text: Volcano Corp Company Profile (NASDAQ:VOLC) Company Profile Analyst Ratings Earnings History Earnings Estimates Dividend History Insider Trade Headlines Social Media Chart About Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC) Volcano Corporation designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes a suite of precision guided therapy tools including intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) and fractional flow reserve (FFR) products. The Company markets its products to physicians, nurses and technicians who perform endovascular based coronary and peripheral interventional procedures in hospitals and to other personnel who make purchasing decisions on behalf of hospitals. The Company's products consist of consoles that are marketed as stand-alone units or as units that can be integrated into a variety of hospital-based interventional surgical suites called catheterization laboratories, or cath labs. The Company has developed customized cath lab versions of these consoles. The Company sells products directly to customers in the United States, Japan, certain European markets and South Africa. The Company's products include consoles, IVUS products, FFR products, Pioneer plus re-entry catheter and crux VCF system. Industry, Sector and Symbol: Sector: Healthcare Industry: Advanced Medical Equipment & Technology - NEC Sub-Industry: Health Care Equipment Symbol: NASDAQ:VOLC CUSIP: 92864510 Web: intl.volcanocorp.com/ Average Prices:50 Day Moving Avg: $18.00200 Day Moving Avg: $14.0052 Week Range: $10.00 - $19.00 P/E:Trailing P/E Ratio: N/AForeward P/E Ratio: InfinityP/E Growth: 0 Profitability:Net Margins: -8.21%Return on Equity: -10.48%Return on Assets: -3.68%Misc:Average Volume: 661,374 shs. Frequently Asked Questions for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC) What is Volcano Corp's stock symbol? Volcano Corp trades on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol "VOLC." How were Volcano Corp's earnings last quarter? Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC) released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November, 6th. The company reported ($0.04) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the Thomson Reuters' consensus estimate of ($0.06) by $0.02. The company had revenue of $97.50 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $96 million. Volcano Corp had a negative net margin of 8.21% and a negative return on equity of 10.48%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 1.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.08) EPS. View Volcano Corp's Earnings History. Who are some of Volcano Corp's key competitors? Some companies that are related to Volcano Corp include Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO), Danaher Corporation (DHR), Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX), Intuitive Surgical (ISRG), Koninklijke Philips N.V. (PHG), Illumina (ILMN), Edwards Lifesciences Corporation (EW), Cerner Corporation (CERN), Agilent Technologies (A), Waters Corporation (WAT), Hologic (HOLX), ResMed (RMD), Varian Medical Systems (VAR), PerkinElmer (PKI), ABIOMED (ABMD), Bruker Corporation (BRKR), Alere (ALR) and Accelerate Diagnostics (AXDX). How do I buy Volcano Corp stock? Shares of Volcano Corp can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages include Vanguard Brokerage Services, TD Ameritrade, E*TRADE, Scottrade, Fidelity and Charles Schwab. What is Volcano Corp's stock price today? One share of Volcano Corp stock can currently be purchased for approximately $18.00. MarketBeat Community Rating for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ VOLC)Community Ranking: 1.8 out of 5 ()Outperform Votes: 110 (Vote Outperform)Underperform Votes: 197 (Vote Underperform)Total Votes: 307MarketBeat's community ratings are surveys of what our community members think about Volcano Corp and other stocks. Vote "Outperform" if you believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 over the long term. Vote "Underperform" if you believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 over the long term. You may vote once every thirty days. Analyst Ratings Consensus Ratings for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC) (How are Consensus Ratings Calculated?) MarketBeat calculates consensus ratings using the most recent rating from each brokerage that has rated a stock within the last twelve months. Since brokers often use different ratings systems, each rating is normalized to a standardized rating score of 1 (sell), 2 (hold), 3 (buy) or 4 (strong buy). Consensus ratings scores are calculated using the mean average of the number of normalized sell, hold, buy and strong buy ratings. Each stock's consensus rating is derived from its calculated consensus ratings score (0-1.5 = Sell, 1.5-2.5 = Hold, 2.5-3.5 = Buy, >3.5 = Strong Buy). MarketBeat's consensus price targets are a mean average of the most recent available price targets set by each analyst that has set a price target for the stock in the last twelve months.MarketBeat will no longer include ratings and price target data in its consensus calculation if a broker drops coverage and MarketBeat has received a report that coverage was dropped. Ratings from certain research firms that issue ratings using purely quantitative methods (such as Zacks, Vetr and ValuEngine) are not included in consensus calculations. MarketBeat's consensus ratings and consensus price targets may differ from those calculated by other firms due to differences in methodology and available data.Ratings Breakdown: No ratings tracked in the last 12 months.Consensus Rating:N/A (Score: NaN)Consensus Price Target: N/A Analysts' Ratings History for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC) Show: Only the Most Recent Rating From Each Brokerage All Ratings For This Stock No equities research coverage for this company has been tracked by MarketBeat.com Earnings Earnings History for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC)Earnings History by Quarter for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ VOLC)DateQuarterConsensus EstimateActual EPSRevenue EstimateActual RevenueRelease LinkConference CallDetails11/6/2014Q314($0.06)($0.04)$96.00 million$97.50 millionViewN/A8/7/2014Q214($0.05)$0.01$103.14 million$102.60 millionViewListen5/2/2014Q1($0.11)($0.12)$94.69 million$94.50 millionViewListen2/24/2014Q413($0.24)($0.29)$103.03 million$103.30 millionViewListen11/4/2013Q313($0.01)($0.08)$97.20 million$95.80 millionViewN/A8/5/2013Q2 2013($0.01)$0.03$97.90 million$101.30 millionViewN/A5/2/2013Q1 2013$0.02$96.11 million$93.20 millionViewN/A2/21/2013Q4 2012$0.09$0.04$102.48 million$102.48 millionViewN/A11/6/2012Q312$0.04$0.04$95.37 million$93.65 millionViewN/A8/2/2012$0.04$0.06ViewN/A2/22/2012$0.05$0.14ViewN/A10/31/2011$0.03$0.05ViewN/A8/1/2011$0.03$0.09ViewN/A5/5/2011($0.03)$0.02ViewN/A2/23/2011$0.03$0.06ViewN/A(Data available from 1/1/2011 forward) Estimates Earnings Estimates for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC)Current Year EPS Consensus Estimate: $-0 EPS Dividends Dividend History for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC)No dividend announcements for this company have been tracked by MarketBeat.com Insider Trades Insider Trading and Institutional Ownership History for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC)Insider Trades by Quarter for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC)Transaction DateInsider NameTitleBuy/SellNumber of SharesAverage Share PriceTotal TransactionDetails1/2/2015Joe BurnettEVPSell1,146$17.88$20,490.48 1/2/2015John T DahldorfCFOSell2,051$17.88$36,671.88 12/17/2014R Scott HuennekensInsiderSell30,000$17.83$534,900.00 6/12/2014Heather S AceEVPSell2,211$18.24$40,328.64 4/15/2014David SheehanEVPSell1,892$19.36$36,629.12 4/15/2014John DahldorfCFOSell2,176$19.36$42,127.36 3/19/2014Darin LippoldtEVPSell1,377$23.03$31,712.31 2/28/2014David SheehanEVPSell1,446$21.72$31,407.12 2/28/2014John DahldorfCFOSell1,244$21.72$27,019.68 2/20/2014David SheehanEVPSell1,595$21.86$34,866.70 2/20/2014John DahldorfCFOSell2,054$21.86$44,900.44 2/19/2014Jorge QuinoyInsiderSell6,357$21.96$139,599.72 2/6/2014David SheehanEVPSell1,584$20.61$32,646.24 2/6/2014John DahldorfCFOSell1,393$20.61$28,709.73 2/6/2014R Scott HuennekensInsiderSell4,730$20.61$97,485.30 1/17/2014R Scott HuennekensInsiderSell160,000$21.12$3,379,200.00 1/6/2014John DahldorfCFOSell47,423$21.94$1,040,460.62 1/2/2014R Scott HuennekensInsiderSell3,506$21.68$76,010.08 9/17/2013Jorge QuinoyInsiderSell5,000$24.00$120,000.00 5/24/2013Alexis V LukianovDirectorBuy3,000$16.93$50,790.00 3/4/2013Ronald A MatricariaDirectorBuy20,000$21.50$430,000.00 12/3/2012Jorge J QuinoyInsiderSell6,750$26.65$179,887.50 (Data available from 1/1/2013 forward) Headlines Headline Trends for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC) Latest Headlines for Volcano Corp (NASDAQ:VOLC) Source: All Sources Trusted Sources MarketBeat.com Bloomberg MarketWatch Motley Fool NASDAQ Reuters Seeking Alpha The Street The Wall Street Journal Yahoo Finance DateHeadlineRiverside Risk Advisors Expands its Equity Derivatives Advisory Businesswww.marketwatch.com - June 22 at 2:35 PMTheme Park Battle Between Disney and Comcast Will Be Gloriouswww.fool.com - May 25 at 2:52 PMVolcano Bay heats up the hype with planned preview eventwww.bizjournals.com - May 23 at 7:58 PM3 Reasons Why Comcast's Volcano Bay Will Be Hugewww.fool.com - May 22 at 12:29 PMAtherectomy Devices - Global Market Outlook (2016-2022)www.bizjournals.com - April 26 at 5:09 PMFacebook's Oculus hires Apple veteran to lead VR hardware pushfinance.yahoo.com - April 24 at 9:12 AMIs Disney World's Biggest Rival Getting Too Greedy?www.fool.com - March 30 at 3:25 PMAtherectomy Devices Market Size Worth $894.69 Million by 2025: Grand View Research, Inc.finance.yahoo.com - March 29 at 10:23 AMUniversal's Volcano Bay moves into testing mode as backstory surfaceswww.bizjournals.com - March 11 at 10:32 AMDisney World's Biggest Foe Wants a Sea Battlewww.fool.com - December 31 at 3:19 PM Social Chart Volcano Corp (VOLC) Chart for Wednesday, July, 26, 2017 This page was last updated on 7/26/2017 by MarketBeat.com Staff


