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From IFAC, IAASB, IAESB, IESBA & IPSASB. For additional resources from third-party sources, see:
- Global Knowledge Gateway, your portal to global accountancy knowledge, resources, and news; and
- MOSAIC website, your portal to global accountancy development.
IESBA Strategy Survey Questionnaire
Released: Apr 19, 2017
Due: Jul 18, 2017
22 Pages | English
Related: Code of Ethics, IESBA
Exposure Drafts and Consultation Papers, Surveys & Reports
Financial Reporting for Heritage in the Public Sector
Consultation Paper
Released: Apr 11, 2017
Due: Sep 30, 2017
Related: IPSAS, IPSASB, PFM, public sector, sovereign debt
Proposed Revisions Pertaining to Safeguards in the Code—Phase 2 and Related Conforming Amendments
Released: Jan 24, 2017
Due: Apr 25, 2017
58 Pages | English
Related: Code of Ethics, IESBA
Improving the Structure of the Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants—Phase 2
Released: Jan 24, 2017
Due: May 25, 2017
143 Pages | English
Related: Code of Ethics, IESBA
Proposed Revisions to Clarify the Applicability of Provisions in Part C of the Extant Code to Professional Accountants in Public Practice
Released: Jan 24, 2017
Due: Apr 25, 2017
14 Pages | English
Related: Code of Ethics, IESBA
Discussion Paper, Exploring the Demand for Agreed-Upon Procedures Engagements and Other Services, and the Implications for the IAASB's International Standards
Released: Nov 29, 2016
Due: Mar 29, 2017
Related: assurance, auditing, IAASB, ISA
Exploring the Growing Use of Technology in the Audit, with a Focus on Data Analytics
Released: Sep 01, 2016
Due: Feb 15, 2017
Discussion Paper, Supporting Credibility and Trust in Emerging Forms of External Reporting
Ten Key Challenges for Assurance Engagements
Released: Aug 15, 2016
Due: Feb 03, 2017
76 Pages | English
Related: business reporting, IAASB, integrated reporting
Public Sector Specific Financial Instruments
Consultation Paper
Released: Jul 27, 2016
Due: Dec 31, 2016
Related: adoption & implementation, IPSAS, IPSASB, public sector
IAASB's Work Plan for 2017‒2018 and Continuing Relevance of Its Strategic Objectives
18 Pages | English
Related: assurance, auditing, IAASB
Exposure Drafts and Consultation Papers, Surveys & Reports


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Photo Coverage: SMASH Billboard Towers Over Times Square
SMASH makes its long-awaited return to the NBC lineup for a second season on Tuesday, February 5 (9-10 p.m. ET) and will continue in its regular time slot on Tuesday, February 12 (10-11 p.m. ET). Season two will feature a slew of new talent, including Jennifer Hudson, Jeremy Jordan, Andy Mientus, Krysta Rodriguez, Sean Hayes, Jesse L. Martin, Liza Minnelli, Bernadette Peters, Nikki Blonski, and more. Check out the SMASH billboard that just went up on 42nd Street below!
Back from a successful run in Boston, Eileen (Anjelica Huston), Julia (Debra Messing) and Tom (Christian Borle) are blindsided by both personal and professional obstacles as they seek to take "Bombshell" to Broadway. Karen (Katharine McPhee) consults her new mentor, Broadway star Veronica "Ronnie" Moore (guest star Jennifer Hudson), as she finds herself on the brink of fame, but her success may come at cost to Ivy (Megan Hilty). A new talent (Jeremy Jordan) is discovered in an unexpected place. Jack Davenport, Leslie Odom, Jr., Andy Mientus and Krysta Rodriguez also star. Jennifer Hudson, Thorsten Kaye, and Brian d'Arcy James guest star.
"Smash" is a musical drama that celebrates the beauty and heartbreak of the Broadway theater as it follows a cross-section of dreamers and schemers who all have one common desire - to be a Broadway star. The series stars Emmy Award winner Debra Messing ("Will & Grace"), Oscar winner Anjelica Huston ("Prizzi's Honor"), Jack Davenport ("Pirates of the Caribbean" films), Tony Award winner Christian Borle ("Peter and the Starcatcher"), Katharine McPhee ("American Idol"), Megan Hilty ("9 to 5: The Musical"), Tony Award nominee Jeremy Jordan ("Newsies"), Andy Mientus ("Spring Awakening"), Leslie Odom Jr. ("Leap of Faith") and Krysta Rodriguez ("Spring Awakening").
From Universal Television in association with DreamWorks Television, "Smash" stemmed from an idea of executive producer and multiple Emmy and Oscar winner Steven Spielberg ("ER," "Schindler's List"). The series' executive producers also include Joshua Safran ("Gossip Girl"), Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (Oscar-winning "Chicago," "Hairspray"), Darryl Frank and Justin Falvey ("United States of Tara," "The Borgias"), Tony and Grammy Award winners Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman ("Hairspray," "Catch Me If You Can"), Jim Chory ("Heroes," "American Dreams") and Theresa Rebeck.
Photo Credit: Walter McBride
Billboard for 'Smash'
Billboard for 'Smash'

subset: commoncrawl


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World-class athletes have driven us to create innovation after innovation, and Flak Jacket takes that to the next level with the latest in performance technology. The frame offers O Matter™ and Unobtanium® components for a comfortably secure fit and pure Plutonite® lenses to filter out 100% of all UV rays.
High Definition Optics® (HDO®) is a collection of patented technologies that allow Oakley eyewear to meet or exceed the testing standards of the American National Standards Institute for optical clarity, visual fidelity, and impact resistance.


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There has been a lot of goodness over the last few days. I feel stuffed with gratitude and joy!
We try to have a beach afternoon once a week. It's glorious. Except when someone falls in. Twice. I was trying not not laugh and failing miserably. Luckily my very wet small boy held himself together and once we changed in the car, wanted to go back for the walk.
But, I did not have a dry top for him. No problem, I sandwiched him in his sisters (size 1) coat and off we went. Ha!!!
My Mom and I went on a date to Little & Friday cafe (Mon put me onto this cafe) I am such a baking snob (don't hate me) and this cafe bakes better than I do. It's AMAZING. And doesn't my Mom look good? We are nearing the end of the hateful chemo and I cannot wait.
We have had some serious growth spurts and the kiddies feet seem to have grown overnight! New gumboots were called for. Kiwis are in love with gumboots and I am a convert. Our long wet winters mean gumboots are great at keeping the kiddies feet warm and dry. They pop on and off at the door to the house and warm dry socks mean little feet are toasty. New grey truck ones for Rupi and pink strawberry shortcake ones for Blossom...
Lastly I am free! I forgot how awful miscarrying was and it's done and dusted. I will never have to go through that again, whoop!!


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LeTourneau University will begin classes for new and returning students for the fall 2012 semester on Tuesday, Aug. 28. New student registration and check-in to residence halls will be Thursday, Aug. 23. New student orientation and testing sessions will be from Thursday, Aug. 23, through Monday, Aug. 27. Returning students can check into their residence halls Sunday, Aug. 26. Registration for classes for returning students is Monday, Aug. 27.
The last day to register or change registration is Monday, Sept. 3. LeTourneau University will hold classes on Labor Day.
LETU has added several academic degree offerings that launch this fall, including undergraduate degrees in communications focusing on integrated media management, sports communication, forensic chemistry, health information systems, international studies and several new mathematics concentrations. A new graduate degree, the Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, also launches this fall.
New faculty members for 2012-2013 include Dr. Frederick Baliraine, assistant professor of biology; Dr. Benjamin W. Caldwell, assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Dr. Jonathan A. Demko, assistant professor of mechanical engineering; Dr. Vivian E. Fernand, assistant professor of chemistry; Dr. Edward L. Hamilton, assistant professor of physics; Dr. Darryl D. Low, assistant professor of civil engineering; and Dr. Melanie G. Watson, visiting assistant professor of mechanical engineering. LETU also welcomes Misti Harriss, visiting instructor of marketing; Melissa Watson, assistant professor of library science and head librarian; and Phillip S. Manning as its missionary-in-residence.
LeTourneau University is an interdenominational Christ-centered university located in Longview, Texas, offering academic majors in aviation, business, communication, criminal justice, education, engineering, health science-nursing, human services, kinesiology, the liberal arts, the sciences and psychology. LeTourneau University also offers graduate degrees in business administration, counseling, education, engineering, psychology and strategic leadership.
In addition to its residential campus in Longview, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs online and at educational centers in Athens, Austin, Baytown, Bedford, Dallas, Harlingen, Houston, and Tyler.
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Visit our main website at www.StDavids.com
Patricia Griffin Kellicker, BSN
Drug withdrawal is a reaction the body can have if a person suddenly stops using illegal drugs, prescription medications, or alcohol. This can occur if the person has been using drugs, medications, or alcohol regularly. Depending on the type and amount of the substance you were using, withdrawal can be a life-threatening condition.
Drug withdrawal can be caused by illegal drugs, prescription medications, or alcohol.
Factors that increase your chances of drug withdrawal include:
Withdrawal symptoms are different based on what you used. Symptoms may include:
Anxiety is a symptom of drug withdrawal from substances like cocaine and alcohol.
Copyright © Nucleus Medical Media, Inc.
You will be asked about your symptoms and medical history. A physical exam will be done. Your bodily fluids may be tested. This can be done through blood and urine tests.
Talk with your doctor about the best
treatment plan for you.
Treatment options
include one or more of the following:
This is the first step in treating substance abuse. You will be closely checked for signs of withdrawal. You may be given medications to reduce cravings. Medications will also help to reduce withdrawal symptoms, which can be severe. Treatment is targeted to the specific symptoms and drugs used.
You may need to enroll in a rehabilitation program. This treatment uses behavioral therapy to prevent you from using drugs in the future. Behavioral therapy may include the following:
Residential treatment is sometimes needed. The typical stay is 6-12 months. These facilities will help you learn how to live a drug-free life.
Support groups
offer continued support for a drug- or alcohol-free life. Some support groups are Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous, and Alcoholics Anonymous.
To help reduce your chances of developing drug withdrawal, take the following steps:
National Institute on Drug Abuse
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Narcotics Anonymous
Buprenorphine: an alternative to methadone.
Med Lett Drugs Ther. 2003; 45:13.
Drugs, brains, and behavior. The science of addiction National Institute for Drug Abuse website. Available at:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/sites/default/files/sciofaddiction.pdf. Updated August 2010. Accessed May 28, 2015.
Drugfacts: Treatment approaches for drug addiction. National Institute for Drug Abuse website. Available at:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/treatment-approaches-drug-addiction. Updated September 2009. Accessed May 28, 2015.
Giannini AJ.
An approach to drug abuse, intoxication, and withdrawal.
Am Fam Physician. 2000;61(9):2763-2774.
Kosten TR, O'Connor PG. Management of drug and alcohol withdrawal.
N Engl J Med. 2003; 348:1786.
O'Connor, PG. Methods of detoxification and their role in treating patients with opioid dependence.
Opioid withdrawal. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated May 20, 2014. Accessed May 28, 2015.
Principles of drug addiction treatment: a research based guide. National Institute of Drug Abuse website. Available at:
http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug-addiction-treatment. Updated December 2012. Accessed May 28, 2015.
Last reviewed May 2015 by Marcin Chwistek, MD
Please be aware that this information is provided to supplement the care provided by your physician. It is neither intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. CALL YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER IMMEDIATELY IF YOU THINK YOU MAY HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider prior to starting any new treatment or with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Copyright © EBSCO Publishing. All rights reserved.
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Officials predict voter turnout will take a hit in the Northeast as residents deal with the lingering problems from Sandy. William Biamonte, an elections commissioner for Nassau County, New York joins a special edition of NewsNation to discuss.
New Jersey election officials said Saturday that registered voters displaced by Hurricane Sandy will be able to vote by email -- an electronic process used by state residents who are overseas and service members, but a first for voters living in the state, NBCNewYork.com reported.
The directive is intended to help first responders kept away from home and their local polling places as well as those displaced by the storm.
More post-storm coverage at NBCNewYork.com
Election officials said they will also accept paper ballots through Monday, Nov. 19, as long as they're postmarked by Nov. 6, NBCNewYork.com reported.
"To help alleviate pressure on polling places, we encourage voters to either use electronic voting or the extended hours at county offices to cast their vote," said Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.
Gov. Chris Christie said Friday that his administration is making sure residents can vote, even if their polling stations are without power or no longer exist. The state also will allow residents to drop by their county clerk's office to vote. A specially created text number will allow a voter to see if his or her polling place is still open.
NBCNewYork.com described the email voting system:
Essex County Clerk Chris Durkin told NBC 4 New York the program is being run on an honor system, relying on voters to only use the system if they truly can't get to his or her polling place.
The procedure, according to Durkin, will be to call or email the county clerk to get a ballot application emailed to you.
Once filled out, you email it back, then get the ballot itself emailed to you.
Durkin said you fill the ballot out and email it back, where it will be printed, held several days and cross checked to make sure you didn't vote some other way.
Since officials couldn't figure out a way to confirm a voters name and print the completed ballot witout an election worker looking the voters' choices while handling the ballots, voters will have to check off a waiver of privacy.
It's going to be a long road ahead for millions of families in New York and New Jersey. Morning Joe takes a look back at the week that was Hurricance Sandy.


