text:
Resumen disponible en
Reclamaciones disponible en
Descripción (El texto procesado por OCR puede contener errores)
United States Patent SENSITIZED SHEET CONTAINING AN ORGANIC SILVER SALT, A REDUCING AGENT AND A CATALYTIC PROPORTION OF SILVER HALIDE David A. Morgan, East Oakdale Township, Washington County, and Benjamin L. Shely, White Bear Lake, Minn., assignors to Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Continuation-impart of application Ser. No. 362,928, Apr. 27, 1964. This application Dec. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 693,714
Int. Cl. G032 Z/JO U.S. C]. 96-67 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Light-sensitive films and papers for dry photography, which form high contrast images when exposed to a lightimage and then uniformly moderately heated, contain minor amounts of photosensitive silver halide catalyst progenitor in catalytic proximity with major amounts of heat-sensitive oxidation-reduction image-forming reactants which react more rapidly under the influence of said catalyst. The catalytic effect is suflicient to produce gamma infinity values of .5 and higher.
This application is a continuation-inpart of our copending applications, Ser No. 362,928 filed Apr. 27, 1964, now abandoned, and Ser. No. 451,010 filed Apr. 26, 1965, as a continuation-in-part thereof, now abandoned.
This invention relates to the visible recording of lightimages, and has particular reference to new and useful light-sensitive sheet materials and methods of making and using the same. The invention provides 'for the first time a commercially practical light-sensitive sheet material on which a high contrast, permanent, visible record may be developed by moderate uniform heating following exposure of the sheet to the light-image, a process which may be termed dry photography. No liquids, vapors or other processing aids are required to obtain a permanent dense visible image. Virtually complete utilization of the entire quantity of image-forming material is attained in the fully exposed areas Without undue darkening of the unexposed areas, merely by brief heat development after exposure to moderate quantities of light.
The preparation of sheet materials capable of forming a visible image by exposure to a light-image followed by heating has previously been attempted. Exemplary of one such approach are sheet materials based on diazonium compounds which decompose under exposure to ultraviolet radiation, one form of which is represented by U.S. Patent No. 2,703,756. Another approach employs a heatinduced color-forming condensation reaction, for example with an aromatic amine, of a free radical produced by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, as in U.S. Patent No. 3,042,517. An earlier form of sheet material, described for example in U.S. Patent No. 1,976,302, contains silver oxalate or the like which, after exposure to ultraviolet, is decomposed by heating. A more recently described prior art sensitive sheet utilizes a conventional light-sensitive silver halide in conjunction with a reducing agent, the two reacting at light-struck areas in the presence of moisture provided from a hydrated salt under the influence of heat.
Many of the prior art materials require exposure to intense ultraviolet radiation, or for long periods of time, in order to make possible the development of a visible image on heating. Some of them require extended heating, or heating at undesirably high temperatures. Some 3,457,075 Patented July 22, 1969 are unstable on prolonged storage, or produce poor quality or unstable images, or undergo further change in image or background areas on storage subsequent to imaging, or have other undesirable properties or attributes.
Another recently described sheet material employs a mixture of organic silver salt and organic reducing agent which by itself forms a coating that is substantially latent under ambient conditions. As described in Sorensen et al. U.S. Patent No. 3,152,904, the introduction of very small amounts of silver halide or other analogous photosensitive metal salt, either within the mixture or in a contacting separate layer, makes possible the creation of a visible image by exposure to a light-image followed by heating or by application of a solvent. But this sheet material, like those of the prior art mentioned above, suifers from the inability to provide images of desirably high visual contrast and to make possible a commercially practical process of dry photography.
In no case of which we are aware do these hereinbefore described materials produce a dense image upon heat development of an area which has first been briefly exposed to ordinary light, e.g. to not more than ten times the quantity of light required to provide a visible degree of change on such heat development.
The new and useful sheet material of this invention may be transparent or opaque; it may be supplied in roll form as a film or sheet stock, or it may be packaged and sold in pre-cut sheet form. This new sheet material combines a photo-sensitive means and a heat-sensitive means in intimate association in a stratum to provide a unique combination of heat and light sensitivity, the light-sensitive material upon light exposure serving greatly to increase the heat-reactivity of the heat-sensitive material throughout the exposed areas. The stratum may be a surfacing, or an under-layer or coating. Because of Wide familiarity of the art with silver compounds, through their extensive use in photography, it has been found con venient to prepare sheet materials embodying this invention using such compounds, although it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto.
A specific embodiment of the invention provides a photosensitive copy-sheet product having a norm-ally substantially latent coating which is capable of undergoing permanent visible change at light-struck areas on being briefly heated at moderately elevated temperatures. The sensitive layer contains a light-stable organic silver salt oxidizing agent, an organic reducing agent, and photosensitive silver halide, in a novel relationship resulting in a surprisingly high level of heat-sensitivity throughout the image areas after exposure to a light-image. As a result there is provided a light-sensitive coating having photographic capability. Visible images of photographic sharpness and of high visual contrast are produced within second-s by the simple process of exposing the sensitive sheet to a light-image and then to moderately elevated temperatures. Reversal images may be obtained, e.g. by heating the print in contact with a suitable receptor sheet containing organic silver salt.
The organic silver salt need not be completely insensitive toward light, but should at least be resistant to darkening under indoor illumination to an extent sufiicient to prevent destruction or deterioration of copies during several days or Weeks or desk-top storage, and may be almost totally resistant to visible change even under diffuse Sunlight. A preferred class of salts having excellent stability under exposure to light is represented by the waterinsolnble silver soaps of long chain fatty acids which are highly stable to light in the presence of moisture, such for example as silver behenate and silver stearate. The soaps are conveniently prepared by precipitation with silver nitrate solution from aqueous solutions of the alkali 3 metal soaps of corresponding fatty acids, with or without coprecipitation of the fatty acid in any desired proportion. For transparent coatings the fatty acid content is restricted or omitted.
Heat-sensitive sheet materials based on organic silver salt oxidizing agents and organic reducing agents are described in Owen U.S. Patent No. 2,910,377, wherein are included silver behenate and silver stearate as well as the silver salts of a number of other organic acids, viz oleic, lauric, hydroxystearic, acetic, phthalic, terephthalic, butyric, m-nitrobenzoic, salicylic, phenylacetic, pyromellitic, p-phenylbenzoic, undecylenic, camphoric, furoic, acetamidobenzoic, and o-aminobenzoic. Other organic silver salts capable of providing similar effects include the silver salts of saccharin, benzotriazole, phthalazinone, 4-n-octadecyloxydiphenyl-4-carboxylic acid, 10,12,14-octadecatrienoic acid, and benzoic acid. The silver salts of those organic acids which are water-insoluble and normally solid are preferred, since the by-products do not adversely affect the coating. The heat-reactivity with the organic reducing agents of silver salts of the shorter carbon chain fatty acids, such as silver 'butyrate, as well as many of the other salts listed, may he increased in accordance with the principles of the present invention; and sheet materials based on such compounds and combinations have been found to produce high contrast dense images when properly exposed and developed. Most or all of such sheets darken more or less rapidly under continued exposure to light, and images produced thereon, although useful for short periods, are therefore not permanent unless subsequently treated, e.g. with fixing agents; and the sheets containing the water-insoluble normally stable silver salts of long chain fatty acids, i.e. containing at least about twelve carbon atoms in the carbon chain, or other silver salts having generally good resistance to darkening under indoor illumination, are therefore greatly preferred.
The halide ion of the photosensitive silver halide may be supplied in any of a number of ways. One convenient procedure involves briefly exposing the surface of the organic silver salt particle or coating to the vapors of one or more halogen acids, the extent of the reaction being controlled by controlling both the concentration of the vapor and the time of exposure to the vapor. A preferred procedure involves the coating of any of various halogen-containing liquid solutions of known small concentration and in controlled amounts over the surface of a thin coating of the organic silver salt on a suitable substrate, followed by removal of the solvent if desired, whereby silver halide is formed in situ throughout the surface of the coating of the organic silver salt or the like.
The solution method of applying the halide ion is particularly useful in the preparation of light-sensitive heatdevelopable copy-sheet materials. It permits the eflficient application of the reducing agent and of intensifying or spectral sensitizing dyes or other components simultaneously with the halide ion. The materials are deposited at the exposed surface of the organic silver salt layer where they perform most effectively in subsequent image-forming operations. In some instances the dye employed in spectrally sensitizing or otherwise modifying the sheet may itself serve as the source of a portion of the halide ion, and particularly effective results in terms of increased sensitivity to light have been attained in this manner.
The silver halide may be formed on the silver behenate or other organic silver salt prior to coating the latter on the paper or other carrier surface. As an example, halogen acid (e.g. HCl or HBBr) or other source of halide ion is mixed with the organic silver salt under conditions permitting reaction therebetween, e.g. in suspension in a volatile liquid medium.
Hydrogen chloride and hydrogen bromide are effective sources of halide ion. Various water-soluble inorganic halides are somewhat more easily handled and are equally effective; ammonium bromide" has been found particularly useful since the ammonium ion is subsequently readily removable, but halides of various metals, e.g. sodium, calcium, magnesium, cobalt and zinc, are also effective. Ionizable organic halogen compounds are also useful examples being triphenylmethyl chloride, triphenylmethyl bromide, 2-bromo-2-methylpropane, 2-bromobutyric acid, Z-bromoethanol, and benzophenone dichloride.
Surprisingly, the in situ formation of the silver chloride or bromide, by reaction of halide ion with silver ions of the organic silver salt, enhances the image-forming capability of the composition enormously, and far beyond anything available by simple addition of preformed silver halide, so that true photographic or picture-taking capability is made possible. The difference is not simply a matter of degree, but involves a different structure as may be demonstrated, e.g. by electron microscopy or by other test. It has been demonstrated, for example, that mixtures of silver behenate and preformed silver bromide may be physically separated by centrifuging, whereas silver behenate containing the in situ formed silver bromide, prepared as herein described, remains essentially homogeneous under the same conditions.
In a typical instance a mixture of one-half part by weight of silver bromide and ten parts of an equimolar silver behenate-behenic acid precipitate were dispersed together in parts of a mixture of equal volumes of alcohol and water by prolonged agitation in a Waring Blendor. Another mixture was prepared by first dispersing the same amount of the silver behenate-behenic acid precipitate in the solvent mixture and then adding an amount of HBr suflicient to form one-half part of silver bromide, with continued agitation. Equal small portions of the two mixtures were centrifuged, and the sediment then exposed to strong ultraviolet light. The first tube showed clear evidence of separation; and small amount of dense black material occupied the tip of the tube, above which was a much larger amount of a much lighter yellowish material. The entire amount of solid material accumulated in the second tube was of uniform black color, indicating a complete lack of separation. The remainders of the two mixtures were allowed to stand for a few hours under diffuse (northern exposure) sunlight. The suspension containing the preformed silver bromide remained visibly unchanged, whereas the suspension containing the in situ formed silver bromide darkened extensively and uniformly.
In probable explanation of this effect it is suggested that the molecules of silver soap are disposed in each small particle with their silver ions associated together in distinct planes or layers. The hydrophilic polar silver ions are oriented toward each other, the planes of silver ions being separated from other adjacent planes, e.g. by the intervening extended organic radicals of the molecules. Conversion of some few of the silver ions of the silver soap from each particle to very small crystals of silver halide then occurs. The resulting silver halide crystals are in synergistic association with the silver ions of the remaining silver soap. Exposure to light causes photolytic reduction at the silver halide crystal and provides a silver nucleus in position to permit electron migration to the remaining silver ions under the influence of heat. These silver nuclei then catalyze the reduction of the organic silver soap by the organic reducing agent at the ele vated temperature employed, to produce a visible change. The nature of the silver halide crystal, its close proximity to the silver soap, and the presence of silver halide crystals in synergistic association with each of the silver soap particles, combine to provide high light sensitivity and the ability to form exceptionally dense and high contrast images upon moderate heating, after light exposure.
In any event, and regardless of theory, the organic silver salt coatings containing in situ formed silver halide have been found to have orders-of-magnitude greater image-forming capability when exposed to a light-image and then developed by heating, e.g. to yield images of far greater contrast or to require far less light-exposure in forming a dense image, than identically exposed and heated coatings containing identical proportions of physically added silver halide.
Opaque sheet materials made in accordance with this invention, when exposed to times the quantity of radiation required to provide an image in the radiation-struck area having a diffuse reflection optical density of 0.1 above background upon heat development for example at 215 F. for 2 seconds, provide an optical density upon identical heat development of at least about 0.6 above background. The density measurements are conveniently made using a conventional reflectometer, such as a Photovolt Corporation Photometer Model 520M with a Model 53 reflection attachment, for determining the reflection density.
Transparent sheet materials made in accordance with this invention, when exposed to 10 times the quantity of radiation required to provide an image in the radiationstruck area having a diffuse transmission optical density of 0.1 above background upon heat development e.g. at 215 F. for 2 seconds, provide upon identical heat development an image having a density of at least about 1.0 above background. The measurements are made using a conventional densitometer, such as MacBeth Corporation Quantalog Model No. TD102, for determining diffuse transmission optical density.
These characteristics may be conveniently expressed in terms of gamma infinity values obtained, as in conventional photographic practice, by step-wise or sensitometric exposure followed by development to maximum contrast. Under such procedures the sheet materials of the invention show a gamma infinity value of at least about 0.5.
As is well understood in the photographic arts, in measuring the relationship between density and exposure, when density is plotted against the logarithm of exposure to produce the characteristic or D-log E curve, the slope of the straight line portion of the curve (i.e. the slope of the tangent to the curve at the point of inflection) is referred to as gamma (7). See pages 73 and 437-439 of The Theory of the Photographic Process, 3rd Ed., by Mees and James; a like discussion also occurs in the 2nd Edition of the same book, published in 1954.
For a step-wise or other sensitometric exposure, i.e. to light or actinic radiation, of a sensitive sheet there is a maximum gamma value which can be obtained with optimum development. This is referred to as gamma infinity, as discussed at page 439 of the aforesaid book by Mees and James. For example, upon development of one of our sensitometrically exposed sheets at :a specific elevated temperature, over a certain period of time, certain development is attained, which can be expressed or shown as 'a D-log E curve. Development for the same time at a higher temperature of another sample of the same sensitometrically exposed sheet can be expressed as a different D-log E curve having a different gamma; and so on. Likewise a series of D-log E curves may be prepared by maintaining a constant development temperature and heating for different lengths of time. The highest gamma obtainable by optimum selection of time and temperature development conditions, of a sensitometrically exposed sheet, is referred to herein as gamma infinity.
The photosensitive silver salt material may be incorporated in a transparent self-supporting film, or in a fibrous web in the substantial absence of binder, or preferably in a coating of a film-forming binder on a heatresistant carrier such as paper, plastic film, metal foil, or glass plate. Suitable film-forming binders include such materials as polyvinyl butyral, polymethyl methacrylate, cellulose acetate, polyvinyl acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate.
Mild organic reducing agents are included with the organic silver salt material. An outstandingly useful example is hydroquinone. Methylhydroxynaphthalene, methyl gallate, catechol, phenylene diamine, p-aminophenol, and phenidone are other examples of mild reducing agents which have been found useful in the practice of the invention. Since stability of such systems is improved under acidic conditions, it is found desirable to incorporate small proportions of acidic stabilizer materials. Succinic acid is a preferred example. Benzoic acid and salicylic acid are also useful.
Spectrally sensitizing dyes are well known in the photographic industry for increasing the sensitivity of the silver halide photographic emulsion to visible light of various wavelengths. The same dyes provide similar effects in the practice of the present invention. One such dye is Phosphine R, Color Index Basic Orange 14. Another is Dynacolor R-Sl merocyanine sensitizing dye, which is 3-allyl-5-[3-ethyl-(Z-naphthoxazoylidene) ethylidene]-1-phenyl-2-thiohydantoin. Other useful merocyanine dyes are 3-ethyl-5-(l-methyl-2-(l-H)-pyridylidene)rhodanine and 3-ethyl-5-(3,4-dimethyl-2-(3-H)-thiazolylidene)rhodanine. Also useful as spectral sensitizers for the purposes of the invention are styryl dyes such as Z-p-dimethylaminostyryl-l-ethylpyridinium iodide, and cyanine dyes such as dicyanine, kryptocyanine and allocyanine. The dye may be omitted, particularly where exposure to ultraviolet radiation is contemplated, but dye sensitization is generally desirable in copying with radiant energy in the range of visible light.
The following examples, in which proportions are given by Weight except as otherwise stated, will serve further to illustrate but not to limit the invention.
Example 1 A mixture of equimolar parts of silver behenate and behenic acid as described in US. Patent No. 2,910,377 is prepared by precipitation with silver nitrate from a solution of sodium behenate and behenic acid in alcohol and water. The precipitate is thoroughly washed and dried. The following composition is prepared by prolonged ball milling.