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@loekf - there's the issue. WASAPI is just the render method - it is effectively passing thru right to the audio driver.
When XBMC is set to decode DTS (DTS 5.1 --> PCM 5.1) that's fine, but that's where it ends. SPDIF cannot send 5.1. If your Creative has 5.1 DACs and you are then using 3 prs of analog cables from the sound card to the receiver, that's fine, but not SPDIF.
To make matters worse, your card is reporting that it's only 2ch PCM, so even the second step there won't work, the PCM 5.1 --> Creative.
Check your Creative setup software and make sure it can accept 5.1pcm because it's not reporting that to Windows. Won't be the first issue I've seen with Creative's drivers.
I'm off now to go see family for the weekend, back on Monday if I don't check in somewhere in between, but keep me posted on what you find out with the Creative setup.
[Windows] AudioEngine testers - Windows platform only
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2012-05-12 21:32 Post: #436
System: XBMC HTPC with HDMI WASAPI & AudioEngine - Denon AVR-3808CI - Denon DVD-5900 Universal Player - Denon DCM-27 CD-Changer
- Sony BDP-S580 Blu-Ray - X-Box 360 - Android tablet wireless remote - 7.1 Streem/Axiom/Velodyne Surround System
If I have been able to help feel free to add to my reputation +/- below - thanks!
(This post was last modified: 2012-05-12 21:34 by DDDamian.)
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2012-05-13 11:10 Post: #437
(2012-05-12 17:44)DDDamian Wrote: The second is that one of the files has AAC audio - AAC is not decoded (yet) by AE - the only way it will work is if your receiver supports AAC natively.Ok.
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2012-05-13 12:08 Post: #438
what is this intialization tries all about, is it intended?
(This post was last modified: 2012-05-13 12:08 by PKOneTwo.)
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2012-05-13 13:03 Post: #439
I've disabled in the BIOS the HD Via audio. Don't understand why there is trouble now and not before...
Nevertheless, doing this miracly made audio work, on all i've been able to test, flac, ac3, ogg, with several channels (2.0, 5.1, 4.0) and even 32bit. Everything worked, except one video, wich audio was flac 2.0 (but others with flac 2.0 worked).
The log file is here.
There was no audio, and no audio (zero channels) were send to my audio device (according it's front panel).
Here the result from MonInfo :
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2012-05-13 17:15 Post: #440
(2012-05-12 21:32)DDDamian Wrote: @loekf - there's the issue. WASAPI is just the render method - it is effectively passing thru right to the audio driver.
Yes I have 3 analog wires going to my speakers (FL + FR, RL + RL, C + woofer). As Creative didn't update their X-Fi drivers for more than 2 years, guess it's the Creative drivers. Of course, they have a new X-Fi card, but my next built will be either on-board audio or perhaps an Asus Xonar card.
I tried various modes (gaming, entertainment etc.. even bit-thru playback), but the WASAPI report back stays the same (2 channels). Funny thing still is that in DirectSound mode, 5.1 works, despite that XBMC reports 2 channels as well. Even when you switch off the so called 3D Crystalizer, which is upmixing to 5.1 as far as I know.
HTPC: MS-Tech MC-1200 | Asus F2A85-M | AMD A10-6700 | OCZ Agility3 120GB | Corsair Vengeance 2x4GB DDR3| LiteOn iHOS104 BDR | Win10 x64 | Kodi 15.2
Home AV: Philips 42PFL5038 | Sony BDPS6500 | Onkyo TX-NR636 | Sony PS4 | Logitech Harmony Elite | Sonos audio | Apple TV Gen 4 | Nvidia Shield Android TV | 5.1 speakers (TMA, Klipsch)
(This post was last modified: 2012-05-13 17:28 by loekf.)
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2012-05-13 21:13 RE: [Windows] AudioEngine testers - Windows platform only Post: #441
(2012-05-12 16:16)DDDamian Wrote: @trash - i've seen that SQL error popping up a lot lately - perhaps time to try the full (non-portable) install, and go through your addons to see if any are causing the issue. The crash was an unrelated bug caused by a seperate threading project that I was able to track down - was fixed last night. JMarshall pushed some fixes last night addressing filepaths and the new SQL thumbnail caching which may have fixed the error you're getting - it's a new initiative by him to move the thumbs into the database, and he's been doing some bug-fixes on it.
i downloaded today the nighlty,
and gave it a fast test run.
it works even in portable mode.
did a few fast test with true-hd/dts and some mp3's
the last 5 seconds bug is also removed.
even my wife was impressed. (WAF )
nice work you all,
will do some more testing later this week.
something i'm trying to figure out if there's a sort of change log of the nightly's
LibreElec Kodi | Aeon MQ7 | Onkyo TX-SR875 | Teufel System 5 THX Cinema 5.1
SuperMicro Server WSE2012R2 | E3-1241 v3 | RAM 32 GB | Drivepool 18TB
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2012-05-13 21:59 Post: #442
The complete changelog can be found here:
the number that you find in the nightly: XBMCSetup-20120513-240b7a9-master.exe
corresponds with a commit number so you can see what happens between builds
Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting, read this first
Interested in seeing some YouTube videos about Kodi? Go here and subscribe
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2012-05-13 21:59 Post: #443
not even audio related but annoying: fast scrolling through movie database crash repeatable my xbmc
21:50:23 T:2152 ERROR: exception in CApplication::Render()
21:50:23 T:2152 ERROR: m_pD3DDevice->BeginScene() failed. 8876086C - D3DERR_INVALIDCALL (Invalid call)
21:50:23 T:2152 ERROR: exception in CApplication::Render()
without advancedsettings.xml
A/V: Sony KDL52W5500|Yamaha RX-V471|Elac Cinema XL Center|4x Elac Cinema 2 Sat|REL Strata II|Elac Sub 101 ESP
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(This post was last modified: 2012-05-13 22:06 by Nimo.)
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2012-05-13 22:44 Post: #444
If not audio related please post this in the general section or create trac ticket.
Please provide a full Debug Log there
Read/follow the forum rules.
For troubleshooting and bug reporting, read this first
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2012-05-14 13:52 Post: #445
Hi all,
I have beent trying to get AE(and Daniela's Patch and more recently using Nightlies) to work on my setup, but no matter what I do, DTS-HD does not seem to work properly.
Since I am not sure what kind of information you will need(I know you'll need a debug log) I will explain my situation.
Denon 1912 AVR
Win7 x64 installation on a pc with Intel 2100T CPU and an AMD 6450 graphics card.
First thing I should note, is that from what I understand, for bitstreaming to work properly, XBMC should be setup using WASAPI, and exclusive mode should be enabled for the output device in Windows.
I have used Daniela's patch for some time, and this has thus far given me the best results, where all the audio formats work properly when XBMC is set to using WASAPI(Including DTS-HD) albeit slightly(A very small, but still noticeable delay) out of sync. Because of this, and the developers intent to go forward with AE, I tried to get it work, but not a single version up to now has fixed my issues yet. I should also note, that I always did a completely new installation of XBMC (Removing the profile folder and any addons every time)
I have the following problems using AE:
- Using WASAPI results in no sound output whatsoever.
- Directsound works(My receiver tells me it's getting the pure audio format, DTS, Dolby, DTS-HD) but from my knowledge, I should have it working over WASAPI.
- When playing a DTS-HD track, my reciever does show it, but the sound is really crackling, or not working at all while the video is running along around 3-5 FPS, making any movie with DTS-HD unwatchable in the current situation.
How can I help you guys gather as much information as you need to be able to troubleshoot this issue? Do you prefer some pre-made samples I can download somewhere, or can I just use any movie I have in my colleciton for the debug log? Is there other information you want me to supply apart from the debug log?
I would love to hear from you guys what info you'd like me to gather and I'll get on to it.
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2012-05-14 14:06 Post: #446
try the latest build here
and check all your system and graphic drivers
set in windows your soundmanager to your setup (7.1)
i hope that helps.
A/V: Sony KDL52W5500|Yamaha RX-V471|Elac Cinema XL Center|4x Elac Cinema 2 Sat|REL Strata II|Elac Sub 101 ESP
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2012-05-14 15:55 Post: #447
Hi DDDamian,
I'm succesfully trying latest nightly AE, expecially bitstreaming wise (TrueHD and DTS-HD are passing through nicely). Compared to DanielaE latest build I get severe stuttering after seeking, only on bluray folder and not on mkv: I'll submit a complete log ASAP.
I remember some advancedsettings.xml entry you mentioned in your early post: sinkbuffertime, audiophile, etc.. Are these settings still valid or they get lost during xbmc startup?
Thanks a lot for the big effort!
[font=Verdana][/font] Windows 7 32bit Home Professional - ASUS E35M1-M PRO - OCZ SSD 50GB drive - Mini ITX case - HDMI -> Onkyo TX SR608 > HDMI - LG PX950N 60" plasma TV | Eden pre11.0 beta 3 DDDamian build
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2012-05-14 22:39 Post: #448
Hello all,
today I compiled xbmc master and got no audio, completelly nothing, not even skin sounds.
First problem what I found was that audio setting was reset to HDMI 7.1, so changed it back to Analog 2.0 (my PC is regular development PC with onboard audio and headphones, so no receiver etc.), but nothing changed, no sound. There is debug log, but no apparent audio/hw related error. I tried to use forceDirectSound but again nothing changed. Not sure if these logs helps to AE developers, but at least I hope
Edit: It's my first meeting with AE so i don't follow this thread. If my issue is known/already solved then please forward me to correct place.
Edit2: Looks like there already exists issue in Trac for it.
(This post was last modified: 2012-05-14 23:30 by bambi73.)
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2012-05-15 12:23 Post: #449
Hello everyone
I recently stumbled on an issue that I didn't have before. My setup uses EventGhost to auto start xbmc when resuming from sleep and my audio is connected through HDMI (AMD HDMI). I'm using Catalyst 12.3.
The issue is that when resuming from sleep it takes up to 10 seconds for the Audio device to go from enabled + "not plugged in" to enabled and "active". I noticed in the XBMC source code that enumeration uses DEVICE_STATE_ACTIVE only as a valid status for the device. As a result of that if XBMC is starting up during that timeframe, it doesn't detect the HDMI Audio device, resulting in no sound whatsoever.
This not being very practical, you can do two things. a) build in a wait for 10 seconds in EventGhost (but how long? maybe there's variance in how quickly the HDMI Audio gets reconnected after wake up?) or b) wait for the device to become active before starting XBMC.
So I wrote a little C++ program that follows the same logic of device enumeration and properties listing (actually textbook example from MS documentation), but as the valid status I took DEVICE_STATE_ACTIVE | DEVICE_STATE_UNPLUGGED, which also gives me the unplugged devices. The program is a command-line console app that takes a few arguments, 1. the GUID of the device you want to wait for, 2. the number of milliseconds between probing the device's status, and 3. the max number of probes. When the app runs, it will probe the device until it becomes "active" and will then immediately exit. I've tried it with my EventGhost setup - so it runs right after wake up and will fire up XBMC as soon as it ends. If anyone interested, let me know I'll post the app on the forum.
This leaves me to think that other people might have the same issue and that allowing "unplugged" devices is something that could potentially be brought into the XBMC code base (as a third option to solve this). This way we wouldn't need this kind of utility anymore. Apparently there's also an event that's being fired as soon as the device becomes "active", so waiting/probing might not even be needed...
Regards - Voyager
(This post was last modified: 2012-05-15 12:31 by Voyager.)
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2012-05-15 16:16 Post: #450
Hi folks - just back from a brief holiday with family - will respond to your posts shortly
System: XBMC HTPC with HDMI WASAPI & AudioEngine - Denon AVR-3808CI - Denon DVD-5900 Universal Player - Denon DCM-27 CD-Changer
- Sony BDP-S580 Blu-Ray - X-Box 360 - Android tablet wireless remote - 7.1 Streem/Axiom/Velodyne Surround System
If I have been able to help feel free to add to my reputation +/- below - thanks!
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
As required by the Federal Department of Education Clery Act, the University Police Department maintains a Daily Crime Log of criminal incidents and alleged criminal incidents that are reported to the campus police.
The Daily Crime Log is available to all students, parents and the general public. The Daily Crime Log is updated year round within two business days. It includes, but is not limited to, such information as date, time, location, incident title, incident address, and the dispositions of incidents. We include reports of all types of crimes, as well as all daily activity, not just those required by the Clery Act. Crimes are highlighted in bold.
Daily Crime Log (click to open)
University Police also maintains an On-Campus Residential Housing Fire Log
Daily Fire Log (click to open)


