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What Does "Copyfight" Mean?
Copyfight, the Solo Years: April 2002-March 2004
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Posted by Alan Wexelblat
In this case, what didn't happen in e-book pricing. Those of you who read Jon Sargent's (Macmillan) year-end letter will know that the people opposed to settling with the DOJ have pointed out that there would be nothing to stop a precipitous plunge in e-book prices. Except somehow that didn't happen in 2012.
Since several of the big publishers settled immediately, their e-book prices have been subjected to discounting for months. Instead of maintaining the 13.99 and up price that publishers were accused of colluding to maintain, prices have slid downward a bit, but not crashed. According to David Streitfeld's piece in the Times this week, new e-book prices seem to be hovering around $11-12.50 even as sales climbed by over a third.
It's possible, of course, that Amazon is just biding its time until all the publishers are settled, but that seems unlikely. Amazon doesn't discuss its pricing strategies in public, but it has shown it has extremely fine-grained control over what prices it offers on its millions of catalog items. It is fully capable of discounting some e-books while maintaining price floors on others. Instead, Streitfeld hypothesizes, the sustained higher price may be due to another things-that-didn't-happen: e-books have not displaced physical books, at least not to the degree predicted.
The causes cited for this are the usual ones, plus frankly there may be some buying fatigue among e-book consumers. People who bought new e-books or bought e-books for the first time seemed to be stocking up a large selection and it's possible they're taking time out to digest what they've already bought before making more purchases. It will be very interesting to see what the numbers look like next month once analysts have had a chance to digest the purchasing data from this Christmas season.
The other, more interesting to me, possibility is that we're starting to understand the shape of the niche that e-books will occupy in the sales ecosystem. As Streitfeld says, the demise of retail book outlets may itself be hurting e-book sales, particularly among the majority of purchasers who are either new to e-books or who still buy both e-books and physical books. These buyers may like the idea of browsing, holding things in their hands, etc - the physical aspects of book-shopping. That they then went home and bought e-books was bad news for the retailer, but if in fact that first step is important to the e-buying process then the lack of a physical presence may spell trouble for e-book sales and for converting physical-book readers into e-book readers.
In addition, e-books are generally tied to a physical product - their reader. You can discount a book if you're selling a reader at a good margin. But if the market for readers is saturating and you're having to discount readers then you may not be able to sustain losses on e-books. Likewise if you depend on sales of a reader in order to push e-book sales then the fortunes of the two will tend to rise and fall together.
So yes I expect e-books to get cheaper in 2013, but not by much. For prices to drop significantly publishers will need to retool their businesses to be able to pass on the cost savings of digital production to end readers, and to do so in a way that doesn't destroy their physical-book pipelines in the process.
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On October 3rd the Mechanical Engineering Graduate Student Council held their Fall Coffee Hour. While snacking on cookies and coffee, the new graduate students enjoyed a presentation given by the current graduate students in ME. The presentation covered topics such as: projects, research areas, advisors, assistantships, jobs, publications, thesis, course work, and gpa.
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TerraCycle redefines American trash
N.J. company started with plant food made from worm poop and became an innovation powerhouse.
Thu, Feb 12, 2009 at 03:04 PM
SMALL BEGINNINGS: TerraCycle got started with plant food made from worm poop and packaged in empty Pepsi bottles. (Photo: Jupiterimages)
If there were one company on pace to redefine America's relationship with its trash, it would be Trenton, N.J.-based TerraCycle. The company that began with its signature plant food — made from worm poop, packaged in empty Pepsi bottles and sold at the likes of Home Depot and Wal-Mart — has evolved into an innovation powerhouse that continually introduces new products made entirely from waste.
Take the E-Water trash cans and recycling bins available at OfficeMax for $10.99 each and made from crushed computers and fax machines (that would otherwise end up in a landfill). Or the rainbarrels and composters made from Kendall-Jackson oak wine barrels that sell for $99 each at Sam's Club. They're both prime examples of a company that sees opportunity where others see garbage.
In 2008, TerraCycle announced a major partnership with Kraft Foods to take used packaging from brands like Oreo cookies, Chips Ahoy!, Balance bars, South Beach Living bars and Capri Sun beverages and transform them into attractive consumer products. Cookie wrappers will soon be fused into sheets of waterproof fabric and then transformed into umbrellas, shower curtains, backpacks, place mats and more. Energy bar wrappers will make backpacks and purses. Drink pouches are already being given new life in a wide assortment of bags, including funky totes ($7.99 to $11.99), messenger bags ($19.99), backpacks ($11.99) and lunchboxes ($7.99).
How does TerraCycle get its hands on so much garbage? By signing up trash collecting "brigades" across the United States. Thousands of schools, nonprofit organizations and business offices are collecting waste and sending it to TerraCycle's facility. In exchange, the schools and nonprofits gain an additional income stream or opt (as do offices) to donate proceeds to a local charity of their choosing. The program is an ingenuous way for TerraCycle to build a broad network of trash collectors while simultaneously encouraging children (and adults, too) to take responsibility for their own waste and providing them with an opportunity to effect environmental change.
* * *
Excerpted from Josh's forthcoming book "The Lazy Environmentalist on a Budget."
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Freak weather baffles city
Chandigarh, April 11 The newly constructed road at the NAC, Manimajra, was waterlogged. Strong winds began blowing around 8.30 pm, followed by a dust storm and heavy rain, which lasted for about an hour. People who had parked their motorcycles in Sector 17 were in for a rude shock when they saw all two rows collapse on their return. Harinder Singh, a bank manager, said: It seemed someone had broken the pipe of the oil tank of my mobike. I saw another bike whose lights had been smashed. Shalini Dogra, a schoolteacher, had a nasty experience when she turned towards Sector 16 from Madhya Marg. The wheel of her car hit a manhole cover lower than the road. In the process, her daughter's head hit the dashboard and began to bleed. She had to rush her daughter to a private clinic, she said. The dust in the air resulted in poor visibility. RD Sharma, a resident of Sector 30, said: We have been hearing about an earthquake in Indonesia which measured 8.6 in magnitude. People in the coastal areas of our country are fleeing their homes. The winds here today were also not normal. It could have been a possible impact. Weather experts have predicted that barring some drizzle in certain pockets of Punjab and cloud formations in the tricity region, weather is likely to improve within the next 24 hours. There would also be an increase in the day temperatures. |
Deserted dispensaries harry patients
Chandigarh, April 11 A visit to the Sector 47 dispensary by the Tribune team revealed that the OPD timings, displayed on the main door, were from 9 am to 3 pm, but the rooms of the ayurvedic and homoeopathic doctors were closed throughout the day. A number of patients, including women, children and the elderly, had to return on learning that no doctor would be available. Similarly, the Sector 34 dispensary appeared to have been shut. While the doctors room was closed, the paramedic staff expressed their helplessness in providing any medicine to the patients. Officials said on an average, at least 60 patients visit the dispensary every day. Mohammad Saeed, a 63-year-old resident of Sector 45, could be seen pleading with the staff to provide him medicine as per the his old prescription. Exhausted after having walked a long distance in the heat, he squatted on the floor of the dispensary. I leave it to God. Humans here are of no help, he sighed, adding that, This is my third visit when I have found the dispensary locked. I came here on Thursday, but it was closed due to Mahavir Jayanti. The next day I came again, only to be told that it was closed due to Good Friday. Today, the dispensary is open, but no doctor is available. Nand Lal, another resident, said: Unavailability of doctors and being told that they are busy in meetings is a routine affair. Yesterday, we were told that doctors from several dispensaries, including Sectors 34, 47 and 28, were asked to join a meeting at the Community Health Centre, Sector 22, with regard to the preparation for the forthcoming Pulse Polio programme. Suresh Chand, a resident of Sector 43, said: The Administration should have a mechanism in place to inform the public about the availability of doctors. There should be no official meeting during working hours. Only a few doctors should be allowed to skip duty. Suresh, who had come from Faidan, a nearby slum area, said the public should have been informed in advance, so that the patients were not harassed. When contacted Dr Rajiv Vadhera, Medical Superintendent of GMSH-16 and officiating Director Health Services, said Pulse Polio and RNTCP were important programmes. Training and planning are imperative for such programmes in public interest. However, I will issue directions that the public should be informed in advance through all possible means regarding the absence of doctors on such occasions, he said. |