Parts Silver behenate-behenic acid mixture 7.2 Zinc oxide (French process) 12.6 Polyvinyl butyral 6.2 Toluene 74 The composition is uniformly spread over a surface of 45 lb. Crocker Hamilton supercalendered bleached sulfite paper at a coating weight, after drying, of one gram/ sq. ft.
A second composition is prepared by mixing together Hydroquinone grams 8.0 Ammonium bromide do 0.2 Succinic acid do 0.5 sensitizing dye solution (0.5 g. dye in 1 liter of acetone) ml 5.0
Methanol, to make grams.
The dye employed is. 3-allyl-5-[El-ethyl-(Z-naphthoxazoylidene) ethylidene]-1-phenyl-2-thiohydantoin. The composition is coated over the prepared surface at a coating weight, after drying at F., of 0.01 gram/sq. ft. During and following this operation the sheet is kept under total darkness.
A portion of the sheet, prepared as aforesaid, is exposed to a light-image at up to about 90 foot-candles for one second and is then heated for two seconds at 220 F. A visible reproduction of the image in the form of dense black sharply outlined image areas on a faint pink background is obtained. The gamma infinity value is at least about 0.5.
Another portion is exposed in a camera. A recognizable photographic negative representation of a landscape is obtained by exposure under bright sunlight conditions for Typical procedures for making such dyes are shown in JACS 73 5326-50 (1951).
7 one-fiftieth second at 2 followed by heating for two seconds at 220 F.
As a control experiment, the same components and procedures are used except that the ammonium bromide is omitted from the second coating. Exposure to the lightimage for 20 seconds followed by heating at 200 F. for 10 seconds produces a faint gray image on a faint dirty yellow background. Longer exposure and heating periods provide no improvement. When briefly heated to temperatures in the neighborhood of 300 F. or higher, this control sheet converts to a strong yellowish brown color. It is therefore useful as a heat-sensitive copy-sheet for use in the thermographic copying process.
Other sheets are prepared similarly but with addition of silver bromide to the first coat in place of ammonium bromide in the second coat. In one instance the silver bromide is milled into the mixture during the step of ball milling; in another the silver bromide is fused with Example 2 First coating composition of Example 1 grams 100 Solution of 4 g. NH Br in 1 liter alcohol ml 2 Dye solution of Example 1 -ml 2 Solution of hydroquinone in alcohol (8%) ml 4 The components are well mixed and the mixture coated on smooth paper and carefully dried, all under darkroom conditions. Exposure to a light-image at about 60-90 foot candles for one-tenth to one second followed by heating at 220 F. for two seconds produces a clear, sharp copy. The image areas are not quite as dense as those of the copy produced in Example 1 but the gamma infinity value is at least about 0.5.
In this example the bromide ion is present in an amount equivalent to about one-fourth mol percent based on the amount of silver salt. Substitution for the ammonium bromide of an amount of calcium bromide equivalent to about one-tenth mol percent of bromide ion results in a sheet exhibiting a gamma infinity value of 1.45 when exposed through a step wedge and heated uniformly for 6 to 9 seconds. Larger amounts of calcium bromide, such for example as required to provide as much as about ten to thirteen mol percent or even higher based on the silver salt, likewise :give high gamma infinity values. Proportions higher than about ten molar percent tend to cause slight but undesirable darkening of the background under long continued exposure to sunlight and are ordinarily to 'be avoided.
In another modification the ammonium bromide solution is mixed directly with the dried washed precipitated silver behenateabehenic acid powder. The product is dried if desired, and is then mixed with the remaining components in the ball mill. The coated sheet prepared with such composition produces useful images which however are lower in contrast than those obtained with the product of Example 1.
In a further modification the paper is first coated with a solution of hydroquinone and polyvinyl butyral in acetone, and the remaining ingredients then supplied in one or more additional coatings as in the preceding examples. Alternatively, the hydroquinone is applied as a surface coat, thereby facilitating the formation of a reversal image.
Example 3 A mixture in acetone of silver behanate-behenic acid mixture, zinc oxide and polyvinyl butyral in the proportions indicated in Example 1 is coated uniformly on smooth-surfaced bleached sulfite paper and dried at moderately elevated temperature. The dried coating weighs 8 one gram per square foot. Over the coated surface is next applied under darkroom conditions a solution containing The sheet is again dried at moderately elevated temperatures, drying being completed by holding the web for about two seconds with its uncoated surface in contact with a flock-coated or paper-covered metal panel held at 210 F. The dry coating weight of the second coating is .05.1 gram per sq. ft. The amount of bromide ion is about .9-l.8 molar percent of the amount of silver.
The resulting sheet is particularly useful as a print paper for making enlargements from microfilm negatives by the process of dry photography. As an example, sheets of the coated paper are exposed in a projection system through a microfilm negative to light from a 500-watt tungsten filament lamp at an enlargement of thirteen diameters and the prints are developed by heating for two seconds at 215:5 F. At an exposure time of two seconds a permanent positive high contrast print is obtained upon heat development having dense black image areas. At one second exposure time the image areas are less dense. An exposure time of four seconds also results in dense black image areas, but with some darkening at the background areas, upon heat development.
The sheet is also useful in the direct preparation of photographic negatives from which positive prints are easily and quickly made. As an example, the sheet is loaded into a camera, focused on a subject at a distance of six feet, and exposed at a lens setting of f2 with flash exposure from a single No. 50 flash bulb in a reflector held adjacent the camera. Development for two seconds at 220 F. produces a fully recognizable negative reproduction of the subject, from which a positive print is readily prepared by the procedure to be described in connection with Example 4.
Example 4 A copy-sheet prepared as in Example 1, or alternatively with the hydroquinone as a separate surface coating, is first exposed to a light-image and heated to form a visible reproduction, the light-struck areas being converted to an intense black.
A receptor sheet is separately prepared using the procedures and compositions as described in Example 1 except that the hydroquinone is omitted. The sheet is uniformly exposed to light.
The imaged copy-sheet is placed in face-to-face contact with the exposed receptor sheet and the composite is heated for two seconds at 220 F. A copy is produced on the receptor sheet in which the color values are again reversed, i.e. the areas corresponding to the initial lightimage now appear light against a dark background. Two or more copies are produced by this method using the same imaged copy-sheet with fresh receptor sheets. The depleted copy-sheet is found to be incapable of undergoing further darkening when exposed to light at background areas and then heated at 220 F.
Example 5 A copy-sheet is prepared and tested as described under Example 1 with the exception that 0.01 gram of ammonium iodide is added to the second coating composition prior to application. The copy-sheet has increased photosensitivity as compared with the sheet of Example 1.
Sheets prepared with ammonium iodide as the sole source of halide ion are less photosensitive than those made with ammonium bromide.
Example 6 Silver behenate is prepared by precipitation from aqueous sodium behenate solution with an equimolar amount of silver nitrate. The precipitate is washed thoroughly and dried, and 14 parts of the dry powder is dispersed in 50 parts of a mixture of equal parts of toluene and methylethylketone and homogenized by forcing through an orifice. To the slurry is added parts of polyvinyl butyral in an additional 50 parts of the solvent mixture.
The composition is applied to 3-mil (.003 inch) Mylar polyester film and dried. The smooth uniform transparent coating weighs one gram per sq. ft.
Under darkroom conditions, a second coating is next applied of a composition containing 8 grams hydro quinone, 0.45 gram ammonium bromide, 20 ml. of a solution of one-half gram of the merocyanine dye of Example 1 in one liter of methanol, and sufficient methanol to make 100 grams. The weight of the residue after drying for two minutes at 140-145 F. is 0.01 gram/sq. ft.
Exposure of the coated sheet to visible light from a tungsten filament lamp source and at an intensity of about 180 foot candles for less than one second, followed by heating for about two seconds at about 220 F., produces a darkening at exposed image areas from an initial density of about 0.05 to a final density of at least about 1 /2-2.
Exposure to visible light under room temperature conditions causes a gradual increase in background density to a maximum of 0.1-0.25. When first exposed, the background areas become rapidly heat-sensitive and will darken to a final density of 1 /22 on brief heating. However after prolonged exposure the sheet is found to become desensitized and to remain essentially unchanged when subjected to brief heating.
Desensitizing may alternatively and preferably be accomplished by chemical treatment. As an example, a copy which has just been prepared by exposure to a light image followed by heating is surface treated with a one percent solution of phenylmercaptotetrazole in methanol, erg. by lightly swabbing with a pledget of cotton moistened with the solution. After drying, the background areas are found to be no longer capable of darkening when exposed and heated. The image areas remain unchanged. A one percent solution of trichloromelamine in methanol also produces a desensitizing effect.
Example 7 A self-desensitizing capability may be incorporated in the copy-sheet. Benztriazole in powder form is gently rubbed into the sensitized surface of the copy-sheet of Example 1 which is then light-exposed and heat-developed as previously described. The sheet is darkened at the light-struck areas. At background areas the sensitivity of the sheet to further exposure to light and heat is greatly reduced or eliminated. The same effect is obtained with phenylmercaptotetrazole.
Example 8 Silver phthalate is prepared by slow addition of a dilute aqueous solution of 20.5 grams of silver nitrate to a solution containing 20 grams of phthalic acid in one liter of water to which is added just sufiicient ammonium hydroxide to dissolve the acid. The white flocculent precipitate is recovered, washed with water and with acetone, and dried. A ten gram portion is thoroughly dispersed in 150 ml. of methyl isobutyl ketone by mixing in a Waring Blendor, and 0.2 gram of calcium bromide is then added and mixing continued for an additional ten minutes. Further additions of 20 grams of polyvinyl butyral resin and 20 ml. of dye solution containing 0.5 gram of spectral sensitizing dye in 1000 ml. of acetone complete the formulation. The mixture is applied with a coating knife to transparent polyester film base as a uniform coating at a wet thickness of six mils. The coating is dried and is then top-coated at a thickness of two mils with a solution containing 10 grams of polyvinyl butyral, 16 grams of ditertiarybutyl phenol reducing agent, and 4 grams of phthalazinone toner in a mixture of grams of methyl isobutyl ketone and 40 grams of methanol. After further drying at room temperature the sheet is exposed to a light-image from a tungsten filament source at up to foot candle seconds and then heated uniformly at 260 F. for 60 seconds to obtain optimum development of the visible image. A gamma infinity value of 0.7 is obtained.
Example 9 A paper backing is smoothly coated with a first coating at a coating weight, after drying, of 1.25 grams/sq. ft. and with a second coating at a dry weight of 0.30 gram/ sq. ft. to produce a light-sensitive heat-developable sheet material having particular utility in the recording of full size light-images from microfilm transparencies. Sensitivity is improved in some instances by heating, e.g. for 5 minutes at 150 F. or two seconds at 210 F. Exposures of up to 200 foot-candle-seconds followed by uniform heating at 215 F. to optimum contrast produces copies having good contrast; the sheet has a gamma infinity value of at least about 1.8-2.0.
The composition used as the first coating contains the The ammonium bromide amounts to approximately four molar percent of the silver stearate.
Since the first coatings of copy-sheets such as those of Example 1 are not of themselves sensitive to light and heat, such coatings may be sensitized, light-exposed and heat-developed over restricted areas as desired. By applying the coating to a temporary carrier sheet or film from which it may easily be removed by stripping, there is made available a transfer material with which heat-developed images may be transferred to other surfaces. For this purpose a thermoplastic resin may be employed as the binder or as a surface coating, or a thin coating of pressure-sensitive adhesive may be applied over the sensitized area.
The relative amounts of the several components may vary within rather wide limits in the construction of fully effective copy-sheets of the invention, as will be indicated in terms of the specific components employed in Example 1. The silver behenate-behenic acid mixture must be present to the extent of about 0.1 grams/sq. ft. in order to provide a readily visible image. Approximately 0.3 gram/sq. ft. is preferred as providing a desirably dense image at minimum cost, although up to .9 gram/ sq. ft. has been found acceptable. Zinc oxide is added as a Whitening agent and is found to be helpful in obtaining uniform dispersion and smooth coating. Another useful filler is titanium dioxide. Such materials are ordinarily omitted when a transparent coating is desired. More than about two grams/sq. ft. of zinc oxide causes excessive image dilution. The amount of polymeric or film-forming binder should be suflicient to prevent chalking or flaking of the coating but not so much as to impair image density or chemical reactivity. Between about one-twentieth and about two-thirds gram per sq. ft. is a particularly useful range for this component.
The amount of hydroquinone or other mild reducing agent for the silver ion may be stoichiometrically equivalent to the amount of silver ion but such ratio is not required except that sufficient of the reducing agent must be made available to provide a visible change. For the preferred coating weight of 0.3 gram of silver behenatebehenic acid mixture per sq. ft. of coating, hydroquinone in an amount of about 0.01 gram is preferred, but amounts of from about .002.03 gram have been found acceptable.
Trace amounts of ammonium bromide produce noticeable sensitivity to actinic radiation, and the sensitivity appears to increase with increased amounts up to at least about .O01-.002 gram/sq. ft. based on .3 gram/sq. ft. of the silver behenat'e-behenic acid mixture. A useful range of halide ion to be incorporated in catalytic proximity with the organic silver salt, as exemplified in the illustrative examples, is between about one-tenth or preferably about one-fourth molar percent, and about thirteen or preferably about ten molar percent, based on the amount of said salt. For many commercial products the range is within the much narrower limits of about two to about five molar percent.
Development to a visible image is accomplished in the examples simply by uniformly heating the exposed sheet, typically at 220 F. for two seconds. One convenient method of heating involves pressing the sheet against a uniformly heated fiat or rounded metal platen; but heating on metal rolls, or with the sheet suspended in an oven, or in any other way is equally effective. Temperatures somewhat lower or higher than 220 F. are equally useful providing sufficient speed of reaction is obtained and without darkening of the unexposed areas by the thermographic. reaction.
What is claimed is as follows:
1. Sheet material useful in imaging by a process involving exposure to a light-image followed by uniform heating and including a stratum containing (a) photosensitive silver halide catalyst-forming means and (b) heat-sensitive reactant image-forming means including an organic silver salt oxidizing agent and a reducing agent for silver ion, the oxidation-reduction reaction of which to produce a visible change is accelerated by said catalyst; said stratum being further characterized in that a suflicient quantity, of at least about one-tenth mol percent based on said organic silver salt, of said photosensitive means is in catalytic proximity with a sufficient proportion of said heat-sensitive means to provide a garra to infinity value of at least about 0.5 when said stratum is exposed imagewise to said light-image and the image is then developed by uniform heating.
2. Sheet material useful in imaging by a process involving exposure to a light-image followed by uniform heating and including a stratum containing (a) photosensitive silver halide 'catalyst-forming means and b) heat-sensitive reactant image-forming means including (1) a water-insoluble silver salt of a long chain fatty acid as an oxidizing agent, and (2) a reducing agent for silver ion, the oxidation-reduction reaction of which to produce a visible change is accelerated by said catalyst; said stratum being further characterized in that a sufiicient quantity, of at least about one-fourth mol percent based on said fatty acid silver salt, of said photosensitive means is in catalytic proximity with a sufficient proportion of said heatsensitive means to provide a gamma infinity value of at least about 0.5 when said stratum is exposed imagewise to said light-image and the image is then developed by uniform heating.
3. Sheet material of claim 2 wherein said silver halide comprises silver bromide.
4. Sheet material of claim 1 wherein said quantity of photosensitive means is between about one-fourth and about ten molar percent.
5. Sheet material of claim 2 wherein said quantity of photosensitive means is between about two and about five molar percent.
6. Sheet material of claim 2 wherein is incorporated a spectrally sensitizing dye.
7. Sheet material of claim 2 wherein is incorporated a toner for the silver image.
8. Sheet material of claim 2 wherein said stratum is supported on a thin backing.
9. Sheet material of claim 8 wherein said stratum and said backing are transparent.
10. Sheet material of claim 2 wherein the silver halide comprises silver bromide and there is included in said stratum a spectrally sensitizing dye.
11. Sheet material of claim 10 wherein there is included in said stratum a toner for the silver image.
12. Sheet material of claim 10 wherein the fatty acid silver salt comprises silver behenate.
13. In the manufacture of the sheet material of claim 2, the method comprising mixing with said fatty acid silver salt a source of halide ions under conditions permitting reaction therebetween, with formation of said silver halide catalyst-forming means.
14. The method of claim 13 wherein said source of halide ions is applied to a preformed stratum of said silver salt.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein said reducing agent is applied simultaneously with said source of halide 16. The method of claim 13 wherein said source of halide ions is mixed with said silver salt prior to formation of said stratum.
17. The method of claim 13 wherein said halide ions comprise bromide ions and wherein the amount of available bromide ion is at least about one-fourth mol percent of the amount of said organic silver salt.
18. Sheet material useful in imaging by a process involving exposure to a suitable light-image followed by uniform heating and including a stratum containing (a) photosensitive silver halide catalyst-forming means and (b) normally stable heat-sensitive reactant image-forming means including (1) a Water-insoluble long chain fatty acid silver salt oxidizing agent and (2) a reducing agent for silver ion, the oxidation-reduction reaction of which to produce a visible change is accelerated by said catalyst; said stratum being further characterized in that a suificient quantity, of at least about one-tenth mol percent based on said oxidizing agent, of said photosensitive silver halide catalyst-forming means is the reaction product of said fatty acid silver salt and a source of halide ions, with said silver halide being in synergistic association with said fatty acid silver salt of said heat-sensitive means, whereby when said stratum of said sheet is exposed image-wise to said light-image and at least a portion of the silver halide at image areas is thus converted to silver in catalytic proximity with the long chain fatty acid silver salt of the said heat-sensitive image-forming means, and when the image is then optimumly developed by heating, there is provided a dense image of high contrast with background areas of said sheet.
Citas de patentes
Citada por
Imagen original


