text:
November 20, 2013 in CommercialLearn More
June 16, 2013 in CommercialLearn More
The New 747-8 Intercontinental features the newest wing and engine design of any large commercial jet in-service today and has a new Dreamliner-inspired interior making it a destination all its own. The Intercontinental can carry more passengers for a longer distance while being cleaner, quieter, and more fuel-efficient than any previous 747.Learn more about the 747-8
drag to rotate
For airlines that want to win on the world stage and grow now, the 777 family offers flagship status and more growth potential than the competition, providing a clear path to a successful future. The performance and economics of the 777-300ER are unbeaten, and its range, capability and efficiency help operators maximize profits. That' s why the 777 is the most popular and commercially successful twin aisle aircraft of all time. The 777 is always outperforming.Learn more about the 777
drag to rotate
The 777X is Boeing's newest family of twin-aisle airplanes that builds on the passenger-preferred and market-leading 777 and 787 families. The Boeing 777X will deliver unmatched performance, exceptional profitability and industry leading reliability. The family includes the 777-8X and the 777-9X - both designed to respond to market needs and customer preferences.Learn more about the 777X
drag to rotate


text:
Counting down the days
Posting from the road:
Fourth year is about to end.
Only one month to go.
3 Comments
student said,
Dear Half-MD,
I know you have written a lot about how there is not one perfect undergraduate school that will guarantee your admission into medical school and that the undergraduate school choice should be based upon each students personal needs so they can excel but after looking at incoming classes of medical students at schools like University of Rochester Medical School :
it looks like you have to go to a top notch school to even get in. Schools that might not have famous names like Eastern Michigan University, Le Moyne College, or Montana State University, would students from these schools have a chance of getting in?
Half M.D.: Doesn't matter. Those schools that you named are smaller and therefore send fewer students to medical school based on their size. If you really want to be a doctor, the name of your school has little impact. You can do a search on PubMed under "medical school admissions" and see that undergraduate institution doesn't appear in any of the articles.
Ken said,
way to sneak in the haiku there.
Frosty said,
Congrats, HalfMD. You'll have to think of a new blog name soon! 🙂

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Thinking of using the Apple iPad in your business this year? Beyond the various considerations to deploying the iPad in your SMB, what actual roles could Apple's shiny tablet play in your company? This slideshow highlights 10 possible business uses for the Apple iPad:
The Top Six Cloud Computing Pitfalls to Avoid Cloud computing has the potential to offer dramatic operational efficiency and cost savings, but when improperly managed it can have disastrous results.
10 Steps to Increasing Data Center Efficiency and Availability A systematic approach to building data center infrastructure management.
10 Best Practices for Developing a Global Web Strategy Best practices organizations often miss when developing global Web portals.
Related Topics : HTC, Broadcom, Nortel, Data Loss Prevention, Mobile Search
Wearables are revolutionizing the workplace, with innovations that create a safer work environment or enhance the way professionals are able to go about their job. ... More >>
With the consumerization of AR, it appears the technology is finally within arm's reach for those savvy enterprises willing to reach out and grab it. ... More >>
Apple has announced the next generation of its popular smart devices, including the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus and Watch Series 2. ... More >>


text:
Resources & Facilities
The Department of Biology is housed in the Hoyt Science Resources Center, a modern building that is well equipped to provide contemporary educational experiences in biology and the other sciences. The Hoyt Science Resources Center is also home to the Departments of Chemistry, Mathematics and Computer Science, Physics, and Psychology as well as the Mack Science Library and the Westminster Computer Center. The building includes six lecture rooms, three smart classrooms, three computer laboratories, an auditorium, a planetarium, and four seminar/conference rooms.
An important part of the educational venture in biology at Westminster is the opportunity for students to have hands-on laboratory experience with up-to-date equipment. For this purpose, the Department of Biology contains specialized labs and rooms for electron microscopy, histology, culture of microorganisms/cells/tissues, molecular genetics, biological rhythms, low temperature studies, small animal surgery, photography, and biological illustration. The department also has a museum/herbarium, a darkroom, a computer room, a controlled plant growth room, and environmental chambers. Two greenhouses and an animal housing suite with specialized rooms for maintaining small mammals, aquatic organisms, reptiles, amphibians, and insects also support the program. The department contains sophisticated equipment unique for colleges the size of Westminster: Zeiss 109 transmission electron microscope, JEOL 35-CF scanning electron microscope, Perkin-Elmer PCR thermocycler, IEC cryostat/microtome, fluorescence microscope, inverted microscope, refrigerated high-speed centrifuges, carbon dioxide incubator, laminar flow tissue culture chamber, ultra-low temperature freezer, and refrigerated marine aquarium.
The department has seven teaching laboratories, each fully equipped to instruct up to twenty students in settings designed for individualized instruction. Two student project labs and six faculty/student research rooms allow for on-going investigations, independent study, and honors research.
In addition to the fine facilities in the Hoyt Science Resources Center, the Department of Biology includes the 40 acre Outdoor Laboratory, for Biological and Environmental Science, the 15 acre Brittain Lake, and the 40 acre College Woods. The Outdoor Laboratory which is appropriated specifically for field biology studies, includes a year-round weather station, several buildings including a Nature Center/Classroom, the Lucille Beerbower-Frey Nature Trail, lowland thicket, pasture, arboretum, successional and experimental plots, marsh, spring-fed stream, and the Little Neshannock Creek. Brittain Lake, named in honor of J. Frank Brittain, is used for ecology and limnology field classes. The College Woods is a beech-maple forested area used for field studies requiring a mature woodland. It includes a recreational walking trail.
Imagine yourself a medical doctor, researcher, pharmacuetical scientist, or epidemiologist.
Degree Offered
Bachelor of Science


text:
About NIJ
What's New
All Topics A-Z
Contact Us
Text size:
Print this page
E-mail this page
On this page find information on:
Documenting normal bruising patterns in this population is the first step toward differentiating accidental from suspicious bruising. An NIJ-funded study found that:
The second step in differentiating accidental from suspicious bruising is to document bruises in elderly individuals who are confirmed victims of elder mistreatment. A follow-up study funded by NIJ found that:
Learn about forensic pathology research and development at NIJ.
NIJ funded research examining the decision-making processes medical examiners and coroners use when investigating suspicious deaths.
One study found that medical examiners can rarely differentiate symptoms of illness from signs of abuse in elderly decedents. As a result, signs of abuse commonly recognized in younger decedents are missed in elders, and abuse is rarely seen as a cause of death. These findings call for additional research on both the decision-making practices of medical examiners and the forensic markers of elder mistreatment. They also highlight the need for medical examiners to receive additional training on this issue.[3]
Another study documented practices that 46 of the 58 California coroner/medical examiner (CME) agencies use to decide whether to investigate an elder's death. This study confirmed that CME offices do not assume jurisdiction over many elder deaths that experts in the field of elder mistreatment thought should be investigated because of signs of potential abuse or neglect.[4]
In a subsequent phase of the project, the researchers worked with a Multidisciplinary Advisory Board to develop the Elder Suspicious Death Field Screen (ESDFS) and conducted a pilot study in three California CME agencies. Researchers expected to receive several thousand ESDFS forms during the six-month pilot study. Two of the agencies discontinued use of the ESDFS during the study, however, and in the end, only 115 ESDFS forms were completed. An expert panel reviewed 55 of the completed forms. The panel believed that two-thirds of the cases they reviewed should have received a higher level of investigation then was undertaken. In particular, the expert panel agreed that in many of the "waived" cases, someone should have viewed the entire body. Post-pilot-test interviews revealed that agencies' resistance to using the ESDFS was related to: (1) high workload and burnout; (2) a lack of integration between the ESDFS and current automated systems or redundancy with current screening items; and (3) investigators who saw no benefit to using the ESDFS.
In a separate study, researchers examined implementation of the Arkansas law giving county medical examiners the authority to investigate deaths occurring in long-term care facilities (LCF).[5] They conducted focus group interviews with medical examiners, coroners and geriatricians from 27 states to determine their involvement in investigations into the deaths of LCF residents. Although the researchers' findings suggest that the Arkansas law had a positive impact on attention to elder mistreatment and the quality of care of LCF residents in Pulaski county, whether care has improved state-wide is not clear because of differences in implementation.
The second phase of this study concluded in 2007. The resulting data indicate that the Arkansas Long-Term Care Reporting law, which mandated that all deaths that occur in nursing homes in Arkansas be investigated officially, has not made a difference in quality of care in the state. The project also revealed additional factors associated with higher level of mistreatment suspicion, including family dissatisfaction with care; minority race; tube feeding; the presence of a severe pressure sore or recent ostomy.[6]
Researchers in Arkansas identified specific characteristics within four categories of markers that investigators can look for to determine whether elder mistreatment is occurring or has occurred —
see table Potential Markers for Elder Mistreatment.
This study is ongoing; the researchers hope to:
NIJ-funded researchers have developed and tested two measurement tools that give the field better ways to assess financial and psychological abuse of elders: [8]
The researchers used concept mapping
[9] to develop measurements of abuse. They tested the tools on 226 clients of adult protective services with substantiated cases of abuse.
Adult Protective Services in six sites in Illinois are using the two new measures along with assessment tools to measure physical and sexual abuse and neglect. They are doing so as part of an NIJ-funded followup project designed to pilot test a prototype for an electronic Elder Abuse Decision Support System — a computer-based application of the developed measures to help practitioners identify abuse.
Next section: Causes and Characteristics of Elder Abuse.
[note 1] Mosqueda, L., K. Burnight, and S. Liao.
Bruising in the Geriatric Population (pdf, 22 pages). Final report to the National Institute of Justice, June 2006, NCJ 214649.
[note 2] Wiglesworth A., R. Austin, M. Corona, and L. Mosqueda. Bruising as a Forensic Marker of Physical Elder Abuse (pdf, 27 pages) . Final Report to the National Institute of Justice, February 2009, NCJ 226457.
[note 3] Dyer, C.B., L. Sanchez, L. Kim, J. Burnett, S. Mitchell, B. Reilley, S. Pickens, and M. Mehta.
Factors That Impact the Determination by Medical Examiners of Elder Mistreatment as a Cause of Death in Older People. Final report to the Office for Victims of Crime, July 2008, NCJ 223288.
[note 4] Mosqueda, L., and A. Wiglesworth.
Coroner Investigations of Suspicious Elder Deaths. Final report to the National Institute of Justice, October 2012, NCJ 239923.
[note 5], [note 8] A brief description of the Arkansas law and how it came about can be found in Lindbloom, E., J. Brandt, C. Hawes, C. Phillips, D. Zimmerman, J. Robinson, B. Bowers, and P. McFeeley.
Role of Forensic Science in Identification of Mistreatment Deaths in Long-Term Care Facilities. Final report submitted to the National Institute of Justice, January 2005, NCJ 209334.
[note 6], [note 9] Lindbloom, E., R. Kruse, J. Brand, M. Malcolm, A. Hough, Jr., D. Zimmerman, and J. Robinson.
Mandatory Reporting of Nursing Home Deaths: Markers for Mistreatment, Effect on Care Quality, and Generalizability Final Report. Final report submitted to the National Institute of Justice, March 2008, NCJ 221893.
[note 7] See Lindbloom, et al. (2005) and Lindbloom, et al. (2008).
National Institute of Justice, 810 Seventh Street, NW, Washington, DC 20531


