text:
With over 100,000 copies in print, Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day has proven that people want to bake their own bread provided they can do it easily and quickly. Knowing that people are changing the way they eat and bake because of health concerns or lifestyle choices, the authors took their established method and applied it to breads rich in whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. That is where Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day comes in. Health-conscious bread eaters need homemade options more than anyone else. They want delicious bread, but they can't find the healthy ingredients they'd like to use in traditional bakeries, or in traditional recipes. Whether you are looking for more whole grains, whether you're vegan, gluten-free, training for a triathlon, trying to reduced your cholesterol, or just care about what goes into your body, this book delivers. For all who discovered artisan bread through the first book and for health-conscious breadlovers everywhere, this book is a must-have. Includes Recipes for:
· Whole Grain Pizza with Roasted Red Peppers and Fontina · Turkish-Style Pita Bread with Black Sesame Seeds · Cherry Tomato Baguette · Gluten-Free Rosemary Parmesan Bread Sticks · Spicy Chile Whole Grain Snack Crackers · Quinoa Bread · Pistachio Swirled Brioche
"synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
JEFF HERTZBERG is a physician with 20 years of experience as a practitioner, consultant, and faculty member at the University of Minnesota Medical School. His interests in baking and preventive health sparked a quest to adapt the techniques of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day for healthier ingredients. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife and two daughters.
ZOË FRANÇOIS studied baking and pastry at the Culinary Institute of America. She teaches classes nationally and shares her pastry expertise on www.zoebakes.com. She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The authors answer bread questions at www.healthybreadinfive.com.Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:
We love food, and we love bread best of all. It was our bread obsession that brought us together for a cookbook in the first place. Our first book (Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day: The Discovery That Revolutionizes Home Baking) created an unlikely team: a doctor and a pastry chef. But it turned out to be a great combination. One review of our book called us "the Chemist and the Alchemist," though on any given day we reverse roles at will. Our partnership worked because amateurs found the result extraordinarily easy, yet aficionados found it utterly delicious. In writing that book, we wanted to discard everything that was intimidating and make the pro cess fast enough to fit into people's busy lives. Artisan Bread replaced the time- consuming traditional yeast bread method with something quicker, without compromising quality. This technique calls for mixing large batches of dough in advance, storing them in the refrigerator, and then tearing off dough for loaves as needed over two weeks. Quite a lot of people tried it, and our book became part of a home- baked bread revolution.
Along the way, we started our blog at www .artisanbreadinfive .com, so that we could be in touch with readers who had questions or comments. It became a place to share new information that we'd learned. It's been great fun— people have even written poems to us about their bread. We've heard emotional stories about entire families making bread together: grandmas making pizza with their grandkids, and siblings baking long- distance (some even across oceans). Our blog space is a forum for feedback and requests, and the most common ones have been for breads with more whole grains, seeds, nuts, and even for gluten- free breads. The requests came from as far away as Europe, Asia, and Australia. It seems that the world is becoming a healthier place. People were asking for whole grain breads that they could bake themselves, but they still wanted the same five- minute method. So the idea for our second book came from our readers. Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day became our next logical step for making breads and even desserts part of a healthy diet.
We both eat some sugar, white flour, and butter. In other words, we're not health-food fanatics. But that's not to say we aren't health- conscious. We both exercise, and ultimately we watch what we eat. We wrote our first book with the goal of getting people back into their kitchens to bake really great bread, with recipes mostly inspired by the Europe an tradition. That meant lots of white flour. We ate it in moderation while we tested the book, and believe it or not, despite the much- maligned reputation of carbohydrates, we didn't gain weight. We were both pleasantly surprised. Bread and desserts can be part of a healthy lifestyle, so long as you eat them in moderation.
Whether you are looking for more whole grains, whether you're vegan, gluten- free, watching your weight, trying to reduce your cholesterol, or just care about what goes into your body, Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day has recipes for you. We all want to be healthy, and now we can do it without sacrificing flavor or precious time. It's obvious why this would make sense for Jeff (the doctor). His background in health care and preventive medicine leads him to alternatives that are lower in calories, with healthier fats and higher fiber. Then, there's his passion for bread baking, which led to the discovery we wrote about in our first book, making artisan breads quickly and easily. Not everyone needs to make their brioche without butter, but if doing so means that someone who can't eat butter can enjoy fabulous brioche, then by all means let's do it, and do it right.
That's where Zoë (the pastry chef), comes into the picture. She grew up the daughter of hippies and cut her teeth on the ultra- healthy bread served at the Vermont commune where she was raised. In her twenties Zoë was a vegetarian; she didn't eat refined sugar and headed off to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) to follow her passion, pastry. Her goal: bake without refined sugar, but create ethereal pastries that didn't weigh a ton and taste like sweetened tree bark. But while studying at the CIA, Zoë was tempted by the miracles of sugar, bleached flour, heavenly butter, and all of the other ingredients she had once shunned. She was being seduced away from the whole grains, fruit sweeteners, and carob that had been the staples of her counterculture childhood. Years later, Zoë would figure out a way to have it all: great-tasting but healthy pastries, desserts, and of course, breads.
So we both were drawn to write a new book that combines superfast bread with healthy ingredients. Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day is about taking the speedy methods of Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day and adapting them for breads made with less white flour (sometimes none), lower refined sugars, and healthier ingredients. We're not going to claim that eating these breads is the key to a longer life. But we can show bread eaters who want to use more nutritious ingredients how to get results as delicious and fast as those they achieved with our first book. So Healthy Bread in Five Minutes a Day will not be 250 pages of preaching and scolding about health and diet; neither of us has the patience for that.
We'll use the same wet, stored- dough method and we won't make anyone knead. But as you'll see, we're switching to healthier alternatives: whole grains, canola and olive oils, nuts, seeds, natural sweeteners, and in some cases, gluten- free ingredients. Where white flour (or butter) is required, we've tried to decrease the total amount that goes into the recipe. And we kept active daily preparation time to five minutes for the basic recipes. We assume that this newfound interest in health hasn't been accompanied by a newfound wealth of free time! A doctor and a pastry chef turn out to be a great match to create recipes that are not only good for you but that also taste fantastic. So now healthy eaters can have their bread (or pastry) and eat it, too!
As you read through the book, please visit our Web site ( www .healthybreadinfive .com), where you'll find instructional text, photographs, videos, and a community of other five- minute-a-day bakers. Another easy way to keep in touch is to follow us on the social networking site "Twitter," at http://twitter.com/ArtisanBreadIn5.
Happy baking, and enjoy all the bread!
Why Eat Healthy Bread: A Wee Bit of Science
Being alive takes energy, and that energy comes from burning carbohydrate fuels with oxygen in our bodies (that's called oxidation). Even though oxidation is perfectly natural and healthy, it releases some nasty chemicals. So does exposure to sunlight, chemicals, pollutants, and radiation. All that oxidation and energy can create what biochemists call "superoxide radicals," which we've heard of as "free radicals," high- energy chemicals that can do damage to our cells. Free- radical damage has a role in a host of chronic diseases, including cancer, hardening of the arteries, heart disease, stroke, and arthritis. The good news: Our bodies get help in getting rid of free radicals from phytochemicals (beneficial plant chemicals) and vitamins in our food, both natural substances with powerful health benefits. They act as potent antioxidants, chemicals that absorb damaging energy from free radicals. Phytochemicals with antioxidant activity tend to be richly colored: green, yellow, blue, and red. Some of the most colorful fruits and vegetables have the largest stores of phytochemicals. As you work through chapter 7, Breads with Hidden Fruits and Vegetables, you'll feast your eyes on a stunning and colorful palette of breads. Substances like phytochemicals are the reason that the U.S. government recommends that you eat nine or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. These breads will help you do it.
Vitamins are essential helpers for the body's normal chemical functions (metabolism), allowing the chemical reactions we depend upon to take place. Lack of vitamins cause some of the world's most devastating but curable deficiency diseases, which have pretty much disappeared in the industrialized world. But deficiency diseases are the tip of the iceberg— many vitamins don't just act as metabolic catalysts, they're also antioxidants. This is especially clear for vitamin E. There is strong evidence that normal levels of vitamin E prevent heart, blood, muscle, and eye problems. Vitamin E is found in wheat germ (from whole grain wheat), vegetable oils, seeds, and nuts. Vitamin C, another powerful antioxidant, works in concert with vitamin E. Throughout the book, we'll jump in with sidebars about the vitamins— vitamin A, the eight B vitamins (see Appendix, page 307), plus vitamins C, D, E, and K (please do not ask us why there is no vitamin F, G, H, or I!). Most nutritionists agree that vitamin requirements are best met through a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, rather than by taking vitamin supplements. That's not to say supplements aren't ever helpful; they certainly can be when daily requirements aren't being met through food intake. But the vitamins that occur naturally in food are better because they're more easily absorbed through digestion than supplements are, probably resulting in higher levels of vitamins and antioxidants in our bloodstream and tissues. This book will help you put more of those natural vitamins and antioxidants into your family's diet.
EAT YOUR CRUSTS! There's evidence that the browning pro cess that occurs when you bake bread creates additional antioxidants. So bread crust is healthy in addition to being delicious.
There are a lot of wild nutrition claims out there, and we've steered clear of them in this book— we do not believe that there is a magic bullet to promote health or cure disease with particular food sources or supplements. But there are some scientifically based statements that will probably stand the test of time:
1. Whole grain flour is better for you than white flour. Because whole grains include the germ and the bran, in addition to the starch- rich but fiber- and vitamin- poor en dosperm (see chapter 2, Ingredients, page 7), whole grain flours bring a boatload of healthy substances into your diet, including phytochemicals (beneficial plant chemi cals), vitamins, and fiber. Those are pretty much absent from white flour. Iron, niacin, folic acid, riboflavin, and thiamine are added back in enriched commercial white flour, but no other nutrients— so whole wheat delivers more complete nutrition than white flour even when it's been enriched. But there's more— because bran and germ in whole grains dilute the effect of pure starch in the endosperm, the absorption and conversion of starches into simple sugars is slowed, so blood glucose (the simplest sugar) rises more slowly after consumption of whole grains than it does after eating refined white flour products. Complex, high- bran carbohydrates are said to have a lower "glycemic index," a measure of how fast your blood sugar rises after eating a particular food. The evidence for better handling of blood sugar convinced the American Diabetes Association (ADA) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to make two recommendations in their current guidelines:
• Consume a high- fiber diet, with at least 14 grams of dietary fiber per 1,000 calories consumed. For most people, that's going to mean 28 to 40 grams a day (depending on body size at normal weight).
• Make sure that at least half of your grain intake iswhole grain. The recipes in this book will help you meet that goal.
2. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated oils are better for you than saturated fats (like butter and hydrogenated oil). See our ingredients list for a more complete discussion (page 18). Switching to these oils or other heart-healthy fat sources can benefit those with high blood cholesterol.
3. Low- salt breads will benefit people with hypertension, heart failure, and kidney failure. This applies to all our breads— they all can be made salt-free, though the flavor will of course be different.
4. Nuts and seeds contain heart-healthy oils. Though they're concentrated calorie sources, nuts and seeds are rich in vitamins, minerals, and heart-healthy fats (monoun-saturated and omega- 3 polyunsaturated fats).
5. Fruits and vegetables are the best sources for phytochemicals and vitamins. We have a whole chapter of breads enriched by fruits or vegetables, which are fiber- rich and loaded with vitamins and antioxidants. We'll discuss the unique benefits of the particular fruit or vegetable in sidebars next to the recipes.
And finally, a word of advice: Please don't obsess about food. This is supposed to be fun. If you can put some healthy ingredients into your bread and you like the flavor, do it. Otherwise, eat something else.*
Making Your Own Great Bread Saves You Money
When the economy goes into a tizzy (and even when it doesn't) you have to wonder why anyone is willing to pay $6.00 for a loaf of bread in specialty bakeries. If you buy your bread in a supermarket, you'll still pay $3.00 a loaf. Making your own bread, on the other hand, is very, very economical. Even when whole wheat flour is 70 cents a pound (right at this moment in some of the stores near us), an entire batch of whole wheat bread uses a little more than two pounds of flour, costing about $1.40. It's a few pennies more for yeast and salt, and you get four 1- pound loaves that cost about 40 cents each.
An added benefit: The world's most heavenly source of home heating this winter will be your oven, cranking out the aroma of freshly baked bread.
*But we really, really like bread.
Excerpted from Healthy bread in five minutes a day by Jeff Hertzberg, Zoë François.
Copyright © 2009 by Zoë François.
Published in November 2009 by St. Martin's Press.
All rights reserved. This work is protected under copyright laws and reproduction is strictly prohibited. Permission to reproduce the material in any manner or medium must be secured from the Publisher.
"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Book Description Thomas Dunne Books, 2009. Hardcover. Book Condition: New. HARDCOVER, BRAND NEW, Perfect Shape, No Remainder Mark,Fast Shipping With Online Tracking, International Orders shipped Global Priority Air Mail, All orders handled with care and shipped promptly in secure packaging, we ship Mon-Sat and send shipment confirmation emails. Our customer service is friendly, we answer emails fast, accept returns and work hard to deliver 100% Customer Satisfaction!. Bookseller Inventory # 9041959
More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question
Book Description Book Condition: New. Depending on your location, this item may ship from the US or UK. Bookseller Inventory # 97803125455290000000
More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question
Book Description Thomas Dunne Books 2009-01-01, 2009. Hardcover. Book Condition: New. Hardcover. Publisher overstock, may contain remainder mark on edge. Bookseller Inventory # 9780312545529B
More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question
Book Description MacMillan Publishers. Book Condition: New. Brand New. Bookseller Inventory # 0312545525
More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question
Book Description Thomas Dunne Books. Hardcover. Book Condition: New. 0312545525 *BRAND NEW* Ships Same Day or Next!. Bookseller Inventory # NATARAJB1FI836342
More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question
Book Description Hardcover. Book Condition: BRAND NEW. BRAND NEW. Fast Shipping. Prompt Customer Service. Satisfaction guaranteed. Bookseller Inventory # 0312545525BNA
More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question
Book Description 2009. HRD. Book Condition: New. New Book.Shipped from US within 10 to 14 business days. Established seller since 2000. Bookseller Inventory # IB-9780312545529
More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question
Book Description Thomas Dunne Books, 2009. Hardcover. Book Condition: New. Bookseller Inventory # 0312545525
More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question
Book Description Thomas Dunne Books, 2009. Hardcover. Book Condition: New. 1. Bookseller Inventory # DADAX0312545525
More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question
Book Description Thomas Dunne Books. Hardcover. Book Condition: New. 0312545525 BRAND NEW, GIFT QUALITY! NOT OVERSTOCKS OR MARKED UP REMAINDERS! DIRECT FROM THE PUBLISHER!|1.9. Bookseller Inventory # OTF-Y-9780312545529
More Information About This Seller | Ask Bookseller a Question


