon 11, excessive carbon will be produced. Fine powder of carbon and other substances contained in the exhaust fumes are trapped in the cyclone 24. The gas passed through the cyclone 24 is introduced into the water solution of a potassium hydroxide 26 in the container 27 through the tube 25. As a result, the exhaust fumes containing acids such as HCl and HF are neutralized. The neutralized gas is admitted into the container 30 from the bottom of the container 26 via the exhaust tube 28 and then dehydrated by the calcium oxide 29 in the container 30. The dehydrated gas is a stable compound which hardly affects the environment. This gas is appropriately emitted into the atmosphere.
Since the high-temperature plasma P is produced close to the nozzle 3, this nozzle is heated by the plasma. Because the temperature of the plasma P is quite high, there arises the possibility that the nozzle melts or deforms. Therefore, it is necessary to form a coolant passage in the nozzle 3 and to circulate a coolant such as water or oil through the passage, for cooling the nozzle. If the temperature of the coolant is so low that the nozzle is cooled excessively, then the vaporized halogenated organic compound and water forced into the groove 5 through the hole 8 return into droplets. For this reason, it is desired to preheat the coolant to about 40° C. to 50° C., for preventing the nozzle from getting cooled excessively.
Table 1 shows the results of an experiment conducted to decompose trichlorofluoromethane (Freon 11) CCl3 F that is a halogenated organic compound, by the aforementioned system. In this experiment, the above-described system was used, and a gas chromatograph (not shown) was connected with the discharge tube 31. Qualitative and quantitative analyses were made of the gas decomposed by the plasma. The used induction plasma generator was operated under the following conditions:
______________________________________flow rate of argon gas 40 l/minRF power supplyplate voltage 6 KVplate current 2.2 Areaction pressure 1 atm.______________________________________
TABLE 1______________________________________concentration of added gas Freon 11gas of halogenated gas decompositionorganic compound kind concentration ratio______________________________________2.2% over 99%2.2% H2 2.5% 62%2.2% H2 O 2.5% over 99%______________________________________
As can be seen from Table 1, when only a CFC was introduced into the plasma, the decomposition ratio of the Freon 11 exceeded 99%. However, a large amount of carbon adhered to the inner wall of the tube 2. When hydrogen gas was introduced into the plasma together with Freon 11, the decomposition reaction did not proceed after a decomposition ratio of 62% was reached. Also, deposition of carbon was not suppressed. On the other hand, when a mixture of Freon 11 and water was admitted into the plasma, the decomposition rate exceeded 99%. Further, generation of carbon was greatly suppressed. When a metal compound, such as calcium oxide (not shown in Table 1) was added instead of hydrogen gas or water, a metal halide such as calcium chloride or calcium fluoride was obtained. Such metal halides are stable compounds and hardly affect the environment.
Table 2 shows the results of an experiment performed to decompose 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (Freon 113) CCl2 FCClF2. This experiment shows that when only Freon 113 was decomposed at a rate exceeding 99%, in the same way as Freon 11. When water was added to Freon 113, the decomposition rate exceeded 99%. Also, generation of carbon was greatly suppressed. The used induction plasma generator was operated in the same conditions as in the aforementioned experiment on decomposition of Freon 11.
TABLE 2______________________________________concentration of added gas Freon 113gas of halogenated gas decompositionorganic compound kind concentration ratio______________________________________0.57% over 99%0.57% H2 2.5% 99%0.57% H2 O 2.6% over 99%______________________________________
Referring to FIG. 2, there is shown another system according to the invention. It is to be noted that like components are denoted by like reference numerals throughout all the figures. In this example, a torch 1 has a nozzle 3 provided with a hole 8 connected with a groove 5. The nozzle 3 is centrally provided with a hole 50. A tube 9 through which carrier gas flows from a first container 10 and a second container 11 is connected with the central hole 50. In the first container 10, argon has is bubbled through a halogenated organic compound. In the second container 11, argon gas is bubbled through water. A tube 52 is connected with the hole 8 and also with an argon gas source 20 via a flow controller 51.
In this example, when the system is in its initial condition, the selector valve 19 mounted in the tube 9 is operated to supply argon gas from the argon gas source 20 into the hole 50 in the nozzle 3. The argon gas from the argon gas source 20 is supplied into the groove 5 via the hole 8, at a flow rate controlled by the flow controller 51. Therefore, inside the tube 2, argon gas is ejected at two locations, i.e., from minute holes 7 in the plate 6 and from the hole 50. Under this condition, RF waves are supplied to an RF coil 4, and a plasma P is ignited by an igniting mechanism.