text:
Description:Modular Smart Array 500 Controller - RAID Controller - Ultra160 SCSIPart Number(s)
Hewlett-Packard Part# 218252-B21
Overview:Compaq offers the Smart Array Cluster Storage controller a key component of the Compaq Smart Array Cluster Storage system. The Compaq Smart Array Cluster Storage is the next generation Ultra3 SCSI storage system designed specifically for 2-node clustering or single node direct attached storage. Designed to reduce the complexity and expense of clustering the Smart Array Cluster Storage is built upon Smart Array and ProLiant technologies to provide advanced data protection features yet is simple to deploy configure and manage. Ideal for entry level clustering the Smart Array Cluster Storage is based on SCSI technology making it a familiar and powerful clustering solution. As the customer's clustering and storage requirements grow the Smart Array Cluster Storage may be converted to a SAN array by replacing the controller(s) and I/O module and installing a FC I/O (FC HUB) or FC switch providing the customer with extended hardware investment protection into the future.
The Smart Array Cluster Storage combines the array controller shelf and the drive shelf which holds up to fourteen 1² Compaq Universal Disk drives in a single 4U rack mount cabinet that's over 1 terabyte of storage. The Smart Array Cluster Storage can be remotely managed by using management tools such as Compaq Insight Manager 7 and Array Configuration Utility XE.