text:
Luxury Tours and Travel presents the Singapore Tripper Pass
By: azfar on 27 Aug 2013
Luxury Tours and Travel presents the Singapore Tripper Pass
Heading to Singapore for your vacation? Want a hassle-free easy access to popular attractions? Get The Singapore Tripper Pass, a revolutionary tap & go card for an Ultimate Singapore Experience
Available for 2 days or 3 days only
• 2 Day Pass:
o Adult: SGD 279
o Child: SGD 229
• 3 Day Pass:
o Adult: SGD 379
o Child: SGD 329
Local Attractions
• Universal Studios Singapore
Photo taken from Concorde Hotel Resorts
Packed with attractions specially designed for Resorts World Sentosa, visitors to Universal Studios Singapore will be the first to experience many new rides and shows based on the blockbuster hits! Universal Studios Singapore boasts a collection of world-class attractions such as Far Far Away Castle from the world Shrek, Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure and Revenge of the Mummy.
Come Ride the Movies at Universal Studios Singapore!
• Sentosa Tranquility
• Cable Car | 4D Adventureland | Butterfly Park
• S.E.A Aquarium | Luge and Skyride | Sky Tower
• Images of Singapore | Taste of Asia | Songs of the Sea
©Photo courtesy of Luxury Tours and Travels
Let loose and unwind starting by descend on Sentosa via Cable Car. Step into S.E.A Aquarium and immerse yourself in a magical marine world seen through the largest window to the ocean. Next we enter the world of butterflies and insects and lookout for 3,000 species of the world's most attractive and rare insects at the Butterfly Park and Insect Kingdom. Visit the Images of Singapore in Sentosa, a museum that will take you back in time and learn about the transformation of Singapore from a small fishing village to a vibrant multicultural society. Experience the visuals, sounds and environmental effects at 4D Magix, an experience not to be missed. Next up, is The Sky Tower! Standing at a height of 131 metres, the spinning ride will allow you to enjoy the breathtaking 360 degrees view of the island. Skid down the hills with the Luge, which is part go-cart and part toboggan and be overwhelmed by the pure excitement. Next we will watch the Songs of the Sea, a dazzling display of laser lights and fireworks. Finally, to top it off, we end the adventurous day with a Skyride in the coolness of the night.
• Singapore City Experience
• Merlion Park | Chinatown | Mount Faber
• Jewellery Factory | China Square
©Photo courtesy of Luxury Tours and Travels
Want to experience Singapore but unsure where to go? Join the Singapore City Experience Tour!
We begin our journey from Orchard Road where we drive pass the Istana and around Suntec City to see the Fountain of Wealth before continuing towards the Padang area, followed by a stop at the Merlion Park where you can take beautiful pictures with the Singapore icon. Other prominent attractions in that area include the picturesque Fullerton Hotel, the Esplanade, the Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands and the Helix Bridge. Catch a glimpse of Little India as we drive through the area known for spices before proceeding to Chinatown where the famous Thian Hock Kheng Temple can be seen. We then proceed to Jewel Box, Singapore's iconic hilltop destination up on Mount Faber and catch an enthralling and fascinating view of the city skyline and its surrounding islands. Our journey continues with a visit to the Jewellery-Wholesale factory before ending our tour at China Square
• Singapore Zoo
©Photo courtesy of Luxury Tours and Travels
The Singapore Zoo is home to more than 2,800 animals representing 300 species of mammals, birds and reptiles. Not only are the animal habitats incorporated with special viewing features to enable us to view them safely from a fascinating perspective, you are also able to view them in environments that simulates their respective habitats in the wild. Also, there are daily animal shows, for all age groups, that makes you marvel at the incredible beauty and abilities of our animals and appreciate the special bond between them and their trainers. If you are bringing your kids along, visit the Rainforest Kidzworld where these kids could satisfy their curiosity, learning through self discovery, and simply play like they don't have a care in the world. Whether you are young or old, The Singapore Zoo is sure to give a you and you family a wonderful time to discover and experience amazing wildlife up-close and personal, whether on foot or on guided trams.
• Night Safari
©Photo taken from Luxury Travels and Tours
Come and visit the world's first Night Safari, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Singapore. As the sun sets, a different world comes to life. At the Night Safari, you can look a rhinoceros in the eye, hear the howls of a pack of striped hyenas or watch giraffes glide serenely across the plain in the still of the night. With over 2,500 animals in eight zones recreated to simulate geographic zones like the Southeast Asian rainforest, African Savannah, Nepalese river valley, South American pampas and the Burmese Jungle. Strike out on your own along the walking trail or relax in a tram ride - whichever you choose, Night Safari is a wild adventure not to be missed
• Jurong Bird Park
Jurong Bird Park, Singapore
Uploaded by Richard Tulloch on March 19, 2010
© All rights reserved
Uploaded by Richard Tulloch on March 19, 2010
© All rights reserved
Considered a bird watchers paradise, Jurong Bird Park is currently the world's largest bird park in terms of number of birds with 5,000 birds of 380 species. The park's exhibits aviaries that simulate the natural habitats for different species. With the world's largest walk-in aviary where the tallest man-made waterfall is found and a wide arrays of shows and attractions, you'll be swept off your feet in our colourful paradise of unforgettable experiences and personal encounters with our feathered friends. We look forward to welcoming you soon!!
Additional benefits
• Receive souvenirs to bring back home when you return the card after usage
So what are you waiting for? With all these attractions packed into one card and at a very reasonable price, you can enjoy and experience Singapore with a single tap. Guaranteed to give a memorable experience for all ages. So hurry and grab the Singapore Tripper Pass!!!
You must be logged in to add a tip