text:
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, America's teens loooove e-cigs. They are trying them at a rapidly increasing rate and reporting that yeah, vaping is chill. The CDC released data showing that over 250,000 youths tried e-cigs last year, which is triple the number of kids who tried them in 2011.
While the jury's still out on the health risks e-cigs actually pose, the CDC does not think teen vaping is "good."
Rebecca Bunnell, the associate director for science at the CDC's Office on Smoking and Health said, "The increasing number of young people who use e-cigarettes should be a concern for parents and the public health community. Especially since youth e-cigarette users were nearly twice as likely to have intentions to smoke conventional cigarettes compared with youth who had never tried e-cigarettes."
Based on the CDC's data, e-cigs are a gateway drug to real cigs.
While this study is bad news for teens and the people who love them, it is great news for e-cig marketers, who have been allowed to push e-cigs on kids with wild abandon. (E-cigs currently aren't regulated on the U.S. market.)
Source: Gawker
Simply confirm your registered email address below and click "Reset Password." We will immediately email you a link back to the site where you can enter a new password for this account.
The Intersection of Faith & Reason
Copyright © 2015. All rights reserved.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Best Concert of the Past 12 Months St. Louis 2007 - Morrissey, May 22, 2007
Readers' Choice: The Police
Morrissey's first show in St. Louis in a decade or so was special for many reasons. For starters, Affton native Kristeen Young opened the night with a PJ Harvey-meets-Diamanda Galas art-rock bang. Second, this gig coincided with the crooner's 48th birthday and as any rabid Moz fan will tell you, a Morrissey birthday show is a concert worth traveling to see, wherever it is. But perhaps most important, this sold-out Pageant show found Morrissey in tip-top musical form. His white-clad band injected jolts of energy into chestnuts from his Smiths days (a raucous, rocking "The Queen Is Dead," the uptempo sing-along "Panic") and solo songs from 2006's Ringleader of the Tormentors. This electricity was matched only by Morrissey's voice, which hasn't sounded so strong and able in years whether revisiting his glam years ("You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side") or dipping into his cheeky back catalog ("Girlfriend in a Coma"). In fact, such a dry sense of humor sample quip: "I have yet to find my thrill on Blueberry Hill. I'd say I have another two years" paradoxically helped the king of mope-rock reign over a fawning crowd.