Thereafter, the selector valve 19 is switched to the other state. Instead of the argon gas from the argon gas source 20, the gases from the first container 10 and the second container 11 are ejected into the tube 2 via the hole 50 in the nozzle 3. As a result, the halogenated organic compound admitted into plasma P is decomposed at a high efficiency because of high temperature, in the same way as in the example described already in connection with FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 3, there is shown a further system according to the invention. A torch 1 has a nozzle 3 provided with a hole 8 connected with a groove 5. A tube 61 is connected with the hole 8 and also with an argon gas source 63 via a flow controller 62. A tube 64 is inserted into the central portion of the nozzle 3. A tube 65 is mounted inside the tube 64. Therefore, the central portion of the nozzle 3 is of double structure. The outer tube 64 is connected with a mixer 66. A halogenated organic compound 68 held in a container 67 is supplied into the mixer 66 by a pump 69. Also, water 71 received in a container 70 is supplied into the mixer 66 by a pump 72. The tube 65 is connected with an argon gas source 74 via a flow controller 73.
In the initial state of the system constructed as described above, argon gas is supplied at an adequate flow rate from the argon gas source 63 via the flow controller 62, forced through the tube 61, the hole 8, the groove 5, and the minute holes 7, and ejected into the tube 2. Under this condition, RF waves are fed to an RF coil 4 to ignite a plasma P by an igniting mechanism (not shown). Then, the pumps 69 and 72 are operated to supply both halogenated organic compound and water into the mixer 66, where they are mixed together. The mixture liquid passes through the tube 64 into the outer tube of the double tubes mounted in the center of the nozzle 3.
Argon gas is supplied from the argon gas source 74 into the inner tube 65 of the double tubes in the center of the nozzle 3 at a flow rate controlled by the flow controller 73. At the front end of the double tubes, argon gas is ejected from the inner tube. This atomizes the mixture of the halogenated organic compound and water supplied from the outer tube of the double tubes. The atomized mixture is introduced into the plasma together with argon gas.
The decomposition of Freon 11 proceeds within the plasma as given by equation (1) above. If reacting substances are maintained at high temperatures for a long time, the decomposition reaction proceeds further, producing hazardous substances such as dioxin. FIG. 4 shows an example of the invention which is designed, taking the above consideration into account. In this example, an annular passage 80 is formed in the tube 2. A multiplicity of minute holes 81 are formed in the inner wall of the passage 80. A tube 84 which is connected with an argon gas source 88 via a flow controller 82 is connected with the passage 80. The flow rate of the gas from the argon gas source 88 is appropriately controlled by the flow controller 82, and the gas is supplied into the passage 80. Then, the argon gas is ejected into the tube 2 from numerous minute holes 11.
In the system described just above, the argon gas from the minute holes 81 in the passage 80 is injected into the plasma P. Consequently, the plasma is momentarily cooled. The portion of the plasma into which gas stream is admitted disappears. Hence, the decomposed halogenated organic compound is prevented from being placed in the plasma for a long time. Thus, no excessive reactions proceed. In this way, production of hazardous by-products is prevented.
In the above examples, argon gas is ejected into plasma. If generation of NOx produces no problems, nitrogen gas may be ejected. Also, water may be ejected instead of gas. In this case, HC1 and HF produced by decomposition are absorbed into water. This absorption is promoted by ejecting an alkaline water solution into plasma flame and neutralizing the acids. An alkaline gas such as ammonia may be used to neutralize the acids. In this case, the acid gases can be converted into solids such as ammonium chloride and ammonium fluoride by neutralization. Also in the above examples, argon gas is ejected from the minute holes 11 to extinguish plasma. Alternatively, an annular slit is formed, and gas or liquid is injected into a plasma from this slit.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that the foregoing and other changes in form and details can be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the nozzle of the torch is provided with a single groove. Argon gas and carrier gas containing a vaporized halogenated organic compound are interchangeably supplied into the groove. The carrier gas is caused to contain the vapor of the organic compound by bubbling gas through the organic compound. The nozzle may also be provided with two grooves one of which is supplied with argon gas and carrier gas interchangeably. The carrier gas is made to contain a vaporized halogenated organic compound by bubbling gas through the organic compound. The other groove is constantly supplied with argon gas. Also in the above examples, halogenated organic compounds are decomposed by an RF induction plasma generator. This plasma generator for decomposing the compounds may be of direct heating type. In the above description, halogenated organic compounds in liquid phase are introduced into plasma. The invention is also applicable to the case in which halogenated organic compounds in gaseous or liquid phase are decomposed.