Kidnappers had planned to kill NRI
Chandigarh, April 11 The police recovered three Phenergen (25 mg) injections and six Fortwin (30 mg) injections from the accused. Yesterday, the police had rescued Navneet Singh, a resident of Sector 18, from the clutches of the kidnappers following an intensive operation at Durala village in Kurukshetra. The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore. Since the NRI knew all of them, they had planned to kill him after collecting the ransom with an overdose of injections, said DSP (Crime) Satbir Singh. The police also recovered Rs 52.5 lakh, 760 Canadian dollars and a Honda Accord of the victim from the accused. UT SSP Naunihal Singh said both the accused, Ajit and Pardeep, were state-level boxers and used to practice in the boxing stadium of Rohtak and Gurgaon. Nitin came in contact with the main accused Anil at Tau Devi Lal Stadium, Panchkula, and the other two accused Sukhdev and Sanjeev are known to Anil owing to property dealing in Kurukshetra. Anil revealed during interrogation that he got involved in crime in 2002 and several cases of murder, theft, robbery and dacoity were registered against him in Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. He was also involved in snatching a Swift car in Panchkula on November 30 last year. The Swift car bore a fake number and investigations revealed that it was robbed from a resident of Sector 10,
Panchkula. |
PEC sticks to closed-door Senate meetings
Chandigarh, April 11 The meeting was scheduled in the evening and the members got the agenda late in the morning, causing resentment among members. They preferred not to attend the meeting and wrote to PEC Director, expressing their resentment. Sources said Senate members comprising RR Singh, Siby John and JS Gill gave a separate written representation to the PEC Director, Manoj Dutta, to follow clause 1.7 of the PEC Senate Manual, which states that the members should be delivered the agenda at least seven days before the meeting. RR Singh said this was the third time the PEC Director had followed the practice of not delivering the agenda to the members on time. Making mockery of the Senate, the Director is working in an undemocratic manner and influencing the meetings through his men who, despite not being members of the House, attend the meetings and influence the proceedings of the meeting, Singh alleged. Siby John also wrote to the Director, complaining that there was no time to read the agenda and prepare for the meeting. This is murder of democracy, as despite our repeated representations we are never given the agenda on time to know what has to be discussed at the meeting, he said. John further said they were not even aware if the meeting was held or had been deferred. When contacted, the PEC Director refused to comment. PEC has a closed-door Senate meeting and further non-availability of agenda to the members prior to the meeting has raised eyebrows. The members, during a meeting on October 25 last year, had raised the issue. On January 10, another meeting was held, but the members were again not provided with the copy of the agenda before the meeting. The issue led to a heated debate during the meeting. Their observations were also not mentioned in the minutes of the last meeting.
This is the third time the PEC Director has followed the practice of not delivering the agenda to the members on time. Making mockery of the Senate, the Director is working in an undemocratic manner and influencing the meetings through his men who, despite not being members of the House, attend the meetings and influence the proceedings of the meeting. RR Singh, Senate member |
Tricity scan
Anees School organised an orientation programme for students who rejoined its campus today. During the orientation programme, the newcomers were introduced to the faculty members and the exciting world of education through audio-visual aids and presentations. Governor cancels meeting
The Governor of Punjab and Administrator, UT Chandigarh, Shivraj V Patil will not be visiting the UT Secretariat for Public Hearing Session scheduled to be held on April 16.
The adviser to the UT Administrator, KK Sharma, honoured the Chief Justice of Sikkim High Court, Justice Permod Kohli, at a function organised by J&K Dorga Sabha here today. KK Sharma said, Every culture produces something great but Dogras are modestly contributing not only to the reverence of the city but also of the entire nation. Present on the occasion were prominent members of the Dogra Community, including Jitendra Sharma, Chief Conservator of Forests, Punjab; Professor Shashi Sharma, former chairman, Law department, Panjab University and Madhu Bahl, regional director, DAV Schools, who have made significant contribution in the respective fields.
Blood donation
More than 50 students and staff of the Homoeopathic Medical College donated blood on the occasion of 257 birth anniversary of Dr Samuel Hahnemann, father of homoeopathy, here today. Dr JBD Castro delivered a lecture on Hahnemanns life and held interactive session with the students and staff.
Storytelling session
The British School, Panchkula, held a two-hour storytelling session today. A wonderful fable The Stone Soup was shared with children. The story telling session was conducted by Centre for Education and Voluntary Action (CEVA), Chandigarh. The objective of the session was to let children watch a model storytelling.
Motherhood Day
School of Public Health, PGIMER, in collaboration with the Chandigarh administration celebrated Safe Motherhood Day at Maternal and Child Health Centre at Polyclinic, Sector 45, today. About 100 pregnant women and mothers participated in the event. The celebrations started with the welcome address by Dr Krishna Chaudhary, SMO In-charge. Dr Madhu Gupta, assistant
professor of community medicine, School of Public Health, PGIMER, said about 215 pregnant women die per lakh every year in India. Gupta said these deaths are preventable. Importance of delivery in hospitals with blood bank facility was demonstrated by Dr Navpreet, Dr Madhanraj and other colleagues.
Mothers come together to celebrate Safe Motherhood Day in Chandigarh on Wednesday. A Tribune photograph Senior Citizens
The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) in collaboration with the Sarswati Kala Sangam will present a special programme of music and dance for the senior citizens of Panchkula on the eve of Baisakhi festival. The ICCR regional officer Nalini Singhal said the programme will commence at 5 in the evening at the Senior Citizen Councils hall tomorrow. |
MC does little to control stray dog population
Chandigarh, April 11 Figure this out, as per the budget report of 2012-13 financial year, the authorities have allocated Rs 5 lakh for the implementation of animal birth control of dog in the city which was Rs 7 lakh in the 2011-12 budget. The authorities are left wondering whether the funds have been used properly as there is no mechanism to check the number of dogs that have been sterilised by the NGOs every month. Residents of Sector 21 today met MC Commissioner VP Singh to complaint about the dog menace in the area. They alleged that even though the authorities were claiming that the dogs were being sterilised every month, there was no relief from the menace. Expressing helplessness, MC medical officer of health BK Salwan stated in the House that there was no government hospital or dispensary where the authorities could sterilise the dogs through surgery. Nominated councillor DS Sandhu said the budget which should have increased manifold, have seen a downfall. Referring to the increase in the number of stray dogs, he said the department had to hire additional doctors to sterilise the dogs, but with such little amount how could it precede their programme. A senior official said in 2008, the authorities had hired five organisations, including two NGOs and three private doctors, for sterilising stray dogs, but the programme had failed as the private doctors quit midway. The authorities had failed to pay them money. Resultantly, after 2008 the authorities tried to hire private doctors, but no one agreed to do so. Recently, UT Adviser KK Sharma also held a meeting with MC Commissioner VP Singh and Mayor Raj Bala Malik along with the NGOs in this regard, but the officials had failed to reach a conclusion. Sterilisation
As per records, last year 500 stray dogs were sterilised by two NGOs, Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and People for Animals, whereas there are more than 6,000 dogs in the city. In the recent General House, the MC officials had accepted that they did not have a proper system to check the dog menace in the city. Finding it strange that the department has not put in efforts to control the population of stray dogs, nominated councillor Major D S Sandhu said why the civic body had hired only two NGOs for the purpose when there were hundreds of veterinary doctors in the city. Congress councillor and former Mayor Pardeep Chabbra read an e-mail of a resident complaining about the dog menace during the General House .