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The Knicks have already defeated the Indiana Pacers twice in the Mikey Woodson era. However, those two victories came while the Knicks still had the services of Jeremy Lin and Amar'e Stoudemire. Obviously they'll be without those two players tonight so Carmelo Anthony must be the man. Anthony has looked like a man reincarnated over the past four games, averaging 27 points on 48% shooting. Offensively, the Knicks must get contributions from more players in order to pick up the slack created by the absences of Lin and Stoudemire. The Pacers will be giving their full effort tonight. They hate New York and they're not going to be happy going 0-3 against the Knicks this season. It should be a blood bath tonight.
Here's what to watch for:
- These numbers, compiled by NBA.com's John Schuhmann, show that the Knicks are a better team without Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire on the floor together. Notice the difference in both offensive and defensive ratings. These statistics suggest that the Knicks are far better without Amar'e Stoudemire on the floor. Why do I point this out? Because it will be interesting to see how the Knicks perform tonight against another good team. They defeated Indiana twice with Stoudemire and Anthony, as well as Lin, but I want to see how the Knicks perform against Indiana with just Anthony. , I know there aren't a lot of statistics to back me up, but I still believe this team is best with both Stoudemire and Anthony. These stats above don't indicate that, but my train of thought is this: what makes New York dangerous is the ability to have 2 dominant scorers. Stoudemire has not been himself this season due to health, but in theory he should be an elite scorer. Without Stoudemire, and given the Knicks lack of consistent perimeter shooting, I believe teams would be quite intelligent to key on Anthony. The Knicks cannot kill you from downtown consistently, so if you were to deny Anthony from dominating then the Knick offense would be in trouble. I understand the defense is better, but in the playoffs you must score in the half court. The defense was top 10 with Stoudemire all year. These last 13 games, the Knicks play a gauntlet schedule. They play Indiana, Orlando, Chicago twice, the Clippers, Miami and Boston. I want to see, starting tonight, how Schuhmann's statistics hold up when the Knicks play better competition.
- Melo vs Danny Granger. In New York's two prior wins over Indiana, Danny Granger was putridly bad. Carmelo Anthony wasn't great, but he was better than Granger. Tonight, how these two play versus each other is the key matchup in the game. If Granger gets hot offensively, Indiana is a completely different team. When Granger sucks, as he did in the two Knick victories, Indiana's offense is going to struggle. Anthony has been much better offensively and I expect him to continue that tonight. The challenge for the Melo fellow tonight is on the defensive end. Not that Granger kills him, but Anthony cannot led Granger get going tonight. I think Melo can and will do a good job on Granger tonight, but if doesn't the Knicks will be in for a long night.
- Tyson Chandler versus Roy Hibbert is absolutely awesome to watch. In the first Knicks-Pacers matchup, Tyson Chandler took Roy Hibbert's manhood away from him. In the second Knicks-Pacers matchup, Hibbert dominated Chandler with 24 points and 9 rebounds. Without Stoudemire and Lin to perform on offense, the Knicks have to bear down defensively tonight. Chandler has to dominate Hibbert, or at least contain Hibbert, in order for the Knicks to win. I know the Knicks won the last matchup, but if Hibbert has 24 and 12, I think the Knicks will be in trouble. C'mon Tyson!
- Which JR Smith do we get tonight? Do we get the JR Smith who was 1/10 shooting from downtown against Milwaukee, or do we get the JR Smith that scored 20 points against Cleveland on Saturday. Without STAT and Lin, sorry for the broken record-esq writing style, the Knicks need Smith to be consistent. If he can give them 15-20 points every night, the offense will be in good shape. Apart from discount double Steve, the Knicks don't have a lot of outside shooting. If Earl can start consistently shooting 3's, the Knick offense will obviously be far better off. Smith gives them an athletic, scoring dimension off the bench that most teams don't have. If he starts playing like he can, the Knicks will be in really good shape.
- MAKE A DAMN SHOT, LANDRY!! Mr. Fields, the Knicks starting shooting guard, shot 12.5% from downtown in March. That is not a typo. He shot only 2/16 from downtown for the entire month. Need I say any more?


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Peas are considered alkaline, neutral in temperature, moistening and sweet. They are tonifying to the liver, spleen, pancreas, and stomach. They may help reduce the risk of heart disease, stabilize blood sugar levels and help strengthen the stomach. Peas have been used to relieve anemia, boils, and high cholesterol, constipation, coughs, diabetes, hypoglycemia, edema, hiccoughs, spasms, and ulcer pain. In German folk medicine, pea soup is considered an excellent tonic for pregnant women and growing children, nourishing for growing bones.
Peas have been investigated for their potential as a contraceptive agent, for both men and women, due to their content of an anti-fertility substance called m-mylohydroquinone. Peas also contain protease inhibitors and isoflavones, which inhibit the activation of carcinogens. They are anti-inflammatory, galactagogue (increase nursing mother's milk), and laxative. They contain protein, fiber, chlorophyll, carbohydrates, beta-carotene, B complex, C, iron, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. If peas are consumed in excess, they can have thyroid inhibiting factors. They also contain purines, which can aggravate gout in those prone to the disorder.
Look for crisp fresh pea with shiny pods that squeak when rubbed together, as their sugar content quickly, becomes starchier. They can be eaten in the pod, if young and tender. Fresh peas are easier to digest than dried ones. They can be enjoyed as a snack, added to salads, pates, casseroles, juice or soups.
"All we are saying is give peas a chance".


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Udall, Heinrich & Luján: Protect Río Grande del Norte
WASHINGTON - U.S. Senators Tom Udall, Martin Heinrich and Representative Ben Ray Luján, have reintroduced legislation in the Senate and House to protect the Río Grande del Norte in Northern New Mexico, an area comprised of more than 240,000 acres of BLM-managed lands in Taos and Rio Arriba Counties.
Since 2009, the three lawmakers and former Sen. Jeff Bingaman have worked -- with the support of the local communities -- to pass legislation to designate the culturally and recreationally significant lands as a National Conservation Area.
"Some of Northern New Mexico's most historically and culturally rich treasures can be found in these areas," said Udall. "The residents of Taos and Rio Arriba counties have joined us in an effort to protect their incredible landscapes and ensure the lands remain accessible for the benefit of locals and visitors. I was proud to take up this initiative with Jeff Bingaman and we will work to see that the preservation of the Río Grande del Norte is part of his lasting legacy."
"The Río Grande del Norte is home to a great deal of New Mexico's history and culture," said Heinrich. "There are many important traditional, cultural, and religious sites in the Río Grande del Norte that are still in use today. These lands are also important to residents and visitors who come for the recreation opportunities, like hunting and fishing, and who bring a lot of resources into New Mexico's economy, especially rural communities. I am proud to work with my colleagues on this initiative, especially with former Senator Jeff Bingaman, who championed this cause. We will continue his efforts to preserve these lands for future generations."
"Living in New Mexico we have a special connection with the majestic land we are blessed to live on, and the Río Grande del Norte is one of the crowning jewels in our state," Congressman Ben Ray Luján said. "Whether it is for recreation or farming, sustaining a way of life or finding inspiration, the Río Grande del Norte impacts all those who visit and all those who live off the sustenance it provides. Protecting this land should be a top priority, and Secretary Salazar's visit to Taos in December of last year reinforced that there is overwhelming support by the local community to do so."
The House Natural Resources Committee and the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee both held hearings on the legislation last congress.
In an October 2012 letter, Bingaman and Udall asked President Obama to consider designating the area for national monument status. In a separate letter, Luján and Heinrich also asked the administration to make the area a monument.
In December, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar hosted a public meeting in Taos to explore possible protection of the area. Residents showed their overwhelming support for protecting the Río Grande Del Norte and the group unanimously spoke out in favor of a monument designation.
The Taos County Commission, Village of Questa, Taos Chamber of Commerce and Mora Valley Chamber of Commerce, along with over 160 local businesses, support permanent protection of the Río Grande del Norte.
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ROCK OF AGES Cast and More Set for BROADWAY SESSIONS, 1/31
BROADWAY SESSIONS is described as an evening of musical performances, games and open mic featuring a new Broadway guest each week. The show is created and hosted by Ben Cameron (Bway Wicked, Aida and Footloose) and features musical director Joshua Stephen Kartes on piano.
This Thursday, January 31st Broadway Sessions will feature cast members from Rock of Ages performing an "All Mash Ups" evening as well as a condensed "Rock of Ages in 3 minutes" presentation.
Rock of Ages cast members scheduled to perform include Justin Sargent,Cody Scott Lancaster, Josephine Rose Roberts, Tessa Alves, Cassie Silva, Neka Zang, Nick Cordero and Tony LePage.The evening will also feature performances by actress/singer Meg McWhorter. The open mic party follows the show till 2 a.m.
Broadway Sessions takes place every Thursday evening at The Laurie Beechman Theater inside The West Bank Café located at 407 West 42nd Street (corner of 42nd Street and 9th Avenue). 212-695-6909. Doors open at 10:30 pm with showtime at 11pm and musical theater open mic party goes till 2 am. $5 drink specials all night. $5 cover includes a donation to Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids. For more information, visit www.BroadwaySessions.net.