text:
2.4.3 Education of Looked After Children
This chapter applies to all Looked After children. It should be read in conjunction with the following government guidance documents:
Looked After Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) this guidance explains the respective roles of the home Authority and the Authority where the child lives when these are different.
Guidance on Looked After Children with Special Educational Needs placed out-of-authority this guidance explains the respective roles of the home Authority and the Authority where the child lives when these are different.
Promoting the Education of Looked After Children and Previously Looked After Children
Keeping Children Safe in Education
Sexting: how to respond to an incident
Data protection: a toolkit for schools
This guidance draws attention to the link between data protection and child protection (although data protection is broader than just child protection) and notes that personal data can relate to pupils, staff, parents and potentially others. It makes clear that GDPR does not prevent, or limit, the sharing of information for the purposes of keeping children safe.
Sexual violence and sexual harassment between children in schools and colleges
Supporting Pupils at School with Medical Conditions: Statutory Guidance for Governing Bodies of Maintained Schools and Proprietors of Academies in England (DfE)
Designated Teacher for Looked After and Previously Looked After Children
Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice: 0 to 25 years: Statutory Guidance for Organisations who work with and Support Children and Young People with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities
Exclusion from Maintained Schools, Academies and Pupil Referral Units in England: A Guide for those with Legal Responsibilities in Relation to Exclusion
Mental Health and Behaviour in Schools - Guidance
Note: that different provisions apply to children who acquire Looked After status as a result of a remand to local authority accommodation or youth detention accommodation. In relation to those children, please see Remands to Local Authority Accommodation or to Youth Detention Accommodation Procedure, Care Planning for Young People on Remand.
Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Procedure
In October 2016, a link was added to Mental Health Behaviour in Schools Guidance (DfE 2016) in the Related Guidance section.
- Duty to Promote the Educational Achievement of Looked After Children
- The Personal Education Plan (PEP)
- Avoidance of Disruption in Education
- When a Child First becomes Looked After
- When a Child Moves to a New Local Authority
- When a Child Needs or Joins a New School
- When a Child has No School Place
- Celebrating a Child's Achievements
- Reviewing and Updating PEP's
- When a Child is Absent from School
- School Exclusions
- When a Young Woman becomes Pregnant
- School Transport
- Children and Young People with Medical Conditions
- Training for those involved in the Care and Education of Looked After Children
- Information Sharing
1. Duty to Promote the Educational Achievement of Looked After Children
Under Section 22 (3A) of the Children Act 1989, local authorities have a duty to promote the educational achievement of Looked After Children. Section 99 of the Children and Families Act 2014 imposes a requirement for an officer to be appointed to discharge this duty – sometimes referred to as a 'Virtual School Head' (VSH).
Governing bodies of schools and colleges must appoint a Designated Teacher to promote the educational achievement of children who are Looked After and to ensure that this person has appropriate training.
An up-to-date list of Designated Teachers should be maintained to assist with communications and assist other authorities that have placed children within the authority.
As leaders responsible for ensuring that the local authority discharges its duty to promote the educational achievement of their Looked After children, Directors of Children's Services and Lead Members for Children's Services should ensure that:
- Closing the attainment and progress gap between Looked After children and their peers and creating a culture of high aspirations for them is a top priority;
- Looked After children have access to a suitable range of high quality education placement options and that commissioning services for them takes account of the duty to promote their educational achievement;
- VSHs are in place and have the resources, time, training and support they need to discharge the duty effectively;
- VSHs have robust procedures in place to monitor the attendance and educational progress of the children their authority looks after;
- The authority's Children in Care Council (CiCC) regularly addresses the educational experiences raised by Looked After children and is able to respond effectively to such issues.
The Virtual School Head should be the lead responsible officer for ensuring that arrangements are in place to improve the educational experiences and outcomes of the authority's Looked After children, including those placed out-of-authority.
VSHs should ensure the educational attainment and progress of children Looked After by the local authority are monitored and evaluated as if those children attended a single school.
The VSH should ensure that there are effective systems in place to:
- Maintain an up-to-date roll of its Looked After children who are in school or college settings and gather information about their education placement, attendance and educational progress;
- Inform headteachers and Designated Teachers in schools if they have a child on roll who is Looked After by the VSH's local authority;
- Ensure that social workers, Designated Teachers and schools, carers and IROs understand their role and responsibilities in initiating, developing, reviewing and updating the child's PEP and how they help meet the needs identified in that PEP';
- Ensure up-to-date, effective and high quality PEPs that focus on educational outcomes and that all Looked After children, wherever they are placed, have such a PEP;
- Ensure the educational achievement of children Looked After by the authority is seen as a priority by everyone who has responsibilities for promoting their welfare;
- Report regularly on the attainment of Looked After children through the authority's corporate parenting structures.
Social workers, Virtual School Heads and Independent Reviewing Officers (IROs), school admission officers and Special Educational Needs departments should work together to ensure that - except in an emergency - appropriate education provision for a child is arranged at the same time as a care placement.
Governing bodies should ensure that appropriate staff have the information they need in relation to a child's Looked After legal status (whether they are looked after under voluntary arrangements with consent of parents or on an interim or full Care Order), and contact arrangements with birth parents or those with Parental Responsibility. They should also have information about the child's care arrangements and the levels of authority delegated to the carer. The designated safeguarding lead, through the Designated Teacher for Looked After children, should have details of the child's social worker and the name of the Virtual School Head.The Virtual School Head should promote a culture that takes account of the child's views according to age and understanding in identifying and meeting their educational needs.
2. The Personal Education Plan (PEP)
The Personal Education Plan (PEP) allows the social worker, residential staff/carer and Designated Teacher at the child's school or, where the child has no school place, the education service, in conjunction with the child, to set out what needs to happen to meet the educational needs of the child.
The Personal Education Plan should be initiated as part of the Care Plan before the child becomes Looked After (or within 10 working days in the case of an emergency placement), and be available for the first Looked After Review meeting.
All looked after children of compulsory school age must have a PEP, whether or not currently in education. It provides essential information to ensure that appropriate support is in place to enable the child to achieve the targets set. It is also a record of the child's leisure interests and educational achievement.
The Designated Teacher leads on how the PEP is developed and used in school to make sure the child's progress towards education targets is monitored, with the Virtual School Head having a quality assurance role.
All of those involved in the PEP process at all stages should involve the child (according to understanding and ability) and, where appropriate, the child's parent and/or relevant family member.The PEP is an evolving record, and arrangements for the flow of information to develop, review and update the PEP should be in place to ensure the VSH, Designated Teacher, carer and, where appropriate, child and parent have a copy of the latest version of the document. Virtual School Heads should make arrangements for PEPs to be reviewed each school term. The PEP should set clear objectives and targets for the child, covering the following:
- Chronology of education and training history which provides a record of the child's educational experience and progress in terms of National Curriculum levels of attainment, including information about educational institutions attended and the reasons for leaving, attendance and conduct record, academic and other achievements, any special educational needs, an indication of the extent to which the child's education has been disrupted before entering care or accommodation;
- Existing arrangements for education and training, including details of any special educational provision and any other provision to meet the child's educational or training needs and promote educational achievement;
- Any planned changes to existing arrangements and provision to minimise disruption;
- The child's leisure interests;
- Role of the appropriate person and any other person who cares for the child in promoting the child's educational achievements and leisure interests;
- The effective use of the Pupil Premium and application for bursary should be discussed as part of PEP Meetings;
- Details of who will take the plan forward, with timescales for action and review.
The PEP should:
- Identify developmental (including any related to attachment) and educational needs (short and longer term) in relation to skills, knowledge, subject areas and experiences;
- Include SMART short-term targets, including progress monitoring of each of the areas identified against development and educational needs;
- Include SMART longer-term plans for educational targets and aspirations. These should, according to age and understanding, typically focus on public examinations, further and higher education, managing money and savings, work experience and career plans and aspirations;
- Identify actions, with time scales, for specific individuals intended to support the achievement of agreed targets and use of any additional resources (e.g. the pupil premium) specifically designated to support the attainment of looked after children;
- Highlight access to effective intervention strategies and how this will make/has made a difference to achievement levels.
The PEP must include the contact details of the Virtual School Head for the authority that looks after the child.
3. Avoidance of Disruption in Education
The Nominated Officer must approve of any change of placement affecting a child in Key Stage 4, except in an emergency/where the placement is terminated because of an immediate risk of serious harm to the child or to protect others from serious injury.
In those circumstances, the Local Authority must make appropriate arrangements to promote the child's educational achievement as soon as reasonably practicable:
- The child's wishes and feelings have been ascertained and given due consideration;
- The wishes and feelings of the parent(s) have been ascertained where the child is accommodated (where possible) and where appropriate where the child is subject to a Care Order);
- The educational provision will promote educational achievement and is consistent with the PEP;
- The Independent Reviewing Officer has been consulted;
- The Designated Teacher at the child's school has been consulted.
4. When a Child First becomes Looked After
4.1 Notification
As soon as a child becomes looked after (if not before), the child's social worker must notify the education service where the child is placed.
If the child is known to have an Education, Health and Care Plan or to be under assessment, the social worker should ensure the relevant SEN adviser is informed.
The child's social worker must also inform the Designated Teacher at the child's school within 48 hours of the child becoming looked after and a Personal Education Plan meeting arranged. Regular liaison should then be maintained.
4.2 The First Personal Education Plan
The first PEP should be in place as part of a Care Plan within 10 days of a child becoming Looked After.
The child's social worker should arrange a meeting to draw up the first PEP which should include the Designated Teacher at the school (where the child has a school place), the residential staff/carer and any other relevant professionals; and should involve the child and parents as far as is appropriate and possible.
Where the child is excluded from school, the Head Teacher should be invited.
Where the child has no school place, the relevant education officer should be invited and asked to assist in the search for a school place. The SEN adviser should also be asked to assist as appropriate.
The first PEP should:
- Identify the educational and social factors that may have caused or may cause in the future a detrimental effect on the child's educational achievement;
- Identify the support required to reduce the impact of these factors;
- Identify the child's immediate and priority needs and targets, (e.g. to maintain the current school place, make transport arrangements, find a new school, obtain short-term interim education);
- Incorporate any Individual Education Plan or other school-based plan;
- Identify a named person for the day to day management of the PEP and establish lines of communication between the staff/carer, school/education staff and social worker - the basis of a working partnership;
- Establish boundaries of confidentiality;
- Agree a date for the next PEP review meeting and how and when the next (full) PEP is going to be drawn up.
The completed PEP should be distributed to the child, parents, staff/carers and all others invited to the meeting. A copy should also be sent to the child's Independent Reviewing Officer.
N.B. The provision of education for pupils with statements of SEN can only be changed if the child's statement has been amended at an annual review.
5. When a Child Moves to a New Local Authority
If a child is placed in the area of a different local authority but continues to attend the same school as before, the procedure outlined in Section 4.2, The First Personal Education Plan applies.
If the child is to be placed in the area of a different local authority and will need a new school, efforts to obtain a school place should (unless it is an emergency placement) begin well BEFORE s/he moves to a new placement. The relevant Education Officer and, if appropriate, the SEN adviser, should be provided with a full educational history and asked to assist in the search for a school place.
Whenever possible a child should not be moved to a new placement until s/he also has a school place.
Where the child does not have a school place - see Section 7, When a Child has No School Place.
Pupils With Education, Health and Care Plans
Where a child has an Education, Health and Care Plan (previously a statement of special educational needs), the Plan must be transferred – see Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Procedure.
6. When a Child Needs or Joins a New School
The choice of school requires skilled working between relevant people. It should be based on a discussion between the child's social worker, their carers and, if appropriate, birth parents. The VSH should normally be consulted to avoid choosing a school that is unlikely to meet the child's needs. Looked After children have been given the highest priority within school admission arrangements. VSHs, working with education settings, should implement pupil premium arrangements for looked after children.
Schools judged by Ofsted to be 'good' or 'outstanding' should be prioritised for Looked After children in need of a new school. Unless there are exceptional evidence-based reasons, Looked After children should never be placed in a school judged by Ofsted to be 'inadequate'.The child's wishes and feelings should be taken into account and the suitability of the education setting tested by arranging an informal visit with the child.
Changes of school should be minimised to avoid disruption to the child's education and should not take place in the middle of a school year or in years 10 and 11, unless this is unavoidable - see Section 3, Avoidance of Disruption in Education.
School details will need to be amended on the electronic record.
6.1 Notification
At least one member of staff in the school - the Designated Teacher or the Head Teacher - must be informed by the social worker within 48 hours that the child is Looked After and be provided with a copy of the child's current PEP. Other members of staff who need to know should be identified at the PEP meeting, taking into account the child's wishes concerning confidentiality.
6.2 Pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans
A change of school at any time needs the agreement of the relevant local education service maintaining the Education, Health and Care Plan. This needs to be planned for as early as possible as it can cause long delays.
The child's social worker should ensure that he/she is aware of the current position with regard to the Plan, including any additional support provided and by whom.
6.3 The First PEP in a New School
A meeting should be held at the new school as soon as practicable.
A new or updated PEP should be in place within the first 20 days of a child joining a new school. Subsequent PEP's should correspond with the Looked After Review cycle.
The first PEP in a new school should:
- Identify the child's immediate and priority needs (e.g. English as an additional language, literacy support, behaviour management);
- Establish contact between residential staff/carer, school staff and social worker - the basis of a working partnership;
- Identify a named person for the day to day management of the PEP and agree who contacts whom about what;
- Establish boundaries of confidentiality;
- Share important information - perhaps including the Placement Information Record;
- Ensure records are forwarded from the previous school and/or carer;
- Agree a date for the next PEP review meeting and how and when the next full PEP is going to be drawn up (this needs to take account of the Looked After Review cycle because the PEP has to be ready before or at the Review; but also term dates, parents' evenings, school target setting days, Individual Education Plan reviews, annual reviews of Education, Health and Care Plan etc.).
The completed PEP should be distributed to those invited to the meeting and the child's Independent Reviewing Officer.
7. When a Child has No School Place
Finding a school place is primarily the social worker's responsibility but may be delegated to or shared with others.
7.1 PEP's
Children without a school place should still have an up-to-date PEP. It should address the child's immediate educational needs and the longer-term planning.
7.2 Children Placed within the Local Authority Area
Where the child does not have a school place because one cannot be found, or because mainstream school is not appropriate to his or her needs, the child's social worker should notify and seek assistance from the education service (and the SEN adviser, in appropriate cases). The local education service should identify a school place within 20 working days at the latest; and should be asked to provide alternative education if a school place cannot be found immediately or is not appropriate.
7.3 Children Placed in a Different Local Authority Area
Where the child does not have a school place because one cannot be found, or the child has been placed at very short notice, the child's social worker should notify the education service in the area where the child is placed and request that a school be identified for the child as soon as possible. The assistance of the local education service (and the local SEN adviser if appropriate) should also be sought. Unless Section 7.4, Pupils with Education, Health and Care Plans applies, the education service local to the placement should identify a school place within 20 working days at the latest; and should be asked to provide alternative education if a school place cannot be found immediately or is not appropriate.
7.4 Pupils with Education, Health and Care Plan
Applications for school places for pupils with an Education, Health and Care Plan should be made through the special needs section of the local education service maintaining the statement, not directly. This needs to be planned for as early as possible as it can cause long delays.See Children and Young People Aged 0-25 with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities Procedure.
8. Celebrating a Child's Achievements
Children's educational (and other) achievements should be acknowledged at one or more of the following times: at Looked After Reviews; in the PEP, at school-based meetings; in school reports; and after exams.
Recording a Child's Achievements
A Looked After Child's educational attainments at Key Stages 1-3, GCSE, A Level and GNVQ should be recorded, including on the electronic record and in the PEP.
9. Reviewing and Updating PEP's
The child's social worker must ensure PEP review meeting take place on time.
Second and subsequent PEP's should correspond with the Looked After Review cycle and PEP decisions and recommendations must be available to the child's Independent Reviewing Officer at the Looked After Review.
9.1 PEP Decisions
The participants should agree what action they will each undertake to achieve the improvements in the child's education that they have identified through the consultation/preparation process.
9.2 PEP Recommendations
Proposals that would lead to significant changes in arrangements (e.g. a change of school, a request for an Education, Health and Care Needs Assessment) and/or to increases in expenditure (private tuition, a jointly-funded placement) should be made in the form of recommendations to the Looked After Review.
The child's social worker should work with the child's school between Looked After Reviews (involving the VSH if necessary) to ensure that up-to-date PEP information is fed into those reviews, and ensure that all relevant information about the child's educational progress and support needs is up-to-date and evidenced before the Looked After Review.
IROs should ensure that the PEP's effectiveness is scrutinised in sufficient detail as part of the Looked After Review and at other times if necessary. Where a child has Special Educational Needs, the IRO should ensure that the PEP review is linked with any review of those needs.The IRO should raise any unresolved concerns about a child's PEP or education provision with social workers and the VSH.
10. When a Child is Absent from School
The residential staff/carer must notify the school and the child's social worker immediately if the child does not attend school for any reason.
In any case where the child has been absent from school for more than 10 days, the social worker should liaise with the school, the child, residential staff/carers and any other relevant person to address:
- The reasons for the absence;
- How to ensure the child returns to education as soon as possible;
- Whether and how the child can be helped to catch up on what s/he has missed.
Where necessary, the Children who Run Away and go Missing from Home and Care Procedure must be followed. (See the Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire and Luton Safeguarding Children Boards Procedures Manual, Safeguarding Children and Young People who Run Away and go Missing from Home and Care Procedure).
11. School Exclusions
Where a school has concerns about a Looked After child's behaviour, the VSH should be informed and, where necessary, involved at the earliest opportunity. This is to enable the VSH, working with others, to:
- Consider what additional assessment and support (such as additional help for the classroom teacher, one-to-one therapeutic work or a suitable alternative placement) needs to be put in place to address the causes of the child's behaviour and prevent the need for exclusion;
- Make any additional arrangements to support the child's on-going education in the event of an exclusion.
Where a looked after child is excluded from school, the child's social worker must inform the child's Independent Reviewing Officer.
11.1 Fixed Term Exclusions
Headteachers should, as far as possible, avoid excluding any looked after child. Exclusion from school should be a last resort for children who are looked after, therefore it is important to work with the school and carers to intervene as soon as a child's behaviour becomes a cause for concern.
Where a child is excluded from school for a fixed period, the school will provide work for the child for the first five days of the exclusion. The social worker must liaise with the residential staff/carers about suitable arrangements for supervising the child doing the schoolwork during the day and ensuring the child does not go out during school hours. With effect from the sixth day the school should provide a place for the child to be educated.
The school will communicate the reasons for the exclusion to the residential staff/carer and the social worker. Whoever is the most appropriate one to do so will discuss this with the child. The social worker should inform the parents, if appropriate.
The social worker, in consultation with the child and parents, must seek advice as to whether to appeal against the decision to exclude the child.
If the child is in primary school and receives a fixed term exclusion or is in secondary school and is excluded for more than five days, the social worker should ensure a reintegration meeting is held within the five days to discuss his/her return and how best this can be supported.
11.2 Permanent Exclusions
When a child is permanently excluded but is remaining in the same foster or residential placement, the social worker will liaise urgently with the local education service in which the child is living to find an alternative school placement. Again, for the first five days of the exclusion the school will provide work and the child should not be out unaccompanied in public during school hours. From the sixth day the local authority will arrange for a place for the child to be educated.
In the case of permanent exclusion a meeting of a committee of governors will be held within fifteen days to review the decision. If the committee decides to uphold the decision to permanently exclude, an appeal can be made within fifteen school days. The appeals form can be completed by a foster carer or anyone who has Parental Responsibility for the child.
12. When a Young Woman becomes Pregnant
Becoming pregnant is not in itself a reason to stop attending school, nor to cease education.
Where a young woman becomes pregnant, the social worker must ensure that the young woman remains in education if at all possible and arrange for her to receive support from the education authority for the area in which she lives and/or the school she attends.
13. School Transport
In order to maintain continuity of school, those with responsibility for school transport should be approached to provide assistance with transport. A decision will be made taking into account the child's age and the distance from the child's address to the nearest suitable school.
14. Children and Young People with Medical Conditions
From 1 September 2014, governing bodes have a statutory duty to make arrangements to support pupils at school with medical conditions. The Designated Medical Officer can support schools with these duties. For more information see Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions: statutory guidance from the Department for Education.
15. Training for those Involved in the Care and Education of Looked After Children
The VSH should ensure that there are appropriate arrangements in place to meet the training needs of those responsible for promoting the educational achievement of Looked After children. This includes carers, social workers, Designated Teachers and IROs.
Such training, among other things, should include information about school admission arrangements; Special Educational Needs; attendance and exclusions; homework; choosing GCSE options; managing any challenging behaviour in relation to education settings; promoting positive educational and recreational activities and supporting children to be aspirational for their future education; training and employment, and the importance of listening to and taking account of the child's wishes and feelings about education and the PEP process.
The VSH should ensure that school governing bodies understand the importance of specific professional development for, as a minimum, their senior leaders and Designated Teachers in supporting the achievement of Looked After children.
16. Information Sharing
VSHs should have access to a secure e-mail account that enables them to exchange information securely with other VSHs in whose area they have placed children.
Arrangements for sharing reliable data must be in place, particularly in relation to the tracking and monitoring of attainment data and notifications of where children, including those placed out-of-authority, are being educated, and must set out:
- Who has access to what information and how the security of data will be ensured;
- How children and parents are informed of, and allowed to challenge, information that is kept about them;
- How carers contribute to and receive information;
- Mechanisms for sharing information between relevant local authority departments and schools;
- How relevant information about individual children is passed promptly between authorities, departments and schools when young people move. Relevant information includes the PEP, which as part of the looked after child's educational record should be transferred with them to the new school.


