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Aims: Histologically diagnosed cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the cervix is rare and the associated morphological features are not well described. This study describes histopathological findings in five biopsies from four patients with CMV cervicitis.
Methods: CMV inclusions were identified in five cervical biopsies from four patients in a single institution over eight months. The clinical notes were reviewed, the morphological features documented, and immunohistochemical staining for CMV performed. CMV immunohistochemical staining was also performed on 30 consecutive cervical biopsies in which inclusions were not seen histologically.
Results: None of the patients was immunocompromised but one was postnatal. Numbers of CMV inclusions ranged from occasional to abundant and they were located mainly in endocervical glandular epithelial cells but also in endothelial and mesenchymal cells. Inclusions were not seen in squamous cells. Inclusions were eosinophilic and were intracytoplasmic rather than intranuclear. They were positive immunohistochemically for CMV. Associated morphological features included fibrin thrombi within small blood vessels (three cases), dense active inflammatory infiltrates (five cases), lymphoid follicles (two cases), vacuolation of glandular epithelial cells (two cases), and reactive changes in glandular epithelial cells (two cases). CMV inclusions were not identified in the 30 additional cases that underwent immunohistochemical staining.
Conclusions: CMV infection of the cervix may be more common than is thought. Patients are usually immunocompetent and require no treatment. Morphological features such as a dense inflammatory cell infiltrate with lymphoid follicles, and especially fibrin thrombi within small vessels, should alert the pathologist to look closely for the pathognomonic CMV inclusion bodies.
Histologically diagnosed cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection of the cervix is rare and the published literature is limited to a few reports, mainly of individual cases or small numbers of cases.1–5 In this report, we describe the histological features in five biopsies from four patients with CMV infection of the cervix diagnosed in a single institution over an eight month period. By documenting the associated histological appearances we hope to identify features that should alert the pathologist to search for CMV inclusion bodies. We also reviewed the clinical notes to ascertain whether factors predisposing to CMV infection were present and performed CMV immunohistochemical staining on 30 consecutive cervical biopsies where inclusions were not seen to determine whether this might identify additional cases that were not diagnosed on morphological examination.
Cases were reported by a gynaecological pathologist (WGM) in a single institution over an eight month period. The five cases of CMV cervicitis were from a total of 957 cervical biopsies reported during that period. The associated morphological features were documented.
The five cases with morphologically identified CMV inclusions underwent immunohistochemical staining with anti-CMV antibody (Dako, Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK). Immunolocalisation was performed using an automated staining machine (Ventana Nexes, Strasbourg, France). In addition, 30 consecutive cervical biopsies, where there was no morphological evidence of CMV infection, were stained with anti-CMV antibody.
The age of the women ranged from 19 to 30 years. All patients had been referred for colposcopy following cervical smears showing borderline nuclear changes or dyskaryosis. CMV inclusions were not identified in the cervical smears. All patients were asymptomatic. Two had a past history of a sexually transmitted disease and one was six months postnatal. None of the patients had a known history of CMV infection and none was immunocompromised or on immunosuppressant treatment. None of the patients had received a recent blood transfusion.
The specimens comprised three punch biopsies and two large loop excisions of the transformation zone (LLETZ). One patient had both a punch and a LLETZ biopsy.
CMV inclusions were sparse in two of the five biopsies and abundant and easily identified in the other three. In all cases, inclusions were eosinophilic and intracytoplasmic, and were mainly located within the glandular epithelial cells (fig 11).). In four cases, inclusions were also present within endothelial cells (fig 22)) and in three cases in mesenchymal stromal cells. Inclusions were not identified in squamous epithelial cells.
All five biopsies contained a dense active inflammatory cell infiltrate largely composed of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and plasma cells (fig 33).). Well formed lymphoid follicles were seen in two cases (fig 44)) and intracytoplasmic vacuoles containing neutrophils were present within endocervical cells in two cases (fig 55).). Reactive glandular epithelial change with mild nuclear atypia was identified in two cases. An additional prominent feature noted in three cases was the presence of fibrin thrombi within many small capillary sized stromal blood vessels (fig 66)) without evidence of vasculitis. In all cases, the inclusions stained positively with anti-CMV antibody (fig 77).
Other findings in the biopsies included koilocytosis in all cases, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 (CIN 1) in two cases, and CIN 3 in two cases. CMV inclusions were not identified in the 30 additional cases that underwent immunohistochemical staining.
Using sensitive methods, such as in situ hybridisation and polymerase chain reaction, CMV can be identified in the cervix in a considerable proportion of women.6–10 Rates of CMV infection of up to 29% have been found in women with normal cervical smears.8 Rates of detection are higher in younger women,6 in those with human papillomavirus infection,9and in prostitutes and women attending sexually transmitted disease clinics.7 However, histologically diagnosed CMV cervicitis is rare, with reports limited to individual cases or small numbers of cases.1–5 In addition, CMV inclusions have been detected rarely in cervical smears,1,11 although in our cases of histologically confirmed CMV infection, inclusion bodies were not seen in the corresponding cervical smears. The finding of CMV inclusion bodies in five cervical biopsies over a short time period suggests that CMV infection of the cervix may be more common than is generally appreciated, and that a high index of suspicion is required to diagnose this. However, the occurrence of five cases in a short time period may be coincidental because no cases of CMV cervicitis had been diagnosed in our institution over the preceding 18 years.
We reviewed the associated histological features with the aim of documenting the morphological appearances that should alert the pathologist to the possibility of CMV infection. Inclusions were seen mainly in the endocervical glandular epithelial cells but also in endothelial and mesenchymal cells. Inclusions were not identified in squamous cells. This predominant location of inclusion bodies in glandular epithelial cells is in keeping with the findings in previously reported cases of CMV cervicitis.1,2,4,5 When CMV involves other organs, inclusions are usually intranuclear, but in our cases of CMV cervicitis inclusions were intracytoplasmic. This was most easily appreciated in endocervical cells where the intracytoplasmic location was readily apparent. A common feature in all five biopsies was the presence of a dense active inflammatory cell infiltrate, largely composed of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and plasma cells. Lymphoid follicles were present in two cases. Although a non-specific finding, the presence of lymphoid follicles has been described previously in CMV cervicitis.4 In two cases, there was reactive nuclear atypia of glandular epithelial cells, presumably secondary to the associated inflammation, and in two cases the glandular epithelial cells contained intracytoplasmic vacuoles with neutrophils. An additional unusual feature that has not, to the best of our knowledge, been described previously was the presence of fibrin thrombi within small capillary sized blood vessels in three cases. In our experience, this is unusual in the cervix and we feel that this feature should alert the pathologist to look closely for the pathognomonic CMV inclusion bodies, and further levels should be cut when inclusions are not seen initially. It is probable that the fibrin thrombi are secondary to CMV infection of endothelial cells. Vascular thrombosis has rarely been described in immunocompetent patients with acute CMV infection, and in those who are immunosuppressed.12 The absence of immunohistochemical staining in the 30 additional cases suggests that active CMV infection (either primary infection or reactivation) of the cervix does not occur in the absence of histologically demonstrable inclusion bodies although, as exemplified by some of our cases, these may be sparse.
CMV infection of sites in the female genital tract other than the cervix has also been reported rarely. Abulafia et al described CMV inclusion bodies in a recurrent ulcerative vaginal lesion,13 and cases of CMV endometritis have also been reported.4,14,15 Some of these cases of CMV endometritis were associated with a lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate with germinal centre formation within the endometrium,4 and granulomatous inflammation has also been described.14 In addition, a case of disseminated CMV infection of the female genital tract with involvement of the vulva, vagina, and cervix has been described in a patient with AIDS,3 in addition to occasional cases of CMV oophoritis16,17 and of vulval involvement.18
"Absence of immunohistochemical staining in the 30 additional cases suggests that active cytomegalovirus infection of the cervix does not occur in the absence of histologically demonstrable inclusion bodies although these may be sparse"
Most of the previous reports of CMV cervicitis have been in asymptomatic, immunocompetent patients. However, CMV cervicitis has also been described in immunosuppressed patients, including women with AIDS,3,19 and those who are immunocompromised for other reasons.1 The four patients in our series were asymptomatic, having been referred for colposcopy because of abnormal cervical smears, and were not immunocompromised. However, two had a history of sexually transmitted diseases and one was postnatal. It has been suggested that pregnancy can result in reactivation of CMV as a result of hormonal stimuli.20,21 Whether infection in our cases represents primary involvement of the cervix by CMV or reactivation of latent virus is impossible to ascertain. When the patient is asymptomatic and immunocompetent, no treatment of CMV cervicitis is required and the infection is unlikely to be clinically relevant. However, infection may be important in immunocompromised women with gynaecological symptoms. In addition, in pregnant women CMV infection may result in early spontaneous abortion and there is a risk of fetal infection, which may result in congenital abnormalities. The classic triad of congenital CMV infection consists of chorioretinitis, calcification of the cerebrum, and microcephaly.22 Other common features in newborn babies include jaundice, haemolytic anaemia, pneumonitis, thrombocytopenic purpura, and hydrocephaly.
In summary, we describe the histological features in five biopsies from four patients with CMV cervicitis. We suggest that CMV infection of the cervix may be more common than is generally appreciated. Histological features such as a dense inflammatory infiltrate with lymphoid follicles, and especially fibrin thrombi within small blood vessels, should alert the pathologist to look closely for the pathognomonic CMV inclusion bodies.
We would like to thank Dr S Dobbs (gynaecologist) and Dr M Mulholland (gynaecologist) for providing the clinical details of these patients.
PubMed Central Canada is a service of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) working in partnership with the National Research Council's national science library in cooperation with the National Center for Biotechnology Information at the U.S. National Library of Medicine(NCBI/NLM). It includes content provided to the PubMed Central International archive by participating publishers.