In 2007, dog bylaws were approved by the MC for checking the menace. But these remained confined to papers. Complaining about the failure of the MC to execute the dog bylaws approved five years ago, SAD councillor Harjinder Kaur in the House demanded that the medical officer of health should table a report of dog sterilisation every month to know how effectively the bylaws were being implemented.
Dog pound
A proposal was mooted by the department to construct a dog pound on over half an acre of land in Dhanas. The purpose of the pound was to serve as a temporary shelter for ferocious dogs potentially rabid as well as critically sick dogs. But the proposal has not materialised so far as it has not been cleared by the UT chief architect department.
Openhouse question
Write your unpleasant experience about the stray dog menace in the city, if any, and suggestions for improvement to the firstname.lastname@example.com |
Complaint authority recommends action against 2 policemen
Chandigarh, April 11 The incident dates back to last year when a group of drunk youngsters were creating ruckus outside the house of Chander Bhan who objected to it and lodged a complaint with the police. However, the policemen rather than initiating action sided with the other party. Not only the police even the youngsters threatened and harassed Chander Bhan who later approached the PCA. Chander, in his present complaint, stated that his statement was required to be recorded in the departmental enquiry against the ASI. He received a notice for the purpose from the DSP (CID). Since then, the ASI had been harassing and threatening him. In today's order, the PCA stated, In the light of the entire facts and circumstances, Assistant Sub-Inspector Raghbir Singh deserves strict departmental action. He shall be transferred to the Police Lines immediately and face departmental inquiry for his acts and omissions in the case. Head constable Rajbir Singh should be 'censured' for his acts
and omissions. It was alleged that ASI Raghbir often visited his house and threatened him to implicate him in a false case. Chander also apprehended threat to his life and sought protection. The ASI has, in his reply, refuted all allegations. After considering all facts, it is necessary to provide Chander Bhan with adequate protection and take adequate action against Raghbir Singh. Senior Superintendent of Police(SSP),UT, is requested to direct the SHO of the Sector-31 police station, Chandigarh , to give adequate protection to Chander Bhan. It is also requested that appropriate disciplinary action should be taken against ASI Raghbir Singh for harassing and threatening Chander Bhan in a revengeful and retaliatory manner, the order further read. |
GMADA plans to develop residential complex at Anandpur Sahib
Mohali, April 11 Sources in the GMADA said today that the development authority was working out the details to see whether the project would be financially viable nor not. A preliminary report had already been prepared in this regard. Plans were being drawn up to allot plots on a 10 acre piece of land (which is a part of the 25 acre area used for parking vehicles during the hola mohalla celebrations). There was also a plan to allot 197 plots by the development authority. Sources said that if found financially viable, the residential complex would come up near one of the entry points to Anandpur Sahib town. The project was discussed at length at various meetings with the Chief Minister and now the layout plan of the residential complex had also been approved by Badal. It is learnt that the GMADA had earmarked 13 plots of 500 sq yds, 16 plots of 400 sq yds and 14 plots of 320 sq yds. The maximum number of plots were for the 200 sq yds category and the figure here stood at 70. 38 plots were for 250 sq yds and 46 for 150 sq yds categories. The price at which these plots would be sold was being worked out by the GMADA. Sources said that usually the GMADA approached 14 to 15 private and public sector banks for providing funds for housing schemes to residents, but for the Anandpur Sahib project five to six banks would be asked as it was a small project. The scheme would be open to all citizens of the country and was likely to be launched in about three weeks time after the financial aspects were worked out. The work on preparing the brochure was in progress. It is learnt that GMADA would also be developing a small chunk of land measuring about 7.5 acre as a tourist facility at Anandpur Sahib for the convenience of people who visit the town. |
Reservation time up, waiting lists get longer
Sanjay Bumbroo Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, April 11 Officials have advised people to book their tickets in advance to avoid any inconvenience. I wanted to get a ticket booked for Mumbai, but I was told that it was not possible, so I had to book an air ticket, which resulted in an unwanted increase in my vacation expenditure, said Anil Gupta, an IT professional from Mohali. Migrant labourers go home after Baisakhi. Keeping in view the long waiting list, we will increase the number of coaches so that people are not put to inconvenience, said Parveen Kumar, station superintendent, Chandigarh railway station. Meanwhile, the special train under the IRCTCs Bharat Darshan programme will leave the local railway station on April 18. Passengers will be able to pay obeisance at seven jyotirlingas in South India, including Mahakaleshwar, Grishneshwar and Bhimashankar. The train will pass through Ambala, Moradabad, Ujjain and Dwarika. Passengers will have to pay Rs 6,159 for the 12-day tour. The train to South India will start from the city on May 2. After passing through Ambala, Panipat, Delhi, Jaipur, Dwarika and Ahmadabad, it will return here on May 6. Each passenger will be charged Rs 3,591 for the seven-day tour. The train to Shirdi was announced for May 11. During the 12-day tour, passengers will be able to visit Shirdi, Shanisignapur, Tirupati and Ujjain. Each passenger will be charged Rs 5,643. A senior IRCTC official said bookings were open and people preferred these trains because of decent fares. |
MC says no to notices
Chandigarh, April 11 In a communication to the estate office, the MC has replied that since the corporation has no power to give permission for installing mobile towers so, legally, it is not empowered to issue notices to the violators. Referring to the tri-party agreement signed between the owner of the building, the tower owners and the Administration, the official said that corporation does not have any power to take any action against them. The corporation has further brought to the notice of the estate office that the revenue of the mobile towers are also collected by the estate office so the action could be taken by them only. Similarly, the CHB has also given the same plea for not issuing the notices to the mobile tower owners. A senior official of the administration said that they would take the assistance of both the MC and CHB for removing the illegal mobile towers. Sources in the estate office said that there were 547 mobile phone towers in the city out of which around 300 were operating illegally. The estate office had conducted a survey in which it came to light that a majority of these towers were installed in violation of the building bylaws. Recently, the UT estate office had issued notices to the owners of residential and commercial buildings for violation of the building bylaws. Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner, Brijendra Singh, in his report submitted to UT Finance Secretary VK Singh had pointed out that more than 300 mobile phone towers in the city were illegal. The UT Administration had asked for the report after receiving directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court that it should notify its policy on mobile phone towers in the residential areas in two months. The High Court had made it clear that it wanted the towers to be shifted out of the residential areas in a phased manner. |
Preparation for PMs visit in full swing
Panchkula, April 11 The Special Protection Group (SPG) has already taken charge of the location, particularly the inner security circle. Checking of vehicles and personnel frequenting the venue has been started from today. Although the authorities were tight lipped about providing any specific details regarding the security deployment, sources said that more than 1000 personnel have been assigned the task of guarding the venue. Sharp shooters have been asked to take position at critical spots in the specified high rise buildings in vicinity of the venue. At least 2000 participants will showcase their skills in different forms of art, dance, and music during the silver jubilee celebrations. The main attraction of the inaugural day will be the fusion dance by 800 dancers. In a related development, leading artistes and eminent personalities from the world of literature and crafts have not received any invitation for participation in the event. These include artistes like Dolly Guleria, Kashmiri Lal Zakir and Padma Bhushan Sardar Anjum. |
Admn terms budget insufficient, asks for
Rs 160 crore more
Chandigarh, April 11 Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to meet their ever-rising expenses. To seek Rs 160 crore more, the UT Administration has submitted that they got less budget in categories like transport, urban planning, power and health. Besides, salaries of the Chandigarh Administration employees have also hiked. To meet all these expenses they have sought more money. Additional budget required for
