text:
National Park Service--Special Park Use Fees
B-307319: Aug 23, 2007
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The National Park Service (NPS) may set special park use fees based on market value when it is acting under business-type conditions, but it may not double charge for costs by setting a two-part fee in which one part is based on market value and the other based on costs. Both the Independent Offices Appropriations Act (IOAA) of 1952, codified at 31 U.S.C. sect. 9701, and section 3a of title 16 of the United States Code authorize NPS to charge a user fee. When providing commercial goods, services, or resources, NPS may charge a fee based on market value under the IOAA and, under section 3a, calculate its actual costs, deduct that amount from the fee collected, and credit that amount to the current NPS appropriation. Any fees collected in excess of costs must be deposited into the miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury. Alternatively, NPS may choose to set special park use fees to recover only its actual costs and retain those under section 3a.
B-307319, National Park Service--Special Park Use Fees, August 23, 2007
Matter of: National Park Service—Special Park Use Fees
The National Park Service (NPS) may set special park use fees based on market value when it is acting under business-type conditions, but it may not double charge for costs by setting a two-part fee in which one part is based on market value and the other based on costs. Both the Independent Offices Appropriations Act (IOAA) of 1952, codified at 31 U.S.C. sect. 9701, and section 3a of title 16 of the United States Code authorize NPS to charge a user fee. When providing commercial goods, services, or resources, NPS may charge a fee based on market value under the IOAA and, under section 3a, calculate its actual costs, deduct that amount from the fee collected, and credit that amount to the current NPS appropriation. Any fees collected in excess of costs must be deposited into the miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury. Alternatively, NPS may choose to set special park use fees to recover only its actual costs and retain those under section 3a.
In February 2006, GAO reported that National Park Service (NPS) park units were not consistently implementing NPS special use permit guidance for fee-setting and cost-recovery.[1] In the course of this work, we raised concerns about the underlying legal authority for NPS fee-setting guidance. We were concerned that park units, following NPS guidance, might charge fees higher than authorized. This decision addresses whether NPS has authority to charge fees for special park uses that may exceed agency costs for managing or supporting such uses.[2] We conclude that NPS may base fees on market value, but may not charge a two-part fee based on both costs and market value. Current NPS guidance improperly permits park units to combine actual costs incurred by NPS and market value in setting the user fee.
NPS provides user fee guidance to park units in three key documents: first, NPS's Management Policies 2001, which provides agencywide guidance on a variety of topics, including special park uses and fees;[3] second, Director's Order #53: Special Park Uses, which clarifies and supplements Management Policies 2001 by setting forth policies and procedures for administering special park uses on lands;[4] and third, Reference Manual 53: Special Park Uses, which provides detailed guidance for carrying out the agency's special park use program.[5]
Management Policies 2001 envisions a two-part fee: a cost recovery and a use charge. Management Policies 2001, sect. 22.214.171.124. It requires that [a]ll costs incurred by the Service in writing the permit, monitoring, providing protection services, restoring park areas, or otherwise supporting a special park use will be reimbursed by the permittee. When appropriate, the Service will also include a fair charge for the use of the land or facility.[6]
NPS guidance cites two statutory authorities under which it charges special park use fees.
Reference Manual 53 cites 16 U.S.C. sect. 3a as authority for the recovery and retention of costs, and 31 U.S.C. sect. 9701 as authority for the imposition of additional charges for the value of the land or facilities used, or the services provided. Reference Manual 53 at C10-1. It also discusses the separate disposition of the amounts recovered under each authority, noting that funds recovered for costs may be retained while those collected for land or facility use must be deposited as miscellaneous receipts.
NPS guidance for imposition of special park use fees presents the following issue: whether IOAA authorizes NPS to charge fees set at market value for special park uses, and if so whether this may be done in addition to NPS's section 3a authority to recover agency costs for managing or supporting such uses.
Section 3a, by its own terms, does not permit NPS to recover amounts exceeding its costs. It provides, Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the National Park Service may . . . recover all costs of providing necessary services associated with special use permits, such reimbursements to be credited to the appropriation current at that time. 16 U.S.C. sect. 3a (emphasis added). This authorizes NPS to recover and credit to its appropriations a fee equal to its total costs. There is nothing in the language of the statute that authorizes NPS to charge a fee exceeding its costs.
The Office of the Solicitor has asserted that NPS's authority to impose additional fees above and beyond the costs authorized in 16 U.S.C. sect. 3a is provided by IOAA, commonly referred to as the User Charge statute.[7] The Solicitor's Office argues that interpreting these two statutes in pari materia would permit imposition of a fee equaling costs (under section 3a) plus an additional fee equal to the value of the facility, land, or service provided (a market value calculation under IOAA).[8]
Market value fees under IOAA
Before addressing the propriety of the two-part fee envisioned by the Solicitor's Office and NPS guidance, we will consider whether IOAA permits NPS to charge a fee based on the market value of the facility, land, or service provided.
IOAA establishes a government policy that each service or thing of value provided by an agency . . . to a person . . . is to be self-sustaining to the extent possible. 31 U.S.C. sect. 9701(a). IOAA authorizes heads of agencies to prescribe regulations establishing charges for a service or thing of value provided by an agency, and requires that fees be fair and based on four factors: (A) the costs to the Government; (B) the value of the service or thing to the recipient; (C) public policy or interest served; and (D) other relevant facts. 31 U.S.C. sect. 9701(b). Judicial interpretation to date has applied IOAA to the government's exercise of its regulatory functions, and in that context courts have narrowed the application of these factors so that fees charged under IOAA are limited to the cost to the agency of a specific benefit rendered to a particular entity. Florida Power & Light Co. v. United States, 846 F.2d 765, 767 (D.C. Cir. 1988), cert. denied, 490
This understanding of IOAA is based on federal case law from the mid-1970s, beginning with two Supreme Court decisions issued on the same day in 1974. In National Cable Television Ass'n (NCTA) v. United States, 415 U.S. 336 (1974), the Supreme Court considered fees set under IOAA by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for regulation of community antenna television (CATV) systems. FCC had calculated fees based on FCC's total costs of regulating the CATV industry. NCTA, 415
In a companion case to NCTA issued the same day, the Supreme Court considered yearly assessments set under IOAA by the Federal Power Commission (FPC) to recoup a portion of its costs of regulating gas and power utilities. Federal Power Commission v.
In a follow-up to NCTA, the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals addressed a revised annual fee scheme established by FCC under IOAA. National Cable Television
In doing so, the D.C. Circuit held that FCC was required to show the particular costs which they are assessing against the recipients so as to assure them that they are paying only for the specific expenses which are incurred in connection with the service of granting them their operating authority.
In that case, Judge Tamm included a concurring opinion arguing against what he viewed as the D.C. Circuit's undue narrowing of agency discretion by defining value to the recipient as including only costs and not also the value of the benefits bestowed on a regulatee.
The D.C. Circuit, in another decision issued the same day, summarized the requirements of the cost-based standard:
First, the [FCC] must justify the assessment of a fee by a clear statement of the particular service or benefit which it is expected to reimburse. Second, it must calculate the cost basis for each fee assessed. This involves (a) an allocation of the specific direct and indirect expenses which form the cost basis for the fee to the smallest practical unit; (b) exclusion of any expenses incurred to serve an independent public interest; and (c) a public explanation of the specific expenses included in the cost basis for a particular fee, and an explanation of the criteria used to include or exclude particular terms. Finally, the [FCC] must set a fee calculated to return this cost basis at a rate which reasonably reflects the cost of the services performed and value conferred upon the payor.
Electronic Industries
The D.C. Circuit has since applied the cost-based standard in reviewing fees assessed by the Interstate Commerce Commission in regulating motor carriers,[9] the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in regulating nuclear power licensees,[10] and the Environmental Protection Agency in regulating engine manufacturers under the Clean Air Act.[11] The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals followed suit in a case considering NRC licensing fees.[12]
These court cases involved agencies exercising their regulatory functions. No court has directly addressed the question facing us here; that is, may an agency, when acting not in a regulatory context but in a commercial or proprietary context, set fees based on market value rather than recovery of agency costs? Or should we read federal case law to require that even in a commercial or proprietary context, fees may only reflect the costs incurred by the agency in providing a service or thing of value to a recipient?
Special park uses, in many ways, are factually distinct from the regulatory activities contemplated to date in federal case law. Generally, there is a voluntary element present when a rancher, for example, approaches NPS to use park land for grazing that is not present when a television broadcast company approaches FCC for a license to use the public airwaves. If the rancher does not want to pay what NPS will charge, the rancher can decide whether to seek grazing rights elsewhere. The television broadcast company, however, cannot walk away from its transaction (unless, of course, it decides to walk away, also, from its broadcast business); the federal government is the only source for a broadcast license. Unlike grazing rights, a license to broadcast is not a commodity traded in an open market. The license has a very real economic value nonetheless—indeed, it could amount to the value of the company's broadcast business. This could obviously be quite high, and using it as the limit for user charges would give agencies extraordinarily broad authority. It is in this sense that we understand the D.C. Circuit's holding that basing a fee for a license on value derived would be in the nature of a tax. A fee based on the cost to the government of providing this economic value to the licensee reflects a balance between the IOAA policy that federal activities be self-sustaining to the extent possible and the Supreme Court's admonition that Congress, in IOAA, did not delegate taxing authority to agencies.
Grazing rights, on the other hand, do have a value that can be determined by the open market. In such a commercial transaction, as in the regulatory context, it is possible that the government may incur very little cost, and the economic value of the government's action may exceed the government's costs.[13] In that case, a fee that is designed merely to recover the government's costs could very well interfere, however inadvertently, with a competitive marketplace by having the government selling below the market rate. A fee based on the market price of the transaction would reflect a balance between the IOAA self-sustaining policy and a healthy respect for the marketplace.[14]
We see nothing in IOAA to prohibit an agency from setting a fee in a commercial or proprietary transaction that reflects the market price. In IOAA, Congress directed agencies to base fees on four factors, including the value of the service . . . to the recipient and public policy or interest served. 31 U.S.C. sect. 9701(b)(2)(B), (C). While, as the Supreme Court explained, this does not permit an agency to tax, we believe that at least in a commercial transaction, an agency may fairly decide that it should set its fees in reference to prices that arise out of competition in open markets.[15] Therefore, we believe that IOAA permits agencies to appropriately weigh the statutory factors in accordance with executive branch policies, and with respect to commercial transactions, to set fees based on market price.
This distinction was broached by the Court of Claims while referring to IOAA in Yosemite Park & Curry Co. v. United States, 686 F.2d 925, 932--34 (Ct. Cl. 1982). Yosemite involved a contract dispute between NPS and a concessioner in
In referring to IOAA, the Court of Claims acknowledged the line of federal cases interpreting IOAA to mandate a cost based fee schedule and establish that cost must be the ultimate basis of fees, but found that those cases were not apposite to NPS's authority under 16 U.S.C. sect. 1b(4).
We conclude that in a commercial transaction, an agency may set its fees under IOAA based on market price. However, consistent with IOAA, we recommend that NPS establish its special park use fee structure through the rulemaking process and in accordance with executive policy as reflected in OMB Circular A-25.
Two-part fee
NPS guidance, as described above, contemplates a two-part fee, including both a market value charge and a cost-based charge. As explained below, we find that even under business-type conditions, the NPS two-part fee for special park uses is inconsistent with OMB Circular A-25. In addition, we do not think that the two applicable statutes may reasonably be read as authorizing the two-part fee, which double counts costs.
First, OMB Circular A-25 does not support charging a two-part fee as delineated in the NPS guidance. Rather, it sets out alternative methodologies for calculating the appropriate user fee: (1) full cost recovery, which should be used when the government is acting in its capacity as sovereign, and (2) market price, which should be used under business-type conditions, such as when leasing or selling goods or resources.
The Circular states that under these conditions, user charges need not be limited to the recovery of full cost and may yield net revenues.
Second, NPS asserts authority to charge a two-part fee (market price plus full cost) by citing both IOAA and 16 U.S.C. sect. 3a. We do not think this is a reasonable reading of these two fee-setting statutes because it fails to read them harmoniously as part of an overall statutory scheme. IOAA is the predominant federal user fee statute, and it is the only governmentwide authority. In 1993, more than 40 years after enactment of IOAA, Congress enacted 16 U.S.C. sect. 3a, which, as stated, authorizes NPS to recover its costs of providing necessary services associated with special use permits and to credit those costs to its current appropriation. See Department of the Interior and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 1994, Pub. L. No. 103-138, title I, 107 Stat. 1379, 1387 (
While the NPS guidance acknowledges the two statutes, the two-part fee system described in its guidance essentially construes them as allowing for recovery of the same costs under each. Specifically, the guidance defines market value as the value of the land being used as determined by the market price (Reference Manual 53 at C10-5) plus NPS costs incurred. [19] Director's Order # 53, sect. 3.6. Calculating market value in this manner essentially double counts the costs to the government that may be recovered as part of the fee, a result clearly not supported by any reasonable reading of the underlying statutes.[20]
Under IOAA, NPS may charge fees for special park uses based on market value when it is acting under business-type conditions but may not separately charge an additional fee for its costs. Consistent with IOAA, we recommend that NPS establish its fee structure through the rulemaking process and in accordance with executive policy as reflected in OMB Circular A-25.[21] NPS may charge a fee based on market value under IOAA and, under section 3a, calculate actual costs to the government, deduct that amount from the fee collected, and credit that amount to the current NPS appropriation. NPS should deposit into the miscellaneous receipts of the Treasury any amounts collected that exceed the actual costs to the government. We suggest that NPS inform the relevant congressional committees of its actions and keep them informed throughout the rulemaking process.
Gary L. Kepplinger
General Counsel
[1] GAO, National Park Service: Opportunities Exist to Clarify and Strengthen Special Uses Permit Guidance on Setting Grazing Fees and Cost-Recovery, GAO-06-355R (
[2] Our practice when rendering decisions is to obtain the views of the relevant federal agency to establish a factual record and to elicit the agency's legal position on the subject matter of the request. GAO, Procedures and Practices for Legal Decisions and Opinions, GAO-06-1064SP (
[3] At the time of our February 2006 report, NPS was operating under Management Policies 2001. On
a short-term activity that takes place in a park area, and that: [p]rovides a benefit to an individual, group, or organization rather than the public at large; [r]equires written authorization and some degree of management control from the Service in order to protect park resources and the public interest; is not prohibited by law or regulation; [i]s not initiated, sponsored, or conducted by the Service; and [i]s not managed under a concession contract, a recreation activity for which the NPS charges a fee, or a lease . . . .
Management Policies 2001, NPS D 1416 (Dec. 2000), at sect. 8.6.1 (internal citations omitted), available at www.nps.gov/refdesk/mp (last visited
[4] A few of the types of special park uses contemplated under Director's Order #53 are agricultural or livestock uses; special events such as regattas, pageants, or large group camps; and filming and photography activities. Director's Order #53, sections 11–14 (
[5] Reference Manual 53:
[6] See also Management Policies 2006, sect. 22.214.171.124 (When appropriate, the Service will also collect a fee for the use of the land or facility based on a market evaluation.).
[7] The Solicitor's Office states, The NPS is entitled to utilize both 16 U.S.C. sect. 3a and the IOAA in determining and charging fees for special use permits. Solicitor's Letter at 2.
[8] Statutes in pari materia are those on the same subject; relating to the same matter. Black's Law Dictionary 807 (8th ed. 2004).
[9] Central & Southern Motor Freight Tariff Ass'n v. Interstate Commerce Commission, 777 F.2d 722 (D.C. Cir. 1985). The court found in this instance that some of the ICC's cost based calculations were not adequately precise, or adequately explained.
[10] Florida Power & Light Co. v. United States, 846 F.2d 765, 767 (D.C. Cir. 1988), cert. denied, 490
[11] Engine Manufacturers Ass'n v. Environmental Protection Agency, 20 F.3d 1177 (D.C. Cir. 1994). In this case, the court stated a slightly broader proposition that [a]n agency may not charge more than the reasonable cost it incurs to provide a service, or the value of the service to the recipient, whichever is less.
[12] Mississippi Power & Light Co. v. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, 601 F.2d 223 (5th Cir. 1979), cert. denied, 444
[13] One commentator referred to the economic value in circumstances such as this as the benefits of exclusive use. Clayton P. Gillette and Thomas D. Hopkins, Federal User Fees: A Legal and Economic Analysis, 67 B.U.L.Rev. 795, 862–63 (1987).
[14] See generally B-124195, Apr. 15, 1973 (the Alaska Railroad, owned and operated at that time by the federal government, should ascertain the fair market value of the property it leased to private concerns and establish a rental rate in accordance with sound business management principles and comparable commercial practices).
[15] We recognize that this is an inexact science and at times there may be no comparable private sector supplier.
[16] The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) adopted the court's distinction between the government acting as a sovereign and the government acting commercially in a 1993 revision to its Circular A-25. OMB Cir. No. A-25, User Charges, 58 Fed. Reg. 38142 (
[17] The Circular lists grazing lands in the general vicinity of private ones as an example.
[18] Under the miscellaneous receipts statute, 31 U.S.C. sect. 3302(b), agencies must deposit user fees charged under IOAA into the general fund of the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. See, e.g., 49 Comp. Gen. 17 (1969).
[19] Valuing the land by reference to its market price incorporates a cost component into the formula since comparable prices in an open market will presumably be determined, at least in part, based on cost. We note, however, that it is conceivable that market value in some circumstances may have little relation to actual costs or be less than actual costs.
[20] It is possible that NPS inartfully drafted its guidance and does not intend to double charge for costs in its two part fee. Nevertheless, this is the effect of separately allowing for the recovery of both market price and actual costs. In establishing a fee structure consistent with this decision and OMB Circular A-25, NPS should ensure that when NPS is leasing or selling goods or resources under business conditions, and the fee charged is based on market value, an additional recovery of costs is not permitted.
[21] See, e.g., Grazing Fees on National Forest System Lands in the Eastern States, 55 Fed. Reg. 2646 (
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Cunning, Clever, Critical
Cartoons hold up the mirror to society. In the Arab world as well, cartoons are a popular medium for criticizing the government and society. Liesel Schulze-Meyer reports on an exhibit of Maghreb cartoons shown last year in Berlin, organized by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the German-Maghreb Society.
"Work hard at school so you can be as smart as my Prime Minister someday", the president admonishes a little schoolboy. The boy replies: "I'd rather not go to school, then I can become president like you."
Nothing is sacred to Algerian cartoonists. This was clearly demonstrated by an exhibit of a hundred political and socially critical cartoons from the Maghreb countries Libya, Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco in Berlin last year.
Libya was represented in Berlin by the artist Muhammed az-Zwawi, who is very popular in his homeland, Tunisia by Chedly Belkhamsa, known and loved for his contributions to the daily press.
Morocco, which has a professional cartoonists' organization, contributed works by eight artists, including some by the organization's chair, Mohamed Nadrani.
"Le Dilem du jour"
A bomb explodes next to a house, car parts fly through the air. Through an open window we see a man sitting in front of a television; not seeing the disaster, he yells out the window: "Quiet, the president is about to speak."
The Algerian French-language newspaper Liberté prints a cartoon under the heading "Le Dilem du jour" on the last page of each edition. Dilem is probably the country's most popular cartoonist, and every day readers are eager to see what he will tackle this time, what scandals his bulbous-nosed characters will expose.
Cartoons provide not only information, but above all wit and humor. And who doesn't like to laugh or chuckle, who doesn't relish nastiness, who can avoid gloating when deplorable situations are made fun of, who isn't happy to agree when the famously sharp pen skillfully skewers abuses?
No lack of issues
State and administrative incompetence, election fraud, corruption, human rights abuses, Islamic fundamentalism, terror, violence, the oppression of women, restrictions on press freedoms: Maghreb cartoonists have a wealth of issues to get worked up about.
When foreign policy or a critique of other countries is involved, cartoonists usually choose to visualize relations with the west, above all America, the Middle East conflict, events in Afghanistan and Iraq and the politics of oil.
Social issues criticized in cartoons include the conflict of tradition and modernity, religious behaviors, environmental damage, family issues, marriage customs, traffic problems, AIDS, poverty and wealth.
Of the four countries represented, only in Algeria is there open criticism of the state, the parties and the military. However, in contrast to Germany artists rarely depict real, recognizable people.
Maghreb politicians clearly do not share the view of Johannes Rau, who said at a cartoonists' dinner in Berlin in December 2003: "… for politicians there has always been only one thing worse than being caricatured – and that is not being caricatured."
Critique of Libyan People's Committee
In Libya it seems possible to criticize the People's Committees mildly, while America, Saudi Arabia, and Israel, for example, can be criticized openly.
In their loving detail, az-Zwawi's drawings are also a closely-observed portrait of the people and their way of life; with pen and brush he exposes people's peccadilloes, major and minor, the plight of the poor and the vices of the rich or the incompetence and injustices of the administration.
He makes fun of the country's prohibition of alcohol, and of antiquated marriage customs. One strong cartoon addresses the veiling of women, depicting photographs of three completely veiled figures. Each holds up a sign saying: "I am Haluma … and I am Mabruka … and I am Fatuma".
Focus on press freedom
In Morocco (as in Algeria), press freedom is a highly important issue. Its abuse is often symbolized by mistreated pens: pens forming prison bars, pens being executed, pens with crutches or in handcuffs. A newspaper in chains is guarded by a prison guard with a gun.
Moroccan cartoonists are more serious than the others. Torture, the dangerous escape to Europe over the Straits of Gibraltar, violence against women – these, they feel, are not necessarily laughing matters. Although psychologists tell us that laughter is therapeutic even in the face of horror, because it helps us free ourselves from fears.
Cautious criticism in Tunisia
The Tunisian cartoons take the fewest political risks, tending to thematize traffic problems in a capital that is bursting at the seams, as well as its unattractive architecture.
Environmental problems, soccer dealings, the battle of the sexes, new kinds of children's games – these are some of the issues addressed by Chedly Belkhamsa. He offers a cautious criticism of the lack of press freedom in the form of a dripping faucet in the shape of the word "info".
Since the 18th century, when English cartoonists gave cartoons the form we are familiar with today, they have been regarded as a comical mirror of society. Ever since, their exaggerations, distortions of appearances, their emphasis of ugliness, their sarcasm and malice and their exposure of grievances have given them broad popularity.
The Maghreb cartoonists stand well within this tradition. They reflect Maghreb society with all its peculiarities, flaws and shortcomings. The depiction of people's distinguishing features and environments is usually typically North African.
As elsewhere, styles differ, ranging from the crude, economical line drawings of Melouah to Dilem's nervous style with its delicately filled-in areas and the graphically sophisticated, in part colored images of az-Zwawi.
Cartoonists live dangerously
How far can cartoonists go with their issues their images address? Sid Ali Melouah and Mohammed Nadrani were present at the exhibit in Berlin, two artists whose biographies show how dangerous courage can be. The former had to leave Algeria after Algerian terrorists repeatedly threatened his life, while the second spent years in prison.
As a tourist in Tunisia, Az-Zwawi was even imprisoned for months without being given a reason. Dilem was sentenced to pay a fine and spend several months in prison.
When Melouah showed his Algerian cartoons in other Arab countries, people often asked him in astonishment how it was possible for the Algerian press to have so much freedom and openness. He would always reply: "We don't have the freedom. We just take it!"
© Liesel Schulze-Meyer
Source: Der Arabische Almanach, Issue 2004/2005
Liese Schulze-Meyer is the Chair of the German-Maghrebinischen Society.
Translation from German: Isabel Cole