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New for Spring! Illamasqua's Paranormal Collection
Published Apr 30, 2013
Today, Illamasqua's latest collection "Paranormal" hits shelves, and we couldn't be more excited. We're always anxious to see what the London-based line's creative director Alex Box has up her sleeve. She and her visionary artistic team never disappoint. "Paranormal" is eerie in the best possible way, playing with the idea of a parallel reality and otherworldly phenomena. Nail varnishes and eye colors in glowing purples and greens take center stage—flip through the gallery to transport yourself to this strange and beautiful universe.
This twist on a monochromatic look, with a vibrant lavender on both lips and eyes, is really striking, especially against white lace.
Does a mirror reflect reality, or something else? According to Box, the collection was inspired by "the things we can't explain ... the place between dreams and reality."
The line includes three limited edition nail varnishes plus a top coat (aptly named Omen, Ouija, Séance, and Geist) that glow under a UV black light.
The line, which also includes an eye shadow palette and bronzer, is available starting today. Learn more and watch the campaign video here!

subset: commoncrawl


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Ten Speed Taxi is:
Doug Schatz, Guitar and Vocals
Phil Neisser, Drums
Mike Magilligan, Bass
We are currently hard at work in the NCPR studio recording a pile of our new tunes (thanks to awesome engineer Joel Hurd). In the meantime you can go to iTunes or Amazon to buy songs from Spinning, the CD we made back when Dan was in the band, but keep in mind we do sound somewhat different now.
Dear Music Lovers,
Doug and I are reeling from the news that our great bass player and friend Mike Magilligan is about to move to NYC. Mike does, however, plan to come back to the North Country sometimes to play shows, so we are thankful for that. And we're excited for Mike, who has a spanking new job at Fordham University. Congratulations Mike!
As you might know, Mike now plays in no fewer that 3 bands: Ten Speed Taxi (us), A Fine Line (jazz with Bill Vitek and Dan Gagliardi), and Odis (original jazzy folk Americana with Allan Cox and Andre Mount). So... in a very special show this Saturday (the 13th) all three bands are going to play (of course for some songs we will play without Mike, so he can mingle). The venue is the Parkview above the Blackbird in Canton, and the time is 7:00 to 10:00. Please join us if you can.
Yours, Phil


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Popular property highlights
Located in 4th Arrondissement, Hôtel de Neuve Le Marais by Happyculture is within a 10-minute walk of popular sights such as Place des Vosges and Opera Bastille. This 21-room, 3-star hotel welcomes guests with conveniences like free in-room WiFi, coffee/tea in a common area, and a business center. It's in central Paris and also close to Notre Dame Cathedral and Galeries Lafayette.
Start each morning off right with buffet breakfast served for a fee. For a nice break, mingle with other guests at the free manager's reception.
All 21 soundproofed rooms provide espresso makers and desks. Flat-screen TVs come with satellite channels, and free WiFi keeps guests connected. Bathrooms have hair dryers and free toiletries.
Property features
Guests of Hôtel de Neuve Le Marais by Happyculture enjoy access to free WiFi in public areas, a business center, and coffee in a common area. The front desk has multilingual staff on hand 24/7 to help with concierge services, luggage storage, and securing valuables. This hotel also has a computer station.
- Walking distance to Place des Vosges and Opera Bastille
- Free WiFi in rooms and public areas
- Business center
- Concierge services
Hôtel de Neuve Le Marais by Happyculture
Hotel Amenities
Hotel Amenities
A computer station is located on site and wireless Internet access is complimentary. A business center is on site at this 3-star property. Guests can enjoy a complimentary manager's reception on select days. This Paris hotel also offers tour/ticket assistance, multilingual staff, and coffee/tea in a common area. A total renovation of this property was completed in February 2016.
Hôtel de Neuve Le Marais by Happyculture is a smoke-free property.
- Breakfast available (surcharge)
- 24-hour front desk
- Multilingual staff
- Elevator/lift
- Business center
- Coffee/tea in common areas
- Concierge services
- Tours/ticket assistance
- Computer station
- Luggage storage
- Total number of rooms - 21
- Number of floors - 7
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
- Free reception
- Smoke-free property
- Free WiFi
- Number of buildings/towers - 1
Family Friendly Amenities
- Family Hotel
- Free Wi-Fi
- Soundproofed rooms
- Cribs/infant beds (complimentary)
Available in all rooms: Free WiFi
Available in some public areas: Free WiFi
Room Amenities
Hôtel de Neuve Le Marais by Happyculture offers 21 air-conditioned accommodations with espresso makers and hair dryers. Flat-screen televisions come with premium satellite channels.
Bathrooms include showers and complimentary toiletries. Guests can surf the web using the complimentary wireless Internet access. Housekeeping is provided daily.
- Premium TV channels
- Hair dryer
- Air conditioning
- Daily housekeeping
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Shower only
- Satellite TV service
- Desk
- Flat-panel TV
- In-room climate control (air conditioning)
- Soundproofed rooms
- Free cribs/infant beds
- Espresso maker
- Free WiFi
Where to Eat
The hotel offers a complimentary manager's reception on select days.
If you have requests for specific accessibility needs, please note them at check-out when you book your room.
- Accessible bathroom
- In-room accessibility
- Roll-in shower
Hotel Policies
Check-in time starts at 2 PM
Check-out time is noon
Payment types
Children and extra beds
- Children are welcome.
- Kids stay free! Children 2 years old and younger stay free when using existing bedding.
- Free cribs (infant beds)!
- Pets allowed for an extra charge of EUR 20 per pet, per night
You need to know
Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy.
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card or cash deposit are required at check-in for incidental charges.
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges. Special requests cannot be guaranteed.
- No onsite parking is available.
No rollaway/extra beds available
- A tax is imposed by the city: EUR 1.65 per person, per night
Optional extras
- Fee for buffet breakfast: EUR 10 per person (approximately)
- Pet fee: EUR 20 per pet, per night
Hotel Name
- Hôtel Neuve
- Hôtel Neuve Paris
- Neuve Paris
- Neuve Marais
- Neuve Marais Paris
- Hôtel Neuve Marais
- Hôtel Neuve Marais Paris
- Hôtel Neuve Marais Happyculture Paris
- Hôtel Neuve Marais Happyculture
- Neuve Marais Happyculture Paris
We should mention
Children 2 years old and younger stay free when occupying the parent or guardian's room, using existing bedding.
Complimentary Daily Reception
Book a stay in any room or rate category and receive complimentary select tea, coffee, and sweet pastries (subject to availability).
Full details at check-in. Offer subject to availability. Offer is not valid with groups/conventions and may not be combined with other promotional offers. Other restrictions and blackout dates may apply.
National Rating
This property has received its official star rating from the French Tourism Development Agency, ATOUT France.


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Published on May 29th, 2014 | by Derek Markham0
Anti-Fracking Rap From Kellee Maize
May 29th, 2014 by Derek Markham
Originally published on Planetsave.
It's not often that hip-hop and environmental issues such as fracking go hand in hand, but in this case, female rapper Kellee Maize breaks it down for us.
Hydraulic fracturing, also known as fracking, is fraught with environmental risks, from groundwater pollution to the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and while the proponents of fracking believe it's an economically feasible way to extract more gas from the ground, opponents of the practice believe it's not worth the environmental and health effects.
Learn more about hydraulic fracturing:
Unpacking health hazards in fracking's chemical cocktail
Check out our new 93-page EV report.
Join us for an upcoming Cleantech Revolution Tour conference!
Keep up to date with all the hottest cleantech news by subscribing to our (free) cleantech daily newsletter or weekly newsletter, or keep an eye on sector-specific news by getting our (also free) solar energy newsletter, electric vehicle newsletter, or wind energy newsletter.


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AIDS/LifeCycle benefits, and is jointly produced by, San Francisco AIDS Foundation (Tax ID # 94-2927405) and Los Angeles LGBT Center (Tax ID # 95-3567895), each of which is a nonprofit, public benefit corporation recognized as tax exempt under IRS Code Section 501(c)(3). Donations to AIDS/LifeCycle are deductible for income tax purposes, to the extent permitted by law.
2,350 AIDS/LIFECYCLE Riders Raise Record $13+ Million
SAN FRANCISCO/LOS ANGELES – June 5, 2011 – Today, exactly 30 years after the nation's war with AIDS began, 2,350 bicyclists and 600 volunteer "roadies" begin their seven-day journey toward Los Angeles as participants in AIDS/LifeCycle, a 545-mile bike ride from San Francisco to Los Angeles and the world's most successful AIDS fundraiser. Hailing from nearly every state and 11 countries, they have raised a record $13,060,000 for the HIV/AIDS services of the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and San Francisco AIDS Foundation.
"AIDS/LifeCycle brings together a community of dedicated and compassionate people to make a world of difference in the lives of people living with HIV/AIDS," says San Francisco AIDS Foundation CEO Neil Giuliano. "Historic levels of participation and support in AIDS/LifeCycle 10 send a powerful message that 30 years into the epidemic, fighting HIV/AIDS and raising awareness are still top concerns for thousands of people. This ride, and the heroic spirit of everyone involved, is changing the course of the epidemic by allowing us to provide free services for HIV prevention and care in communities most vulnerable to the disease."
Joining the AIDS/LifeCycle community this year are celebrity trainers Cara Castronuova (The Biggest Loser) and Scott Herman (The Real World: Brooklyn), who are sharing their messages of healthy living and spreading the word that HIV/AIDS still needs our urgent attention as we enter the fourth decade of fighting the disease.
On June 5, 1981—30 years ago today—the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued its first report about the disease then known as Gay-Related Immune Deficiency (GRID) and later known as AIDS. The report detailed the case studies of five gay men in Los Angeles; by the time it was published, two of the five men had died. Since the earliest days of the epidemic, both the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center and the Foundation have taken a leadership role in fighting HIV/AIDS. Today, both organizations remain at the forefront of efforts to reduce new HIV infections and ensure access to proper medical care for everyone who needs it.
"For 30 years, we have been under attack by HIV and AIDS—and the fight is far from over," says L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center CEO Lorri L. Jean. "Too many people believe that the problem is no longer significant in the U.S. Yet the infection rate for gay and bisexual men continues to climb. The riders and roadies of AIDS/LifeCycle are heroes in the fight against AIDS; together, they have raised millions to help prevent the spread of HIV and improve the health of people in our communities living with the disease."
Today, 1.1 million Americans are living with HIV—the highest number in the history of this decades-long crisis. More than 1 in 10 of those live in California. And 1 in 5 of those living with HIV don't know it. Gay and black communities are especially hard hit. New HIV infections among gay and bisexual men in the United States are on the rise—the only risk group for whom this is the case—and a 2010 CDC study found that a shocking 20% of gay and bisexual men in 21 U.S. cities are HIV-positive.
For more information, go to www.aidslifecycle.org.