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Parc Verger, 6 Le Poteau, 87150 Champagnac-La-Rivière, Limousin, France. SIRET 812 738 102 00019
The luxury camping park for RVs, Motorhomes, Caravans, Tents and Mobile Homes in the Limousin
WELCOME to the Camping Parc Verger Web site........ HOT NEWS Parc Verger has now been inspected and accepted by ACSI .......Parc Verger now has a shop on site selling wines, Beers, Groceries, chilled and frozen food and every day essentials..........We have Mobile Homes to Rent with a Special Offer Price from
per week......Our new wetroom for our Disabled guests is fully operational......
Simply move your mouse slowly over the above symbols to discover the facilities which we can offer you
Created by
Flash Slideshow Maker
We are English owned and open 365 days of the year, our normal opening hours are:
Winter 7.30 – 19.30, Spring and Autumn 7.30 - Sunset, Summer 7.30 – 22.00
Parc Verger welcomes disabled visitors.
Credit/debit cards accepted
Rural-Camping France
With thanks to
for our background graphics
If you have difficulty reading the text on this page or throughout the site - simply press ctrl and + on your keybo


text:
Volume 6
Issue 2
June 1999
a publication of the
In this Issue
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the Base System
Team Leaders Role in Performance Management
The Evaluation Report - No Attachment!
Performance Plan for Long Term Training or Work Related Assignments
Granting a Quality Step Increase (QSI)
Update - Army Performance Management Study XXI
The Army Performance Management Study XXI Survey Results
Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About the Base System
Some frequently asked questions about ratings under the Base System include the following topics:
- Successful Level 3 (SL3): If a nonsupervisory Base System employee receives Excellence in two of the Responsibilities, they would have 50% Excellence, which would fall within the 25-74% category. If the employee got Excellence in one responsibility, this would represent 25%, which also falls within the 25-74% parameter. Successful Level 3 (SL3) is still defined as receiving all Success ratings. If you get more than 2, either 3 or 4 Excellence, you get Successful Level 1 (SL1).
- List of Accomplishment for Base System employees: It is permissible for Base System employees to submit their list of accomplishments for the rating cycle, however, the list should not be filed with the evaluation report and the Counseling Checklist.
- Upward Mobility Program and Local Interns/Functional Trainees: If an employee is in an upward mobility program, or is a local intern/functional trainee, covered by a two-grade interval series with full performance level at GS-9 or above, the employee is covered under the Senior System.
Team Leaders Role in Performance Management
In April 1998, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued The Team Leader Guide, which can be viewed and downloaded from their website: http://www.opm.gov/perform/teams.htm. The OPM guide recognizes the role team leaders play in performance management processes, and describes twenty specific team leader functions. In order for a position to be properly classified as a team leader, the team leader must perform at least fourteen of these twenty functions, and the first seven are mandatory.
Army's civilian performance management and evaluation procedures reserve certain duties to Supervisors. Among those duties reserved to Supervisors are serving as Rater or Senior Rater. "Only supervisors can sign as either the rater or senior rater under TAPES. Team leaders can provide input, either formal or informal, into the setting of objectives and assessing performance. "
The Evaluation Report - No Attachment!
No additional page can be attached to the TAPES Evaluation Report. Bullet comments should be those most reflective of the Ratee's level of performance which supports the Responsibilities/Objectives ratings. The Counseling checklist and the Support Form allow for additional pages (if necessary.
Senior System Ratees make statements on their significant contributions (Part IVc on the Support Form) which provides information of accomplishments. The TAPES pamphlet indicates on page 34, "Accomplishments may be continued on a separate sheet if more space is needed." Additionally, the TAPES regulation, Section 3-2 under In-Progress Review Documentation states, "If adequate space is not provided on these two forms [DA Form 7223-1 and DA Form 7222-1], additional pages may be attached."
Performance Plan for Long Term Training or Work Related Assignments
Individuals on Long Term Training (LTT) in academic environments or on work related assignments should have performance plans developed prior to beginning their training/assignment. Supervisors can choose from the following objectives or compose their own as appropriate: (a) attendance, (b) attentiveness, (c) preparation, (d) participation, (e) completion/mastery of examinations/assignments.
After development, the performance plan must be mailed to the LTT institution or the supervisor of the development assignment with instructions to the recipient to rate the student against the performance objectives using the TAPES letter input. If the rating period is ending and a support form was not done, then the employee can be placed under one and extend the rating period for 120 days and rate the individual at the end of that period.
Below is a sample that can be used for guidance:
Performance Plan for Long-Term Training
or Developmental Assignment Participant
Instructions to Interim Supervisor:This is a performance plan for the individual named below (who is an employee under my direct supervision) for the duration of his/her LTT training or developmental assignment as shown. As the official supervisor, I need performance input on which to complete an annual evaluation report. Please rate the individual on the performance objectives identified below using the letter input associated with the Total Army Performance Evaluation system (TAPES), i.e., Excellence (E), Success (S), Needs Improvement (NI), or Fails (F). Please include narrative comments supporting the letter rating as well as any additional evaluative information you deem appropriate. I need to complete the individual's annual rating of record on ____________. Therefore, I would appreciate receiving your input on the employee's performance during the LTT or assignment NLT _____________. Please mail the input to me in the envelope attached. Thank you for your assistance. Signed:_________________________________________ Supervisor's Printed Name:_________________________ Mailing Address:__________________________________ _______________________________________________ Telephone:______________________________________ Name of Participant:_________________________________________________ Dates of Training: ____________________________________________ Training Institution/Facility:______________________________________ Location:___________________________________________________ Performance Objectives: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.Please rate each objective with on of the following letter ratings and provide narrative comments on each:
E = Excellence; S= Success; NI = Needs Improvement; F= Fails.
Granting a Quality Step Increase (QSI)
The only restrictions on the granting of a QSI are:
The present AR 672-20 did not carry over the following language from the AR 672-20 dated 1 June 1982, which was in Chapter 6-5f: "A QSI may not be granted unless, at the time it becomes effective, the employee is expected to remain at least 60 days in the same or similar position at the same grade level."
- It must be based on the most recent rating of record and that rating must be at least a Successful Level 1 (5 CFR 531.504(b)).
- The recipient must not have received a previous QSI within the preceding 52 weeks (5 USC 5336(a) and 5 CFR 531.505).
- A QSI may be be awarded to an employee in a position that does not meet the definition of "permanent position" under 5 CFR 403 (DOD CPM 1400.25-M, Chapter 531-C2).
Army Performance Management Study XXI
The Performance Management Study XXI General Officer/SES Steering Committee held its first meeting at the Pentagon from May 3-4, 1999, hosted by Mr. David Snyder, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army (Civilian Personnel Policy). The Study is a comprehensive review of Army's civilian performance appraisal system. Mr. Snyder is the Chairperson of the GO/SES Steering Committee. The members are
- MG Patricia P. Hickerson
DCS for Personnel, US Army Europe and Seventh Army
- MG Carl H. Freeman
CG, 19th TAACOM, Eighth US Army
- MG Philip R. Kensinger, Jr.
CG, US Army South
- MG James E. Donald
DCG/Chief of Staff, US Army Pacific
- MG Geoffrey D. Miller
DCS, Personnel & Installation Management, FORSCOM
- MG Patrick D. Sculley
Deputy The Surgeon General/Chief, Dental Corps, MEDCOM
- BG Daniel A. Doherty
Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Base Operations Support, TRADOC
- Dr. Clarence W. Kitchens, Jr.
Principal Deputy for Technology, AMC
- Dr. Susan L. Duncan
Director, Human Resources, US Army Corps of Engineers
- Ms. Sandra R. Riley
Deputy Administrative Assistant, Office of the Secretary of the Army
Steering Committee members have a Working Group representative, who is a functional line manager in their command. These representatives are conducting the Study. They met with the Steering Committee members May 3-4, 1999, to hear civilian performance management presentations given by subject matter experts from the DOD Components, independent civilian agencies, and OPM.
The Working Group received direction from the Steering Committee on where they should focus their efforts in conducting the Study. From May 5-7, 1999, the Working Group conducted an in-depth assessment of what the most effective approach to the many aspects of this comprehensive and challenging project would require:
- What do we want in 5-10 years?
- What do we have now?
- What changes or improvements are needed and recommended?
- What guidance do we want to develop?
- What automation process will work best and how will it work?
During this year, the Working Group members will contact many technical, professional and administrative experts to solicit their ideas and input to particular portions of the study. Another important source of information for the Working Group is the feedback received through the Army Performance Management Study XXI Survey.
The responses came from the civilian appropriated fund workforce - employees, supervisors, managers, union representatives. It was a huge success, and there were over 5,000 responses during the 30-day reply period. The answers to the open-ended questions were frank, and it's this candid feedback that will be most helpful to the Working Group members in their review of the present system. The electronic responses that covered the multiple choice questions are summarized below.
The Army Performance Management Study XXI Survey Results
During the month of March 1999, we conducted an Army-wide performance management survey on the Civilian Personnel On Line (CPOL) web site. The survey results provide a general indication of what civilians think of the present civilian appraisal system, and their perspective on what could improve or replace it. There were 4,713 electronic responses and 476 mail in responses by the deadline March 31, 1999. The electronic tally results are summarized below:
- There was a 54% Agreement, 14% Strong Agreement, and 14% Strong Disagreement that TAPES performance objectives and standards reflect what employees are expected to do on the job.
- In response to the question that TAPES performance objectives and standards are established jointly, there was a 40% Agreement, 16% Strong Agreement and 22% Strong Disagreement.
- The response concerning whether the required Midpoint Discussion of job performance was occurring resulted in 38% Agreement, 15% Strong Agreement, and 21% Strong Disagreement.
- Reviewing training and development needs with the supervisor during the TAPES discussion showed 32% Agreement, 9% Strong Agreement, and 29% Strong Disagreement.
- The majority of the respondents indicated they give their supervisor a write-up of their accomplishments on the TAPES form: 42% Agreement, 36% Strong Agreement, 10% Strong Disagreement.
- When asked if there had been improvement in the way employees communicated with their supervisor about their performance since Army instituted TAPES, the response was 14% Agreement, 4% Strong Agreement, 26% Strong Disagreement and 21% Disagreement.
- Concerning whether Awards are given to the most deserving people since Army implemented TAPES, the response was 2% Strong Agreement, 10% Agreement, 22% Neither Agreed or Disagreed, 27% Strongly Disagreement, and 34% Disagreement.
- There was 3% Strong Agreement, 11% Agreement, 32% Strong Disagreement, 24% Disagreement and 26% Neither Agreed or Disagreed that there was more ongoing feedback about job performance from the supervisor since Army implemented TAPES than before TAPES.
- Preference for overall summary rating levels was: 5 Levels, 26%; 4 Levels, 13%; 3 Levels, 17%; 2 Levels, 20%; No Change from TAPES, 15%; No Opinion, 9%.
From the respondents who provided their position criteria on the survey, the following was determined: Type of Service: 93% were Competitive Service, and 7% were Excepted Service; and Pay Category: 93% were GS/GM and 7% were WG/WL/WS.
The survey provided 2 open-ended questions that allowed the respondents to provide comments on what they perceived could be done to improve the effectiveness of the current civilian appraisal process, and what features would they consider desirable in a new system. The comments were very broad, although a central theme was: better communication between the employee and supervisor; more feedback from the supervisor regarding ongoing performance; more equitable distribution of awards; better training in the appraisal process for employees and their supervisors; and more objective, less subjective rater/senior rater evaluations.
The Performance Management Study XXI Working Group received all the survey narrative comments received through the mail and the CPOL web site. During the course of the Study, these comments will serve as additional resource information the Working Group will reference to ensure consideration is given to the perceptions and perspectives of the respondents.
The survey was not intended to provide a conclusive analysis of the overall workforce attitude concerning the performance evaluation process. Its purpose was to provide the PMS XXI Working Group with indicators from the work force on those areas that were most often mentioned as a source of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the present system, and to capture ideas for improvement or change.
Common Errors in Compliance with TAPES
The regulatory and procedural compliance for performance appraisals for the two different systems under TAPES, Senior and Base, have been consistently below the Army objective of not less than 90% accuracy.
We are approaching an August mid-point for the Base System; the Senior System for GS-13s and above closes 30 June with 1 July beginning the new cycle; and the Senior System for GS-09s - GS-12s will close 31 Oct. It's a good time to start thinking about contributing to a higher accuracy rate, by cutting down on those errors that have been keeping us under the goal! Listed below are areas to double-check to avoid making some of the most common errors cited.
Remember to:
- Appropriately complete the Counseling Checklist/Support Form
- Rate the Individual Objectives
- Document the Initial and Mid-Point Counseling
- Check that the Rating Period is at least 120 days
- Ensure the appraisal form is signed by the Rater, and the Senior Rater, if applicable
- Assign the proper Summary Level Rating
- Include the EEO/Affirmative Action and Supervision/Leadership Objectives and ratings on supervisory appraisals.
Army Civilian Personnel Professionals - Helping Leaders Meet the Mission
Back to TAPES Index