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While my favorite theme songs were the same - Route 66 (my favorite), Peter Gunn, Mr Lucky, Jan Hamer's Miami Vice work - by far and away the best music I heard on TV was from Johnny Staccato.
It was a 1959-60 John Cassavetes project, about a Jazz musician who helped out crime victims on the side. Like Stacy Keach's Mike Hammer did. The entire score was authentic, mostly original Jazz. You didn't have to wait for the credits; musicians like Barney Kessel, Shelly Manne, Pete Candoli and Red Mitchell appeared on camera as characters, playing right in front of you.
The show was short lived; it was a terrific drama for a half hour show and was not cute or funny like Peter Gunn and Mr Lucky were. Cassavetes himself was a very famous indie filmmaker before there was such a thing in the USA. And needless to say, a devoted fan of heavy Jazz. America was not ready for weekly TV this serious in 1959. I was glued to every episode, already hooked on serious drama and music at twelve years of age.
Just because I was a fan of the shows, I fondly remember the theme songs of Sea Hunt and Science Fiction Theater. I do remember that the UK series by Sapphire Films had good theme music. Think The Four Just Men, The Buccaneers, and Adventures of Robin Hood. Very entertaining shows, too. Luckily for me, syndicated and seen on mostly WGN in Chicago.
Then there was Rawhide. We all know the theme, although at this point I picture the Blues Brothers using it as filler in the club gig. Curiously, Sheb Wooley was Pete Nolan, the scout for the cattle drive. His other fame was making the hit record "Purple People Eater." A Country musician and songwriter, his wife's cousin was Roger Miller, whom he taught guitar to. Wooley penned the Hee Haw theme.


