text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Aug 17, 2004
|Filing date
|Aug 13, 1999
|Priority date
|Aug 13, 1999
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Hanif M. Ladak, Aaron Fenster, Donal B. Downey, David A. Steinman
|Original Assignee
|Hanif M. Ladak, Aaron Fenster, Donal B. Downey, David A. Steinman
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (10), Non-Patent Citations (5), Referenced by (55), Classifications (19), Legal Events (5)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This invention relates in general to medical imaging systems, and more specifically to a method of prostate boundary segmentation from 2D and 3D ultrasound images.
Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in men over the age of 50, and is found at autopsy in 30% of men at the age of 50, 40% at age 60, and almost 90% at age 90. Worldwide, it is the second leading cause of death due to cancer in men, accounting for between 2.1% and 15.2% of all cancer deaths. In Canada, about 20,000 new prostate cancer cases will be diagnosed and about 4,000 men will die from this disease every year.
Symptoms due to carcinoma of the prostate are generally absent until extensive local growth or metastases develop, accounting for the fact that only 65% of patients are diagnosed with locally confined disease. Once the tumour has extended beyond the prostate, the risk of metastasis increases dramatically. Tumours smaller than 1 to 1.5 cm3 rarely broach the prostatic capsule. When diagnosed at this early stage, the disease is curable, and even at later stages treatment can be effective. Nevertheless, treatment options vary depending on the extent of the cancer, and prognosis worsens when diagnosis occurs at an advanced stage.
The challenges facing physicians managing patients with possible prostate cancer are to: (a) diagnose clinically relevant cancers at a stage when they are curable, (b) stage and grade the disease accurately, (c) apply the appropriate therapy accurately to optimize destruction of cancer cells while preserving adjacent normal tissues, (d) follow patients to assess side effects and the effectiveness of the therapy.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,562,095, 5,454,371 and 5,842,473 focused on challenges (a) and (b). These patents describe a 3D ultrasound imaging technique for the diagnosis of prostate cancer. Extension of the e concepts for prostate cryosurgery are described in commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 60/321,049, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.
An important aspect in the establishment of the appropriate prostate therapy is the accurate segmentation (i.e., extraction) of the prostate boundary and other anatomical structures (rectal wall, urethra, bladder). Assignment of the appropriate therapy or dose to the prostate requires that the prostate volume be accurately measured.
In situations where the image contrast is great (e.g., in fluid filled regions in ultrasound images), the segmentation task is relatively easy and many approaches can be used. However, ultrasound images of the prostate are very difficult to segment because the contrast is low, and the image suffers from speckle, shadowing and other artifacts. In performing ultrasound image segmentation, traditional local image processing operators like edge detectors are inadequate in and of themselves for finding the boundary, due to speckle, shadowing and other image artifacts.
The variability in prostate volume measurements using a conventional 2D technique is high, because current ultrasound volume measurement techniques assume an idealized elliptical shape and use only simple measures of the width in two views (see Tong S, Cardinal H N, McLoughlin R F, Downey D B, Fenster A, "Intra- and inter-observer variability and reliability of prostate volume measurement via 2D and 3D ultrasound imaging", Ultrasound in Med & Biol 1998; 24:673-681, and Elliot T L, Downey D B, Tong S, Mclean C A, Fenster A, "Accuracy of prostate volume measurements in vitro using three-dimensional ultrasound", Acad Radiol 1996; 3:401-406).
Manual contouring of sequential cross-sectional 2D CT or TRUS (transrectal ultrasound) prostate images has reduced this variability, but this approach is time-consuming and arduous, making it impractical during an intra-operative procedure.
Region-based neural net approaches require extensive teaching sets, are slow, and make addition of user specified boundary information difficult. Contour-based methods, such as "snakes" implementation of active contours are slow, complex, and sensitive to the initial choice of contour.
According to the present invention, a fast semi-automatic prostate contouring method is provided using model-based initialization and an efficient Discrete Dynamic Contour (DDC) for boundary refinement. The user initiates the process of the preferred embodiment by identifying four (4) points on the prostate boundary, thereby scaling and shaping a prostate model, and then the final prostate contour is refined with a DDC.
The method of the present invention can encompass a 2D segmentation technique or alternatively extend to the segmentation of objects in 3D
The method of the present invention has particular application during the pre-implant planning phase of a brachytherapy procedure. However, this method also has uses in any phase of dose planning in the brachytherapy procedure or any other therapy approach.
Various embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings in which:
FIGS. 1(a)-1(d) show a prior art segmentation technique using DDC, wherein FIG. 1(a) shows an initial DDC drawn by the user, FIG. 1(b) shows the early stage of deformation, FIG. 1(c) shows the later stage of deformation, and FIG. 1(d) shows the final deformed DDC.
FIG. 2 shows an example of configuration of the prior art DDC.
FIG. 3 shows forces as vector quantities having both direction and magnitude, for the configuration of FIG. 2.
FIGS. 4(a)-4(c) show image energy and force field for a vertical edge of an ultrasound image, wherein FIG. 4(a) shows the edge modeled as a step edge (i.e., an edge wherein there is a drastic transition in gray levels, FIG. 4(b) shows the energy field associated with the edge, and FIG. 4(c) shows the image force field.
FIGS. 5(a) and 5(b) are a representation of a curvature vector as a measure of angle between edges for 5(a) a large curvature, and 5(b) a small curvature.
FIG. 6 Flow chart showing implementation of the DDC deformation process utilized in the method of the present invention.
FIG. 7 is a flowchart for the 2D segmentation algorithm according to the present invention.
FIG. 8 shows the location of four user-selected points, labeled (1) to (4), on a prostate boundary, according to the method of the present invention.
FIGS. 9(a) and 9(b) show a first example of operation of the prostate segmentation algorithm of the present invention wherein FIG. 9(a) shows an initial outline with four user-selected points, and FIG. 9(b) shows the final segmented outline obtained after deforming the DDC.
FIGS. 10(a)-10(b) show the steps of segmentation and editing in a second example of operation of the present invention in which portions of the DDC do not follow the prostate boundary very well, wherein FIG. 10(a) shows an initial outline with four user-selected points, FIG. 10(b) shows the DDC after a first deformation, FIG. 10(c) shows three vertices (shown as squares) which are edited and clamped, followed by further deformation of the DDC, and FIG. 10(d) shows the outline after second deformation.
FIGS. 11(a)-11(d) show the segmentation of a "difficult" case according to the present invention, wherein FIG. 11(a) shows the initial outline with four user-selected points, FIG. 11(b) shows the DDC after first deformation, FIG. 11(c) shows five vertices (shown as squares) edited and clamped, and followed by a further deformation of the DDC, and FIG. 11(d) shows the outline after second deformation.
FIG. 12 shows a schematic diagram showing how the method to select sequences of 2D images out of the 3D volume to be used for the segmentation.