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Dog raincoats are in high demand in
Sales of the doggy coats, made from nylon or PVC, have soared by as much as 50% compared to a year ago.
Vets have warned that because dogs are closer to the ground, and tend to forage in foliage and sand, they are especially susceptible to airborne radiation, which concentrates in places where rainwater collects.
Looking at Japanese website photos of pups in plastic raincoats, the Blog's eye was caught by this dog kimono, which would have been a good gift to bring back from APIC in
Raincoat photo: Dogbreeds UK
Kimono photo: Gramercy Pets


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About us
The Association touristique régionale de l'Abitibi-Témiscamingue is a non-profit organization, founded in 1978, with the primary mandate of promoting Abitibi-Témiscamingue's tourism product. It is dedicated to bringing together the region's tourism industry partners with the objective of encouraging collaborative action and promotion of regional tourism.
Tourisme Québec officially recognizes the Association as the privileged interlocutor for Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
Tourisme Abitibi-Témiscamingue is a meeting place to structure and promote our tourist product. Consultants assigned to the development of sectors such as outdoors, events and festivals, culture, outfitting and snowmobiling, work jointly with peers and organizations in the tourism industry concerned for creating competitive quality products.
"That tourism becomes a vital link in the social, environmental, economic, cultural chain of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, with the first and foremost consideration being the well-being of its citizens within their communities."
Our partners and collaborators
Tourisme Abitibi-Témiscamingue has joined forces with the World Center of Excellence for Destinations (CED). This organization was created with the assistance of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Experts visited the region to evaluate it as a tourist destination and submitted their recommendations to Tourisme Abitibi-Témiscamingue. These recommendations will form the basis for the development of our 2012-2017 Strategic Plan.
Tourisme Abitibi-Témiscamingue maintains strong ties with Tourisme Québec, and adheres to the Québec Original campaign and the Canadian Tourism Commission.
CULTURAT is a vast mobilization process aimed at making identity, arts and culture a key development pole for Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
All community stakeholders and role players are asked to participate: the municipalities, companies, cultural and tourist organizations, schools, Aboriginal communities, citizens and the media.
CULTURAT will embellish our region, using outdoor artwork, lighting, green spaces and floral displays.
CULTURAT will energize our communities by enlivening our environments and highlighting our cultural and historical heritage while fostering creation of links between sectors. CULTURAT will contribute to forging closer ties between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities through meeting, celebration and dialogue opportunities.


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Although Italy's many bastions of culture have remained more or less intact through the tumultuous centuries (the palazzos may be crumbling but the food and wine are up to par), today the idea of an Italian "style" for men is a bit of a misnomer.
Surely stereotypes may still be applied to any nation, but with "normcore" and "hipster" being bandied about the fashion world, it is vital to respect the dress code nuances that still retain a semblance of cultural and geographical reference. As some avenues of Italian style move into the new century (while others remain firmly nostalgic), only one thing is certain: a complexity which reaches much further than a soccer jersey and designer jeans.
In Milan, for example, there is something heart-warming and honest about the way fathers and sons (adults, mind you) still walk hand in hand on the sidewalks and sprawling arcades. It is such a familial gesture, and one made all the more elegant by the impeccable dress sense of said gentlemen – generations of stylish and understated characters whose subtle nuances of wardrobe are no affectation but a part of their daily lives.
In fact, it's the sort of street style through which photographers like Schott Schuman of The Sartorialist blog make their living – the kind of innate and unstudied rules of a bygone era, an anachronism of old-world care and custom amid the breakneck pace of modern life. For the most part, these are not peacocks – the Milanese are renowned for their sober and austere wardrobes – but the attention to detail is extraordinary.
It is an exercise in layering (though nothing to do with the architectural cuts or draped jersey of fashion speak today), which starts with crisp cotton boxers and fine knit socks, all the way to their wrapped cashmere coats. Add to the mix the monogrammed shirt cuffs, heirloom cufflinks of gold and onyx, crisp pleated trousers and lace-up shoes polished to perfection, and you have an idea of the understated, quotidian elegance that the Milanese men live and breathe.
An unusual signifier among this affluent pocket of near-aristocratic urbanites is not their following of fashion but their rejection of it – their postwar habits (or those of their fathers) so firmly entrenched that they rely almost exclusively on garments sur mesura – that is, bespoke from head to toe. Think suits from Brioni and Ermenegildo Zegna and hand-cobbled brogues – and be assured that anything not "Made in Italy" is considered blasphemy.
Case in point: it's taken some a decade or two to adopt Bottega Veneta's intrecciato briefcase or Prada's car shoes, which are made in their homeland! Sound extreme? It may be.
But it represents society's upper echelons through the most conservative lens imaginable, with credibility far more profound than any spangled cowboy in the latest runway garb.
La dolce vita
That being said, heading south to Florence is to wander closer to peacock territory. We're talking the modern dandy style of Italy that reaches a seasonal apex in January and June each year at the Pitti Uomo trade shows, which preclude Milan Fashion Week in a packed program of exhibitions, shows and revelry in what was once Italy's fashion capital.
The locals won't let you easily forget Florence is still home to brands such as Salvatore Ferragamo and Roberto Cavalli, as well as being the historical seat of Emilio Pucci and Gucci (the latter operates a museum in central Florence), and their colourful dress sense follows suit.
Here along the banks of the Arno River, where the museums groan under centuries of Renaissance art and stone palazzos conceal courtyard gardens, a bold and decorative masculinity reigns – lighter, brighter and more flamboyant than their discreet Milanese cousins. Florentine style is a lot of fun; it begs careful compositions of fancy socks and suede slippers, of linen suits and retro sunnies all wrapped up in a dolce vita attitude. It is the land of the silk pocket square and the tie pin, where polka dots clash on stripes and double-breasted sports coats are paired with daring denim and chinos in shades of watermelon pink, royal purple and washed lime.
These are styling tips to be taken lightly, as not everyone can pull off outlandish combos with flair. Yet the unabashed sense of panache is as addictive as the twilight aperitivo, when entire clans gather at local bars and terrazzo to sip Aperol spritz and indulge in heaving buffets of regional fare.
The final leg of our breakneck sartorial tour of Italy is the most contemporary of the three destinations, grounded not by a literal sense of place but by an abstract and postmodern vision of Italian culture.
I'm talking of a new Italian machismo, and the silhouettes of sport and hip hop culture that have permeated upwards through luxury street wear to represent a solid happening on the catwalk and party circuit of Milan, New York and beyond.
Greatest pioneer
Riccardo Tisci, it could be argued, has been its greatest pioneer, in the way he steered Givenchy's menswear towards a hyper-masculine, boxy uniform of T-shirts and bold tailoring laden with aggressive graphics and modern embellishment. He was the first to show tuxedos gone rogue: guerrilla bandanas wrapped at the neck or layered with leather leggings under tailored shorts and paired with chunky sandals or basketball trainers.
The true hybrid shtick of Tisci's tribe has not just been his urban warrior mash-up but the sense of near-spiritual significance he imbues season after season into his designs – linking imagery of the Virgin Mary with gothic decorations, punk references of tartan and spikes, or strained odes to idealised Americana.
His friend the Argentinian designer and DJ Marcelo Burlon has started a similar hype, albeit a less luxurious one, with his brand County of Milan's vibrantly printed black T-shirts causing their own internet sensation. This played out live at Pitti Uomo last month for Burlon's first runway show, where street-cast models rode dirt bikes on a grassy catwalk.
Pondering these aggressive, hyper-male manifestations alongside Dolce & Gabbana's oiled, salt-spray odes to all things Sicilian is to form some semblance of the new Italian stallion. While designers such as Donatella Versace may still be trying to squeeze him into leather chaps, our bet is on the boys in black.
The Australian Financial Review


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2012 Chaparral 225SSI , If you are looking for a small sport boat with a cabin Chaparral 225SSI fits the bill. with only 68 hours, this lightly used 225SSI has a lifetime left in it.
Maryland Sales office 443-949-9041
Stylish, sporty and innovative, our 225 SSi is living proof that the right boat for these changing times is a multi-purpose cuddy that anticipates the changing needs of a family on the go. Whether your spark of interest is water sports with an optional wakeboard tower, cruising or overnight adventures the 225 showcases the quality and attention to detail you expect from an award winning Chaparral SSi Wide Tech. With overnight space for two the finely crafted cabin treats you to a feeling of generous space and a breezy, open feel.
2822 Solomons Island Road
Edgewater, MD 21037
United States