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Pirelli exports to Australia its technology for reducing CO2 emissions
The waste-derived fuel produced under Pirelli patent will be utilised in thermoelectric power plants and cement plants, partially substituting coal Milan, 22 June 2010 – Pirelli Ambiente, the company in the Pirelli Group operating in the field of renewable energy, signed a licensing agreement with Bosco International, which promotes systems and industrial processes for a sustainable environment, which will allow the Australian company to use the Pirelli patent for production of high quality solid recovered fuel (HQ-SRF) derived from municipal solid waste (MSW). The Pirelli technology will initially be used in the Latrobe Valley in Victoria, Australia, as part of the program 'Towards Zero Waste Policy' introduced by the local government for containment of waste, with the aim of converting the 600,000 tons of MSW produced annually by the city of Melbourne into fuel. In particular, the exchange of technology will stimulate an investment by Bosco International to develop an HQ-SRF plant in Australia, once authorizations are obtained from local authorities. The Pirelli HQ-SRF is obtained by adding other components with a high calorific power ( plastic from D.C. and rubber) to dry solid urban waste. It can be used to partially replace fossil fuels in already existing, non-dedicated, plants, such as cement works and thermal power plants and it yields significant environmental benefits for the population, both in terms of lower emissions in particular of CO2, NOX and SO2 from fossil fuels, and in economic terms (lower waste disposal costs). The integrated system promoted by Pirelli Ambiente has been successfully used since late 2002 in the Cuneo Provincial Authority Area, with the Idea Granda project, a public-private partnership owned 49% by Pirelli, and 51% by local utility ACSR, with cement works Buzzi-Unicem of Robilante, which uses HQ-SRF in its main burner substituting more than 40% of coal-petkoke needed. From its beginning, this system has meant energy recovered from waste in the area rose more than 32%, a level greater than the Italian average (7%) and greater than the European average (27%). In addition, according to a study by the University of Milan in Bicocca using the Life Cycle Assessment Method, use of Pirelli HQ-SRF is, respectively, 90 and 72 times more advantageous for the environment than landfills and incinerators. Pirelli Ambiente Pirelli Ambiente is the Pirelli Group company focused on renewable energy. In the field of renewable energy sources and, in particular, of energy recovery from MSW (Municipal Solid Waste), Pirelli Ambiente has developed and patented a High-Quality Solid Recovered Fuel (HQ-SRF). In the photovoltaic energy sector, Pirelli Ambiente created Solar Utility SpA, which invests in roof based solar energy systems for production in Italy. Bosco International Bosco International Pty Ltd, established in 2006, facilitates services, systems and processes for industry sectors seeking to create a sustainable environment, including saving energy or protecting resources. Bosco works with Australian and international companies, to offer sustainable environmental solutions. It seeks to achieve approvals and introduce new processes and systems for positive environmental results in: Waste management, Recycling, Power Generation, Manufacturing, Soil Remediation, Water treatment, Agribusiness, Natural Resources, Infrastructure, and Mining. PDF Version (31KB)