FIGS. 13(a)-13(ii) show a sequence of 2D images of the prostate segmented using the semi-automatic segmentation procedure extended to 3D. The images are parallel to each other separated by 1 mm. Image no. 15 was used to initiate the process by the semi-automatic 2D segmentation technique. Subsequent to the segmentation of that 2D image, the final boundary was used to initiate the segmentation of the next image. This process was repeated until the complete prostate was segmented.
As discussed above, DDC is a poly-line (i.e., a sequence of points connected by straight-line segments) used to deform a contour to fit features in an image. When using the DDC to segment an object from an image as originally described by Lobregt and Viergever in "A discrete dynamic contour model", IEEE Trans. Med. imag. 1995; 14:12-24, the user must first draw an approximate outline of the object. An example outline is shown in FIG. 1(a) for a typical 2D US (ultrasound) image of the prostate The DOC is initialized to this outline and is automatically deformed to fit features of interest, which in this case consist of edges that define the boundary of the prostate. FIGS. 1(b) and 1(c) show two stages in the deformation of the DDC. Note that points are automatically added to or deleted from the DDC as it deforms to allow it to better conform to the boundary. FIG. 1(d) shows the final deformed DDC. In this example, the final shape conforms well to the prostate boundary except in some areas where artifacts and noise in the image cause parts of the DDC to deform towards them and away from the prostate boundary.
The configuration of the DDC is shown in FIG. 2. As illustrated, the unit edge vector {circumflex over (d)}i points from vertex i to vertex i+1. A local tangential unit vector, {circumflex over (t)}1, is
defined at vertex i from the two edge vectors associated with the vertex: where ∥-∥ denotes magnitude of a vector. A local radial unit vector {circumflex over (r)}1 can be computed from {circumflex over (t)}i by rotating it by B/2 radians: {circumflex over (r)}i and {circumflex over (t)}i define a local coordinate system attached to vertex t.
The operation of the DDC is based on simple dynamics. A weighted combination of internal (), image () and damping () forces is applied to each vertex i of the DDC, resulting in a total force :
where wi img and wi int are relative weights for the image and internal forces, respectively. It should be noted that these forces are vector quantities, having both magnitude and direction as shown in FIG. 3. For the prostate, image forces act to drive vertices towards the edges. These forces can be defined at each pixel of the
image as:
where E represents the "energy" associated with a pixel having coordinates (xo, yo), GΦ is a Gaussian smoothing kernel with a characteristic width of Φ and I is the image. The * operator represents convolution, and is the gradient operator. The energy has a local maximum at an edge, and the force computed from the energy serves to localize this edge. The factor of two in Equation (4 b) gives the magnitude of the image force a range of zero to two, which is the same as that for the internal force defined below. A sample energy field and its associated force field for a simulated image of an edge are shown in FIG. 4. It should be noted that image forces have effect over a limited spatial extent around an edge as shown by the concentration of energy around the edge in FIG. 4(b). The extent of this "capture range" is determined by σ in Equation (4 a), and becomes larger as a becomes larger. Although a large capture range is desirable to compensate for deficiencies in the initial outlining of the DDC by the user (e.g., some vertices on the initial DDC may be outside of the capture range), a large value of a can result in poor localization of the desired edge. A large σ also offers the advantage of increased noise suppression. According to a successful implementation of the present invention, for prostate images, a value of σ=5 pixels was selected as a compromise.
To evaluate the image force acting on vertex i of the DDC, the force field represented by Equation (4 b) is sampled at vertex coordinates (x1, y,) using bilinear interpolation. Furthermore, only the radial component of the field is applied at the vertex since the tangential component can potentially cause vertices to bunch up as the DDC deforms, so the resultant image force at vertex i is:
where � denotes a vector dot product.
The internal force acts to minimize local curvature at each vertex, keeping the DDC smooth in the presence of image noise. It is defined as:
is the curvature vector at vertex i. The curvature vector is a measure of the angle between two edges as shown in FIG. 5. Although simply taking to be proportional to , could achieve the goal of minimizing local curvature, the definition in Equation (6) has the advantage of preventing the DDC from collapsing to a point in the absence of image forces.
The damping force at vertex i is taken to be proportional to the velocity at that vertex:
where w1 d is a negative weighting factor. The damping force keeps the DDC stable (i.e., prevents oscillations) during deformation.
For simplicity, uniform weights for the image, internal and damping forces were selected for the result shown in FIG. 1 and for all subsequent segmentations. The weights were taken to be w1 img=1.0, w1 int=0.3 and w1 d=−0.5 for each vertex. Although these values were selected experimentally, the larger weighting for the image force favors deformation of the contour towards edges rather than smoothing due to internal forces. Had the images been much noisier, a larger weight would have been given to the internal forces The selection of a weight for the damping force appears to be less critical, and a small negative value was found to provide good stability.
Deformation of the DDC is governed by the above forces and is implemented as a simple numerical integration depicted in FIG. 6. The position of vertex i on the DDC at time t+Δt is calculated from its position at time t using the following finite-difference equations:
where is the position of the vertex, is its acceleration, m, is its mass and Δt is the time step for numerical integration. For simplicity, the mass of each vertex is taken to be unity. The initial position of each vertex (i.e., the position at t=0) is specified by the user-drawn contour, and the initial velocity and acceleration are set to zero. The position, velocity and acceleration of each vertex are then iteratively updated using the above equations. After each iteration, the DDC is "resampled" to add or remove vertices from it as described in greater detail below. Iterations continue until all vertices come to a rest, which occurs when the velocity and acceleration of each vertex become approximately zero (i.e., when ∥∥≦ε1 and ∥∥≦ε2 where ε1 and ε2 are two small positive constants close to zero). A time step of unity is used for the integration.
As discussed above, because 2D US images of the prostate suffer from speckle, shadowing and refraction, the boundary of the prostate is, at times, difficult to define. In addition the contrast between the prostate and surrounding structures is low and dependent on the system's transducer and ultrasound frequency. These effects combine to make the choice of initial boundary crucial in allowing the DDC to converge to the correct boundary. Vertices on the DDC must be initialized close enough to the desired boundary to be attracted to it and not to nearby extraneous edges. Accurate initialization can require substantial user effort since the user may be required to enter many points as shown in FIG. 1(a). To overcome this problem, according to the present invention prostate-specific shape information is incorporated into the initialization phase. With this approach, it is possible to obtain a good estimate of the prostate boundary with very little user input. Even with good initialization, it is possible for the DDC to converge on strong non-prostate edges that are nearby. The incorporation of gradient direction information into the image force field can reduce the attraction of such features.
The algorithm of the present invention consists of three main phases: initialization, deformation and editing. Each process is described in detail below. The interaction of these processes is shown in FIG. 7. After having selected an image and adjusting the window and level, the user must initialize the DDC by selecting four points on the boundary. The user may select to clamp the four points, i.e., make them immobile. The initial DDC is then deformed If the DDC does accurately represent the prostate boundary after being deformed, it may be edited by allowing the user to interactively move vertices and clamp them. The edited DDC may be further deformed if needed.