text:
When a student develops an interest in a specific profession but has limited information about it, tagging along and observing a professional in a company setting can answer a lot of questions. Shadowing a professional can help answer many questions:
The counselors in the Career Services Center have many job shadowing contacts established within the St. Charles community. If you would like assistance in scheduling a job shadowing opportunity, call 636-922-8244. You can also go online to shadow real people's jobs: http://www.jobshadow.com.
8 a.m.-7 p.m.
9 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Administration Building, Room 1204


text:
If you are friends with Harley, you already know that his dream is to raise goats. Okay, don't tell him he is not likely to ever realize his dream. It's good to have a goal, right? Anyway, Harley is very lucky because he actually has some very kind goat friends.
One of his best goat friends is Pricilla. Isn't she pretty? I'm also friends with Pricilla, as well as my goat friends Bob and Patrick. Goats are cool!
Anyway, Pricilla sent Harley a little goat of his very own! And it looks just like Pricilla. This is good, because Harley can start honing his goat skills. Unfortunately, he is not exactly sure what to do. Luckily, I am an expert so today I will teach you how to treat a friend.
First, it is nice to give a gentle pat just like this. Most cats, dogs and goats enjoy pettings. You can also give your friend some nice treats and because sharing is good, help yourself to some treats, too!
It is acceptable to play with your friend's tail, but…
… it is best not to sniff your friend's behind (unless you can do it subtly so that no one notices).
When you give your friend pets, do not be too rough. If your friend's feet leave the ground, it is a sign that you are petting too hard.
And my last bit of advice is that you must be sincere. If you are only being nice to your friend so you don't get in trouble, it is no good.
How do you treat your friends?


text:
Community Volunteer Opportunities
Kaiser Permanente is dedicated to providing quality care for their members and their families, and to improve the health of their communities.
Serving California's Silicon Valley, the Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center provides high-quality health care for 289,000 members at their medical facility at Homestead Road and Lawrence Expressway, and at their three satellite clinics in Campbell, Milpitas and Mountain View.
The facility in Santa Clara features a medical office building, which opened in 2005, and a 327-bed acute care hospital, which opened in August 2007, to replace the old hospital at Kiely Boulevard.
More than 700 physicians and 4300 staff care for members in the Kaiser Permanente Santa Clara Medical Center service area, which extends as far north as Palo Alto, as far south as San Jose, to Milpitas in the east and to the Santa Cruz Mountains in the west. The satellite clinics are located to provide convenient access to their physicians and medical services for members who live outside the city of Santa Clara in Campbell, Milpitas and Mountain View.
David Whitman, Manager of Volunteer Services
(408) 851-1717
City of Santa Clara
The City of Santa Clara is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Thank you for visiting the City of Santa Clara website.


text:
The McFarlane Toys road gang returns to The National Sports Collector's Convention. This year, the 26th annual convention is in Chicago, at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center from Wednesday, July 27 through Sunday, July 31.
We'll have an exclusive National action figure for sale: Nomar Garciaparra, Chicago Cubs SS, No. 5. This limited-edition McFarlane's Sports Picks Major League Baseball action figure features Nomar in his Cubs alternate road blue jersey.
For more info on the National event, click here (http://www.thenationalconvention.com/about.shtml)
Nomar's National figure will sell for $15 each. We're not expecting to impose purchase limits on the Garciaparra figures unless early demand necessitates it. The McFarlane Toys crew will be at booth #727. We'll look forward to seeing our fans in Chicago later this summer! In the meantime, enjoy the photography.