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Vote 2012: Labour are back throughout country, says Ed Miliband
- Published
Ed Miliband has told voters Labour are "back throughout the country on your side" after making big gains in the English, Welsh and Scottish elections.
In Scotland they gained a majority in Glasgow, while in Wales their results were the best since 1996 and in England they gained 22 councils.
Overall Labour gained 823 councillors. The Tories lost 405 and Lib Dems 336.
But Prime Minister David Cameron said he would continue making "difficult decisions" to deal with the deficit.
With all the results in, the BBC's projection of the national share of the vote has Labour with a 38% national share of the vote, up three points, with the Tories down four on 31%.
The Lib Dems' projected national share of the vote is estimated to be unchanged at 16%. But the party's total number of councillors has dipped below 3,000 for the first time since it was formed in 1988.
In other developments:
- Estimated turnout is 32%, the lowest since 2000
- Labour have made substantial gains in Wales, including taking Cardiff
- The Lib Dems were the big losers in Scotland , where Labour and the Scottish National Party made big gains
- Labour's Joe Anderson becomes Liverpool's first elected mayor while Labour's Ian Stewart wins the mayoral vote in Salford
- Voters in Birmingham, Sheffield, Newcastle, Wakefield, Manchester, Nottingham, Bradford, Leeds and Coventry reject the mayoral system - but Bristol votes in favour and Doncaster votes to keep theirs
- Boris Johnson wins a second term as London mayor
- UKIP get a 13% share of the vote where they had candidates, although they have won few extra councillors
- George Galloway's Respect gain five councillors in Bradford and unseat Labour group leader
- The British National Party have lost all six council seats they were defending
- The Green Party has added to its total of councillors and appears to be performing well in London
Conservative ministers have shrugged off the results as typical for a mid-term government.
Addressing activists in Southampton, one of the key councils gained by Labour, Mr Miliband said his party's campaign had been based around "the things that matter to people" - attacking the coalition as "out of touch".
His party took control of series of key councils in the south-east of England and the Midlands, including Birmingham, Plymouth, Reading, Norwich, Thurrock and Harlow.
"For the parents worried about their son or daughter who can't find a job, for the people who are seeing their living standards squeezed, for the people who think this country only works for a few at the top and not for them - Labour is back on your side. Labour is back in the south of England on your side, Labour is back throughout the country on your side."
He pledged to reach out to those who did not turn out to vote and to "regain trust", following the party's 2010 general election defeat, saying Labour still had "more to do" to win people over.
Shortly after his speech the Labour leader was hit on the shoulder by an egg during a walkabout in Southampton.
Prime Minister David Cameron said he was sorry for the councillors who had lost their seats against "a difficult national backdrop" but rejected suggestions he should change course: "These are difficult times and there aren't easy answers.
"What we have to do is take the difficult decisions to deal with the debt, deficit and broken economy that we've inherited and we will go on making those decisions and we've got to do the right thing for our country."
In London Conservative Boris Johnson pipped Labour's Ken Livingstone to win a second term as London mayor, although Labour made gains in the London assembly.
In Scotland - where Labour had been under pressure from the Scottish National Party - Labour gained 58 councillors, the SNP gained 57 with the Lib Dems the biggest losers, with 80 of their councillors defeated.
Deputy Prime Minister and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg said he was "really sad" that so many Lib Dem councillors had lost their seats but added: "I am determined that we will continue to play our role in rescuing, repairing and reforming the British economy.
"It's not an easy job and it can't be done overnight but our duty is to boost jobs and investment and to restore a sense of hope and optimism to our country."
The UK Independence Party increased its vote share, averaging about 13% of the vote where their candidates were standing, although it failed to translate that into seats - gaining six but losing five.
Backbench Conservative MP Gary Streeter said Conservative supporters were sending a message to Mr Cameron that "they don't think our leadership is Conservative enough" by voting for the Eurosceptic UKIP.
But Foreign Secretary William Hague rejected any move to the right or left for the government and Lib Dem president Tim Farron told BBC any "lurch to the right" by the Tories would be "bonkers".
More than 4,700 seats have been contested in 128 English councils, with 21 unitary authorities in Wales electing new councillors. In Scotland, every seat on 32 unitary authorities was up for election.
Voters in Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield, Nottingham, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Coventry, Wakefield, Leeds and Bradford have voted "no" in referendums for elected mayors but Bristol has voted "yes". In Doncaster, residents have voted to keep their mayoral system.
· All the latest election results are available at bbc.co.uk/vote2012


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Murphy's record: A loyal Democrat, a low-key profile
Congressman's Senate bid comes after solid, if unspectacular 3-term House career
WASHINGTON -- Chris Murphy defines "the middle of the pack."
He's a quiet member of the minority party in the House of Representatives, a moderate-to-liberal Democrat with a voting record very similar to that of his four Connecticut colleagues.
As his three-term tenure comes to a close, he's seen as a solid and unspectacular swimmer in the sea of 435 members of the House, where getting seen at all is a challenge.
And that's the problem: Murphy's biggest enemy, other than his well-heeled Republican opponent, is obscurity.
But the congressman from Cheshire has far higher aspirations. He wants to be elected a U.S. Senator next month, to fill the seat of retiring Joseph Lieberman. And, despite facing an aggressive, lavishly self-financed opponent in Linda McMahon, he is nursing a small lead in recent polls.
It is the defining moment in Murphy's political career, his carefully timed chance to step to a larger stage -- a chance to rise spectacularly or fall out of contention. He is giving up his comfortably safe 5th District seat to make the run.
Murphy ranked as the 103rd-most liberal and 327th-most conservative member of the House in 2011, according to a National Journal study.
Despite espousing bipartisanship, he voted with his party some 93 percent of the time in the current Congress.
His voting record in the House qualifies Murphy, 39, as "a standard Democrat," said Kyle Kondik, a political scientist at the University of Virginia Center for Politics and a specialist on the U.S. House.
More InformationRating Chris Murphy's record Voted with Planned Parenthood and NARAL 100 percent of the time. Backed the National Right to Life organization zero percent of the time. Received a 100 percent score on environmental issues from the Defenders of Wildlife. Got a zero score from the Gun Owners of America on gun issues. Ranked as the 103rd most liberal and 327th most conservative member of House in 2011, according to a study by the National Journal. Voted with his party 93 percent of the time in the current Congress. Sponsored 25 bills (ranking him 160 of 440 House members); none of them made it into law (ranking him 141 of 440 House members,) according to an analysis of the current Congress by OpenCongress, an independent think tank. Co-sponsored 235 bills, ranking him 262 of 440; eight made it into law, ranking him 252 of 440, OpenCongress reported. Voted with the AFL-CIO on 18 of 20 key votes measured by the labor group. Supported the U.S. Chamber of Commerce about 37 percent of the time.
Gary Rose, a political scientist at Sacred Heart University and a close analyst of the state's congressional delegation, summed up Murphy's career in the House: "He is a good solider with the Democratic Party, but not a leader or even a good lieutenant. He's a solid back-bencher who hasn't carved out anything special."
Rose noted that Murphy's relatively low statewide name recognition outside his district has enabled McMahon to define him. "And that's not been pretty."
McMahon has cited Murphy's personal financial problems when he was a state legislator and his committee absenteeism during his six years in Washington to label him "a career politician" and to question whether he "deserves a promotion" to the Senate.
Norman Ornstein, a veteran congressional scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, said Murphy was a typical third-term House member -- "not anybody who stands out in any significant way, because he's a member of the minority party and unwilling to make a name for himself by being outrageous, like Michele Bachmann."
Bachmann, another three-term House member, is the Minnesota Republican who founded the Tea Party Caucus in the House and ran for the Republican nomination for president while achieving a degree of notoriety for her controversial views about slavery, global warming, evolution and other issues.
Ornstein noted that Murphy won key recognition after he was elected to a second term in 2008 and the Democratic House leadership -- then in the majority -- appointed him to the Energy and Commerce Committee, a valued assignment.
"That's a sign that the leaders think he's pretty good -- you don't put your slackers on that committee or people you don't trust," Ornstein said. "It's like Ways and Means; they're prized panels because they have such powerful jurisdictions." The Energy and Commerce panel oversees legislation dealing with trade, communications, energy, environment and health, among other page-one issues.
Murphy lost his seat on the committee after one term when, in 2010, Republicans gained control of the House and reduced the number of Democratic seats on the committee.
During his first House term in the 110th Congress (2007-08), Murphy was assigned to the Financial Services Committee and the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. An analysis by Hearst Connecticut Newspapers in August showed that Murphy was absent 78 percent of the time during hearings by those two panels as they sought to peel back the layers of the financial crisis, though he achieved a 97 percent voting record during that Congress.
Murphy gets an understanding nod from Rep. Gary Ackerman, D-N.Y., the top Democrat on Murphy's Middle East and South Asia subcommittee, when it comes to attendance.
Referring to the Hearst Newspapers' finding that Murphy was absent from 68 percent of subcommittee hearings in the current Congress, Ackerman noted that his fellow Democrat had "attended a third of the hearings. That's not an unusual thing. It might even be on the high side for a member who is running for statewide office."
Ackerman went on to praise Murphy's work as a subcommittee member.
"Chris is certainly one of the brighter members of the committee," Ackerman said. "He's a very quick study. When he's there he makes very concise, impressive, insightful statements and asks smart questions. He's a good colleague and an excellent committee member, a decent-hearted man who has the right idea.
"If we had more people like Chris Murphy in Congress it would be a better place. We need them on both sides of the aisle."
Murphy on Murphy
Murphy, when asked about his legislative accomplishments during his six years in the House, lists these three:
Enactment of the Affordable Care Act.
"When I was chair of the (Public Health Committee) in the state Legislature, I realized that Connecticut could not solve the health care crisis by itself," Murphy said. "I am very proud that we have committed the United States to universal health care. Of course, it's controversial. Important things don't happen easily. A lot of people in Connecticut don't want it to be repealed."
During the protracted congressional debate over health care, three different House committees considered parts of the legislation, with Murphy's Energy and Commerce Committee the heavy hitter.
On the final committee vote, on July 31, 2009, five Democrats defected to the opposition and joined all 23 committee Republicans to oppose the bill. Murphy stayed loyal to his leadership and helped form the 31 Democrats-only majority to send the bill to the House floor for eventual passage.
During the committee consideration of the measure, Murphy led efforts to boost Medicaid reimbursement so that primary-care physicians were reimbursed by the program at the same rate as they were reimbursed under Medicare.
Ending the war in Iraq.
"This was one of the issues that led me to run for Congress," he said. "I had become disillusioned by the war and ran for office to end of the war. I'm proud of the small part that I played in bringing that to an end."
By defeating incumbent Republican Rep. Nancy Johnson, a supporter of the Bush administration's policies, he turned a "pro-war vote" into an "anti-war vote" and then proceeded to vote with other House opponents when various war-related measures came to the House.
The Congressional Center Aisle Caucus.
Murphy says he has "no role models in the House" but that he admires a style: being a strong partisan and a strong compromiser. "I want to get back to that. Sen. (Edward M.) Kennedy was that kind of lawmaker," he said. "John McCain is that kind of lawmaker. You never doubted where they stood but they were willing to compromise."
That stated yearning for bipartisanship led him to join the Center Aisle Caucus, one of more than 400 officially recognized caucuses in the 435-member House. To form a caucus, a House member merely has to register with the House Administration Committee that a caucus has been organized "in order to pursue common legislative objectives." The 2012 registry ranges from the Arthritis Caucus to the Unexploded Ordnance Caucus.
Murphy proudly notes that he now is one of four vice chairs of the group, which has some 50 members. But the voting records of three of the four vice chairs show how tough it is to make that reach across the aisle.
Murphy voted with his party leadership 93 percent of the time in the 2011-12 Congress and 98 percent of the time in the 2009-10 Congress. The other Democratic co-chair, Rep. Russ Carnahan of Missouri, voted 95 percent of the time with his party leadership (he was defeated earlier this year in the state's Democratic primary), while Republican vice chair Rep. Jo Ann Emerson of Missouri voted 91 percent of the time with her party leadership.
Only Rep. Tim Johnson, R-Ill., the fourth vice chair and a co-founder of the group, compiled a more bipartisan voting record. He voted with the Republican leadership 77 percent of the time. Johnson announced his retirement from Congress this past summer.
An uphill fight
Achievements for the caucus have been scant.
"I have never heard of the Center Aisle Caucus," Kondik, the University of Virginia scholar, said in an interview. "There's a tendency for every politician to want to appear nonpartisan but the reality is different, given the sharp division in Congress."
Ornstein, the congressional scholar, said, "I love the Center Aisle Caucus. I'm glad it's there, but given the level of partisanship, you can't say that it has done anything to counter it. That's because of the forces out there that are beyond the control of individuals.
Murphy agrees that it's been an uphill battle.
"I don't claim that the caucus has solved the problem of super partisanship in the House," Murphy said. "Our group has not changed the atmosphere around here."
Murphy is among a small group of House members who sleep in their offices (Paul Ryan is another) as a way of saving money -- or making a political statement about not being a D.C. insider.
With the chamber in session only three or four days a week, Murphy uses an inflatable bed in his office and showers in the House gym when he's in Washington, according to Francis Creighton, his chief of staff. His wife and children live in Cheshire.