As mentioned above, the DDC initialization routine of the present invention requires the user to select only four points, labeled from (1) to (4) in FIG. 8. Points (1) and (3) lie on the approximate axis of symmetry. A local x-y coordinate system may be defined by orienting they axis from point (1) to point (3). The x axis is then taken to be perpendicular to they axis, and is oriented such that the cross product of the unit vector along the x axis and they axis (i.e., {circumflex over (x)}�ŷ) points out of the screen. The origin of the coordinate system is taken to be the average of points (1) and (3).
If the initial shape of the DDC is represented in parametric form as:
where s is a parameter that varies along the curve, then points (2) and (4) are selected on the "lobes" of the prostate where the local tangent to the curve at these points is parallel to they axis, i.e., points where
The ′ operator denotes differentiation with respect to s.
The four points decompose the prostate boundary into four distinct segments: segment 1-2 which starts from point 1 and ends at point 2 as well as segments 2-3, 3-4 and 4-1. The initial shape of the prostate is estimated by Hermitian interpolation of the endpoints to automatically obtain additional points within each segment. Cubic interpolation functions were found to provide a good approximation to a large range of prostate shapes, and have the following form:
where s is a parameter which varies from 0 at the swing point of the segment to 1 at the ending point and ai and bi (i=0,1,2,3) are coefficients.
To interpolate additional points within a segment, it is first necessary to calculate the coefficients of Equation (12). Two pieces of data are required at each endpoint: the value of the variable (either x or y) and the rate of change of that variable with respect to s (x′ or y′). Table 1 summarizes the information required for each segment. In the table, each segment is assumed to start at s=0 and end at s=1. Several points should be noted.
First, the tangents at points (1) and (3) are approximately parallel to the x axis, i.e., at these points we have
Here, the rate of change of x with respect to s is estimated from the user-selected points as listed in Table 1, which shows the data required to calculate coefficients for interpolation functions for each segment (1-2, 2-3, 3-4 and 4-1), where (x1, y1), (x2, Y2), (x3, y3) and (x4, y4) refer to the coordinates of the four user-selected points shown in FIG. 3.
Second, at points (2) and (4) where Equation (11) holds, the rate of change of y with respect to s must also be estimated as listed in the table. With these data, the coefficients can then be calculated using the formulae:
Once the coefficients are calculated, points are uniformly interpolated within each segment at every Δs=0.1 units. FIG. 9(a) shows the initial DDC estimated for the prostate image shown in FIG. 1.
After initialization, the DDC is deformed as described in detail above. The four user-selected points chosen during the initialization phase can be clamped prior to deformation to prevent them from moving or they can be unclamped allowing them to move with the rest of the DDC.
Although the initialization routine of the present invention is able to represent a wide range of prostate shapes, the initial shape may fall near strong edges representing other tissues or artifacts. These may pull the DDC towards them and away from the desired (prostate) boundary if the image forces defined by Equations (4) and (5) are used. The attraction of such boundaries can be reduced by using directional information, as described in Worring M, Smeulders A W M, Staib L H, Duncan, J S, "Parameterized feasible boundaries in gradient vector fields", Computer Vision Image Understanding 1996; 63:135-144 For US images of the prostate, this information represents the fact that the interior of the prostate appears darker than the exterior. Such information can be applied at vertex i of the DDC by modifying Equation (5):
It is important to note that {circumflex over (r)}(x,y) is an outward-pointing unit radial vector as defined by Equation (2). According to Equation (15), if the gray levels in the vicinity of vertex i vary from dark to light in the direction of the outer radial vector, a force is applied to the vertex; otherwise, no force is applied. FIG. 9(b) shows the DDC after deformation.
During deformation, the distance between adjacent vertices on the DDC can become larger, resulting in poor representation of the prostate boundary. After each iteration represented by Equation (9), the DDC is resampled so the distance between adjacent vertices is maintained at a uniform value of 20 pixels, which has been found to provide a good representation of the prostate boundary. When no vertices are clamped, resampling can be done very easily First, the x and y coordinates of each vertex are represented in parametric form as in Equation (10). However, the parametric variable s is chosen to be the length of the carve from the first vertex to the s vertex in question. The curve is then resampled along its entire length at equally-spaced values of length by linear interpolation of the existing vertices. This results in a new set of vertices which are used to represent the curve with the old ones being discarded. This approach presents a problem when some vertices are clamped since the clamped vertices may be eliminated after interpolation. To avoid this, clamped vertices are simply inserted back into the DDC after interpolation.
In extreme cases, the initialization routine may not place all of the vertices on the DDC close to the actual prostate boundary. FIG. 10(a) shows an example where some portions of an initial DDC (indicated by the arrows) are distant from the prostate boundary. As shown in FIG. 10(b), this portion of the DDC does not converge on the desired boundary since image forces have a limited capture range. It is possible to correct the segmented boundary by editing the DDC and re-deforming it. The user can drag a vertex on the DDC towards the desired boundary. The vertex may then be "clamped" so it does not move when the DDC is re-deformed. FIG. 10(c) shows a case where three vertices (as indicated by the squares) have been dragged closer to the prostate boundary and clamped. When a vertex is moved and clamped, adjacent vertices generally deform towards the clamped vertex under the influence of internal forces to minimize local curvature. If these vertices move to within the capture range of the prostate boundary, image forces carry the vertices the rest of the way to the boundary. The DDC after deforming it again is shown in FIG. 10(d).
The examples in FIGS. 9 and 10 represent cases that are of "little" or "medium" difficulty to segment. A more challenging example is shown in FIG. 11 where the prostate has a bulge at the top. This shape is difficult to initialize with cubic interpolation shape functions. One contouring strategy is to initialize the DDC by ignoring the bulge as shown in FIG. 11(a). The DDC does not deform into the bulge as shown in FIG. 11(b). Vertices along the top can be dragged and clamped into position as shown in FIG. 11(c). The final segmented outline is shown in FIG. 11(d).
Other embodiments and variations are possible. For example, although the preferred embodiment set forth herein addresses the problem of prostate segmentation, the principles of the invention may be applied to boundary segmentation of any solid object, including other organs within the human or anal anatomy, provided suitable modifications are made to the interpolations functions used to initialize the boundary prior to deformation.
Also, whereas the method according to the preferred embodiment is set forth as a 2D segmentation technique, it can be extended to segmentation of objects, such as the prostate, in 3D. Because the surface of the organ is continuous, a 2D image slice which is separated by only a small spacing from adjacent parallel slices is characterized by a similar boundary to the boundaries of the adjacent slices. Thus, by slicing an object (i.e. organ) in parallel slices with a sufficiently small spacing, the boundary of the object in adjacent 2D slices will be similar. Accordingly, the segmented boundary in one slice may be used as an initial boundary for the segmentation process in the adjacent slices. If the object boundaries are sufficiently close then the use of the initial boundary in the adjacent slices results in fast segmentation, without the need for editing.