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Cigarette packaging row widensKatharine Murphy
Published: May 18 2011 - 12:00AM
A Greens proposal to regulate minimum prices for cigarettes has been played down by the Gillard government as the tobacco industry muscles up against plain packaging, warning retail prices will be slashed if the tough regulation proceeds.
Tony Abbott also signalled his concerns with plain packaging yesterday, telling reporters in Geelong: ''My anxiety with this [is] it may end up being counterproductive in practice.''
The federal Coalition is yet to formally resolve its position on the issue, and internal opinion is divided.
The Victorian government supports plain packaging, and Health Minister David Davis said: ''We have the view that we are prepared to go with any sensible proposal that will help reduce smoking.''
The government's proposal would see cigarettes sold in generic olive-green packaging with prominent health warnings. The regime is said to be the toughest in the world.
Mr Abbott's remarks yesterday earned a sharp rebuke from Health Minister Nicola Roxon, who argued his party had been the recipient of $1.7 million in political donations from the industry since 2004.
''Mr Abbott needs to kick his habit,'' Ms Roxon said. ''Accepting donations from big tobacco is just not acceptable, given we know how dangerous these products are and to what low levels these companies will stoop to keep killing Australians.''
The tobacco industry warned yesterday plain packaging could see the price of cigarettes halve over time, because generic packets would only benefit counterfeiters and smugglers.
''When all cigarette packs look the same and lose their trademarks and distinguishing features, counterfeiters will have a field day mass producing packets to smuggle into Australia,'' said David Crow, chief executive of British American Tobacco.
The new threat from the tobacco industry prompted the Greens to argue that Parliament should impose a minimum price for cigarettes, to prevent the industry slashing prices.
Greens senator Rachel Siewert said her party had long favoured minimum prices for alcohol to stop aggressive discounting. ''The Greens believe the best way to guarantee health outcomes from the proposed plain packaging legislation is to combine that measure with a minimum price for cigarettes.''
If the Coalition ultimately opposes tobacco reform the government will require Greens backing. But Ms Roxon said last night: ''The Commonwealth government has no current plans to set a floor price on cigarettes. Big tobacco is running a campaign against plain packaging and will use many slippery tricks and tactics in its fight against the government's legislation …''
With AAP
This story was found at: http://www.theage.com.au/content/adaptive/theage/national/cigarette-packaging-row-widens-20110517-1erfp.html


text:
Hi all,
I am looking to get my car detailed before I go down to Gaydon, and I was wondering if anyone knows, or has had any experience, of using detailers in the Scotland central belt.
I fully expect the car to sit there for at least a day as it needs so minor scratches (on the f! roof) and other bits corrected engine degreased etc etc So, if anyone has/had a good experience or recommendation can you please drop a line :-)
I live in Cumbernauld (G67), so anywhere Falkirk, Stirling, Glasgow, Edinburgh would suit. I work in Glasgow city centre (for now), so anywhere in that location would suit me better.
Cheers! Red!
PS Mods, sorry if this is the worng place, not sure where to put it(!)


text:
Hermosos <3
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text:
The show's leap from 1945 to 1954—precisely the period when comic book sales were at their peak—is frustrating. For a useful corrective, I recommend Jean-Paul Gabilliet's finely detailed and important Of Comics and Men (2009).
Most shockingly, this second episode does not in any way explore the controversies surrounding the Marvel method of comics production and the disputed credits for seminal Marvel comics. Scriptwriter-editor Stan Lee is allowed to present, undiluted and unchallenged, what has become his official mythology of solo creation. Artists Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko are noted but briefly, as the hands who, the narration implies, drew up Lee's stories. Though there is some tasty montage work with images by Ditko and Kirby, the vital contributions of these two Marvel co-founders are undersold to a dismaying degree. Besides a brief encomium by artist Walter Simonson, the episode give almost no mention of Kirby's barnstorming creativity, design sense, and crucial input into marquee characters and classic series. Simonson is onscreen long enough to tell us that Kirby was the watershed, the artist after whom everything for the genre changed, but what Kirby's innovations consisted of, design-wise, idea-wise, story-wise, is never explained (in contrast to the extended treatment given to particular pages by Steranko). No single work by Kirby or Ditko is discussed in detail, nor is Kirby's widening of the genre's scope ever explained. Lee gets much screen time to repeat what have become standard stories about Marvel's rise (stories now widely understood to be highly selective if not self-aggrandizing). No balancing perspective is offered.


text:
Robots are Taking over Hospitals.
While my mom was in the hospital over the weekend, I saw for the first time, robots named Tug that deliver medicines and other supplies around the hospital where they are needed. A nurse told me they cost $75,000 each and hospitals all over are buying them.
Here's what they look like.