For 2012-13, the UT Adminitrations share was increased with Rs 185.81 crore in the total budget, under the plan and non-plan heads. In the total budget, the UT Administration had got Rs 2,91,601 crore against Rs 2,73,020 crore for 2011-12. Against the allocation of Rs 6,61,89 crore for 2011-12, the Union government had allotted Rs 7,37,23 crore plan budget for Chandigarh for 2012-13. Under the non-plan head, Chandigarh had got Rs 2,17,878 crore (current years allocation was Rs 2068.31 crore). A senior official of the UT Administration said they had received only Rs 64.70 crore for the metro project and transport which was not enough. Under the transport head, the UT Administration has to improve the bus services and replacement of 208 buses, multi-level parking at the ISBT, Sector 43, and creation of four new bus stands near the PGI, Mani Majra, Dadu Majra and Sector 31. He added that the money was also required for land acquisition. In many cases of land acquisition, the award in land acquisition had been increased by various courts. So the administration had to give them more amount than decided at the time of declaring the original award. He added that the Chandigarh Transport Authority (CTU) was given only Rs 37 crore as against the requirement of Rs 47 crore, which was also not going to meet its future diesel requirement. As far as the police department vehicles are concerned, more money is needed for petrol and diesel, he said. Sources added that the UT Administration had not got enough money under the power and energy head. A senior official said the Administration had told the ministry that Chandigarh did not have its own electricity generation plants. It is totally dependent on others to meet the power requirement for which extra money is required in future, they stated. |
UT notifies nine sub-committees
Chandigarh, April 11 Confirming this the MC Mayor, Raj Bala Malik, said that they have received the approval for nine sub-committees from the administration and soon these committees will be formally constituted. In the last week of February, the MC had sent a proposal to the UT Administration to notify eleven sub-committees including sanitation committee, electricity committee, environment and city beautification committee, fire and emergency services committee, arts, culture and sports committee, slum development committee, enforcement committee, apni mandi committee, women empowerment committee, primary health and primary education which were constituted by the Mayor after the unanimous decision of the General House on which the UT Administration has asked the Municipal Corporation to clarify its works and functioning in detail so as to get their approval. The corporation sent a detailed report of the functions of all sub-committees to the UT Administration. It may be mentioned that the BJP-SAD councillor submitted a memorandum to the UT Advisor to the Administrator, KK, Sharma demanding the de-notification of the eleven sub-committees, as they were constituted against the MC act. As per section 42 of the MC Act constitution of committees is obligatory function of the Corporation, which could not be delegated to any authority. Records of the corporation revealed that in the past only three times from 2005 to 2007 MC got the sub-committees notified from the UT Administration before constituting them. While every year the House gives the authority to the newly constituted Mayor to form sub-committees and further approval was given by the UT administration. |
Depot holders organise protest march, demand salary
Mohali , April 11 The members held a protest march from the office of the Food and Civil Supplies to the office of the Deputy Commissioner and later blocked traffic in support of their demands. The protesters said that in July, 2011, the then Food and Supplies Minister had assured that they would be given salaries and expenses every month to run the scheme from April 2012. But no announcement has been made by the government in this regard so far. They said that they were not getting any commission for running the government scheme since 2007. Wheat was being supplied to them by the government at the rate of Rs 4/kg and dal at Rs 20/kg and they had to supply these items to beneficiaries at the same rate. They had also to bear the expenses incurred on transportation and storage of these items. |
Traffic violations: 102 vehicles impounded, 298 owners challaned
Chandigarh, April 11 STA secretary Balbir Singh Dhol said the drive aimed at curbing the tendency of plying unauthorised vehicles with incomplete documents, driving overloaded vehicles and making the city pollution-free. During the intensive checking campaign of transport vehicles, more than 1,900 transport vehicles were checked and 400 were found violating the rules. The impounded vehicles included three buses, 57 trucks, 12 auto-rickshaws, 17 goods carriers, two taxis, 10 tractors and one crane. The challaned vehicles included 26 buses, 62 trucks, 107 auto-rickshaws, 66 goods carrier, 30 taxis, four tractors, two vehicles of driving schools and one crane. The secretary advised motorists to keep complete documents in their vehicles and directed them not to overload their vehicles. Schools and bus operators have been advised to engage only those drivers who have an experience of minimum 5 years of driving heavy vehicle, he said, while asking auto-rickshaw operators to charge the fare as per the meter and put on uniform with name plate while driving. Violators will be challaned and their vehicles will be impounded as
per the provisions of the Motor Vehicle Act, Dhol warned. |
Three-tier security cover for IPL matches
Mohali, April 11 As many as 1202 police personnel would be deployed for the matches. Out of the total force, five officials of the rank of SP and 21 of the rank of DSP would be monitoring the security arrangements. He said that the CIA staff and the special branch officials were checking hotels, guest houses and other places as part of anti-sabotage exercise. Portable explosive detectors would be installed at all the gates . Mounted police would also be put into action as part of the security arrangements. Checking inside and around the stadium was already going on for the past 10-15 days. Bhullar said that people residing in areas close to the stadium have been issued passes which are to be displayed on their vehicles to avoid them any inconvenience. Vehicles with such passes will not be stopped by the police. As many as seven parking lots have been marked for people coming to see the matches. These are located near the Phase X market, near the petrol pump in Phase IX, near Majestic hotel, near the Phase VIII police station, at the backside of the PUDA office and in the Dasehra ground. The main road outside the stadium would be closed and traffic would be diverted on outer roads. |
Scintillating sitar recital mesmerises city residents
Chandigarh, April 11 It was indeed elevating to watch a local maestro making the Koser auditorium reverberated while he kept the audience enthralled by the sheer and clean beauty of his skillful fingers racing the length of the sitar. Dr Ashok began recital with the quiet dignity of the methodical and reposeful alap in Raga Marwa, which was followed by jod-alap and jod-jhala. His touch, strokes, glides and subsequent production of tonal and microtonal effects points to his sound training. Ashoks sensitive yet controlled handling of the instrument was testimony to his talent and dedication to music. His rhythmic and melodic vitality shone throughout his performance. He then moved on to present to two gats. The vilambit gat followed by drut (fast) composition were set to the time cycle of 16 beats (teen taal). His beautiful rendition kept the audience wanting more. Ashok Kumar concluded his recital with a Dhun in Raga Mishra Khamaj amid thunderous applause. He was accompanied by Divakar Sharma on Tabla. Kendra Registrar Shobha Koser honoured the artists. Baisakhi programme for senior citizens at Panchkula The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) in collaboration with the Sarswati Kala Sangam will present a special programme of music and dance for the senior citizens of Panchkula on the eve of Baisakhi festival. ICCR regional officer Nalini Singhal disclosed that the programme would commence at 5.00PM at the Senior Citizen Councils hall on April 12 for the members and music lovers. |
IFS officer is ADG of research council
Chandigarh, April 11 An alumnus of the Physics Department, Panjab University, Chandigarh, Dr Singh did his PhD in climate change from University of Toronto, Canada. His research focused on economic modelling of world's carbon markets, which is one of the most important mechanisms to tackle the problem of global warming. He also did his Masters in Geo-informatics from the Netherlands, where he specialised in clean development mechanism projects for the developing countries. |
Doctors conduct angioplasty through wrist artery
Mohali, April 11 Giving details of the case at a press conference here today, Dr RK Jaswal, Director, Cardiology, Fortis Hospital, said that Gurcharan Singh had already undergone an angioplasty in 2006. After he developed heart related problems again, it was decided to conduct another angioplasty on him, this time through the wrist artery. This had negligible complications and, as compared to the conventional technique of stent implantation through the groin artery, did not cause much discomfort to the patient. Talking about the surgery, Gurcharan Singh too said the procedure through wrist artery was more comfortable. |
MC to start new projects on highway
Dera Bassi, April 11 This was decided in a meeting which was attended by councillors, Deputy Commissioner Varun Roojam, local MLA NK Sharma, project director of national highway authority Anil Kumar Dahiya, SDM Rajesh Tripathi, municipal council vice president HS Rangi and executive officers. Officials present in the meeting said that as per the plan, the national highway authority would offer the maintenance work of lights on the national highway to the Dera Bassi Municipal Council. Two-foot over-bridges would also be constructed on the national highway near Dera Bassi bus stand to reduce the flow of traffic. Also, a road would be constructed at the turning point to Mubarkpur and Gulmohar City. The road under the flyover of Zirakpur from Kalka Chowk to Patiala Chowk will be widened. |
PU flip-flop on exam centre