The 3D embodiment of the present invention has been successfully implemented using a 3D ultrasound image of a patient's prostate. The 3D image was sliced in parallel slices 1 mm apart to produce 35 transaxial slices of the prostate. The approximate central slice was chosen as the staring slice (i.e., slice number 15). The prostate in this slice was segmented by the technique described above using 4 seed points. This image required no editing, and the resulting boundary produced by the segmentation is shown in panel 15. This boundary was then used to initialize the segmentation of the adjacent slices 14 and 16. The resulting segmented boundary (without editing) is shown in panels 14 and 16 of FIG. 12. The segmented boundary in slice 14 was then used as the initial boundary for slice 13, and the segmented boundary in slice 16 was then used as the initial boundary for slice 17. This process continued until the segmentation of slices 1 and 34 was complete. The results of the complete process are shown in the panels of FIG. 12.
Although the example presented herein above was based on parallel transaxial slices, a person of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the prostate (or any 3D object) can be sliced in any regular manner for this 3D segmentation approach For example, the prostate (or any 3D object ) can be sliced in parallel slices in the corona, sagittal or oblique direction, as well as in radial directions to produce radial slices with an axis through the center of the prostate (or any other axis) as shown in FIG. 13. The axis for radial slicing can be defined by the any two opposing points used as seed points to initialize the segmentation in the central slice. The radial slicing can be at equal angles, e.g., 1 degree, or varying angles depending on the complexity of the surface of the object.
All such embodiments and variations are believed to be within the sphere and scope of the invention as defined by the claims appended hereto.
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|May 7, 2009
|Steven Dean Miller
|Biopsy planning and display apparatus
|Sep 29, 2008
|May 28, 2009
|The University Of British Columbia
|Method for automated delineation of contours of tissue in medical images
|Jan 23, 2009
|Dec 31, 2009
|Eigen, Llc
|Apparatus for real-time 3d biopsy
|Feb 25, 2009
|Jan 7, 2010
|Eigen, Llc
|Apparatus for guiding towards targets during motion using gpu processing
|May 22, 2008
|Jun 3, 2010
|Manale Saikaly
|Method for automatic boundary segmentation of object in 2d and/or 3d image
|Dec 20, 2010
|Sep 1, 2011
|Panasonic Corporation
|Blower and electric apparatus including the same
|May 6, 2011
|Apr 12, 2012
|Eigen, Inc.
|Biopsy planning and display apparatus
|Dec 1, 2010
|Jun 7, 2012
|Olympus Corporation
|Endoscope apparatus and method of measuring object
|Oct 10, 2007
|Jul 22, 2009
|Cedara Software Corp.
|System and method for segmenting a region in a medical image
|Oct 10, 2007
|Jul 27, 2011
|Cedara Software Corp
|System and method for segmenting a region in a medical image
|Feb 28, 2006
|Aug 31, 2006
|Robarts Research Institute
|System and method for performing a biopsy of a target volume and a computing device for planning the same
|Dec 19, 2006
|Jun 28, 2007
|Resonant Medical Inc.
|Methods and systems for segmentation and surface matching
|Oct 10, 2007
|May 8, 2008
|Cedara Software Corp.
|System and method for segmenting a region in a medical image
|May 22, 2008
|Jan 29, 2009
|The University Of Western Ontario
|A method for automatic boundary segmentation of object in 2d and/or 3d image
|May 22, 2008
|Apr 28, 2011
|The University Of Western Ontario
|A method for automatic boundary segmentation of object in 2d and/or 3d image
|U.S. Classification
|382/131, 382/177, 600/443, 600/450, 382/171
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Jan 10, 2000
Owner name: JOHN P. ROBARTS RESEARCH INSTITUTE, THE, CANADA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LADAK, HANIF M.;DOWNEY, DONAL B.;FENSTER, AARON;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:014533/0048;SIGNING DATES FROM 19991117 TO 19991119
|Aug 21, 2007
|Certificate of correction
|Feb 15, 2008
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4
|Dec 19, 2011
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 8
|Feb 12, 2016
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 12


text:
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COMPETITION: Scramble (Indirect) vs. Contest (Direct). Scramble: mutual use of limited resource-Most plant competition is of this form . . . Contest: interact directly (direct aggression or display). Intraspecific Competition. Limpets . In plants - accentuates the value of size (thus time of germination)Territoriality a form of Contest competition.
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Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author.While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server.


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GOP Chairman: 'We Want Some Breathings Space' with Short-Term Debt Ceiling Hike
The chairman of the House Financial Services Committee said Republicans are willing to give President Obama a short-term extension on the debt ceiling to get "some breathing space."
"I've probably been in seven, eight, nine meetings with the president. I would characterize this as probably the most constructive," Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) said after Obama's White House meeting with GOP leadership.
"We want some breathing space," he added. "We'll increase the debt ceiling for six weeks, but we have got to address the debt crisis that we have. And the president didn't say yes, but he didn't say no. To some extent, I guess it is the first time as Republicans, we did not hear no, I refuse to negotiate. So this is a discussion that hasn't led to negotiation yet."
Hensarling said during the hour and a half meeting "there was at least understanding of each other's position."
"It is sad that it took so long. It hasn't been that many years since we've had interaction. You have to have a little bit of understanding, a little trust to lead to negotiation, and it is all taking place tonight and probably over the weekend," he added.
The chairman said Republicans feel like they're meeting Obama halfway.
"We want for the first time to hear something besides, I will not negotiate. You must do this continuing resolution. You must do this debt ceiling," Hensarling continued. "For the first time we didn't hear that. What comes out of all this, I don't know. I mean, every successful negotiation I've been in, people remain to their principles. They don't get everything they want, but they walk away with something. We Republicans think we've met the president halfway. And he didn't say yes, he did not say no, but I guess both parties are trying to figure out where are the parameters. Where might it lead?"
"We know the president has some strong feelings. We have some strong feelings about addressing the debt crisis. There are too many in Washington and Wall Street who want to deal with it tomorrow. We want to deal with it today. That's what debt ceilings are for."


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CafeMom Veteran
Gabe is a very happy,...
Noah is incredibly sweet,...
Click on a link to search for moms with the same information
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by mommyrae75 posted at 1:46 PM on Feb. 9
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by mommyrae75 posted at 7:25 PM on Sep. 4
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Hey all-I'm new to CafeMom. I'm married , 33 years old & I live in Montgomery County, PA. I'm a SAHM to two adorable, wonderful boys-Noah who is 8 & Gabriel who is 3 1/2-and I just recently had a beautiful baby girl, Lilah. I love being able to stay home but plan on going back to college & get a degree once my kids are older~ I'm looking to chat with or possibly meet other moms in my area for playdates, ect...