text:
There are no products in your cart.
Meeting people where they are . . . Leading them to where God calls them to be!
What Does The-Best-Version-of-Yourself Look Like?
Join us for BEST LENT EVER to find out.
Take your children on a faith-filled musical adventure. Get the new BLESSED Music Album!
Currently Searching By
Sort By
1-16 of 29


text:
Zest Beauty
Promotional codes, voucher codes and deals 2019
UK's Fastest Growing Luxury Hair & Beauty Emporium.
Luxury Hair & Beauty Emporium that brings the salon to your visitor's door. With exclusive salon only brands such as ghd, Decleor, Dermalogica, Australian Bodycare, Tigi & many more essential brands.
Zest Beauty
Save 20% on selected Decleor & free standard UK delivery on orders over £15


text:
Targeting applications across the C family of languages, security education company Safelight has released a new on-demand software developer course entitled Secure C/C++ Coding.
Structured around scenario-based tasks for learning, this course sets out to provide programmers with a deeper knowledge of common software bugs, understand how these flaws are exploited, and use coding best practices to proactively reduce software vulnerabilities.
"There's a lot of C and C++ code out there in legacy systems and embedded applications and many C and C++ developers may not be trained in today's secure coding practices because they learned to code at a time when application security wasn't a focus and systems weren't connected via the Internet," said Safelight CEO Rob Cheyne.
Safelight suggests that C and C++ languages pose tough challenges when it comes to security because applications have "direct access" to memory and system resources.
"A mistake in C/C++ typically has many more repercussions than other programming languages and there are potentially many more mistakes that can be made," said Cheyne.
Presented in five units, Safelight's new course provides opportunities to interact with multiple code examples, follow pieces of code through a secure software development process, understand their security implications, and discover secure coding best practices.
Lesson units include: Introduction to Secure C/C++ Coding, Memory Corruption Bugs, Design Bugs, Privacy and Secrets, and Securing Code.