Chandigarh, April 11 Around 1,200 students appearing for the exams at the college will now be shifted to other examination centres. Interestingly, the PU Syndicate last year had decided to debar the college from being an exam centre for at least a year, but keeping in mind that the decision may lead to inconvenience to students, the university formed a committee that went to the college for inspection and after examining the measures taken by the college for controlling mass copying and ensuring the security of the staff, the committee recommended that the college should be made centre. Sources said the committee had stated that the college had taken various measures for holding exams, including raising the height of the boundary wall and hiring security for holding the exams peacefully. The college management, principal and even the staff had given an undertaking that they would ensure peaceful conduct of exams, following which the committee recommended that the college should be made an exam centre. The Syndicate further gave its approval last month. A team of university officials had also visited the college a few days ago to inspect the peaceful conduct of exams and had given a positive report about it. Now, when the exams have already started, the university has cancelled the centre, reportedly after fellows wrote to the university against granting the permission. PU Controller Examination AK Bhandari confirmed the cancellation
of the centre. |
VC to continue in office, matter to be taken up with Central govt
Chandigarh, April 11 The decision came as an answer to the ongoing controversy related to the constitution of the selection committee for the post of new vice chancellor of Panjab University. It has been alleged by different quarters that the constitution of the committee was not in accordance with the UGC regulations. Fingers were pointed out at the inclusion of certain names who were directly associated with the functioning of the university.In a communication sent to
PU, the chancellor has stated that there have been some queries that the constitution of the Expert Committee is not in accordance with the
"UGC Regulations on Minimum Qualifications for Appointment of Teachers and other Academic Staff in Universities and Colleges and Measures for the Maintenance of Standards in Higher Education 2010. Following which it has been decided to seek the advice of the Government of India on the matter of applicability of the said UGC regulations to the appointment of the vice-chancellor. The communication clearly mentions that the committee has been requested to await the receipt of such advice from the government before proceeding further in the matter. The selection committee was constituted on February 9 this year with Justice
(Retd) Leila Seth as convener. Dr P Rama Rao and ambassador IS Chadha, who are also sitting member of PU Senate, are the members of the committee. They are to draw up a panel of three names suitable for the post of vice-chancellor from among the potential candidates, including eligible candidates of Panjab University. |
Students stage protest, allege harassment by PhD guide
Chandigarh, April 11 The student who has been pursuing her research from last eight years said she was unnecessary harassed by the guide. She said she has been waiting since last year to get an approval on
her thesis. She said she has been facing problem in submitting her final thesis due to delay made by her guide JS Nehru. I had approached the Senate around six months back and requested them to allow me to change my guide. The house then assured that necessary action would be taken, however, nothing has been done, she said. Lata alleged that her guide has been delaying her Ph.d stating that she didnt submitted her progress report. However Lata argues if her progress report was not submitted then why was she allowed to continue her research? I was given extension period to complete my PhD. I have been unnecessarily harassed by my guide, she said. Dean Student Welfare (DSW) AS Ahluwalia, who arrived at the scene to pacify the protesting students, said the students case would be examined and she would be given all possible relief. |
Rs 7.85 crore allocated for new PU hostel
Chandigarh, April 11 An amount of Rs 7.85 crore has been allocated for construction and other facilities to be provided in the hostel.
The building, which will be six-storied, will be located on the main artery of the South Campus. The exteriors of the hostel shall present a blend of modern and traditional architecture. The hostel has been designed to accommodate 75 residential units. Sources said the total area shall be 58,000 sq. feet approximately. The design of the building also incorporates two lifts and two wide staircases. Skylights would be provided to add to the aesthetics of the hostel. Panjab University Campus Student Council (PUCSC) president Pushpinder Sharma said it was a long pending demand of the students, which has been fulfilled. We would now ask the university to complete the construction of the hostel by 2013, Sharma said. |
City girl to visit Japan
Tribune News Service
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Dramatically Bringing Down the Cost of Education with OER
How Open Education Resources Unlock the Door to Free Learning
SOURCE: AP/ Jim Mone
See also: Open Educational Resources
Download this issue brief (pdf)
Read this issue brief on your browser (Scribd)
We are in the midst of a revolution in education. For the first time in human history we have the tools to enable everyone to attain all the education they desire. And best of all this education is available at almost no cost.
The key to this sea change in learning is open education resources, or OER. OER are educational materials produced by one party that are licensed to be used free of charge by others. OER come in many forms—from curriculum to homework assignment to textbooks. And OER exist for all levels of education, from kindergarten through college.
OER are starting to hit the public consciousness in the form of initiatives like the Khan Academy, MIT OpenCourseware, and Washington's Open Course Library. At the end of January, California lawmakers proposed legislation that would create a digital library of free college textbooks that could save the state's college students millions of dollars each year in education costs.
OER are already being used by learners for self study, by teachers to enhance classroom learning, and by education providers to bring down the cost of instruction. Clearly, open education resources hold some of the answers to maintaining the quality of learning material while significantly reducing the cost of education.
With this brief we seek to provide a substantive understanding of OER and at the same time inform the emerging public debate over their use in public education. It's clear to us that OER must be part of the broader conversation concerning spiraling education costs and the need to make education more accessible and affordable at all levels.
Finally we provide key suggestions for how policymakers can best structure the use of OER. Most immediately, we urge federal, state, and local governments and educational institutions to adopt a simple public policy: "All publicly funded resources are openly licensed resources."
OER and you
Open educational resources are educational materials—textbooks, research articles, videos, assessments, simulations—that are either licensed under an open copyright license—for example, Creative Commons—or in the public domain. In both cases you have free (no-cost) access to the OER and free (no-cost) permission to engage in the "4R" activities when using them, including:
Education is a matter of sharing and the open educational resources approach is designed specifically to enable extremely efficient and affordable sharing.
- Revise: adapt and improve the OER so it better meets your needs
- Reuse: use the original or your new version of the OER in a wide range of contexts
- Remix: combine or "mashup" the OER with other OER to produce new materials
- Redistribute: make copies and share the original OER or your new version with others
Education at its core is sharing
Education is first and foremost an enterprise of sharing. In fact, sharing is the sole means by which education is effected. If a teacher is not sharing what he or she knows with students, there is no education happening. Those educators who share the most thoroughly with the greatest proportion of their students are the ones we deem most successful. Sharing is a foundation of OER—whether it be the mentored problem-solving approach of Khan Academy or the recent artificial-intelligence class offered free-of-charge online by Stanford professors Sebastian Thrun and Peter Norvig to more than 58,000 students around the world. The goal is to reach as many as possible with quality content.
Leveraging the Internet
The Internet is frequently compared to the printing press, which in turn is frequently compared to the process of writing books by hand. Today the cost of having a 250-page book transcribed by hand is about $250. The cost of printing that same book with a print-on-demand service is about $5. The cost of copying an online version of that same book is about $0.0008. The cost of shipping either the handwritten or printed book is about $5. The cost of distributing an electronic copy of the book over the Internet, however, is approximately $0.0007.
Open educational resources allow the full power of the Internet to be brought to bear on education. OER allow exactly what the Internet enables: seamless sharing of educational resources with the world.
Clearly, the Internet has empowered us to copy and share with efficiency never before known or imagined. Long before the Internet was invented, however, copyright law began regulating these two activities (copying and sharing). Consequently, the Internet was born at a severe disadvantage—preexisting law prevents us from realizing its full potential. And since the invention of the Internet, copyright law has been "strengthened" to further hinder the full exploitation of the Internet's copying and sharing capabilities.