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Latest media releases
UBS SME barometer 4th quarter 2007 - Still full steam ahead for SMEs
Some 500 companies were again surveyed about their business performance in September for the latest UBS SME barometer. The findings of the survey are clear: Swiss SMEs were in top form once again in the third quarter, the business climate was excellent and expectations were in most cases surpassed. The outlook is still positive for the current quarter, but companies expect growth to slow slightly.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) continued to perform extremely well in the third quarter, in fact recording even stronger growth. The service sector in particular can look back on a hugely successful quarter. The companies surveyed are also very optimistic for the current quarter. According to the survey of around 500 companies with fewer than 250 employees, conducted quarterly by UBS in conjunction with the Swiss Industry and Trade Association, SMEs will continue to expand in the fourth quarter. However, the survey participants expect growth to be slightly more moderate.
Renewed acceleration in growth in the third quarter
According to the results of UBS's September survey, Swiss SMEs significantly exceeded their positive expectations for the third quarter. A net 51% of companies recorded an increase in incoming orders, driven by an unexpectedly strong rise in export demand. While SMEs in the services sector benefited from growth in orders from abroad, industrial companies also enjoyed a rise in exports thanks to favorable price trends in export markets. The Swiss franc's weakness against the euro played a key role in this. Overall, the companies surveyed were able to hire increasing numbers of new employees. Despite the sharp acceleration in production growth they also reported larger order backlogs.
Ongoing capital spending underlines the positive expectations
Against this solid backdrop, one-third of the SMEs surveyed plan to increase capital spending on capacity expansion in 2008, while around half are likely to spend about the same as in 2007. 44% of companies rate their overall current capital spending activity as above-average, and one-third of survey participants say the same is also true of their plans for 2008. This planned capital spending underlines the positive expectations of the SME sector, which anticipates demand and earnings growth to remain high and weaken only slightly in the current quarter. On balance, 40% of SMEs expect to see further improvement in the business climate in the fourth quarter. This is in line with the responses of the large companies surveyed for comparative purposes. Within the SME sector, however, the services companies stand out for their very high expectations for the fourth quarter. Overall, order books are full and companies are still recruiting. Both the strong euro and the prospering export markets look set to provide a positive boost to Swiss SMEs and keep them in good shape in the fourth quarter.
UBS SME barometer
Notes: black bars = realized figures for the previous quarters; shaded bars = expectations for the current quarter; balance of the "gains" and "losses" reported (year-on-year) according to UBS survey: business climate = average of the balance of new orders and sales reported
The methodology used in determining the UBS SME barometer
The UBS SME barometer is based on an evaluation of the UBS survey on manufacturing that has been carried out by the Bank since 1975 and which was extended from the third quarter of 2006 to include service providers. Around 700 companies (500 SMEs and 200 large companies), which form a representative cross-section of the Swiss economy, are surveyed every quarter. Any companies employing less than 250 people are classed as SMEs. The barometer reports the balances of the current and expected business climate, employment, sales prices and earnings of SMEs as a whole. These indicators are reported as weighted averages of the performance of each sector (manufacturing/services), with the weighting being based on contributions to value added in the overall economy by these sectors in 2005. The responses obtained from our survey are evaluated using a diffusion index: the balance for each indicator represents the difference between the percentages of companies reporting a positive or negative trend. It does not therefore represent a percentage rate of change. A comparison indicator has also been developed so that the barometer does not only provide information on the economic health of SMEs over the course of time, but is also able to allow a comparison to be made with large companies. It is defined as the balance of the SME business climate less the balance for large companies. Irrespective of the absolute economic situation, a rise indicates a relative improvement of SMEs in comparison with large companies, while a decline indicates the reverse.
Appendix: UBS SME barometer in figures
Felix Brill
Economics & Swiss Research
Tel. +41 44 234 35 54
Carla Duss
Economic & Swiss Research
Tel. +41 44 234 21 19
Schweizerischer Gewerbeverband (SGV)*
Dr. Rudolf Horber
Politischer Sekretär SGV /
Tel. +41 31 380 14 34
Edgar R. Minder
Mediensprecher SGV
Tel. +41 31 380 14 41
* The Schweizerischer Gewerbeverband (SGV) is the umbrella organisation for small and medium-sized enterprises. It was founded in 1879 and is now the biggest economic association in Switzerland. The SGV is active in representing the interests of some 300,000 small and medium-sized enterprises, most of which are members of approximately 250 industry and professional associations and of the cantonal industry and trade associations, which are organised on a multi-sectoral basis.