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Oil Sands - UNITAR (7th)
On this page
Alberta's Oil Sands: Update on the Generic Royalty Regime
October 27 - 31, 1998
Robert Mitchell, Brad Anderson, Marty Kaga, and Stephen Eliot, Alberta Department of Energy
Note: This paper was presented in October 1998, therefore key issues and options are included rather than the definitive positions that will be used for the new regulation. Furthermore, any positions, ideas or options regarding the new oil sands royalty system included in this paper is subject to change.
This paper provides an overview of the Province of Alberta's new oil sands royalty regime. On September 24, 1997, the Alberta Cabinet completed enactment of a generic royalty regime that will ultimately replace the custom-tailored Crown Agreements. This regime will apply to new investment in developing Alberta's oil sands and expansion of existing projects.
The locations affected by the regime include the Athabasca, Peace River and Cold Lake Oil Sands Areas which underlie an area of 77,000 square kilometers of the province, and contain about 1.7 trillion barrels of bitumen in-place. The paper will discuss the development, objectives, and features of the regime including a discussion of the Act amendments, and the regulation and business rules.
The Alberta Government recognizes that Alberta's oil sands are playing a large and increasing role in maintaining the province's position as the leading producer of liquid fuels in Canada. The province's current and future prosperity is linked to a great extent to the oil sands, and production of bitumen and synthetic crude oil continues to rise. Oil sands production is expected to continue to grow and could reach 1.2 million barrels over the next eight years. The Alberta Chamber of Resources estimates that with an investment of $21 to $25 billion, oil sands production could triple in the next 25 years. Tables 1 and 2 presents some recent statistics for oil sands production and royalties.
The Department of Energy (the "Department") is responsible for preparing the province's oil sands policies and regulations, including those for leases and royalties. It also manages the funding of the government's oil sands research and development programs.
The Department has taken considerable steps to make oil sands development attractive now, and one example is the generic oil sands royalty regime. The drivers for this new generic royalty regime are that the oil sands sector has matured; that industry wants royalty certainty for business planning; and that government wants to stop the steady erosion from the benchmark terms of the original Crown Agreements as each new developer negotiated slightly better terms to "make their project go." The new generic regime is also more administratively simple in the face of the large number of possible future projects and project expansions.
The generic royalty regime is designed to support the major investment needed to develop the oil sands resource. The new system recognizes the challenges faced by oil sands developments, with a smaller royalty share for the government until developers have recovered their costs. This is an example of the government's new approach to development; instead of participating directly, it is establishing a framework that should encourage new oil sands projects, which means more jobs and a stronger Alberta economy. The regime is the result of several years of collaboration between industry and government. Table 3 presents a chronology of the development of the generic oil sands royalty regime.
The Crown owns the oil sands resource, and both the federal and provincial governments have taxation powers. To avoid duplication of the tax collection system, the federal government administers the income tax system for itself and the province. The federal and provincial governments have collaborated to improve the tax system to ensure that federal changes are mirrored provincially. The federal government has agreed to monitor the success of Alberta's new "economic unit" approach to defining an oil sands project for royalty purposes, and if it is successful has agreed to consider changes conforming to this new approach for tax purposes.
The Generic Oil Sands Royalty Regime
The National Task Force on Oil Sands Strategies released a comprehensive report (spring 1995) that outlined a detailed list of recommendations for the oil sands industry. The Task Force proposed a generic oil sands royalty system based on a specified percentage of net project revenues after all costs are recovered. This Task Force proposal reflected the type of royalty system already in place through various individual oil sands Crown Agreements (i.e., Cold Lake, Syncrude, and Suncor). These Agreements provided a foundation for the Task Force's recommendations and for the Government's new generic royalty system.
The objectives of the new regime are as follows:
- Accelerate the development of the oil sands while ensuring a fair return to the resource owners Albertans;
- Facilitate development of the oil sands by private sector companies. Development must occur because businesses expect to make a reasonable profit from the venture. Alberta will not directly participate through grants, loans, loan guarantees, or any other "special" deals;
- Ensure that oil sands development is generally competitive with other petroleum development opportunities around the world; and
- Create a standard set of royalty terms for new projects to create a clear, consistent, and stable system.
The generic royalty regime developed for oil sands is administered by the Department under the Mines and Minerals Act.
The first part of the generic oil sands royalty regime are the core rates, which are embedded in the Mines and Minerals Act. The second part of the regime are the principal administrative provisions, such as cost schedules and revenue definitions, which are included in the 1997 Oil Sand Royalty Regulation. Business rules, developed jointly by the Department and industry, are the third component of the regime. The business rules ensure administration rules are efficient and effective.
The new generic royalty regime is prospective in nature, but Alberta will honor the terms of the past Crown Agreements, and is working towards melding the two royalty regimes for expansions of existing projects. The melding of the two regimes will be based on production from the Crown Agreement portion of the project and from the expansion. The objectives and principles for the transition from Crown Agreements to the generic royalty regime were approved by Alberta's Standing Policy in February of 1996, and are outlined in Table 4.
The generic oil sands royalty regime applies to new investment in developing Alberta's oil sands, and the expansion of existing projects. The basic elements of the regime include:
- A minimum 1% royalty payable on all production;
- Royalty on production equivalent to 25% of net project revenues after the developer has recovered all project costs, including research and development costs, and a return allowance (after "payout");
- The return allowance is set at the Government of Canada Long-Term Bond Rate;
- All projects cash costs including capital, operating, and research and development are 100% deductible in the year incurred;
- No gross up of operating and capital costs; and
- No gas royalty waivers.
New Generic Royalty Regime Vs Gross Revenue (Production Based) Royalty Regime
The main part of the oil sands royalty is based on 25% of net revenues of the project after payout. Through this feature Alberta is sharing risk, and is participating with the developer whose return is linked to the project's success. Only when a developer's cumulative project revenues exceed cumulative costs, including a return on investment equal to the long-term bond rate, does Alberta participate in a significant royalty.
This approach was chosen due to the high cost, long lead time, and the associated high risk nature of oil sands investment. Production-based royalties, such as those used for conventional oil and gas, are less sensitive to project profitability. Because the oil sands face higher barriers to development than many other types of petroleum (less valuable product, higher technological risk, higher capital costs, and higher operating costs, etc.) the additional burden of a significant production based royalty was determined to be inappropriate.
The Generic Oil Sands Royalty Regime vs. Current Crown Agreements
Under the old royalty system, individual Crown Agreements were negotiated with each oil sands project. For example, Suncor, Syncrude, and Imperial Cold Lake are all subject to their own Crown Agreement. The old Crown Agreement system made sense in the formative stages of the sector, when each developer felt their project was different, and when each Crown Agreement was built on the experience of previous Crown Agreements. Now that the industry has moved into a more mature stage, the generic regime makes more sense. The government now has a good knowledge and experience base with respect to royalties and taxes, and the past Crown Agreements provide a good basis for a workable generic royalty regime.
The main purpose of the generic oil sands royalty regime is to provide a level playing field common rules that apply equally to all developers. Tables 5 and 6 illustrate the components of generic royalty regime, and the features that have changed from the current Crown Agreements.
Implementing Alberta's New Generic Royalty Regime
During the past two years a team within the Department reviewed the existing Crown Agreement royalty system to identify those elements which could be retained and those which would require modification to reflect new development practices and the new royalty structure. The Department also carried out formal and informal consultations with current and prospective oil sands developers throughout this period. The key elements in implementing the new regime include:
- The definition of an oil sands project;
- Costs and revenues included in the royalty calculation; and
- The return allowance.
Definition of an Oil Sand Project
The generic oil sands royalty regime determines and collects royalty on a project basis. The project-based regime is built on the concept of a project being developed as an economic unit, and should therefore be generally consistent and compatible with the project owners' drive for a project design that allows for efficient and effective economic and business decision making. Where both resource recovery and processing facilities are developed, the developer can seek to include the processing facilities in the project.
Project proponents should be able to demonstrate that there are operational synergies and economies of scale that realize economic efficiencies and cost savings compared with the development of separated, individual stand-alone production and processing facilities.
The economic unit approach allows project design and development to be driven by intrinsic economics unaffected by the royalty provisions. Therefore, in reviewing project applications, the Department will be satisfying itself that the proposed project boundaries and facilities included are justified for business and economic reasons. As the royalty participant in a project, the Department will be looking for project boundaries that will maximize the present value of future cash flows to the project owners and the Crown. If the Department feels that an aspect of the owner's proposed project definition does not materially benefit the project's profitability, including royalty share, but instead results in a shift of the Crown's share of project revenue to the project's equity owners; the province will not approve that project application until it is amended to protect the province's interest.
The economic unit may include all operations associated with the recovery of leased substances, processing these substances into oil sands products and transporting them to the Project's boundary. For royalty determination purposes, the directly related expenditures for both recovery and processing can be deducted as allowable costs. In return for allowing the deduction of such costs for the purposes of determining royalty owed to the Crown, the Crown is entitled to include all revenue arising from those expenditures in the determination of the 25% net revenue based royalty. For example, if a project's approved definition includes an upgrader, all cost directly related to that upgrader may be deducted in determining the royalty payable, but all upgrader related revenue must also be included. Revenue arising from leased substances will be included in the determination as revenue. Other project revenue is generally treated as a negative cost.
Figure 1 illustrates three basic scenarios of how projects can be defined, as well as the resultant gross revenue for each scenario for the purposes of royalty determination.
Value-added processing is encouraged where it is consistent with intrinsic economic investment objectives. Pipelines and flowlines will be considered for inclusion in a project where they transmit project substances from one part of the project to another, or where there is an economic return for both the project and the Crown from having the project boundary at the pipeline outlet rather than the inlet.
In reviewing the considerations required by the Regulation to determine Project eligibility, the Department will, among other things, determine to its satisfaction:
- That the proposed Project has Alberta Energy and Utilities Board (EUB) approval,
- Whether the project is operated under common management, and
- Whether all components of the proposed project lie within a 50 kilometer radius and will be operationally integrated.
All proposed components of a project must be approved as a scheme(s) or facility by the EUB. For royalty purposes the "project" can include multiple EUB production approvals. Wells that have been drilled under an EUB single well license will only be eligible for inclusion if they were drilled on land that is included in the scheme approval(s).
Operations within a project are under common management and are to be treated as one common business unit for royalty determination purposes.
Screening Tests: Within 50 kilometers and Integrated Operationally
All components of the proposed project lie within 50 kilometers from one side of the unit to the opposing side of the unit. This distance is equivalent to approximately five townships, and given current technology, is a reasonable proxy for the distance that:
- Steam or other injection fluids can be economically distributed to remote injection wells; and
- Dirty bitumen can be piped or trucked to cleaning facilities.
Upgraders and pipelines connecting an upgrader to the rest of a project are not subject to the 50 kilometer guideline.
Proposed projects with components that lie beyond the 50 kilometer guideline, other than those associated with upgrading, will only be considered for inclusion in the project when the applicant can clearly display that those components provide significant economic and operational synergy, and can demonstrate that those components are or will be integrated operationally with the rest of the project. Where an applicant for a project with components that do no meet the 50 kilometer guideline cannot demonstrate to the Department's satisfaction that the components will be operationally integrated, and thus provide economic synergies, the Crown may require separated projects for royalty purposes.
Where facilities in a proposed Project are co-owned and shared with another project, each project must, on its initial application, make a determination of the percent allocation of the shared facilities to be assigned to each project for royalty purposes. Where the common ownership is for processing facilities, the allocation would be proportional to each project's percentage ownership of the processing facility. This allocation will determine the relevant allowable cost/revenue share for royalty determination purposes.