While existing laws, business models, and outdated educational practices make it difficult for teachers and learners to leverage the full power of the Internet to access high-quality, affordable learning materials, OER can be freely copied and shared (and revised and remixed) without breaking the law. Recent news coverage of the battle over the Stop Online Piracy Act, or SOPA, demonstrates that leveraging the Internet to public benefit raises complex questions over how individuals who create new content can be appropriately compensated. To be sure, individuals producing content that can be reproduced digitally must have their rights protected. Yet in the case of education–in which many faculty receive public research and practice grants to support their work–so much of the development of content in form of curricula and even in some cases, textbooks, is paid for by taxpayers, we must take care to ensure these resources are available to all.
Presenting the $5 textbook
Open educational resources provide an immediate, proven way to make education significantly more affordable and accessible for students.
According to the nonprofit U.S. Public Interest Research Group, college textbook prices have increased at nearly four times the rate of inflation for all finished goods since 1994. College students spend an average of $900 per year on textbooks—26 percent of the cost of tuition at a public, four-year university. And this has occurred while tuition and fees at universities have ballooned 130 percent during the same period and middle-class incomes have stagnated.
The cost of textbooks is a significant factor in the cost of higher education growing beyond the reach of more individuals each year. OER present a custom-tailored solution to this problem. Higher education textbook publishers like Flat World Knowledge publish OER textbooks that students can use for free online or purchase in print for less than $40 (compared to a typical $175 textbook). Utah recently demonstrated that high school science textbooks based on OER can be aggregated, printed, and delivered to thousands of students for a little more than $5 per book.
Continuous quest for resource improvement
For as long as there have been teachers, teachers have been "supplementing around" problems with textbooks. When teachers can't find a single textbook that meets their needs, it is not uncommon for them to assign two or more textbooks, intending to use only parts of each. Because copyright-protected learning materials are not easily (or legally) revised and remixed, it is unthinkable that teachers might simply start taking books apart in order to assemble exactly what they want and exactly what their students need. As a result, teachers and students are constantly "making do" with suboptimal materials.
OER provide teachers with free and legal permissions to engage in continuous qualityimprovement processes like incremental adaptation and revision, enabling teachers to take ownership and control over their courses and textbooks in a manner not previously possible.
The standard process by which a teacher can legally improve a book from a traditional publisher is to submit errata, a list of errors with corrections, and wait 12-to-18 months to see if those changes make it into the next edition. The odds are high, however, that those changes won't see the light of day since improvements suggested at the local level don't necessarily translate globally—an example that speaks more clearly to a particular set of students may actually muddy things for students on the other side of the world. Under current copyright law, teachers are essentially powerless to legally improve the materials used in their classroom.
The BOGO conundrum
The "Buy One, Get One" promotion has become a fixture in American marketing. Implied in the special offer is the promise that when you buy one item, like a pizza or t-shirt, you'll get a second one free. There is, however, a more literal way of interpreting the phrase: When you buy something you should actually get what you paid for.
Imagine paying in advance for a week's vacation in a cabin by a beautiful lake, only to be charged a second time upon your arrival. You would never stand for such an outrage. Yet that is the situation that state and federal governments often are in when it comes to the purchase of education materials. Taxpayers frequently fund the development of curriculum materials and research through grants made by the National Science Foundation; the Departments of Labor, Education, and Energy; and other government entities. State or federal governments commission the creation of these materials using taxpayer dollars. In other words, when the NSF gives a grant to a university to produce an engineering curriculum, you and I have already paid for it. Why should we be expected to pay a second time before we're granted access to the thing we've paid for once?
What's worse, if every school district in your state pays to license the curriculum, you've now paid for it many times over as each state contains hundreds, if not thousands, of school systems.
Next steps and recommendations
OER gives us the previously unimaginable opportunity to use technology to maintain the quality of instructional materials while significantly cutting educational costs. We now have the tools to literally enable everyone in the world to attain all the education they desire. More amazingly, the marginal cost of doing so is close to $0.
Every taxpayer has a reasonable expectation of access to curriculum materials and research products whose creation their tax dollars supported. All taxpayer-funded educational and research materials should be OER.
It will require, however, that we share the educational resources we produce and that we spend our limited public resources wisely. It will require educators to openly license and share their educational resources and be willing to use others' OER. The academic culture from elementary to higher education must change from "not invented here" to "proudly borrowed from there."
We need to help policy leaders understand the affordability and flexibility of the digital world, and how public investments in educational resources, data, research, and science must be openly licensed and shared for the public to get its full return on investment. Finally, all governments—national, state, county, and local—along with educational institutions must adopt a simple public policy: "Publicly funded resources are openly licensed resources." This means that if public investment helps create an educational resource, then that content is published under an open license.
Because we know how to do this, and it is all but free to do so, we have a moral obligation and ethical responsibility to act.
About the authors
David Wiley is an associate professor of instructional psychology and technology at Brigham Young University.
Cable Green is director of global learning at Creative Commons.
Louis Soares is the Director of the Postsecondary Education Program at the Center for American Progress.
NOTE: The ideas in this paper are expanded and discussed at greater depth in "Why Openness in Education?", a chapter in Game Changers: Education and Information Technologies, a book published by EDUCAUSE that will be released in summer 2012. The book also includes examples of open educational resources in use in higher education.
This brief is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License
See also: Open Educational Resources
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About ITC Slimbach® font family
ITC Slimbach font is the work of California calligrapher and type designer Robert Slimbach. Inspired in part by German fonts and the work of Hermann Zapf, Slimbach created a "contemporary text font with a progressive look", combining clean serif shapes with the warmth of calligraphic forms.
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(based on 31 reviews)
Ratings Distribution
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Reviewed by 31 customers
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Definitely a good buy
By Shoshana
from Palos Verdes, CA
About Me Education Oriented, speech therapist
Comments about Frankie's Food Truck Fiasco Game™:
This is a great game. The colors and the game pieces are colorful and sturdy. The kids I work with all mentioned how it reminded them of another game, they like, The Sneaky Squirrel game. As a speech therapist this game works on the following areas, receptive and expressive language. The children are engaged with the game. It can be used in many different ways. IT can be used with children two years and older, even 10 year olds.I would highly recommend it.
Comment on this review
Practicing fine motor skills can be fun
By Veronica
from Torrance, CA
About Me First Time Parent, Working Parent
Frankie's Food Truck Fiasco Game is a simple but entertaining game. It not only helps them to learn how to recognize basic shapes in food items, but it also helps them develop fine motor skills. My 5 year old knows her basic shapes but struggles with her hand-eye coordination. This game allowed her to practice her fine motor skills while having some fun so if you ask me it was a win-win situation.
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Fun Competitive Game
By KJ Gomez
This is a great game to develop visual, cognitive, and fine motor skills! Very fun and engaging!
Frankie's Shows Shapes in Real Objects!
By Mrs. Chalkbox
from Altoona, PA
About Me Education Oriented, Grandparent
This is a simple game with easy to follow direction. It is good for those PreK children whose attention spans are short. The game pieces are both colorful and durable. Using Frankie to pick up the food tiles and move them around builds muscles required for fine motor skills. I especially liked that the tiles showed children how to see shapes in real world objects. I am an Educational Insights dealer in Altoona, PA. I took this game to game nights at two elementary schools where it was well received. I had several sad children when they found out that I did not have it stocked to sell. I hope to have it in my store soon so that I can turn those frowns upside down!!
Learning made fun at its best
By Coralie
from Salt Lake City, Utah
About Me Parent Of Two Or More Children, Stay At Home Parent
My kids love playing games so when they saw this they couldn't wait to get it open and try it out. They know most of their shapes so it was a lot of fun for them and they were able to play through a game pretty fast - it kept them busy and they didn't get frustrated. My kids are 3 & 5 and they have a great time with it. Not only fun but educational and a great way too help kids keep up on their shapes and other math skills. Disclaimer: I received product in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are 100% my own.