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The first morning in Florida, this is what we woke up to... And to think I lived right next door to this and gave it up. What was I thinking?
The first day was spent at Downtown Disney. We ate at one of my favorite spots- Earl of Sandwich, did a lot of shopping/ browsing, and enjoyed the warm weather.
Oh, and we found a funhouse mirror that entertained us for about 10 minutes...
The kids enjoyed the splash pad and then we headed back to the hotel for naps until their dad was done with his class for the day.
For dinner we went to the Rainforest Cafe, it's always a blast!
I know they look pretty terrified, but I promise they loved it! The rainstorms were a little scary, but as soon as they were over, it was as if nothing had happened.
Except for this girl, she was afraid the monkey hanging right above her chair was going to fall on her.
Then we headed home for a good night's rest.


text:
Some may pay under Doyle's 'toll-free' Scoresby plan
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OPPOSITION Leader Robert Doyle is poised to release his plan to build the $2.5 billion Mitcham to Frankston Freeway toll-free but has failed to guarantee it will include all vehicles at all times over the entire road.
Mr Doyle could also not say if he could legally force the consortium building the freeway, ConnectEast, to accept his plan, expected to be unveiled in the next few days.
"I can't say whether they will have the option to reject it or not," he said on Friday.
The policy will include three independent reports on the financial and legal effects of his plan. The proposal will also contain reports from shadow ministers detailing how the toll-free plan will affect other spending.
But Mr Doyle pledged the toll-fee commitment would not be financed by cutting spending on health, education and police, or by raising taxes. "Cuts in those portfolios would be death to us," he said.
The Opposition's spokesman for country Victoria, Phil Davis, had made a significant contribution to the toll-free plan to assuage any concerns in the bush about the cost of a Melbourne road, Mr Doyle said.
When pressed on the extent of his toll-free commitment, Mr Doyle would not confirm there would be no tolls on the entire freeway (now called Eastlink) at all times for all vehicles.
"You are now talking about the details of what I am going to announce. I will make sure that I have a promise to the people of Victoria that they can absolutely believe," he said.
Documents obtained by The Sunday Age indicate a toll-free road could cost the Federal Government much more than the $565 million it has committed.
The State Government says the Scoresby Freeway component of the Eastlink project has doubled to $1.8 billion. Internal Federal Government briefing documents say it is committed to paying 50 per cent of costs, which the State Government says would make Canberra liable for $900 million if the road is built toll-free.
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I have not been able to get my mouse to work correctly on windows Vista. I
am abble to scroll on word excell and other programs of that sort but i am
not able to scroll on a enternet webpage that i open. I am not sure if there
is setting that i have not activated but this is reall pain. Does any one
have any fixes to this problem?


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Raytheon Gift to Support Engineering Students
Gift Given During STEM Day Program on Campus
May 6, 2013
Greg Mikkelsen, left, and Laurie Haack of Raytheon Co. present a $104,000 gift to College of Engineering and Computer Science Dean Raman Unnikrishnan. Haack is a 1979 and 2006 alumna (B.A. computer science, M.S. software engineering) of the college.
On the same day as the May 2 Cal State Fullerton Showcase of STEM Student Talent, the College of Engineering and Computer Science received $104,000 gift from Raytheon Company to benefit future engineering students.
Half will fund a program pairing company engineers as mentors with students to design, build and test a working prototype for Raytheon's intelligent transportation systems technology patent. The balance will fund a program to promote women in engineering careers, scholarships and other endeavors to increase the number of students pursuing engineering professions.
To see more photos from the Showcase event, go to Flickr.


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TURIN, Italy -- Canada's best Winter Games, or the beginning of the downfall of a national icon?
Or both?
The XX Winter Olympics, starting here today, promise to be an intriguing combination of athleticism, patriotism and -- thanks to the emergence of the NHL gambling scandal -- potentially a whole new level of cynicism toward big-money professional sports.
As low-paid and largely anonymous athletes from sports like speed skating, curling and luge attempt to bring home the most glittering collection of medals in Canadian history, no less than Wayne Gretzky faces the tarnishing of his image as Canada's foremost hockey hero.
Whether or not Gretzky accompanies Team Canada to the Olympic tournament to fulfill his duties as executive director of men's hockey, the ongoing investigation could well attract as much attention as the team's quest for a second straight gold medal.
As for the other sports, well, they'll likely find themselves pushed even further to the background than usual upon the arrival of the NHLers Tuesday.
For now, at least, it's hockey and not figure skating that's embroiled in scandal.
And better them than us, says skating medal hopeful Jeff Buttle of Ontario.
"If we can make it through the Olympics without any scandals, we'll be alright," Buttle said yesterday.
Gretzky may be alright too, of course, if the investigation proves he knew nothing of the illegal operation allegedly financed by his Phoenix Coyotes assistant coach, Rick Tocchet.
If it proves his wife, Janet, did not place bets totalling some half a million dollars, as has also been alleged, The Great One may emerge unscathed, altogether.
Like the competition itself, we'll have to wait and see.
In addition to results sheets, we'll be keeping our eyes on the court dockets and police transcripts.
An athlete in Turin steps onto the podium, a suspect in the NHL steps into a prisoner's box.
One handed a medal, one read his rap sheet.
Keeping score should be fun, too.
Canada was shooting for an all-time high 25 medals here, while as many as a dozen NHL players have been reported to be illegally gambling.
Anybody know what the over-under is on both?
As high as the Olympic stakes are for the competitors, they're much higher for Tocchet and Co.
Puts a whole new spin on the thrill-of-victory-and-agony-of-defeat thing, doesn't it?
It also opens the debate about whether millionaire athletes whose dreams are of pro contracts and Stanley Cups should even be rubbing shoulders with those who hold tightly to the Olympic ideal.
"The argument could be made," Canadian men's curling rep Brad Gushue said, not committing, either way. "I'm pretty excited about the fact we could get a chance to meet Joe Sakic and Martin Brodeur and all those guys. Then again, these guys are making a lot of money and maybe wouldn't think as much about this event as an amateur athlete."
Gushue's right-hand man, New Brunswick's Russ Howard, has no trouble with NHLers playing in the Games -- now if they'd only stop stealing all the attention.
"It's not fair, because we've done as well in curling over the years as the hockey has," Howard said. "There's almost as many curlers in this country as hockey players. So it's always boggled my mind the coverage hockey gets."
It appears it will only get worse in Turin.
To borrow Howard's own catch-phrase, the spotlight on hockey is about to "hurry, hard!"
Let the Games begin.