Where processing facilities to upgrade crude bitumen into an oil sands product are included within a project, and where those facilities are used to process bitumen from other than the project, the costs associated with the upgrading will be included for royalty determination for this project, as will the revenues or deemed revenues.
One of the goals of the new oil sands royalty regime is to facilitate staged development, whereby projects can grow over time by increments that attain economies while keeping the incremental investment outlays as small as necessary. Project expansions and growth are accommodated within the broad framework of adhering to the economic unit guidelines. Beyond a certain size, there is an expectation that potential diseconomies would arise as operations span extended geographic distances. Where such diseconomies occur, projects would have to be developed on a separated, stand alone basis until it can be demonstrated that technology has advanced to the point where the diseconomies have been overcome. At that time, the project may apply to the Department to combine the projects.
Projects that start only as resource recovery facilities can be expanded to encompass processing facilities at a later date. However, once a project is established to include processing facilities, these facilities cannot be disaggregated from the project to eliminate their inclusion for royalty determination purposes.
Expanding beyond 50 kilometers
A Project may expand beyond the prescribed geographic boundary if it meets one of three conditions:
- It must be able to demonstrate related economic operating efficiencies to justify such an expansion;
- It must have contiguous leases that extend beyond the boundary, with leases not separated by more than a distance of approximately 5 kilometers; or
- It must share common ownership of processing facilities to upgrade the crude bitumen into an oil sands product.
Cost and Revenues Included in the Royalty Calculation
Determining project revenue is necessary for the 25% net revenue based royalty portion of the new regime. Project revenue depends on the definition of the project itself, as discussed in the preceding section, as well as the substances that are sold and the calculation of the unit price.
Determining allowable project costs is necessary in order to calculate when the project reaches payout. After payout, the project pays the greater of the 1% minimum royalty or the 25% net revenue based royalty. As with project revenue, project cost relate to the definition of the project itself. In general, an allowed cost must satisfy the following criteria:
- It is directly attributable to the Project,
- It is reasonable in relation to the circumstances under which it is incurred;
- It is incurred by, or on behalf of the owners of the Project;
- It is incurred on, or after the effective date of the Project; and
- It is incurred to recover, purchase, process, transport, and market oil sands product, or to conduct or provide field office or administrative services.
Approved Research and Development costs are allowable if they are directly attributable to the project.
The return allowance, set at the Canadian Long Term Bond Rate, is a key feature of the generic regime because it is a significant factor in determining when a project moves from the minimum 1% royalty to the greater of that royalty or the 25% net revenue based royalty. Developers will only invest in oil sands projects if they expect to earn at least their risk adjusted cost of capital over time. Due to the risks of oil sands development, the time required for a developer to achieve this objective can be relatively long potentially 6 to 8 years. If the return allowance was set at the developer's risk adjusted cost of capital, which would be substantially higher than the bond rate, projects could take a long time to reach payout, and therefore extend the day they begin to pay more royalty.
Alberta's oil sands generic royalty regime is a variant of the widely accepted "resource rent royalty" (RRR) approach. Under the RRR approach, rent is defined as the difference between the costs of producing output for the highest cost oil sands project (zero rent) and the value of output on any other project. The RRR approach extracts this rent in a way that is as revenue neutral as possible, allowing the developer to recover the costs of investment (including a return on investment to account for risk). The oil sands generic royalty regime sets the return allowance at the Canadian Long Term Bond Rate, which is below the developers cost of capital, so that Alberta can begin to receive royalties earlier than if it had been set at the developers cost of capital. Alberta has also included the 1% minimum royalty in the pre-payout period so that it can participate earlier in the rent sharing. In return for the earlier rent sharing, the Alberta government has set the economic rent in the after payout period below the 100% level, at 25%. This lower economic rent also should provide producers with an incentive to reduce costs in the after payout period, thereby increasing returns from the project for both the investor and the Crown.
Past experience with Crown Agreements has shown that this type of regime does not encourage developers to spend money for the purpose of avoiding payout. For example, a developer does not have an economic incentive to spend $4 in order to save $1.
Effects of Implementing the Generic Oil Sands Royalty Regime
How does this regime compare to other regimes around the world?
It is difficult to compare the generic regime to regimes for other resources because the oil sands are unique. However, based on the Department's analysis, the generic regime provides an appropriate fiscal system for oil sands development, while still providing a sufficient return to Alberta from the oil sands resource.
In combination with federal and provincial income taxes, after project payout, a 25% net revenue royalty results in the developer receiving marginal project income of 42%, with the balance of 58% going to the federal and provincial governments through royalties and corporate income taxes. Developers also pay other taxes, such as municipal property taxes.
What are the economic benefits for Albertans?
The expected increase in oil sands investments is due to a combination of a stable, consistent, and clear fiscal regime (tax and royalty), improved technology, lower operating costs, and strong market demand. Since the announcement of the generic oil sands royalty regime in 1995, industry has already announced plans to invest an additional $19 billion in the oil sands over the next eight years. These recently announced investments represent a potential of over 1.2 million barrels/day of oil sands production. The proposed oil sands facilities from these investments would create thousands of permanent jobs in Alberta.
What is the expected effect on royalties?
The royalties for the 1995/96 and 1996/97 fiscal years, and the expected royalties for the 1997/98 and 1998/99 fiscal years are provided in Table 2. Note that oil sands royalty revenues are expected to decrease in the near future, from $194 million in 1997/98 to about $50 million in 1998/99.
The expected short-term decline in royalties is a result of several factors, including:
- Immediate deductibility of massive reinvestment in the Syncrude and Suncor projects;
- Higher levels of capital spending in Imperial's Cold Lake project;
- Lower expected prices for bitumen and synthetic crude oil; and
- Current royalty revenues result from the exceptional 1996/97 year, which had high prices and did not face the large new investments; and the decrease in royalties represents a return to levels closer to the historic average.
Oil sands royalties can be expected to increase significantly once higher production levels are reached, and project developers have earned back their invested capital. Generally, the petroleum industry only invests in projects that can be expected to pay back their invested capital in less than eight years. Therefore, depending on oil prices and production, new projects can be expected to begin paying royalties of 25% on net project revenue within six to eight years of operation.
The large amount of oil sands investment is, in part, a result of new technological advances that hold promise for cost reductions. The oil sands generic royalty regime is the Departments attempt to encourage investment by requiring lower royalties in the years immediately following the start of new projects and project expansions; and higher royalties when the new project or expansion reaches payout. This royalty regime design is intended to provide an incentive for the capital investments necessary for the development of the oil sands, while still allowing appropriate royalties to be collected over time, albeit the bulk of royalties will be shifted to future years.
Changes to Income Tax Regulation
The rules governing taxation of oil sands projects are found in the Federal Income Tax Act. For Capital Cost Allowance (CCA) purposes, all oil sands assets are included in Class 41 of the Federal Income Tax Act.
The Federal Budget of 1996 announced changes to the federal income tax policy. The key changes are:
- Since in situ and mining projects produce essentially the same product, all oil sands investments (in situ and mining) are now treated the same for taxation purposes.
- All investments (new projects and expansions of existing projects) are treated the same for taxation purposes, with the exception that expansions which increase gross revenue by 5% or less are treated as sustaining investment.
The Government of Alberta has worked with industry for several decades to unlock the vast petroleum resource contained in Alberta's oil sands, and to encourage its development by the private sector. Some of the direct benefit of this sustained effort has already been realized through royalty and tax revenues arising from existing oil sands projects. There has also been substantial indirect benefits to the Alberta economy from oil sands development that arises from the direct and indirect employment income and wealth created by the oil sands projects moving through the various service and supply sectors. The economic benefits from the oil sands can be expected to continue as industry proceeds with the planned $19 billion of investment made public by industry since the Generic Oil Sands Royalty Regime was announced in late 1995.
Garnaut, Ross, and Anthony Clunies Ross. Taxation of Mineral Rents, Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983.
Masson, Richard, and Bryan Remillard. Alberta's New Oil Sands Royalty System, Edmonton: Alberta Department of Energy, 1996.
Precht, Paul, and Greg Stringham. Fiscal Treatment of Oil Sands Development in Alberta, Edmonton: Alberta Department of Energy, 1988
Table 1: Recent Oil Sands Production Statistics by Calendar Year
2,073,000 barrels/day
|1997 (estimated) total Canadian crude oil and equivalent production
|Synthetic crude oil production (Crown and freehold):
Alberta, 1997(estimated)
Percentage of 1997 Canadian total crude oil and equivalent production
Alberta, 1996
Percentage change (Alberta 1996 to 1997)
|Bitumen production (Crown and freehold):
Alberta, 1997 (estimated)
Percentage of 1997 Canadian total crude oil and equivalent production.
Alberta, 1996
Percentage change (Alberta 1996 to 1997)
Table 2: Recent Oil Sands Production and Royalty Statistics by Fiscal Year
|1,289,000 barrels/day
|1996/97 Alberta total crude oil and equivalent production
277,400 barrels/day
|Synthetic crude oil production (Crown):
Alberta, 1996/97
Percentage of 1996/97 Alberta total crude oil and equivalent production
|Bitumen (Crown):
Alberta, 1996/97
Percentage of 1996/97 Alberta total crude oil and equivalent production
$312 million
|Oil sands royalties generated: 1995/96
Expected oil sands royalties: 1997/98
Table 3: Chronology of the Development of the Generic Oil Sands Royalty Regime
|Formation of the joint industry-government National Task Force on Oil Sands Strategies
|May 1995
|Recommendations of National Task Force on Oil Sands Strategies
|September 6, 1995
|Standing Policy Committee approval of generic oil sands royalty regime
|October 31, 1995
|Alberta Cabinet approval of generic oil sands royalty regime
|November 30, 1995
|Premier Klein's announcement that a new generic oil sands royalty regime (25% royalty rate after developer's cost plus return allowance have been recovered, subject to a minimum royalty of 1% of gross revenue) will apply to new projects
|February 1996
|Standing Policy Committee approves application of generic terms to new investment in expansions of existing projects
|March 6, 1996
|Federal Budget creates a uniform tax policy for all oil sands projects, regardless of the method of extraction. Province mirrors the federal changes in the provincial tax regime
|June 1996
|Declaration of Opportunity in Ft. McMurray. Attendance included the Prime Minister and the Alberta Energy Minister as well as many other prominent industry and government representatives
|June 12 1996
|Approval by Order in Council of transition terms for Syncrude and Suncor Projects designed to blend the existing royalty terms for existing projects with generic terms for production resulting from incremental investment
|February 12, 1997
|Minister of Energy signed Transition Agreement for Syncrude Project
|March 5, 1997
|Minister of Energy signed Transition Agreement for Suncor Project
|May 29, 1997
|Legislature approval of amendments to establish core provisions of the generic oils sands royalty regime in the Mines and Minerals Act
|September 24, 1997
|Alberta Cabinet Approval of generic oil sands royalty regulation.
Table 4: Objectives and Principles for the Transition from Crown Agreements to the Generic Royalty Regime
Transition Objectives
Transition Principles
Table 5: Components That Establish the Generic Royalty Regime
|Mines and Minerals Act, section 125.1
|Core rates defining the revenue minus cost royalty formula. The following rates are embedded in Legislation (Bill 12) passed in May 1997:
|Oil Sands Royalty Regulation, 1997
|The Regulation contains the principal administrative provisions, cost schedules, and revenue definitions. The Alberta Cabinet enacted the Regulation in September 24, 1997.
|Business Rules
|Business rules are being developed jointly by the Department and Industry to ensure administrative rules are efficient and effective.
Table #6: Features That Have Changed from Current Crown Agreements
Generic Regime
Crown Agreements
|Royalty Rates:
|1% minimum royalty. 25% net revenues based royalty.
|0-5% minimum royalties. 25-50% net revenue based royalty. (Note: deemed net profit definition varies).
|Allowable Costs:
Figure 1: Project Types and the Resultant Treatment of Gross Revenue for Royalty Purposes
The following three diagrams outline some basic project scenarios and show how the gross revenue from each scenario will be treated for royalty purposes. Royalties will be based on the gross revenue as follows:
- The pre-payout period royalties will be the minimum 1% of production.
- After the payout period royalties will be the greater of the minimum 1% of production, or production equivalent to 25% of net revenue (which is the gross revenue less allowed costs).
Note that each project can have single ownership or joint ownership. In the case of joint ownership, the project is still considered a single economic unit for the purposes of royalty determination. The project operator will be responsible for the royalty payment, and the owners will determine among themselves the sharing of the obligations for payment.
These diagrams illustrate how gross revenue will be treated for royalty purposes for bitumen and/or synthetic crude oil projects.
- For a Bitumen project, the production is dirty bitumen, processing is cleaning of the bitumen, and the sales is the clean bitumen.
- For a synthetic crude project, the production is the clean bitumen, processing is the upgrading, and the sales is the synthetic crude.
- A third possibility is where production is dirty bitumen, processing is both bitumen cleaning and upgrading (possibly in two different plants connected by a pipeline), and sales is synthetic crude.