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Tour de France marred by crashes, many withdrawals
It has always been a dangerous proposition to send nearly 200 aggressive cyclists hurtling down a road at high speed, their featherweight bicycles inches apart.
Do it in the Tour de France, cycling's most prestigious event, and it's a recipe for disaster.
And that's what has happened in the 99th edition of the Tour. Seven days into the race, it is shaping up as the most dangerous in decades, with 20 riders pulling out of the three-week event following crashes.
Early race nerves, the stress of needing to get results to justify sponsors' financial investment, and an overcrowded peloton are some of the reasons riders and team directors give when asked to explain it.
Sunday morning only 180 of an original 198 riders took off from Belfort for the stage across the Jura mountains into Switzerland. Another two, including Olympic champion Samuel Sanchez, abandoned during the race.
"The guys are really nervous the first week," said Rein Taaramae, the Estonian who wears the white jersey as the highest placed rider under 25. He said the crashes had made the riders feel "like soldiers in a war."
The last time so many riders had abandoned this early in the race was 1998, when a whole nine-man team was thrown out of the race for doping. There have been no doping cases so far this year, but 20 riders have abandoned because of injuries ranging from a broken pinky finger to fractured ribs and a punctured lung.
By far the worst day was July 6, the sixth stage from Epernay to Metz.
As the pack picked up speed to chase four breakaway riders with about 16 miles to go, at least two dozen spilled across the rural road. Many were downed and dazed. One rider said it looked like a trench hit by a grenade.
"Lots of blood and screaming. Carnage," Rabobank rider Laurens Ten Dam said on Twitter.
Some riders said the crash happened when one rider swerved while trying to put a teammate's shoe cover into his back jersey pocket.
The crash knocked Giro d'Italia champion Ryder Hesjedal out of the race with massive bruising on his hip and knee. Tom Danielson, his teammate on U.S. team Garmin-Sharp, was briefly knocked unconscious, and rushed to a hospital for hip, collarbone and elbow injuries.
Another rider whose Tour, and possibly career, ended that day was three-time world champion Oscar Freire of Spain. He was hospitalized with a punctured lung and broken ribs.
Yellow jersey holder Bradley Wiggins of Britain's Team Sky lost a key support rider on the third stage, when teammate Kanstantsin Sivtsov crashed and broke his left shin, becoming the first of this year's casualties.
Sky manager Dave Brailsford says the first week in the Tour "is inherently risky."
"It's a question of staying upright," Brailsford said.
Easy for him to say. Sky has been relatively unscathed by the carnage on the roads.
Garmin-Sharp, which was gunning for a historic Giro-Tour double under Hesjedal's leadership, is now searching for a reason to continue the race after also losing Danielson, the team's "Plan B" and the highest ranking American in last year's Tour. Garmin-Sharp is down to six riders after South African Robert Hunter injured vertebrae in Friday's crash.
Swiss rider Fabian Cancellara, himself seriously injured in a crash at the Tour of Flanders in April, is back in top form at the Tour and wore the race leader's yellow jersey for the first seven stages. Cancellara says that this year's Tour lacks a traditional sprinter-led team such as Cavendish had last year with the now defunct HTC team, or the ones featuring Italy's Mario Cipollini in the 1990s.
"The fight is just bigger, everyone is fighting to get the right wheel to put his rider in the right place," Cancellara said.
Tour de France director Christian Prudhomme disputed the claim that there are more crashes than in the past.
"We have no memory, every year people say this," Prudhomme said. But he couldn't remember a Tour that had as many abandons this early in the race.
Another theory to explain the multiple crashes came from Thomas Voeckler. The Frenchman, who finished fourth last year after wearing the yellow jersey for ten days, blames the race radios that riders wear to get instructions from their team managers riding in cars behind the race.
Voeckler said that at certain key points in the race, sport directors from all 22 teams start shouting directives to get to the front of the pack into the riders' earpieces. "The road is seven meters wide, there's not room for everyone," Voeckler said.
Tour veteran Stuart O'Grady, who crashed out of the 2007 race with five broken ribs, had another view.
"There are a lot of young kids out there, and they don't know how to ride their bikes," the Australian told Cycle Sport magazine. "There's a lot of inexperience, a lot of desperation, a lot of nerves. I think everyone needs to chill," O'Grady said.