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Gizmo Plush Toy GremlinsItem #: 21460
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Gizmo Plush Toy Gremlins
Do not feed after midnight
The film "Gremlins" is a cult horror comedy film from the 1980s. The film tells the story of a young man who receives a creature called a "mogwai" as a pet. Unfortunately he does not obey the three rules one must know when keeping a mogwai and trouble is inevitable as Gizmo multiplies and the mogwais turn into lots of ugly, very hungry monsters.
Here's your chance to get your own mogwai and to look after it carefully. Gizmo is made of soft plush. It is approx. 15 cm high and 20 cm wide. Hands, feet, ears and face are made of plastic. Little Gizmo can sit upright. Just don't forget that he must not be exposed to bright light nor must he get wet! For all Gremlins fans we also have the Gremlins Latex Mask and the Dancing Gremlin Gizmo with Sound in stock.
- Includes: 1 Gizmo Plush Toy
- Material: plush and plastic
- Size: approx. 15 cm high and 20 cm wide


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Apple today said it sold 3 million iPad tablets during the opening three-day weekend of sales of the Mini, the same number it boasted it had dealt out in March for the then-new full-sized iPad.
"We set a new launch weekend record and practically sold out of iPad Minis," said CEO Tim Cook in a statement Monday. "We're working hard to build more quickly to meet the incredible demand."
[ Check out InfoWorld's tablet deathmatch: iPad Mini vs. Nexus 7 vs. Kindle Fire HD. | See how today's business tablets compare. | Keep up on key mobile developments and insights with the Mobilize newsletter. | Understand how to both manage and benefit from the consumerization of IT with InfoWorld's "Consumerization Digital Spotlight" PDF special report. | Subscribe to InfoWorld's Consumerization of IT newsletter today, then join our #CoIT discussion group at LinkedIn. ]
Apple last Friday kicked off sales of the new iPad Mini, a 7.9-inch version of its iconic tablet, and the fourth-generation iPad, a refreshed model that sports a faster SoC, or "system on a chip," the company-designed A6X.
Apple did not break down sales for the iPad Mini and iPad, but claimed that the 3 million units were double that of sales of the Wi-Fi only third-generation 9.7-inch iPad in its first weekend eight months ago. In March, Apple sold both Wi-Fi and cellular devices from the get-go. Currently, only Wi-Fi models of the iPad Mini and next-generation iPad are available.
Apple will eventually offer iPad Mini and fourth-generation iPad tablets able to connect to mobile data networks. Previously, it had promised those would go on sale in mid-November -- which it still does on its online store -- but today the firm said the more expensive devices would be available "in a few weeks," perhaps hinting at a delay.
Although Apple did not separate iPad Mini from iPad sales, analysts were not shy from prognosticating. "We estimate that two-thirds, or 2 million plus, of the units [were] iPad Minis," said Brian Marshall of the ISI Group, in a note to clients today.
Brian White, an analyst with Topeka Capital Markets, said that his checks over the weekend at Apple retail stores around the country found about 60 percent of them completely sold out of the iPad Mini.
Not surprisingly, White found that the least-expensive 16GB iPad Mini, which sells for $329, was not available at any store. The $429 32GB and $529 64GB iPad Minis were out of stock at 90 percent and 75 percent of the stores, respectively.
"During our exit Survey in New York City, we found the 16GB iPad Mini was the most popular of the three models, accounting for 53 percent of respondents, followed by 26 percent for 32GB and 21 percent for 64GB," said White in an email to clients today. "One of the reasons that consumers are interested in the iPad Mini is [to get] a quality iPad experience but at a lower price point, which naturally drives the strongest demand for the 16GB Wi-Fi iPad mini."
Brisk sales and ensuing inventory shortages are not uncommon for just-introduced Apple products, but some experts have predicted that the iPad Mini will be in especially short supply through the end of the year because Apple brought a new display manufacturer, Taiwan's AU Optronics (AUO), on board. The iPad Mini sports a two-week backorder as of Monday; the fourth-generation iPad ships in three to five days after ordering.
Marshall forecast sales of 5 million iPad Mini tablets this quarter, while White predicted Apple would sell 30 million units of the diminutive tablet in Apple's fiscal year 2013, which started Sept. 30, 2012, and runs through late Sept. 2013.
Most analysts see the iPad Mini as Apple's answer -- albeit not a direct one -- to the smaller, cheaper tablets sold by Amazon and Google, and a prime component of its strategy to stymie rivals' sales.
White said there was evidence that Apple was, to some extent, doing just that. "In our exit survey, 48 percent of the respondents did not own a tablet previously, versus 52 percent that owned a tablet," said White on Monday. "Of those [who] owned a tablet, 68 percent owned an iPad and 32 percent used a non-iPad tablet. Apple appears to be tapping into new iPad customers with the lower-priced iPad Mini."
The iPad Mini is priced between $329 and $529 for the Wi-Fi model. The 3G/LTE-capable iPad Minis will be sold at prices from $459 to $659. In the U.S., the cellular models will be available for AT&T's, Sprint's and Verizon's networks.
Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and general technology breaking news for Computerworld. Follow Gregg on Twitter at @gkeizer, or subscribe to Gregg's RSS feed. His email address is firstname.lastname@example.com.
Read more about tablets in Computerworld's Tablets Topic Center.
This story, "iPad Mini, iPad sales crack 3 million over three days" was originally published by Computerworld.


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Global recovery needs more financial innovation
There will be a "creative role" for auditors in the recovery from the financial crisis, according to Yale professor Robert Shiller
Shiller told economia that auditors have to share the blame for the crash, but should not be seen as the ultimate source of the problem.
Shiller has called for more financial innovation to help the global recovery, not less, and says that the "anger towards the financial sector" must be channeled into positive energy.
"Corporate profits have increased a lot at the same time that people are losing their jobs and governments are worried about national debt," he said.
Shiller is Arthur M. Okun Professor of Economics at Yale, and author of a range of publications and books, including Finance and the Good Society.
Helen Roxburgh


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Maps and Directions
department of psychology
The Boston College main campus is located in the Chestnut Hill section of Newton, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston approximately six miles west of the city. The campus is easily accessible from downtown Boston via public transportation, as well as the surrounding communities of greater Boston.
McGuinn Hall, home to the Psychology Department, is situated on the southwest corner of the Chestnut Hill campus. It borders Beacon Street two buildings east from the intersection of Beacon Street with College Road and Hammond Street. It is easily accessible from the Beacon Street parking facility.
Links to Maps and Directions


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Management Training
Management training isn't just for newbies and novices – managers and supervisors of all levels and all ages need actionable management practices to bring to their department, division or company. Learn how to be the best boss you can be by expanding your management skills, managing change effectively and bring strong leadership into your everyday management practices.
One important way to judge your success as a manger is by the success of your employees. An effective manager isn't just a boss who can extract the most productivity from his people, but the one who produces great future managers. How can you be sure that under your leadership managers will blossom?
Start your management training program here with our articles, tools, self-tests, and training sessions…
In sharp contrast to optimistic forecasts that technology would rid your company of the "paper monster," computers seem to have exacerbated the problem. Now, you're sending, receiving and storing information electronically and printing copies—lots of copies. You may be able to live with the mess, but what will happen someday if you need to get your hands on one of those documents?
Lee Iacocca's book "Where have all the leaders gone?" came out in 2007, but his "Nine C's of Leadership," are more relevant today than ever. The former president of Ford and Chrysler warns leaders to tell the truth, even when painful. "When you spin, people stop listening."
A recent study says that 40% of managers are considered "bad bosses" by their employees. Yet most managers assume that their relationships with their employees are running smoothly. Obviously, some of those bosses are wrong … and that can create major problems for a business. Here are seven common employee complaints about management, plus ways managers can silence them.
Odds are your desk is a hub of organization. If that's the case, you're in the ideal position to create more value for your company by coaching others on ROO, or Return on Organization. Your task: Identify a few valuable tips, then share your expertise with others by offering a Lunch 'n' Learn on the topic, writing an article in the company newsletter or posting tips through e-mail.


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From Daniel Kirk: Yesterday in the Twitterverse the following quote was going around: The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays. It's alleged that this quote comes from Kierkegaard, though I haven't seen a reference appended to it anywhere. The first time I [Read More…]
Archives for Jun 9, 2011 @ 11:49
A Cop out — and I agree
Conflict or Not? (RJS)
Matt J. Rossano posted a column recently at the Huffington Post: The (Lack Of) Conflict Between Science and Religion in College Students. This was later reposted at BioLogos. Dr. Rossano is a professor of psychology at Southeastern Louisiana University specializing in evolutionary psychology, especially religion and science and the evolution of religion. He has published [Read More…]
God Behaving Badly 7
Is the God of the Old Testament rigid or is that God flexible? David Lamb, in his excellent book, God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist?, probes this question. Do you think God changes his mind? Does God change? [Like David Lamb, I have no intention here to [Read More…]


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Your destination for expert knowledge on popular car repairs.
Our encyclopedia was put together by our master mechanics, whose average experience is about 24 years.
By converting fuel into motion, the engine powers your vehicle. The key parts in an engine are spark plugs, valves, pistons, connecting rods, and the crankshaft.
Modern automotive braking systems combine leverage and multiplied hydraulic force to stop your vehicle. Once your foot presses the brake pedal, pressure is generated to slow or stop the vehicle.
The drivetrain is a system of components — the engine, transmission, driveshafts, geared differentials, and drive axles — working together to generate power and deliver it to the wheels.
Electrical & Lights
When you switch on the ignition, turn on the radio, or operate the wipers, your vehicle's electrical system provides the power. It is composed of the charging, starting, computer, ignition, and lighting systems.
Exhaust & Emissions
The exhaust and emissions systems reduce the amount of harmful gases produced by the engine and then safely route the remaining exhaust out of the vehicle.
Heating & AC
Using thermodynamics and computer technology, the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system helps keep the cabin temperature comfortable for occupants.