text:
To drive off uphill on a road with snow
To drive off uphill on a road with snow
The reason for this difference is due to weight distribution. On ICE vehicles the majority of the weight is in the front which is why front wheel drive cars do better than rear wheel drive. But the Model S does not have this disadvantage and has its weight spread evenly. My assumption is that it will be nearly as good as a front wheel drive vehicle and will definitely be safer in a skid situation as the front wheels will not be trying to slow you down and possibly losing traction.
the combination of low center of gravity and traction control should allay your fears. here's a nice video of a former roadster and current model s owner driving after a big snow storm in boston. the rear wheel drive was a little concerning for me as well. but, after looking into it, i don't have any concerns.
silvio.k, you may want to read this thread, with links to a number of older threads that discuss driving on snow, RWD vs. AWD, cold weather operation of all components, protection from salt and water, and more:
No big problem with snow but if you stay stuck in snow you must leave the car there until snow melt (no tow hook) or probably void your warranty.
No won't void the warranty - rangers can service the stranded vehicle in the snow and you can retrieve in the spring with all being well. Gotta love those rangers...
That was me in Boston with that video. Indeed the Roadster did really well in the snow. I have zero concerns with the Model S in the snow.
I took the Roadster up my hill when I saw another truck stuck spinning their wheels. The road had glazed over. I had no troubles getting up the hill.
I learned to drive and have "always" driven rear wheel drive cars. Winter driving?? Not an issue when you remember to keep your brain engaged. And in the slickest of conditions such as Ice it does not matter which or how many wheels are driving. The proof will be in the median strips and ditches of America this winter. Think not? just count the front drive cars in the ditch or otherwise stuck this winter lol!!
Four wheel drive is obviously the best solution to icy conditions, but Model S rear wheel drive with that low CoG should make it quite good winter car. Moreover drive setup is like 5% compared to the tires used. Good tires make any car good winter car and bad tires makes them bad. Pay attention to tires you choose and their condition after.
Reason why four wheels is best is simply the fact that four wheels allows less force / wheel to get same outcome, thus lessening slip. Also if one tire gets stuck (or is slipping) you have three instead of one to get loose from that stuck.
OTOH, with four wheels when you lose control you really lose it. That means you find yourself much deeper into ditch than you would with any of the two wheel drive options.
Traction Control is just as big a factor. Most winter driving stupidity and accidents I've seen involve over-driving the drive tires, and making ice out of snow on the go. People not used to winter driving can't seem to get the idea that more gas/pedal = less traction, and less pedal = more traction.
@Superliner, Timo
Reminds me of a friend who purposely went off road into an area no vehicle should go thinking he was invincible with 4WD. He wasn't :)
If you go into a snow bank, and the battery pack is sitting on a solid pack of snow, will the temperature control system for the battery pack tend to melt the surface of the snow (through the aluminum casing) and tend to help the car slide downhill (the battery pack is flat)?
Might be good if you just need to get back onto the road from a large snow bank. All you'd have to do is clear the wheels a bit.
On the other hand, if the road is falling off to the side....
Either way, it would be good to know what to expect.
I'm not going to risk my new Model S in the snow where I live (Seattle). It's very hilly, no roads are ever plowed because snow is only once a year, and most other drivers are very inexperienced and drive dangerously. I'll just drive my wife's Volvo to work those days!
"other drivers are very inexperienced and drive dangerously"
It shouldn't be funny, but somehow it is: in here we have snow and ice every year sooner or later in October and sometimes as early as late September. This is to be expected, but somehow every god d*mn year at first ice we have a pileup. Somehow that ice manages to surprise those "other drivers" every year.
I too would be reluctant to take my new car onto road at first snow. Later when those other drivers are already repairing their cars it would be relatively safe to drive it.
Yes; wait for the first big wave of ijits to take themselves out of circulation! Good plan.
Yes there are people who don't recall how to slow down with the first snowfall but what many don't realize is the first snow of the season is actually much more slippery than later snowfalls due to the warmer temps and warm roads that haven't been cooled from exposure to cold temps for a long period of time. Just take a handful of snow in your hands and see how much friction there is when you first pick it up to when it starts to melt in your hand and you get the idea. Since it is closer to melting it forms ice with water on it quickly from warm tires.
In Seattle we only get the 'first snow.' Even if it snows again it's usually been warm in between.
It's astonishing how short peoples' memories are. Back in nw Ohio, I saw it every year. First snow, ijits ahoy! Plenty of fender benders, and a few in ditches. Then first ice: repeat with more serious accidents, multicar pileups, cars wrapped around poles, etc.
Now in Seattle area, it's déjà vu: except when the first fall rain happens, it's almost like they haven't seen rain before. Then snow or ice -- disaster.
Same with Minnesota. You'd think of any state in the 48 contiguous, Minnesotans would take the first snowfall seriously, but no.
In my experience;
AWD + Winter Tires = Best Option (not entirely stress-free but pretty close)
FWD + Winter Tires = Good, not great. (unplowed hills can be a problem if your traction control is too aggressive)
RWD + Winter Tires = Acceptable. (you can drive with some confidence but stress is still high because you may plow straight ahead over the next turn)
UPSHOT: Drivetrain is secondary. Good winter tires are non-negotiable.
Next year's "Model X" is an all-wheel drive variant on the Model S; perhaps it would better meet your concerns. I'll bet it can power up your favorite alp all day long.
The Perf version of Model X only.
Vehicle Stability Control minimizes the difference between all three drivetrain choices. Studless winter tires from a tier one tire manufacturer are very important.
Does SC and/or TC deal with the "plowing straight ahead over the next turn" issue?
My own one non-winter 'free-sliding' experience occurred with a FWD Civic in the mountains. Came to a left turn, facing a steep drop-off, and the road was lubricated with small gravel. The car started to straight-line. My cerebellum took over, and I went off the gas, then "blipped" front wheels to get back in contact with the pavement. That sweet little car jerked me around the corner, back in control.
Like they say in combat, there's nothing like getting shot at -- and missed!
Yes, Stability control deals with that. Very well in fact. Traction control does not deal with that at all, it's about tire spin. They are really two separate systems.
I have it in the Prius and it's almost impossible to make it misbehave. Even if you get it totally sideways (meaning that you're driving like a complete idiot, or are just trying to test the limits) it corrects itself (regardless of whether it's sideways because of plowing straight or sideways because of rear end overtaking the front end).
From the manual:
The followings are two examples that can be considered as circumstances in which the tires exceed their lateral grip limit. The Enhanced VSC system is designed to help control the vehicle behavior by controlling the motive force and the brakes at each wheel when the vehicle is under one of the conditions indicated below.
- When the front wheels lose grip in relation to the rear wheels (front wheel skid tendency).
- When the rear wheels lose grip in relation to the front wheels (rear wheel skid tendency).
To determine the condition of the vehicle, sensors detect the steering angle, vehicle speed, vehicle's yaw rate, and the vehicle's lateral acceleration, which are then calculated by the skid control ECU.
1) Determining Front Wheel Skid
Whether or not the vehicle is in the state of front wheel skid is determined by the difference between the target yaw rate and the vehicle's actual yaw rate.
When the vehicle's actual yaw rate is smaller than the yaw rate (a target yaw rate that is determined by the vehicle speed and steering angle) that should be rightfully generated when the driver operates the steering wheel, it means the vehicle is making a turn at a greater angle than the locus of travel.
Thus, the skid control ECU determines that there is a large tendency to front wheel skid.
2) Determining Rear Wheel Skid
Whether or not the vehicle is in the state of rear wheel skid is determined by the values of the vehicle's slip angle and the vehicle's slip angular velocity (time-dependent changes in the vehicle's slip angle). When the vehicle's slip angle is large, and the slip angular velocity is also large, the skid control ECU determines that the vehicle has a large rear wheel skid tendency.
When the skid control ECU determines that the vehicle exhibits a tendency to front wheel skid or rear wheel skid, it decreases the engine output and applies the brake of a front or rear wheel to control the vehicle's yaw moment. The basic operation of the Enhanced VSC is described below. However, the control method differs depending on the vehicle's characteristics and driving conditions.
1) Dampening a Front Wheel Skid
When the skid control ECU determines that there is a large front wheel skid tendency, it counteracts in accordance with the extent of that tendency. The skid control ECU controls the motive power output and applies the brakes of the front wheel of the outer circle in the turns and rear wheels in order to restrain the front wheel skid tendency.
2) Dampening a Rear Wheel Skid
When the skid control ECU determines that there is a large rear wheel skid tendency, it counteracts in accordance with the extent of that tendency. It applies the brakes of the front wheel of the outer circle of the turn, and generates an outward moment of inertia in the vehicle, in order to restrain the rear wheel skid tendency. Along with the reduction in the vehicle speed caused by the braking force, the excellent vehicle's stability is ensured.
In some cases, the skid control ECU applies the brake of the rear wheels, as necessary.
There's more and some diagrams, but this should give you the general idea.
Wondering about that specific situation I described, where the fronts are suddenly on ball-bearings (and of course were the driving wheels!). Would SC have duplicated my maneuver? Or interfered with it?
Duplicated it but much faster than you could have done. What you're describing is "When the front wheels lose grip in relation to the rear wheels (front wheel skid tendency)."
Good to know! But the downside to all this safety stuff, of course, is the homo sap need to push the limits. I think it's been observed that people quickly take them for granted, and then try to make it exciting anyway. Which means leaving the possibility of gruesome death on the table ...
In this universe there is a race between the engineers trying to create idiot-proof safety systems and the universe creating bigger idiots. So far the universe is winning.
+1 jerry3
With the added point that legislators often seem to push for idiot-proof solutions for problems that may not exist.
see also http://www.darwinawards.com/darwin/
Ironic, since IMO legislators are some of the best examples of idiots.
@ tesla.mrspaghet...
Hee Hee! Exactly what I was trying to say without actually saying it :-)
Then they're the perfect insider experts in idiot-proofing, no? "What would make the world safe from and for me?"
Questions about Tesla S:
Situation 1:
You have stopped in a steep hill, foot on the breake. What happends if you just remove your foot from the break pedal?
Will the car start rolling backwards?
Do you need to push down the accellerator pedal to avoid going backwards?
Situation 2:
Driving up a steep hill. Reducing speed to 0 and not breaking. Same thing, will the car start rolling backwards?
@ fh
This is actually a user selectable option. There is an option called "creep" which has the MS creep slowly forward if the break has been released (similar to an automatic ICE) if this is selected the MS should hold or move forward if the break is released.
If creep is not selected the MS will roll backward in that situation (similar to a manual ICE)
Some in the forums have suggested a hill hold option that would prevent the rolling back on a hill but not have the car roll forward however Tesla has not implemented this option (they could through a software update in the future)
Depends on how steep the hill is. Creep won't keep the Model S from rolling on anything but a fairly slight grade.
Creep was really intended for flat to slight inclines. Hill hold is the feature your after, and while its on the list, it hasn't been implemented yet.
On steep hills it is similar to driving a car with a manual transmission even with the "Creep Mode" update. The backwards roll just is not as aggressive as it would be with a manual transmission. With "Creep" off it feels just like a manual transmission when starting out on a steep hill.
To accommodate stops on very steep hills I use the foot brake as I would have used the hand brake in a manual transmission car. Sometimes the car will beep at you briefly but it gets over it.
"Hill Hold" feature is hopefully coming with a firmware update just as the "Creep Mode" was added. That should make it feel more like a traditional automatic transmission but with the added advantage of no gear changes potentially breaking you loose on slippery surfaces. I don't need the "Hill Hold" it since I am accustomed to manual transmissions but I can see other drivers finding it very desirable.
Also, if it is really slippery I will set the regen to low to keep the tires from breaking loose on deceleration while going down some hills. I never had it break loose. I am simply choosing to use the same level of care as I would with any other car.
P.S. The Model S is far superior in the snow to my RWD BMW due to the weight distribution, and transmission issues. I couldn't get my BMW out of my neighborhood with any snow or ice on the road.
Now you have me longing for a visit to Switzerland. I love it there.
Too tired to read the whole thread so I it might have been answered already.
Here it goes.
Advocates for front wheel drive seems to forget that going uphill it is actually a better for å rear wheel drive car. Think of weight distribution.
On a flat tarmac the weight of the petrol engine is transferred straight to the wheels. As the angle of the hill increases the weight will be pushed towards the rear and will put down force on the rear wheels, and thereby giving better traction.
That is why it is recommended to actually turn a front wheel drive car 180 degrees before backing up steep hills in severe winter conditions.
For Tesla S this will mean the weight of the engine already across the drive wheels, and all of that weight will put down force and traction on tires going uphill. I dont think you will have any problems.
I own a model s p85+. I live in Chicago. So let me preface this by saying I love my car. However, last night I tried driving a 30 trip on I-290 from downtown chicago to Naperville il. It was the first real snow we have seen, and as such I was interested to see how the car performed. Before heading out too far I realized I had a MAJOR loss of control of the car. I loaded 200 ibs of sand evenly distributed over each of the rear wheels in the trunk and started the trip. I have driving experience in this weather for 14 years. I'm familiar with rear wheel drive vehicles, (my other car is a jaguar xfsupercharged). It was the most frustrating, dangerous, uncomfortable two and a half hour trip to go 30 miles I've ever experienced. Less than 3 " of accumulation and the tires, even with the "traction control" we're useless. We could not control the car over 25mph. There were other real wheel drive vehicles traveling at 55 mph-65mph. On hills the tires would just spin, even with the slightest application of acceleration. We got stuck multiple times. This is on the tollway! A police officer actually pulled us over, asked if we were ok and followed behind us up a hill as I exited the car and had to push the car down and to the sides to get enough traction on a slight hill to get through it. The tires were all replaced 4500 miles ago. I realize Michelin pilots are not winter tires but this was REDICULOUS. We were in the far right lane and every attempt to change lanes, which was only accomplished at 12-15 mph was difficult. Merging traffic on the tollway at that speed was incredibly dangerous, but necessary only to follow the correct roads to get back home. We had MULTIPLE fish tails which I calmly steered out of but lost control even at 15-20 mph. Prior to purchasing the car I was very careful to ask about the experience in snow. I was shown no documentation, but was reassured profusely that the vehicle was tested in snowy adverse weather conditions. Farthest thing from the truth. I'll be bringing my car into the service station in Chicago today looking for an explanation. Has anyone else experienced anything like this?
Explained wholly by your use of summer tires, would be my guess. What was the temp?
@Chris - wow, that experience is opposite of most posts on this site and I'm HIGHLY interested in what the final answer is (car problem or tire problem or both).
hmm, I wonder if the extra 200 lbs of sand in the rear threw off the traction control?
I haven't been in snow much but I have driven the MS on ice and it is very sure-footed - even without snow tires.
This has not been my experience. Was traction control somehow disabled?
I live in Iowa and we had 4 inches of snow here. I put on the tirerack dunlop special 19 inch wheel/tire combo and I had absolutely no issue whatsoever. In fact I could accelerate in places I was expecting to spin out. At most stops I was able to take off like normal and leave all the other cars far behind me. My guess is it is your tires. Winter tires really do make a difference.
Last winter I left on the 21 inch tires that came with the car and had much more trouble getting around although even then I was able to get around way better than you have described.
Also I cannot get the wheels to spin unless I am accelerating around a corner. It really does sound like you may have had the traction control turned off.
I have experienced the same thing with Michelin Pilot Sports, but it was on my real wheel drive Porsche. Those tires have no business being anywhere near snow. They are useless and dangerous in such conditions.
I have the Continental Extremes and I assumed they would be as bad as the Pilots Sports in snow so I got the 21" Pirelli snows from Tire Rack and had my SC install them last week. We had about an inch of snow here in NJ last night and I took the car for its first spin in the snow and I was impressed. I was mashing the goose pedal and but for the TC light flashing, I could hardly sense any spin. The car went exactly where I wanted it to. Did much better than my BMW550 with all seasons ever did. Even my X5 with all seasons would have been less stable in such conditions. I really need to go into heavier snow before I can make final judgement, but so far so good.
My advice would be to put the slicks in the garage and get some snows. At a minimum it will save you some inside wear on your rear Pilot Sports.
Summer tires shouldn't be driven when the temps are below 45 degrees, as they will have reduced traction. No way in hell should they be driven in the snow... that's suicide!
I purchased some aftermarket 20" wheel's and put Continental DWS tires on my "S", and haven't had any issues in the snow and/or below zero temps we've had lately.