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Advanced Neuroimaging Evaluation of the Central Nervous System Biological Changes Associated With Efavirenz Therapy and Switch to an Elvitegravir-based Regimen
|The safety and scientific validity of this study is the responsibility of the study sponsor and investigators. Listing a study does not mean it has been evaluated by the U.S. Federal Government. Read our disclaimer for details.
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01929759
Recruitment Status : Completed
First Posted : August 28, 2013
Results First Posted : July 28, 2017
Last Update Posted : July 28, 2017
- Study Details
- Tabular View
- Study Results
- Disclaimer
- How to Read a Study Record
In this study we will use a multi-modal imaging approach of MRS and fMRI to comprehensively assess the biological changes in the brain associated with EFV-based regimen (EFV/FTC/TDF), specifically alterations in the brain circuitry, function and local neurochemistry, and their correlation with neuropsychological function. In a cohort of HIV-infected patients who are clinically stable on the commonly use regimen of EFV/emtricitabine (FTC)/truvada (TDF) or Atripla, we propose to replace the EFV component with a new integrase inhibitor, elvitegravir (EVG) boosted with cobicistat (COBI), given as the EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF Single Tablet Regimen (STR) to evaluate the EFV-related neural alterations. This is a multidisciplinary study which involves a team of infectious disease experts in the field of HIV, neuroradiologists with expertise in fMRI and MRS techniques to study various central nervous system and psychiatric disorders and a psychiatrist with experience and expertise in research on abnormalities of affective and motivational processing in the context of neuropsychiatric disorders. We will utilize the established clinical research platform in the Infectious Disease outpatient clinical practice at the Brigham and Women's Hospital, where there is currently have many ongoing HIV-related studies and a large panel of HIV-infected patients motivated to be involved in clinically relevant research. We propose to use advanced neuroimaging to measure biologically changes in the brain associated with long-term EFV use with the following specific aims:
- Determine changes in neurometabolites measured by MRS in the brain associated with long-term EFV use
- Assess for alterations in neural activity correlated with affective symptoms associated with EFV vs STR use using fMRI, and their associations with changes in neurometabolites assessed by MRS, and with changes in cognition assessed by Trail Making and Digit Substitution Tests.
- Determine changes in emotion, cognition and sleep quality after switching from EFV to STR, and how they correlate with subject treatment preference.
This clinical study will extend our current understanding of EFV neurotoxicity by further defining the nature of these biological changes. Further elucidation of the neurobiological underpinnings of EFV-induced CNS toxicity will have clinical relevance in improving the quality of life and drug adherence of HIV-infected patients on ART, especially among older patients or those with baseline neuropsychiatric disorders, whom at baseline are more vulnerable to neurocognitive decline from long-term HIV infection.
|Condition or disease
|HIV Disease
|Drug: Stribild (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine and tenofovir)
|Not Applicable
|Study Type :
|Interventional (Clinical Trial)
|Actual Enrollment :
|10 participants
|Intervention Model:
|Single Group Assignment
|Intervention Model Description:
|Treatment switch study
|None (Open Label)
|Primary Purpose:
|Basic Science
|Official Title:
|Advanced Neuroimaging Evaluation of the Central Nervous System Biological Changes Associated With Efavirenz Therapy and Switch to an Elvitegravir-based Regimen
|Actual Study Start Date :
|January 2014
|Actual Primary Completion Date :
|October 2015
|Actual Study Completion Date :
|October 2015
Drug switching
Single-arm with switch from baseline antiretroviral therapy with Atripla to Stribild for total of 8 weeks.
Drug: Stribild (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine and tenofovir)
Switch from Atripla (efavirenz, emtricitabine and tenofovir) to Stribild (elvitegravir, cobicistat, emtricitabine and tenofovir)for total of 8 weeks
- Change in Neurometabolites Based on Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) [ Time Frame: week 0 to week 8 ]Assess the change in levels of neuro-metabolites measured by MRS from week 0 (before switching to the efavirenz-based therapy) and then at week 8 (after completing 9 weeks of integrase-inhibitor based regimen with Stribild). Two areas of the brain: 1) posterior cingulate gyrus and 2) anterior cingulate will be assessed for the levels of brain Cr, GABA and GLU.
- Neural Activation Networks Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) [ Time Frame: week 0 and week 8 ]Assess changes in neural activation correlated with affective disturbances associated with efavirenz-based therapy using fMRI employing an Emotional Word/Go-NoGo task paradigm that probes affective symptomatologies typical with EFV use, specifically anxiety/dysphoria and affective dysregulation and their association with changes in cognitive function. Four brain regions of interests (ROIs) are specified to show the differential frontal-limbic activation patterns in the task-evoked neural responses to the 3 linear contrasts of Pre-switch / Post-switch / Pre- vs. Post-switch: [Negative Word vs. Neutral Word] x [No-Go Trial Block vs. Go Trial Block]: anterior Frontal Pole (aFP), posterior Cingulate Gyrus (pCG), dorsal anterior Cingulate Gyrus (daCG), Left Hippocampus (LHC). A linear mixed-effects model is utilized to examine the effect sizes of the key Regimen/Condition contrasts, with the Subject factor as the random-effect and Age incorporated as a co-variate of no interest.
- Change in Other Neurometabolite Measured by MRS Between Week 0 and Week 8 [ Time Frame: week 0 to week 8 ]Use MRS to evaluate a fuller panel of known neurometabolites (in addition to the primary endpoints) between week 0 and week 8 to identify prominent and significant changes associated with EFV use.
- Neurocognitive Changes [ Time Frame: week 0 and week 8 ]
Assess for changes in cognitive and affective function prior to and after switching off EFV-based regimen. Indexes used to access neurocognitive changes included:
- Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-R) Digital Symbol Substitution Test: sensitive to brain damage, dementia, age and depressive changes. Range of 0-100, the higher the score the better the person's performance
- Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD): Measure of depression. Score of 0-7 is normal, score of >20 is moderate/severe depression
- Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21) the lower the score, the less severe depression, anxiety and stress. Scale range of 0-63
- Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FRSBE): Increased score indicates greater behavioral impairment associated with frontal systems, range 37.2 to 186
6. Spielberger state trait anxiety inventory (STAI): the higher the score the greater then anxiety level, range of 20 to 80.
- Fasting Lipid Profile [ Time Frame: 8 weeks ]Measure the change in fasting lipid panel prior to and after switching off EFV-based regimen.
- Sleep Quality [ Time Frame: week 0 and week 8 ]Assess for changes in sleep pattern and quality prior to and after switching off EFV-based regimen through a self-administered Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Measure consists of 19 items with each weighted on 0-3 scale and the sum produces a total score, which ranges from 0-21. The lower the score the healthier the sleep quality; minimum Score = 0 (better); maximum Score = 21 (worse).
- ART Regimen Preference [ Time Frame: week 0 and week 8 ]Evaluate patient preference in ART regimen (Atripla, EFV/FTC/TDF versus EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF) through a self-administered questionnaire.
- Markers of Immune Activation [ Time Frame: week 0 and week 8 ]Change in markers of immune activation and inflammation associated with change to Stibild: sCD14, IP-10,sCD163, IL-6)
- Effect of EFV and Its Metabolites [ Time Frame: week 0 and week 8 ]Level of EFV (efavirenz) in Atripla and its two known metabolites known to cause cerebral side effects, 7-hydroxy (OH) EFV and 8-OH EFV, were measured in the plasma prior to switch off Atripla and after 8 weeks of RAL-based regimen (no EFV).
Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
|Ages Eligible for Study:
|18 Years to 65 Years (Adult, Older Adult)
|Sexes Eligible for Study:
|Accepts Healthy Volunteers:
Inclusion Criteria:
- Chronic HIV-infected individuals on suppressive regimen with EFV/FTC/TDF, for at least 6 months
- Undetectable HIV-1 RNA virus load for at least 6 months
- No co-infections with active hepatitis B and C
- Presence of at least moderate symptoms on 2 out of 3 subcores on the DASS
- No known active HIV-related and non-HIV related CNS infections
- Estimated glomerular filtration rate (EGFR) >60 ml/min
- Consent to switching to EVG/COBI/FTC/TDF
- Ages 18 - 65
Exclusion Criteria:
- History of CNS opportunistic infections or active CNS infections
- History of severe psychiatric disorder (excluding depression and anxiety)
- History of chronic neurological disorders, such as epilepsy or multiple sclerosis
- History of or current significant substance abuse or dependence and/or heavy alcohol use (>12 oz/wk)
- Any women who may be pregnant (positive urine pregnancy test or unprotected sex in 2 weeks prior to scan) or known to be pregnant
- Contraindications to undergoing fMRI, including metallic implants, claustrophobia, and medical conditions or medications that significantly affect cerebral blood flow or function.
To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01929759
|United States, Massachusetts
|Brigham and Women's Hospital
|Boston, Massachusetts, United States, 02115
|Responsible Party:
|Nina Lin, MD, Instructor in Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital
|ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:
|Other Study ID Numbers:
|First Posted:
|August 28, 2013 Key Record Dates
|Results First Posted:
|July 28, 2017
|Last Update Posted:
|July 28, 2017
|Last Verified:
|July 2017
neurocognitive symptoms
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
HIV Infections
Lentivirus Infections
Retroviridae Infections
RNA Virus Infections
Virus Diseases
Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Viral
Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Slow Virus Diseases
Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes
Immune System Diseases
Elvitegravir, Cobicistat, Emtricitabine, Tenofovir Disoproxil Fumarate Drug Combination
Antiviral Agents
Anti-Infective Agents
Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors
Nucleic Acid Synthesis Inhibitors
Enzyme Inhibitors
Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action
Anti-Retroviral Agents
Anti-HIV Agents
Cytochrome P-450 CYP3A Inhibitors
Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme Inhibitors


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Blue and Ecru Recycled Cotton Throw
€19.00 €19.00
Blue and Ecru Stripe Recycled Cotton Throw with fringe detail
* L 160 cm X W 130 cm
Melissa Mills Bari is a lifestyle influencer and Mum covering fashion, beauty, lifestyle and parenting and recognized for her impeccable style. Her website and social media accounts are the go to source for ways to feel and look good while juggling a busy lifestyle.
A destination for those who love and enjoy motherhood but still place an importance on style and personal identity. Her covetable style is both timeless and feminine featuring a mix of high street and premium brands - inspiring her engaged audience with honest and relatable advice.


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The Fed Bailed Out A Libya-Owned Bank
Here's one for the WTF files. While it is neither a secret that back in 2009 America had a thriving relationship with the world's suddenly most hated man Moammar Gaddafi (see "Obama is the first U.S. president to shake Gaddafi's hand") only to turn around and bomb him, nor is it surprising since after all when it comes to oil our administration will do anything and everything to procure it, no matter how many Nobel peace prizes are trampled in the process, it may come as a surprise to some that a bank majority owned by the Libya Central Bank, was the direct recipient of US taxpayer largesse in the form of discount window borrowing. Bloomberg writes that Arab Banking Corp., a lender part- owned by the Central Bank of Libya, used a branch in New York to borrow at least $5 billion from the U.S. Federal Reserve as credit markets seized up in 2008 and 2009. Indeed a quick word search through the compiled daily releases will confirm that the Fed dispersed funds to the Libya-owned venture on well over 30 occasions. And while we have querried in the past how it is possible that various Libyan financial interests managed to get past domestic Anti Money Laundering provisions, when it comes to direct funding from taxpayers would it be too much to ask of Ben Bernanke not to transact with institutions operating on behalf of various so-called tyrants, mutants and, broadly, Antichrists?
More from Bloomberg:
The bank, then 29 percent-owned by the Libyan state, drew $1.1 billion from the Fed's so-called discount window in October 2008, Including $450 million during the week when hundreds of financial firms drew a record amount of emergency funding from the U.S lending program, according to data released by the Fed today. Arab Banking Corp. also owed about $4 billion to the Fed under other bailout programs in the fall of 2009, data released in December show.
The U.S. government has since frozen assets linked to the regime of Libyan ruler Muammar Qaddafi and engaged in air strikes against his military forces as they battle a rebel uprising in the North African country. Arab Banking Corp. received an exemption that allows the firm to continue operating while prohibiting it from engaging in any transactions with the government of Libya, according to the Treasury Department.
Libya's stake in Manama, Bahrain-based Arab Banking Corp. increased to 59 percent in December 2010, the company said on Dec. 2.
David Siegel, treasurer of Arab Banking Corp.'s branch on Park Avenue in midtown Manhattan, declined to comment when contacted. The bank's board is chaired by Mohammed Hussain Layas, chief executive officer of the Libyan Investment Authority. The CEO is Bahrain-based Hassan Ali Juma.