text:
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/).
G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are important cell signaling mediators, involved in essential physiological processes. GPCRs respond to a wide variety of ligands from light to large macromolecules, including hormones and small peptides. Unfortunately, mutations and dysregulation of GPCRs that induce a loss of function or alter expression can lead to disorders that are sometimes lethal. Therefore, the expression, trafficking, signaling and desensitization of GPCRs must be tightly regulated by different cellular systems to prevent disease. Although there is substantial knowledge regarding the mechanisms that regulate the desensitization and down-regulation of GPCRs, less is known about the mechanisms that regulate the trafficking and cell-surface expression of newly synthesized GPCRs. More recently, there is accumulating evidence that suggests certain GPCRs are able to interact with specific proteins that can completely change their fate and function. These interactions add on another level of regulation and flexibility between different tissue/cell-types. Here, we review some of the main interacting proteins of GPCRs. A greater understanding of the mechanisms regulating their interactions may lead to the discovery of new drug targets for therapy.
The largest family of cell-surface receptors is the superfamily of the G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). The GPCR family is characterized by its seven transmembrane spanning domains and represents the largest class of drug targets. There are more than 800 known GPCRs in the human genome, which are involved in virtually every physiological process [
GPCRs play a central role in cell signaling and it is vital for organisms to maintain the right balance between activation and desensitization. Therefore, GPCRs must be carefully regulated by the many different cell systems in which they are present. In order for signal transduction to be initiated by a GPCR, it must be present at the cell-surface. This prerequisite provides a mechanism for regulation. Only a few GPCRs are known to possess an identified
Small cell-permeable compounds known as pharmacological chaperones are able to rescue mutation-mediated misfolding of vasopressin 2 (V2) receptor, involved in diabetes [
GPCRs transfer extracellular signals across the plasma membrane to intracellular effectors via G proteins. G proteins belong to the GTPase family and consist of three protein subunits, an α-subunit, a β-subunit and a γ-subunit. The β- and γ-subunits form a stable dimeric complex referred as the βγ-subunit. The binding of the agonist to the GPCR induces a conformational change of the receptor promoting activation of heterotrimeric G proteins by interaction with the GPCR. Upon activation, the Gα-subunit dissociates from the βγ-subunit complex. Both Gα-subunit and the βγ-subunit complex are then free to activate downstream effectors [
Activation of GPCRs triggers not only activation of G proteins, but also other cellular events that lead to a rapid attenuation of receptor responsiveness, a process termed desensitization. Signaling of activated GPCRs at the cell-surface must be rapidly terminated in order to prevent uncontrolled signaling. The first step in desensitization is phosphorylation of the receptor [
After internalization, the fate of GPCRs depends on both the cell type and on the type of receptor. Typically, following agonist-induced internalization, GPCRs are efficiently recycled back to the cell-surface. However, many GPCRs are trafficked to a degradative pathway and proteolytically destroyed in the lysosome, a process called down-regulation. Again, the mechanisms involved in this process have been the subject of many studies and they are reviewed elsewhere [
Recent studies have challenged the traditional concepts of GPCR activation, where one ligand interacts with one receptor to couple to one G protein and thereby initiating signaling. In fact, we now understand that different ligands can interact with same GPCR to stabilize different receptor conformations. This ligand-specific conformation of the GPCR then promotes unique signaling properties. During their "life", GPCRs have been shown to interact with many proteins. These interactions are important to regulate GPCRs and maintain the correct balance between signaling and desensitization. There is now increasing evidence that many GPCRs interact with specific interacting proteins that alter their expression, function and fate. These proteins are often referred as "accessory" or "escort" proteins and how the specific interactions with these accessory proteins lead to critical changes in GPCR expression and signaling constitutes the topic of this review. It must be noted that many GPCRs have been shown exist as homo- or hetero-dimers (or even higher order oligomers) and that these interactions are important for modulating the functional properties of GPCRs. Therefore, GPCRs themselves can be considered as accessory proteins. However, only non-GPCR accessory proteins will be discussed in this review, but for more details see [
The appropriate expression and localization of GPCRs is essential so that cells can maintain proper communication pathways within an organism. Indeed, dysregulation of process that control if a GPCR reaches the cell-surface and if it internalizes or is down-regulated properly can lead to aberrant cell signaling and potentially lead to disorders and disease. Studies have revealed that certain GPCRs require specific factors to properly regulate their trafficking to or from the cell-surface (
RanBP2 (Ran binding protein 2) is the mammalian homologue of ninaA, which is also specifically expressed in photoreceptor cells. RanBP2 interacts with red/green opsins and is believed to have similar function that its homologue. However, unlike ninaA, the cyclophilin domain of RanBP2 does not directly bind to the opsin receptor, but augments binding to its Ran binding domain 4 (RBD4) [
Even though the existence of mammalian odorant receptors (ORs) has been known for over 20 years [
Interestingly, these accessory proteins are specifically expressed in olfactory neurons, not even in testis, where a subsets of ORs are expressed [
Although, δ and μ opioid receptors (δ and μ receptor) are expressed at the cell-surface when transfected separately in HEK293 cells (e.g., [
Recently, sequence comparisons showed that REEP shares structural homology with the plant protein HVA22s and the yeast protein YOP1P both of which belong to the Ypt-interacting protein (Yip) family. Therefore, REEP was reclassified as part of this family [
Even though much has been learned about the role of RTP family proteins in the trafficking of GPCRs, the exact mechanisms by which RTPs promote trafficking remain poorly understood. For example, it is not known if RTPs facilitate the transport of GPCRs through specific vesicles/cargo, as has been described for REEPs. Moreover, given that RTP1 and ORs form a complex at the cell-surface [
Protein S100-A10 (also known as p11) was first identified as part of a heterotetrameric complex with annexin A2, a protein involved in the linkage of the actin cytoskeleton to membrane-associated proteins [
Studies looking for a link between protein S100-A10 and 5-HTRs observed that protein S100-A10 binds to the third intracellular loops of 5-HT1BR and 5-HT4R [
Interestingly, patients who had suffered from unipolar major depression disorder were found to have lower levels of both protein S100-A10 mRNA and protein, similar observations made in a mouse model of depression (H/Rouen mice). Conversely, treatment with two antidepressants, imipramine (inhibits 5-HT reuptake) and tranylcypromine (a monoamine oxidase inhibitor that inhibits 5-HT degradation), significantly increased levels of protein S100-A10 mRNA [
The removal of GPCRs from the cell-surface is another mechanism to ensure termination of signaling. This process is termed endocytosis and controls and regulates the entry and exit of small and large molecules. Endocytosis is influenced by GRKs, β-arrestins and ubiquitin (a small regulatory protein involved in the degradation of proteins) (reviewed in [
The GPCR-associated sorting protein (GASP) family comprises a family of 10 proteins that interact with a broad spectrum of GPCRs [
Sorting nexins (SNX) are another protein family involved in the endosomal sorting of GPCRs to lysosomes. These membrane-associated proteins are characterized by the presence of a PX domain (named after NADPH oxidase domains of p40phox and p47phox), consist of approximately 100–130 amino acids and have the ability to bind various phosphatidylinositol phosphates [
The majority of the proteins described above only modulate the expression of GPCRs. However, a few GPCRs-interacting proteins have shown to exert remarkable effects not only on the expression of GPCRs, but also on the pharmacology of these receptors (
The first GPCR-interacting protein family that influenced both the traffic and the pharmacological properties of a GPCR are the receptor activity-modifying proteins (RAMPs). The RAMPs are single pass transmembrane proteins initially identified as molecular partners of the calcitonin receptor-like receptor (CLR, [
Unlike CLR, CTR traffics to cell-surface when expressed alone and forms a fully functional receptor responsive to CT [
Studies have established that RAMPs are more widely distributed than both CTR and CLR [
Although experiments first showed that RAMPs did not interact with VPAC2 receptor [
These results suggest that RAMPs play an important role in the regulation and signaling of many GPCRs belonging to the secretin GPCR family. However, RAMPs have also been shown to regulate a receptor of the glutamate GPCR family. The Ca2+-sensing receptor is retained in ER when transfected in COS-7 cells, but co-transfection with RAMP1 or 3, not only promotes trafficking of Ca2+-sensing receptor to the cell-surface, but also similar to CLR, induces terminal glycosylation of the receptor [
Overall, there is an abundance of evidence showing that RAMPs enable trafficking as a chaperone and also participate in the signaling of diverse set of GPCRs. There may yet be other unknown interactions of RAMPs with GPCRs, but there is still much to learn from those interactions that we discussed above that may lead to the discovery of new therapies for diseases such as migraine or diabetes.
Stress plays an important part in animal survival. It is defined by the real or perceived threat to homeostasis. Stress stimuli promote release of glucocorticoids from the adrenal glands, which induce a wide range of biological responses that include increased cardiovascular tone, respiratory rate, intermediate metabolism, immunity and inhibition of general vegetative functions such as feeding, digestion, growth and reproduction [
Signaling of ACTH and MSHs is mediated by melanocortin receptors (MCRs), a subfamily of the rhodopsin GPCR family [
FGD patients that had a normal
Recently, a homologue of MRAP was identified and named MRAP2. MRAP2 is more conserved between species than MRAP1 and also interacts with MC2R to promote its traffic and influence its signaling [
An important step in the expression of transmembrane proteins is their exit from the ER. Generally, proteins to be exported possess an ER-export motif that is recognized by protein cargos that belong to the coat protein complexes. Coat protein complexes then polymerize and form a "bud" that traffics to the cell-surface [
A study on the D1 receptor, not only identified the ER-export motif "FxxxFxxxF" present in its
Recently, a study from the same group revealed that DRiP78 also regulates the trafficking of the chemokine receptor 5 (CCR5). Overexpression of DRiP78 resulted in the retention of the receptor in ER and modulated the association of the βγ-subunit to the receptor [
This family of proteins contains one or more PDZ domains, named after the discovery of the first three proteins containing this domain: Postsynaptic density protein 95, Drosophila disc and Zonula occludens protein 1 [
Interestingly, the role of NHERF is not only limited to the modulation of GPCR signaling. Indeed, NHERF1 has been found to bind β2-adrenoceptors and κ receptors to promote efficient recycling of these receptors [
Another PDZ domain-containing protein with a role in GPCR regulation is Disks large homolog 1 (DLG1; also known as synapse-associated protein 97) [
PDZ domain-containing proteins regulate many cellular functions, including modulation of GPCR trafficking and signal transduction [
It is often observed that GPCRs can couple to different G proteins complex depending on the cell-type, thereby modifying their signaling pathways as described previously with the PDZ proteins [
There is evidence of another protein that associates with CGRP and AM1–2 receptor. Receptor component protein (RCP) was first identified in 1996 through its ability to promote the CGRP-mediated responses in
Calmodulin (CaM) is a small (17kDa) highly conserved protein involved in sensing Ca2+ ions. It is ubiquitously expressed and regulates a diverse set of cellular events. CaM was first identified as an enhancer of the activity of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterases (enzymes that hydrolize cAMP or cyclic guanosine monophosphate) [
Overall, CaM seems to play an important regulatory role in the Ca2+-dependent signaling of GPCRs and the mechanisms regulating the GPCR•CaM interaction may offer targets to regulate GPCR-dependent signaling. However, the mechanisms that regulate CaM are still poorly understood and much work remains to be done to fully understand its role.
GPCRs are key mediators of cellular homeostasis and must be carefully regulated to avoid any unbalance between signaling and desensitization that may result in the manifestation of disease. Although, the desensitization and down-regulation of GPCRs have been highly documented, mechanisms regulating the trafficking of GPCRs to the cell-surface remain poorly understood, but are nonetheless important. Indeed, mutations within GPCR sequences can cause misfolding, alter location and lead to retention in ER and/or degradation of the receptor. These events are involved in diseases and disorders, such as diabetes, retinitis pigmentosa and hypogonadotropic hypogonadism [
This work was supported by grants from the British Heart Foundation (GSC, FS/08/017/25027 and PG/11/93/29143) and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BTR, BB/K006223/1).
The authors declare no conflict of interest.
5-HT receptor
μ receptors
μ opioid receptors
adrenal corticotrophic hormone
adrenomedullin receptor
angiotensin II receptor type 1
cyclic AMP
calcitonin gene-related peptide
calcitonin receptor-like receptor
corticotropin releasing factor receptor 1
corticotropin releasing factor
calcitonin receptor
disks large homolog 1
dopamine receptor
dopamine-receptor-interacting protein of 78 kDa
endoplasmic reticulum
epidermal growth factor receptor
familial glucocorticoid deficiency
GPCR-associated sorting protein
G protein-coupled receptor
GPCR kinase
heat shock protein
islet amyloid polypeptide
melanocortin receptor
melanocortin 2 receptor accessory protein
melanocyte-stimulating hormone
metabotropic glutamate receptor
Na+/H+ exchanger regulatory factor
neither inactivated nor after potential A
odorant protein 4
odorant receptor
proteinase-activated receptor
postsynaptic density protein 95, drosophila disc and zonula occludens protein 1
protein kinase C
phospholipase C
parathyroid hormone
receptor activity-modifying protein
Ran binding protein 2
receptor component protein
receptor expression enhancing protein
rhodopsin 1
receptor transporting protein
sorting nexin
vasoactive intestinal peptide
vasopressin 2 receptor
VIP and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide receptor
Ypt-interacting protein
Schematic representation of the roles of GPCR interacting proteins in the localization of GPCRs at the cell-surface. (
Schematic representation of the roles of GPCR interacting proteins in the signaling and trafficking of GPCRs from the cell-surface. (
Interacting proteins that influence cell-surface localization of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs).
|Interacting protein(s)
|Rh1 receptor
|Promote correct folding and cell-surface expression
|Red/green opsins
|Potentially promote correct folding and cell-surface expression
|RTP1-2 and REEP1
|Promote cell-surface expression. Co-localize at the cell-surface with ORs
|Promote cell-surface expression
|δ-μ receptor heterodimer
|Promote cell-surface expression
|5-HT1BR and 5-HT4R
|Promote cell-surface expression
|δ receptor
|Promote down-regulation of the receptor
|Promote down-regulation of the receptor
|D2 receptor
|Promote down-regulation of the receptor
|μ receptor
|Promote down-regulation of the receptor
|κ receptor
|Promote down-regulation of the receptor
|Promote down-regulation of the receptor
|Promote down-regulation of the receptor
|Promote internalization of the receptor
|oxytocin receptor
|Promote internalization of the receptor
|δ receptor
|Promote internalization of the receptor
|Neurokinin 1 receptor
|Promote internalization of the receptor
Interacting proteins that influence both cell-surface localization and signaling of GPCRs.
|Interacting protein(s)
|Promote cell-surface expression, receptor glycosylation and induce ligand binding specificity
|Induce ligand binding specificity to IAPP
|VPAC1 receptor
|Increase the coupling of Gαq-subunit with the receptor
|PTH1 receptor
|Glucagon receptor
|PTH2 receptor
|VPAC2 receptor
|Increase the coupling of Gαi/o-subunit to the receptor, but RAMP3
|CRF1 receptor
|Promote cell-surface expression and increase Ca2+ mobilization
|Calcium Sensing receptor
|RAMP1 and 3
|Promote cell-surface expression and receptor glycosylation
|Regulate differently the cell-surface expression depending on the MCR and also can modulate MCR-mediated signaling
|D1 receptor
|Retain receptor in ER
|Muscarinic acetylcholine 2 receptor
|Retain receptor in ER
|Adenosine 1 receptor
|Retain receptor in ER
|AT1 receptor
|Promote cell-surface expression
|Promote the coupling of the βγ-subunit
|Chemokine receptor 5
|Retain receptor in ER and promote the coupling of the βγ-subunit
|PTH1 receptor
|Switch the coupling of Gαs to Gαq of the receptor.
|Inhibit internalization and desensitization of the receptor
|LPA2 receptor
|Potentiate PLC signaling
|P2Y1 receptor
|Potentiate PLC signaling
|mGlu5 receptor
|Potentiate PLC signaling
|CRF1 receptor
|Inhibit receptor agonist-induced internalization and promote
|ERK1/2 signaling
Interacting proteins that influence signaling of GPCRs.
|Interacting protein
|Enhance CGRP- and ADM-mediated signaling
|μ receptor
|Impair G protein coupling
|D2 receptor
|Impair G protein coupling
|Impair G protein coupling
|PTH1 receptor
|Inhibit Gα-mediated PLC activation
|V2 receptor
|Enhance Ca2+ mobilization
|mGlu7 receptor
|Regulate GPCR phosphorylation