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First Off, I'm curious if a change from WRX int to STI Int is an upgrade or a pain! I have just came across a STI with all the interior in great condition. I'm looking for an estimate on what it is worth in case I buy it, there is a small chance I'll resell it. I thought it might be nice to get some figures to know what I should expect to pay. Front seats, Rear bench seat, Door Cards, Carpet, STI Floor Mats. (id sell some of the misc stuff i'm just looking for the above mentioned items for PRICING as a reference to what I should buy it for.
I have the 02' WRX black suede with blue weave currently. Is the STI interior an upgrade based on quality or just "omg, it is STI interior... sooo cool" ?
Also, there is a few small differences where they do not just go right on, might have to get creative with mounting brackets (or am i missing something and it is super easy?)


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Entries in 'triple-a' (2)
'Triple-A development is stagnant', Warren Spector says
On the eve of his return to full-time development, Warren Spector has issued a manifesto of sorts about the shape of triple-A game development.
The Astronauts' Adrian Chmielarz on going from indie to triple-A... and back again
To take a studio from obscurity to prominence once is impressive. To do it three times is extraordinary.


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Home > Database > Author Information
Taylor NF
Contact information
Allied Health Clinical Research Office, Eastern Health, La Trobe University, 5 Arnold St, Box Hill, VIC 3128, Australia. Email: email@example.com
Note: this information is from 2012 and may not be completely up to date. Information is taken from the most recent article we have where Taylor NF is the first author. Also, it is possible for multiple authors named Taylor NF to have articles in the CIRRIE database.
Bibliographic information
Taylor NF has been an author on 58 articles in the CIRRIE database. The 5 most recent are:
Tang CY, Taylor NF, Blackstock FC. (2013). Patients admitted with an acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease had positive experiences exercising from the beginning of their hospital stay: a qualitative analysis. Chronic respiratory disease 10(4):197-205.
Hughes PC, Green RA, Taylor NF. (2012). Measurement of subacromial impingement of the rotator cuff. Journal of science and medicine in sport / Sports Medicine Australia 15(1):2-7.
Dennett AM, Taylor NF, Mulrain K. (2012). Community ambulation after hip fracture: completing tasks to enable access to common community venues. Disability and rehabilitation 34(9):707-14.
Iles RA, Taylor NF, Davidson M, O''Halloran PD. (2012). Patient recovery expectations in non-chronic non-specific low back pain: a qualitative investigation. Journal of rehabilitation medicine 44(9):781-7.
de Morton NA, Harding KE, Taylor NF, Harrison G. (2013). Validity of the de Morton Mobility Index (DEMMI) for measuring the mobility of patients with hip fracture during rehabilitation. Disability and rehabilitation 35(4):325-33.
View all articles by Taylor NF in the CIRRIE database.
The most used subject headings in articles written by this author in the CIRRIE database are:
- Exercise (28)
- Rehabilitation (27)
- Physical therapy (19)
- Muscles (13)
- Research methodology (12)


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Friday, March 2, 2012
City Recognizes School of MusicPittsburgh's City Council celebrated the School of Music with a proclamation declaring Feb. 28, 2012, as "The Carnegie Mellon School of Music Day." The event recognized the 100th anniversary of the School of Music (http://music.cmu.edu/centennial/).
The proclamation noted the school's legacy of education and performance.
For example in Pittsburgh, some 22 members of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra are Carnegie Mellon graduates and faculty members, as are members of the Pittsburgh Opera, the Opera Theatre of Pittsburgh, the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh and the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh. The school's internationally recognized programs in eurhythmics and solfege also are celebrated.
The School of Music's Starling Quartet, an honors string quartet founded in 2002, performed at the proclamation celebration.


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This blog is not a replacement for the original Pappillon, which soldiers on at Blogger. Rather, I had a few spare minutes and a flash of creativity (or was that just a hot flash) and I decided to try to recreate Pappillon on the WordPress.com platform. I didn't realize it was going to be a bit harder than I thought, but I'll figure it out eventually. If anyone knows how to do this in a streamlined process and will assist me FOC, msg me at the usual address or go to www.joepapp.com.
Hello world!
Posted on January 1, 2010 by Joe Papp


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Hollywood Park: Game On Dude starts over in Native Diver
INGLEWOOD, Calif. – When Game On Dude finished seventh in the Breeders' Cup Classic at Santa Anita on Nov. 3, he went from being a Horse of the Year candidate to just another good older horse.
"It's amazing how things can go so badly in just two minutes," trainer Bob Baffert said.
Game On Dude typically races near the front, but was never close to the lead and finished 15 lengths behind Fort Larned as the 6-5 favorite.
"He didn't run," Baffert said. "We were stunned. He lost Horse of the Year."
Owned by the partnership of Bernie Schiappa, the Lanni Family Trust, Mercedes Stable, and Joe Torre, Game On Dude is starting over in Saturday's $250,000 Native Diver Stakes at Betfair Hollywood Park.
The calendar says Dec. 1, but the Grade 3 Native Diver is essentially the start of the 2013 handicap division for older males in Southern California.
In the Native Diver over 1 1/8 miles, Game On Dude will be favored against four rivals, all stakes winners. He faces former stablemate Richard's Kid, who was fifth in the BC Classic; the promising 3-year-old Nonios, who was sixth in the BC Classic; the stakes winner Make Music for Me, who was fourth in the 2010 Kentucky Derby; and Kettle Corn, the defending champion of the Native Diver.
Game On Dude will have his third jockey in four races in the Native Diver, with Mike Smith replacing Rafael Bejarano. In the BC Classic, Baffert expected Bejarano to have Game On Dude on or near the lead, a style that led to wins earlier this year in races such as the Grade 2 San Antonio, Grade 2 Californian Stakes, Grade 1 Hollywood Gold Cup, and Grade 1 Awesome Again Stakes.
Chantal Sutherland rode Game On Dude in the San Antonio, Californian, and Hollywood Gold Cup, but was replaced after the gelding finished second to Dullahan in the Pacific Classic at Del Mar in August. The Awesome Again Stakes in August was Bejarano's first ride on Game On Dude this year.
The frustration of the BC Classic loss is subsiding for Baffert. He was encouraged when Game On Dude worked five furlongs in 59.60 seconds at Santa Anita on Nov. 20.
"He looked good," Baffert said. "He worked well the other day. He's going to run well."
Game On Dude will start from the rail. Expected to lead, he is unlikely to have significant pressure early. The question is whether he can be as effective in his eighth start of 2012 as he was earlier this year.
The chasing pack is capable of pulling an upset.
Kettle Corn and Make Music for Me won their last starts, both on turf.
Kettle Corn, trained by John Sadler, won an allowance race over 1 1/16 miles here Nov. 8, his first victory in seven starts this year.
Kettle Corn was second in the Californian and third in the Hollywood Gold Cup behind Game On Dude over the summer.
"He's been strong" at Hollywood Park, Sadler said.
Kettle Corn won the 2011 Native Diver when the race was worth $100,000.
This year, the purse has been enhanced with a boost from the Oak Tree Racing Association, which operated autumn race meetings at Santa Anita from 1969 to 2009 and at Hollywood Park in 2010. Oak Tree added money to the purses of some stakes at Del Mar during the summer.
"I think it's a better field than last year," Sadler said.
Make Music for Me has not raced since winning an allowance race in May, a layoff caused by a splint bone injury. Trained by Alexis Barba, Make Music for Me is the outsider in Saturday's field.
Nonios, trained by Jerry Hollendorfer, was second to Game On Dude in the Awesome Again Stakes, and beaten 10 3/4 lengths after a wide trip in the Breeders' Cup. The winner of the Grade 3 Affirmed Handicap here in June, he has yet to beat older horses.
Richard's Kid, trained by Doug O'Neill, was third in the Pacific Classic and in the Awesome Again Stakes. Formerly trained by Baffert, Richard's Kid was second in the Hollywood Gold Cup in July.
He was acquired by his current owners in late August.
Rafael Bejarano has the mount on Richard's Kid on Saturday.
"Rafael has ridden the horse and knows him well," O'Neill said. "We're in dire need of a win."
Too bad the field for the Native Diver @ #HollywoodPark is so small. When #GameOnDude runs his race it still won't mean much #horseracing
for those of you saying chantal retired because she lost her mount should also know she failed a breathalyzer at woodbine about a month ago and has recently gotten married and looking to have kids. Although game on dude was her money train
Enough of this horse already.
Different drug testing during the BC as opposed to other times. Don't think that made a difference??? Right.
You do not win Horse Of The Year when you never leave a state and beat a bunch of nobodies. Nice try there Roberto Bafferto
Once again Game On Dude will face a bunch of nobodies at a shorter distance. He will get the early lead, set his own fractions without any challenge up front, and get the easy win. Did i mention there are only 5 runners. How pathetic. Game On Dude is highly overrated. Don't believe me, look at where he finished anytime he actually raced someone. Dubai=Flop, BC Classic=Flop. He even lost to Dullahan lol. Enough of your excuses Baffert.
Was partly riders fault, not aggressive enough at the start,,but those were different horses from back east and they are a lot better than what Dude had been beating here....If he's still the same horse he will kill this field...
I Think This Horse Is Pouting( He Wants Chantel Back)-Get On The Phone Bob-lolk-DS
OK. Let's plan ahead. Who do we blame this upcoming loss on? Baffert, like Nixon (1973-74), tosses his "colleagues" out of the life raft after the boat sank. Eventually, the only person in the boat is... Baffert. 1974. 2012. Same deal.
This race highlights one of my big issues with horse racing. How can you have a $250k stakes race with only 5 horses!? Not only does it hurt the validity of the race to only have to beat 4 other horses, but it also takes away many potential bettors who will not find good odds on any of the horses.


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Samsung Epic 4G Repair
Sprint's Epic 4G, of the seemingly countless variants of the Galaxy S that Samsung's in the process of deploying around the globe, stands out in a couple very unique ways. The Epic hangs on to a couple of the Galaxy line's most important characteristics – namely the 1GHz Hummingbird processor and the 4-inch Super AMOLED display – but adds in a sliding landscape QWERTY keyboard, support for the wickedly fast WiMAX network that Sprint shares with partner Clearwire, and a handful of other notable one-off customizations.
We hope that you never have problems with your smart phone, but if you do, Bob Knows Phones™ is a quick drive away.
If you are too far away from us, we also have a fast mail-in service!
Bring (or mail) your phone to our Buckhead repair shop if your smart phone is experiencing any of the following symptoms:
- All black or white screen
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A lot less than what you'll pay at AT&T, Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile! At Bob Knows Phones™, you can expect to save up to 80% over what those guys charge. And we guarantee our work.
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You get our iron-clad Samsung repair guarantee. We want you to be happy. That's the best way we know how to grow a cell phone repair business. Bob Knows Phones™ guarantees cell phone repair for 30 days, provided you stop texting in the shower. If your phone sputters within 30 days, we'll fix it again, free.*
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For the latest pricing and our Price Match Guarantee, please call us at 678-298-3191.
* Water-damaged phones are not covered by the cell phone repair guarantee. Water is tricky stuff, so any repair complicated by water damage can result in a loss of functionality. Any new damage is not covered by the guarantee, and neither is the damage beyond the original fee charged for the repair.