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Maureen Renee Horton, M.D.
Co-Director, Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic
Professor of Medicine
Expertise: Autoimmune Diseases, Autoimmune Lung Disease, Interstitial Lung Disease, Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
Research Interests: Physiology; Idiophathic pulmonary fibrosis; Interstitial lung disease; Occupational lung disease
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Dr. Maureen Horton is an associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She holds a joint appointment in environmental health sciences at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her areas of clinical expertise include autoimmune diseases, autoimmune lung disease and interstitial lung disease. Dr. Horton serves as the co-director of the Johns Hopkins Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic.
She earned her M.D. from Johns Hopkins, where she also completed a residency in internal medicine and a fellowship in pulmonary and critical care medicine.
Her research interests include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial lung disease and occupational lung disease.
Dr. Horton is a graduate of the Leadership Program for Women Faculty and is also appointed on the Research Compensation Subcommittee at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
- Co-Director, Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic
- Professor of Medicine
Departments / Divisions
- Medicine - Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine
- Medicine - Pulmonary and Respiratory
- Medicine - Pulmonary Medicine
Centers & Institutes
- FAMRI (Flight Attendant Medical Research Institute) Center of Excellence at Johns Hopkins
- MD, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (1992)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Internal Medicine (1995)
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine / Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine (1999)
Board Certifications
- American Board of Internal Medicine / Critical Care Medicine (2000)
- American Board of Internal Medicine / Pulmonary Disease (1999)
Research & Publications
Research Summary
Dr. Horton has extensive research in pulmonary fibrosis, both in preclinical models and in human trials. Her lab has been able to help rapidly develop novel, genetic, tissue-specific models of immune dysfunction that were important in defining the immune regulation of fibrosis as well as to develop and test strategies to arrest and treat these diseases. She has utilized immunotherapy, in the form of T cell skewing, to prevent and reverse chemical-induced lung fibrosis.
She is co-director of the Johns Hopkins Interstitial Lung Disease Clinic and served as primary investigator on clinical trials for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), which led to the discovery of one of the first treatments shown to improve quality of life in IPF. She is also site investigator for several past and present pharmacologic trials for IPF, including the hallmark ASCEND trial leading to the recent FDA approval of the first drug, pirfenidone, to slow down the progression of IPF.
Selected PublicationsView all on Pubmed
Hillel AT, Samad I, Ma G, Ding D, Sadtler K, Powell JD, Lane AP, Horton MR. "Dysregulated macrophages are present in bleomycin-induced murine laryngotracheal stenosis." Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 Aug;153(2):244-50.
Namba DR, Ma G, Samad I, Ding D, Pandian V, Powell JD, Horton MR, Hillel AT. "Rapamycin inhibits human laryngotracheal stenosis-derived fibroblast proliferation, metabolism, and function in vitro." Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2015 May;152(5):881-8.
Leone RD, Horton MR, Powell JD. "Something in the air: hyperoxic conditioning of the tumor microenvironment for enhanced immunotherapy." Cancer Cell. 2015 Apr 13;27(4):435-6.
Limjunyawong N, Fallica J, Horton MR, Mitzner W. "Measurement of the pressure-volume curve in mouse lungs." J Vis Exp. 2015 Jan 27;(95):52376.
Hillel AT, Namba D, Ding D, Pandian V, Elisseeff JH, Horton MR. "An in situ, in vivo murine model for the study of laryngotracheal stenosis." JAMA Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2014 Oct;140(10):961-6.
Hamblin MJ, Eberlein M, Black K, Hallowell R, Collins S, Chan-Li Y, Horton MR. "Lovastatin inhibits low molecular weight hyaluronan induced chemokine expression via LFA-1 and decreases bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis." Int J Biomed Sci. 2014 Sep;10(3):146-57.
Aggarwal NR, Tsushima K, Eto Y, Tripathi A, Mandke P, Mock JR, Garibaldi BT, Singer BD, Sidhaye VK, Horton MR, King LS, D'Alessio FR. "Immunological priming requires regulatory T cells and IL-10-producing macrophages to accelerate resolution from severe lung inflammation." J Immunol. 2014 May 1;192(9):4453-64.
Heikamp EB, Patel CH, Collins S, Waickman A, Oh MH, Sun IH, Illei P, Sharma A, Naray-Fejes-Toth A, Fejes-Toth G, Misra-Sen J, Horton MR, Powell JD. "The AGC kinase SGK1 regulates TH1 and TH2 differentiation downstream of the mTORC2 complex." Nat Immunol. 2014 May;15(5):457-64. doi: 10.1038/ni.2867. Epub 2014 Apr 6.
Zhao H, Chan-Li Y, Collins SL, Zhang Y, Hallowell RW, Mitzner W, Horton MR. "Pulmonary delivery of docosahexaenoic acid mitigates bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis." BMC Pulm Med. 2014 Apr 18;14:64. doi: 10.1186/1471-2466-14-64.
Limjunyawong N, Mitzner W, Horton MR. "A mouse model of chronic idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis." Physiol Rep. 2014 Feb 25;2(2):e00249.
Sussan TE, Ingole V, Kim JH, McCormick S, Negherbon J, Fallica J, Akulian J, Yarmus L, Feller-Kopman D, Wills-Karp M, Horton MR, Breysse PN, Agrawal A, Juvekar S, Salvi S, Biswal S. Source of Biomass Cooking Fuel Determines Pulmonary Response to Household Air Pollution. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2013 Oct 8. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 24102120
Lechtzin N, Hilliard ME, Horton MR. Validation of the Cough Quality-of-Life Questionnaire in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Chest. 2013 Jun;143(6):1745-9. doi: 10.1378/chest.12-2870. PMID: 23519393
Black KE, Collins SL, Hagan RS, Hamblin MJ, Chan-Li Y, Hallowell RW, Powell JD, Horton MR. Hyaluronan fragments induce IFNβ via a novel TLR4-TRIF-TBK1-IRF3-dependent pathway. J Inflamm (Lond). 2013 May 30;10(1):23. doi: 10.1186/1476-9255-10-23. PMID: 23721397
Lechtzin N, Horton MR. Author reply: To PMID 22986377. Ann Intern Med. 2013 Mar 19;158(6):498-9. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-158-6-201303190-00016. No abstract available. PMID: 23553005
Collins S, Waickman A, Basson A, Kupfer A, Licht JD, Horton MR, Powell JD. Regulation of CD4? and CD8? effector responses by Sprouty-1. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e49801. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0049801. Epub 2012 Nov 15. PMID: 23166773
Horton MR, Hallowell RW. Revisiting thalidomide: fighting with caution against idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Drugs Today (Barc). 2012 Oct;48(10):661-71. doi: 10.1358/dot.2012.48.10.1855760. Review. PMID: 23110262
Horton MR, Santopietro V, Mathew L, Horton KM, Polito AJ, Liu MC, Danoff SK, Lechtzin N. Thalidomide for the treatment of cough in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a randomized trial. Ann Intern Med. 2012 Sep 18;157(6):398-406. doi: 10.7326/0003-4819-157-6-201209180-00003. PMID: 22986377
Hallowell RW, Reed RM, Fraig M, Horton MR, Girgis RE. Severe pulmonary hypertension in idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia. Pulm Circ. 2012 Jan-Mar;2(1):101-6. doi: 10.4103/2045-8932.94842. PMID: 22558525
Collins SL, Chan-Li Y, Hallowell RW, Powell JD, Horton MR. Pulmonary vaccination as a novel treatment for lung fibrosis. PLoS One. 2012;7(2):e31299. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031299. Epub 2012 Feb 17. PMID: 22363610
Powell JD, Pollizzi KN, Heikamp EB, Horton MR. Regulation of immune responses by mTOR. Annu Rev Immunol. 2012;30:39-68. doi: 10.1146/annurev-immunol-020711-075024. Epub 2011 Nov 29. Review. PMID: 22136167
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But don't worry, according to the MSM he's totally a "devout Christian" or something.
Quote:President Obama has picked Myrlie Evers-Williams, widow of slain civil rights icon Medgar Evers, to deliver the invocation at his public swearing-in later this month. It is believed to be the first time a woman, and a layperson rather than a clergy member, has been chosen to deliver what may be America's most prominent public prayer.
The inaugural committee Tuesday plans to announce that the benediction will be given by conservative evangelical pastor Louie Giglio, founder of the student-focused Passion Conferences, which draw tens of thousands of people to events around the world.
The contrasting choice of speakers are typical of a president who has walked a sometimes complicated path when it comes to religion — working to be inclusive to the point that critics at times have questioned his faith.
It's the "BILL OF RIGHTS" not the bill of "needs"


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Live or live-cut … that is the question for this year's holiday tradition of decorating an evergreen indoors for Christmas.
You may think that you are being a better environmental steward by purchasing a live tree; not necessarily. Live-cut Christmas trees are a 100 percent renewable resource that is reusable, recyclable and biodegradable. They are an American product, farms employ approximately 100,000 people each year; and one acre of planted Christmas trees provides the daily oxygen requirement for 18 people.
10 years ago . . .
Births announced this week are: Sarah Jo Doyle, Dec. 5, daughter of David K. and Dorothy Jo (Hedrick) Doyle; Hunter Marie Griffith, Dec. 11, daughter of Chris Griffith and Andrea Griffith; Dakota Tyler Morris, Dec. 17, son of Brad and Trish Morris; Summer Ann Marie Quigley, Dec. 12, daughter of Christina La Shanne Quigley and Dustin T. Quigley; Austin Maverick Whitaker, Dec. 15, son of Kenny and Lisa Whitaker.
Cynthiana's new mayor, Virgie Wells, will be installed in a ceremony Sunday.
* Cynthiana Democrat, July 26, 1917 - "Locust Grove news - Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Padgett spent a delightful day Sunday with the family of Otis McCauley; Mr. and Mrs. Noah McCauley and son were the guests Sunday of Sarah McCauley; Mayme Fryman spent Sunday night with Bertie Mae Fields; James Reno, wife and two children, Hazel and Malcom, of Cynthiana, dined Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. S. D. McCauley; Mr. and Mrs. Grover McCauley and babe spent Saturday night and Sunday with Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Taylor. A jolly crowd of 20 from here spent a delightful day at Poindexter Saturday fishing.
Madeline Kate Williams
Madeline Kate Williams was born to Justin and Kelsey (Turner) Williams on Nov. 26, 2008 at Sentara Norfolk General Hospital in Norfolk Va.
She weighed 7 lbs. 7 oz.
Maternal grandparents are Randy Turner and Kathy (Brown) Turner, both of Cynthiana.
Paternal grandparents are Larry and Mary (Stanfield) Williams of Cynthiana.
Justin is in the United States Navy aboard the USS Dwight D Eisenhower.
Both Kelsey and Justin are originally from Cynthiana.
Benjamin Matthew Marsh
Benjamin Matthew Marsh was born on Oct. 19, 2008 at Central Baptist Hospital to Matthew and Kristy Marsh of Lexington, Ky. He weighed 7 lbs. 14 oz.
Maternal grandparents are Mark and Patty Boll of Columbus, Ohio; maternal great-grandparents are Pat and Mary Melaragno of Columbus and the late George and Rose Ann Boll.
Paternal grandparents are J Frank and Wanda Marsh of Harrison County; great-grandparents are the late Frank and Lauretta Marsh and the late Harvey and Lottie Cordray.
Matthew Conway Williams
Matthew Conway Williams was born to Crystal Tolliver and Robbie Williams of Paris, Ky. on Nov. 10, 2008 at Harrison Memorial Hospital. He weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz., and is welcomed by his brothers, Steven and Kenny, and sisters, Kimberly, Charity and Haley Williams.
Maternal grandparents are Lee and Patricia Tolliver of Paris, Ky.; maternal great-grandparents are Ella Mae and Ray Tolliver.
Paternal grandparents are Margaret and Melvin Williams of Paris; paternal great-grandparents are Etta Williams, Orie Williams, Bob and Lorene Stanfield.
Since its inception in 1909, the 4-H program in Kentucky has helped shape the state's youth into productive, contributing members of society.Over the years, the organization has transformed to meet the needs of generations of young people. As the 4-H program in Kentucky celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2009, now is a good time to reflect on organization's past accomplishments and plan for the future.
Luke Preston Hatfield
Luke Preston Hatfield was born to Josh and Jennifer Hatfield on July 29, 2008 at Central Baptist Hospital, Lexington, Ky.
He weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz., and is welcomed by his brother Jace Parker Hatfield.
Maternal grandparents are the Rev. Rodney and Delores Hensley of Rose Hill, Va.
Paternal grandparents are Myron and Joyce Hatfield of Pennington Gap, Va., and Betsy and Danny Haley of Cynthiana; paternal great-grandparents are Lula Thomas, Betty Hatfield and the late William Howard Hatfield, all of Cynthiana.
Homemaker Dues are due now for new or renewing members. There are 13 clubs available active members. Mailbox members are $8. Flashlights are a free give away to everyone who joins. Consider giving a mailbox membership to a friend or shut in.
Holiday Cooking School. Thursday, Dec. 11 at Cedar Ridge Health Care Campus at 5:30 p.m. featuring Cheryl Case, County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Science and Jara Bauer, R.D. Harrison Memorial Hospital. There is no cost, but please register by calling 234-5510. There will be door prizes, recipes and tasting.
Births announced this week are: Kevin Austin Barnett, Dec. 4, son of Kenneth and Paula Barnett; Austin Wayne Thomas Bevins, Dec. 4, son of Mary Jane Bevins and Gerald Thomas Wright Jr.; Taylor Leigh Harney, Dec. 2, daughter of Jeff and Kathy Harney; Autumn Marie Smith, Dec. 6, daughter of Ben and April Smith; Luke Jennings Stephens, Nov. 28, son of Ronnie and Becky Stephens.
The annual Christmas dinner will be held Sunday, Dec. 7, immediately following the second service. Meat and drinks will be provided.Everyone is asked to bring a side dish or dessert.
The children and adults will present a Christmas musical on Sunday, Dec. 14 at 6 p.m.
The traditional Christmas Eve service will take place at 10 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24.
Thanks to everyone who helped in with the Soup and Basket Auction that was held this past weekend.
Christmas Program. At the Berry United Methodist Church will take place on Sunday, Dec. 7 at 6:30 p.m. The program director will be Sherry Gillespie. She has put together a new program.
Piper RhiAnnon-Rae True
Piper RhiAnnon-Rae True was born to Randy and Greta (Wohlwinder) True of Berry, Ky. on Sept. 17, 2008 at Georgetown Community Hospital. She weighed 7 lbs., 12 oz. and is welcomed by her brothers, Dane and Gavin True.
Maternal grandparents are Charlie and Susie Wohlwinder of Cynthiana; maternal great-grandparents are Anna May Henry of Carlisle and the late Preston Henry, and the late Cecil and Doris Wohlwinder of Cynthiana.
*Log Cabin, Nov. 11, 1905 -- "The first newspaper in Cynthiana was the 'Guardian of Liberty' published from Jan. 18, 1817 to March 13, 1819, possibly longer by John G. Keenan in the Redmon building on Court Square. 'The Cynthiana Advertiser' was established in 1821, continuing until 1827, 'The Gleaner' and the 'Visitor,' the latter a literary paper, were published from 1830 to about 1838. 'The Cynthiana News' was established in 1850 by John Atkinson and was purchased in 1851 by Major A. J. Morey."
Cynthiana firefighters didn't have to go home to have Thanksgiving dinner with their families.
While most were home preparing Thanksgiving meals for the following day, firefighters and their families celebrated together Wednesday afternoon at fire station 1.
"The great thing about working at the fire department is all the nieces and nephews you inherit," said Chief Jay Sanders.
Nathaniel Allen Carson
Nathaniel Allen Carson was born to Crystal and Josh Carson of Cynthiana on Nov. 24, 2008 at Harrison Memorial Hospital. He weighed 7 lbs. 10 oz.
Maternal grandparents are Randy and Diana Herrington of Cynthiana; maternal great-grandparents are David and Judy Fryman and Betty Moore.
Paternal grandparents are Jeff Carson of Cynthiana and Shirley Carson of Berry, Ky.; paternal great-grandparents are Charles Carson Jr. and Peggy Carson.
Births announced this week are: Emily Morgan Florence, Nov. 2, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Anthony Florence; William Nicholas Gunther, Nov. 19, son of Karen and Michael Gunther; Austin Louis and Kirby Tyler Jackson, Nov. 27, twins of Gary and Becky Jackson.
City and county agencies are having trouble agreeing on details of a joint ordinance (on the option for purchase of land for an Industrial Park) that would set the wheels in motion for development of a proposed industrial park.
A healthy food cooking demonstration will be held at the Harrison County Health Department Frankie Casey Taylor Community room at 5 p.m. on Dec. 8. Please bring a recipe that could be modified to offer traditional ethic flavors, but with more health - conscious ingredients and preparation methods.
Attendees are asked to sign up to ensure an adequate amount of food.
Call Carol Carson at 859-588-5981 by Friday, Dec. 5 at noon.
This program is hosted by The Sisters Together Move More, Eat Better committee and Wedco District Health Education.
Copyright © 2019
The Cynthiana Democrat is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Cynthiana, KY and the surrounding area.