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Saint Joseph's Women's Basketball Falls To Lehigh In Final Seconds, 73-71
0 CommentsPHILADELPHIA - The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team dropped a heart breaker Thursday evening as a basket by Lehigh with 4.4 seconds to... Read more
Saint Joseph's Gingrich Named to Women's Soccer's All-Region Second Team
0 CommentsPHILADELPHIA - Leading the Saint Joseph's women's soccer team in goals and points, sophomore midfielder Emily Gingrich was named to the National... Read more
Saint Joseph's Falls In Title Game of Seton Hall Thanksgiving Tournament
0 CommentsSOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Saint Joseph's got a team-high 22 points from junior guard Ciara Andrews, but it wasn't enough Sunday as the Hawks fell... Read more
Strong Second Half Helps Saint Joseph's Women's Basketball Past St. Francis Brooklyn, 64-42
0 CommentsSOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - Outscoring St. Francis Brooklyn 31-14 in the second half, the Saint Joseph's women's basketball team downed the Terriers... Read more
Drexel Downs Saint Joseph's, 76-63
0 CommentsPHILADELPHIA - Backed by a 71.4 percent shooting first half, Drexel downed Saint Joseph's women's basketball team, 76-63, Tuesday evening at... Read more
Saint Joseph's Cloud Named Big 5 Women's Basketball Player of the Week
0 CommentsPHILADELPHIA - Averaging 19.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.0 block per game over two contests last week, Saint Joseph's... Read more
Saint Joseph's Women's Basketball Falls In Overtime At Liberty, 76-75
0 CommentsLYNCHBURG, Va. - For the second straight game, the Saint Joseph's women's basketball team went into overtime. Unfortunately the result wasn't... Read more
Saint Joseph's Tops Temple In Big 5 Overtime Thriller, 78-74
0 CommentsPHILADELPHIA - In typical Big 5 women's basketball fashion, Saint Joseph's and Temple battled to the final moments. On Tuesday, that led to... Read more
Saint Joseph's Women's Basketball Falls At #24 Rutgers
0 CommentsPISCATAWAY, N.J. - The Saint Joseph's women's basketball team dropped its season opening game at #24 Rutgers, 76-52, Friday evening at the... Read more
Saint Joseph's Gingrich Named to Atlantic 10 Women's Soccer All-Championship Team
0 CommentsDAYTON, Ohio - Saint Joseph's sophomore midfielder Emily Gingrich was named to the Atlantic 10 Women's Soccer All-Championship, conference... Read more
Athletic events and great performances are happening daily all over college campuses throughout the Philadelphia region. Sports U. is here to capture them with a partnership among the Daily News, philly.com and college athletic departments. Stories and photographs are provided by each college athletic communications staff to highlight what is happening with their respective teams.
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Creating a Great "Hangout Spot" for Your Friend Group
This article is brought to you by CORT Furniture Rental. We take the hassle out of furnishing your new place so you can do more important things like read this article. Learn more about why furniture rental is the best way to get a great looking apartment.
Students love to be social during college, for the most part. When you enter the university, you're exposed to so many students that share the same passion for learning as you might, and many students end up finding their best friends at college either through having lived together in residence halls, sharing classes, or being involved in the same student organizations.
Once you find your solid friend group, you might find yourself wanting to spend as much time with them as possible even if this time is spent simply doing homework together!
Here are some ways to make your apartment the "hangout spot" for your group of friends.
Make it easy to eat in the space
Students love to eat! While it's pretty unrealistic simply to say that you should provide food for your friends if you want them to call your place the main hangout spot, at least try to make it easy for them to heat up food if they bring some along with them. Additionally, make your hangout space easy to clean. When friends are coming over (and you suspect they'll be munching on something potentially messy, such as chips), you might consider laying a blanket down on the couch or the floor to make cleanup easier on you later. In other words, the ideal hangout spot for your friend group probably shouldn't be a pristine white carpet or a few brand new armchairs.
Create space for fun
Arrange your furniture so you have an open space somewhere in your apartment for gatherings. Depending on how many people are in your friend group, you may need a larger space for everyone to congregate. If your apartment typically feels cramped, move around some of your bulkier items to see if you can arrive at a configuration that gives everyone enough space.
Does your crew like to watch movies together? Position your TV in an area where everyone can see it. Do you all like to do craft projects as a means of de-stressing after exams? Move a table to the middle of your living room or bedroom so that everyone can gather around it. Essentially, create your space such that it supports the activities you enjoy doing with friends.
Keep your space tidy
Your friends won't want to visit often if you fail to clean your apartment semi-regularly. People tend to feel happier in spaces that are neat and organized, so do your best to keep your clutter under control. Have a trash can nearby as well so that your friends can get rid of their trash that might otherwise be left under your couch or strewn across the floor. A well-maintained apartment can serve as a great hangout space for friends much more so than a messy one can.
Find enough seating for everyone
As college students, you probably don't have many chairs, and you might not even have a couch or large armchair. You might often sit on the ground, but that can get uncomfortable after a while. Consider investing in cheap seat cushions to use as floor cushions if you lack proper seating for all of your friends at once, or look on Facebook "free and for sale" groups to find out if anyone is selling or giving away a used couch or set of folding chairs. There's no need to go out and buy brand new seats (again, we're talking about a college student's budget)!
Make sure your friends know they are welcome in your space
Hospitality plays a large role as far as making folks comfortable at your apartment. If you're looking to make your place the designated "hangout spot" for friends, let them know they are welcome (and when they are welcome). Are they allowed to just drop by without advance notice, or will you ask that they text you first to see if they can come over? How long can they stay when they're over? Are they only allowed to lounge at your place on weekends, or weekends and weekday afternoons?
It's helpful to establish boundaries (yes, even for friends — especially for friends) so that you don't feel anxious about not having enough alone time. College is a busy time, and you all have demanding classes and work commitments that take precedence over hangout sessions. Clarify for your friends that you love having them over, but that they might not necessarily get to spend all the time in the world in your living room. Once you explain these boundaries, hopefully, you won't be taken advantage of when your peers start getting too comfortable in your place.
There are many other ways through which you can make your apartment space cozy and welcoming for friends — most of all, however, you should emphasize that your friends are welcome in your space. A strong network or support group of friends is crucial throughout college, and making your apartment the designated hangout space can be one comforting way to ensure you are never without support.
Looking for an easy way to furnish your off-campus apartment? Renting furniture from CORT saves you time and money. See how easy it is to get great looking furniture without breaking the bank.
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March's 5 Word Movie Reviews – Join in
Once a month I feature the movies I've seen for the first time with a 5 word 'review'. Only it's not really a review. For that I need your help. I hope that you'll add your 5 words to my 5 words and that someone else will add their 5 words and so on until we have a a fun hodgepodge of words that make up a 'review'. Check out my list of previous 5 word reviews and see if there are any you can contribute to, here.