text:
Gear Review
Wish the arms were a little longer
This is a beautiful jacket and very functional. I got it as a gift from my hubby and I'm keeping it. It does a great job keeping me warm and has three large pockets in the back so I can easily hold everything I need. My only wish is that the arms were an inch longer. I'm 5"8" and got the medium.
View More Details on Giordana Silverline Long Sleeve Women's Jersey


text:
Is your resume in need of a little disruption?
Startups are all about
making things work better.
Our resume writing service is all about doing that for your CV.
StartUpHire is the place to find jobs at Norwalk startups. Review the list below of Norwalk startup jobs. These Norwalk, CT jobs at start-ups represent some of the most rewarding careers available. You can refine your job search for Norwalk jobs by adding a job title, company name, or keyword to the search box above … or click the "Advanced Search" link for more options. Don't see the employment opportunity you're looking for? Check back soon for more startup jobs in Norwalk, or sign up for an email alert (link in upper left) to receive periodic updates on new start up jobs in Norwalk, CT.
Genoa, a QoL Healthcare company is a leader in behavioral healthcare specialty pharmacy solutions. Serving more than 300,000 individuals with a mental illness across 34 states, we are a rapidly growing and successful organization with a strong reputation in serving the mental4/27/2015 MILFORD, CT Save This Job


text:
Amanda Engle
ERWIN — Following nearly two hours of testimony, Criminal Court Judge Stacy Street determined that too much doubt existed to convict the Erwin woman charged earlier this year with spitting on a police official's pizza.
Amanda Engle, 30, 729 Rock Creek Road, was found not guilty of vandalism at a Tuesday bench trial in Unicoi County Criminal Court. Engle was arrested in January and was initially charged with disorderly conduct for allegedly spitting on a pizza purchased by Unicoi County Sheriff's Department Chief Deputy Frank Rogers. This charge was amended to vandalism at a March hearing in Unicoi County General Sessions Court. In May, a Unicoi County grand jury indicted Engle on one count of vandalism under $500.
If Engle had been convicted, she could have faced up to one year in jail.
Both Rogers and Engle provided testimony at Tuesday's bench trial. Rogers testified that on Jan. 23, he contacted the Erwin Pizza Hut to order pizzas to take home to his family. Rogers said once he arrived to pick up the food, he encountered Engle, then an employee at the restaurant, who advised him his order was not yet ready and asked him to wait.
After paying for his order and sitting on the bench to wait for the pizzas to be finished, Rogers saw Engle remove his pizzas from the oven and begin to slice them, he testified. Rogers also said he observed no other pizzas being prepared or in the oven.
Rogers said as Engle removed his pizza from the oven and began to slice it, he observed her "cut her eyes" toward him and saw her spit straight down to where she was slicing.
"She spit straight down on that pizza," Rogers said. "She was slicing it, and she spit straight down. It wasn't a hock kind of spit. When she leaned was leaned up slicing it she spit straight down, and I saw it string out of her month. It was obvious to me at that point that she had spit on the pizza."
Rogers said after he called Engle's attention to this, he asked to speak to a manager, with Engle advising him that she was a manager. Rogers testified he then asked to speak with Engle's boss, who was in Johnson City at the time. Rogers said he spoke with this person via phone and told her that one of the store's employees had spit on his pizza and he intended to take her to jail.
When Rogers asked Engle if she knew who he was, she responded "Yes, you're Frank Rogers," Rogers testified.
"She looked familiar to me, but right at that very minute I didn't know where I had seen her from," Rogers said.
Rogers said a UCSD deputy arrived at the Pizza Hut to transport Engle to jail. Rogers testified he followed this deputy as he took Engle to the Unicoi County Jail, but did not go enter the jail as Engle was booked. Instead, Rogers said he returned to the Pizza Hut to collect the pizzas for evidence, wrapping the boxes with evidence tape and taking them home to store in his freezer.
During cross examination by Engle's defense attorney Jim Bowman, Rogers said he did not see Engle spit directly on the pizza. He also testified that he made inquiries to the District Attorney General's office to seek approval to have DNA analysis conducted on the pizzas. He said this request was denied, adding that the evidence was not submitted for testing.
"I didn't need a scientist to tell me she spit on the pizza," Rogers said.
After the state rested its case, Bowman motioned for the court to consider a pair of legal issues. For Engle to be charged with vandalism, it must be established that Rogers had ownership at the time of the alleged incident. He said the applicable portion of the state statute pertaining to vandalism requires proof that a pollutant or contaminant led to the destruction of property, proof that Bowman said the state failed to provide.
"Does saliva amount to a pollutant or a contaminant?" Bowman said.
Street denied Bowman's motion for acquittal on the grounds of ownership. He said also saliva could be defined as a contaminant for the purposes of the charge of vandalism under case law before dismissing this portion of Bowman's motion.
"It involves an issue, quite frankly, that the court looked and has found no cases," Street said. "So guess what gentlemen - you have the only spit-on-pizza case ever in the jurisprudence history of Tennessee, so there's no guidance as to whether or not this in fact is vandalism or it's disorderly conduct as originally charged or alteration of food."
Engle testified that she was working as a shift manager at the restaurant at the time of her arrest, and she also said that she cut the pizzas as normal when removing them from the oven. However, when asked directly by her attorney Nikki Himebaugh, Engle denied spitting on Rogers' pizza.
Engle said she was arrested and taken directly to the Unicoi County Jail after Rogers spoke with her manager. She also said she is not aware of Rogers talking with her co-workers at the restaurant at the time of her arrest.
Upon cross examination by Assistant District Attorney General Ryan Curtis, Engle testified that she and her boyfriend were pulled over by Rogers in April 2013. Engle's boyfriend, who was operating the vehicle, was charged with DUI and Engle was charged with DUI by consent. Unicoi County Sheriff Mike Hensley previously said Engle had spit in on Rogers' pizza in retaliation for this incident, but Engle testified Tuesday that she was not angry at Rogers.
In his closing argument, Curtis said Rogers had ownership of the pizzas at the time of the incident and, per his testimony, it was obvious to Rogers that Engle contaminated his food.
"The facts are short, the facts are concise, and the facts are supported by a man who no one has discredited," Curtis said. "The state would ask that she be found guilty of vandalism."
But, in his closing argument, Bowman said Rogers failed to photograph the picture after the alleged incident, did not "double check" it for saliva or point it out to Engle, and left the pizzas unsecured for several minutes as he followed the deputy to jail. He also said little effort was made to prove that saliva existed on the pizza, as it was not tested.
"(Rogers) said 'Well, it costs too much money to do DNA,' and he doesn't want to say it but, in effect, he's saying a year of a citizen's life isn't worth that effort," Bowman said. "He put a price on justice, there's no doubt about that."
Before issuing his ruling, Street said because the misdemeanor vandalism case was being tried in criminal court, that standard of reasonable doubt must be met. He said that while both Engle and Rogers were credible witnesses, the state failed to prove Engle's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt as no photographs, eyewitness accounts or test results were submitted as evidence.
"I don't know why these things weren't tested but, in this particular case, it would have been crucial," Street said.comments powered by Disqus


text:
Opportunity Urbanist
Houston strategies from Tory Gattis
Monthly Archive for January, 2012
What to do with Houston's Cistern
Hope you caught Lisa Gray's great Sunday Chronicle article and amazing pictures of Houston's very own unused, underground Cistern. It's next to the Jamall Skatepark west of downtown along Memorial. Check out this incredible photograph where the water reflects the columns and the ceiling. In 1927, he told me, the City of Houston built its […] [Read More]
Top rankings mania, United HQ, jobs, zoning, Texans, and more
The smaller misc items have been piling up faster than usual lately… The 2012 8th Annual Demographia International Housing Affordability Survey has been released, with Houston once again held up as a paragon with a very affordable 2.9 ratio between the median home price ($160k) and median income ($55k). That certainly beats ratios around 6 […] [Read More]
Is our lack of zoning a myth?
Slate has a blog post claiming that zoning-free Houston is a myth (hat tip to John). "Whenever I talk about anti-density land use restrictions, someone inevitably brings up Houston, where people have heard there are no zoning rules. If overregulation causes low density, people ask, then how come Houston is so sprawling? There are a […] [Read More]
Homeless solution, GRB growth, #1 mfg, Metro and rail
The smaller misc items stacked up over the holidays: Forbes ranks Houston the #1 best city for manufacturing in America. (alternate New Geography link) "Our top ranked area, Houston, is one of only four regions that enjoyed net job growth in manufacturing in the past 10 years. This year its heavy manufacturing sector expanded by […] [Read More]
2011 Highlights
It's time for the Fall 4Q11 quarterly highlights post, which also sums up all of 2011. These posts have been chosen with a particular focus on significant ideas I'd like to see kept alive for discussion and action, and they're mainly targeted at new readers who want to get caught up with a quick overview […] [Read More]