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While constantly changing and evolving as an artist, Anat is always drawn to colour and texture. Our natural surroundings become the source of her inspiration; each ANOUK piece is sculpted by hand to evoke the earth's most powerful elemental textures, such as the movement of waves, grains of sand, or porous rock.
"The ancient jewellery of Greece, Rome and Byzantium reflects the primal approach to artistry, bringing out the natural beauty of the precious materials, and leaving a distinct hand print of their maker. I am inspired by the rich tones of metals, the bold colours of precious stones – the nobility of nature's resources."
Questions? Inquiries? Please contact us at : firstname.lastname@example.com
Visit our Queen Street West store to see this designer's full collection in person. For our store location click here.


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Microsoft is an international computer technology corporation that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of software products for computing devices. Its most popular products are the Microsoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Office suite of productivity software.
- Web site http://www.microsoft.com/
- Support web site http://support.microsoft.com/
- Support e-mail email@example.com
- Support phone 1-800-936-3500
Create, deploy and debug applications on a wide array of platforms with the industry leading IDEWindows Version 2010 ... Added: 04/12/10Total Downloads1,031,767Last Week2,996
Get the latest updates for Office 2010 and improve your document management system.Windows Version 1.0 ... Added: 05/21/19Total Downloads692,579Last Week2,366
Do more with Windows on your PC with programs from Microsoft.Windows Version 16.4.35 ... Added: 09/12/17Total Downloads813,532Last Week2,316
Get an update to Microsoft Office Word 2007.Windows Version 1.0 ... Added: 07/20/10Total Downloads1,963,403Last Week1,772
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Get the latest updates for Office 2010 and enhance your document management system.Windows Version 1.0 ... Added: 05/21/19Total Downloads641,790Last Week957
Results 1 - 10 of 3,026


text: The restoration of the Professional Building Lofts in Downtown Kansas City represents urban living in its purest form. Built in 1939, the sixteen-story art deco styled building is a downtown Kansas City landmark, centrally located within blocks of the Power & Light and River Market Districts, and conveniently located on a bus route. High-end finishes, in-unit laundry, and a rooftop deck with skyline views make the Professional Building Lofts an ideal urban living experience.


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Heather Corinna replies:I have two questions that I'd love to get answered. From the answers I've read here you give really good answers to most the questions. I'm on hormonal birth control, and I was late with two pills this past week and had missed one a bit over a week ago. Yesterday me and my boyfriend had intercourse twice and he came in me both times. On the info-thingy that comes with my pills it says that a missed pill in the third week of active pills don't compromise my protection as long as all the others are taken correctly. But I'd been late with two.. I tend to get extremely worried for no good reasons (I was worried I might be pregnant before I'd even kissed a guy and before I got my first period...) so if there was no pregnancy risk I just need to have heard (uhm, read?) it from someone whom I consider an expert. I also wonder how much of a risk for an STI a guy going down on me would present. I know I'm clean now, but when I was still single I was at the receiving end of unprotected oral sex and I really want to know how much of a risk that is for me and how big of a risk it was for the guys in question. Thanks for taking your time with this question.
Starting with the birth control issue, not knowing which pill in particular you're on and not being able to see the insert for myself, I can't give you a 100% answer per promising you I'm being as accurate as I know how to be.
However, there are indeed some BCPs which operate in the way you're describing, and where what you're presenting here would not present a risk. Too, know that if you're on a combination pill, if for those two lates and one missed, none of those pills were more than 24 hours late, you're likely not looking at ANY viable risk at all. If the two late ones were not more than 24 hours late, there's no need to worry about them at all. And with all combination pills, if that one missed pill was the only one you took more than 24 hours late, that would have been unlikely to compromise the effectiveness of your pill as birth control.
Obviously, using condoms with your pills is always a helpful backup, as well as providing protection against infections and diseases which the pill cannot. Since it sounds like you're worried a lot -- and sex is sure a whole lot less fun when you're stressed out, and it IS supposed to be fun -- I'd suggest doubling up with condoms from here on out, if for no other reason than your peace of mind. Too, if you're having a really tough time remembering to take your pills, you can always talk to your sexual healthcare provider about alternatives which won't require you having to remember to take something every day. There are also some cool BCP pill cases with a reminder clock on them (like these) if you like being on the pill and something like that would help you be sure to take it properly.
In terms of the STI risk, your biggest risk would be a Herpes risk (his oral herpes transmitted to you genitally), and considering how many people have oral herpes, and how many people with it aren't aware they have it, that's not an insubstantial risk. In terms of the risk to your partner, again, a herpes risk would be the largest risk (genital herpes can be transmitted to someone's mouth), but there are also risks of a couple other infections. So, per usual, we'll always advise everyone to practice safer sex with barriers for at least six months -- that's latex barriers, testing for both partners, and monogamy -- before going without barriers to reduce risks as best you can.
Hope that helps you out!


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MISENHEIMER, N.C. – The Coker men's soccer team won their second Conference Carolinas game of the season on Saturday (Sept. 22), defeating the Falcons of Pfeiffer, 2-0. The Cobras improve to a 4-2 record and are now 2-0 in the conference.
Enrique Barrientos started the action for the Cobras scoring off a pass from teammate Alan Cuevas. Niko Tirkkonen followed suit scoring just six minutes after Barrientos did, with a goal of his own. The Cobras were able to take a comfortable 2-0 lead into halftime.
The second half was a game of possession for the Cobras. The Cobras did not give Pfeiffer any opportunity to score, as they controlled the ball for much of the second half. The Falcons only took three shots, with one being on target.
All three of Coker's goalkeeper's saw action, but the lone save of the game belonged to James Sweeney.
The Cobras continue on the road as they travel to Francis Marion Wednesday (Sept. 26). Action is scheduled to commence at 7 p.m.


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The last 2 posts were about lone star quilts. Today I decided to show a few of the "other" star quilt tops I have waiting for me to hand quilt.
Here is how I have a lot of the tops stored.
But I do need to get a lot more of them organized
Here are a bunch of vintage star quilt tops (click on pictures to enlarge)
Happy Quilting