As a weird coincidence, Farley Granger from Strangers on a Train died this week at the age of 85.
Desk Set, 1957. (Cast- Katherine Hepburn, Spencer Tracy) Grade B+
Reference Librarian Versus Original Google.
Strangers on a Ttrain, 1951. (Cast- Farley Granger, Ruth Roman,Robert Walker) Grade B+
Hitchcock At His Thrilling Best.
(2010. Cast-Bruce Willis, John Malcovich. Morgan Freeman, Mary-Louise Parker, Helen Mirren) Grade B
Aging Ex-Spies & Mindless Fun. Enjoyable.
Experience Wins Every Single Time (Kay)
Old, Mean, and in charge. (Heather)
Awesome! Age has no boundaries. (Nolatari)
Better off retired after all. (Tony)
18 Comments »
I love Red!!!!
Comment by Heather | April 1, 2011 |
I loved Red! What about "Experience Wins Every Single Time" for that one? LOL
Comment by Kay | April 1, 2011 |
I haven't seen any of the movies! Strangers on a Train looks good!
Comment by Misha | April 2, 2011 |
I so want to see RED.
Comment by Jenners | April 2, 2011 |
I love these 5 word movie reviews!!
Comment by Staci | April 2, 2011 |
RED: Old, mean, and in charge.
Comment by Heather | May 3, 2011 |
[…] Desk Set (1957) B+ […]
Pingback by My 2011 Book and Movie Favorites « Stacy's Books | December 29, 2011 |


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You are here > Home > News & Events > NEC Reports
August 2016 Edition 27
If you have any questions for the SNU President please email: email@example.com
The Presidents Blog | August 2016 | 27th Edition
NEC Meeting Friday 29th July to Sunday 31st 2016
The President's Blog was established with the aim of keeping members fully updated about the work of the National Executive Committee (NEC) and developments which affect the Union and the wider movement. Much of the work of the NEC is by its very nature confidential but every effort will be made to keep members fully apprised wherever appropriate.
Minister Steven Upton - Vice-President
Following the resignation of Minister Steven Upton at the close of the Annual General Meeting on personal grounds, our constitution provides that the NEC can either appoint a duly qualified person to serve for the remaining term of office or call for an election by the membership to find a replacement candidate. At its meeting last weekend the NEC agreed to call an election.
As you are aware, the day-to-day running of the Union rests with the Officers and, given that following the decision to hold an election a new candidate may not be able to be elected until early November this year, the NEC has agreed to make a temporary appointment to the position of Acting Vice-President. Minister Alan Rawnsley has been proposed by the NEC to undertake this role and his appointment was confirmed during the meeting. This will mean Alan will serve as Acting Vice-President up until the results of nominations and any subsequent necessary elections. This appointment ensures that the running of the Union will continue smoothly until election procedures are completed and that necessary and important decisions can be taken by all four Officers rather than just three.
Elections and Appointments
Members of the NEC 2016/17 and their respective responsibilities under their portfolios:
President: Minister David Bruton
Principal of Arthur Findlay College and the Barbanell Conference Centre; Ambassador for the Union; AFC Museum; National Interfaith Network.
Vice-President: Minister Judith Seaman
Ministers Administration Committee; General Purposes Committee; Ministers Congress and Council of Ministers; Promotion of Religion; Interfaith Ambassador; Almoner. Ex-Officio for the President, Training & Awards.
Acting Vice-President: Minister Alan Rawnsley
Complaints & Appeals; Curator; Head Office; Health and Safety; Information Technology; Safeguarding.
Financial Director: Julia Almond OSNU
Finance; Policies and Procedures; Risk Management; Trust Property; Action Plan; RE Council. Ex-Officio for the President, Education.
Accreditation: Minister June English
Training & Awards; Healing; Education; SNUi.
Communication: Alv Hirst
Publicity and Promotions; Youth Ambassador.
OM1: Vacant
OM2: Tim Coombe
Special Projects; Churches under supervision; Pioneer Centres; Church development.
OM3: Jane Barton CSNU
Focus on the Religion; Philosophy & Ethics; Human Resources.
Council Member to NEC: Danny Goodchild CSNU
The NEC extend a warm welcome to Tim Coombe as OM2 and Jane Barton CSNU as OM3 as they join the NEC. Given the importance of supporting our Churches Kathryn Crossley has been appointed to help and support Tim Coombe with Churches under support; Kathryn will not sit on the NEC.
Individual Members Representative: Karen Line-Jones OSNU
was returned to office unopposed for the following two years.
SNU Sub-Committees 2016/17
Complaints Committee
Chairman: Derek Pipe, M.A., OBE
Vice-Chairman: Minister Tom Haver
Members: Gillian Grimson (Arbitration); Laraine Killarney (Adjudication and Mediation); Russell Fitzpatrick (Misconduct of Affairs)
Collegiate Committee
Chairman: Minister Simon Key Vice-Chairman: Minister David Bruton (Principal) Secretary: Anne Kelly CSNU Members: Minister Judith Seaman; Minister Alan Rawnsley; Julia Almond OSNU; Sandie Baker CSNU (Tutors Representative); Tanya Smith (Manager, Arthur Findlay College); Seamus Davies (Manager, Barbanell Conference Centre)
Education Committee
Chairman: Minister Jenny Peacock Vice-Chairman: Minister Jeanette Cookson Secretary: Christine Thompson CSNU Members: Pat Seymour CSNU; Jane Barton CSNU; Debbie Ridgway
Finance Committee
Chairman: Julia Almond OSNU Vice-Chairman: Minister David Bruton Secretary: Shirley McGee Members: Minister Judith Seaman; Minister Alan Rawnsley; Carol Harrison; Ernie Gray; Anne Daultrey (Finance Manager); Lesley Gilbey (SNU Trust); Graham Hewitt LL.B. (Trust Property Coordinator)
General Purposes Committee
Chairman: Minister Tony Penketh Vice-Chairman: Minister Judith Seaman Secretary: Charles Coulston DSNU Members: Shirley McGee; Derek Pipe, M.A., OBE
Healing Committee
Chairman: Pauline Silver DSNU Vice-Chairman: Jean Smart CSNU Secretary: Mark Bradley CSNU Members: Lesley Hale CSNU; Alistair Hamilton CSNU; Sandra Jarrold DSNU
Ministers Administration Committee
Chairman: Minister Judith Seaman Vice-Chairman: Minister Tom Haver Secretary: Minister Alan Baker Members: Minister June English; Minister Jeanette Cookson
Publicity & Promotions Committee
Chairman: Loraine Todd Vice-Chairman: Alv Hirst (Youth Ambassador) Secretary: Andrew Manship CSNU Members: Joy Clarke (Event Coordinator); Martha Chick (International Liaison); Robert Dangerfield (Social Media)
Training & Awards Committee
Chairman: Minister Carol Ellis Vice-Chairman: Linda Walker CSNU Secretary: Gail Davies CSNU Members: Vanessa Follett CSNU (PASS & CSNU Coordinator); Trevor Barton CSNU (SNUi online FAB Coordinator); Kathryn Crossley OSNU (CAAS Coordinator)
SNUi Committee
Chairman: Illona Mulock Houwer Vice-Chairman: Arthur Plumpton OSNU Secretary: Yoshie Miakoda-Chihara CSNU Representative to Council: Minister Alan Baker Members: Fredrick Haglund CSNU; Kathy Leigh Tsoukalas Ex-Officio for the President: Minister June English
Interfaith Ambassador: Minister David Hopkins Public Relations officer: Minister Steven Upton Youth Ambassador: Alv Hirst National Safeguarding Coordinator: Minister Tony Penketh National Deputy Safeguarding Coordinator: Minister June English Museum Curator: Paul Gaunt
Matters arising from the AGM
Auditors to the Spiritualists National Union
Price Bailey Llp were confirmed as auditors to the SNU for the year ending 31st December 2016.