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KC police locate vehicle sought in fatal shooting
Police: Victim shot while defending niece in argument
Kansas City police said they're investigating a fatal shooting Wednesday afternoon.
Officers were called to the scene near 23rd Street and Wheeling Avenue about 3:45 p.m.
Police said a couple was having an argument outside an apartment building. They said the woman's uncle came out to defend her and he was shot.
Investigators have not released the victim's name. They said he was in his mid-to-late 20s.
Police said they have recovered a silver Dodge Avenger that they think is linked to the case. They also said some people were being questioned, but they offered no additional information about how those people might be linked to the case.
Natek Beck lives in the neighborhood and said the violence doesn't come as a surprise.
"This is the third time I've witnessed the homicide detectives knocking on my door and asking have we seen anything, and its just, like, wow. It's crazy," Beck said.


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PG in International Business Management-AMA
Post Graduate Programme POST GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGEMENT (PGDIBM/MBA)-Ahmedabad Management Association
Two Year Graduate Programme in International Business Management (PGP-IBM) - 2009 recognized by IGNOU
The PGP–IBM aims at preparing qualified and skilled international business management professionals and entrepreneurs, thereby strengthening the Country's effort for promoting international business.
Specific Objectives
1. Developing a cadre of management professionals equipped with conceptual, technical and behavioral knowledge, skills and mindset in global business systems and practices.
2. Professionalizing management structures and systems of Indian business organizations to cope up with challenges of global business.
3. Contributing towards making India a vibrant hub for global business & industries.
The PGP – IBM is designed for
(a) graduates aspiring for career in international business,
(b) exporters and export houses,
(c) entrepreneurs who want to enter global markets with their products/services,
(d) working professionals who want to add value to their professional profile and;
(e) government officials from commissionerates/departments engaged in handling of international business issues in government administration. NGOs dealing with international development/financial agencies and academicians involved in teaching or research in international aspects of business or management will also find the Program useful.
Eligibility criteria-:
1. The Program will be open for graduate degree holders from any discipline.
2. This is a national level Program and therefore graduates from any medium of instruction and any university situated in India or abroad will be eligible to apply.
3. The applicants must hold the 1st graduation degree with a minimum of 50% marks.
4. Max. age limit is 35 years.
5. Candidates with work experience are given priority; however lack of such an experience will not be a disqualification.
To Apply-:
Please send a cheque or Demand Draft (DD) of Rs. 500/- payable at par in favour of 'Ahmedabad Management Association' along with the form at the following address:
Executive Director,
Ahmedabad Management Association,
ATIRA Campus,
Ahmedabad 380 015.
Ph: 26308601-6 Fax: 26305692
E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
(Email it or Fax it with Your Information)


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May 27, 2012
Whatever happened to all my design links? (Hint: Pinterest.)
You might remember that I often used to featured bulleted lists of links about photography, illustration, typography, etc. I still share links when possible via Twitter, but I just haven't had time in recent months to amass collections as I once did. (Could I now be working for a living? Perish the thought!) I still pine for an automated solution that apparently doesn't exist.
A silver lining, though: Now I find that my Pinterest boards absorb what would otherwise have been tweets. I can't add quite the same context/commentary there, but the site offers a beautifully visual presentation, and you might want to follow me there.


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Sony cites 'slow penetration' of Vita, cuts portable forecast
Amid weak Vita sales, Sony has cut its full year expectations on portable hardware sales from 10 million to 7 million. The company concedes that the Vita has seen "slow penetration" into the market, and hopes to change that by presenting a stronger software line-up for the system.
In an investor call, CFO Masaru Kato was frank about the Vita's prospects. "One thing is clear for us. In terms of profitibility we have to do a better job of promoting the Vita," he said. He did point out that the company didn't revise its forecasts on "mobile phones and home game devices," signaling more confidence in those areas of the games division.
According to GI.biz, the games division posted revenue of $2.86 billion, down 15% from last year. Vita received the most attention since it's the newest system on the market, but but sales of Sony hardware in general is in decline. Combined PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 sales were down to 6.8 million from 7.4 million last year. Portable sales actually increased from 2.4 million to 2.7 million, but that doesn't match the company's expectations.
Sony is expected to announce its next console at an event on February 20.


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Search by Part Number, Brand, or by Year make Model, and or Part.
Akrapovic Porsche Boxster GTS (981) Akrapovic Sound Kit; 2015-2015
Model #: P-HF964$488.51
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Akrapovic Porsche Boxster GTS (981) Slip-On Line (Titanium); 2015-2015
Model #: S-PO981SO-HT/1$6,218.67
Starting at $548/month
with .
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About Akrapovic
Akrapovic is a pioneer in the innovative use of titanium and super-alloys. The brand is at the forefront of carbon-fiber component development and production. Akrapovic exhaust systems are renowned for increasing performance, unmistakable sound, innovative design, lightweight technology, quality workmanship, and durability.
Founded in Slovenia by former motorcycle racer Igor Akrapovic , the aftermarket muffler and exhaust pipe brand has grown to international prominence, winning major world championship titles and setting the highest design standards, which have led to multiple Red Dot awards (for outstanding international product design and communication).
A pioneer in its field, Akrapovic is widely recognized as a highly innovative materials technology company. The brand is synonymous with the highest level of design, performance enhancement and the creation of an unmistakable deeply resonant exhaust sound. The company's aftermarket mufflers and exhaust pipes are designed and manufactured for motorcycles and performance cars by a passionate and highly-skilled workforce of over 1000 employees using the latest technology, processes and finest materials. The Racing R&D department works with dozens of racing teams. Over 100 world champions have already relied on Akrapovic exhaust systems. And this is just the beginning of a long exciting ride. Shop below for Akrapovic mufflers, exhausts, sound kits and tail pipe sets.
Racing has always been the lifeblood of Akrapovic and, as the company reached its 25thanniversary in 2016, it also celebrated its 100th world championship title, a feat achieved when Jorge Lorenzo (Movistar Yamaha MotoGP) won the MotoGP championship in 2015. The technical ability and support Akrapovic provides to teams competing in MotoGP, EWC, WorldSBK, MXGP, Enduro, Supercross, Dakar rally, DTM, and FIA WEC give them the competitive edge, which follows the same heritage and know-how that is transferred into road and off-road systems.
Increased performance, user-friendly controllable power delivery, signature sound, and durable lightweight exhausts are all directly related to the research, development, and testing that every Akrapovic exhaust is subjected to in the racing arena, giving it a pedigree that is rarely matched.
The company operates from state-of-the-art production facilities and technologically advanced R&D facilities in Slovenia, which include an in-house titanium foundry, a metallurgical laboratory, several motorcycle and car dynamometers, and high-tech production machinery. Akrapovic has over 1000 employees and markets its products in more than 80 countries worldwide.
Akrapovic Materials
The company made a great leap forward in 2009, when it opened its own in-house cutting-edge titanium foundry; it is still the only exhaust system supplier with its own in-house foundry. The titanium foundry facility participates in all phases of the investment casting process, from wax injection to the final inspection of the cast parts with X-ray radioscopy and other control procedures, such as chemical analyses, mechanical properties, and dimensional accuracy.
Akrapovic has a fully equipped metallurgical laboratory for testing the material properties and quality of products. The company believes that metallography is a great tool for understanding the limits of exhaust systems and materials. They achieve all of this using exclusive in-house knowledge and technologies, and more than twenty years of experience in processing special materials for exhaust systems.
The company's exhaust systems are crafted from proprietary titanium alloys. These are three times stronger than other "commercial" alloys available. Their high quality and strength make them more difficult to form than common alloys, but they ensure products that are substantially more durable, dimensionally more stable, and have significantly increased heat resistance.
Its carbon-fiber components are produced in-house with temperature-resistant carbon-fiber resins. Through innovative production techniques, the company can produce parts with very complex shapes in various sizes. These hand crafted high-quality materials are used as parts of exhaust systems such as carbon-fiber muffler outer sleeves and heatshields on motorcycles, and the appearance of a car can be further improved with optional handcrafted carbon-fiber rear diffusers and carbon-fiber tailpipes.
The family of nickel-based superalloys that are alloyed with chrome, molybdenum, and niobium are also commercially known as Inconel alloys. These kinds of alloys have exceptional mechanical properties at extremely low and high temperatures. They are also extremely resistant to corrosion and corrosive acids (both surface resistance and at the crystal level) and have very high oxidation resistance.
These are some of the items you can find at LMPerformance for your Porsche
Porsche is the German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans and are headquartered in STUGARTT, and in a survey conducted by the Luxury Institute in New York, Porsche was awarded the title of "the most prestigious automobile brand". Since you are the proud owner of this prestigious car, LMPerformance knows you are a discriminating buyer who wants only the best and the LMPerformance team can give you that with brands from preeminent manufacturers such as WEATHERTECH, SPEC, Billy Boat, CORBEAU, KONI, BORLA, K&N, EIBACH, BILSTEIN, just to name a few.
Visualize yourself in a new seat from CORBEAU like the CORBEAU VX2000 Reclining Seat in Black Leather, a revolutionary designed reclining seat, ideal for drivers of all sizes and with anatomically advanced seat features like an injection molded, composite shell back that will give your interior that added luxury you are looking for. Whether on street, the track, or off-road, the VX2000 racing seat will enhance your overall driving experience and as a rule of thumb will fit up to a 42-44-inch waist while still comfortably fitting smaller drivers. The fingertip controlled reclining mechanism allows the seat back to be adjusted to the ultimate driving position affording you the comfort and flexibility you deserve and the CORBEAU reclining technology allows with just the lift of the lever, the seat back to be immediately returned to the full upright position.
Check out the B&B Billy Boat Exhaust FPOR-1400 - BILLY BOAT B&B PORSCHE 911 SC / CARRERA 1975 - 1989 911SC/CARRERA - COMPLETE KIT W/HEAT EXCHANGERS for your 911. Billy Boat exhaust systems start with T-304 stainless steel, mandrel bending for a perfect fit and free-flowing exhaust flow. The toughness and ability to withstand harsh elements are the result of being manufactured to the epitome of standards.
Full body kits for your Porsche 911, 912, 930, 964, 993, 996, 997, 924, BOXSTER, Cayenne, Cayman and PANAMERA from DURAFLEX will not only improve your Porsche aerodynamically by helping to channel the wind but it will give it a spectacular head-turning look. The superior quality of the DURAFLEX product, the ground breaking discovery of a compilation of fiberglass, flex resins and plastic that creates a much more durable product than fiberglass is perfect for your prestigious car. Not ready to do the whole thing then DURAFLEX has air ducts, bumpers, spoilers, lips, fender flares, fenders, grilles, hoods, rear wings, side scoops, side skirts, tonneau covers and trunk panels, all of the same inimitable quality and available so you can take your time and do it when you want to.
Looking for a Carbon Fiber hood for your Porsche? LMPERFORMANCE has pure Carbon Fiber hoods from Carbon Creations, some of the highest quality carbon fiber hoods around and all at an affordable price. Carbon Creations aerodynamics are manufactured the primo quality to guarantee excellent fitment and strength and every part is made with Grade "A" carbon fiber and finished with a premium clear coat for UV protection. Carbon Creations parts are up to 70% lighter than OEM parts, increasing performance and style so whether on the track or at the show, Carbon Creations has what you need.