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In 2006, Sun Microsystems unveiled the first container data center. Project Blackbox, an energy-efficient, water-cooled turnkey data center housed in an International Standards Organization (ISO) intermodal shipping container, was heralded as a cutting-edge solution for low-cost, rapid deployment of remote and rugged environments. It was adopted for select applications and locations, such as at oil rigs for seismic modeling, windmills in underdeveloped rural areas, and U.S. military posts. "The military used container data centers for rapid deployment and rugged environments," says Rich Hering, technical director mission critical facilities at the Phoenix office of M+W Group, a leading global engineering and construction partner for technology-based clients.
Not long afterward, a few high-tech companies began their own experiments with containerized data centers. Google parked one in an underground parking garage and also proposed a floating data center, located on a cargo ship. In 2008, Microsoft revealed a configuration of 220 shipping containers for a data center in Chicago. "For us, containers have been used more in high-performance data centers," says Hering ."They're used in the cloud environment or if a company needs to expand space without wanting to build a whole brand new data center. They use containers as additional space."
Still others, attracted by the scalability, efficiency, and economics, looked into using a containerized design. Containers became a hot topic for data center operators wanting to increase capacity without waiting for clients to sign on. "It dovetailed into the data center industry, because it was trying to create white space as fast as possible without having to make large investments," says Hering. "They wanted to build the right-sized solution so that they could maximize their dollars-to-square-foot delivery. It was their answer to just-in-time."
Off the Rack
However, when planning a container data center for enterprise applications, drawbacks to the container design became evident. "The belief was that there's a huge market, and that many [end-users] would start using these containers," said Rakesh Kumar, VP of Gartner Research, Stamford, Conn.-based information technology research and advisory company, speaking at a data center forum in March 2011. "What we have found is that the market is nowhere near as big as the vendors thought it was going to be, because of fundamental problems with [the containerized] design."
Surprisingly, the problems pointed to by Kumar include a reversal of the reasons an organization would go with a container design in the first place. First, the promise of a lower cost data center hasn't always come true, especially in comparison with small, early phase traditional data centers. In fact, the cost of the container data centers often reaches the price of a Tier 4-classified center but without the elements offered by that level of data center. Although industry analysts are expecting the price of data center construction to go down in the next few years, few attribute it directly to container design (Data Center Construction Costs).
In addition, the speed of deployment, described as plug-and-play, is oversimplified. Container designs still require a chilled water supply and a secure site, and, in some cases, applications for building permits could delay deployment for months. "That may take many months in many cases to get that," added Kumar, who also said that some clients of data centers may not like the idea of a remote location for their data either. "You can't just position this [container] in a car park and not put any security around it. It still contains mission-critical data, and you may have compliance issues with the industry that you're in."
Reliability is also an issue. "Your tech-savvy companies, like Microsoft or Google, are doing things in a cloud where equipment failure rates are not as big of an impact," says Scott T. Scheibner, P.E., associate senior electrical engineer at the Cambridge, Mass.-based office of KlingStubbins, an internationally recognized design firm with more than 60 years of experience on a wide range of projects. "But companies that have definitely shied away from that type of thing are the financial industry, where each individual component tends to perform its own task, so a single failure may be very impactful to what they're doing."
Furthermore, because vendors provide the container data center as a whole, the equipment inside the container is proprietary from that vendor. This leads to a vendor lock-in for container designs. "A lot of clients have experienced that major manufacturers that make the boxes put their own computers inside of them," says Hering. "They want to sell the entire compute offering, and a lot of companies don't standardize on one particular brand of computers or servers. There's a lack of standardization between container offerings, which has hurt the market. You can't use one container across many different compute platforms.
In addition, because the industry is new and evolving, the equipment expires fairly quickly. "I've pushed the market, for probably the last two years, to try to develop standards for containers, thinking that the container solution is going to be the PC box of the '80s," continues Hering. "It's going to become a box of delivered components, so it has to somehow standardize how it's hooked up — the power and the cooling technologies — so that when a container comes to a site, you have the same docking station, as I refer to them, for each type of container. Right now, the container that you ordered six months earlier has a different connection point than the one you're ordering now. So if I've built my facility to house the ones that I ordered six months ago, now I have to reconfigure my facility to fit the new ones."
Standards could help improve reliability, which is always a key aspect of data centers, according to Scheibner. "Being able to break it down into a standard process and fabricating the systems in a controlled environment will help that reliability," he says. "I think that will have a high level of interest to a lot of clients."
Finally, the very nature of container data centers — the actual container — imposes size restrictions, which, as a result, offer less space for setup and maintenance. "You really have to want to use containers because they're not the easiest environment to build," says Hering, who cites a lack of traditional data center niceties, such as a raised floor, computer room space, and the distances in front and back of the racks. "They're not easy to move servers in and out of," he continues. "They're just not built the same way. So you either have to have a need for a 20-ft container fully loaded and populated, or you have to be able to put up with the downside of operating a data center in a container. So in that case, most of our clients have looked at them as temporary space."
Out of the Box
Notwithstanding minor changes to data center design (Be Cool), the container buzz highlighted the change in design as the first major innovation of the basic physical infrastructure of the data center since the mainframe era. Furthermore, lessons learned from the design of container data center have led to a potential revolution in overall data center design. "The things that are being attempted with some of the containerized solutions now are helping to push a change," says Scheibner.
According to Scheibner, designers are now considering issues such as how to achieve more processing with less infrastructure, and at what point does less reliability outweigh the up-front costs for a more robust infrastructure. "The thinking needs to shift a little bit for a fair number of engineers who still design in the traditional way," says Scheibner. "If you start looking at it more as the data center itself is a piece of equipment rather than the end-user's equipment within the data center, then it would help to change that thinking. It's something that is going to take a little bit of getting used to from an engineering standpoint."
A natural progression in this new way of thinking about data center design is from container to modular, which permits customized components to be prefabricated and commissioned off-site. While modular design draws on these important aspects of containerized design, it is more suitable for enterprise applications (Major Differences Between Modular and Container Data Centers). "In mostly colocation environments, or smaller data centers, the modular environments are the things they kind of lean toward because they're a little more flexible," says Hering.
The most significant data center design trend of the decade, according to The Uptime Institute (the self-described data center authority) is modular and phased. "Certainly, every company building a data center today is using phased, modular design to take advantage of the capital expense savings," said Vince Renaud, VP and managing principal at The Uptime Institute Professional Services, speaking during a panel featuring globally recognized data center design experts at the institute's sixth annual symposium in Santa Clara, Calif., in May 2011. According to Uptime Institute's spring 2011 survey, almost 50% of large data center operators interviewed are considering "going modular."
Additionally, a number of experts in the mission critical field predict dramatic growth in the use of modular data centers in the next five years. IDC, the Framingham, Mass.-based provider of market intelligence, advisory services, and events for the information technology, telecommunications, and consumer technology markets is predicting modular units will increase from 144 units in 2011 to about 220 units this year, although both these numbers may be conservative due to the covert nature of some of the industries, such as the military. However, in August 2011, Data Center Knowledge surveyed its readers and found that 35% were either using modular products or evaluating them with an eye toward adopting the technology in the next 12 to 24 months.
Results of a survey of 90 mission critical professionals conducted by Mortenson Construction, a U.S. data center contractor, and released in February, revealed that 83% of colocation provider respondents and 60% of corporate and public entity respondents will likely make mission-critical investments in the next 12 to 24 months. Although only 23% of respondents indicated their current data center operations include containerized or modular data centers as a major part of operations, 23% marked them as a minor part of their operations, and 54% said they are not part of current operations, 43% are predicting they will be a major future trend in the future — and 52% are claiming it will be at least a minor future trend.
"Today's data center is obsolete when taking modularity and the fast maturation of this market into consideration," says Jason Schafer, research manager at Tier1 Research, researcher of enterprise IT innovation within emerging technology segments. "If data center owners and operators are not at least exploring and considering modular components as a means for data center expansions and new builds, they are putting themselves at a significant disadvantage from a scalability, cost, and possibly maintenance standpoint."
Modular Conveniences
To cut down on the lengthy and expensive process of general nonresidential construction, prefabrication has become more widespread in the last decade. In the wake of the success of more rapid deployment through prefabrication, many public projects now require it as an element of the contract. It is quickly becoming standard practice on state and municipal work, particularly in departments of transportation. According to the Freedonia Group, nonresidential prefabricated building system demand in the United States is expected to increase 7.8% annually to $15.2 billion in 2015.
It is estimated a traditional data center build-out takes between 18 to 24 months. Under modular design, prefabrication for elements in data centers is becoming more common, cutting this time down significantly. "There's a lot of advanced planning that needs to happen with the larger systems, because you've got much larger duct bank runs and a lot more hurdles because of the system sizes," says Hering. "Whereas with the modular solution, you're doing a lot of wiring prefab off-site. It cuts schedule, saving time. Plus, with a smaller building block, it might be a little bit easier to get some of the flexibility in the installation."
Likewise, the prefabrication that comes with modular designs removes integration clashes associated with full on-site construction methods. "The biggest allure that you find is twofold," says Scheibner. "You get the rapid deployment, as well as the standard factory design, which gives you a little bit higher quality assurance. It's a repeatable process, and you're able to test everything in the environment as it's installed so you don't have the large commissioning times that you see on a larger, traditional design built system."
For example, the realty industry uses what it refers to as turnkey data centers, which is a generalized space that measures about 2MW and is made up of predesigned electrical components. "It's more or less cookie cutter," says Hering. "You're delivering these spaces, and your designs are all the same — so that's called a modularized design."
According to Scheibner, a modular design makes planning easier too. "The end-user of the data center doesn't necessarily have a great understanding of what their five-year or even 10-year outlook will be," he says. "So in order to make an investment to build the right system in a traditional build, you have take into account a large time frame of growth so that you aren't going through the process consecutively and getting to a state of continuous building." As a result, says Scheibner, most traditional data centers are overbuilt.
In this way, modular designs are more flexible than even containers, says Hering. "They offer connectivity to a broader amount of computers," he says. "So again, I'm building this modular system for delivery of power that is going to go to, say, the protocol description unit (PDU) level, and from there I'm going to supply power out of there. Or I'm delivering a larger air-handler unit, which will supply so much cubic feet per meter (CFM) to a space, so I can build my space based on that amount. Modularity is so much more flexible."
SIDEBAR: Be Cool
A recent study released by IMS Research USA, Austin, Texas, reveals rack-level cooling devices will grow by 12% from 2011 to 2016, accounting for more than half a billion USD in 2016. According to the study, "The World Market for Data Center Cooling – 2012 Ed.," the fastest growing national markets for rack-level cooling equipment are forecast to grow by more than 20% over this five-year period.
Data centers require specialized cooling to handle the heating load from IT equipment. The increasing computing capacity of new servers of greater power density has created the need to cool hot spots in the data center more efficiently. Rack- and row-level cooling is the most suitable solution. "Unlike in the early years of data centers, when the only objective was to maintain general room temperature inside the data center, efficiency has become a major concern for data center operators because of the increasing cost of operating the cooling equipment," says Andrés Gallardo, IMS Research analyst. "Furthermore, this equipment has also become more crucial to a company's operation; and technology has enabled facilities with increasing densities. For these reasons, the growth of rack-level solutions continues to outpace that of room-cooling products as these products offer efficient cooling for high-density loads."
Despite the high growth of rack-based cooling, room cooling will remain the largest part of the market over the next five years as most data center designs still call for room cooling. Moreover, new builds in emerging markets are often lower density and do not require supplemental cooling.
Sidebar: Major Differences Between Modular & Container Data Centers
Sidebar: Data Center Construction Costs
Christian Belady, general manager, data center research at Microsoft's Global Foundation Services, is estimating the cost of data centers will decrease from an average construction cost of $15 million per megawatt to $6 million per megawatt in five years, resulting in a flattening of year-over-year growth. Yet, Belady attributes the reduction in cost not to container design but to the cloud computing model. According to Belady, these designs leverage scale and application redundancy, as opposed to finding savings in infrastructure.
"There is a force that is affecting the annual growth in data center construction that is a bit more tangible: the shift from highly redundant and well-controlled data centers to lower cost, highly efficient cloud data center designs," says Belady. "These designs leverage their scale and application redundancy, as opposed to hardware redundancy to drive down cost. In addition, these designs use aggressive economizations that employ either liquid or air to help drive down cost and substantially improve efficiency. These data centers today are characterized by costs on the order of $6 million per megawatt and will continue to go lower in the future."
Belady based his estimates on Microsoft's internal numbers and looking at public numbers from cloud scale providers, such as Yahoo's $5 million per megawatt Yahoo! Computing Coop.