Maurice Barbanell Honorary President-in-Spirit
Maurice Barbanell passed to spirit 35 years ago after a lifetime's service. Barbanell had done so much for the movement both as a Minister of the SNU and as advisor to past President Gordon Higginson during the darkest days financially in the Union's history and of course through his work as Editor of Psychic News and as trance medium for the guide Silver Birch. The President announced during his address to Conference that the NEC had agreed to accord the honour of Honorary President-in-Spirit to Maurice Barbanell.
AFC Stafford - A new beginning
It was announced at the AGM that the Arthur Findlay Centre, Stafford was now to be known as the Barbanell Conference Centre. A new logo is currently under preparation and the Centre will be re-launched with new signage and a new website later this year.
The Future of the AGM
Members had the opportunity to discuss during the AGM weekend the future of this important annual event in the Unions calendar. Following a productive and forward-looking debate the NEC are working on a new format for the 2017 conference.
Plans are still in the very early stages but items under consideration include:
A welcome reception from 5.00 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. on Friday evening.
The SNU Trust AGM to start at 8.00 p.m.
The provision of an alternative activity for those who do not wish to attend the SNU Trust Meeting.
The Gordon Higginson Memorial Lecture.
The introduction of random seat allocation in the Conference hall for at least one session to encourage members to meet with new people and network.
Saturday morning optional meditation session.
Members felt strongly that the main business meeting should be concluded by close of business on Saturday.
In future all questions on NEC reports to be submitted in writing before the event to allow us to time-manage debates more effectively.
On Saturday evening replace the Gala Dinner with a more informal social evening, perhaps with a carvery meal.
Entertainment still to be provided but using a different format from the last three years'.
There must be an opportunity to dance during the evening - Spiritualists love to dance!
Sunday morning to be reformatted to include a Sunday service (to include healing but no mediumship).
New hymns/songs to be commissioned specially and used during the service.
A discussion session to be introduced, with delegates split into groups and each group given a different subject to discuss and feed back to a plenary session.
Introduction of payment by quarterly direct debit to spread the cost of Conference for the membership.
Re-introduction of a national raffle, to be drawn at Conference, with the proceeds to be used to help delegates attend.
Making the SNU a Dementia-Friendly organisation
After an emotional and moving speech at the AGM by David Gay OSNU the NEC have agreed to investigate how we can make the SNU as a whole a dementia-friendly organisation. Each member of the NEC has undertaken to become a Dementia Friend. The Financial Director, Julia Almond OSNU, will investigate becoming a Dementia Champion and ways we can work to make the Union friendly and inclusive to all through education and the sharing of information throughout the organisation.
Proxy Envelopes
The NEC has agreed to order new envelopes to be used with the proxy forms for the AGM to replace the ones with BALLOT ONLY printed on them, which are seen to be confusing for members.
Ministers Congress and Council of Ministers 2016
This year's event will take place at Stourbridge Church on 15th and 16th October 2016.
Gordon Higginson Memorial Scholarship
A special event will be held at Castleford Church in North Yorkshire for the Year Two students on Wednesday 30th November 2016 at 7.30 p.m.; entrance is £5.00 at the door. If you are in the area you are welcome to come along and support the students.
Pioneer Centres
Sadly, after the closure of Leeds and Manea Pioneer Centres the document supplied to Individual Members interested in opening a Pioneer Centre has been revamped to provide additional information and support aimed at increasing the likelihood of success.
E-Target the next generation - Oomi
Work is underway on the next generation of the SNU database, which will improve considerably functionality at Head Office and allow the database to be updated automatically, thus keeping all information current and reducing data entry work for the staff.
Following last month's successful launch of the new Arthur Findlay Shop we are also planning to launch a new website for SNUi and we are also looking at producing fully digital online Return forms for many Returns which have to be made to the Union, allowing members and affiliated bodies to submit Returns online, saving time and cost to the members and Churches and the Union in data processing.
Investment Review
Following a review of our investments and stockbrokers by Price Bailey it has been agreed to conduct a bridal parade with a view to selecting a firm of stockbrokers who will serve the Union for the next few years; our current brokers, Brewin Dolphin and Charles Stanley, will be invited to tender.
District Council Accounts Software
Following a successful training day held at the Barbanell Conference Centre, Stafford on 1st July some minor changes to the programme will be made by the software developers and copies will be made available to all district councils free of charge. For the year ending 31st December 2016 all districts will be required to use the new software and all audits of district council accounts will be undertaken internally, removing the need for external auditors and saving each district council considerable annual expense.
The Church version of the software is also under development and will be rolled out free of charge to any Church that wishes to use it in early 2017.
The Future of our Religion
District Councils will all be shortly required to appoint a member of their Executive Committee to liaise and take part in this important new initiative, which is vital to the future of the movement. The President and Vice-President will shortly write a joint letter to each District to explain the plans at this early stage.
CAAS Course
The NEC have asked the Training & Awards Committee to look at providing some form of promotional marketing aimed at encouraging Church members to take this course.
Rules for Churches 2017
The General Purposes Committee are already working on the new edition of the Rules for Churches and following the acceptance by members at the AGM of the new Memorandum and Articles the necessary changes to Church Rules will be made in time for Charity Commission and HMRC submission, with the new Rules to be launched early in 2017.
'Healing and the Law'
The Healing Committee are currently working on updating Healing and the Law, which is now considerably out of date. Healers are also to be reminded to ensure that no communication mediumship is to be delivered during the practice of healing or any healing service; following the change of terminology to healing mediums Balens, our insurance company, has sought reassurance on this matter as part of their risk management profile for healing.
The Principles - A new book by Minister Barry Oates
Minister Barry Oates has kindly given the copyright of his latest book to the Union and this is currently under preparation and design process.