text:
Frequent Medicaid patient doctor visits no longer allowed
Medicaid patients with chronic health problems, be prepared: Frequent doctor visits are no longer allowed.
Hospitals also are taking new hits from the state Medicaid program for the poor and disabled. Payments for "frequent flier" patients to emergency room stops with the seventh visit in one year.
The Florida Legislature approved the caps this past spring. The state Agency for Healthcare Administration recently notified hospitals and doctors of the changes that kicked in Aug. 1.
The catch is a consumer watchdog group, Florida CHAIN, says it has asked the state for proof it has sought approval from the federal government to make the changes.
So far the proof hasn't been forthcoming, said Laura Goodhue, executive director of Florida CHAIN, which advocates for citizens' access to quality and affordable medical care.
"We have been stonewalled," she said, adding that the state has a history of moving ahead with privatizing services, capping benefits or outright taking benefits away without having federal approval.
Medicaid program officials were unavailable for comment on the consumer group's claim.
About one-third of the state's $24 billion state budget is spent on Medicaid and finding ways to curtail growth in program spending is an ongoing challenge for state lawmakers.
The new limits only apply to adults and do not apply to pregnant women.
Also exempt are clinics designated by the federal government as serving a proportionately higher number of poor patients. That applies to clinics operated by the Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida in Collier County and the Family Health Centers in Lee County.
Hospital officials point out that long-standing laws require emergency rooms to treat and stabilize all patients regardless of ability to pay. That means hospitals will get stuck with no Medicaid reimbursement after the seventh "frequent flier" visit. That compounds how hospitals must absorb huge unpaid bills from uninsured patients.
Dr. Allen Weiss, president and chief executive officer of the NCH Healthcare System in Collier County, said the goal of the Medicaid program needs to be getting the right health care at the right time to patients.
"I don't know if legislative rules that seem arbitrary will give better access and value, and value is defined as quality divided by cost," Weiss said.
He said 5 percent of Americans consume 50 percent of medical care due largely to chronic medical conditions. Changing that dynamic, a huge undertaking, is what needs to be addressed, he said.
"The solution is to manage their care," Weiss said, adding that NCH is striving to do that with its physicians and hospital services. "I think we will try to manage these patients so they won't need to end up in the emergency room. It's better for them and it's better for Medicaid."
The publicly operated Lee Memorial Health System in Lee County had more than 2,100 Medicaid patients who went to the emergency room six or more times in 2011, according to Mary Briggs, spokeswoman for the system. That was about 6 percent of the total 36,000 Medicaid patients who went to the emergency room that year.
Lee Memorial, in conjunction with the United Way, opened medical clinics in Dunbar and North Fort Myers in 2011. The intent is providing essential primary care to the needy in those communities and to lower emergency room visits.
Dr. Carrie Gittings, one of the physicians at the clinics, said in trying to get a new patient's chronic medical condition under control, a patient may be seen more than twice a month. After that, they should require fewer visits.
She has mixed feelings about the state's plan to limit physician visits.
"I think the impact of the limits is not going to hit a lot of patients but the ones who will be hit are the sickest," she said.
Expecting that state lawmakers would move forward with the changes, Florida CHAIN asked the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid to reject the state's plans. The group was joined by the Florida Center for Fiscal and Economic Policy, the Florida Public Interest Research Group, two unions and the state NAACP, among others.
"The proposed reductions in the amount of services that recipients can receive are dangerous, unjustifiable, and undermine the purpose of the Medicaid program," the consumers' groups wrote to CMS.
In addition, the group pointed out that state officials have no clear determination of how many Medicaid patients would be affected.
Legislative staff put the number at 38,000 while another figure was 90,000 patients would be affected by the two-visit limit to doctors.
About 677,400 patient visits to emergency rooms would be absorbed by hospitals under the six-visit limit per-year reimbursement rule.
Another concern is that no exceptions to the limits are offered based on a patient's medical condition.
Subscribe to the Naples Daily News
Need Help? Call us at 1-888-878-6842.
Monday-Friday: 6am-6pm / Saturday: 7am-3pm / Sunday: 7am-2pm


text:
The Executive Office of the Governor manages the governor's action initiatives and oversees implementation of gubernatorial policies, responds to constituent requests, and provides the general administration and support services required by the governor.
The Executive Office of the Governor conducts cabinet meetings; provides legal counsel to the governor; coordinates media communications and legislative liaison for the governor; and maintains efficient operations personally affecting the governor, including constituent affairs, security, scheduling, office budget, management of the governor's mansion, and personnel matters. In addition, the Executive Office of the Governor oversees gubernatorial initiatives and policies in such areas as education, economic development, natural resources and environment, public safety and corrections, transportation and infrastructure, human resources, and intergovernmental relations; and develops and/or monitors state responses to federal programs that have a direct relationship to the state.
The Executive Office of the Governor has only one program, Administrative Program. Therefore the mission and goals of the Executive Office of the Governor are the same as those listed for the Administrative Program in the program description that follows.
This agency's recommended appropriation does not include any funds for short-term debt.
In addition to the above recommended appropriation, $86,849 will be paid in Fiscal Year 1998-1999 for long-term debt incurred on behalf of this agency from the previous sale of bonds. Total long-term debt service payments for the state for Fiscal Year 1998-1999 are reflected in the Governor's Executive Budget Supporting Document in Non-Appropriated Requirements, Schedule 22-922.
This agency's recommended appropriation also includes the following amount by means of financing for payments on the unfunded accrued liability of the Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System in accordance with the provisions of Article X, Section 29 of the Constitution of Louisiana:
Return to the main page | Previous document | Next document


text:
These boots scream snow day, vacation & good times! With no left or right, super easy for your kids to just slip them on and go! Super warm, super comfy, the iconic originals are perfect for heading to and from the mountain or just playing in the snow while your feet stay super warm. The question isn't where will you wear them, it's what color will you choose?
Please note the sizing on our size chart or on the Specs tab. Will fit a range of Junior sizes from 4 - 2.5


text:
Set in sub-tropical garden 40 metres from a good swimming beach - flat 600 metre walk to wharf - close to take-away food bars and restaurants.
5 studio apartments and two one bedroom apartments. Queen beds in all units and also single beds. Kitchens in all units - balconies and verandahs. We have been in the motel business for 14 years and know how to be friendly and helpful to customers.


text:
Hang tight!
Recipe by Thalie Klein
"A hardy stew with plenty of vegetables and a subtle orange twist. Great on a cold winter day."
Hmm. None of these ingredients are on sale today.
Show ingredients on sale
Sort stores by
Save money at local stores when ingredients are on sale!
Watch video tips and tricks
2 pounds
blade roast, trimmed and cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons
all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons
olive oil
4 cloves
garlic, minced
1 teaspoon
dried thyme
2 (14.5 ounce) cans
stewed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups
beef broth
3 tablespoons
red wine vinegar
1/2 cup
orange juice
bay leaves
orange peel, cut into strips
1/4 teaspoon
ground black pepper
4 large
carrots, sliced diagonally
2 cups
fresh mushrooms
2 cups
pickled pearl onions, drained
1 1/2 cups
rotini pasta
I have made this stew twice now, and both times it was a hit! The first time I made it we had surprise company and I was nervous about serving something I had never made before, but NO PROBLEM! Everyone loved it.
This recipe is quite good, given a few of the ingredients may seem odd in a stew. I halved the servings. I also had to change or adjust ingredients based on what I had on hand and for taste. I still used the original amount of garlic called for and pizza spice instead of thyme (didn't have any). Instead of waiting to mash the diced tomatoes in the stew I tossed them into the food processor to do the work for me. Didn't have any beef broth or bouillon cubes so I decided to use a sachet of onion roasted garlic soup mix with water to substitute the amount of liquid required. Just used regular vinegar as I never have the red wine variety- Would have been good to use balsamic if I'd had some though. For the orange juice I simply pureed the orange I took the peel from and dumped it in- Was definitely more than 1/4 cup. Used two cups of rotini pasta. It needed additional liquid so I added water as necessary. Made the rest of the recipe as-is, except I mixed everything together before putting it in the baking dish. Stirred it halfway through cooking. I'd probably use yellow onions diced and sauteed with the garlic and thyme next time as I don't think it would take away too much from the dish. Served with "Beer Muffins" from AR.
6 Ratings
A keeper! The orange juice seemed odd at first but really gave a lot of depth to this stew! I did not make it with the pasta because the potatoes are enough starch for me. I would half the red wine vinegar next time, and there will be a next time!
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
Provincial Beef Stew
Serving Size: 1/6 of a recipe
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 548
Calories from Fat: 294
With our 2,700+ chicken breast recipes, you'll never serve the same old chicken again.
The firm, juicy texture of zucchini make them a perfect side to toss on the grill.
Delicious recipes, party ideas, and cooking tips! Get a year of Allrecipes magazine for $7.99!
See how to make a hearty, low-fat beef stew.
Make this five-star stew in your slow cooker!
See how to make a flavorful beef stew with vegetables in a slow-cooker.


text:
Funky Crochet Headphone Covers
When we were on vacation, one of the foamy covers from my daughter's headphones ripped. We were on a road trip, and I had traveled pretty light, bringing only a bag of DMC floss for making friendship bracelets while we were in the car. I was able to borrow a crochet hook (it was HOT and I'd left my crochet at home!) and whipped up these cute covers for her. The only request she had was "not all one color."
Size 00 Crochet Hook
DMC Floss (all one color, or pick up different colors as you go)
Chain 2
6 sc in 2nd ch from hook. Sl st in first sc.
Round 1: ch 1, 2 sc in ea sc around. Sl st in first sc.
Round 2: ch 1, (sc in next sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. Sl st in first sc.
Round 3: ch 1, (sc in each of next 2 sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. Sl st in first sc.
Round 4: ch 1, (sc in each of next 3 sc, 2 sc in next sc) around. Sl st in first sc.
**repeat the pattern until you have a circle the size of your headphone (sc in next 4; 2 sc, sc in next 5, 2 sc, etc) then move on to the next Round**
Round 5: ch 1, sc in each sc around. Sl st in first sc.
Round 6: ch 1, sc next 2 sts tog around. Sl st in first sc.
Round 7: ch 1, sc around. Sl st in the first sc.
Round 8: ch 1, sc next 2 sts tog around. Sl st in first sc.
Finish off.
The size of the initial circle and of the amount of decrease will vary based on the headphones. Compare with the headphone as you go. They should have a really snug fit to keep them from coming off.
More Yarn Crafts from Sewhooked!
Add your Sewhooked-related photos to my flickr group and you might be featured in a future post!
Sewhooked Shop | FB | SHFB | Flickr | Twitter
also posted on Cut Out + Keep and Craftster
featured on the CRAFT blog August 7, 2008
featured project on Cut Out + Keep on August 10, 2008 (screen cap)
free crochet pattern of the day on Daily Crocheter, December 11, 2008
KatNorris permalinkSeptember 21, 2008 18:22
Oh, Jen! What a great idea! (why didn't I think of it?)
May 27, 2009 20:19
Thank You for the Pattern, I just took over my son's head phones lol and did a Pink Camo Cozy for it lol.
Maria Clason permalinkJuly 18, 2010 13:22
oooooohh! I love them!!! I just sent my daughter to get her headphones so I can make them for her!!! (she loves them too)


text:
Blog & Insights
Posted by SpotXchange on January 24, 2013
Shares an Overview of Exchanges, Programmatic Buying and Ad Networks as Related to Digital Video Advertising
We're excited to release Chapter Six of our Survival Guide to Digital Video. This chapter dives into exchanges, networks and programmatic buying as it all pertains to digital video advertising. Though these topics are not new to the advertising industry, you may be surprised at how many industry folks still have questions about the nuts and bolts of the space.
This chapter specifically breaks down how ad exchanges and ad networks can be understood in the context of other digital advertising opportunities – whether programmatic or direct.
Chapter Six also provides additional information about the benefits that buyers and sellers experience through different aspects of programmatic buying and selling including: transparency, control and flexibility provided by exchanges, and how RTB and private marketplaces affect both advertisers and publishers in the digital video space.
Sign up here to receive alerts for when the next chapter is available.