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A number of years ago, scientists and mathematicians did some experimentation with paint mixing and stirring. Upon pouring one color of paint into another of contrasting tone, then stirring, these scientists set out to see if they could determine if the stirring generated a chaotic or orderly progression.
And so we have today, as a result, The Mathematics of Chaos -- an outcome demonstrating that, there may not only not be such a phenomenon in the Cosmos as "chaos," but that all Cosmic phenomena are potentially, if not actually, rendered mathematical!
Are you here, Rich? (As I was writing this, I thought of you).
In teaching photographic basics, I have found that the two most difficult aspects for students to master, are composition and exposure. With digital cameras and LCD screens, exposure isn't the frustrator it one was -- take the picture -- see it on the LCD screen -- take lots of variations -- adjust, adjust -- no waiting for film to be developed and unwelcome surprises like under or over-exposed prints!
But solid composition is still king in terms of its importance, and still problematic for many. If you think about it, it does not require good color to create a good image; as proof of this, many viewers actually prefer black and white images over color.
Nature as a photographic subject can appear chaotic ... consider a forest interior, canopy or, a thicket ... particularly in the fall when colors abound, textures are more pronounced and light and shadow seem to dance with one another. At that time, finding order in apparent chaos can reward the photographer with images that make jaws drop.
Here are a few from this year's autumnal "chaos" and ... my search for the order within.
© A. Macarthur/All Rights Reserved Article & Images


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Please remember to follow the manual of style and code of conduct at all times.
Check BNN and Bulbanews for up-to-date Pokémon news and discuss it on the forums or in the Bulbagarden Discord server.
Check BNN and Bulbanews for up-to-date Pokémon news and discuss it on the forums or in the Bulbagarden Discord server.
Eterna Historical Museum
From Bulbapedia, the community-driven Pokémon encyclopedia.
(Redirected from Eterna Museum)
| Eterna Historical Museum
Hakutai Historical Museum
Eterna Historical Museum
|A Secret Sphere of Influence!
The Eterna Historical Museum (Japanese: ハクタイ歴史博物館 Hakutai Historical Museum) is an anime-exclusive building located in Eterna City in Sinnoh. It made its appearance in A Secret Sphere of Influence.
Among the many artifacts inside the museum are a scale model of the Space-Time Tower and the Adamant Orb, the latter of which Team Rocket tried to steal while under the direction of Team Galactic. The Adamant Orb is no longer under its possession, as it was stolen by Team Galactic while it was being taken to Celestic Town for research in Losing Its Lustrous! via a police plane.
Also inside the museum are the many Sinnoh myths and legends.
|This location-related article is a stub. You can help Bulbapedia by expanding it.
|This article is part of both Project Anime and Project Locations, Bulbapedia projects that, together, aim to write comprehensive articles on the Pokémon Anime and Locations, respectively.


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Four graduates from the BBC Tackling Skills project will be reporting on all the games throughout the week-long tournament, which will see 32 countries and over 250 people taking part.
Here is a report from England v Italy
England 0-3 Italy - by Sean McCann
After a tremendous shot to start the game by Gary Whiteside things just went downhill for England as the ref seemed to side with Italy through most of the match.
Even though England were wearing their 1966 style kit, it failed to bring them the same luck as it did the World Cup winning team.
An Italian defender was sent off for two minutes after taking down England captain Fernand Bass, then Bass himself was sent off when he slipped on the artificial surface whilst tackling an Italian.
Then Italy managed to score taking them 1-0 ahead, Jo Jo Maybin and Gary Whiteside were left to battle against a three-man Italian team.
They seemed to panic a bit, but managed to hold off the
Italian attacks and also created their own space to attack the Italians.
One after the other the two players sent off came back on and the England side seemed to be a bit more comfortable in their game.
Just before the half time whistle Jo Jo was sent off for two minutes for a shoulder barge which led to the Italian striker going off injured after an Oscar-winning fall to the ground, this stopped play while the pitch was being repaired.
After the start of the second half England were still only a three-man team but managing to stay on top of the Italians, then Romeo was subbed on for the returning Jo Jo.
But after a string of bad decisions from the Austrian ref things just went from bad to worse for England, even the might of Craig Phillips could not rectify the poor refereeing decisions.
A few last-minute shots from both teams lead to an Italian victory by 3-0.
On a more positive note the England team received word that they will be replaying their earlier game which they lost to the Ukraine after controversial decisions by the officials.


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Show off your shoulders and make them wonder what you're covering up. This dress is modest and yet will entice your Valentine this year!