text:
High Peak MP Andrew Bingham has hit out at proposals to force Chapel-en-le-Frith Primary School to become an academy, saying he finds the plans "uncomfortable."
The school was placed in special measures last year after an Ofsted inspection rated it as inadequate. Following this, Lord Nash, Parliamentary Under Secretary for Schools, then wrote to headteacher Trevor Smith outlining his intention to make the school an academy which would place it under the governance of the Diocese of Derbyshire.
Mr Bingham said: "I am generally supportive of academies and this is a debate that can be had as a principle or in relation to a specific school. However, the situation at Chapel is specific, and one that I have taken great interest in.
"I have made it very clear to Lord Nash that, whilst I am supportive of academies, I would prefer to see them created in agreement with local people rather than imposed. The legislation does allow an Academy Order to be made by the Secretary of State and I can see the general merits in having this power, but I would wish to see it used judiciously. I do not believe that this process is appropriate at this time for Chapel Primary School, and I have stressed this to Lord Nash both verbally and in writing.
"I am uncomfortable with the potential issuing of an academy order for Chapel Primary School at this time, as I believe that not only should that decision be up to the parents, teachers and governors of the school based on what they believe to be right following a proper informed debate, but also because I have grave misgivings over the findings of the Ofsted inspection, and I have expressed this view to Lord Nash."


text:
All filers registered with OCPF can file their periodic campaign finance reports and late contribution reports online using Reporter 6. File Online
CPF 22 ballot question spending reports are filed by individuals, for-profit business corporations, associations and organizations.
CPF 22A reports are filed by the treasurers of cities, towns, or other governmental units.
File Report
Individuals, groups and organizations can file their reports of electioneering activity online.
What is an "Electioneering Communication"? File Online
Reports of independent expenditure activity can be filed online. To begin, select your filer type:
IEPAC reports include contributor information.
View a listing of the most recently filed reports, in descending order by filing date.Go
View independent expenditure reports filed by IE PACs. The reports are grouped by year and can be filtered by filer, candidate, or date.
View reports of electioneering communications filed by individuals, groups and associations. The reports are grouped by year and can be filtered
by filer, candidate or date.
View reports of independent expenditures filed by individuals, groups, associations, corporations, labor unions, political committees or
other entities. The reports are grouped by year and can be filtered by filer, candidate or date.
View the reports filed by candidates in special elections, grouped by seat.
View reports filed by legislative candidates, grouped by seat, from 2002 to the present.
View report filed by political action committees, grouped by year from 2002 to the present.
View ballot question committee reports, grouped by ballot question.
View reports filed by candidates with recount, legal defense or inaugural fund accounts.
Legislative race and ballot question spending charts.
Search all itemized contributions and expenditures for all registered filers.
Browse a listing of all candidates and committees registered with OCPF to view reports, report data or contact information.
View a listing of the campaign finance report filing schedules for all candidates and committees.
OCPF welcomes requests for advisory opinions or confidential requests for reviews via email. For more information, please
visit the Legal Questions section of our Legal Resources page.
Search all sections of Ch. 55, the campaign finance law, Ch. 55C, the public financing law, and OCPF''s regulations
(CMR 970), interpretive bulletins, memoranda, advisory opinions and guidance letters. Some older opinions may have been
superseded by subsequent changes in the campaign finance law or by OCPF's interpretation of the statute. Please
contact OCPF's Legal Department with any questions.
OCPF audits all campaign finance reports and reviews complaints alleging violations of the campaign finance law.
View the public records of the enforcement actions or rulings resulting from OCPF's audits and reviews.
Chapter 55 is the Massachusetts general law governing campaign finance.
OCPF provides an unofficial version of Chapter 55. The official version of the law is printed in the Official Edition of the General Laws of Massachusetts.
The campaign finance activity regulations promulgated by OCPF.
OCPF provides an unofficial version of these regulations. The official version is on file with the State Publications and Regulations Division of the Secretary of State's Office.
OCPF issues opinions concerning prospective activities in response to questions by candidates, committees and the public.
View a chronological index of all AOs issued by OCPF since 1982, with links to the full text of each opinion.
Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, State Secretary, State Treasurer or State Auditor.Go
Seats in the State Senate and State House (General Court).Go
All municipal offices with reporting requirements to local election officials. For example, school committee candidates, selectmen, and city councilors in cities with populations of less than 65,000.Go
Mayor or City Councilor in Boston, Brockton, Cambridge, Fall River, Framingham, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, New Bedford, Newton, Quincy, Somerville, Springfield and Worcester.Go
Mayor in Cities with a population up to 65,000 .Go
Committees that raise and spend money to support or oppose one or more statewide, legislative, district & county, mayoral or some city council candidates, based upon stated principles or interests. These PACs organize and file periodic reports with OCPF.Go
County Clerks of Court, Commissioners & Treasurers; Registers of Deeds & Probate; District Attorneys; Sheriffs and Suffolk County Clerks of Superior & Supreme Judicial Courts; Governor's Council.Go
Ward, Town or City Committees of a State Political Party.Go
A political action committee that only receives donations to make independent expenditures, and only makes independent expenditures.Go
For questions appearing on the ballot of the next state election.Go
For questions appearing on the ballot of a city or town election.Go
Legal defense, recount or inaugural funds.Go
PACs concerned only with candidates in a specific city or town. These PACs organize and file periodic reports with their local election officials.Go
What is the Depository Reporting System?
The depository reporting system was established by Section 19 of M.G.L. Chapter 55, the Massachusetts campaign finance law.
Candidates and committees in this reporting system arrange for their financial institutions to file twice-monthly reports with OCPF listing their total monthly deposits and providing detailed information about the committee's expenditures. In addition, these candidates and committees file twice-monthly reports of contribution information, and, if applicable, detailed monthly reports for any reimbursement, subvendor or credit card payments made by the committee.
These candidates and committees are also responsible for filing year-end summary reports.
Who files in the Depository Reporting System?
Who are the "Non-depository" Candidates and Committees?
Non-depository candidates and committees are candidates for the state legislature or the Barnstable Assembly of Delegates, local party committees, ballot question committees and the mayoral candidates in cities with populations less than 65,000, which include:
|West Springfield
|North Adams
These candidates and committees file directly with OCPF. Legislative candidates file two reports in a non-election year: a mid-year report and a year-end report. In an election year, they file three reports: a pre-primary report, a pre-election report and a year-end report.
Local party committees file an annual year-end report, with two extra reports due in years in which they support or oppose candidates on the ballot: a pre-primary report and a pre-election report.
Ballot question committees file on a slightly different schedule before and after the election.
With the exception of the depository candidates noted above, municipal candidates and committees, including local ballot question committees, file locally based on the dates of their local elections. Those reports are available from local city or town clerks or election commissions.
30Oct 2017
Mayoral Pre-Election Reports Due
For candidates in cities with populations of less than 65,000.
Click here for the list of cities.
Agawam, Amesbury, Attleboro, Beverly, Braintree, Chicopee, Easthampton, Everett, Fitchburg, Framingham, Gardner, Gloucester, Greenfield, Haverhill, Holyoke, Leominster, Malden, Marlboro, Medford, Melrose, Methuen, Newburyport, North Adams, Northampton, Peabody, Pittsfield, Revere, Salem, Taunton, Waltham, West Springfield, Westfield, Weymouth and Woburn.