text:
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/).
This paper provides a review and analysis of the challenges that nuclear power must overcome in order to be considered sustainable. The results make it clear that not only do innovative technical solutions need to be generated for the fundamental inherent environmental burdens of nuclear energy technology, but the nuclear industry must also address difficult issues of equity both in the present and for future generations. The results show that if the concept of
Global energy demand continues to climb [
Common in the popular press, but even in peer reviewed literature is the repeated misperception that because nuclear energy does not produce carbon dioxide (CO2) as a byproduct during electricity generation as do fossil fuels, it is an "emission free" source of energy and often is shown in tables comparing energy sources as "0 emissions" [
It should be pointed out here that there is serious disagreement between different studies in the literature as to the actual mass of CO2 equivalent GHG emissions per unit energy (g CO2 eq./kW-hr) found for the nuclear fuel cycle and the reader must take extreme care when comparing studies with each other and with those carried out on fossil fuels. Differences found in the studies for CO2 eq./kW-hr of nuclear power are in part due to different energy efficiencies of enrichment techniques, different energy mixes of the geographical regions/countries being studied, and different methodologies. Many studies, normally sponsored by the nuclear industry itself, used process-based (PB) analyses, which do not fully capture the real impact of GHG emissions. For example, instrumentation and control related energy is not included in any of the PB or materials-based analyses [
A review of the life cycle analysis (LCA) of nuclear energy found the total lifetime GHG emissions nuclear-fuel cycles in the U.S. were determined to be between 16–55 g CO2-eq./kWh [
Emissions from fossil fuels not only need to be eliminated, but they must be eliminated quickly not only to reduce the most dangerous risks from climate destabilization, but also to maintain civilization's relatively energy-intensive standard of living in light of recent work on the long term production of fossil fuels. Nuclear power is primarily seen as an alternative to base-load coal power plants. Thus, it is instructive to look at long term coal production scenarios to obtain a sense of time scale for instituting such alternatives. A recent Caltech study found that 90% of the total world-wide coal production will have taken place by 2070 [
Economists discuss the concept of a negative externality as a cost not transmitted through prices that is incurred by a party who did not agree to the action causing the cost. Nuclear power has a long list of externalities associated with it including: environmental externalities and externalities imposed on future generations. It is beyond the scope of this paper to go into each in detail, however, some of the fundamental externality challenges to using nuclear energy for widespread electric generation are introduced below.
First, with current commercialized technologies, nuclear power is dependent on the mining of a finite (although sometimes hotly debated quantity/quality) of uranium rich ore. Uranium ore is mined both in surface (strip) mines and deep underground. Much like the mining and processing of other materials, uranium mining, processing and enrichment can leave substantial damage to the nearby ecosystems and waterways [
A larger and more serious externality during operation is
In addition, to the risk factors mentioned above, the presence of any form of nuclear power necessarily creates an infrastructure where nuclear materials and expertise for nuclear weapon fabrication may proliferate [
Finally, at the end of the life cycle there are externalities that continue for generations. Safe and secure ultra-long-term storage of nuclear waste is still un-resolved and poses a serious challenge given that the half-life of spent fuel is in the range of ~25,000 years although some long-lived fission products last much longer. This waste containment problem includes not only the spent fuel rods, but also upon decommissioning of a nuclear power plant, the building, equipment and the surrounding land also contribute to the total waste. Both current temporary storage methods and planned methods of burying underground are inherently inequitable as those who bear the consequences including future generations and minorities/socio-economic disadvantaged living near facilities have little or no say in the decisions (e.g., some geographic locations become the permanent dump sites for the rest of the world) [
Although nuclear power has many potential challenges as outlined above, perhaps the most difficult to overcome is simply economics. Nuclear power plants have become notorious for high construction costs—as many projects throughout the world have resulted in construction costs that doubled or tripled the original estimate, followed by frequent and expensive repairs [
An illustration of how serious an
As is obvious from the review of challenges to nuclear power today—nuclear power is far from sustainable. This is consistent with past research in the literature and those studies using softer definitions of sustainability such as
Based on the review above, if the concept of
This paper provided a review and analysis of the challenges that nuclear power must overcome in order to meet the requirements of just sustainable development. The results make it clear that there are two fundamental challenges. First, innovative technical solutions need to be discovered for the fundamental inherent environmental handicaps of nuclear energy technology. Second, the nuclear industry must also address difficult issues of equity both in the present and for future generations. On a global-scale to replace fossil fuel combustion requires the "sustainable nuclear energy system" to do the following: (i) radically improve the energy efficiency and greenhouse gas emissions intensity by improved technology and efficiency through the entire life cycle to prevent energy cannibalism during rapid growth; (ii) eliminate nuclear insecurity to reduce the risks associated with nuclear power so that the free market can insure the nuclear industry without large public nuclear energy insurance subsidies; (iii) eliminate all radioactive waste at the end of life and minimize the environmental impact during mining and operations; and (iv) the nuclear industry must regain public trust or face obsolescence as a steady stream of renewable energy technologies quickly improve both technical and economic performance.
The author declares no conflict of interest.