Having thus described our invention with the detail and particularity required by the Patent Laws, what is claimed and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the following claims.
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|US5051557 *||Jun 7, 1989||Sep 24, 1991||The United States Of America As Represented By The Secretary Of The Department Of Health And Human Services||Microwave induced plasma torch with tantalum injector probe|
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|US5641412 *||Oct 16, 1995||Jun 24, 1997||Guy; Christophe||Free radical oxidation process and installation for treating liquid effluents contaminated by organic substances|
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|US6888040 *||Jun 28, 1996||May 3, 2005||Lam Research Corporation||Method and apparatus for abatement of reaction products from a vacuum processing chamber|
|US8647580 *||Jul 19, 2005||Feb 11, 2014||Edwards Limited||Gas abatement|
|US8664560||Dec 22, 2004||Mar 4, 2014||Lam Research Corporation||Method and apparatus for abatement of reaction products from a vacuum processing chamber|
|US20030065310 *||Sep 10, 2002||Apr 3, 2003||Yulun Wang||Method and apparatus for performing minimally invasive cardiac procedures|
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|US20100061908 *||Jul 19, 2005||Mar 11, 2010||James Robert Smith||Gs Abatement|
|U.S. Classification||219/121.52, 219/121.49, 588/316, 219/121.48, 588/900, 588/406, 588/311, 219/121.51, 315/111.51|
|International Classification||A62D3/34, B01J19/12, A62D3/19, A62D101/22, A62D3/00, H05H1/30|
|Cooperative Classification||Y10S588/90, A62D2101/22, A62D3/19, B01J2219/0877, B01J2219/0884, H05H1/30, A62D2203/10, B01J2219/0898, B01J19/129|
|European Classification||B01J19/12D12, H05H1/30, A62D3/19|
|Mar 30, 1998||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|Mar 21, 2002||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 8
|Apr 26, 2006||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|Oct 11, 2006||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|Dec 5, 2006||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20061011


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Last year, we were classified under Tier 3 of the US State Department’s Trafficking in Persons (TIPs) Report (2021). The US Department in its TIPs Report (2022) has this to say – in the opening remarks: “… Malaysia does not fully meet the minimum standards for the elimination of trafficking and is not making significant efforts to do so … [therefore, the country] remained on Tier 3”.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? It’s the same opening remarks as in the TIPs Report (2021) except that “downgraded” was used instead of “remained”.
It’s as if that we are always behind the “curve” and having to step into Groundhog Day, i.e., going through the same cycle of bad experience all over again.
Again, “[a]s in previous years, the government did not adequately address or criminally pursue credible allegations from multiple sources alleging [labour] trafficking in the rubber manufacturing industry and palm oil sector, with the government owning 33 percent of the third-largest palm oil company in the world”.
Worryingly, the government’s anti-trafficking policy implementation thrust seems to have slackened – due to lack of focus, prioritisation and concerted effort.
As noted in the TIPs Report (2022), Malaysia’s Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act (2007) criminalises labour trafficking and sex trafficking and prescribed punishments of three to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine. The Report commended the prescribed punishments as “sufficiently stringent and, with respect to sex trafficking, commensurate with those prescribed for other serious offenses, such as rape”.
Malaysia’s downgrade comes at a time when we had amended Atipsom for the third time already. Two improvements to Atipsom were passed by Parliament in 2010 and 2015. The latest was in December 2021 – in the form of Atipsom (Amendment) Act (2022).
Some 17 amendments were made for the 2022 Act. The key changes were as follows:
The definition of human trafficking is widened that included the repeal of the requirement for coercion.
Nevertheless, as the Report observed, the same challenge persists whereby officials did not consistently comprehend the definition of trafficking and continued to interpret requirement as necessitating the physicalrestraint of a victim. This meant prosecutors did not pursue many potential trafficking cases – especially in cases where coercion (i.e., in general and all-inclusive) was a primary element used by traffickers.
Critically, officials also “continued to conflate human trafficking [i.e., where there exists elements of coercion or force] and migrant smuggling [which usually denotes voluntary submission], which impeded overall anti-trafficking law enforcement and victim identification efforts”.