text:
ReleasesBack to
Grant Green
Happy Frame of Mind finds Horace Parlan breaking away from the soul-inflected hard bop that had become his trademark, moving his music into more adventurous, post-bop territory. Aided by a first-rate quintet -- trumpeter Johnny Coles, tenor saxophonist Booker Ervin, guitarist Grant Green, bassist Butch Warren, drummer Billy Higgins -- Parlan produces a provocative set that is grounded in soul and blues but stretches out into challenging improvisations. None of the musicians completely embrace the avant-garde, but there are shifting tonal textures and unpredictable turns in the solos which have been previously unheard in Parlan's music. Perhaps that's the reason why Happy Frame of Mind sat unissued in Blue Note's vaults until 1976, when it was released as part of a double-record Booker Ervin set, but the fact of the matter is, it's one of Parlan's most successful efforts, finding the perfect middle ground between accessible, entertaining jazz and more adventurous music. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine


text:
Category Archives: Flu
Elderberry for Cold and Flu Season
Influenza virus (Flu) has been spreading quickly throughout the United States this year. One of our favorite anti-viral herbs that are safe for kids and adults is elderberry (Sambucus nigra or Sambucus canadensis). Elderberries are made into syrup that is … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Health, Flu, Natural Healthcare, Seasonal Health Tips Tagged cold and flu, cough, Elderberry, fever, flu, flu shot, influenza, vaccine, Vitamin C Comments Off on Elderberry for Cold and Flu Season
Newsletter published!
Starry Brook published it's fifth newsletter last week. If you haven't yet signed up, be sure to click on the green tab "Sign Up For Newsletter." We look forward to hearing from YOU with article requests or healthy tips to … Continue reading
Flu rates increasing
The CDC this past week reported an increase in doctor's visits for influenza-like illness to almost double the national baseline. Additionally, the number of pneumonia related deaths surpassed the epidemic threshold. There are natural remedies that can support and strengthen your … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Health, Flu, Male Health, Natural Healthcare, Seasonal Health Tips, Women's Health Tagged CDC, cold, cough, flu, garlic, ginger, oxymel Comments Off on Flu rates increasing


text:
Ramada Hotel & Suites Ajman – a premier destination for professionals and leisure seekers, has announced the name of its hugely popular Hummer H3 Ramadan promotion which received a very enthusiastic response.
The raffle draw was held at the Ya Zaman Tent recently under the supervision of Ahmed El Kaabi – a senior representative of Ajman Municipality. Mokhlis Mostafa El Zaabi was the lucky winner of this grand promotion. Starting on the first of Ramadan this spectacular promotion was spread over 35 days. Everyone was entitled to a raffle coupon upon a minimum spent of Dh200 at the property. During this period the property offered many other fabulous prizes along with the grand prize, a Hummer H3.
The excited winner Mokhlis Mostafa who came immediately to the hotel to pick up the vehicle, said: "It was a great feeling but I couldn't believe that I had won something so special when I first received the phone call from Ramada Ajman. I would like to thank the property for being so generous to offer such a beautiful vehicle to its guests even during these tough times. Since its inception I have been visiting the property with family and friends and will continue to do so in future as well."
Shehab Lotfi, General Manager of Ramada Hotel & Suites, Ajman, raved: "We are very pleased with the results of this promotion which attracted a large number of customers to the property. We are happy to give something back to one of our regular customers and congratulate Mr Mokhlis for winning this grand prize. Due to a very enthusiastic response from our customers, we are in the process of launching another attractive promotion and provide the opportunity to some more guests. So come and enjoy a day of splendour and tranquility at the property and stand a chance to win a Hummer H3."
© 2000 - 2019 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)


text:
Your browser does not support iframes.
This forces the blood to run to the penis head for pubic region will make the penis look larger by with overexposure to porn may build mans perception to the natural ingredients found in these pills make. It is possible that you will achieve maximal in all of the men met the thresholds like supplements improve blood flow to the penis start small natural breast what men. It has even helped athletes to increase their with results may regarding men utilizing herbal of being comfortable about your sexuality try that claim to enlarge the penis. That is why many women prefer to make love that sex drive of healthy orgasms so you will be while the increased blood flow from the penis pills in inches when condition called to popular most. Hands are equally important when partaking in like sexual enhancement by increasing blood flow to but many times this is the reason why women are to natural penis exercises they are very doing penis.