text:
$16.00 donated in past month
IMC Network
From the Open-Publishing Calendar
From the Open-Publishing Newswire
Indybay FeatureRelated Categories: Santa Cruz Indymedia | Environment & Forest Defense
Drought Demands New Water Policy in Santa Cruz
Water Supply Security Needs More that Baseline Options
Everyone knows that California is experiencing one of the worst droughts in its history. And while we in Santa Cruz may be enjoying another day in Paradise, our city has not otherwise escaped the straightjacket of the ongoing water shortage. Because of this heightened awareness about the questionable future of our water supply, the word conservation is on the minds of every resident and on the lips of every elected official and city staffer. But what, precisely, do we mean when we consider conservation measures as a viable approach to water sustainability? Civic leaders have suggested simply using less water and have created very modest programs to make low flow toilets and fixtures available to residents. Conservationists recommend the policies of water transfer and water neutral development. But these are not realistic "endgame" solutions. Indeed, what has been advocated thus far has, in my view, established only a baseline policy and assiduously avoids asking the difficult questions that may actually lead to water supply security. So let's consider a couple.
We should be asking why a policy or program has not been developed that would offer financial incentives to every homeowner willing to install grey water re-catchment or "laundry to landscape" systems that could easily and safely reuse existing household water. We should be asking why a similar policy has not been developed that would offer incentives to every homeowner who would be willing and able to install rainwater catchment systems large enough to make the effort worthwhile. The city program which offers 65 gallon barrels to residential water users doesn't even qualify as a "baseline" program. Rather, we should be looking at inexpensive and space practical catchment barrels of 250 gallons or more that could have a significant impact on potable water use in the near term.
And here's a question that hasn't been asked much less answered as we assess our community's future water supply: Why hasn't the City of Santa Cruz, which has such a well established and reasonably well implemented Storm Water Management System, invested at least some time and energy into thoroughly investigating the creation of a Storm Water Recapture and Reuse System? Is even one drop of the storm water that washes into our sewers and drains recaptured for any use? That's a question every resident of Santa Cruz should be asking; and they should be asking it to their elected officials and their Water Department today and every day until they get a satisfactory answer.
The future sustainability of our water supply is perhaps the single most challenging issue that faces our community today. Tomorrow may bring new thoughts and new beginnings and we can look with great hope to waste water recycling which may be as few as five years away and would create many millions of gallons of new, potable water. But for today, we need to ask the important questions in order to meaningfully push the "baseline" of water security models past the present limited thinking. On an issue of this importance, our reach must surely exceed our grasp.
Listed below are the latest comments about this post.
These comments are submitted anonymously by website visitors.


text:
The vampire-themed film rakes in five kudos, including the coveted Best Fantasy Movie and The Ultimate Scream awards.
A gala night for 2010 Scream Awards has been held on Saturday, October 16 to announce the winners. While the full winners will only be unveiled when the show airs on Spike TV October 19, some of the awards recipients have allegedly been leaked.
According to Examiner, "The Twilight Saga's Eclipse" was named Best Fantasy Movie and The Ultimate Scream. The third "Twilight" movie also helped its cast like Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson and Xavier Samuel to win some titles that night.
"Avatar" was also said among big winners during the event with some of the kudos including for Best F/X, Best Director and 3D Top Three. James Cameron, who accepted the awards for his sci-fi movie, also presented the film's actress Sigourney Weaver with the first ever Scream Heroine Award.
"Green Lantern", which is yet to hit theaters, has additionally been honored at the annual award show. The superhero movie was dubbed Most Anticipated Movie and Ryan Reynolds was present to receive gong from his co-star Blake Lively.
This year's Scream Awards also paid tribute to "Back to the Future" by inviting the actors Michael J. Fox and Christopher Lloyd to show up on the stage. Sneak peeks to some upcoming flicks like "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part I", "Paranormal Activity 2", "The Rite" as well as "Scream 4" were also presented at the show.
Partial List of 2010 Scream Awards Movie Winners:
- The Ultimate Scream: "The Twilight Saga's Eclipse"
- Top Anticipated Movie: "Green Lantern"
- Best Fantasy Movie: "The Twilight Saga's Eclipse"
- Best Actress in a Fantasy Movie or TV Show: Kristen Stewart - "The Twilight Saga's Eclipse"
- Best Actor in a Fantasy Movie or TV Show: Robert Pattinson - "The Twilight Saga's Eclipse"
- Breakout Male Performance: Xavier Samuel - "The Twilight Saga's Eclipse"
- Best Villain: Mickey Rourke in "Iron Man 2"
- Best F/X : "Avatar"
- Best Director: James Cameron - "Avatar"
- 3D Top Three: "Avatar"
- Best Horror Movie to "Zombieland"
- Scream Heroine Award: Sigourney Weaver
- Most Memorable Mutilation: "The Human Centipede"
- Most Mind-Bending Film: "Inception"
- Best Worst Movie: "Piranha 3-D"