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Here we consider two conjunctions of apples and oranges in the world of science.
1. This video shows someone finding out how many round, juicy oranges it takes to power an Apple iPhone.
2. Scott Sandford's classic article "Apples and Oranges," published in volume 1, no. 3 of the Annals of Improbable Research. Sandford writes: "it is not difficult to demonstrate that apples and oranges can, in fact, be compared… Figure 2 shows a comparison of the 4000-400 cm-1 (2.5-25 mm) infrared transmission spectra of a [dessicated] Granny Smith apple and a [dessicated] Sunkist Navel orange.
This post originally appeared in The Annals of Improbable Research.


text:
National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
April 1998
National Weather Service
National Centers for
Environmental Prediction
Concerns of possible global ozone depletion (e.g., WMO/UNEP, 1994) have led to major
international programs to monitor and explain the observed ozone variations in the
stratosphere. In response to these, and other long-term climate concerns, NOAA has
established routine monitoring programs using both ground-based and satellite measurement
techniques (OFCM, 1988).
Selected indicators of stratospheric climate are presented in each Summary
from information contributed by NOAA personnel. A Summary for the Northern
Hemisphere is issued each April, and, for the Southern Hemisphere,
each December. These Summaries are available on the World-Wide-Web at the
site: http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov
with location: products/stratosphere/winter_bulletins
Further information may be obtained from Melvyn E. Gelman
NOAA, Climate Prediction Center
5200 Auth Road
Camp Springs, MD 20746-4304
Telephone: (301) 763-8000 ext.7558
Fax: (301) 763-8125
E-mail: email@example.com
Ozone measurements for the Northern Hemisphere middle and high latitudes during the
winter/spring of 1997-1998 showed positive zonal mean total ozone anomalies of up to 8
percent. However, total column ozone values for February and March 1998, over the Arctic,
from Greenland, to northern Europe and northern Siberia, were about 10 percent lower than
values observed during these months in the early 1980s. Lower stratosphere temperatures
over the north polar region in November and December 1997 reached record low values.
Temperatures observed were sufficiently low within the polar vortex, in the regions of low
ozone, for chemical destruction of ozone on polar stratospheric cloud particles. Total
ozone has decreased since 1979 over the mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere at the
rate of 2 to 4 percent per decade.
The data available are listed below. This combination of complementary data, from
different platforms and sensors, provides a strong capability to monitor global ozone and
We used the total column ozone data from the NASA Nimbus-7 SBUV
instrument from 1979 through 1988; the NOAA-11 SBUV/2 from January 1989 to August 1994;
the NOAA-9 SBUV/2 instrument from September 1994 to June 1997; and the NOAA-14 SBUV/2
beginning July 1997. Solar Backscatter Ultra-Violet instruments can only produce data for
daylight-viewing conditions, so no SBUV/2 data are available at polar latitudes during
winter darkness. Increasing loss of NOAA-11 data at sub-polar latitudes was caused by
satellite precession from 1989 to 1994, resulting in SBUV-2 viewing during darkness also
at those latitudes. NOAA-14 total ozone data have not yet been validated to the extent of
NOAA-9 and NOAA-11 data. From preliminary comparisons of coincident data, however, we know
that current operational NOAA-14 zonally averaged total ozone amounts are about 2 percent
higher than those from NOAA-9. This impacts the trends determined for this period.
Figure 1 shows monthly average anomalies (percent) of
zonal mean total ozone, as a function of latitude and time, from January 1979 to March
1998. The anomalies are derived relative to each month's 1979-98 average. Long-term
decreases of ozone, from largely positive anomalies in 1979 and the early 1980s to recent
negative anomalies, may be readily seen in the extra-tropical regions. The largest
anomalies are shown in winter-spring months for the polar region of each hemisphere. In
the north polar region, positive anomalies of more than 10 percent in the earlier years
change to negative anomalies for most recent years. However, for the winter-spring of
1997-98, positive zonal mean total ozone anomalies are seen for the extra-tropical regions
of the Northern Hemisphere, with positive anomalies of up to 8 percent shown for the
middle and high latitudes. In the tropical region, a low anomaly is seen in 1998, as part
of the quasi-biennial oscillation of total ozone.
The large negative anomalies seen in Figure 1 for the
Northern Hemisphere extra-tropics during 1992-1993 (Gleason et al., 1993 and Solomon et
al., 1996) were related to the Mt. Pinatubo eruption in mid-1991. Those negative anomalies
decreased in 1994 with the diminishing aerosol loading, but large negative total ozone
anomalies again developed in the Northern Hemisphere middle latitudes, peaking in early
1995. Stolarski et al. (1992), Hollandsworth et al. (1995) and Miller et al. (1995), have
reported trends of total ozone in mid-latitudes of about -4 % per decade. No significant
trend has been found over the equatorial region. For the latitude range of the coterminous
United States, the trend, based on the SBUV and SBUV/2 data sets and updated from 1979
through March 1998, is -1.6 percent per decade for 30-40 N, and -3.3 percent per decade
for 40-50 N, with a 95 percent confidence estimate of 2 percent.
The NOAA Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory (CMDL) operates a 16-station
global Dobson spectrophotometer network for total ozone trend studies. Figure 2 shows the total ozone data for four central U.S.
stations. The large annual variation is a result of ozone transport processes which cause
a winter-spring maximum and summer-fall minimum at northern mid-latitudes. Figure 3 shows the four-station average percent deviation from
their long-term monthly mean. The resulting trend is about -3.4 percent per decade, with a
95 percent confidence estimate of 1.4 percent. In addition, Figure
3 shows the monthly anomalies observed at 30-50 degrees North latitude by the SBUV
and SBUV-2 satellite instruments, previously shown in Figure 1.
There is good agreement in the anomalies measured independently by the satellite and
ground-based measurements, although the recent NOAA-14 satellite measurements indicate
slightly higher values than the CMDL measurements. Both systems also show a flattening of
the trend in the anomalies in the most recent years. The implication of these trends and
their changes needs to be examined in the context of changes in the ozone depleting gases.
A map of Northern Hemisphere monthly mean total ozone amounts for March 1998 is shown
in Figure 4. Lowest monthly mean values over the north
polar region (green, less than 380 Dobson Units, DU), extend from Greenland, to northern
Europe and northern Siberia. The March 1998 monthly mean map also shows highest ozone (red
colors) located over middle to high northern latitudes, the location typical for this
season. Figure 5 shows the monthly mean total ozone
percent difference of March 1998 from the mean for eight March monthly means, 1979-1986
(Nagatani et al., 1988). The 1979 to 1986 base period is chosen because these values are
indicative of the early data record. Negative anomalies of about 10 percent (yellow ) are
shown over the Arctic, from Greenland to northern Europe and northern Siberia. The largest
positive anomalies are shown over eastern Siberia and the eastern European-Mediterranean
region. Indeed, positive anomalies of total ozone are shown over almost the entire
extra-tropical region of the Northern Hemisphere. As mentioned in the previous section,
however, total ozone data from NOAA-14 are biased by about 2 percent higher than the
NOAA-9 data, as seen from coincident data in the months immediately preceding July 1997.
That bias must be taken into account when interpreting results using the preliminary
NOAA-14 data.
Temperatures in the lower stratosphere are closely coupled to ozone through dynamics
and photochemistry. Extremely low temperatures (lower than -78oC) over the
Arctic region in the lower stratosphere are believed to lead to depletion of ozone. Low
temperatures contribute to the presence of polar stratospheric clouds (PSCs). PSCs enhance
the production and lifetime of reactive chlorine, leading to ozone depletion in the
presence of sunlight (WMO/UNEP, 1994).
Daily minimum temperatures over the polar region, 65N to 90N at 50 hPa (approximately
19 km) are shown in Figure 6. During November and December
1997, the daily minimum temperatures were near record low values. However, in January,
temperatures increased markedly, in association with a stratospheric warming event. Low
temperatures returned only for a short time at the end of January and mid-February.
The Arctic polar vortex in the winter of 1997-98 was warmer and less stable than in the
previous year. During the 1996-97 winter/spring period, record-low total ozone amounts
were observed over high northern latitudes due in part to an unusually cold, persistent
vortex (Newman et al., 1997). Coy et al. (1998) showed that reduced poleward heat
transport by planetary-scale waves during late winter and early spring was likely
responsible for the cold vortex in 1996-97. Figure 7
compares values of the poleward eddy flux at the 50 hPa level, between 45-75 N latitude,
during the January-March period, for the current year (1998) and for 1997. The 1998 eddy
heat flux averaged over this three-month period is approximately 50 percent higher than in
1997. Similar results were also obtained for the 30 and 10 hPa levels. The dominant
contribution to the eddy heat flux through the 50-150 hPa region comes from stationary
planetary-scale waves that are forced in the troposphere by topography and land/sea
temperature differences. During the first three months of 1998, stationary wave patterns
in the lower stratospheric circulation show enhanced (relative to the long-term mean) wave
number 1 amplitudes and diminished wave number 2 amplitudes throughout the northern
extra-tropics. During the same period, the tropospheric circulation was under the
influence of unusually warm sea surface temperatures in the eastern Pacific, commonly
referred to as El Niño. Observational studies have shown that the year-to-year
variability in the wintertime stratospheric circulation is correlated with the
quasi-biennial oscillation (QBO) in the lower stratospheric equatorial wind, with the
tropospheric circulation pattern known as the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), and with
the Pacific/North American (PNA) teleconnection pattern (e.g. Baldwin et al., 1994;
Perlwitz and Graf, 1995). The latter is related to the strengthening of the Aleutian low
in response to El Niño conditions. The enhanced wave number 1 amplitude observed in the
lower stratospheric circulation this winter is consistent with the deeper Aleutian low
caused by the 1997-98 El Niño event. Therefore, the winter stratospheric circulation does
exhibit a response to prevailing El Niño conditions, although these conditions are not
necessarily the only cause of the warmer, more disturbed polar vortex observed this
winter. Factors such as the QBO and NAO also need to be considered.
Figure 8 shows monthly mean temperature anomalies at 50
hPa for three latitude regions, 90N-65N, 65N-25N, and 25N-25S (updated from Gelman et al.,
1986). The temperature anomalies for much of the winter and spring of 1997-98 were near
average values for north polar latitudes, somewhat below the long term average for
mid-latitudes, but near record low values in the equatorial region.
In the winter-spring of 1997-98, positive anomalies of total ozone were observed in the
middle and high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. However, ozone depletion of about 10
percent in total ozone was observed in February and March 1998 over limited areas of the
Arctic region. Lower stratosphere temperatures over these areas of the Arctic region
during November and December 1997 were near record low values. Temperatures were
sufficiently low for ozone destruction to proceed on polar stratospheric clouds within the
polar vortex.
Total ozone declined over mid-latitudes at the rate of about 2 to 4 percent per decade
since 1979.
A full explanation of ozone and temperature anomalies must include all aspects of ozone
photochemistry and meteorological dynamics. Continued monitoring and measurements are
essential toward this end.
Baldwin, M.P., X. Cheng, and T.J. Dunkerton, 1994: Observed correlations between
winter-mean tropospheric and stratospheric circulation anomalies. Geophys Res. Lett.,
21 , 1141-1144.
Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Laboratory (CMDL), 1990: Summary Report 1989. 141pp.
Available from National Technical Information Service, 5285 Port Royal Rd., Springfield,
Va. 22161.
Coy, L., E.R. Nash, and P.A. Newman, 1997: Meteorology of the polar vortex: Spring
1997, Geophys. Res. Lett., 24, 2693-2696.
Gelman, M.E., A.J. Miller, K.W. Johnson and R.M. Nagatani, 1986: Detection of long-term
trends in global stratospheric temperature from NMC analyses derived from NOAA satellite
data. Adv. Space Res., 6, 17-26.
Gleason, J., P.K. Bhartia, J.R. Herman, R. McPeters, P. Newman, R.S Stolarski, L.
Flynn, G. Labow, D. Larko, C. Seftor, C. Wellemeyer, W.D. Komhyr, A. J. Miller, and W.
Planet, 1993: Record low global ozone in 1992. Science, 260,
Hollandsworth S.M., R.D. McPeters, L. Flynn, W.G. Planet, A.J. Miller, and S. Chandra,
1994: Ozone trends deduced from combined Nimbus 7 SBUV and NOAA-11 SBUV/2 data. Geophys.
Res. Lett., 22, 905-908.
Miller, A.J., G.C. Tiao, G.C. Reinsel, D. Wuebbles, L.Bishop, J. Kerr, R.M. Nagatani,
J.J. DeLuisi, C.L. Mateer, M.E. Gelman, S.Oltmans, W.G. Planet, and R. McPeters, 1994:
Consideration of the 1994 Antarctic ozone hole and an update of stratospheric ozone
trends, Proceedings of the Nineteenth Annual Climate Diagnostic Workshop, U.S. Department
of Commerce NOAA, 13-17.
Miller, A.J., G.C. Tiao, G.C. Reinsel, D. Wuebbles, L.Bishop, J. Kerr, R.M. Nagatani,
J.J. DeLuisi, and C.L. Mateer, 1995: Comparisons of observed ozone trends in the
stratosphere through examination of Umkehr and balloon ozonesonde data. J. Geophys.
Res., 100, 11209-11217.
Nagatani, R.N., A.J. Miller, K.W. Johnson, and M.E. Gelman, 1988: An eight year
climatology of meteorological and SBUV ozone data, NOAA Technical Report NWS 40, 125pp.
Newman, P.A., J.F. Gleason, and R.S. Stolarski, 1997: Anomalously low ozone over the
Arctic. Geophys. Res Lett., 2689-2692.
OFCM, 1988: National Plan for Stratospheric Monitoring 1988-1997. FCM-P17-1988. Federal
Coordinator for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research, U.S. Dept. Commerce,
Perlwitz, J. and H.F. Graf, 1995: The statistical connection between tropospheric and
stratospheric circulation of the Northern Hemisphere in winter. J. Climate, 8,
Planet, W. G., J. H. Lienesch, A. J. Miller, R. Nagatani, R, D. McPeters, E.
Hilsenrath, R. P. Cebula, M. T. DeLand, C. G. Wellemeyer, and K. M. Horvath, 1994:
Northern hemisphere total ozone values from 1989-1993 determined with the NOAA-11 Solar
Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV/2) instrument. Geophys. Res. Lett., 21,
Solomon, S., R.W. Portmann, R.R. Garcia, L.W. Thomason, L.R. Poole, and M.P. McCormick,
1996: The role of aerosol variations in anthropogenic ozone depletion at northern
midlatitudes, J. Geophys. Res., 101 , 6713-6727.
Stolarski, R., R. Bojkov, L. Bishop, C. Zerefos, J. Staehelin and J Zawodny, 1992:
Measured trends in stratospheric ozone, Science, 256, 342-349.
WMO/UNEP, 1994: Scientific assessment of ozone depletion: 1994. Report No. 37, WMO.