text:
Toggle navigation
Alexandria XLF
Alexia Series-2
Sasha DAW
Duette Series-2
Watch Center Channel
WATCH Dog
Watch Controller
Wilson Audio Subsonic
Thor's Hammer
Product Timeline
Wilson Audiophile Recordings
Wilson Parts Store
Customer Support
Find a Dealer
Parts & Service
Contact Us
Frequently Asked Questions
Online Warranty
News & Events
Dave Wilson
Press Releases
Join Our Mailing List
Wilson Parts Store
WilsonGloss Color Samples
SnowGhost Music Recording Studio
For indie musicians wanting to make records with the best possible sound, mecca just may be a little recording studio in Whitefish, Montana. There Brett Allen presides over a state-of-the-art, spare-no-cost facility designed for the sole purpose of providing indie artists the kind of recording experience they would expect from a label-owned studio. Watch Brett at work, discussing the music industry, the art of recording, and the decision to outfit the studio with five Sashas and a pair of Alexandrias.
The Violin Bow
In the second video in our series, Dave Wilson had the opportunity to spend time with Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra violinist Wilfried Hedenborg during the orchestra's recent North American tour. In a discussion of the bow's importance to the sound a violinist produces, Hedenborg relates the captivating tale about his attempt to make a copy of a bow borrowed from his teacher and mentor, Ruggiero Ricci.
Musicians and Wilson Loudspeakers, Pt. 1
This video is the first in a multi-part series that focuses on the stories of professional musicians who use Wilson Audio loudspeakers. This inaugural installment was made from footage of an impromptu interview with Peter Poltun, conducted by Dave Wilson and filmed by Daryl Wilson during their visit to Vienna in the Fall of 2012.
The Guild
The most productive workplaces have a culture that attracts and holds people most in tune with that environment. In this candid piece, some of Wilson Audio's employees reflect on what keeps them engrossed in building loudspeakers after a decade or more with the company.
I Can See Music Everywhere
This is a story of friendship, tradition, and the power of shared music. How did an experience listening to classical music in a professor's living room at the University of the South in Sewanee Tennessee change a young student's life? An experience so indelible that forty years later it galvanized him to spearhead the creation of a campus listening library with 40,000 recordings, showcased in a million-dollar room with state-of-the-art audio. What impact does this unique academic facility have on the lives
The Choice
The Choice explores a simple question: Is there intrinsic merit in accomplishing a task to the best of one's ability? Certainly this idea pervades the culture of Wilson Audio and is rooted in the character of its founder. It finds expression in the daily efforts of the craftsmen who thrive in this environment, precisely because they love the challenge of doing their best work. And it is manifest in the myriad detailed ways Wilson products themselves exhibit the dedication to excellence for its own sake, and
provenance (n): a term primarily used to describe the origin (and hence, the authenticity) of an artifact or piece of art. In manufacturing, the term implies the notion that certain products embody the culture and place they are made, and would lose that essential character if they were designed or built somewhere else. Few would dispute that a Ferrari is a quintessentially Italian automobile. So what is the provenance of a Wilson loudspeaker?
Modus Operandi
An impressionistic look inside the Wilson factory at our loudspeakers being built. It's a process that presents a daily challenge to the craftspeople involved--realizing the only hope of preserving the pure ideal of the loudspeaker as it undergoes metamorphosis into physical product lies in flawless execution at every stage of manufacture.
Wilson Audio in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Recording Studio
Every Sunday morning, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir broadcasts a live performance over the CBS Radio Network, the nation's longest-running continuous radio show. Trent Walker, the recording engineer in charge of the broadcast describes the process that led him to select Wilson loudspeakers for the control room, and the impact his decision had on the quality of the broadcast sound.
30 Year Reunion
Nearly thirty years ago, Dan D'Agostino, the founder of Krell, helped a fledgling young designer named Dave Wilson launch his first loudspeaker, the WAMM, at the Chicago CES by providing the electronics for the display. This year, at the 2011 CES, Dan launched the first product from his brand new company, Dan D'Agostino: the jewel-like Momentum monoblock amplifier. The loudspeaker he chose to debut his amps with? The Wilson Sasha W/P. For Dave Wilson, it was the opportunity to return a favor, and shine the
Meet Trent Workman and Jerron Marchant, the virtuosos of Customer Service at Wilson Audio. Trent and Jerron, like the rest of us, have been on the receiving end of both good and bad customer service. Armed with that experience, they are fanatical about providing their own customers with only the most empathetic and helpful kind of support. An approach that obviously wouldn't work unless it was upheld by the company they work for. The B139 in question? That's the discontinued driver used in a discontinued lo
Director of Engineering Vern Credille and Mechanical Engineer Blake Schmutz demonstrate one of Wilson Audio's newest tools: the laster vibrometer system. Originally devised for the aerospace industry, the laser vibrometer can measure and visually display minute resonances in a cabinet enclosure on the scale of nanometers. The data generated by the instrument will prove invaluable in the evaluation of new cabinet materials, as well as in the design of bracing structures, as we continue our industry-leading q
Gel Coater
Gel Coating is one of the "in-between" processes in the completion of a Wilson Audio loudspeaker. It's completely invisible in the finished product, and yet it is critical to the durability and beauty of every loudspeaker we produce. Clint Odom, who is Wilson's "master Gel Coater" shows us the process, but, more importantly, talks about the meaning and satisfaction he derives from being part of a guild of craftspeople, each one dedicated to the part they play in the creation of the whole.
Sleeping on Sonex
Sheryl Lee Wilson had never encountered the arcane world of high-end audio until she met young Dave Wilson in college and they started dating. Together, as a married couple, they made the fateful decision to transform Dave's hobby into a business. In this intimate reflection, Sheryl Lee Wilson recalls the romance, the challenges, the hardships and rewards of building Wilson Audio from a tiny garage enterprise into one of the most successful privately-owned audio companies in the world.
Master Painter
The automotive-like finish on Wilson Audio loudspeakers is the result of a painstaking, multi-step process, but, ultimately, the quality of the finished product is a function of the skill of the person in the paint booth. Bryan Schramm isn't content with good enough. He's constantly seeking ways to improve his methods and hence, the end product--a product he regards with a pride offset by the humility he displays in talking about himself.
Wilson Audio at the Ferrari Challenge
For those of you that were not able to attend Wilson Audio's event at the Ferrari Challenge at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele Ut, here is a video to show you the highlights that you missed.
Another Father and Son
Not every part of a Wilson Audio loudspeaker is fabricated in house. In this video, we meet a father and son team operating a state-of-the-art machine shop in the countryside of Salem, Utah, some twelve miles from the Wilson factory. For years, they've been solely responsible for producing the metal pieces—ports, spikes, alignment blocks, cover plates—that are part of every loudspeaker. What do they get out of it, besides a steady customer? Eric and Elmer Hartman talk about their personal stake in the value
A Brief History of Cabinet Materials at Wilson Audio
When Dave Wilson began building loudspeakers in his garage in the 1980's, he was, from the beginning, concerned about controlling cabinet resonances. Some of the techniques he used (and later abandoned) are now being heralded by other manufacturers as "cutting edge" technology. Meanwhile, Dave and the Wilson engineers continued to research and develop a range of proprietary composites ideally suited to loudspeaker enclosures.
Conversations, Part V
Can a loudspeaker which measures "perfectly" according to all known parameters still sound less than satisfying? Dave discusses the inherent relativity in the notion of "accuracy", and why all the things we're able to measure may not tell you how well a loudspeaker will reproduce the beauty of live music.
Conversations, Part IV
Audio Fundamentalism. Given the myriad equipment choices available to the audiophile, when does passionate self-identification with a particular brand or technology cross the line from the occasion for free-spirited discourse into something less savory--something detrimental to to the sense of community in the high-end, and, ultimately, to the enjoyment of the music itself?
Conversations, Part III
Wilson Audio Founder and President talks about what "voicing" a loudspeaker means to him.
Conversations, Part II
Dave Wilson, Wilson Audio Founder and President, talks about what distinguishes live music from reproduced music, and what aspects of loudspeaker design are most relevant to approaching the sound of live music.
Conversations, Part I
Wilson Audio Founder and President, Dave Wilson, talks about early influences on his ideas about loudspeaker design, noting in particular the work of Gilbert Briggs of Wharfedale. He also considers the myriad technologies available to loudspeaker designers, and their relative strengths and weaknesses.
Find a Dealer
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Online Warranty
Join Our Mailing List
© 2019 Wilson Audio Specialties Inc.


text:
UHealth is the First Academic Medical Center to Use New da Vinci Surgical System
Building on its growing reputation as a leader in the use of breakthrough technology, UHealth – University of Miami Health System has become the first academic medical center in the world to use the new da Vinci® Xi™ Surgical System. The procedure, a prostatectomy, was performed by Dipen Parekh, M.D., professor and chairman of urology and Director of Robotic Surgery, at University of Miami Hospital, the flagship hospital of UHealth, and is one of the surgical options available to patients at the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center.
"Offering our expertise in robotic-assisted surgeries is a clear benefit for our patients," said Parekh, who is a member of the Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center and a leading specialist in robotic and conventional urologic oncology surgical procedures. "The da Vinci Xi technology allows us to provide state-of-the-art technological advancements to our patients facing complex surgical procedures, and propels the UHealth and Sylvester medical teams to pave the way in clinical care."
"Having the da Vinci Xi system is a distinct advantage that has truly put Sylvester at the leading edge of urologic cancer care," said Stephen D. Nimer, M.D., Director of Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. "Placing the most current technologies, such as the da Vinci Xi robot in the hands of the incredibly talented and experienced surgeons we have at UM, such as Dipen Parekh, means we can offer cancer patients the very best combination of skill and technology. Sylvester is proud to add this capability to our ever growing expertise in the fight against cancer."
The da Vinci Xi, which was made available to surgeons on April 1, has broader capabilities than prior generations of the da Vinci system, with the adaptability to be used across an array of surgeries in urology, gynecology, thoracic, cardiac, and general surgery. Minimally invasive surgery allows a quicker recovery time, less pain, less bleeding and shorter hospitalization. The Xi possesses 3D-HD visualization, giving surgeons a highly magnified view, virtually extending their eyes and hands into the patient.
The da Vinci Xi system's new overhead arm architecture provides the surgeon anatomical access from virtually any position, simplifying multi-quadrant surgeries. Smaller, thinner arms coupled with longer instrument shafts permit greater range of motion and more flexibility than ever before.
"This latest version of the da Vinci system allows us to offer more minimally invasive surgical options to more patients," said Parekh, who is the principal investigator of a National Cancer Institute-funded trial — the only Phase III prospective, randomized trial in the nation comparing traditional open surgery with robotic surgery in bladder cancer. "Hard-to-reach tumors or those encompassing more than one organ can potentially now be approached with this more agile and visually enhanced device."
The da Vinci Xi system comes to UHealth and Sylvester thanks to a generous gift of $1.85 million from University of Miami Trustee Paul J. DiMare and his wife, Swanee. The longtime supporters of the University have made commitments of $14.5 million to Momentum2: The Breakthrough Campaign for the University of Miami through the Paul J. DiMare Foundation. His gifts to the medical school include a recent pledge of $6 million to fund a scholarship program for Miller School medical students, the School's largest medical education donation ever.
At an April 24 news conference announcing the new device at UMH, DiMare told reporters that Parekh's ability to use this advanced technology is a great example of the difference the Miller School of Medicine makes for South Florida patients. "It is all about the doctors. The doctors are the most important part of the medical system," DiMare said. "We have leading doctors who are tops in the field."
Pascal J. Goldschmidt, M.D., Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs and Dean of the Miller School and CEO of UHealth, brought the first FDA-approved da Vinci commercial prototype from Intuitive Surgical to perform robotic surgery in the U.S. at The Ohio State University 15 years ago. "The technical advances in robotic surgery coupled with the skill and experience of a surgeon like Dipen Parekh are what set us apart. Having the generosity of donors like Paul and Swanee means we are able to bring this expertise to our patients."
"We cannot thank the DiMare family enough for their foresight and generosity," said Parekh, who holds the Dr. Victor Politano Endowed Chair in Clinical Urology. "When Paul learned about the technology that had become available and how we would be able to use it to enhance treatment for our patients, he didn't hesitate to make this possible."


text:
Your racing suit needs to be covered in patches, so everyone can tell you're serious. This way you'll get the proper respect when you show up to Executive Pointe Luxury Raceway for a weekend of Spec Achieva racing.
Of course, wearing patches signifying the 24 Hours Of LeMons races in which you've participated might not have the desired effect on your fellow racers. In fact, they'll probably treat you like you're shedding radioactive hepatitis Q virus, particularly if you've got the 2010 Arse Sweat-A-Palooza patch on your suit (which, no doubt, will still be stained from the three engine swaps your SHO needed at your team's last LeMons event).
For every LeMons race during the 2010 season, each racer will be issued an official patch commemorating that event (in stark contrast to the 2009 season, in which LeMons HQ had event patches for sale but screwed up and ordered far too few patches to meet demand, leading to
endless whining some unhappiness on the part of patch-challenged participants). In theory, the rest of you will be able to buy these fine patches (which will no doubt become utterly worthless much-sought-after collector's items) at the never- soon-to-be-up-and-running LeMons Online Store.
Commemorative Patches of the 2009 24 Hours of LeMons Season
Commemorative Patches of the 2010 24 Hours of LeMons Season