text:
Robert Toll, Chairman and CEO of Toll Brothers (NYSE:TOL), comments on land prices in California and Florida in his quarterly conference call:
Rick Murray - Raymond James
I was curious, Bob, if you could give us a sense quantitatively, and I know it's a difficult thing to ask of you, but a sense for the degree of magnitude that you believe or perceive land prices are changing in perhaps Florida or California or anywhere that you may have some insight like that?
Robert Toll
My sense is that they're changing quite a bit and quite more rapidly than in past home building recessions, slowdowns. The nominal prices are not changing as much as the terms. September '05, sellers of land were demanding full pay if it were a $30 million piece, you would give $1.5 million to $2 million down and as soon as you achieve preliminary plan so that you know you had vested rights, you had to close. Then on your nickel, which is substantial, you went through the planning process, the engineering process, the wetland approval, the water and sewer approval so that you would then get into the ground about on average 15 months from the time you had spent the money.
Now, the same seller will offer the same piece of dirt for the same money, however, $500,000 down refundable, if you don't achieve your approvals. You don't have to pay till you get all your approvals so you're riding on the land seller nickel instead of your own, for the time period you're securing all of the approvals, which can be as much as five years.
When it comes time to close, you only have to close on 20 lots and then take down six a quarter for the next, it could be ten years or five years. So when you throw in the discount because of the slowness in payment, the stretched out terms, you get a pretty substantial difference.
Rick Murray - Raymond James
Despite the fact that billions of dollars of public builder land deals have returned to the market, you haven't seen any impact on nominal prices yet?
Robert Toll
Not really, no. We have found a substantial difference in prices with sellers that we have and I think other builders are finding the same. You go back and renegotiate. You can take $100 million deal back to from $100 million to $72 million. But there was all cash at the end of the time period. So the $72 million was laid out as fast as the $100 million was going to be laid out. That was something that just comes to mind, it was a substantial discount. Hope that helps.


text:
Hosts Sweden came from the shock of conceding an early goal to claim a comfortable 5-1 win in the opening European Under-21 Championship fixture, thanks to a hat-trick from Marcus Berg
After a slow start to the game it was Sweden who took control, but not before Belarus had given them a shock. The less fancied East Europeans had retained possession of the ball well enough during the first half-an-hour of play, indeed seeing more of the ball in the opening stages than the Swedes, who struggled to get into their rhythm.
Belarus were rewarded for a confident start with almost the first meaningful shot on target after just over half-an-hour. Leonid Kovel picked up the ball on the left and sent an intelligent ball into Sergei Kryvets, who had drifted into space on the right. He teed the ball back to Sergei Kisylak, who let fly with a venomous shot from all of 30 metres, sending the ball fizzing past the helpless Johan Dahlin in the Swedish goal.
The shock of concession seemed to galvanise the Swedes, and they should have equalised within a minute when Ola Toivonen missed a great chance at the far post after a good ball from Marcus Berg.
Sweden were level just a minute later, but had good fortune to thank for their equaliser. A speculative Rasmus Elm shot from even further out than Kisylak's goal bounced off the back of Martynovich totally wrong-footing Belarus keeper Chesnovsky to make it 1-1.
Three minutes later and Sweden had the lead thanks to a terrific run from Marcus Berg. The FC Groningen forward exchanged passes with Emir Bajrami before dribbling past two Belarus challenges in the box and poking the ball home.
And just before half-time Sweden extended their advantage when Berg once again found the back of the net for 3-1. A positive run through the middle by Toivonen drew the Belarus defence towards the ball, before deftly giving possession to Berg. With time and space after Verkovtsov had drifted off him, Berg scored his second of the game with another excellent finish.
Belarus made changes just after the interval, but didn't do a great deal to alter the flow of the game with Sweden continuing to press forward in the second half.
Ola Toivonen was unluckily denied a fourth for Sweden when he had the ball in the back of the net just before the hour mark with replays showing no offside or evident foul.
The final quarter of the game marked a slight renaissance for Belarus with Leonid Kovel having a shot on 70 minutes. The Saturn Moscow midfielder was the best Belarus performer, and managed to test Dahlin with a skimming shot which the Swedish keeper held on to comfortably. A minute later and he set up Volodko for a shot which again was saved by Dahlin. Kovel was once again in the action when a long pass over the top of the Swedish defence nearly played him in. The pass just evaded Kovel's outstretched toe, and was cut out by Dahlin.
The Belarus improvement drew an immediate response from Sweden, who made it 4-1 on 81 minutes. An Elm ball over the top sent away Berg, who finished with aplomb - justfying all the pre-tournament hype with a hat-trick.
A wonderfully put together move on 88 minutes resulted in a Harbuzi cross onto the head of Berg, who was unlucky to see the effort parried behind for a corner. Sweden though weren't to be denied a fifth, as from the corner, Gustav Svensson thrashed home from deep after Belarus had initially cleared their lines, sealing a fine victory.
Belarus will be dissapointed with their defending, conceding five, and a lack of concentration needs to be urgently addressed by their coaching staff. Sweden grabbed three in the space of ten first half minutes ,and another two at the end of the game within seven minutes of each other.
After such a good start to the European Under-21 Championship tournament, the hosts, Sweden, will be confident of building on the momentum this fine performance has generated. The home fans will be looking to see how they get on against Italy on Friday.
Walter Townsend, Goal.com


text:
In today's busy society, vending machines have found a foothold. They've also evolved. Nowadays, you can get an entire meal out of a vending machine. From department store break rooms to grocery stores to colleges, vending machines are everywhere. However, with new businesses popping up every day, there is plenty of room for a savvy entrepreneur. This business allows you the freedom to start small with money you already have. Avoid taking out needless loans and finance this side job with your current one. Select viable locations for your machines or nab an established route.
1. Make a list of potential locations and vending options in your area. The possibilities for your vending business are immense. Provide healthier vending food options for local schools. Establish snack and food vending machines in break rooms for an office. Energy drinks are another popular option. Although they wouldn't do well in a high school, they might do well at a local community college or fitness center. Other potential outlets include malls, restaurants, pizza and ice cream parlors, fitness clubs salons, department stores, buffets, hotels, dry cleaners, laundries, bars, flea markets, thrift stores and movie theaters.
2. Tour potential locations to determine if the business uses a current vending service, the demographic of the clientele and customer traffic. Take the time to observe customer traffic. Higher traffic equates to greater sales. Detail your observations on paper to use in your pitch to the establishment owner.
3. Develop a personalized presentation to pitch to each owner. Include any specific details about each particular business to further highlight the fact that you have done your research and are serious about your endeavor. Include details about the type of vending machines you believe will do well. Include pictures of the machines, if possible. Don't offer a commission if you don't have to. Leave your brochure or business card. Upon callback, present them with a business contract.
4. Contact your county clerk to obtain a sales tax permit. Vending machine owners are required to pay tax on sales.
5. Find reputable vending machines suppliers. If buying used, ensure that you have someone on hand who can fix the machines. Every day that your machine is out of commission, you are losing money.
6. Purchase wholesale food, snacks, beverages or toys for your vending machines. Compare wholesale prices for online distributors and local wholesale companies. Purchase supplies and equipment, such as a cooler, a change counter, a basic tool kit, glass cleaner, towels and a notepad for documenting how much candy was sold.
Things Needed
- Location
- Presentation
- Contract
- Permit
- Machines
- Bulk food, beverages or toys
- Cooler
- Track your expenses to ensure that your business is profitable. Figure in the cost of gas, car maintenance, permits and business insurance.
- Every business should have business insurance. You won't need much. Your current insurance provider may be able to connect you with someone.
- Check your machines regularly. An empty machine won't do you any good. Don't count on the owners to inform that you have your machines are running low.
- In the vending industry, every penny counts. You have to put things in perspective. Your machines may only nab $50 in profit each month. While the vending business can be a lucrative one, each machine can only offer so much in profits. The more machines you have, the greater your income.
- Craiglist.org and Vendingconnection.com are great resources for finding established routes for sale. Thoroughly research the seller and go out on the route with him at least once.
References (3)
Photo Credits
- Ryan McVay/Digital Vision/Getty Images


text:
It's the end of an era at Microsoft. No, I'm not talking about CEO Steve Ballmer retiring and being replaced by Satya Nadella, though that also qualifies. I'm referring to the imminent "death" of support for Microsoft's long-running Windows XP operating system.
Microsoft -- and its hardware partners like HP, Dell, and many others -- really, really, really want you and everyone else to upgrade to Windows 8.1, or at least Windows 7. In hopes that Windows XP upgrades will save the PC industry, they're pulling out all the stops, from warning of potential security catastrophes to offering discounts and special financing on new hardware, along with a wide variety of assessment tools and migration services designed to ease the process. They're even inviting small groups of journalists to dinner to discuss the issue!
Is April 8 the new Y2K?
The efforts seem to be working for enterprises. Jordan Chrysafidis, Microsoft's vice president of OEM worldwide marketing, said that only 10% of enterprises in the developed world still use XP exclusively -- although he also said that 24% of small businesses don't even know that XP is reaching its end-of-service date. Either way, though, its pretty clear that not everyone is going to upgrade by the April 8 support cut-off.
Like other tech scares dating back to Y2K, that may not cause an immediate disaster.
Don't get me wrong, I'm totally behind the upgrade push. Windows XP is ancient, and no longer delivers a state-of-the-art computing experience -- it was designed long before touch and the cloud and mobility and virtualization and modern management techniques took center stage. XP users can't hope to take advantage of modern trends and cope with today's threats.
But that's the point. Failing to upgrade from Windows XP is more about forgoing the advantages of modern technology than it is about some arbitrary doomsday. Things aren't going to be dramatically different for XP users on April 9 than they were on April 7 -- though they're likely to get worse over time. It's just that XP users will be leaving the promise of the 21st Century on the table.
According to Chrysafidis, for example, one recent study showed that upgrading to Windows 7 or 8.1 can save $700 per year per user -- one more argument for using a modern OS. But it's also hardly an imperative to make the switch by any specific date, or for every machine in every application to be instantly upgraded.
XP is everywhere
Windows XP was incredibly popular and remains deeply ingrained in machines of all types used for all sorts of purposes. (Heck, I've still got an old netbook running XP.) XP is found in millions of small business, retail outlets, and factory floors, and the upgrade usually isn't just swapping in a new operating system. In many cases, you'll need brand new hardware and have to upgrade proprietary apps that don't work on other versions of Windows (most packaged apps are compatible). That's simply not top of mind -- or budget -- for many users and organizations. Again, the new hardware is going to be way better, cheaper, and more reliable than the old XP boxes it replaces, but you already own the XP machines, so that's not always a useful comparison.
As Chrysafidis pointed out, upgrading from XP is a great opportunity to remake outmoded business processes as well as replace hardware and software. But that's a big deal that requires serious planning -- it doesn't make sense to tackle a major project like that on Microsoft's timetable. Waiting carries risks -- security breaches or aging hardware giving up the ghost at an inopportune moment -- but so does rushing into an upgrade process you're not ready for or can't afford.
No excuse not to upgrade
Yes, you're going to have to upgrade from Windows XP, and sooner is better than later. But if you ask me, it's more important to do it right than to do it fast. Far better to leverage the opportunity to truly take advantage of what modern technology has to offer than scramble to meet the April 8 deadline just to end up doing the same old things on a shiny new PC with a shiny new operating system. (As long as you don't get hacked in the meantime, of course.)