text:
First Look
First Look summarizes new working papers, case studies, and publications produced by Harvard Business School faculty. Readers receive early knowledge of cutting-edge ideas before they enter the mainstream of business practice. For complete details on faculty research, see our Working Papers section.
July 17, 2007
"Established platform providers can be difficult to displace," observes HBS professor Tom Eisenmann and colleagues. But that doesn't mean the barriers to would-be competitors are insurmountable. In a new working paper available for download, Eisenmann et al. describe how "platform envelopment"—basically one platform provider adding another platform's functionality to its own to form a multiplatform bundle—can be a good strategy when groundbreaking innovation is not feasible. Their paper outlines the concept and a variety of envelopment attacks using examples from Apple, Blockbuster, and Microsoft.
Also for download this week: A paper exploring how the stage of a platform's life cycle makes a proprietary or a shared model more advantageous, and another on how chronic dillydallying around online DVD rentals may have wider implications for both companies and consumers (and see our story).
Working Papers
Platform Envelopment
|Thomas Eisenmann, Geoffrey Parker, and Marshall Van Alstyne
Due to network effects and switching costs, platform providers often become entrenched. To dislodge them, entrants generally must offer revolutionary products. We explore a second path to platform leadership change that does not rely on Schumpeterian creative destruction: platform envelopment. By leveraging common components and shared user relationships, one platform provider can move into another's market, combining its own functionality with the target's in a multi-platform bundle. Dominant firms otherwise sheltered from entry by standalone rivals may be vulnerable to an adjacent platform provider's envelopment attack. We analyze conditions under which envelopment strategies are likely to succeed.
Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/07-104.pdf
Managing Proprietary and Shared Platforms: A Life-Cycle View
|Thomas R. Eisenmann
In a platform-mediated network, users rely on a common platform, provided by one or more intermediaries, that encompasses infrastructure and rules required by users to transact with each other. A fundamental design decision for firms that aspire to develop platform-mediated networks is whether to preserve proprietary control or share their platform with rivals. A proprietary platform has a single provider that solely controls its technology, for example, Federal Express, Apple Macintosh, or Google. With a shared platform, such as Visa, DVD, or Linux, multiple firms collaborate in developing the platform's technology then compete in offering users different but compatible versions of the platform. This article examines factors that favor proprietary versus shared models when designing new platforms then explains how management challenges differ for proprietary and shared platform during subsequent life-cycle stages: network mobilization and platform maturity.
Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/07-105.pdf
Film Rentals and Procrastination: A Study of Intertemporal Reversals in Preferences and Intrapersonal Conflict
|Katherine L. Milkman, Todd Rogers, and Max H. Bazerman
We report on a field study demonstrating systematic differences between the preferences people anticipate they will have in the future and their subsequent revealed preferences. We examine the film rental and return patterns of a sample of online DVD rental customers over a period of four months. We predict and find that people are more likely to rent DVDs in one order and return them in the reverse order when should DVDs (e.g., documentaries) are rented before want DVDs (e.g., action films). Similarly, we also predict and find that should DVDs are held longer than want DVDs.
Download the paper: http://www.hbs.edu/research/pdf/07-099.pdf
Cases & Course Materials
None this week
Does Employment Protection Reduce Productivity? Evidence from U.S. States
|David H. Autor, William R. Kerr, and Adriana D. Kugler
|Economic Journal 117 (2007): F189-F217
Theory predicts that mandated employment protections may reduce productivity by distorting production choices. Firms facing (non-Coasean) worker dismissal costs will curtail hiring below efficient levels and retain unproductive workers, both of which should affect productivity. These theoretical predictions have rarely been tested. We use the adoption of wrongful-discharge protections by U.S. state courts over the last three decades to evaluate the link between dismissal costs and productivity. Drawing on establishment-level data from the Annual Survey of Manufacturers and the Longitudinal Business Database, our estimates suggest that wrongful-discharge protections reduce employment flows and firm entry rates. Moreover, analysis of plant-level data provides evidence of capital deepening and a decline in total factor productivity following the introduction of wrongful-discharge protections. This last result is potentially quite important, suggesting that mandated employment protections reduce productive efficiency as theory would suggest. However, our analysis also presents some puzzles including, most significantly, evidence of strong employment growth following adoption of dismissal protections. In light of these puzzles, we read our findings as suggestive but tentative.
Ethnic Scientific Communities and International Technology Diffusion
|William R. Kerr
|Review of Economics and Statistics (forthcoming)
This study explores the importance of knowledge transfer for international technology diffusion by examining ethnic scientific and entrepreneurial communities in the U.S. and their ties to their home countries. U.S. ethnic research communities are quantified by applying an ethnic-name database to individual patent records. International patent citations confirm knowledge diffuses through ethnic networks, and manufacturing output in foreign countries increases with an elasticity of 0.1-0.3 to stronger scientific integration with the U.S. frontier. To address reverse-causality concerns, reduced-form specifications exploit exogenous changes in U.S. immigration quotas. Consistent with a model of sector reallocation, output growth in less developed economies is facilitated by employment gains, while more advanced economies experience sharper increases in labor productivity. The ethnic transfer mechanism is especially strong in high-tech industries and among Chinese economies. The findings suggest channels for transferring codified and tacit knowledge partly shape the effective technology frontiers of developing and emerging economies.
The Industry R&D Survey—Patent Database Link Project
|William R. Kerr and Shihe Fu
|Journal of Technology Transfer (forthcoming)
This paper details the construction of a firm-year panel dataset combining the NBER Patent Dataset with the Industry R&D Survey conducted by the Census Bureau and National Science Foundation. The developed platform offers an unprecedented view of the R&D-to-patenting innovation process and a close analysis of the strengths and limitations of the Industry R&D Survey. The files are linked through a name-matching algorithm customized for uniting the firm names to which patents are assigned with the firm names in Census Bureau's SSEL business registry. Through the Census Bureau's file structure, this R&D platform can be linked to the operating performances of each firm's establishments, further facilitating innovation-to-productivity studies.
Business Groups in Emerging Markets: Paragons or Parasites?
|Tarun Khanna and Yishay Yafeh
|Journal of Economic Literature 45, no. 2 (June 2007): 331-372
Diversified business groups, consisting of legally independent firms operating across diverse industries, are ubiquitous in emerging markets. Groups around the world share certain attributes but also vary substantially in structure, ownership, and other dimensions. This paper proposes a business group taxonomy, which is used to formulate hypotheses and present evidence about the reasons for the formation, prevalence, and evolution of groups in different environments. In interpreting the evidence, the authors pay particular attention to two aspects neglected in much of the literature: the circumstances under which groups emerge and the historical evidence on some of the questions addressed by recent studies. They argue that business groups are responses to different economic conditions and that, from a welfare standpoint, they can sometimes be "paragons" and, at other times, "parasites." The authors conclude with an agenda for future research.


text:
LMU | LA - Loyola Marymount University
Loyola Marymount University
The Buzz: University News
LMU's School of Education Gets Chamber of Commerce Commendation
About LMU
mission, history, diversity, jobs
areas of study, colleges + schools
apply now,
deadlines, financial aid
NCAA teams, scores, tickets
Libraries + Research
collections, centers + institutes
Loyola Law School
preeminent legal education
Student Life
get involved, housing, careers, recreation
Tool Box
RSS feed
Get Email Updates
LMU event calendar RSS
LMU's School of Education Gets Chamber of Commerce Commendation
The LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce has honored Loyola Marymount University's commitment to schools in the Westchester area. Shane Martin, dean of the School of Education at LMU, accepted the commendation at the chamber's Installation Dinner on June 19, 2009.
"Through the LMU Family of Schools, the university is bringing its resources to the classrooms and allowing teachers, parents and students to participate in making our schools even better," said Jim Ferro, the outgoing chairman of the Chamber of Commerce chapter. "We are pleased to have such a visionary educational institution right here in our own backyard."
The LMU Family of Schools, which is dedicated to transforming public education in Los Angeles, utilizes the resources of teachers, students, parents and policymakers. The program is focused on seven Los Angeles Unified School District schools in the Westchester area and works with the iDesign Division of LAUSD.
LMU Family of Schools has helped initiate student programs, consulted in the hiring of administrators and assisted parents, community leaders and teachers in setting up school governance councils.
"We are grateful for the recognition by the LAX Coastal Area Chamber of Commerce," Martin said. "LMU's commitment to the Family of Schools puts the educational needs of our community at the heart and center of the university."
1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, California 90045
Employment at LMU
Emergency Info
Copyright + Privacy
LMU Site Index
Campus Maps
2012 Loyola Marymount University


text:
- PH250B: Epidemiologic Methods II (Fall)
- PH255D: Methods in Social Epidemiology (Spring)
- Social epidemiology
- Neighborhood characteristics and health
- Methodological issues and novel methodological applications in social epidemiology
- Traumatic events
- Substance use
- Mental health
- Behavioral health
- Birth outcomes and maternal health
- Population health
Cerda M, Tracy M, Ahern J, Galea S. Addressing population health and health inequalities: the role of fundamental causes. American Journal of Public Health2014;104:S609–S619. doi:10.2105/AJPH.2014.302055.
Ahern J, Leslie HH. Life course approach to substance use. In A life course approach to mental disorders, ed. KC Koenen, S Rudenstine, S Galea, E Susser. Oxford: Oxford University Press 2014. p 133-40.
Cohen AK, Ahern J. How research on public school closures can inform research on public hospital closures. Social Science and Medicine 2014;114:197-9.
Worthen M, Rathod SD, Cohen G, Ursano R, Gifford R, Fullerton C, Galea S, Ahern J. Anger problems and posttraumatic stress disorder in National Guard and Reserve service members. Journal of Psychiatric Research 2014;55:52-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2014.04.004.
Ahern J, Margerison-Zilko C, Hubbard A, Galea S. Alcohol outlets and binge drinking in urban neighborhoods: the implications of non-linearity for intervention and policy. American Journal of Public Health 2013;103(4):e81-7.
Subbaraman MS, Lendle S, van der Laan M, Kaskutas LA, Ahern J. Cravings as a mediator and moderator of drinking outcomes in the COMBINE Study.Addiction 2013;108:1737-44.
Worthen M, Ahern J. The causes, course, and consequences of anger problems in veterans returning to civilian life. Journal of Loss and Trauma 2013; DOI:10.1080/15325024.2013.788945.
Leslie HH, Ahern J, Chinaglia M, Kerrigan D, Lippman S. Participation in social networks and drug use in a cohort of Brazilian sex workers. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2013;67:491-7.
Ahern J, Cerda M, Lippman S, Tardiff K, Vlahov D, Galea S. Navigating non-positivity in neighborhood studies: an analysis of collective efficacy and violence. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 2013;67:159-65.
Gerdts C, Vohra D, Ahern J. Measuring unsafe abortion-related mortality: a systematic review of existing methods. PLoS ONE 2013;8(1): e53346.
For a complete list of publications, use the PubMed Articles button at the top right.