Spirit in Action - 10.00 p.m. SNUi
This new initiative, which started in March this year and operated seven nights per week, has now been suspended for the summer months; the NEC will review the service at its October meeting with a view to re-introducing the service early in November.
SNU Today
The Autumn edition of SNU Today is currently under production and the next edition will be posted out with the next circulation in mid-September, to include a range of topical and interesting articles about Spiritualism and the Union.
New Arthur Findlay Shop
The new on-line shop launched in July has made a very strong start; this service provides a one-stop shop for everything SNU and includes products from the Arthur Findlay College Shop, all delivered to your door simply and effectively. The shop can be accessed from the home page of the SNU website.
Pioneers Of Spiritualism
Following the remarkable success of the new Pioneer Cards launched this year at Open Week the NEC has agreed to investigate the production of high-quality prints of a range of Pioneers to include a write-up about the life of the Pioneer and their achievements within the movement, which will be framed and sold. Everybody has their favourite pioneer, someone they would have loved to have met or who inspired their personal development. It is hoped to have samples ready for the October NEC meeting and then, if agreed, production will start in time for Christmas.
500 Club
Any member or Church or non-member wishing to join the scheme, with a chance to win some excellent prizes, with a top prize of £500, should contact Claire Shores at the Members Service Centre. The odds of winning a prize are 14 to 1, which is better than the National Lottery.
Next NEC Meeting
The next NEC meeting will take place at the Barbanell Conference Centre on 7th, 8th and 9th October 2016. The next National Council meeting will take place at the Barbanell Conference Centre on Saturday 1st October 2016.
Have your say -
As part of an ongoing policy of openness the NEC would welcome your views: please feel free to email your comments to me: email@example.com
Thought for the day:
"Whoever is happy will make others happy too".
-Anne Frank
- Minister David Bruton


text:
Microbiology Links
International Organization for Standardization
ISO is a non-governmental organization whose mission is to promote the development of standardization and related activities in the world with a view to facilitating the international exchange of goods and services, and to developing cooperation in the spheres of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity.
CLSI (formerly NCCLS) is a globally recognized, voluntary consensus standards-developing organization that enhances the value of medical testing within the healthcare community through the development and dissemination of standards, guidelines, and best practices.
Standards Council of Canada (SCC)
The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is a federal Crown corporation with the mandate to promote efficient and effective voluntary standardization.
College of Medical Laboratory Technologists of Alberta (CMLTA)
Canadian Association for Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (CACMID)
Canadian Society for Medical Laboratory Science (CSMLS)
Clinical Microbiology and Proficiency Testing (CMPT)
College of American Pathologists (CAP)
Additional Resources
- CCQLM Gram Stain Guidelines
- CCQLM Bacterial Vaginosis Guidelines
- 2013 ALQEP Statement of Activities
- Effects of Restructuring on the Performance of Microbiology Laboratories in Alberta – D. L. Church M.D.**Contact the ALQEP Coordinator.
- Quantitative Gram Stain Criteria Used by Laboratories in Alberta – D. L. Church M.D.**Contact the ALQEP Coordinator.
Materials are available on loan to laboratories within the province of Alberta ONLY. Please contact the Accreditation Technical Analyst for further information.
Other individuals or organizations can obtain information about purchasing these materials from the suppliers directly.
CLSI Document Library & Guidelines:
Individuals or organizations outside Alberta can obtain information about purchasing these materials from the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute directly at (610) 688-0100 or from their web site: www.clsi.org
AlQEP Index of CLSI Standards and Guidelines
Publication Loan Library:
- McGill University Centre for Tropical Diseases – The Malaria Manual For Today's Laboratory
- World Health Organization – The Use of Malaria Rapid Diagnostic Tests
Liz McBride, Program Manager, Laboratory Accreditation Services
780-969-5010 or 1-800-561-3899 ext. 5010 (in Canada)
Eve Behr, Accreditation Technical Analyst
780-969-5011 or 1-800-561-3899 ext. 5011 (in Canada)


text:
General Details
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Specializing in beginners from as young as 6 through to mature adults.
Lesson's held in Richmond. If you prefer, Call Outs are available. Enjoy the benefit of having lessons in the convenience of your own home with a highly experienced friendly Guitar Tutor. Available in most areas.
For enquires or bookings call Angelo on 0434 351 945
These details were last updated on April 6, 2011


text:
Yes, I've bought my last server. I'm barely using the infrastructure I have. My first step is to monitor my hybrid data center.
Plant manager comes in to the CFO's office and says – "Sales will double because of our new offerings! Our factory runs at full capacity 8 hours a day, we need to invest in another factory."
Call Center manager comes in to the CFO's office and says – "Sales are doubled because of the our new offerings! Our call center representatives are busy 2 hours a day, I need to hire more reps."
Supply chain manager comes in to the CFO's office and says – ""Sales are doubled because of the our new offerings! Our trucks are 30% filled, I need to buy more trucks."
What's the CFO's answer? In the words of Donald Trump:
Yet all across the IT landscape, conversations like those above are happening as it relates to IT. While its crazy to invest in more plants, hire more reps or increase your supply chain those assets are 30% utilized, it's not considered crazy to purchase more servers when your current servers aren't utilized to their fullest.
The decision to invest in things like factories, personnel or other assets are determined by utilization of current assets. Companies invest in big data to help them make the right decisions so that they aren't throwing money away. That's a great accounting practice. However, when you aren't monitoring the IT assets that are crunching your big data needs, you are falling in to the error you've been trying to avoid – wasted investments in underutilized assets.
Enter the current state of IT infrastructure. Whether it be servers (virtualized or standalone), storage or network – the current state of IT is a lot of underutilized assets. So why are organizations purchasing more servers when their current infrastructure is under utilized? The answer lies in the age old IT sales jargon of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt).
- Fear – "The software vendor we are talking to is telling us we need to purchase more servers for their infrastructure."
- Uncertainty – "I don't know what my current utilization is, how do you expect me to support the solution"
- Doubt – "You tell me I can do more with my current infrastructure but I know I can do more with more infrastructure".
Education and monitoring will erase the FUD. Education will allow you to make the decision to move to a public or private cloud while monitoring will allow you to survey your existing assets and insure you are getting the most out of them. Furthermore, the monitoring tools pay for themselves! Not only will you save money by not acquiring new hardware, but you will save even more money by not acquiring new database or middleware software. These savings add up to substantial amounts over the lifetime of the asset.
So the next time a line of business needs new technology to fuel the next growth of the business – look no further than your current infrastructure (and monitoring tools) and "Just say no" to new servers.


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TA4 4DP, Mrs Patricia Nethercott: environmental permit application advertisement
This publication was withdrawn on
The consultation period for this application has ended. You can view current licences on the Public Registers.
View the application submitted by Mrs Patricia Nethercott for Home Farm Holiday Centre, Home Farm Holiday Centre, West Quantoxhead, Taunton, Somerset, TA4 4DP.