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This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
Hair follicle morphogenesis depends on Wnt, Shh, Notch, BMP and other signaling pathways interplay between epithelial and mesenchymal cells. The Wnt pathway plays an essential role during hair follicle induction, Shh is involved in morphogenesis and late stage differentiation, Notch signaling determines stem cell fate while BMP is involved in cellular differentiation. The Wnt pathway is considered to be the master regulator during hair follicle morphogenesis. Wnt signaling proceeds through EDA/EDAR/NF-κB signaling. NF-κB regulates the Wnt pathway and acts as a signal mediator by upregulating the expression of Shh ligand. Signal crosstalk between epithelial and mesenchymal cells takes place mainly through primary cilia. Primary cilia formation is initiated with epithelial laminin-511 interaction with dermal β-1 integrin, which also upregulates expression of downstream effectors of Shh pathway in dermal lineage. PDGF signal transduction essential for crosstalk is mediated through epithelial PDGF-A and PDGFRα expressed on the primary cilia. Dermal Shh and PDGF signaling up-regulates dermal noggin expression; noggin is a potent inhibitor of BMP signaling which helps in counteracting BMP mediated β-catenin inhibition. This interplay of signaling between the epithelial and dermal lineage helps in epithelial Shh signal amplification. The dermal Wnt pathway helps in upregulation of epithelial Notch expression. Dysregulation of these pathways leads to certain abnormalities and in some cases even tumor outgrowth.
The hair follicle (HF) is considered a mini-organ formed with neuroectodermal-mesodermal interaction [
HF undergoes characteristic cyclic phases known as the hair cycle. The cycle includes anagen (growth phase), catagen (regression phase) and telogen (resting phase); exogen (release of the telogen club or hair shredding) does not occur at every cycle [
The stem cell microenvironment "niche" [
In adult HFs (
There is strong genetic evidence showing that progenitor cells at the bottom of the intestinal crypt accumulate nuclear β-catenin, a hallmark of active Wnt signaling [
During telogen bulge stem cells reside in a Wnt-restricted environment [
Wnt signaling is not the only signal transduction pathway that instructs stem cells. Notch signaling controls selective cell-fate determination in a variety of tissues [
BMPs are secreted signaling molecules that belong to the TGF-β superfamily and exert their biological activity via interaction with specific BMP receptors [
Although the mechanisms controlling the hair cycle are still unfolding, BMP signaling is likely to be involved. BMP signaling also plays a role in HF morphogenesis, postnatal regeneration and control of the HF cycle through regulation of hair matrix precursor cell proliferation and differentiation [
Sonic Hedgehog (Shh) signaling regulates proliferation and developmental patterning in many tissues, including the HF [
HF morphogenesis is classified into three main stages: induction, organogenesis and cytodifferentiation (
HF development is an orchestrated interaction between mesenchymal and epithelial cells mediated through the secretion of signaling molecules [
Stabilized dermal β-catenin activity is essential for expression and relaying signals to the overlying epithelium; the nature of this signaling is still elusive. β-catenin expression is sequentially activated starting first in upper dermis followed by epithelium of hair placodes [
Epithelial Wnt/β-catenin and EDA/EDAR/NF-κB signaling pathways play role in HF initiation and primary hair placodes maintenance. Wnt/β-catenin regulates expression of Eda [
Placode formation is followed by dermal fibroblasts condensation. Condensation is mediated by fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 20 [
HF initiation in placodes requires down regulation of keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) signaling. Receptors of these pathways are down regulated (EGFR and FGFR IIIb) while their ligands persist throughout the initiation. In the presence of their ligands HF formation is inhibited in a time and dose dependent manner. The main function of these pathways is to promote epidermal differentiation at the expense of HF fate [
Placode proliferation and dermal condensation occur concomitantly and massive keratinocyte proliferation marks the beginning of organogenesis. In order for HF induction to proceed, it is essential to antagonise the inhibitory effect of BMP. Dermal Noggin mediates inhibition of BMP and regulates HF epithelial induction through Lef1 [
HF morphogenesis stalls in the absence of TGF-β2 signaling and Snail expression (involved in expression of certain adhesion proteins) by blocking HF down growth. TGF-β2 signaling is essential for transient induction of transcription factor Snail and activation of Ras-mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway in the bud. Snail functions in regulating cell proliferation and cell adhesion. Therefore this pathway precisely governs epithelial proliferation, junctional remodeling and bud formation which helps in proper progression of hair morphogenesis [
HF differentiation is characterized by development of all the compartments of the HF. Various signaling molecules elicit their role in closely refining this process. IRS differentiation is regulated by the Gata3 and Cutl transcription factors [
Wnt signaling induces a positive effect on the Notch pathway while recent evidence has shown an antagonistic effect of Notch on Wnt signaling [
Hair shaft progenitor differentiation is under direct control of DP through Sox2 expression. BMP6 and Sostdc1 are direct transcriptional targets of Sox2. Sox2 leads to concomitant upregulation and downregulation of BMP6 and Sostdc1, respectively. Sostdc1 is a potent BMP inhibitor. BMP6 inhibits cell migration. Thus, Sox2 regulates hair growth by controlling progenitor cell migration through BMP-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal crosstalk [
BMP and BMPRIA have been implicated in HF differentiation [
Other factors controlling differentiation include the Dlx3 transcription factor that controls differentiation of IRS and hair shaft. Dlx3 is a direct target of Lef1 and upregulates expression of Hoxc13 and Gata3 transcription factors, potent regulators of hair shaft differentiation [
The process of HF regeneration involves BMP antagonism and subsequent activation of Wnt and other underlying pathways. The initial steps of regeneration involve crosstalk between quiescent epithelial stem cells and mesenchymal dermal papilla forming a repressive environment for BMP signals.
TGF-β2 is an important factor essential for regeneration as it activates the Smad2/3 pathway in HF stem cells, which is crucial for avoiding delayed regeneration.
Normally, the hair cycle undergoes three phases named anagen, telogen and catagen [
Nuclear factor 1 C (NF1C) is a key regulator in the transition from telogen to anagen phase in the hair cycle by inducing the expression of Shh, Wnt5a and Lef1. It also increases keratinocyte proliferation and initiates the induction of anagen by upregulating TGFβ1 and the inhibition of p21. The function of this transcription factor is required for postnatal tissue regeneration and adult progenitor cell proliferation [
During embryonic HF formation the RunX1 transcription factor regulates HF stem cells emergence and maintenance via modulation of bidirectional cross talk between nascent stem cells and their niche. Detailed analysis revealed embryonic mesenchymal RunX1 expression is essential for proper adult HF stem cell differentiation and long-term skin integrity. In its absence, HF stem cells differentiate into sebaceous glands [
miR-31 plays a significant role during HF growth and hair fiber formation by targeting a number of growth regulatory molecules and cytoskeletal proteins. Its expression increases during anagen and subsides during catagen and telogen phases. miR31 negatively regulates expression of
HF disorders can be classified mainly into three types: alopecia, hirsutism and hair shaft disorders. Alopecia is characterized by abnormal loss or thinning of hairs. A common disorder associated with HF includes androgenic alopecia caused due to hormonal imbalance. Alopecia, hirsutism (excessive hair growth in adult women) and hair shaft disorders are mainly caused not only by the malfunction of one or more signaling pathways but also by other factors such as autoimmune disorders, genetic predisposition, cancer and microbial infections.
Various forms of alopecia involve deviations from normal signaling pathways, for instance hypotrichosis simplex disease, which is an autosomal disorder characterized by miniaturization of HFs [
One key factor in non-androgenic male pattern baldness is Dickkopf1 (DKK-1), which promotes catagen. It is suggested that DKK-1 blocks Wnt signaling by preventing β-catenin activation and instead activating the pro-apoptotic protein Bax, inducing apoptosis in outer root sheath keratinocytes. Current research supports that DKK-1 causes anagen to catagen induction leading to pattern baldness, which is commonly shown by older male populations [
The main cause of male pattern baldness in response to hormones or androgenic alopecia is due to dihydrotesterone, which is produced by balding dermal papillae. Presence of dihydrotesterone in HF occurs either through the DP capillaries, as it is normally circulated in the blood, or by conversion of testosterone in balding DP cells. Presence of dihydrotesterone causes upregulation of IL-6 that in turn promotes the expression of the IL-6 receptor along with glycoprotein 130 in keratinocytes and matrix cells. The outcome of this IL-6-upregulated expression is inhibition of the hair shaft elongation with simultaneous suppression of matrix cells proliferation. Studies in this regard have shown that IL-6 expression induces anagen-catagen progression [
Shh pathway is known to play an important role in both embryonic hair development as well as in the normal cycling of adult HF, and implies in the induction of anagen phase accompanied by hair growth [
A few miRNAs have been implicated in male patterned baldness. Recent evidence has demonstrated upregulation of miR-221, miR-125b, miR-106a and miR-410 in balding papilla cells [
HF associated tumors are rare and often associated with hair germ, infundibulum, ORS and matrix or follicle mesenchyme. Generally HF tumors arise due to unrestrained signaling pathways. Examples of HF tumors include trichofolliculoma, trichoepithelioma, trichoblastoma, trichilemmoma, and trichomatricoma
Notch and BMP pathways are proliferation antagonists and suppress epithelial growth. Loss or mutation of these factors can facilitate tumor formation as evidenced from inhibition of BMP signaling in hair progenitor cells that leads to trichofolliculoma in humans [
The Wnt pathway, along with its downstream effector β-catenin, plays an important role in cell proliferation, epithelial architecture and cell polarity regulation. The stabilization of β-catenin is essential for HF development but its dysregulation leads to HF tumors, e.g., trichomatricoma [
The Wnt pathway effector β-catenin activates downstream target genes either independently or in synergy with other factors and response elements. One of these response elements, vitamin D, is essential for β-catenin induced hair differentiation without which β-catenin is unable to carry out its physiological effect. Recent evidence has shown that β-catenin and vitamin D response elements are highly upregulated in human trichofolliculomas [
Basal cell carcinoma is also linked with Shh pathway dysregulation. Evidence has strongly suggested an association between Shh and the insulin like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2) in the transformation of normal HF to basal cell carcinoma [
Some very intriguing mechanisms underlie tumor cell formation given that they are massively reprogrammed back to embryonic HF cell progenitors. The expression of β-catenin is highly upregulated followed by the expression of SmoM2 in adult epidermis; deletion of β-catenin prevents progenitor reprogramming and tumor formation [
BMP plays an essential role in controlling various developmental processes and acts as a potent tumor suppressor. Recent evidence has revealed a role of miRNA in antagonizing BMP effects. miR-21 negatively regulates BMP dependent tumor suppressor genes such as
The question is, where do the signals driving the tumors come from? What type of mutations occurs in genes and when do they happen? Are all the cells in a tumor involved in its growth equally? How are basic mechanisms of HF regeneration involved in tumorigenesis? What is the role of niche signaling in regulation of tumor growth? Can certain tumors be suppressed by turning off particular signaling pathways? Should different tumors be treated in different ways? Although there are many questions left unanswered in tumor biology, recent progress has refined knowledge concerning the role of signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis.
The insight gained from the signaling pathways involved in hair follicle morphogenesis will prove helpful in the research of hair follicle abnormalities arising from signaling dysregulation. Currently, only a few attempts to modify these pathways have been performed in the treatment of abnormalities such as alopecia. Although some promising drugs have emerged with the ability to target pathway effectors, providing some success in the treatment of hair follicle abnormalities, treatment attempts remain restricted due to the potential risk of carcinogenesis. Further, more in depth research is necessary to implement the knowledge acquired from these signaling pathways in stem cell based therapy.
This work was supported by the European Social Fund, the State budget of the Czech Republic Projects No. CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0022, and CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0061, and by the Program PRVOUK P37/06.
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Hair anatomy. The hair root comprises a hair follicle (HF), a hair bulb, and a dermal papilla (DP). The outer root sheath (ORS) is a direct continuation of the Malpighian layer of the epidermis. The bulge (B) is located at the insertion site of the arrector pili muscle (APM) into the ORS. The insertion of the sebaceous gland (SG) duct forms the anatomical interface between the infundibulum and isthmus. A dotted line separates an upper transient portion of the hair from a lower permanent portion. IRS, inner root sheath; m, matrix; HS, hair shaft.
Stages of hair follicle morphogenesis. HFs are formed by interaction between epithelium (keratinocytes) and underlying dermal fibroblasts. Comprehensive lists of signaling molecules (capitals) and transcription factors (italics) are provided for each stage. Signaling molecules and pathways indicated in black are either expressed or activated in keratinocytes while grey ones are associated with dermal fibroblasts.