text:
SACRAMENTO, CA - A mother is being held without bail after prosecutors claim she murdered her newborn daughter.
Courtney Addington was in court Thursday afternoon for her arraignment. During the proceedings, Addington and her family said very little.
RELATED STORY: Mom arrested after dead infant in trash bag under bed
Court documents revealed the detailed investigation into Addington that led to her arrest. The investigation uncovered that Addington kept her pregnancy hidden and what happened to her baby.
Court records describe Addington going to Mercy General Hospital back in January with complaints of excessive bleeding she blamed on Irritable Bowel Syndrome. However, doctors quickly determined the young woman had recently given birth.
That led investigators to Addington's Sacramento home where they found a full term newborn baby girl dead inside a white trash bag, tucked under a bed. The criminal complaint identifies the baby as Hayden Elaine Doe.
Court documents described family members as suspicious that Addington might be pregnant, but Addington told loved ones changes to her body were from Irritable Bowel Syndrome. However detectives found no sign of the condition in her medical history.
What they did find when they searched her cell phone were internet searches with the phrases, "Irritable Bowel Syndrome Medications," "Signs that your water is about to break," "What to expect in labor," and "How to stop loss of blood."
Family members didn't want to talk after the arraignment. Investigators said they have no other suspects and that even the family member who drove Addington to the hospital does not appear to have known about the baby.
Investigators said this week's arrest came after autopsy results showed Hayden Elaine was delivered alive and breathing after she was born. The autopsy did not determine the cause of death.


text:
Welcome to Vision Bank in Durant, and we are proud of our presence in the Durant community. Since 2006, we have been serving Bryan County and its surrounding areas, with truly warm customer service that is second to none! We are part of a solid banking organization that has been in Oklahoma since 1901.Durant is home of the Magnolia Capital of Oklahoma, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and located next door to majestic Lake Texoma. Thank you for surfing our website. If you are not a current customer, we welcome the opportunity to be your bank of choice and look forward to meeting you.
Jeff Hammock, President


text:
By Linda D. KozarynAmerican Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 26, 2000 It's a major step when service members are promoted to NCO ranks. That's when they become responsible for the welfare, training, and safety of junior service members.
Right now, that step earns them about $20 more pay per week. Army Command Sgt. Maj. Jesse G. Laye told top Pentagon officials here, that is not enough.
Laye, U.S. Southern Command's senior enlisted advisor, was one of nearly 85 top NCOs, and about 60 spouses, to attend the first annual Senior Enlisted Advisors' Forum. Defense Secretary William S. Cohen and his wife, Janet Langhart Cohen, hosted the June 22 conference at the Pentagon to hear what the senior NCOs had to say about issues affecting readiness and quality of life.
Through the day, Pentagon officials briefed the forum attendees who then broke into groups to discuss pay, compensation, child and medical care, retention, recruiting, schools and education. At a press conference following the meeting, Laye, along with three other senior NCOs and a spouse, talked about the group's concerns and recommendations.
Laye said he told Cohen and other top brass that further pay table reform is needed. He asked Pentagon officials to take a look at the pay table for promotion from E-4 to E-5 and to look at pay for the top three enlisted ranks. He said NCOs in the top three ranks have far more education today than they did in the past.
"When I first came in the Army 29 years ago, it was very common to see an NCO with anywhere from a seventh to ninth- grade education," Laye said. "Today most NCOs have some college or have a college education."
DoD needs to look at the pay gap between the officer corps and the enlisted corps, he said. "NCOs in a downsized military bring a lot more to the table today, and many are working at upper-level staff positions."
During the forum, Laye said, Cohen agreed with the NCOs assessment. The secretary reported that the Quadrennial Defense Review due out this fall includes a further look at pay table reform for the enlisted ranks.
Navy Master Chief Petty Officer Donald K. Shaft, Fleet Logistics Support Squadron 57, North Island, San Diego, California, asked the secretary to look into extending the hours at child development centers. Not all service members work an eight-to-five day, he said. Many work long hours, and some shifts work from 4 p.m. to midnight.
"We need to extend those hours in the development centers so our children are taken care of while we're at work so we can have peace of mind," he said.
Shaft called on Pentagon leaders to look at the competitiveness of child care providers' pay. In some cases, he said, staffing is the issue rather than the number of spaces available.
DoD also needs to make more programs available for pre- teens and teenagers, he said. During summer school breaks, they need to have access to fitness centers, computer labs and other facilities. If they aren't available on base, he said, then the military should provide transportation to off-base programs.
Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Renee Chapman, a finance chief with the Air National Guard, talked about the top NCOs' views on TRICARE. She said service members and their families need more education on the program. "One of the biggest problems we found was that family members do not know what TRICARE is supposed to do for them or how to get service when it's needed," she said.
Transferring benefits from one region to another is a common problem, Chapman said. TRICARE officials "don't talk to each other" so service members and their families "get lost in the shuffle," she said. "You could start a claim in one place, end up somewhere else and you can't talk to anybody about your claim anymore."
The NCOs said they'd like to see personnel officials and the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System get more involved with enrollment processing. They'd also like to see claims get processed in a more timely manner so doctors get paid. Chapman said they'd welcome more health care providers in the system.
"We have this big book of providers," she said, "but when you try to get assigned to one of them, they are not taking patients anymore. A lot of them only take one or two or 10 patients so they can say they are participating in the program, but it's not really getting us the care that we need."
When a military family needs care in an emergency, she stressed it should be given right away. "They shouldn't have somebody sitting on the phone behind a desk somewhere saying, 'Well, we have up to 30 days to get you that service.'"
Reserve component personnel seem to have been overlooked when TRICARE was developed, Chapman said. Problems have arisen when reservists or National Guard have been injured in the line of duty. She called on defense officials to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place for the reserve component.
Marine Corps Master Gunnery Sgt. Patricia Orsino, an administrative chief in the Manpower and Reserve Affairs Department, Quantico Marine Corps Base, Va., presented the senior enlisted members view's on recruiting and retention. She said DoD needs to present the military to the American public as more than just a job with educational benefits. It should be seen as an honorable profession.
The military is not about pay and benefits, she said. It's about commitment and patriotism. "We must appeal to the young people to be part of something bigger and better than themselves," she said. More than just benefits, the military offers a "transformation."
Once recruits join the military, she said, they must be challenged at their first duty stations just as they have been in basic training and advanced skill training.
"In many situations," Orsino said, "they don't have the tools that they need to perform the job they were just trained in. There is a concern that we lose that edge. … We've trained this person and they are demoralized because, in some situations, they can't be utilized immediately."
The military needs to ensure these service members are employed "optimally," and to provide more resources for equipment and further training, Orsino said. Training in values and professional military education should continue throughout their careers, she added. This would "continue to inspire them and they would have an incentive to stay."
Laura Ball, whose husband is a chief master sergeant stationed at Maxwell Air Force Base, Ala., presented the spouses' views on educational benefits and DoD schools.
The senior enlisted advisors asked DoD officials to reevaluate the $3,500 cap on tuition assistance. This cap forces active duty and reserve personnel to either go to schools of lesser quality or pay significant amounts out of their own pockets, Ball said.
"We also asked them to explore providing tuition assistance to the spouses," she said. Military families would like to see DoD publicize grants and tuition assistance offered through the service aid societies and enlisted associations, she added.
As for schools, the senior enlisted told DoD officials that in some areas where service members are assigned, test scores for local public schools are "well below the national average." Ball said military parents are forced to home school their children or suffer financial burdens by sending their children to private school.
"We've asked them to explore providing financial vouchers to offset home school, private schooling or to even supplement public schools in the local area," she said.
Related Articles:AFPS News Article: NCOs Offer Voice of ExperienceAFPS News Article: Top NCOs Say Forum Worthwhile, Too Short


text:
Caterpillar MorrisonSKU: #7681413
Product Information
- This versatile shoe by Caterpillar® takes you from a day at work to a night on the town.
- Reverse suede and full-grain leather upper for durability.
- Lace-up closure with metal eyelets for a secure fit.
- Leather toe-cap for added protection.
- Durable Goodyear welt construction.
- Molded rubber outsole for added grip.
- Measurements:
- Weight: 1 lb 6 oz
- Product measurements were taken using size 8, width D - Medium. Please note that measurements may vary by size.


text:
Thursday, March 20, 2014 7:30 PM
Chestnut Hill College will host the chamber music ensemble, Philalea, on Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. in the Rotunda, St. Joseph Hall.Philalea features Andreia Torain on violin, Linda Metzler on cello and Elise Auerbach on piano. The trio met while rehearsing for a concert in 2012 and have been performing together since, making chamber music relevant and enjoyable for modern audiences.For more information about Philalea, visit www.philalea.com. The concert is free and open to the public. For more information, please see the full press release