Well Made, Fun Game
By Amy D
from Massachusetts
About Me Parent Of Two Or More Children
There is just something so fun about children's games that incorporate food. My kids recently received this game and they have been loving every ounce of it! We have been playing as a family which has allowed us to bond and connect. This point of this game is to be the first to deliver a five course meal. While playing kids learn more about math and shapes. They also learn that sometimes things don't always go as planned. We loved playing this because the little Frankie Clip piece is fun for kids to squeeze. I found the game to be fun, engaging and very sturdy and well made.
Fun game for young kids!
By kmtmama
About Me Education Oriented, Parent Of Two Or More Children
Cute game with quality pieces that will withstand play. This game is easy to set up and directions are clear and straightforward. Players needs to spin and select a food item that matches the shape they land on.The first player to find all of the items on their placemat card wins. Players can also lose a turn, steal a dish from another player or return a dish depending on what they spin. My son squealed with delight whenever he landed on the "That looks delicious!" space allowing him to steal a piece from his sister. The game requires kids to recognize shapes and use their fine motor skills to pick up pieces using Frankie the Cat. All of the game pieces are made of sturdy cardboard or plastic and the colors are bright and vibrant. This game is fun to play and would make a great gift.
Fun for Shape Recognition!
By Staley Mc
from Birmingham, AL
Great for shape recognition! My kids loved playing this game! It was easy to understand and the concept was easily learned by the kids as we played.
Fun Game
By Adventurecn
from San Diego, CA
About Me Education Oriented, Parent Of Two Or More Children, Stay At Home Parent
Great fun game for learning shapes and beginning strategies. I like the fact that even though it is for little ones but there is a built in strategy element, not commonly found in toys/games for young children. Highly recommended for families with young kids.
A must buy!
By Julie M
from West Seneca NY
About Me First Time Parent, Stay At Home Parent
This is a great game for our 5 year old son. It was so easy for him to understand right from the start. It is a great game to develop fine motor skills, which is one of my son's weaknesses. I love having learning games in our collection and the Frankie's Food Truck Fiasco game is just that. This game teaches math, shapes and fine motor skills. This game is great to play before bedtime or while waiting for dinner to be done. It is a fast paced game, so it keeps my son's short attention span so you can play over and over again. My son loves when he spins the Squirrel and gets to steal a plate, he just thinks it is the funniest thing. I love to hear him giggle. That is the best part of this game, to see the happiness and excitement in my son. That makes this worth every penny.


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Emanuel Ungaro
Large Leather Satchel
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Please select a size.
Description: Large satchel bag. Leather with metal hardware and leather ribbon throughout. Two slip pockets on sides with hidden magnetic closure. Double top handles with dual top zip closure. Satin interior with large zip pocket and two slip pockets. Four feet at base. Body length 17 inches; Height 11½ inches; Width 5 inches. Drop handle 8½ inches.
Material: Leather
Brand: Emanuel Ungaro
Origin: France


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Understanding the Genetic and Hereditary Basis of Atherosclerosis
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Atherosclerosis is a condition that occurs when fatty deposits build up along the inner walls of arteries. New strategies are needed to prevent and treat atherosclerosis. The purpose of this study is to analyze the DNA of participants in two ongoing studies to identify genetic variations responsible for the development of atherosclerosis.
Condition |
Atherosclerosis Cardiovascular Diseases |
Study Type: | Observational |
Study Design: | Observational Model: Case Control Time Perspective: Retrospective |
Official Title: | SNPs and Extent of Atherosclerosis (SEA) Study |
- To estimate the association between common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the human genome and extent of subclinical atherosclerosis among subjects in the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) cohort (N=2,876). [ Time Frame: Entire project period. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- To estimate the association between potential atherosclerosis SNPs identified in the PDAY cohort and extent of subclinical atherosclerosis among subjects in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) cohort (N=6,577). [ Time Frame: Entire project period ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- To define the haplotypic structure of the genome in the regions of SNPs that are associated with atherosclerosis in PDAY and MESA and to perform additional genotyping necessary for haplotype association studies using both the PDAY and MESA cohorts. [ Time Frame: Entire project period. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
- To disseminate the identity, location, primer sets and allele frequency of the atherosclerosis associated SNPs in PDAY, and those confirmed in MESA, in order to facilitate additional replication and functional studies of the most promising SNPs. [ Time Frame: Entire project period. ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
Biospecimen Retention: Samples With DNA
Enrollment: | 2763 |
Study Start Date: | March 2006 |
Study Completion Date: | February 2012 |
Primary Completion Date: | February 2012 (Final data collection date for primary outcome measure) |
Atherosclerosis is a condition in which deposits of fat, cholesterol, and other substances build up along the inner walls of arteries; these deposits are known as plaque. As plaque builds up, it increases the risk of blood clots, heart attack, and stroke. Research has shown that the risk of developing atherosclerosis can be influenced by heredity. However, researchers have been unable to identify the specific genes associated with this risk. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are small genetic variations that can occur within an individual's DNA. In this study, researchers will analyze the DNA of many individuals for differences in SNP patterns. The goal of the study is to determine which SNP patterns are associated with the development of atherosclerosis. The data from this study may lead to new strategies for early identification of high risk individuals who may benefit from aggressive treatment to prevent the development of atherosclerosis.
This study will not recruit any new participants. DNA will be collected and analyzed from participants in two existing studies—the Pathobiological Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) study and the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). DNA from the PDAY participants will be obtained from liver samples gathered during an autopsy following the participants' deaths; DNA from the MESA participants will be obtained from blood collected during routine study visits. There will be no additional study visits for participants, and all DNA samples and study information will be kept confidential. Genetic testing will be performed to determine the association between SNPs and subclinical atherosclerosis, which is a form of the condition prior to the onset of symptoms. The study will evaluate specific variations in SNPs and subclinical disease among different ethnic groups, which may help to explain why certain ethnic groups have higher rates of atherosclerosis. The study will also examine the association between SNPs and other indicators of subclinical and clinical atherosclerosis, including the thickness of arteries, heart calcium levels, and blood pressure levels.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 15 Years to 34 Years |
Genders Eligible for Study: | Both |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Sampling Method: | Non-Probability Sample |
Subject enrolled in the Pathobiologic Determinants of Atherosclerosis in Youth (PDAY) study
Inclusion Criteria:
- Participant in PDAY or MESA
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00344292
United States, California | |
Cedars-Sinai Health System | |
Los Angeles, California, United States, 90048 | |
United States, Louisiana | |
Louisiana State University | |
New Orleans, Louisiana, United States, 70112 | |
United States, Texas | |
The University of Texas | |
Houston, Texas, United States, 77225 | |
United States, Washington | |
University of Washington | |
Seattle, Washington, United States, 98105 |
Principal Investigator: | David M. Herrington, MD, MHS | Wake Forest School of Medicine |
No publications provided
Responsible Party: | david herrington, Professor, Internal Medicine, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT00344292 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: | 1333, U01HL080443-01A1, R01 HL080443-01A1 |
Study First Received: | June 23, 2006 |
Last Updated: | January 23, 2013 |
Health Authority: | United States: Federal Government |
Keywords provided by Wake Forest Baptist Health:
Polymorphism, Genetic Coronary Artery Disease Coronary Arteriosclerosis Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide SNPs |
Additional relevant MeSH terms:
Arteriosclerosis Atherosclerosis Cardiovascular Diseases Arterial Occlusive Diseases Vascular Diseases |
ClinicalTrials.gov processed this record on April 30, 2015


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Sep 19, 2009 12:20 PM
There seems to be one thing for certain during this season's Spring 2010 Fashion Week runway shows and it's the strong silhouette. Dresses with tight upper halves and really voluminous bottom halves are everywhere right now. We prefer the look over a pencil skirt bottom for gals on the pear-shaped side - this way we get to look flirty in a flattering way! This Haute Hippie Tutu Mini Dress ($473) gets us where we need to go with the utmost style.