Increased punishment – in the form of increased prison sentences and introduction of whipping.
The relevant sections are Sections 13, 14, 15A, 19, 26A, 26B, and 26C. In addition, Furthermore, to strengthen the statutory duty to prosecute officials who are complicit in human trafficking and smuggling, amendments also include the insertions of sections 13(f) and 26B(d) of Atipsom which provide that “a public officer who commits an offence of trafficking in persons and smuggling of migrants respectively in the performance of his public duties commits an aggravated offence …” which results in imprisonment for life or for a term not less than five years, and whipping.
Specific provision aimed at criminalising the trafficking of a physically or mentally disabled person – with the amended section 14.
Provision of protective officers and shelters for victims – with the insertion of section 42(3) which provides for the Minister for Women, Family and Community Development to be responsible for any matter relating to the management, administration and control over the place of shelter or refuge.
Notwithstanding and despite all three amendments, including the 2022 Act, it seems that we still lack the political will and are hampered by institutional(ised) and structural inertia in ensuring that the intended outcomes and provisions are materialised (and on a higher level).
The TIPs Report (2022) has identified several measures to redress the setbacks.
Among these are:
Increase efforts to identify trafficking victims among vulnerable populations, including household workers and workers in the palm oil and rubber manufacturing sectors.
Train relevant officials, including police, labour inspectors, and immigration officials, on standard operating procedures (SOPs) for victim identification that include information on trafficking indicators.
Increase efforts to investigate, prosecute, and convict more trafficking cases as distinct from migrant smuggling – including those involving complicit officials and forced labour crimes.
Expand labour protections for domestic workers and investigate allegations of domestic worker abuse.
Make public the results of investigations involving corrupt officials to increase transparency and deterrence and hold officials criminally accountable when they violate the law.
Increase law enforcement capacity to investigate and prosecute trafficking cases, including by improving interagency coordination.
Effectively enforce the law prohibiting employers from retaining passports without employees’ consent, including by increasing resources for labour inspectors, and include provisions explicitly stating passports will remain in the employee’s possession in model contracts and future bilateral memoranda of understanding (MOU) with labour source countries.
Improve case management and communication with trafficking victims, including the consistent use of interpreters and the Victim Assistance Specialist (VAS) programme.
Expand efforts to inform migrant workers of their rights and Malaysian labour laws, including their rights to maintain access to their passports at any time, as well as opportunities for legal remedies to exploitation.
Create a system for access to timely and accurate interpretation in victims’ primary languages available to law enforcement, the court system, and shelters.
Expand cooperation with NGOs, including through financial or in-kind support to NGOs to provide some victim rehabilitation services.
Eliminate recruitment or placement fees charged to workers by recruiters and ensure recruitment fees are paid by employers.
Increase the number of trafficking victims who obtain approval for freedom of movement from shelters, expand freedom of movement to include unchaperoned movement, and increase victims’ access to communication with people outside shelter facilities.
Reduce prosecution delays, including by providing improved guidance to prosecutors on pursuing trafficking charges, and increase judicial familiarity with the full range of trafficking crimes, particularly forced labour.
Increase efforts to identify trafficking victims from the People’s Republic of China (PRC) (and Democratic People’s Republic of Korea/North Korea) workers on Chinese government-affiliated infrastructure projects.
Not least, EMIR Research calls for a Second Minister for Human Resources (Human Trafficking and Smuggling) to be appointed – from civil society. The Second Minister will take over from the Minister of Human Resources on all matters pertaining to trafficking in persons and human smuggling and will be the sole minister concerned sitting and representing the government in Mapo ((Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Council).
Already section 6(2) of the 2022 Act has provided for the inclusion of more members from NGOs in Mapo – by increasing their participation from five to eight persons. Five persons are to possess experience, knowledge and expertise in problems and issues relating to trafficking in persons whilst the other three should have experience, knowledge and expertise in problems and issues relating to smuggling of migrants.
A paradigm shift by the government remains in order to ensure that the 2022 Act together with the weaknesses and gaps identified in the TIPS Report (2022) are fully implemented and enforced.
Trafficking in persons and modern slavery should be conceptualised and regarded as going beyond criminality, i.e., a breach of national security. Just as in the case of food security, human trafficking weakens our security and sovereignty. This by enabling the infiltration, exfiltration, penetration and by-passing of the nation’s borders and territory.