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Are you excited for the first official look at Iron Man 3? Of course you are. So to tide you over until the official trailer is released, here's the official trailer for the official trailer that gives us a handful of tantalizing looks at what the official trailer has in store. Let's break down some of what it reveals.
- Tony Stark's sporting a shorter haircut and a newfound disdain for talking to the press.
- Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow's character) has been captured and requires rescue from some manner of superhero. Our educated guess: Iron Man... or the Green Lantern.
- Our first look at Mandarin, or at least the back of his hairdo.
- Helicopters!
- The Iron Man suit's got a new paint job, requiring kids to update their Iron Man action figures accordingly.
The full trailer is expected to be released on Tuesday, and given the non-stop action in the trailer trailer, we can't imagine what it must have in store. [YouTube via TechEBlog]


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According to the results of a 2011 Wish Impact Study that surveyed wish parents, health professionals, and volunteers, a wish come true empowers children to fight harder against their critical illnesses.
When wish kids are granted a wish, they get more than just a great experience for a day, two days, or a week. That experience improves the quality of life for them and their entire family.
Health professionals treating them say the wish experience is an important adjunct to medical treatment, and they observe their patients feel better and comply more readily with treatment protocols when they experience their wish come true. And the community volunteers who grant wishes say the wish granting process heightens both their ability to see the best in others, and their commitment to actively help more people in need.
Improved Health Status
A combined 89 percent of doctors, nurses and health professionals surveyed say they believe a wish experience can influence wish kids' physical health.*
Enhanced State of Mind
Ninety-nine percent of parents reported that the wish experience gave their children increased feelings of happiness and 96 percent said that the wish experience strengthened their families. *
Strengthened Communities
Ninety-five percent of community volunteers reported an increased sense of compassion and 84 percent felt an increased faith in humanity. *
* "Wish Impact Study Results – Second Phase: Jan. – Aug. 2011" (consolidated results), Nov. 2, 2011.
A wish is more than just a single event or moment in time
November 05, 2019
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Video of a fertility doctor injecting cloned human embryos into a woman's womb have made their way online, outraging the medical community. But the doctor in question is defiant about the importance of his work.
The video appeared on the website of British newspaper the Independent last week, immediately followed by scientists calling the procedures irresponsible, unethical and also just simply unreal. The doctor who's conducting the cloning experiments, Panayiotis Zavos, is unrepentant, however:
There is absolutely no doubt about it, and I may not be the one that does it, but the cloned child is coming. There is absolutely no way that it will not happen... In the future, when we get serious about executing things correctly, this thing will be very easy to do.
So far, none of Zavos' experiments has resulted in a successful pregnancy, but he claims it is only a matter of time:
We think we know why those four transfers didn't take. I think with better subjects – and there are hundreds of people out there who want to do this – if we choose 10 couples, I think we will get some to carry a pregnancy.
Fertility expert: 'I can clone a human being' [Independent.co.uk]


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As the youngest female dolphin living in the front lagoon, Luna seems to have defined her place. She plays rough with the juvenile boys and still stays in the loop with the older girls. This once shy little girl is now a blossoming young lady full of spunk and independence. This was evident on a Dolphin Encounter, when her mother, Pandora, did not want to gate into the lagoon for the program. Since we do everything on dolphin time and choice, this allowed Luna to swim up to the plate and show us just how grown up she's become.
Not only did she steal the spotlight by making every swimmer fall in love with her charm and grace, but she also showed her mother that she could do every behavior. Luna excitedly did every kiss, handshake, imitation and signal on her own. She even did several dorsal tows all by herself too!
Pandora peered at her daughter from the neighboring lagoon and it seems like Luna coerced her into taking part in the fun for the dorsal pull. Pandora screamed at one of the trainers until she was let into the lagoon. Once she swam with a few guests, she was more than happy to leave the others in her capable daughter's flippers. She then asked to be gated back out again.
After the session ended, Luna and Pandora gabbed about what had happened. We can only imagine the pride Pandora had in her sweet little munchkin. As a free thinking dolphin, maybe it was Pandora's way of pushing her daughter to venture a bit more towards self-sufficiency.


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Implementation and compliance
The implementation of the Protocol on Water and Health requires setting firm targets in the areas defined by paragraph 2 (a) to (n) of the article 6 of the Protocol.
Theprocess of target-setting entails analyzing the national situation, streamlining and harmonizing responsibilities and commitments in water and health. A realistic plan for improvement, with prioritized time-bound targets adapted to the national situation, must be elaborated. When complying with Protocol's provisions, Parties are encouraged to tailor their targets accordingly to the country-specific problems.
The progress in setting targets and implementing the Protocol is assessed on the basis of summary reports provided by Parties. According to the article 7 of the Protocol, Parties shall collect and evaluate data on their progress towards the achievement of the targets and on indicators designed to show how that progress has contributed towards preventing, controlling or reducing water-related disease.
To assist Parties in setting targets, a Task Force on Indicators and Reporting was established in 2007, renamed Task Force on Target Setting and Reporting in 2010. The Task Force elaborated the Guidelines on the setting of targets, evaluation of progress and reporting under the Protocol. Moreover, the Task Force developed the format and reporting mechanism under the Protocol.
Article 15 of the Protocol on Water and Health on review of compliance, requires the Meeting of the Parties to establish arrangements for reviewing compliance with the Protocol.The first Compliance Committee was elected in 2007 with the objective to facilitate, promote and secure compliance with the obligations under the Protocol, with a view to preventing disputes.
One important feature of the Protocol's compliance mechanism is that it provides for the possibility of members of the public to make communications to the Compliance Committee on cases of alleged non-compliance with the Protocol, which the Committee is then required to deal with. To help the general public understanding the compliance mechanism the Committee elaborated Guidelines on communications from the public (Текст на русском языке доступен здесь).
The first reporting exercise under the Protocol was conducted during autumn 2009/spring 2010. It showed that a number of Parties were facing difficulties in implementating the Protocol, in particular with its core obligation to set targets and target dates. To respond to this situation, the Compliance Committee decided at its fifth meeting in June 2010 to enhance its facilitation and assistance functions, and agreed to enter into consultations with a number of Parties. At its sixth meeting in March 2011, the Compliance Committee outlined the main features for a new consultation process geared to help Parties implement their obligations under the Protocol. To help Parties in implementing the provisions of the Protocol, the Committee will, under the auspices of the new consultation process :
- Assist Parties in developing an accurate analysis of their situation (enabling them to set targets under the Protocol),
- Provide recommendations to the Parties on how to improve their situation
- Assist Parties in seeking support from donors, specialized agencies and other competent bodies
Consultations do not have an inquisitive nature, and will be initiated by a request from a Party. Sessions can be held in confidence, if so requested. More information is available at the Terms of Reference of the consultation process adopted by the Committee at its 6th session.
The second reporting exercise in accordance with article 7 of the Protocol was held based in 2012/2013 on the decision of the Working Group on Water and Health at its fifth meeting (see ECE/MP.WH/WG.1/2012/2−EUDCE/1206123/3.1/2012/2).The outcomes of the reporting cycle demonstrated increased compliance with the guidelines and template for summary reports and improved overall quality of submitted reports as compared with the pilot reporting exercise conducted in 2009−2010.