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One Island, Many Voices
Conversations with Cuban-American Writers
Eduardo R. del Rio
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Cuban-American writers have been studied primarily within the context of Latino literature as a whole. Seeing a need to distinguish and define this unique literary perspective, Eduardo del Rio selected twelve important well-known authors and conducted interviews. He chose writers who were born in Cuba but have lived in the United States for a significant amount of time and whose works include themes he considers elemental to Cuban-American literature: identity, duality, memory, and exile. But rather than a cohesive, homogeneous group, these conversations unveiled a kaleidoscope of individuality, style, and motive. The authors' bonds to Cuba inform their creative work in vastly different ways, and attempts to categorize their similarities only highlight the range of character and experience within this assemblage of talented writers.
From playwright Dolores Prida to author and literary critic Gustavo Pérez Firmat, these voices run the gamut of both genre and personality. In addition to the essential facts of literary accomplishment, the interviews include a wealth of insight into each writer's history, motivations, concerns, and relationship to language. These personal details serve to humanize and illuminate the unique circumstances and realities that have shaped both the authors and their work.
What del Rio has ultimately brought together is a series of intimate sketches that will not only serve as an important reference for any discussion of the literature but will also help readers to develop for themselves a sense of what Cuban-American writing is, and what it is not.
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June 30, 2010
Mr. Chairman, Dr. Roe, and Members of the Subcommittee, good morning. Thank you for the opportunity to testify today. As General Counsel and the chief legal officer of the Department of Veterans Affairs, I am pleased to discuss the operation of the Office of General Counsel (OGC) as it supports the Secretary, senior leaders, and VA's dedicated employees in their daily service to our nation's Veterans.
The Office of General Counsel and Its Mission
The Office of General Counsel, as mandated by 38 U.S.C. § 311 and 38 C.F.R. §14.500, provides legal assistance to the Secretary concerning the programs and policies of the Department and is specifically responsible for litigation, interpretive legal advice, and other legal services required for program implementation.
OGC interprets all laws, regulations, and judicial precedents pertaining to the Department. We are responsible for the conduct of litigation—both independently and in coordination with the Justice Department—in state and federal courts. OGC also plays a large role in preparing VA's testimony for legislative hearings, analyzing pending legislation in Congress, and drafting legislative proposals initiated by VA.
OGC supports the strategic goals of the Department by providing accurate, timely, and effective legal advice and representation. OGC also assists in formulating policy and in providing legal advice and services to the Secretary and all VA components. OGC also trains VA employees to ensure compliance with applicable laws. Finally, the General Counsel serves as VA's regulatory policy officer and manager of its centralized regulatory management office.
Organizational Structure
The OGC is the Department's national law firm, operating not only from VA Central Office and but also from 22 Offices of Regional Counsel located throughout the United States. My focus as General Counsel has been to foster a unified national-law office culture. By emphasizing knowledge management, education & training, and intra-office collaboration, we can leverage the collective expertise of nearly 500 attorneys and 230 paralegals and support staff to ensure timely, accurate, consistent legal service to the Secretary and all elements of the Department.
OGC headquarters is organized into seven Professional Staff Groups (PSGs) and the Office of Regulations Policy and Management. Approximately 40 percent of OGC's 730 personnel comprise these offices, which specialize in providing legal advice and services related to the subject areas identified below:
Professional Staff Group I has responsibility for administrative claims and litigation under the Federal Tort Claims Act, and legal services regarding education programs for Veterans and dependents, VA's debt-collection activities under a number of statutes, vocational rehabilitation programs, and VA's loan guaranty program. This group is also responsible for administrative claims under the Military Personnel and Civilian Employees' Claims Act and for requests for representation made by VA employees to the Department of Justice.
Professional Staff Group II has overall responsibility for providing advice concerning VA's multi-billion-dollar programs of disability and death compensation and pension for Veterans and their survivors, and federal life-insurance programs for Servicemembers and Veterans. In addition, the group is responsible for all legal advice concerning the national cemetery system (except land acquisition, which is handled by PSG V) and various burial benefits administered by the Veterans Benefits Administration. The group is also responsible for reviewing proposed and final rules for all VA programs to ensure compliance with the Administrative Procedure Act, and other statutes and orders governing rulemaking.
Professional Staff Group III provides legal advice in the areas of health-care eligibility and benefits, medical administration, medical research, labor-management relations, human resources, crimes and police matters, VA-affiliated non-profit corporations, technology transfer and ethics. The Assistant General Counsel for PSG III is VA's designated agency ethics official, responsible for operating the Department's ethics program.
Professional Staff Group IV is primarily responsible for four legal practice areas—equal employment opportunity (EEO) law, information law, appropriations/fiscal law, and intellectual property law.
Professional Staff Group V is responsible for three major legal practice areas—government contracts, including procurement, bid protests, and contract litigation; real- and personal-property law; and environmental law.
Professional Staff Group VI is responsible for providing management and administrative support and services to OGC at VA central office and the 22 Offices of Regional Counsel nationwide. The Assistant General Counsel for PSG VI also serves as the principal advisor to the Deputy General Counsel and the General Counsel on matters relating to the delivery of legal services to client VA facilities in the field. The Assistant General Counsel, PSG VI, supervises the 22 Regional Counsels.
Professional Staff Group VII is responsible for representing the Secretary of Veterans Affairs before the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC). The decisions issued by the CAVC are often precedential in nature and carry the weight of law, which, in turn, potentially affects the administration of VA benefit programs and claim procedures.
Regulation Policy and Management: OGC also has a separate directorate, the Office of Regulation Policy and Management (02REG), which is responsible for centrally managing development and amendment of all VA regulations. This office supervises major regulation rewrite projects for the Department, including an ongoing project to reorganize and rewrite all of the compensation and pension regulations in part 3 of Title 38, Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). It also is responsible for implementing the federal government's e-rulemaking initiative and operating the Federal Docket Management System (FDMS) for the Department.
Offices of Regional Counsel personnel comprise the remaining 60 percent of OGC's FTE and provide legal services to the Department's field facilities in a broad spectrum of legal practice areas. Regional Counsel attorneys, and the paralegals and legal assistants supporting them, adjudicate tort claims, including claims of medical malpractice, represent the Department in administrative proceedings involving discrimination complaints and appeals from employee discipline, provide the full array of contract law services, advise and assist regarding the Department's research corporations and related issues, provide ethics training and review of confidential financial disclosure reports, provide preventive law training, prepare opinions and generally advise Department managers regarding a multitude of legal issues.
Management Reforms and Innovations
The Office of the General Counsel has undergone a number of significant organizational changes in the last 15 years. In 1995, OGC reduced the number of its field offices from 56 districts to 23 regions to combine areas of geographic responsibility to better serve our VA clients.
In 2003, OGC launched its own case and time management system, General Counsel Legal Automated Workload System (GCLAWS). Using GCLAWS, our practitioners create electronic case files, complete with file attachments for key documents and time entry information to document case management. GCLAWS also contains a robust report generation capability to assist OGC users, supervisors and OGC senior management in tracking cases, spotting trends, etc.
In 2008, OGC built the capability to provide contract legal support to VA's field activities to improve the quality of solicitations and contract awards. Each office of regional counsel now has at least two contract law attorneys. When used to their maximum advantage, the legal support begins before the solicitation and continues through the award, including any protest actions. OGC is also available to advise on contract-administration issues.
OGC implemented a robust client-survey program in 2003 and has used the feedback to deliver our clients the training, preventive-law guidance, and key information about what services we provide and who among us provides them.
We focused similar attention on our greatest resource, our employees. We conducted employee surveys in 2009 and again in 2010. We have provided training to our leaders to maximize use of the feedback to improve where needed and understand better why we are succeeding in other areas so we can sustain the success.
Strategic Outlook
Also in 2008, OGC published its first strategic plan. We built the plan to align our operations with those of our clients. We understand strategic planning is not a static event. Instead, it requires continual review and updating to ensure the plan aligns with changes in Departmental priorities.
As stated in the plan, OGC's mission is to provide expert, timely and effective legal advice and representation to the Department of Veterans Affairs. While we move to implement our defined mission, the following vision lights our path: to be the premier federal legal organization—unified, national and world class—composed of talented, dedicated professionals, working together to support the Department's mission of service to our nation's Veterans.
The OGC strategic plan lists our core values, the principles that guide our organization.
Honest—we will preserve our integrity and that of the Office of General Counsel in all of our dealings.
Ethical—our practice reflects the highest ethical standards in the legal profession. We demand the highest level of awareness of and compliance with all ethical standards applicable to the Department.
Mission First—Veterans have earned our gratitude and respect. We provide legal services that foster just and fair treatment of Veterans and their families through the faithful execution of the laws, regulations, and policies of the Department.
Professional—we are a highly-skilled, diverse and responsive national law office dedicated to providing timely legal service to the Department. We are responsible and answerable for our professional decisions and actions. We treat everyone with respect and dignity.
Proactive—we are committed to open communications with our associates, stakeholders and clients. To best serve our clients, we are committed to and encourage constructive and early engagement on a wide range of programmatic and legal issues. This can help resolve potential issues before they become legal problems, and result in a more comprehensive policy-formulation process within the Department.
Excellence—we strive to perform at the highest level of competence and to exceed the expectations of our clients and stakeholders. We seek to continuously improve our services and skills.
Transparent—we strive to improve service by making our organization, legal and business processes accessible to and understandable by our clients and stakeholders.
Stewardship—we exercise responsible stewardship of human, financial, and other resources, as well as data and information entrusted to us. We embrace innovative technology to maximize our effectiveness and resource management.
Earlier this year, we began the process of reviewing our strategic plan to ensure it remains relevant and aligned with the Department's operations, particularly given the focus on transformation articulated by both the President and Secretary Shinseki, and the creation of a new VA Strategic Plan.
The OGC Strategic Plan and our commitment to its many elements promote the concept of a unified national law firm. One key aspect of the Strategic Plan involves greater collaboration and sharing of information within OGC to improve the consistency of our legal guidance and the speed with which we deliver it. This fundamental concept drives many of our current initiatives including Geographic Cooperatives, Specialty Panels and regional training events for OGC personnel.
A stable workforce and timely and effective information technology support are critical to achieving our goal of a truly unified national law firm. Staffing is a paramount concern because over 90 percent of our budget involves payroll and related expenses. Similarly, access to information, current and historical, logically organized and easily retrievable, is critical to our national law firm goal.
Current Challenges
Meeting Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims (CAVC) Filing Deadlines
OGC attorneys represent the Secretary in all appeals taken to the CAVC. As the Subcommittee is aware, the number of cases filed in that court has been steadily growing over the past several years. OGC's ability to increase staffing has not always kept pace. Fortunately, the FY 2010 budget increase for our office has permitted us to catch up to this workload. The FY 2011 VA budget request for OGC would allow us to stand up another litigation team to deal with the expected further growth in new CAVC cases.
The CAVC is coming off a record-setting year in which it received 4,725 new cases and we are now filing approximately 2,000 pleadings per month. With the additional attorney and support staff we have been able to add in FY 2009 and 2010, our average caseloads per attorney are now down to 47 active cases. Experience has shown that when our average caseloads exceed 50, we have difficulty staying current.
This is a high priority for us and while we realize there will always be some circumstances beyond our control requiring extensions to file, our goal is to reduce these requests to the minimum necessary.
Supporting VA Acquisition Activities
A second major challenge is to address the evolving need for legal support in the acquisition process. The Department's history shows it was slow to realize the value that attorneys could bring to the procurement arena. Fortunately, OGC's role, as well as the contracting function itself, is being buttressed, and this is a focus of the Secretary's initiatives to modernize VA.
In the early 1990's, as now, VA was one of the largest procurement agencies in the Federal government. There were several hundred contracting locations and nearly 2000 contracting officials who annually awarded tens of thousands of contracts totaling several billion dollars in value. These contracts included construction, supply, service, information technology, resource sharing, and interagency agreements. Yet all of the legal support for contracting was provided by Professional Staff Group V, located in Washington D.C., along with three attorneys out-stationed at the National Acquisition Center, in Hines Ill. The VACO staff consisted then of fewer than 12 staff attorneys, and three supervisors.
The role of the attorneys in individual procurements was limited to reviewing certain high-dollar solicitations and other documents per the dictates of the Federal and VA Acquisition Regulations, litigating protests at the Government Accountability Office and claims at the Board of Contract Appeals, and providing advice when requested by the various contracting and program officials. There was no formal role for attorneys in the contract-formation process, including the selection of awardees, or in the contract-administration process. Moreover, existing VA attorney staff were unable to focus exclusively on contracting assistance as they also maintained responsibility for real-estate and environmental matters, regulation and policy reviews and various additional activities. In the mid-1990s and early 2000s, three more attorneys were assigned to support the Austin Automation Center and three attorneys were located at field locations to support construction and supply activities.
The Department reexamined its acquisition process in 2007 and decided to strengthen attorney support to VA procurement activity. In that year, OGC trained an attorney in each Office of Regional Counsel in contract law. In 2008, twenty five additional attorneys were assigned to each of those offices, allowing OGC to transfer responsibility for legal support for contracts awarded by field activities from PSG V to our 22 field offices. Four additional PSG V attorneys have been added to support the national contracting function performed in the Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction (OALC) headquarters office.
The Regional Counsel contract-law attorneys are each assigned expert PSG V mentor attorneys with whom to work. The expansion of the Regional Counsel attorney staff was particularly timely in view of VHA's subsequent consolidation of its local contracting actions first at the VISN level, and later at regional levels — consolidations OGC was well situated to support. In addition, in 2009, concurrent with the establishment of the Technology Acquisition Center in Eatontown, NJ, OGC's PSG V established a new section to provide dedicated legal support to VA's information technology acquisition function. This staff consists of 14 attorneys, ten in Eatontown, NJ and four in Austin, Texas, and an on-site supervisory attorney at Eatontown.
The growth of our procurement-attorney corps has permitted an expanded role for them in the acquisition process. OALC requires Contract Review Boards (CRB) in all high-dollar procurements and utilizes Integrated Product Teams (IPT) to prepare and conduct many of those acquisitions. Those innovations greatly increase the demand for legal support. For example, CRBs provide a legal review of the entire procurement process for an acquisition prior to the award decision being made, an excellent means for identifying potential flaws. Even at the earlier stages of an acquisition, there is an increased demand to use IPTs to develop VA's requirements, with legal counsel participating in the development of acquisition strategy and the creation of the solicitation, evaluation criteria, and statement of work. We are glad to have become full and active partners in VA acquisition activities.
OGC continually explores ways to improve its operations, and is implementing key measures every day. These include increasing focus on attorney development and coordination, and leveraging technology so attorneys can more effectively communicate through a number of means, as and when needed. We also have implemented a new SharePoint Website, which enables each OGC attorney to stay "patched in" on the latest developments within each OGC Professional Staff Group and Regional Counsel Office. The SharePoint Site also contains a search vehicle that enables attorneys to seek and retrieve past legal opinions and memos. We also have enhanced OGC's regional and national training programs, and instituted a new OGC leadership development program to ensure OGC is poised to retain its best and brightest.
OGC is pointed in the right direction and working hard. As the Department moves forward to centralize aspects of its procurement activities, our office will position itself to provide the best possible legal services.
That concludes my opening statement and I ask that it be entered into the record.
Mr. Chairman, I look forward to whatever questions you and other Members may have.
House Committees | Senate Committees | Find my Representative | Find my Senator
Veterans and their family members who wish to contact the Department regarding a claim, benefits, or services, may call VA Toll-Free at 1 (800) 827-1000 or 1 (800) 829-4833 [TDD], or Contact the VA via the web.
VA Home | Privacy | FOIA | Regulations | Web Policies | No FEAR Act | Site Index | USA.gov | White House | National Resource Directory | Inspector General
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs - 810 Vermont Avenue, NW - Washington, DC 20420
Reviewed/Updated Date: August 18, 2010