This in turn exposes and reinforces weaknesses and defects in as well as undermines our national security which could be easily exploited in a hypothetical scenario by a potential enemy/aggressor – to carry out terrorist or subversive acts, e.g., decapitation tactic aimed at the centre of gravity, i.e., the political and administrative elite or leadership.
Although even since the Haadyai Accord (1989) between the government of Malaysia and the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), we have never experienced any terrorist threat – or even to the extent like the situation in the Republic of Korea (ROK) with the North Korean (DPRK) commando raid on the presidential Blue House in 1968, any compromise of our national security that isn’t seriously addressed risks undermining our nation’s defence strategy and capabilities.
The State should re-think its attitude towards human trafficking and migrant smuggling by importing and integrating anti-insurgency strategies and tactics – of which are we’re very experienced – in the effort to combat modern slavery.
The problem is also linked to the wider issue of systemic corruption and malpractices among enforcement and other public officials. Tackling the issue of human trafficking and smuggling is, therefore, should also be seen as part of eradicating the scourge of corruption from our society.
Lastly but not least, being on Tier 3 second in a row is a huge national and international embarrassment.
Let’s make our way towards Tier 1 and restore the lost shine to our international reputation (which has been marred on other fronts also).
Jason Loh Seong Wei is Head of Social, Law & Human Rights at EMIR Research, an independent think tank focussed on strategic policy recommendations based on rigorous research.


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Dr. Charles Frank Paraboschi MD and FACC is a male Internist, has 22 years of experience and practices in Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiology, Thoracic Surgery, and Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery.
A medical license is required for a doctor to practice medicine in a particular state. Requirements vary by state but most require, at a minimum, post-graduate training in the doctor’s specific specialty. An NPI number is a national identifier unique to an individual health care provider and is managed by the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).
Learn more about Dr. Charles Paraboschi:
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The overall average patient rating of Dr. Charles Paraboschi is Excellent.
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Specialties & Research
Dr. Charles Paraboschi, MD, FACC is board certified in Internal Medicine and Cardiovascular Disease.
He has special expertise in 17 Areas, including Angina Angina Pectoris, Aortic Diseases, and Atrial Fibrillation.14 more special expertise areas
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Dr. Paraboschi graduated from University of Pittsburgh . He has 2 awards.
Dr. Paraboschi has 16 hospital affiliations:
- Capital Health System - Mercer Campus
- Hospital of the University of PA
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Dr. Paraboschi accepts these health insurances in at least one office:
- United Healthcare - 2 plans
- Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield - 2 plans
- Independence Blue Cross - 2 plans
- Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey - 2 plans
- Unicare - 2 plans
- Oxford Health Plans - 2 plans
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- Where does Dr. Charles F. Paraboschi practice?
Dr. Charles Paraboschi practices Internal Medicine, Cardiovascular Disease, Cardiology, Thoracic Surgery, and Cardiothoracic Vascular Surgery near Newtown, PA.
Additional practice locations include: Yardley, PA and Lawrenceville, NJ.
See Newtown Internists, Newtown Cardiologists, and Newtown Cardiothoracic Surgeons.

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text:
The prevalence of antibiotic use in long-term care facilities (LTCF) is high and in many cases it may not be in accordance with local guidelines. It is important to review interventions that aim to improve the quality of antibiotic prescribing in this setting.
The objective of this systematic review was to collect and interpret the results of studies of interventions to improve the quality of, or appropriateness of antibiotic prescribing in LTCF in order to determine the key components for a successful intervention.
A search of The Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, ISI Web of Knowledge, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, the Database of Abstracts of Review of Effects (DARE), the Health Technology Assessments (HTA) at the Centres for Reviews and Dissemination (CRD) and Google Scholar was conducted from their inception to August 2012. A manual search of the grey literature and relevant journals was also conducted.
Studies were selected that were randomised controlled trials of an intervention to improve the quality of antibiotic prescribing, or increase adherence to a prescribing guideline or reduce the amount of antibiotic prescribing. All studies were conducted in the long-term care setting. The search strategy found four randomised controlled trials that met the inclusion criteria, from an initial 1,904 titles.
The risk of bias assessment of the included studies was conducted using the Cochrane Risk of Bias Table. Due to the heterogeneity of the interventions, study designs and outcome measures, a meta-analysis was not conducted.