If you've got a product or service that you'd like to promote on Outblush, click here to find out about our advertising opportunities. |
Outblush is a blog for girls who love to shop. Our staff digs up the best clothes, home stuff, beauty items, and more. New items are posted every day — bookmark us, sign up for email updates, grab our RSS feed, and check out:


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- Unlimited entry
- Kids register for FREE
- Help fight extinction
Reproduction: Strategies for Success
Reproduction: Strategies for Success invites students to explore the mechanisms and systems of reproduction and the major contributions that specialised breeding programs contribute to helping save endangered species.
Students will be challenged to consider the unique nature of marsupial and monotreme reproduction which makes our mammals so special and investigate some of the amazing reproductive processes of Australian animals and find out how Healesville Sanctuary is breeding endangered species in captivity.
Learning Outcomes
This program can be used to meet the requirements of the School Assessed Coursework (SAC) and addresses the area of study and outcomes in:
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Eigenvalues of the Potential Function V=z4±Bz2 and the Effect of Sixth Power Terms
Applied Spectroscopy, Vol. 24, Issue 1, pp. 73-80 (1970)
Acrobat PDF (621 KB)
The one-dimensional Schrödinger equation in reduced form is solved for the potential function V=z4+Bz2 where B may be positive or negative. The first 17 eigenvalues are reported for 58 values of B in the range −50 ≤ B ≤ 100. The interval of B between the tabulated values is sufficiently small so that the eigenvalues for any B in this range can be found by interpolation. At the limits of the range of B the potential function approaches that of a harmonic oscillator with only small anharmonicity. The effect of a small Cz6 term on this potential is studied and it is concluded that a previously reported approximation formula is quite applicable but only for positive values of B. The success of the quartic–harmonic potential function for the analysis of the ring-puckering vibration is shown; it is also demonstrated that the same potential serves as a useful approximation for many other systems, especially those of the double minimum type.
Jaan Laane, "Eigenvalues of the Potential Function V=z4±Bz2 and the Effect of Sixth Power Terms," Appl. Spectrosc. 24, 73-80 (1970)
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Australia today inked USD 8.8 billion worth deals with China, to enhance cooperation in the field of energy and resources and pave the way for massive Chinese investment in mines, railways and port facilities.
The agreements were signed between the two sides during a meeting between visiting Chinese Vice—President Xi Jinping and Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. Mr. Xi is the likely successor of Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Mr. Rudd said the 10 deals, amounting to 10 billion Australian dollars, were focused on cooperation in resources and energy, AAP reported today.
"This demonstrates the dynamic relations between the two countries in this sector, and the strong complementarity of the two economies," he said.
Among the deals is a pact that will allow Chinese companies to help fund a USD 8 billion coal mine and a railway and coal—loading terminal near Bowen in Queensland.
Mr. Rudd said that deal would yield four billion (Aus dollars) in exports each year for 25 years.
Another deal commits Chinese experts and engineers to work on the expansion of Fortescue's iron ore projects in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, which Mr. Rudd said will be worth five billion (Australian) dollars a year in exports.
Fortescue boss opposes new mining tax
Fortescue boss Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest is a vocal opponent of the Government's proposed new mining tax.
Australia's proposed 40 per cent tax on mining profits has sparked concerns in China over the resultant high costs of resources.
In another agreement, China Development Bank will provide USD 1.2 billion for a joint venture to build a new port and rail facilities at Oakajee in Western Australia, and invest in Aquila's coal and iron ore projects in the Pilbara.
A new quarantine arrangement will allow for Tasmanian apples to be exported to China, while other deals aim at cooperation in education and telecommunications.
Australian media has dubbed the visit by Mr. Xi part of a wider repair job for Australia—China ties after a series of tense months in the relationship.
Mr. Xi is the first high—level Chinese official to visit Australia since the controversy surrounding the jailing of Rio Tinto executive Stern Hu in Shanghai in March.


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The Asian Roundtable on Corporate Governance and the Asia Network on Corporate Governance of State-Owned Enterprises serve as regional forums for exchanging experiences and advancing the reform agenda on corporate governance.
This review analyses the supervision and enforcement of rules and practices relating to related party transactions, takeover bids and shareholder meetings. It covers 27 jurisdictions, including in-depth reviews of Brazil, Turkey, and the United States.
The financial crisis revealed severe shortcomings in corporate governance. When most needed, existing standards failed to provide the checks and balances that companies need in order to cultivate sound business practices.
Access information about all aspects of the Guidelines and their implementation, including the Global Forum on Responsible Business Conduct, the proactive agenda and the database of specific instances.


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G. Garvin head to the west coast to check out the flavors of San Francisco.
Watch VideoChuck Hughes tries soulful barbecue at Memphis' Rendezvous Rib Shipping.
Watch VideoG. Garvin's trip to Brenda's Soul Food introduces him to Catfish Po-Boys.
Chuck helps fry catfish and make BBB greens at Memphis' Felicia Suzanne's.
Get Cooking Channel on your TV.


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Archive Page - 08/16/13 41 years, 2,180 covers and 55,277 stories from PEOPLE magazine's history for you to enjoy
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People Top 5
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- November 16, 1998
- Vol. 50
- No. 18
The Sexiest Men Undead
They're Hot! They're Hungry! They're Vampire Ladykillers!
Francis Ford Coppola's richly textured Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) starred GARY OLDMAN (left) as the tortured Count who transforms himself into a dashing young prince to win the heart of Winona Ryder's Mina. The result, said TIME, is "a luscious, infernal romance. [Dracula] is Don Juan, sucking the innocence out of his conquests."
Britain's CHRISTOPHER LEE joined the undead in 1958's Horror of Dracula and went on to star as the Count in seven movies. Veronica Carlson, his costar in 1968's Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (below), remembers "how seductive and attractive he was as Dracula." Once, she recalls, "Christopher was saying to [director] Freddie Francis, 'I think it would be a good idea if I roam her face and then come back to her mouth and look as if I'm actually going to kiss her, but then slide off into the jugular vein.' Freddie said, 'That sounds wonderful!' and I thought, 'Oh God, that does sound wonderful! I'm all for that!' "
Though cast as a creature of the night, JONATHAN FRID (left) thrived in daytime from 1967 to 1971 as lovesick Barnabas Collins on ABC's soap Dark Shadows. Playing the victim to DAVID BOWIE's cultured vampire in 1983's The Hunger, "I felt completely spellbound," says Ann Magnuson (above, left). "It's Bowie's boyish quality that invites you to keep your door unlocked at night." In the 1995 horror-comedy Vampire in Brooklyn, EDDIE MURPHY's modern jive and goatee didn't mask his traditional (blood)lust for New York City cop Angela Bassett (above, right).
After starring in Dracula on Broadway and in the 1979 movie version, FRANK LANGELLA (left, onscreen with Kate Nelligan) knows why the Count always gets the girl. "Simple," he says. "Romantic love through all eternity with a man who wants only you." Yet as the leader of a gang of MTV-ready punk vampires terrorizing a coastal California town in 1987's The Lost Boys, KIEFER SUTHERLAND (below, center) had to fight for the love of vampire trainee Jami Gertz (second from right) with help from Brooke McCarter, Billy Wirth and Alexander Winter.
Hungarian émigré BELA LUGOSI firmly planted himself in the pantheon of American film icons with his starring role in the first talkie version of Dracula in 1931. He personified vampirism in four more films, including 1935's Mark of the Vampire with Carol Borland (above). Of his appeal to fans, Lugosi theorized, "It was the embrace of Death their subconscious was yearning for."
Sexual decadence permeated 1994's Interview with the Vampire. TOM CRUISE (far left) and BRAD PITT wore dandy duds, dwelled in great houses in New Orleans and Paris, and cavorted their way from the 18th century to the present day. As the ravishingly libidinous Lestat, Cruise seduced most everyone along the way, but Pitt's Louis fought his vampire nature. When at last he drank the blood of a young girl, a gorgeous—but lethal—family was born.
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