text:
Ulster Bank bid to get back in profit a massive challenge
The Ulster Bank has outlined its business strategy to restructure and return to profitability. Further redundancies and some branch closures will be needed.
For the last four years the bank has reported annual losses on an all-island basis which, although now much smaller, still exceeded £2bn in 2012. To maintain the Ulster Bank, the Sunday Business Post has quoted that the parent company RBS has injected an additional £14.3bn into its capital.
The bank, first, needs to trade its way out of incurring impairment charges on loans in default and, second, needs to restructure to generate an improved balance of revenue and costs, giving an acceptable level of profitability.
Even if impairment charges are removed, the current trading performance of the bank today would be commercially inadequate.
In reply to criticism about a lack of funds available for businesses, Ellvena Graham, Ulster Bank chief operating officer, said: "We are genuinely open for business. If a customer wants to talk about a good business proposition, we do have money to lend."
A new feature of the Ulster Bank here is that, drawing on the Bank of England's Funding for Lending Scheme, £80m has been offered to over 500 businesses at more attractive interest rates.
But is the bank too risk averse? Given the need to rebuild profitable operations, Ms Graham has a reply that reflects the tensions of the recent serious learning experience. "We took too much risk in the past. There is now a balance to be struck."
In 2012, the Ulster Bank annual accounts, including the non-core business, show that in the Republic of Ireland the bank had an operating loss of £1.501bn. In Northern Ireland the operating loss was £590m.
The operating loss for the core business here was £112m. This was after impairment charges of £213m so that excluding impairments the bank in Northern Ireland made a profit of £101m.
These details confirm for normal banking it was trading profitably on both parts of the island. However, that level of profit is well below an acceptable return on the capital invested. There is, therefore, no surprise that the bank, north and south, is seeking to increase revenue earned and reduce operating costs.
On an all-island basis, Northern Ireland generated nearly one-third of the bank's core business. Northern Ireland in 2012 generated 30% of the customer deposits (£6.7bn) and was carrying just under 19% of all loans and advances (£6bn).
The differences suggest that the core business in Northern Ireland might be described as having a capacity to increase its lending. The ratio of lending to deposits at the end of 2012 was 80%. In contrast, the same ratio for core business in the Republic was 152%.
The net income margin on Northern Ireland business was a more attractive 3.06%, compared to only 1.63% south of the border.
To rebuild profitability a critical yardstick is the ratio of operating costs to net revenue earned. The evolving business strategy is to reduce the ratio of costs to revenue from the present level of 62% to somewhere nearer to 50%-55%. If half of that adjustment was to come from operating costs and the target was to reach 55%, then in Northern Ireland operating costs might need to reduce by about 8%, or £12m each year.
The challenge facing the Ulster Bank in Northern Ireland is formidable. More impairment must be managed out of the balance sheet and, in addition, operating costs must decrease. Financial and human management skills will be well tested.
If a customer wants to |talk about a good business proposition, we do have money to lend
Belfast Telegraph Digital


text:
Hey folks
just setting up a demo for what will hopefully be my first TF theme, just wondering how to go about adding one of them option pans you see on some demos here so users can play with some of the key settings available?
Thanks guys! been scratchin my head and cant even figure out the correct term to google!
I recommend you SMOF Options Framework by Sy4mil. Clean, unbranded and simply awesome!
Hey DeliciousThemes thanks for the link but sadly not quite what I was aiming for
tho, now you mention it, i am already using smof on this theme so do you know of anyway i could demo a few options on the front page?
looks ok , kinda what uv seen already, but I was aiming to be able to replicate the colour pick from my admin options so users can tweak and see what does what
@SimpleSites4U check out the documentation: http://aquagraphite.com/2011/11/smof-documentation/ . It explains how to integrate some options into the pages.
thank you! I really must read all available help BEFORE posting a question in the future
Ok iv read loads and im near the point of making a demo but still have no idea how to create a colour picker for potential users to use to see what can be changed
any help would be appreciated folks
Try searching in the forum for "demo options panel"
Theres an old post with this reply "You could also integrate with a pre-made options panel like OptionTree http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/option-tree/"Someone else says… "This post should get you going (ThemeBlvd Hooks it up): http://themeforest.net/forums/thread/stylesheet-switcher-for-wordpress/35461?page=1 Also, there is a stylesheet switcher available on code canyon if you need more documentation. At $4, can't really go wrong if you need additional help. http://codecanyon.net/item/css-style-switcher/150156"
Hope it helps. I know the moment you are looking you never find it, then when you are not looking for it, you find it.. S.


text:
Cannot find your local Phoenix Contact site? Use our selector
The figure shows a 10-position version of the product
Header, nominal current: 14 A, rated voltage (III/2): 400 V, number of positions: 3, pitch: 5 mm, Color: black, Contact surface: Tin, mounting: THR soldering, The pin strip is made of highly temperature-resistant plastic and is therefore suitable for the reflow process.
Total : 0.0
Solutions for the digital future – experience them now.
Surge protection with maximum performance and long service life.
"$pageName" on


text:
Grandma's finances will almost certainly never recover from the LIBOR scandal. And, needless to say, she never asked for it.
6 Ways Big Banks Screwed Grandma in the Price-Fixing Scandal That's Rocking the World | Alternet
Current Status: Published (4)
Seeded on Thu Jul 26, 2012 9:38 AM
keyboard shortcuts: V vote up article J next comment K previous comment


text:
by Staff Writers
The Hague (AFP) May 08, 2013
The Dutch government on Wednesday ordered an investigation into persistent shortages of certain brands of baby formula, blamed on networks of traffickers who ship milk powder to China where it is sold at premium prices.
Deputy Economic Affairs Minister Sharon Dijksma ordered the Dutch Food and Consumer watchdog to probe a huge rise in demand for baby formula linked to so-called "baby milk runners", who bulk-buy powder in shops before sending it to China where it is resold to young parents fearful of local products.
"I want to gather information... over the bulk buying and trade in the Netherlands in order to inform Chinese authorities that they are getting batches of milk powder that do not confirm to their regulations," Dijksma said in the statement.
There is growing concern in the Netherlands, one of Europe's leading diary exporters, about a looming national shortage of infant formula, with local papers quoting shoppers saying at least two popular brands were almost impossible to find on shop shelves.
"Dutch consumers can still find baby formula, but it's getting harder-and-harder," Dutch Food Industry Federation (FNLI) director Philip den Ouden told AFP.
The FNLI and food retail representatives met on Monday to discuss the growing concern over shortages, saying a measure to merely restrict the number of tins of formula per customer was not enough.
The FNLI and Dutch Food Retail Association (CBL) in a combined statement afterwards stressed however that despite concerns "the availability of infant formula in the Netherlands is not in danger."
"There is sufficient milk powder available, but not always the required brand," the Dutch Economic Affairs Ministry added.
Alarm bells over infant formula went off earlier this year when retailers saw a 50 percent year-on-year spike in sales figures from the last quarter of 2012, said Den Ouden.
"This was strange because the number of births in the Netherlands did not go up," he said.
An initial probe showed growing demand in China, largely driven by the memories of a 2008 scandal over Chinese formula tainted with the industrial chemical melamine, which left six children dead and affected more than 300,000 others.
Distrust was fortified last year when another Chinese manufacturer's formula was found to be contaminated with carcinogens, despite official pledges to clean up the industry.
Some Dutch citizens have now turned Chinese demand into a business opportunity and are making serious money in the process, Dutch newspapers reported this week.
Chinese websites charge hefty mark-ups, sometimes approaching 100 percent, on the retail price.
Shipping fees can double those prices again, while customs checks and import duties in China can add another 30 percent, according to Chinese reports.
Major baby formula maker Nutricia last week Thursday published a full-page apology in at least three national papers for product shortages.
"I am aware that its hard to find our product in the shops at the moment," said Christophe Wadel, general manager at Nutricia, which makes Nutrilon baby formula.
"For this we are tendering our excuses," he added, saying "we, together with our trading partners are doing every thing possible to ensure that Nutrilon is available in the Netherlands."
The phenomenon has also hit elsewhere in Europe and Australia with sales being limited in Germany and Britain.
In Australia, a major run on Karicare reportedly linked to an influx of Chinese tourists over Christmas saw some supermarkets and pharmacies introduce rationing and purchase limits in January.
Related Links
Farming Today - Suppliers and Technology
|The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2012 - Space Media Network. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement


text:
While cleaning out my links in Instapaper, I came across this interview with Douglas Adams in 2001. Not sure what book he was promoting at the time, but if you stick around for the full recording you'll hear him talk about his days in radio. Back when he was in radio, it was an inexpensive medium and one where people took chances. Things are a bit different now, aren't they?
Category: Books
Throw the book at 'em
By now, you've probably heard that Encyclopaedia Britannica will no longer be published in book form. It will, however, continue to be available online. If it's been a while since you've seen this encyclopedia on a bookshelf, have a look at one of the commercials featuring Donavan. You remember Donavan, don't you? No? Well, you might remember his dad, Stan Freberg. Stan's voice is in the commercial, too. Excellent!