Four studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. Three studies directed educational material and sessions at physicians and nurses, with one of the three studies providing prescribing feedback as well. The fourth study provided educational material and prescribing feedback for physicians only. Due to the mixed and modest effects of the interventions and the variety of interventions implemented, it is difficult to attribute the success of any intervention to just one component alone. It seems that a multifaceted intervention involving small group educational sessions and the provision of educational materials is generally acceptable to nurses and physicians in LTCF. The involvement of local consensus procedures when developing guidelines and interventions may improve the success of the intervention.
A limitation of this systematic review is the small number of studies that met the inclusion criteria.
Interventions in the long-term care setting involving local consensus procedures, educational strategies, and locally developed guidelines may improve the quality of antibiotic prescribing, but the quality of the evidence is low. Due to the poor quality of evidence and mixed results, no definitive conclusion can be reached about the effect of the interventions. Future research in this area needs to include process evaluation research in order to define the characteristics contributing to the success or failure of any intervention. The contribution of a multidisciplinary antibiotic management team, which could include a pharmacist, a nurse and specialists in microbiology and infectious diseases and geriatrics, needs further investigation in order to improve antibiotic prescribing practices in LTCF.


text:
Since my review of Tyler Florence’s Wayfare Tavern came out on Sunday, I’ve been craving the steak tartare.
This is one of the old-time classic dishes that was shoved into the trash can after the rise of tuna tartare and the publicity about mad cow and other problems with raw meat. But like just about everything else, the issue has either been resolved or we’ve ceased to care that much.
In the last few years, raw chopped beef has come back strong again. When it’s done well, it’s sublime; when done poorly, as I found out twice last month, it’s best left in the past. It’s all about the texture and what’s added to it. If chopped too fine, the meat becomes gummy and gooey; not fine enough, it can be tough and unpleasant.
Fortunately, some places do it just right. The Wayfare version has a pungent mustard dressing with sweet shallots, salty capers, the creaminess of organic egg yolk, the punch of Tabasco and a scattering of herbs. It’s a perfect pairing with another old-fashioned favorite: a martini. Gin is best, but vodka isn’t too shabby either.
Among my other favorite versions of steak tartare:
Bix: The reataurant hand-chops Angus beef and mixes it tableside with capers, mustard and the sweet crunch of shallots.
Marlowe: Here the beef is boldly seasoned and shaped into a patty with a poached quail egg on top. Diners can mix it in and spread on the accompanying grilled bread.
Left Bank, Larkspur: The huge, loose patty is served with sweet cornichons so the blend has a slight sweetness. It’s topped with an egg yolk and served with a generous basket of grilled bread.
If you have a favorite, let me know.
Note: Since Monday is a holiday, I’m taking the day off. Let’s talk again on Tuesday.


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More bad economic news from Spain sent the value of the Euro to its lowest levels against the Norwegian krone for nearly 10 years on Monday. Industrial exporters in Norway are once again viewing their own strong Norwegian currency as a threat.
One euro amounted to just NOK 7.36 on Monday, down from NOK 7.37 on Friday, which itself had been its lowest value against the krone in a decade. While Norwegians on summer holiday in Europe can enjoy even lower prices than they do at home, because of the favourable exchange rate for them as tourists, Europeans find Norway even more expensive than usual.
That’s because the cost of buying everything from timber to salmon to Norwegian industrial products is high compared to other countries where they’ll find a more favourable exchange rate. And that’s what worries industrial firms in Norway, as well as furniture makers and other businesses that already have foreign competitors with much lower labour costs than they do.
“What we’re seeing in the markets is a general weakness of the euro because of new anxiety in the euro zone,” Lars-Erik Aas of Nordea Markets told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) on Monday. Aas noted that Spanish interest rates are at their highest level since the 1990s, because of concern over the condition of Spanish banks. Two regions of Spain had to ask for support from the authorities over the weekend, added Aas, while interest rates rose to over 7 percent.
Scandinavian safe haven
Meanwhile, Norway’s strong oil-fueled economy has kept interest rates and unemployment low. The economic strength is still attracting lots of foreign capital, though, from investors who view most of Scandinavia as a safe haven for their money, reported newspaper Aftenposten. They seem willing to forego higher interest rates in return for safety in an otherwise turbulent economic world.
Norway’s central bank kept interest rates at record low levels when its executive board met for the last time before the summer holidays last month. The key lending rate has been resting at just 1.5 percent and doesn’t seem likely to be raised, according to economists.
Views and News from Norway/Nina Berglund
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