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Available ebook formats: epub mobi pdf lrf pdb txt html
Corporate robot by day, lucid dreamer by night, Chantale Rêve lives to express her thoughts on the human condition through erotic short fiction (especially erotic mystery and suspense stories) and poetry. She is inspired by and enjoys the creations of other artists—from novelists and poets, to dancers, musicians, visual artists and chefs.
Chantale is profoundly influenced by certain existentialist schools of thought, including Camus' and Sartre's; by the literature of William Shakespeare, Franz Kafka, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Kate Chopin, Ralph Ellison, Jean Toomer, Alice Walker, Anaϊs Nin, Henry Miller, Philip K. Dick, Richard Burton Matheson, James Patterson, John Le Carré, Ian Fleming, among others; the plays of Tennessee Williams; and by the cinematic genius of Hitchcock; of French and Italian New Wave auteurs Truffaut, Varda, Bresson, Antonioni, Bertolucci and Fellini; and—from the African Diaspora—of Melvin Van Peebles, Gordon Parks, Spike Lee, Kasi Lemmons, Julie Dash and Ava DuVernay.
Chantale's worldview continues to be shaped by her travels and by the images and messages in remarkable independent, modern and postmodern films—both past and present—from around the world.
Review by:
Cyn Bagley
on April 28, 2011 :
This short story touched upon women's little sadnesses: marriage, sex, birth, death, and divorce. It explores how these disappointments can hurt a relationship. But, even at the end, there is hope that a newly singled woman can find love.
The reason I gave it four stars instead of five is because it is a little rough in places. However, I would read this story again more slowly. There is a lot of truth here.
(review of free book)


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Your Dog, Your Life
The Scoop
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Wildebeest creates the perfect present for new dog parents.
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In Dec. i got a knew sister. not a puppy not a cat not anything i can keep in the house i got a huge 1,700lb sister. My knew sister is a horse!!!!! She is so cool but her friend lightning tried to stomp on me!!! But my sister is huge but really cool. she even gave me a kiss!!! im not kidding. When i got home i told Maddie and hope about her. I told Madline she would love her. But Madline is not going to be able to meet her because of my knew friend Dexter who lives at the barn because of how old and mean Madline is. Ha its really funny because my mom just told me about my knew sister another horse. I love Barefoot Cuntessa and Buttercup Kiss.
1, 2, 3 1/2 he tried so hard to get 3 balls into his mouth. My outher dog Madline and I watch Luke as he tried to get the ball in his mouth.
Copyright © I-5 Publishing, LLC. All rights reserved.
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Dammora Resort
Select your stay dates to check availability at Dammora Resort
Dammora Resort
About the Hotel
Property Location
Located in Seogwipo (Andeok), Dammora Resort is convenient to Sanbangsan Mountain Tansan Hot Springs and Sanbanggulsa Temple. This hotel is within close proximity of Sanbangsan Mountain and Daejeonghyanggyo Confucian School.
Make yourself at home in one of the air-conditioned rooms featuring refrigerators and flat-screen televisions. Complimentary wireless Internet access keeps you connected, and cable programming is available for your entertainment. Bathrooms with showers are provided. Conveniences include coffee/tea makers, and housekeeping is provided daily.
Enjoy the recreation opportunities such as a seasonal outdoor pool or make use of other amenities including complimentary wireless Internet access.
Enjoy a satisfying meal at a restaurant serving guests of Dammora Resort.
Business, Other Amenities
Free self parking is available onsite.
Hotel Facilities
- One meeting room
- Outdoor seasonal pool
- Restaurant
- Smoke-free property
- Free WiFi
- Free self parking
- Free breakfast
Room Facilities
- Air conditioning
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- Shower only
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- Free WiFi
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News Release
May 9, 2012
Contact information
Minnesota's FluSafe program earns prestigious national award
Effectiveness shown in increasing influenza vaccination rates among health care personnel
The Minnesota Department of Health's (MDH) FluSafe program, designed to increase influenza vaccination rates among health care workers, has received a 2012 Immunization Excellence Award from the National Influenza Vaccine Summit (NIVS). FluSafe was named a National Winner in the Healthcare Personnel Campaign category. The awards will be presented during the National Influenza Vaccine Summit in Atlanta on May 17.
The MDH FluSafe program was established in 2010 to increase rates of health care personnel (HCP) influenza vaccination in Minnesota. Vaccinating health care personnel can help prevent influenza infections from spreading to vulnerable patients. The rates of health care worker vaccination in Minnesota were estimated to be at 71 percent in the year 2009, far from the national goal of 90 percent. Now nearing the end of FluSafe's second year of operation, both hospitals and nursing homes that participate in FluSafe have higher vaccination rates than facilities that do not participate. The program facilitates friendly competition between health care facilities; creates transparency through public recognition; and supports thorough and accurate tracking of influenza vaccine coverage.
FluSafe is a voluntary program. By choosing to participate each year, hospitals and nursing homes publicly demonstrate their commitment to patient safety. They design their own vaccination campaigns, enhanced in many cases by FluSafe's evidence-based online tools and materials. At the conclusion of each influenza season, each facility's HCP vaccination rate is measured using the Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC), the state immunization information system. Facilities that have achieved 70 percent or higher are recognized in an MDH press release and a listing on MDH's website. These facilities are also provided with certificates, posters, and window clings to display. In addition, participants receive press release templates and sample newsletter articles to help publicize their achievements and build public awareness of the importance of HCP influenza vaccination.
In FluSafe's inaugural season, 137 hospitals and nursing homes participated. Of these, 109 were eligible for public recognition by reaching at least 70 percent HCP vaccination rates. Impressively, 27 facilities attained vaccination levels of 90 percent or greater, meeting the Healthy People 2020 goal and setting an example for their peers.
FluSafe is now in its second season of operation, with a marked gain in participation to 214 facilities statewide. This represents 72 percent of hospitals and 27 percent of nursing homes in Minnesota. FluSafe facilities vaccinate more HCP than non-FluSafe facilities, according to MDH data. FluSafe hospitals' average rate was 82 percent, while the average at non-FluSafe hospitals was only 73 percent. The difference is even more pronounced among nursing homes, with rates at FluSafe nursing homes reaching 75 percent, greater than both the state average and the average for non-FluSafe nursing homes (62 percent).
"FluSafe represents an advance over other health care personnel vaccination programs in that its use of MIIC to track vaccinations provides consistent documentation of vaccination rates," said program coordinator Jennifer Heath. HCP vaccinations are tracked in the immunization information system to allow for consistent comparisons of formally documented rates - something not possible with programs that rely on self-reported data. Another advantage of using MIIC is that it allows sites to track their own progress over the course of each season.
FluSafe is supported statewide thanks in part to the professional organization leaders from around Minnesota that have been engaged from the very start, Heath noted. The Minnesota Alliance for Patient Safety (MAPS), Minnesota Hospital Association (MHA), the Minnesota Medical Association (MMA) and Care Providers of Minnesota, among others, have all been strong partners. The program's popularity is due to the benefits to health care worker and patient safety. In addition, using immunization registries (MIIC) will support meeting one of the meaningful use objectives of eligible hospitals and the vision of the Minnesota e-Health Initiative. FluSafe has extended MIIC's reach by providing an easy way for nursing homes to begin submitting immunization data.
The NIVS awards were given in four categories: overall season activities, healthcare personnel campaign, immunization coalitions/public health/community campaign, and corporate campaign. Nominees were evaluated based on the areas of impact, collaboration, originality, challenges and opportunities. There were 32 nominees in all this year.
The NIVS is co-sponsored by the American Medical Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The Summit is an action-oriented entity with over 400 members who represent over 100 public and private organizations with an interest in addressing and resolving influenza and influenza vaccine issues.
For more information, contact:
Doug Schultz
MDH Communications
Jennifer Heath
FluSafe Coordinator


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Re: New "Gem" Coming SoonTM??[ Edited ]
sanddude20 wrote:
AliMakaveli wrote:
They said "unearthed"
Hmm.. I hadn't seen that trailer.
Everything looks good until the gameplay hits... Looks like they would have been better served with a car game, they seem to have done okay with that by the looks of it.
The rest of the gameplay looks a bit of a mess.
Might be worth a try if it's free, is there news on if it's free or... pay?
Re: New "Gem" Coming SoonTM??
Re: New "Gem" Coming SoonTM??
Re: New "Gem" Coming SoonTM??
AliMakaveli wrote:
So, in the latest Q&A, ND mentioned this...
"we have plenty of new content in the pipeline that will be coming out over the next few months. We recently unearthed a gem that might see the light of day too"
I'm taking this as a grain of salt. This new gem could be another shade of blue for custom colours or just another item for a Djinn.
(See original Q&A for the quote above)
I'm taking it with multiple grains of salt... but a man can dream right, so this is about unearthing a gem, I suspect it therefore has to be something that was planned to do before, but didn't happen, if we look at the multiplayer reveal trailer I really hope dry docks (free for FHC owners, as the fourth map pack... the fort coop map + dry docks = 2 things, therefore a 'pack'), but I'll eat my controller if it is that and post it on youtube for all to see (please don't force me to do that when it is really dry docks xD )
Re: New "Gem" Coming SoonTM??
TheStuntDouble wrote:
No HC?
Yeah, it would be awesome to get Hardcore back
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Choose Between Two Options
- $29 for one month of unlimited yoga classes (a $105 value)
- $37 for 10 yoga classes (a $120 value)
Laughing Buddha Yoga hosts classes every day of the week. View the schedule.
Laughing Buddha Yoga
Though the instructors at Laughing Buddha Yoga have different stories about how they discovered yoga, they all have one thing in common: it had a profound influence on their lives. Hoping students experience that same positive impact, the veteran yogis host classes seven days a week, much like a school for overachievers. Their classes range from basic Hatha yoga to more advanced sessions that integrate Pilates to strengthen core muscles. The studio itself helps visitors achieve mental and physical balance with its sustainable cork floors, hanging plants, and exposed beams and ductwork, which contribute to the setting's urban vibe.
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5025 S Ash Ave.,Suite B16
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