text:
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text:
Swimming Pool Blog
by Rob Cox, May 26, 2012
Anthony Pools Bronze Pump motor replacement
If your pool pump motor is screaming and shrieking, it's begging for attention. Or perhaps your motor has given up the ghost altogether. In either case, you have a few options.
You could take the motor to a local electric motor shop, and have them rebuild it - this general involves replacing the bearings and the shaft seal, maybe a fresh coat of paint on the motor casing. This cost can vary from area to area, but let's assume that this option will cost you $125 +/-.
Rebuilding your pump motor can be a good option, especially for a relatively new pump. The only problem with rebuilding a motor is that the only thing being "rebuilt" is the bearings and the seal. The other parts of your pump motor are still the same age. Windings, Capacitor, Switches, etc - could cause problems later on, and the warranty on a rebuild job is usually only 30 days.
Option #2 is to replace the pump, from front to back, motor and "wet end". This could be a reasonable option if your old pump was undersized and underpowered, or if you want to (or are required to) switch to a dual-speed or variable speed pool pump. Of course, this is the most expensive option, running anywhere from $350 to $900, depending on the pump model and features.
Option #3 is the subject of this blog post - replace the motor. When we speak of the motor, we refer only to the electrical motor attached to the "wet end", where the water is pumped through. Modern pool pump motors are now more efficient than ever, and if you wanted to, you could switch to a two-speed motor, although you will need to replace the time clock, and add the 4th wire - the low speed power wire.
To replace your pool pump motor, you'll need to have a few items on hand:
- Pump Motor. Pool pump motors are classified by Frame Type, 48 frame, 48Y frame and 56 frame, otherwise known as aboveground pump motors, C-flange motors and Square flange motors. Of the two type of C-Flange motors, you can find threaded shaft motors, with male threads on the end of the shaft, and also Keyed shaft motors, which have a groove along the shaft, and no threads on the end. Our Anthony bronze pump motor is a keyed shaft type, and uses a brass stub shaft to connect the motor shaft to the impeller.
Order the correct frame type and the correct horsepower motor for your pump. If you want to change the horsepower, you will also need to change the impeller in most cases.
- Shaft Seal. This 2-piece mechanical shaft seal sits behind the impeller and keeps water from running out along the shaft. For our Anthony pump motor replacement, we are using a #1000 seal. Other common seals are #100, #200, #201.... and many others. Different pumps will use different shaft seals, check our shaft seals page to buy the correct seal for your particular pump.
- Volute Gasket. Our Anthony bronze pump uses a paper gasket, but more modern pumps will use rubber o-rings. Paper gaskets absolutely need to be replaced when changing the motor, but if your rubber o-ring is in good shape, you may be able to reuse it. Go-Kits are convenient to use when replacing a pump motor. Go-Kits contain the shaft seal and all gaskets or o-rings for a particular pump.
How to Replace an Anthony Bronze pool pump motor:
- Shut off power at the breaker, and the time clock.
- Remove the bracket nuts that connect the open volute or bracket to the hair & lint strainer.
- Remove the rear motor cover, and unscrew the wires, 2 power leads and 1 ground wire.
- Loosen the flexible conduit nut, and pull the wires out of the motor.
- Remove the set screws which secure the stub shaft to the keyed motor shaft.
- Remove the rear bracket bolts which secure the bracket to the motor.
- Pry the bracket off of the keyed shaft with a large flathead screwdriver.
- Remove the impeller from the stub shaft by holding the shaft firmly and unthreading the impeller.
- Replace the shaft seal between, thread the impeller back onto the stub shaft.
- Slide the bracket / stub shaft assembly over the keyed shaft of the motor.
- Reinstall the bolts that secure the bracket to the new motor.
- Push the impeller very close to the motor, and reinstall the set screws to secure the stub shaft.
- Wire up the motor and replace the rear motor cover. Give a quick power test to check wiring.
- Replace the paper gasket and reattach the bracket to the hair & lint strainer.
- Fill the hair & lint strainer with water, open the valves and turn on the pump.
The job of replacing a motor on a different pump is not so different, really. Most modern plastic pumps don't utilize a stub shaft, or a keyed shaft motor. The most common question I hear from pool owners replacing Hayward, Pentair or Jandy pump motors is how to remove the impeller. The trick to this is to hold that shaft stationary, in the rear of the motor, while unthreading the impeller from the opposite end of the motor shaft. Once the impeller is removed, you can then remove the seal plate from the old motor and reinstall it onto the new motor, using a new shaft seal.
I hope this has been helpful to those who want to save a few dollars and replace their own pumps, or for younger pool guys who dont often come across the old style Anthony bronze pump (made by Sta-Rite for Anthony).
If you have any questions on your pool pump motor replacement, hit the link at the top of the page and send me an email, or leave a comment below.