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You have a great idea for a business. Now you must determine how much money and time it will take to get you business off the ground. You must calculate your projected revenue and profit. Before you can begin earning profit, you must determine what your startup costs will be. Step one is determining the funds necessary to get started and securing those funds. The type of business you open will determine the amount of money you will need to open. However, as a rule you should count on having six months worth of money on hand to cover your expenses.
1. Determine what your startup costs are. Startup costs are the expenses that are incurred prior to opening. For example, startup cost may include legal work, logo design, brochures, site selection and building improvements. Compare startup costs with your startup assets. This includes your cash, starting inventory and equipment. Secure startup financing if there is a gap between startup costs and startup assets. Startup financing includes cash and material infusions from investors or loans.
2. Establish your list of needs and tasks that have to be completed before your business can open. Get quotes on the products and services your business will be requiring. Add all of these figures together. Calculate the post-startup needs. This category includes all of the expenses that you will incur until your business starts supporting itself. There are six key categories: cost of sales, professional fees, technology costs, administrative costs and wages. The cost-of-sales professional fees and technology fees have already been calculated. Now add the cost of administrative support and wages for up to three months after the opening day of your business. Six months is highly recommended. Once your business does begin operating, it likely will take a significant amount of time until the business is self-sustaining. Having enough money to set up an office, take orders, hire employees and cover the basics will be mandatory.
3. Calculate your projected revenue. Determine what price you can sell your product or service for. Conservatively estimate how many you can sell per day -- it is important that this theoretically plausible assumption. For example, if the hot dog vendor across the street sells 100 hot dogs per day, it would be unreasonable to project sales of 1,000 hot dogs per day on your side of the street. Determine what the best-case scenario is and calculate your sales to be a percentage of that figure. Professionals in this line of work generally use approximately 33 percent of the best-case scenario.
4. Analyze your startup and operating costs. Compare these costs to the projected gains from your revenue generation formula, or 33 percent of the best-case scenario. If your business can survive and grow from these figures, push ahead. If your figures are not possible, look at your expenses and estimated revenues and start again. This time try to reduce startup and operating costs. You may also find a better location to sell your product or service.
- Be conservative when estimating your startup costs. Determine what are true needs and what are not.
- Be careful to fairly calculate all labor costs and add a cushion to your figure.
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Brancato, M. S. and Bowlby, C. E. and Hyland, J. and Intelmann, S. S. and Brenkman, K. (2007) Observations of deep coral and sponge assemblages in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Washington. Cruise Report: NOAA Ship McArthur II Cruise AR06-07/07. Silver Spring, MD, NOAA/National Ocean Service/National Marine Sancturary Program, (Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series, NMSP-0)
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From May 22 to June 4, 2006, NOAA scientists led a research cruise using the ROPOS Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) to conduct a series of dives at targeted sites in the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) with the goal of documenting deep coral and sponge communities. Dive sites were selected from areas for which OCNMS had side scan sonar data indicating the presence of hard or complex substrate. The team completed 11 dives in sanctuary waters ranging from six to 52 hours in length, at depths ranging from 100 to 650 meters. Transect surveys were completed at 15 pre-selected sites, with additional observations made at five other sites. The survey locations included sites both inside and outside the Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) Conservation Area, known as Olympic 2, established by the Pacific Fishery Management Council, enacted on June 12, 2006. Bottom trawling is prohibited in the Olympic 2 Conservation Area for nontribal fishermen. The Conservation Area covers 159.4 square nautical miles or about 15 percent of the sanctuary. Several species of corals and sponges were documented at 14 of the 15 sites surveyed, at sites both inside and outside the Conservation Area, including numerous gorgonians and the stony corals Lophelia pertusa and Desmophyllum dianthus, as well as small patches of the reef building sponge Farrea occa. The team also documented Lophelia sp. and Desmophyllum sp. coral rubble, dead gorgonians, lost fishing gear, and other anthropogenic debris, supporting concerns over potential risks of environmental disturbances to coral health. (PDF contains 60 pages.)
|Item Type:
|Monograph or Serial Issue
|Observations of deep coral and sponge assemblages in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Washington. Cruise Report: NOAA Ship McArthur II Cruise AR06-07/07
|Personal Creator/Author:
|Series Name:
|Marine Sanctuaries Conservation Series
|NOAA/National Ocean Service/National Marine Sancturary Program
|Place of Publication:
|Silver Spring, MD
|Issuing Agency:
|United States National Ocean Service
|Uncontrolled Keywords:
|Deep coral and sponges; Marine sanctuary; ROV; Rockfish; Side scan sonar; Lophelia; Gorgonians; Coral distribution; EFH; Olympic 2 Conservation Area; Seafloor disturbance
|Item ID:
|Depositing User:
|Patti M. Marraro
|Date Deposited:
|19 Jun 2009 00:01
|Last Modified:
|29 Sep 2011 19:20
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The sponsors and organizers of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) are voluntary associations that are of course entitled to advocate conservative causes as they see fit, including by controlling who is and who is not invited to participate in the conference. But as friends of CPAC and fellow conservative advocates, we nevertheless regret that CPAC has excluded the gay conservative group GOProud and declined to invite New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
National Review on CPAC's Empty Chairs
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